Books I Read in 2023
This year was such a tough one in so many ways I'm too exhausted to even recount. But you know what? One area that didn't suffer was my reading for pleasure. I read so many books this year, the most I've read in a long time. According to Goodreads:
That's fantastic! I'm very proud of that number. And I read some awesome books this year. A dud here and there, but some that were off the charts good. This year I hope to discover some more new-to-me authors that I just fall in love with and devour. I'm also looking forward to a lot of books from my favorite authors.
2024 looks like it will be the year for ending trilogies as Stephen Graham Jones and Adam Cesare are both publishing the final book in the Indian Lake and Clown in a Cornfield trilogies respectfully. I enjoyed both of those so much, I can't wait to read the epic finales. Jones also has a book called I Was a Teenage Slasher that I am very hyped about. Paul Tremblay is releasing Horror Movie (he's hit and miss for me, hopefully this one is a win!). Where is Grady Hendrix? Neil Gaiman? I don't know, but hopefully they and more of my favorite/yet-to-be-discovered favorite authors publish awesome books this year. I'm ready for them!
Without further ado, here's the recap of all the books I read in 2023.
My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing
What a book to start the year! This was right up my alley, the plot being a married couple with children who have an unusual... hobby. They kidnap and murder young women. You read that correctly. Told from the husband's point of view, this book is a pretty wild ride. Some of it was predictable, and required a lot of suspension of disbelief, of course, but I still had a really fun time reading it, and ultimately, that's all I care about. If you're a deep thinker, this book might be too surface level for you, but if you just want a bloody ride through the minds of a pair of suburban serial killers, then check this one out, it was a lot of fun to read.
Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister
I decided to keep the thriller theme going with this book from another new-to-me author. Set in modern day in the UK, this book follows a mother who witnesses her son stab someone on the street in front of their house and then wakes up the morning before. Time travel, secrets, gang involvement, it's a whirlwind, and I absolutely enjoyed this book. Again, if you're a deep thinker and can usually figure out books or movies before the end, you might not find this one as shocking and fun as I did. I'm never good at figuring out the ending to something before I get there. I like to completely suspend myself in the world of the narrative and let it carry me away. I'm in no hurry to get there before the author does, so the twists and turns usually work really well for me, and in this book, they definitely did. This book was so great, I recommend it to anyone who likes a good crime thriller.
The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why it Matters by Priya Parker
I am in a group for volunteer administrators in my area and we started a book club. The Art of Gathering was our first book choice and it was a good one to start with. In fact, for our first book club meeting, we started with a format and tips from the book as to deciding on a purpose and community rules to govern our book club meetings. I enjoyed Priya's stories about her research and the various gatherings she attended in order to gain an understanding and discourse about the art of gathering. She's traveled the world over and attended gatherings for everything imaginable and some not imaginable. She's had incredible experiences and reading about them was not just fun, but educational. I will definitely refer to this book whenever I am planning a gathering whether it's a birthday or work meeting or anything in between.
Night of the Living Rez by Morgan Talty
This book wasn't what I expected from the title, but it was definitely enjoyable. I was expecting paranormal stories about zombies or other supernatural creatures terrorizing folks living on a reservation. But that wasn't it at all. There were references to Night of the Living Dead as the main character's sister loves to watch old zombie movies at full volume in their home. Also, the main character is very much a zombie throughout his life as he's addicted to pills and drink and goes to the Methodone clinic daily. It was an intriguing and educational fictional account of life on a reservation. The characters grabbed my heartstrings and didn't let go. The final chapters were devastating and poignant and have stuck with me.
How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix
I've been a Hendrix fan for years and I had pre-ordered this book as soon as I could and waited excitedly for it's arrival. I read it in less than 24 hours after receiving it. It was standard Hendrix fare: campy horror that actually thrills and chills. The story of a pair of siblings facing the task of dismantling their parent's house after their unexpected deaths in a car crash is doomed by a vengeful haunted puppet named Pupkin. Moments of the book were laugh out loud funny while others kept me up at night and afraid to turn out the light. A must read for any fans of haunted house genre campy horror.
The Ruining by Anna Collomore
I have to be honest... I hated this book. I finished it only out of spite for picking it up from an out-of-state book store that I traveled to as part of my birthday celebrations this year. The writing was a whole lot of 'telling and not showing' which is catastrophic in my eyes. And even when the author did attempt to show something to the reader, they didn't trust the reader enough to let the showing speak for itself. They would follow up with a sentence or two of telling! I could tell the author has a love for Charlotte Perkins Gilman's The Yellow Wallpaper, but every reference to it was trite and took me out of the story. A compelling concept was botched by mediocre and tedious writing that wouldn't let a reader actually read or feel or enjoy the story.
Theme Music by T. Marie Vandelly
This book....I don't even know where to start or how to convey how very much I enjoyed every line of this book. I never wanted it to end. The plot was incredible, the twists somewhat predictable, but the unreliable narrator and ghosts haunting the narrative kept me guessing and not even trusting myself! I loved this book and can see myself re-reading it over again just to enjoy all the little bread crumbs and originality throughout. The protagonist is the sole survivor of her father's murderous massacre of her entire immediate family. As an adult, she finds that the house of horrors where the murders took place is up for sale... and as any sane person would... she buys it. Totally normal and not creepy or weird at all, right? Is the house haunted? Is she a bit crazy? Both? Neither? Who knows! What a rollercoaster of horrific joy this was for me. Highly recommend.
She Come By It Natural: Dolly Parton and the Women Who Lived Her Songs by Sarah Smarsh
I picked this book up at a local thrift shop and of course it had caught my eye because I love everything Dolly Parton. And in fact am working on a presentation for a Presenter Bootcamp I am doing where I am using Dolly's life to demonstrate the importance of authenticity in the workplace. The title of the presentation is: I Beg Your Parton - What Dolly Has Taught Us About Authentic Professionalism. So reading this book was a bit of research for this presentation. It's a well-presented exploration of how Dolly wrote about working class women's woes and troubles and how speaking to their unique life experiences helped them feel heard and seen. The way the author weaves Dolly's lyrics through her own life experiences with the women she grew up around is quite poignant.
Don't Fear the Reaper by Stephen Graham Jones
This book came out on my birthday and arrived at my house on that very day. Thanks for the birthday gift, Stephen Graham Jones! This is the sequel to My Heart is a Chainsaw, which if you've been reading these book logs, you know I absolutely loved. The main character, Jade, is obsessed with the slasher genre of films. Sound familiar? And she has always wished one would happen in her town in real life. That's where she and I differ, of course. But who hasn't looked out the window of a car in the rain and imagined themselves the sole object of a maniacal killer's bloodlust? Just me? Alright, well, anyway.... this was such a well-done sequel to Chainsaw and I eagerly await the final book in the trilogy. Jade is back, fresh out of jail, and a slasher has once again set their sights on Indian Lake. Who will survive this time? Who is to be the final girl? Is there one killer? Two? More? Read and find out. Well worth it. My only complaint is a wish I had re-read Chainsaw before reading this. There were a lot of references and nods and hints that I'm sure I missed because I'm a few years removed from having read the first book. Regardless, I couldn't put it down and loved the progression of the characters from the first book and I loved Jade even more in this book as she's mellowed out some. I seem to be able to relate to that, too, it turns out.
Fables: Legends in Exile
Out shopping with a friend and saw this series sitting on a shelf at a discounted price. I haven't read a comic in a while, and this one looked a bit dark, a bit sexy, with fairy tale characters reimagined in a gritty city where they have to hide their true identities. Similar premise to Once Upon a Time, only much less whimsical and much more crime thriller noir. I'm looking forward to reading more, the art style is gorgeous and I like the characters, especially the Big Bad Wolf and Snow White.
Roswell High: The Outsider by Melinda Metz
As I was idly searching for something to watch on one of the too-many streaming services that exist now, I stumbled across a blast from the past: Roswell. This show aired back in the late 90s/early 00s. I didn't actually watch it when it originally aired on TV. I had a sort of warped idea of what the show even was, I was a bit too young to be it's audience. But considering my love of the X-Files and Supernatural, I felt compelled to check out this show, if for nothing else, than to laugh at the millennium fashion and sensibilities.
The show is quite fun and had me laughing out loud at the insane choices the makers made such as having an alien and his human crush share their first kiss at a reenactment of the Roswell crash while... well... the song "Crash Into Me" by the Dave Matthews Band plays. I mean... if that doesn't make you laugh like a loon, this show isn't for you. The book follows the show quite closely with a few added things they probably couldn't figure out how to film (like the aliens can see auras). It's fun, silly, and an obvious precursor to book series like Twilight.
Kindred by Octavia E. Butler
I had no idea what to expect with this book and it was a completely wild ride. What an ambitious novel! In some ways, it didn't go far enough for me. I found myself taken out of the story several times wondering who I was supposed to empathize with and root for. Some of it made me uncomfortable as field work for slaves was sometimes described as "easy" and relationships with slaveowners was murky and hard to understand. But then, it might not be the reader's place to understand, especially a white reader. I'm not sure. But I definitely appreciated the pacing of the novel, the shocks and turns, the outright terror at certain parts. It was definitely a novel that will sit with me for a good long while and keep me thinking.
Love, Pamela by Pamela Anderson
Alright, so I DEVOURED the Hulu series Pam and Tommy when it dropped and went through a phase of wanting to read and watch and learn everything about the 90s era Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee. What I discovered made me quite disgusted with the Pam and Tommy television show (Pamela Anderson was not consulted at any stage in the making of that show which feels to me like the second time she was exploited for gain without her consent!) and disgusted with pop culture and the treatment of celebrities.
The beautiful thing about Pamela's story is that in this book she takes total control over her narrative as she wrote the book, the poetry that's included, the whole nine. And she's a fantastic writer. Whimsical, ethereal, she has a truly soulful and beautiful outlook on life. Her descriptions of scenes, her inner thoughts, truly espouse the heart of a romantic. I am not particularly prone to loving poetry, but hers moved me. I truly enjoyed this autobiography, it was like none I've ever read before. Pamela gained a new fan and admirer and I'd encourage all women to read this book.
As I've talked to people about this book after reading it, I've felt like I'm Patrick Swayze portraying Vida Boheme in To Wong Fu, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar when she's recommending The Autobiograhy of Diana Vreeland to the young man who owns the thrift store.
Vida: This book has been like a Bible to me.
Young Man in Yellow Suit: I should read this?
Vida: Oh hon, you should commit sections to memory.
Swearing is Good for You: The Amazing Science of Bad Language by Emma Byrne
There's a local thrift shop called the Fat Rabbit and they have a large book selection with not just vintage titles, but really random and quirky titles that I just never see elsewhere. I picked this book up because I've always been a bit of a potty mouth, and it doesn't bother me like it seems to other folks around me. I've seen people be severely judged for their swearing, and I just don't relate to that.
This book was, yes, about swearing. But it dived so deep into the human psyche and all these studies including whether or not chimpanzees can utilize swearing... it was fascinating! I learned so many fun tidbits that I can now bust out at parties to entertain. It's a great read, I highly recommend it whether or not you personally like to swear.
Clown in a Cornfield by Adam Cesare
This book kept popping up for me everywhere. Because of my proclivity toward horror novels, not to mention my obsession with the final girl trope in slasher films, it made sense that the Universe wanted this book in my hands. After picking it up and putting it down half a dozen times at my favorite local bookstore (Butcher Cabin Books in Louisville, KY) I finally purchased the book brand new in paperback from the woman-owned horror themed bookstore. It sat on my To Be Read shelf for a while, and finally, I decided to go for it.
It wasn't that I was scared to read it. I was more worried it would be a slog, not live up to the perfect-for-me narrative I had built up in my head. I was worried I wouldn't enjoy a white male author's account in this genre as it felt I had read/watched them all already and it was growing stale. But my friends... after a bit of a slow start with the main character Quinn and her father Glenn (yeah... rhyming names, I was worried, too) adjusting to their new life in a small town after the overdose death of her mother... the book takes off and it was such a delight to read. I truly enjoyed it!
Was it groundbreaking and unlike anything I had ever read before? No. Will I read it again? Highly unlikely. But I definitely can say I enjoyed it. The horror beats were well done, the tension and stakes were so high, and the characters were relatively well-rounded and interesting, unlike most slasher fodder. The concept of the youth versus the older generation was very timely and not done in too schlocky a manner. It was ultimately believable. I truly enjoyed it.
Ruins (an X-Files novel) by Kevin J. Anderson
My discovery of ThriftBooks has hurt my wallet, but has brought me great joy. I completed my collection of these X-Files novels, written at the height of X-Files mania and sanctioned by the creator of the show, Chris Carter. I've enjoyed each of these that I have read, appreciating that even though different authors pen them, they tend to nail the characterization of Mulder and Scully.
I naively hope each time for more romantic tension between the titular characters, but I should know better. I was drawn to this installment specifically because I had recently re-watched The Road to El Dorado. Yes! I know, I know, that's a silly reason to read an X-Files novel that takes place at Mayan temple ruins. But it was fun seeing the references to gods and the belief structure of the lost civilizations that are also referenced in El Dorado appearing in a thrilling who-dun-it being investigated by Mulder and Scully.
This is my favorite of the X-Files novels I've read so far. It was fun to see Mulder and Scully in a jungle setting, battling the elements as well as hostile locals and... aliens? Serpent monsters? Truly fantastical, in what X-Files fans would expect. I definitely recommend this one!
This Charming Man by C.K. McDonnell
I read the first in this series, The Stranger Times, last year. And I definitely enjoyed it. It reminded me a lot of Terry Pratchett in the style of writing and the sense of humor. My only constructive criticism would be that so many of the characters speak the same way with the same witty one-liners that it gets repetitive at points. The editor of the Stranger Times, Vincent Banecroft, is the only character that the banter makes sense from and seems in character for. It would be like if every character in the Discworld spoke exactly like Vimes and had the same sensibilities and sense of humor. I wanted more diversity in the characters as far as the way they speak and their senses of humor.
Other than that, though, I enjoyed this book quite well. This plot centers around the attempted kidnapping of one of the members of the newspaper staff that was revealed to have powers in the first book... and then there's... vampires? Manufactured ones? Or something.... I'll be honest, I don't remember all that much about the plot. I just know I laughed my way through the book and enjoyed seeing the misfits of The Stranger Times face a new wacky adventure, with dark tension-filled twists.
Dare to Lead by Brene Brown
This was a book club choice for a volunteer administrator's association I am a member of. It was, like all other Brene Brown offerings, incredibly inspiring and exciting to read. Everything felt like an a-ha! moment and I took away a lot of actually usable advice and ideas in my own leadership journey. Especially having taken on a Director role in a new position at the start of this year, this book has given me lots to think about in how I conduct myself, how I show up bravely to 'rumble with vulnerability' and how I can lead. Will keep this one around to reference often. I highly recommend for aspiring leaders, professionally or otherwise.
Just Like Home by Sarah Gailey
If I had read this book before I read Theme Music by T. Marie Vandelly, I may have considered it a masterpiece. It was an intriguing book about a woman who returns to her childhood home to care for her ailing mother, essentially setting affairs straight and waiting for her mother (who she has no relationship with at this point in her life) to die so she can fix up the house and sell it and completely move on with her life. Why so cold regarding her childhood home? It turns out, her father was a serial killer, killing unsuspecting men in the home's basement, directly under where the main character slept at night as a child. As the mystery unravels more and more, the main character is revealed to have some shocking traits of her own, and perhaps something supernatural was at play in the house that her father built.
The writing style was what kept me from liking this book a lot more. Where Vandelly's prose was astute and to the point, Gailey got caught up in the idea of the simile. I have never read anything with some many sentences comparing one thing to another thing and not every simile was eloquent or made the best sense. They started to feel like filler to the point were whenever I saw the word like, or noticed the start of a sentence surely ended in a simile or metaphor, I'd skip it!
But getting past that, I pushed through because the story really was compelling. And while most might find the introduction of the supernatural to take away from the book, I actually enjoyed it and found it sinister and creepy and satisfying. Definitely still prefer Theme Music, but this one was decent as well.
Clown in a Cornfield 2: Frendo Lives by Adam Cesare
So yes, I enjoyed the first book so much that I purchased the second book from Butcher Cabin Books in hardback. Hardback! I majorly dislike hardback books, especially their prices, but they didn't have the paperback version and it was Independent Bookstore Day, so by golly, I purchased it.
Took it home.
Read it one day.
And it's not a tiny book, either! But I couldn't put it down, turns out I had nothing else really going on that day, and just devoured the book. Quinn and Glenn are back, the other survivors of the Founders Day Massacre are back, and their little town gears up for round two. It was fun, it was bloody, it was creepy, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Slasher sequels follow a formula, that is true, but I still enjoyed the book and the introduction of some new characters. If you liked the first one, you won't be disappointed by the sequel!
The Call of the Weird: Encounters with Survivalists, Porn Stars, Alien Killers, and Ike Turner by Louis Theroux
I discovered Louis Theroux through his documentary on members of the Westboro Baptist Church, the extremist religious nuts who protest soldier's funerals the like, those guys and gals. Louis, in a manner that is hard to categorize or explain, is able to disarm people, even ones he completely disagrees with, so that they open up to him and he's able to have discourse with them that is both respectful and frankly... weird. I went on to devour his Weird Weekends episodes in a flurry one summer in my twenties. He'd always been on the periphery of my radar and when I'd see new things he was involved in, I'd always give them a go. I found him entertaining and fascinating and I just love most every documentary he's ever done.
I was browsing a local used bookstore before a book club meeting and this book was on their "new arrivals" cart. I picked it up and didn't even look at the price. I had to buy it. Louis traveling around the US to revisit many of his subjects from his documentaries? Seeing where they were and what they were doing? Count. Me. In.
And what a ride. Louis' writing voice, which I had never encountered, was just as likable as his on camera persona. Perhaps even more so as we get to his inner thoughts and impressions and ideas. Reading about how he tracked down the porn actor JJ only to find he was working for Boeing and married to a woman who cared little to nothing about his past as a porn star even though he openly admitted he missed the lifestyle and the money. Reading about how Louis caught back up with the White Power twins Lamb and Lynx, with Mello T the gangsta rapper who seemed at odds with the proclaimed lifestyle in his lyrics, and Thor Templar the man who claimed to have killed 20 aliens and wore the patches on his quasi-military jacket to prove it. It was so fun reading about not only where these characters were 10 years on from their documentary, but the lengths to which Louis went to find them. A great read and has me rewatching all the Weird Weekends.
Sisters of the Lost Nation by Nick Medina
I had been eyeing this book on the shelf of my local horror book store for months and finally picked it up to read. I have to say, I was disappointed and had to force myself to finish it. The 'trigger warning' on the first page made it out like the book would be absolutely gut-wrenching and harrowing. Not that I need that in a book to enjoy it, but to give a full half page worth of warning, I expected to be devastated and disgusted.
Instead, I trudged through the story of a sex trafficking ring happening at a casino near an Indian reservation. Definitely disturbing and harrowing content, but nothing at all happens 'on screen,' again... not that I wanted or needed that to happen to enjoy it, but the trigger warning gave me expectations that weren't met. I also found the protagonist a bit insufferable. She was far too naive. The book should have been 100 pages shorter if the protagonist didn't wonder at what was so clearly happening right in front of her. It seemed ridiculous that it took her so long to figure it out. I literally only finished this book to justify the exorbitant price I paid for a hardcover copy.
Such Sharp Teeth by Rachel Harrison
Werewolves are my absolute favorite supernatural creature. And the story of a woman turning into one and having to navigate that absolute horror... her body betraying her, a literal monster ripping out of her flesh under the light of the full moon... should be incredible, right? This book was yet another disappointment. I didn't enjoy the story, nothing really happens. Yes, in a book about a woman being bitten by a werewolf. It was actually boring!
I will say, the sex scene was well written. The through process of the protagonist was fun some of the time. But she wasn't... daring enough for me. Provocative enough for me. A lot of her decisions were confounding and out of place considering her situation. I wanted so much more from this story. In fact, as happens to me often at this point, I had started a short story with nearly the exact same premise as this: young woman returns to home town, driving through the woods at night, hits an animal as it darts across the road. Gets out to investigate, it's a werewolf, is bitten. In my version, though, the woman isn't bitten but rescued from a pack of werewolves by one werewolf. It was a fun little story and I have to say I was entertained at how similar the set ups were in this book to my short story that I never finished.
Loving Edie: How a Dog Afraid of Everything Taught Me to Be Brave by Meredith May
I saw this book mentioned in a Facebook group for owners of reactive dogs. My dog is reactive, he's afraid of so much and he reacts to it in a way that is nearly impossible to get him to calm down in a timely manner. When I saw this book mentioned as one that described that struggle in beautiful prose, with heart and honesty, I had to get my hands on it. It was a wonderfully poignant read. I cried quite a few times, relating too well to many of the heart wrenching moments and discussions the couple had in this book, including one every owner of a reactive dog has had: is it worth it to keep this dog alive when their everyday experience is mired in fear and anxiety? I've been there. And May did a wonderful job conveying that experience with compassion and open-heartedness.
I enjoyed May's prose and her stories of loving Edie were truly beautiful and captured a lot of the experience of owning a reactive dog. If you've never had to experience it, this book may not seem so touching and beautiful. But if you have, I can't recommend it enough!
The Great 2023 Re-Reading:
Revisiting Terry Pratchett's Discworld Series
So I've been a fan of the Discworld series by Terry Pratchett since I was a wee lass. I've decided to complete my collection of his novels this year, and in celebration, I want to re-read the entire Discworld series. I am going to do a separate blog post recapping my experience and I will link that here: https://writerlust1.blogspot.com/2024/01/the-great-discworld-re-reading-part-one.html
Ruby by Francesca Lia Block and Carmen Staton
I've been a fan of Francesca Lia Block since middle school. Her prose is always magical to me. She is always able to push me to view everyday settings and situations with a magical lens. This was a quick read, and it felt like visiting an old friend and realizing that the magic of the friendship is still alive.
Dungeons and Dragons Player's Handbook by Robert J. Schwab, Bruce Cordell, and James Wyatt
So I've taken a dive off the cliff that is nerdiness and find myself swimming in the realm of Dungeons & Dragons. That's right, friends, I have become a D&D player. A month or so ago (I write this in early August 2023) I decided on a whim to pursue the task of finding a group to play D&D with. I've always been Dungeon-curious, so to speak, but was always intimidated by the culture surrounding it and the idea that I'd have to play with a bunch of misogynistic males. But as the game grows in popularity and falls into the mainstream I thought it might be worth a try to find some fellow beginners who might be normies, so to speak, to splay with. I couldn't be the only one out here, right? (Hey, normal is a relative concept, alright?)
So I arranged via my city's subreddit to host a no strings attached meetup at a local bar of fellow D&D newbies looking to form groups and start campaigns and much to my surprise... 14 people showed up! It was a really fun time and resulted in not only my campaign getting started, but also a whole other one! Fantastic.
In jumping into the game, of course, I read the Player's Handbook. Now, did I read it cover to cover? No, but damned near close! So I'm counting it on this list because I carried this thing around for months, reading it in place of my usual novels, so it counts!
Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree
You see... I am now not only playing D&D. Oh no... I couldn't stop there. I'm also seeking out other forms of media. Yep. Podcasts, Youtube channels, TV shows, movies, and yes... books. This book had been circling around on BookTok for a while now and I was aware of it. Once I decided I was going to embrace my inner RPG nerd and go for broke, I thought I had to read this book.
I actually don't have a lot to say about it hence the side quest of explaining how I got into D&D recently. It's a 'cozy' read, and I'll be honest... those types of reads usually aren't for me. I always want more from the prose, I want more from the characters. This book did a lot of telling and not showing. The characters were surface level. And I understand that it's inspired by D&D and not necessarily entirely based on D&D, but you're think a game based on deep storytelling and imagination that even a 'cozy' read would die a bit deeper into the story and characters. It was a slog to get through for me.
I actually don't have a lot to say about it hence the side quest of explaining how I got into D&D recently. It's a 'cozy' read, and I'll be honest... those types of reads usually aren't for me. I always want more from the prose, I want more from the characters. This book did a lot of telling and not showing. The characters were surface level. And I understand that it's inspired by D&D and not necessarily entirely based on D&D, but you're think a game based on deep storytelling and imagination that even a 'cozy' read would die a bit deeper into the story and characters. It was a slog to get through for me.
It Came From the Closet: Queer Reflections on Horror edited by Joe Vallese
It's never too early for spooky season by my figuring, so I'm kicking it off with this collection of essays. These are poignant, interesting, vulnerable and intelligent musings on how the horror genre has shaped these queer and trans writers. I'm fascinated to read about these experiences especially through the lens of the horror genre since it's a genre I hold so dear as a cisgendered heterosexual woman. It's never seemed like a place for me, to love these horror movies that delight in hurting, chasing, murdering, and exploiting the deaths of females. But then to see how it's a home, a comfort, an exploration of identity and belonging for those not accepted in society.... I adored each and every essay. Many made me sob, many made me laugh, but they all made me think. Highly recommend giving this one a read!
Dark Harvest by Norman Partridge
The synopsis of this book caught me as I was looking for books with a slasher movie feel to them. A small town is ravaged every Halloween by a creature born of a corn stalk with a jack-o-lantern head and murder in it's candy-filled heart. The young boys of the town, as a rite of passage, must attempt to stop the creature from reaching the church in the main square before midnight, resulting in a bloodbath of epic proportions.
It's a fun, giddy ride through Halloween iconography and classic slasher style lore and gore. I very much enjoyed this one!
The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle
Whenever I try to remember what it felt like to be a reader first discovering creative cadence and the beauty of words, the joy of fantasy and the heartbreak of loss, I always turn back to The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle. I've probably read this book twenty times now in my life and never tire of it. I love Beagle's prose, I love the simplicity of the plot and yet the complexity of the emotions. It's a gorgeous story and if you've not read it, make sure to read it. And if you have read it, read it again!
The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz
Every year, I do a solo trip to a cabin in a rural area within a two hour drive from home. During this trip, I typically prep for my annual attempt to complete National Novel Writing Month, or Nanowrimo. I plot and outline and character sketch and dream up ideas, I challenge myself with writing prompts such as writing a letter from the main character to their lost love or favorite family member, etc. It's a fun time to reconnect with myself, my writing muse, nature, and solace.
This bit of background may give you an idea why this particular book intrigued me just by it's title. I had picked it up and put it down several times in several bookstores, not quite sure if I liked the prose. A friend even sounded surprised when they learned I hadn't read it because she said as soon as she saw it on a bookshelf she thought of me. So eventually, I did pick it up.
I enjoyed this book, somewhat. I don't want to spoil anything, but there's a turning point where it lost it's momentum and tension for me. All the tension that had been building, all the mystery and angst, it fell flat by the end of it. I definitely loved where I thought it was going, as well as the interactions between a group of female writers trying to win a writing contest in a remote location coached by their favorite author. But then when it was revealed where the book would ultimately end up, I didn't love it.
My Roommate is a Vampire by Jenna Levine
I often struggle with romcom style novels. The cheese factor and flatness of the characters are usually too much for me to wade through to enjoy the story. I can appreciate romance novels for what they are, and I don't resent or think less of readers who love them, they've just never appealed to me on a broad scope. This book caught my eye because the cover was so colorful, the title playful. So I picked it up.
And it was a fun, quick read. There wasn't anything to it that I found particularly awe-worthy or re-readable, but I did enjoy it enough to finish it. It's an easy read, the main character relatively flat as I find most romantic leads to be, and the vampire was awkward and adorable for his awkwardness.
Ahh! Now That's What I Call Horror: An Anthology of '90s Horror edited by Chelsea Pumpkins
I very much enjoyed this anthology. All the nods to '90s era pop culture, fashion, attitudes, and media were incredibly fun and colorful, just as that era was. And the references to tropes from the horror of that era were also very fun. My only complaint was that none of the stories were truly frightening. But then, quite a lot of '90s era horror was a bit campy. I would have liked more fright and gore to these stories, but they were still fun to read and fun to look back on the things I remember as a '90s kid.
Funeral Songs for Dying Girls by Cherie Dimaline
And I'm so glad I did. Cherie Dimaline never disappoints, first of all. I've loved every one of her books that I've read. But even better, this book centers on a teenaged girl named Winifred whose father is the crematory operator at a cemetery. So... yes. I read a book set in a cemetery while staying at an AirBnB that used to be a cemetery gatehouse, from whose windows I could see the cemetery in all her glory.
Was I scared staying there, you may be wondering? No. Was I scared reading this book? Also no, although there were some moments of great tension. It's an emotional book, as a lot of horror ultimately can be, and I absolutely couldn't put it down. I loved Win as a protagonist, the plot was relatively simple but fun, and it was a fantastic read, especially for the place in which I was reading it.
Pretty Dead by Francesca Lia Block
Ankle Snatcher by Grady Hendrix
Grady Hendrix is always a must buy and must read for me. This is a novella, and man does it pack a punch in just a short space. I loved the weirdness of this story and the kooky characters and situations. But beneath all that, I loved the horror. A truly terrifying concept, executed well and cushioned by camp. That's Grady Hendrix through and through and why I am still a fan.
Stranger Things and Dungeons & Dragons by Jody Houser, Jim Zub, Deigo Galindo (Illustrator)
Kids on Bikes by Jonathan Gilmour & Doug Levandowski
This isn't a book or comic, this is a rule book for a table top role-playing game called Kids on Bikes. As the artwork suggests, it is flavored as an 80s movie in the vein of E.T. or Stephen King's IT where a group of kids.... on bikes... discovers something paranormal going on in their small town. This was a perfect marriage of table-top gaming and the movies/shows that I love, so I read the rulebook and ended up running a one-shot of this game with some of my D&D friends and new friends. I had a complete blast doing that and hope to run more games in the future in this system and others.
VenCo by Cherie Dimaline
Cherie Dimaline is never a disappointment for me. I have loved every one of her books that I have ever read, and this was no exception. My only teeny tiny complaint is I got tired of the characters repeating how clever the name "VenCo" is for their company (It's an inversion of "coven" and the characters are, of course, witches.) I few times I remember just sighing and grumbling, "We know! We get it!" Other than that occasional hiccup, I very much enjoyed this book. The protagonist was great to follow along with, I enjoyed all the supplemental characters, the girl powerness of it all was so fun. I loved the magic in the world, the danger, the lust. It was great.
Improbable Magic for Cynical Witches by Kate Scelsa
I was drawn to this book by the blurb on the back describing a cynical young witch living in Salem. That sounded like it would have plenty of humorous happenings, so I jumped in. I didn't read the blurb closely enough to realize it was a queer romance. I would have read it anyway, but it was a pleasant surprise as that plotline unfolded as I wasn't exactly expecting it. I enjoyed the pacing of this book, I enjoyed the somewhat tragic backstory of the protagonist. I enjoyed that the characters were a little deeper than just "girl meets girl who loves all the things first girl is cynical about and teaches her to embrace them". There were a few layers to it and so it kept me entertained unlike most romances I've read.
Song of the Dark Crystal by J.M. Lee
I'm a huge Dark Crystal fan and last year I read the first book in this series which centered around Naia, the twin sister of Gurjin, a character featured in the Netflix series The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. Age of Resistance is a prologue to the Dark Crystal film and this series happens alongside the major events of Age of Resistance. I'll be honest, it's been a while since I watched Age of Resistance, so I couldn't quite remember as I read whether everything was happening exactly as it did in the TV series... regardless, it was fun to hang out in that world, learn more about it's flora and fauna, and spend time with the Gelfling. This entry has Kylan the Song Teller as the POV character and I just adore Kylan. Unsure and timid at first, as he finds his voice and learns how very special and important he is to the age of resistance, and it's inspiring and beautiful.
Lore Olumpus: Volume One by Rachel Smythe
This comic book isn't especially deep, the characters aren't perfectly compelling, but the artwork style and the color scheme were enough to get me through this first volume. It hasn't compelled me to seek out other volumes, though.
Tides of the Dark Crystal by J.M. Lee
I decided to complete this series and so I read this third installment which carried on the story of Naia, Tavra, Amri, and Kylan. They take to the Sifa homestead and the high seas in this portion of the adventure. It's captivating, it's daring, it's frightening. Everything I love from the Dark Crystal. Amri might be my favorite character, as was Deet in Netflix's Age of Resistance (both Grottan Gelfling so maybe that's why?) Enjoyed this installment a lot.
Flames of the Dark Crystal by J.M. Lee
The final installment comes back to Naia as the protagonist POV. She's fearless, even when she's doubting herself, and I really loved that the finale of the story fell to her. Having seen the film and knowing where the story ultimately goes adds a bittersweet feeling to the end of this novel, but boy oh boy did I enjoy it anyway. I just love this world and everything about it. Gosh, I need to go re-watch Age of Resistance and the movie.
A Witch's Guide to Fake Dating a Demon by Sarah Hawley
I'd had this book on hold at my local library for a while. Along the lines of "Improper Magic for Cynical Witches," I liked the idea of a supernatural romance. Especially one involving sexy demons. This one was fun, nothing to really write home about. I enjoyed the back and forth between the two mains, but I felt the demon caved a little TOO quickly to being fully in love with the main character. But! I definitely was entertained reading about his falling 'heels over horns' for her. It was cute and quirky, with some ecological stakes tossed in for good measure.
Sparrow Hill Road by Seanan McGuire
I remember typing into a search bar: "books about monster hunters". This was one of the ones that sprung up, and I have to say... it has been epic. I breezed through this, as fast as the wind whips through the hair of someone driving with their windows down and the radio cranked up loud. The premise is unique and yet familiar as it references urban legends in America and gives them an entire afterlife to roam around in and 'live'. The protagonist is so fresh and well-written, I love the plot. Jumped directly into the sequel which I'm reading now and I'm so very much enjoying it, too!
The Girl in the Green Silk Gown by Seanan McGuire
I just had to jump right into the sequel of this one as I had enjoyed Sparrow Hill Road immensely. This book is a direct continuation of the first and everything I loved about the first is amplified and made bigger, faster, and more epic. If the idea of a Greek myth having a hold on the underworld of hitchhiking ghosts in America, well, you might not enjoy this book as the move could be misconstrued as jumping the shark, but boy, did I love it. The story of Hades and Persephone and Orpheus and Eurydice is such a fantastic one and I loved all the references to it. I would have gone straight into the third book in the series, but my library didn't have it. I'll track it down and give it a read, though, I have to know what happens!
The Gathering Dark: An Anthology of Folk Horror edited by Tori Bovalino
I often don't complete anthology books. I'm not a huge short story person, especially when I'm in the mood for a novel. There's something very different about spending 300-400 pages with a character versus 20. This collection, though, it was compelling and interesting. It wasn't what I expected, honestly, I was expecting Old Gods of Appalachia style horror. The stories were in fairly modern settings, and nearly every single one had a queer character. Not complaining about these things, but it wasn't what I expected. I found the stories enjoyable all the same.
Supernatural: Fresh Meat by Alice Henderson
I am a huge fan of Supernatural. I've watched the entire 15 series span of the show and many, many episodes multiple times. I'm currently rewatching all of season 3 just because. And that's why I looked to see if there were official novelizations out there. I love the X-Files novels, so it would stand to reason I just might love the Supernatural ones. There are several, written by different authors. I would like to read some more, even though this one wasn't as captivating as I wanted it to be. I appreciated that the author kept the brothers apart and utilized Bobby a lot, as I just adore Bobby. But I wanted more of the interior thoughts of the brothers, something we don't get in the show. But it was pretty void of that, at least anything compelling and interesting to me. I did like the gore in this one, though, and the monster was really wicked.
Part of Your World (A Twisted Tale) by Liz Braswell
Alright, I didn't know that there were novels out there exploring alternate endings to popular Disney movies. And now that I know, I might have to read all of them. This wasn't anything mind-blowing, and I wanted more characterization from Ariel, but I had fun revisiting the world of the Little Mermaid and thinking about what it might have been like if Ursula hadn't perished in her battle against Eric and Ariel. I read this book in one day, wanting to get one more read in before the end of the year. It was fun!
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