This delightful compendium of books and other fun facts on horror fiction is a must! But know this, a steady diet of horror can ruin you for other genres. You will be reading another style of book and find yourself wondering, when does the blood start flowing, when do the monsters come out to play with us. You have been warned.
Read MoreRyan has been reliving the same night in excruciating detail for more than five years. The car door ripping open. The crushing blow to the head. The hands yanking him from the car. His girlfriend Ali’s piercing scream. Waking up with no trace of Ali to be found and only a vague description of the attacker. Is it any wonder he ends up the prime suspect?
Read MoreAfter their mother dies, three estranged siblings reunite to sort out her estate. While going through decades of their parent’s belongings, they stumble upon a collection of home videos (note that cover!) that reveal a dark family secret. A light, fun and engaging read that might have you rushing to the attic of your childhood home to unearth your own family’s long buried secrets!
Read MoreOraya is the adopted human daughter of the Nightborn Vampire King, and he has chosen her to participate in a once in a century tribute. Vampires from across the kingdoms compete, the most powerful warriors from all three houses, engage in a savage tournament of five trails that will finish with only one winner left standing at the end of this deadly pursuit. The author triumphantly escape all the tropes of this style of fantasy, a wonder beyond the book itself!
Read MoreIn a future where advanced technology can create a sperm or egg from any person’s cell’s, the rich and famous face the alarming potential of having their DNA stolen and sold to the highest bidder. Famous rock star Thorne hires Ember to become his Bio security guard, cleaning up all biological evidence from any place he has been. When they are confronted by Quinn, a heavily pregnant woman claiming he is her baby daddy, they are stunned. This can’t be happening. A speculative fiction that is utterly plausible!
Read MoreFrances has spent her entire life trying to prevent her foretold murder, only to be proven right sixty years later, when she is found dead in her sprawling country home. Leaving behind cryptic clues and meticulous instructions for her potential heirs; if they want to inherit her fortune they must solve the mystery of her murder. And reader, what rabid and greedy heirs they might be! A fun romp perfect for summer reading.
Read MoreI am ashamed to say that for a split second, I doubted that I would find myself captivated by this particular Stephen King book.. Shame. On. Me. A Stephen King novel with no supernatural element? Maybe later. But then the rave reviews were impossible to ignore and so here we are. If you thought Annie Wilkes was bonkers, you have no idea! Diabolical and depraved and so much fun. Full disclosure, I read this a while ago but I wanted to save the review for the launch of Summer Reading season. Make sure to check out the In The Margins page on Friday!
Read MoreMagical thinking works in service of restoring agency amid chaos, but in The Age of Magical Overthinking, the author argues that in the modern information age, our brain’s coping mechanisms have been overloaded, and our heightened irrationality has caused our grasp on reality to slip. Our brains have always played tricks on us, often as a form of self-preservation. Those mental magic tricks can go horribly wrong when combined with too much access to data and too many point of view. This book offers cautionary tales to help us navigate.
Read MoreJust a mere orphaned peasant girl, Rin discovers she is to be traded off by her foster parents to a middle-aged husband in exchange for the promise of riches. Her only means of governing her own destiny is by taking a formidable exam that could potentially land her a free ride to a prestigious military school. When she gets in, her peers and teachers make it clear that Rin does not belong at there. In order to gain the power she requires, she will have to flirt with villainy. And maybe even embrace it.
Read MoreWhen Newman sat down with a friend to record his life story, he wasn’t particularly interested in reliving the past, but rather setting the record straight. He wanted his record of it all in his words rather than the mythology created by other people. I have been a fan as long as I can remember and now have at my finger tips a veritable encyclopedia of this actors’ thoughts and motivations. It's revelatory, introspective, and profound and in my humble opinion, not to be missed! P.S. Pair with Ethan Hawkes documentary The Last Movie Stars. You won’t be sorry.
Read More“We didn’t call the police right away”. And so begins this gripping story of a family whose lives are upended when their beloved father and husband goes missing. Part mystery, part dynamic family drama and part compelling examination into the meaning of happiness. A deeply moving and deliciously brainy story, beautifully told. With a cast of finely wrought characters, bursting with idiosyncrasies and strong opinions. What’s not to love!
Read MoreIn this phenomenal debut, we start off with a dear reader letter. One with a warning. That we won’t believe the story we are about to be told. That evil dwells in the places we least expect it. And that it’s about to be revealed to us exactly the nature and depravity of that evil. The residents of Clifford Island seem stuck in a time loop and have some rather odd superstitions. Everything must be precise and on schedule. The rules must not be broken. Anything that deviates from that will result in dire consequences. And you won’t believe what those might be!
Read MoreAs Dani heads undercover to work with a group of mercenaries and killers, she never expects to be caught in a complex trap. One with a puppet master, Nemesis, who informs her and the other’s that there will only be one left standing. And to get to that point, they must solve a series of riddles and mazes to move forward in the game and unlock the escape to freedom. Reader’s get to solve the puzzles along with Dani, what fun!!
Read MoreThis author always get added to my to be read list. And when I read her dedication, I was knew I would not be disappointed. “For the men who inspired this book…you’re damn right I wrote about you.” What more do you need? The couple at the center of this twisted tale of love are masterful at playing games. The push and pull, the poke and prod, it’s ceaseless. And that results in a mesmerizing and addictive thriller you will be hard pressed to stop reading.
Read MoreWhat if you thought you murdered your best friend? And if everyone else believed so too? Does the truth even matter? After Lucy is found wandering the streets, covered in her best friend Savvy’s blood, everyone thinks she is a murderer. And given that she has no memory of that night, she can’t exactly hold it against them. Things get even more complicated when a podcast about it comes out. Sign on for the story, stay for the banter!
Read MoreStarting with that title, this collection is sweet and silly and full of what the author describes as nonsense. And I think we so called “grownups” could use a bit more of that in our lives. Don’t miss the quirky page numbering, just more to delight in! This is a can’t miss read, you will thank me for it later!
Read MoreI was intrigued by the premise of this work. Where the link between genius and monstrosity is explored and the balance of the two considered. A thoughtful contemplation of whether we can love the creation but dislike the creator. One whose work we love but morals we loath. Ultimately, an account of the fan’s dilemma. The author writes at length about how knowledge of the awful deed can disrupt our enjoyment of whatever greatness was given to us. She never spoon feeds a solution but rather encourages us to separate an opinion based on feeling versus one based on thought.
Read MoreA masterful blend of fiction and true crime that is unflinching and evocative in its writing. Fearlessly taking on the tabloid fascination society has with serial killers and makes the story about the women. Those snuffed out in their prime and those remaining in the wake of the horror. The book opens on a night in 1978, hours before a soon to be infamous murderer descends upon a Florida sorority house, crafting a blistering portrayal of all that went wrong in pursuit of justice.
Read More“This is what we’re going to do.” That’s what one of the sisters tells her siblings on the night they find their parents dead. Over a decade ago, sisters Emma, Juliette and Daphne left their home and haven’t returned or laid eyes on each other since. Burying the secrets they swore they would keep, telling the story everyone needed to make sense of things. And now that lies are all they seem to be able to live with, they are starting to seep out.
Read MoreI’m a planner in every way you could imagine, a particular quirk that benefits my reading life. And now you dear reader, will reap the rewards with my new monthly post that will feature three of the most interesting books coming out in the next month as well as a few extra just for fun. Happy Reading! P.S. Keep an eye out for a special Summer Reading 2024 In The Margins Post…it’s looking good!
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