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Halloween Reads 2023

October 25, 2023 / / 0 Comments

Did I miss last year? Yes. Yes, I did. It was a whale of a year, and I’m not surprised. But I’m baaaack! With another great list of spooky reads. I honestly love doing this list, so I’m determined to get this together and post it this year!

I’m going to eventually post my 2022 Halloween Reads, so I won’t mention those here. There are enough new books to be getting on with! So let’s get started. At the end of this post, you can find the links to all of my previous Halloween Reads posts, so you are sure to find something you like!

Mystery

Yes, we love a good mystery! And I am continuing to enjoy Miss Fisher and the British Library Crime Series. I have finished all of the Agatha Christie mysteries, so now we are reading her Mary Westmacott stories, but that’s another post. (Yes, when I said Reading All of Agatha, I meant ALL!) I have delved deeper into the golden age mysteries, and definitely found some favorites.

Jumping Jenny by Anthony Berkeley

If you are looking for something that is just this side of macabre, with the most bizarre setting and the most excellent ending, look no further! This one was a treat. I cannot rave about it enough. Really. I keep resharing my IG post because people just don’t seem to realize. It is clever and bizarre and just strange enough to feel like fun. I read this months ago and it has stuck in my head (in a good way). This is a classic inverted mystery – with a twist. Twisty twisty, in more ways than one! The linchpin in this whole setup rests on the décor. Jumping Jenny refers to someone who has been hung. It was most often a jumping Jack, as this was the common form of capital punishment at the time. Though women were hung, it was rare. The party atmosphere is the antithesis to the murder, but eerie in its own way – a costume party where guests come dressed as famous murderers or their victims. It starts slow, but stay with it. Another gem from the British Library Crime Classics series.

Take Two at Bedtime by Margery Allingham

Perfectly bite-sized morsels will give you a dose of mystery before bedtime. These are both amazing, intricate, and entirely original. I loved “Someone Innocent,” the first story. It really kept me guessing, and had a great ending. It was my favorite of the two. The second one, “Last Act,” was well done and satisfying. This was a great little nightcap that makes me even more eager to gobble up more Allingham. This was only my second book by her. Lovely. If you love golden age mystery, you have to try some Allingham. This was first published as Deadly Duo.

The Only One Left by Riley Sager

I kept hearing good things about this, so I had to bite. It is my first Riley Sager. I know he does a lot of horror, and that’s not my speed. But I had heard this was related to Lizzie Borden, my favorite true crime case (if that’s a thing), and it is somewhat similar. It is like if Lizzie Borden were very rich, and grew old, and needed a caregiver. Plus, lived in a crumbling mansion, and the caregiver had a secret of her own, that she was eager not to reveal. There’s even a playground rhyme that torments the caregiver. This had so many twists and turns, no way did I see that ending coming! It had that gothic, atmospheric bent to it that works really well this time of year. Plus, I can never resist when the house itself becomes part of the story. I’d recommend this if you have been too chicken to pick up any of Sager’s previous work. It had tense moments, but there were also little love stories and mysterious bumps in the night. Let me know if you think the creep factor of this one is similar to his other works. Maybe I’ve been avoiding them unnecessarily.

Witchy Reads

Forget it, I’m just going all in on the witches this year. Coven up! Where are my people? These fall into two categories: witchy romcoms, which appears to be something I need, and truly terrifying witches.

Witch of Wild Things by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland

Simply lovely. This is Practical Magic meets A Witch’s Guide to Fake Dating a Demon. Down to the attic room in the house, the sisters (plus one), the auntie (minus one), and the magic (in this case, elemental). Then add romance, spice and witches living in plain sight. The story has high stakes, but feels plausible. I loved the MC Sage. She may have felt bad about herself, but she also spent time telling herself that she was not wrong, that it wasn’t fair, and that she was not always the one to blame. She stood up for herself. There was a good balance here that made her very relatable. This is a wonderful story of family, of second chances, of starting over. It’s got happy and sad, and midnight moonshine. The love of mother earth shines through, but in a much more believable way than, say, The Nature of Witches. It doesn’t get up on a soap box and lecture you, but quietly states truths. If you are any kind of hedge witch, you will love this. There is such a fantastic message here, about what’s important, the value of truth, and how the earth deserves our care because it cares for us. It isn’t a big showdown, but just one small human thing, one small surprise, one small heartache, one small bit of love after another.

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna

I would dearly love to return to this world again. Why isn’t there a sequel? There are many familiar elements in here – a witch in plain sight, hiding her gifts, and then starting over. This is a story about what happens when you have to keep your light under a bushel. This book takes things up a notch with a whole witch governing system, and the one who runs it. The history of the world makes this stand out. I loved Nowhere House, and everything about its inhabitants. Plus, there’s a library. With a hot librarian. ‘Nuff said. If you like grumpy/sunshine and second chance tropes, you will like this. There was also some good solid talk about trauma, and a lot of good witchy potion talk, and a fantastic Solstice celebration (yay for normalizing THIS). The underlying themes of found family and recovery helped ease some of the character stereotypes.

Weyward by Emilia Hart

A friend of mine told me that this was empowering, and man, if that isn’t a fact. This is part historical drama, part witchy women doing life. A multiple-POV story through time – I was on the edge of my seat for all three of our witches. All the threads were tightly wrapped, and all the characters felt good and true. I loved the way the affinity for nature was expressed, and I loved the little cottage (who wouldn’t?). TW for domestic violence. Oh and rape. There’s some ugly here, and a lot of tense moments, but there is so much beauty too. This goes down as one of my top reads of the year. Highly recommend.

A Witch’s Guide to Fake Dating a Demon by Sarah Hawley

While this wasn’t as good as Witch of Wild Things, it had similar themes and a vibe, though it felt a little more cutesy. I think it would definitely scratch that itch. I loved how our MC accidentally summoned a demon! And I love the demon. You don’t see enough of them in literature these days. That gets my vote right there.

 

 

One for My Enemy by Olivie Blake

Wow. This is gritty, dark, stabby and bloody, but also sweet and lovely and full of family and loyalty and heart. This seems to be a vague retelling of Romeo and Juliet (complete with Shakespeare quotes at the beginning of each section), but it also has hints of The Godfather. Think modern day New York City, but almost always at night, and drug running and other hooligan activities amongst two witch families, but the drugs are magical and the witches can kill just by pointing. And then, and then, it gets even weirder. If you liked Empire of the Vampire, this might be for you.

Classic

And finally, a bit of classic lit, because we all love that.

Dracula by Bram Stoker

I realized that my previous review of this was really just more of a recommendation, so I wanted to give it better coverage. This is an epistolary novel, told in a series of diary entries, letters and memorandums. This works really well because it gives the story the immediacy it needs to keep you on the edge of your seat. Because of this format, there are several POVs, which is also good, because lo and behold we get a woman’s perspective, through Mina’s journals. I really liked Mina, and would even have liked to have seen more of her. The story is highest stakes, and the ensemble cast is handled well. You will need to have patience with Van Helsing’s dialect, but it is not too difficult to overcome. Stoker is such a good writer, he can pull it off. I always imagine this as being read by the original readers, when they didn’t have all the baggage of the Dracula pop culture to dull their senses. Also, imagine reading this by flickering gaslight, with all the shadows in the corners. Wonderful! It is not the first vampire novel, but it ignited a phenom that reverberates to this day.

Thank you for reading this far! I hope you find something to enjoy in these recs. I am excited to be back, and hopefully that will continue. But one thing I have learned over the past couple of years is that you can never predict what will happen. Man makes plans, and the gods laugh.

Here are the links to all my previous Halloween posts. I have been writing a Halloween Reads post since 2011. The early ones were on a different platform, that is now defunct, so I have reposted them here. I see I missed posting the 2015 selections here, which were originally posted on my other website, which went away. So that will be coming soon, along with my 2022 post. In the meantime, enjoy these recs!

I posted in 2021 and 2020 and 2019. You can find posts for 2018, 2017 and 2016. In 2020, I also reposted my earliest Halloween Reads, from 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014.

Best Books of 2021

January 31, 2022 / / 1 Comment

What a year. Apparently, strife is good for reading. And that is borne out again and again. In 2020, I could only find comfort in Agatha. Which helped me achieve one goal, at least – I finished my complete read-through of the Poirot series at the end of 2021!

In 2021, though things were hectic and hard and at times joyous and busy and yet again difficult, I was able to make my reading goal the earliest I have ever made it. I had a goal of 100 books, and reached that milestone in mid-December. So that means on New Year’s Eve, you did not find me cramming three novellas! It is a little freeing. That final week of the year, when I usually alternate between cleaning my office and reading, I was able to just relax. (Okay, I crashed, but sort of the same thing, right?) I ended up reading 105 books in 2021, the most ever.

So what did I read, you ask?

It was a GREAT year for good books! I started off by being a judge for the Minnesota Book Awards (which really gave me a jump on the reading goal), and some of those have stayed with me. I read a lot of Agatha, and a few craft (writing) books, and some great nonfiction. I read 35 out of my goal of 50 books that I already own (though I fear a lot of those were new acquisitions). Here are the titles that have stayed with me, that I may like to revisit in the future, and that I would highly recommend.

Nonfiction

I participated in Nonfiction November on IG for the first time, and what a great way to get in some nonfiction! I used to read it a lot, but that has slowed since I quit reading business books and apparently haven’t run up against much self-help that called to me. Several titles from November were winners.

Wintering by Katherine May

I have recommended this one to everyone I know, even though it actually might only be for those who are experiencing a certain lull in life. It is for those who find themselves somehow fallow, in a liminal state where they are not quite feeling their old selves, but not quite sure they want to go back to that either. It might be an illness, a family member needing caregiving, a job or career changing abruptly – whatever it is that threw you off, this is a good seed to start you off in a new direction. I say I have recommended it widely, and that’s because you just never know who might need it. But it definitely is for those in a certain state of mind. I passed it by last year, and then randomly picked it up at Target this fall, saw the word ‘fallow’ in the jacket copy, and tossed it right into the cart. I may just read it again in January. It is that good. Why? I really can’t explain. Mostly because May, in detailing her own struggle, gives you permission to have a struggle yourself. It’s okay. It will be okay.

 

On Writing by Stephen King

I eschewed this for years, but picked up a copy on clearance a while back, thinking I might read it some day. I am simply not a fan of his fiction. But this is wholly different. I don’t know what I expected, but I did not expect such direct, clear advice. I am glad I finally cracked it open, and it’s going right back on the shelf, with all the tabs in place. There was so much good advice here, I can definitely see myself reading it again. I had set myself a goal to read one craft book a month, and this was only my second for the year. But I found it more helpful and more engaging than Bird by Bird, which I read earlier in the year.

 

Agatha Christie’s Poirot by Mark Aldridge

This got some mixed reviews, but I simply loved it. It is a compendium of all things Poirot, but not really the biography that maybe folks were expecting. It goes through the books chronologically, and talks about adaptations, shows different covers, and goes into how Agatha felt about how things were going. Her frustration with finances was palpable. So I think this suffered from misleading billing. It is more about Agatha’s career of Poirot rather than Poirot himself. Why she didn’t want a movie made, how difficult it was to deal with studios, and what she worried about. I love behind the scenes publishing talk, and I love hearing about different editions of books, so this was right up my alley. I especially loved the discussion of the short stories, which helped me to realize that there are still several I haven’t read! So much the better. More Poirot for me. This one is a lot of details, but a beautiful volume with lovely full color accompanying illustrations. A very enjoyable read.

 

Fantasy

Bridge of Souls by Victoria Schwab

This was a beautiful piece of story. I was blown away by the big reveal, and the way that this universe was enlarged during this story. I mean, it’s already two universes! But whoa, she went full creepy here, and I only hope that there are more in this series. It is Middle Grade, but at the higher age range, I think. It definitely is a creepy series to start with, so just be aware of that. This title plays for the highest stakes, and the setting of New Orleans is just fantastic.

 

 

Unfinished Tales by JRR Tolkien

I don’t know what I expected from this! I thought maybe a bit like The Silmarillion? A mishmash of new things? When really, it is like the best deleted scenes from everything he’s written. We get some of The Silmarillion, some of The Hobbit, and some of Lord of the Rings. There are almost complete background stories on some denizens of Numenor (which I hope is what Prime is playing with), and behind the scenes bits about Gandalf and Thorin and so much more. There is romance and adventure and magic. I just loved these tales. Highly recommend to any fantasy fan, especially if you are looking for something to read after The Silmarillion. And now I want to see all of these slotted in to their rightful places, so we have an epic epic uber fantasy to read!  Alas, Christopher is not here to do that. But at least he gave us these.

 

The Once and Future King by TH White

Since I was ahead on my reading goal, I decided I could pick up some hefty tomes. And when a readalong was announced for this one, I jumped on it, as I had wanted to read this for a while. I am enamored with Arthurian retellings, but thought going back to some of the earlier material was a good idea. I was surprised to discover just how much more there was to this than the little beginning part I was familiar with. Some of the action was hard to read, as I loved these characters so much. It is hard to see them heading to their own destruction. And the ending was bittersweet, but entirely fitting, as this went down in legend just that way. The readalong ended up fizzling out but I am very glad that I picked this up and stuck with it. A beautiful story.

 

The Lives of Saints by Leigh Bardugo

This slim volume seems deceptively simple. It is a facsimile of the Lives of Saints books that the characters refer to in the Shadow and Bone trilogy and beyond. Sure. Just write a book full of miracles. Embellish it with amazing illustrations, and package it in an adorable, gilt-covered volume, suitable for transport. This, my friends, is the brief. And wow, did Leigh deliver. This is freaking BRILLIANT. Each saint is imbued with their miracle, all of them unique, and full of characteristics to make them living, breathing people. And it all jives with the tiny mentions in the various books, including the Language of Thorns stories. Simply. Amazing. Talk about world building. Wow.

 

Historical

Into the Lion’s Mouth by Nancy McConnell

This debut Middle Grade will transport you to 14th century Venice, with all the accompanying politics and adventure besides. Our hero Nico is constantly running from something, whether it’s a dastardly nobleman intent on keeping a secret, or the clutches of a nun determined to send him out of the city. In between all the action, we get glimpses of stunning Venice, and the way the people lived according to what society dictated at the time. This is so well done, and I highly recommend it for anyone who enjoys historical fiction, Middle Grade or not.

 

Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier

I picked this up for a readalong since I had liked Rebecca last year. And I liked this one even better! In fact, if I had not read Wuthering Heights first, this one might vie for that place in all-time favorite classics. They seem very similar, but this one has such a naughty vibe to it. There is a stronger heroine, and a bit more impropriety. I loved the ending, and I loved the way that the moors played an actual part in the story, and were almost a character in themselves. So atmospheric, so moody! So much adventure in such an out of the way place. I am now looking forward to Frenchman’s Creek.

 

The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy by Mackenzi Lee

I read this during the summer, in the lead up to the son’s wedding, and it was absolutely perfect for that time period! A great adventure-filled summer read. Just what I needed. And lest you feel like you have to be in just that situation to enjoy it, let me put you at ease. This book was just plain fun. Is it the highest level of literary achievement? Probably not. But if trotting around Europe in the 1800s with pirate run-ins and women behaving not as they are expected appeals to you, then there you have it.

 

 

The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe

Because those of us who had read Northanger Abbey were keen to read some of the ‘horrid’ novels that were mentioned in that one, a readalong was put together of this giant tome. It seems daunting, but in the hands of Radcliffe, it is deftly handled. Be forewarned: she throws in EVERYTHING at her disposal, whether it’s ghosts or kidnapping or inheritance plots or any number of other things. Look, she has a lot of pages to fill. I got through it initially with the readalong, but about halfway through, I was racing ahead, eager to see what on earth was going to happen next. Granted, it is not an easy style to gobble up, and it’s a doorstop, make no mistake. But good characters, amazing romantic settings, improbable run-ins with ruffians, a castle, graveyards, ethereal music, and things that go bump in the night! I can see how a young girl reading this in 1798 would have been so affected. Get past all the commas, and it is just charm itself.

 

Mystery

I read a LOT of mystery this year, mostly because I judged the genre fiction category for the MN Book Awards. Not all mysteries are created equal. But I want to give honorable mention to two of Brian Freeman’s books. Unfortunately, I keep confusing the two, but only as to which title is which (only because I read them both in the same week). They are both fantastic. One involves resurrecting an old case, with unforeseen consequences, and a child dealing with their parent’s decline (The Deep, Deep Snow). The other has to do with loss as well, but is dealt with in such an amazing, unique way that I don’t want to say anything for fear of giving it away (Thief River Falls). Also, I continued my read-through of all of the Miss Fisher mysteries, but I kind of fell off of those in favor of finishing Poirot. I am excited to continue those.

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

I simply ADORED this one! So much so, that I almost braved going out to get the sequel at the big after-Christmas Barnes & Noble sale. Almost. What is better than septuagenarians using their skills and lifetime experience to right a wrong? I loved the characters (especially Elizabeth) and I loved the whole setting (English countryside) and it was just a delicious slice of fun. Don’t get me wrong, there are some tough moments here too, because, after all, sometimes bad things happen to good people. But when I get old, I want to move right in to this lovely senior community, and solve cold cases with the rest of them. I am calling this Miss Marple meets Midsomer Murders. Also with vibes of Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk or A Man Called Ove. Which is pretty amazing for a murder mystery! Cannot wait to put my hands on the next one.

 

Honorable Mentions

So that brings me to an even dozen. I could really go on. I could tell you to find a copy of Get Idiota if you are able, one of the Finalists of the MN Book Awards, a funny, unlikely farce that involves a drug lord and a pair of hapless reporters. I did not completely fail my craft book goal, either, having read, in addition to On Writing, Bird by Bird and F. Scott Fitzgerald On Writing. I also enjoyed Uprooted by Naomi Novik immensely, and Broken by Jenny Lawson. I discovered the British Library Crime Classics series with Murder On the Cherwell, and want to read more of those (a series of titles by golden age mystery writers being brought back in to print). I also co-hosted a readalong of Eudora Welty’s short stories, but I stalled out back in May and so I need to catch up (yes, on my own readalong) and finish those. I read Mr. Dickens and His Carol and so thoroughly enjoyed it, and it so satisfied my itch for more of A Christmas Carol right before Christmas, that I am now searching for anything else that is ACC-adjacent.

I read the whole Cruel Prince trilogy, and read the second and third books out of order, but found it didn’t seem to matter. And while I enjoyed it, I find that vaguely problematic. I am up to Vol 5 in Sandman, and my favorite so far is The Doll’s House, but I know I will have a new favorite before long. I finally read The Invisible Life of Addie Larue by VE Schwab but still haven’t decided how I feel about it. Might need to read it again to see. I read Priory of the Orange Tree, and was surprised to find it didn’t grab me near as much as one might think from all the hype. I also read Big Magic, and that really deserves a place in the list, yet another one that I passed by when it came out and am so glad that I finally picked it up.

Suffice to say that it was a wonderful year. All the Agatha was good, I got in a few Miss Fishers (my favorite of those was Death Before Wicket), and I read some other titles that I had meant to get to. It was a great reading year. Here’s to 2022 being even better!

Plans for 2022 include reading the Agatha standalones that I haven’t gotten to yet, a few key fantasy titles that I have been meaning to read, and continuing Miss Fisher (next up, #11!). I am taking part in a Queens of Crime readalong that will have me reading Dorothy Sayers and Josephine Tey, finally. I am going to continue Sandman, and work on clearing out my old books, which means I will be reading a lot of random things. And more craft and nonfiction books!

How was your reading year?

 

Halloween Reads 2021

October 29, 2021 / / 0 Comments

Hello again! Well. If you’re keeping track (and really, I don’t think anyone is?), then you know I have not posted since March. I thought the first quarter of 2021 was hard. But then the rest of the year said, “Hold my beer,” and kicked me into the mud and stood on my back. So here I am. Still standing, but carrying 2021 around my neck like a millstone. And it’s not over yet. For crying out loud. At this point, I am going to need a very long vacation. Whenever the world allows it, or whenever I can make it happen. Because really, who wants to wait for the universe to give them permission?

I can’t complain too much. This has been a good reading year for me, and I have definitely fed my mystery obsession. But I have also tried to specifically seek out spooky reads, and while I haven’t read them all, these are some that I have enjoyed the most. I have a few more on my list from last year that I just didn’t get to.

This is my 11th year of doing my Halloween Reads round-up, and while this hasn’t been a great year for blogging, I could not skip this post. Gotta keep the streak alive! The good news (?) is that I’ve been working steadily on my novel again, so who knows? That might be done some day. In the meantime, hope you find something here that intrigues you! If you are so inclined, please feel free to check out my previous years’ posts, which are all linked from here. There’s a lot in those links, and if you get a chance to peruse those, I hope you enjoy them. I’d love to hear your recommendations for your favorite spooky reads in the comments below!

Now, without further ado, here is my list of this year’s spooky reads!

Classics

Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier

Ten thumbs up for pure atmosphere! If you are a fan of Wuthering Heights or Rebecca, this one should be on your stack. The whole story felt so grey and cold, and was perfect for this time of year. In addition to the atmospheric setting, it includes the ominous roadside inn with no guests, the orphan, and the multiple options for bad guys. It will leave you guessing until the very end! I mean, it did me. This is only my second du Maurier, and I liked it even better than Rebecca. I can see why people become such fans of her work. I thought this was a daring story for its time, and the ending was surprising to me. I think that is a du Maurier thing. Do not @ me if you don’t like Wuthering Heights (one of my all-time favorites).

Edgar Allan Poe’s detective stories

Imagine my surprise when I discovered that Poe is credited with being the first writer to write a series with a detective, that this detective used deductive reasoning, and that he pioneered the use of locked-room and apparently simple cases being complex. This year I took part in a Poe readalong, and took the opportunity to read several short stories, including “Murders in the Rue Morgue,” which features Augustin Dupin, an outcast type of rake with a possible drug problem who helps out the authorities on occasion (sound familiar?). Then I read “The Mystery of Marie Roget” and the finale, “The Purloined Letter.” These are not in themselves really mind-boggling, to our modern way of thinking, but to think that they influenced Conan Doyle and probably many others, and that there was really nothing like them when they were written, is amazing.

Mystery

The Last Séance by Agatha Christie

This is a collection of short stories, and as with any short story volume, I liked some better than others. I had read a couple of them before, in other collections, but there were quite a few new ones too, so that was nice. The familiar helped temper the creep factor, because I am a complete chicken. And some of these were very creepy! I liked that at the end, there was the original publication information for each story, so you can see what year it was first published and where it appeared. This helps a little because Agatha’s writing certainly changed over the years. I was very glad to see this themed collection. I highly recommend sitting up late by yourself in a secluded cabin and reading this! Ha!

The Deep, Deep Snow by Brian Freeman

This was a fantastic story with twists and turns 20 years apart. It blew me away. From the plotline to the characters (I really loved Shelby!) to the ending. Wow. Not a single hiccup, high stakes all the way, and a slam-bang finale. The kind of book that makes you want to go back and start again once you’ve finished, because you know those clues are there somewhere. Just a tiny hint of romance and a larger hint of domestic drama make this a very well-rounded mystery choice. Freeman is a hugely prolific writer who has done the latest Jason Bourne novel, as well as continuing his own series and several standalones. He’s the real deal.

Adult Fantasy

Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman

I read this once years and years ago and I remembered nothing, so wanting to continue with the series, I got my hand on a copy (signed!) and decided to get my witchy on for a reread. This is a lovely story, and has its share of spooky moments, plus there are some great twists that make it more than a typical family drama. I loved the depiction of siblings (haven’t seen each other for how long? Doesn’t matter), and the whole family history involved. I loved the little pieces of magic throughout – potions and premonitions and objects coming to light and love at first sight and other things that you may not think of as magic but that really are. If you are looking for a good contemporary type drama that has more than a hint of a magical vibe, this is your ticket. I haven’t seen the movie yet but now I am curious.

Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff

Okay, look. I haven’t finished this yet. But I’m almost half done, and I’m going out on a limb, and saying if you love anything vampire, get your hands on this epic fantasy. The world (not our world but a facsimile of Europe) has become dark as there was some cataclysmic event that blotted out the sun, and thus vampires (who apparently always existed) have run amok. 27 years later, one of the best (and since fallen) vampire hunters sits in a castle, telling his story to a vampire scribe. It is absolutely brilliant in so many ways: the conceit and structure, the world building, the characters, and the aesthetics of it! I am a huge fan of Jay Kristoff anyway, but this just might be his masterpiece. It is a commitment (700 pages, first in a trilogy), but that’s okay, because I know he is both going to crush my heart and make me beg for more. Note that there is absolutely nothing clean or delicate about this book.
Of course, you should go read the original Dracula by Bram Stoker if you haven’t already, and I have reviewed that briefly in the past. I didn’t do it justice, and I just have to remind you to read it in the mindset of someone who has not been steeped in all the acumen of vampire pop culture. This is where it all started.

MG and YA

Bridge of Souls (Cassidy Blake #3) by Victoria Schwab

This latest installment of this excellent spooky middle grade series ratchets up the creep factor just a bit. Each book takes place in a different city, as Cassidy’s parents are hosts of a ghosthunter show. The rub is that Cassie can actually see ghosts. She feels them everywhere, and each of these haunted cities is rife with them. This one introduces new elements of the world of the dead, which are simply brilliant and terrifying. The action is edge-of-your-seat, and the setting of New Orleans is amazing. I loved everything about this! I’m not sure if there are more in this series, but I sincerely hope so. If you want to get started, look for City of Ghosts, which I reviewed here. (I wouldn’t normally review the third book in a series, but here it is, which should give you an idea of how great this series is from the beginning, and how it keeps getting better.)

The Taking of Jake Livingston by Ryan Douglass

I’m including this even though it was not a 5 star read for me, for pure originality and ultimate execution. The first half of the book was a little spacey and psychedelic, and the characters did not have the reactions of terror that I would have expected. But the second half was a wild ride, and once Jake started to feel that terror, it really took off. The ending was amazing, and really had me fearing for Jake. I loved the little romance bits, and I loved the backstory we see about Sawyer. I feel like the mentor should have played a bigger role, and that some parts of the backstory could have been explained more. The different perspectives were key, and the world building was intriguing. So while it was a wild ride, I feel like some aspects of the ride were in the dark, and the ride was too short. Great BIPOC and LGBTQIA rep.

 

Here’s hoping the world is treating you kindly. As I write this (Thursday), I have just finished a day of talking to healthcare professionals. And tomorrow I will be helping to move my aunt into a new care center. And then I get to go see the grandbabies! And then I come home and collapse for the weekend. Normally, I’d be all about carving pumpkins and handing out candy but I honestly am not sure if I have it in me this year. It has been a lot. I daresay worse than 2020? A death, an injury, weeks of PT, a new grandbaby, a heatwave/drought, a garden decimated, a wedding, a family member injury, and here we are today. It’s not all bad stuff, but even good stress is stress. Still, I find myself longing for those hot (very hot!) summer days when I was racing around looking for a dress for my son’s wedding. The good news is my aunt is getting better all the time, and it has not been a bad thing to spend more time with her. I could just do without all the other people in the mix. So I’m hoping to spend the weekend maybe finalizing yard clean-up and reading EOTV (see above).

While I may not be back next week, I will surely be back soon. Meanwhile, come look for me on Instagram, which takes less brain power than a blog post! LOL You can find me @lindabookmania – see you there!

And if the world is not treating you kindly, just remember, someone else may have it worse than you do. Remember the Golden Rule.

 

Best Books of 2020

March 31, 2021 / / 0 Comments

Well, if there is anything good to come out of this year just past, it is the reading. I had some very good reads, and then some slumps, some which were easy to explain, and some which were not.

I actually met my reading goal of 100 books on GoodReads. I had to push to make it (due to aforementioned slumps). The one thing that I was tempted to do which might have derailed the whole thing was to read my most-anticipated book of the year, The Invisible Life of Addie Larue by V.E. Schwab. I have been hearing about this book for literally years. I watched every pre-launch interview and promo.  And I wanted to just read it already. But I was afraid that if I did, it would lead me to the monster of all book hangovers. Then how would I make my goal? I know, I know, best way to combat that would be not to bring it down to the wire. But it was too late for that. All that to say, now it’s a clean slate, and hangover be damned, I will get to it!

Anyway, you didn’t come here to hear me moan about bookworm problems. Did you? 😉 No, you came here to see what I might call the best books of last year! Yes I’m late. Yes, it is now 2021. And yes, we are on to better and bigger things. But we also had some doozies in 2020. Apart from the non-book doozies. Note that these were all books I read in 2020; they were not all published in 2020. But that’s when I got to them, so I’m calling it.

Comfort Reads

First, the comfort reads. This was a tough year. I had a really hard time with the civil unrest in Minneapolis, starting in late May, for many reasons (on top of pandemic lockdown). I only read four books in June, and most of them were by Agatha Christie. JK Rowling’s despicable behavior (another stress factor) kept me away from my usual comfort reads, and I found Agatha to be a lovely replacement. The books I read in June were not my favorites, however. My new very favorite Agatha titles are The Hollow (part of my read-through of all of Poirot) and They Came to Baghdad, which was not one of her regular detectives but a very espionage-type thriller. The thing that I love about it is the setting and the danger. It was really excellent! I am partial to her archaeological stories, and this was the best one yet. I also read her memoir Come, Tell Me How You Live, which I highly recommend (more archaeology).

I read The Hollow about the same time as I was reading Rebecca, and the whole house-as-a-character thing was very strong in both. So that gave The Hollow a feeling that I hadn’t gotten from any previous Agatha. Plus, Lady Angkatell was just wonderful. The characters in this one were far more developed than in some of her other works.

Classics

I found a new favorite Shakespeare. I know, right? I did a readalong of As You Like It in November, and I just loved it! I had somehow never read or seen this one. I loved Rosalind, and the whole situation and storyline was just so interesting and, well, easy to follow. I mean, my old favorite has always been Macbeth, with its moving forests and witches, but that story is a bit obtuse. This one is a very clear narrative, mostly makes sense in places, and had a wonderful roster of characters. Rosalind is just about the best thing ever. I would love to see it performed!

And then there’s Maria Dahvana Headley. I discovered her early in the year when I found out she was releasing a new translation of Beowulf, which came out in August. While I was waiting, I picked up her previous novel, based on it, called The Mere Wife. It was absolutely stunning! Split my head wide open! Then I was able to follow along on a read-aloud of the Beowulf translation in December. It is, as one might expect, epic. After all, this is how it was meant to be heard! Aside from the performers, the translation itself was just so wonderful. It is clear, yet modern, full of slang, yet relatable situations. The end brought a tear to my eye! If you are interested in Beowulf, or even if you are not, you definitely ought to hunt it down. I am now off to hunt down all of Maria’s previous work, and try to get my hand on a copy of The Mere Wife for my very own.

YA and MG

The third in a great new MG trilogy released in March, which rounded out nicely the Wizard for Hire series by Obert Skye. I loved this series! I thought this final book did just a great job of wrapping everything up – one of the most satisfying endings to a series that I can think of. It is just such a magical story, and the characters are so wonderful. I enjoyed every book in this series, and highly recommend it for anyone looking for something to replace Harry Potter. It’s got everything. I am now on a mission to find his other work, too. Don’t you love it when you find a gateway drug?

I got a chance to read an early copy of Tales from the Hinterland by Melissa Albert, and even though it didn’t come out until January, I am including it here, so that you can all go get it and maybe if you need to catch up on this stunning YA fantasy series you can do that (and this post is oh so late). This is an absolutely amazing collection of tales, sort of like Language of Thorns, if you are familiar with that work by Leigh Bardugo, in that it peoples a world of background tales (background to the original book, The Hazel Wood). Fairytales? If you will. The Night Country was the sequel. I loved that book. But the tales themselves? Blew. Me. Away. Here is this nice seemingly normal lady author, writing these dark, nasty, nearly horrifying tales of wronged brides, lost girls and other macabre imaginings. I cannot wait to see the gorgeous final copy, too. Thanks to the publisher, FlatIron Books, for inviting me to read this on NetGAlley. (I read it on my PHONE, which tells you how good it is.)

I also had some great spooky reads this year. The two that stand out as the best were Anna Dressed In Blood by Kendare Blake, and Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas. I loved them both! They were both slightly creepy (especially Anna!) and had just great stories with great characters, that went in surprising directions. Cemetery Boys was very interesting culturally, with a lot of dia de los muertos influence apparent. These are both YA fantasy, and I would highly recommend them.

Favorites

And finally, I owe it to my Book Aunt for letting me borrow her copy of A Gentleman in Moscow! I simply adored this historical novel. Wow. What a tour de force. To encompass this great historical epoch within the walls of a hotel room? Oh my gosh. And the food! Lord have mercy. I need a chef. All I’m saying is, if you want to take a trip without ever having left your chair, through time and space, go read this beautiful, bittersweet, heart-warming story. It is beyond. And couldn’t we all use that right now?

I rounded out the year with some nice nonfiction, and I want to give it a mention. I loved The Book of Runes by Robert Blum, Salt on My Skin, a memoir and reflection by Sarah Kennedy Norquoy, and The Lost Art of Reading Nature’s Signs by Tristan Gooley. These were all very late in the game, and I probably will go back to each of them and mark them up. I already have several tabs in the Gooley title. I’ve been neglecting nonfiction the past couple years, and it’s time I picked it up again.

Honorable Mentions

Under honorable mentions: I loved The Epic Crush of Genie Lo by FC Lee! I had an ARC sitting here forever and then I used it for a prompt in a reading challenge and I am so glad I did! It was just a fantastic story. I want to track down the rest of the series now. I also devoured The Guinevere Deception by Kiersten White, an Arthurian legend turned on its head. Now to find the second book! And a big shout out to Brandon Sanderson. I found myself in a little bit of a Sanderlanche in the spring, reading Mistborn Era 2, and LOVING it! I loved Wax and Wayne so much. Like Batman and Robin, only funnier. And then I read Elantris. Whoa! And there is to be a sequel!! Some day. Who knows. This guy is writing something like four series right now. I would have started Stormlight Archives but I had to get back to my other books, and I found out it is a projected 10 book series, so I think I’ll wait a bit.

Drumroll

So that’s roughly my top 15. I mean, don’t quote me on that. But it is hard to narrow down so many good books! If you are wondering which I would call my top read of 2020 – *drumroll* – I am calling it Tales from the Hinterland! I feel like this belongs to 2021 (how can you read in the future?), but I’m sticking to my rules. I’ve read it, so there. Beowulf is not far behind! We’ll just have to save Addie Larue for 2021.

Looking Ahead

I did have a great reading year. I ran a readalong of The Silmarillion in March 2020, and enjoyed all my Poirot. I loved all the readalongs I participated in. I finally finished my first full-length Dickens novel, Oliver Twist, which was mainly just sad (there are four on my Currently Reading GoodReads shelf. Oops). I also finished several other series that I had been working on, including The Raven Cycle and Shades of Magic. I know, they didn’t individually make my top books of the year, but it was great to finish those series. I loved them. What I have realized is that the final books were not my favorites of the series. And that’s okay. Some of my top reads made it to my Halloween Reads post, so feel free to check that out.

I am looking forward to 2021, for so many reasons. I have just wrapped up co-hosting a readalong of The Lord of the Rings with my friends Alicia and Morgan, and I am also co-hosting a readalong of The Collected Short Stories of Eudora Welty with Alicia, which will go all year. I am excited about both of these. Other than that, I am hoping to read more backlist fantasy, and finish a few more series. I am setting my overall goal at 100 books again (I’ve already read 42!), and I want 50 of those to be books that I own. I plan to read at least 12 classics, and I’ve already started. I hope to unhaul 50 books, and work on building a more purposeful library.

That concludes our reading recap for the annus horribilis. I’m hoping 2021 holds fewer surprises of the nasty variety, more laughter and long walks, and at least one trip to a Great Lake. I wouldn’t say no to going further afield, but we shall see. I also hope there are wedding bells and toddler playtime, and a completed manuscript in there somewhere. If you’ve made it this far, cheers to you, and here’s to a Much Improved New Year!

*Yes, this is very late. Who knew that 2021 would be almost as difficult as 2020? As I polish this for posting, I am getting ready to go to Houston, as my father-in-law passed away on Monday. I was derailed by the insurrection at the Capitol, and I spent the rest of January reading books for the Minnesota Book Awards. I am still waiting for my Covid vaccination, masking up and hunkering down. It has been a bumpy year already. But I wanted to post this as I spent so much time compiling it! I hope you find some new favorites here.

Halloween Reads 2020

October 28, 2020 / / 0 Comments

Spooky cemetery illustration

Welcome to my 10th annual Halloween Reads round-up! Ten years! Wow. I first started this in 2011, when I was a columnist on The Examiner website, as the Minneapolis Book Examiner (which I started doing in 2010; I wish I could send you to read all my book articles there, but they have disappeared into the ether).

Halloween Reads are my favorite seasonal reads. Every year, I look for the spookiest reads to capture the atmosphere of this time of year. These are capsule reviews of several titles that I think you will enjoy, if you just want a little taste of something that goes bump in the night. For the most part, these are not horror, because I am a bona fide chicken. These are creepy, dark, mostly fantasy, mystery and classic titles that will fit on any October reads list. I read about a hundred books a year, and I am always on the hunt for books for this particular post, so I hope that you find something here that will grab you (well, not literally, but, you know). You can always find my past Halloween Reads posts – I have housed most of them on this blog now (links are at the bottom). I’ve already got a list of reads going for next year, but if you have any suggestions for reads I haven’t already covered, I’m all ears!

Read on for the spookiest, ookiest, most Addams Family-esque reads I could find!

Fantasy

Cover of Neverwhere by Neil GaimanNeverwhere by Neil Gaiman

Gritty, dirty, otherworldly what-if that is a Wizard of Oz meets The Matrix kind of mind twist. If you like Gaiman, and haven’t read this one, go. If you have never read Gaiman, this is a grand place to start, as it is his debut solo novel (after the Sandman comics and then Good Omens with Terry Pratchett). Just know one thing: anything you thought is wrong. Preconceptions are the last thing that this world honors. There are some truly horrible characters, and some truly horrible things happen, but in the end, it is more steampunk than horror, albeit steampunk with demons (if, indeed, that is what they are), angels, and whatever the heck everyone else is. Highly recommend if you like things to be original and uncategorizable.

 

 

Cover of The Pale Horse by Agatha ChristieMystery

The Pale Horse by Agatha Christie

An Ariadne Oliver mystery

If you follow along, you may know I’ve been on an Agatha Christie tear for the past two years. I have read all of Miss Marple and I am halfway through Poirot! I veered off course because I wanted to read this in advance of watching the show on Prime that released in the spring. I am glad that I did read the book first, but it really doesn’t matter (I am not going to say why because I want you to have the same experience I did!). If you watched the show, go ahead and get back to the source material. If you have done neither, pick up this occult thriller, an unusual direction for Agatha to take, but one which I think she succeeded at very well. I loved the main character, Mark, and his butting in to the strange mystery he comes across. Ariadne is only a side character in this, but she contributes some important information. I did like her, though. This was a surprise for me and something I would recommend for anyone who thinks that Agatha is a one-trick pony (it is not a locked-room variation, for starters, and one of the few titles of hers that features the occult). It’s decidedly creepier than many of her other works, and I’ve read about 30 of them in the past two years. If you find households of witchy women, séances, tarot and mysteriously dead ex-wives interesting, then this is for you!

Cover of A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly JacksonA Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson

This was a really intriguing mystery case, complete with case notes and book reports. Pippa is doing a school project, and bites off just a bit more than she can chew. But she doesn’t want to just do a project. She wants to solve a five year old murder case. And disobeying all limitations of her project, she enlists the brother of the accused murderer to help her do just that. It is fast and furious and I loved all the different ways that information was presented. I loved the methodical way this was presented, and the way that not just one suspect was the focus. The twists and turns were everywhere (so MANY suspects!), and I in no way saw the ending coming. A really great October murder mystery, and a good representative of the burgeoning YA Mystery genre.

 

Young Adult

Cover of My Plain Jane by Cynthia Hand et alMy Plain Jane (The Lady Janies #2) by Cynthia Hand, Jodi Meadows and Brodi Ashton

This isn’t creepy so much as one of those classics reinvented – think Pride & Prejudice and Zombies. There are several things about this that make it more fun than the original version, besides the fact that it is just funny – including the author used as a character (and I really like Charlotte in this one), the authors introducing little asides with information about the society and rules of the time, and best of all, ghosts. It’s all very well done, and the ghosts and Charlotte are not just add-ons. The story is changed to such a degree that it flows effortlessly, and the changes don’t feel tacked on. It is funny with just a little tiny bit of spook, and perfect for anyone who loves Jane Eyre, but you don’t need to have read the original to enjoy this one. A lovely reimagined story of Regency England and the ghosts that only some can see.

Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas

Tears were shed. Laughter was heard. Hearts were softened. This was lovely. A really delightful, bittersweet, sad and joyful story. All the adjectives! Heart-warming, fascinating and dark. Thomas has done a service here, to his community, his culture, and his people. This is not only a great story, but it is the first novel about a trans character by a trans author to make it to the NYT bestseller list. I don’t say that for propriety’s sake. This is ground-breaking stuff. And hopefully, that means we will get lots more stories like this, though I think they will have quite a high bar to hurdle. I loved the descriptions of the cultural elements (the FOOD!), I loved the characters, and I loved the story. There was nothing here I did not love. The story is of Yadriel, a gay trans boy who just wants what his culture promises all boys like him – a chance to be a brujo. I don’t want to say too much, other than whoa Julian is a delight and I love Maritza and even little Luca. The ending of this was just knock-your-socks-off and I could go on about the messages but I mean, there are many. Suffice it to say that brujx live in the cemetery and spend their time “healing those who suffer and guiding those who are lost.” This is a great October read and a beautiful nod to Latinx culture and a wonderful addition to trans literature – and really, all literature.

Cover of Anna Dressed in BloodAnna Dressed In Blood by Kendare Blake

A cult favorite among YA readers, published in 2011, this is one I had been hearing about for a long time. I dismissed it initially as just romantic fluff (I’m snobby like that), but I am so glad that I finally picked it up to read, because a friend gave me a copy at a book swap! I was drawn in immediately by its protagonist – the first chapter is just amazing. Then it just gets creepier and creepier, with a soft hint of romance thrown in. Anna herself is, well, wow. What can I say? This is one that I had to put off reading at night – I could only read it during the day, and still, it was creeptastic. It has a dreamy quality, with just a hint of sympathy for our ghost, that made the ending pop. Those who easily get the jitters may not care for its haunted house setting, but if you are looking for a really spooky read, this is it. Fans of Supernatural and Ghost Adventures will eat this up. Published in 2011, there’s a reason it has stuck around. PS There is a second one in this duology!

 

Classics

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

This was another one for a readalong and it was a tiny little novella! I was so surprised it was so short. But man, it packs a punch. We get mystery, murder, intrigue, nefarious characters, mysterious letters and will codicils, and inexplicable happenings. It really did rivet me from beginning to end. What was going on? What was going to happen? Who was this Hyde? What was wrong with Jekyll? If you are looking for a quick classic to round out your reading, I can recommend this one. Better if you have someone to discuss it with (as most classics are). There’s a reason these have stuck around so long.

Ray Bradbury – 100 years

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Ray Bradbury. Fahrenheit 451 is one of my favorite modern classics, and I was all set to read at least one of his other books. But I couldn’t get my hands on either of the titles I wanted for this post (Something Wicked This Way Comes or The Halloween Tree). There is at least one other fall-themed book in his oeuvre, and I hope to read one of the three before next year. So this isn’t a review, just a nod to one of the masters of fantasy and science fiction who paved the way for so many others. If you haven’t already, go pick up one of his works. Here is a story that ran on NPR in August, which gets to the heart of why his work still matters, and how close it is to all of us (includes an audio link).

Children’s Books

I always try to include children’s picture books in my Halloween Reads, but this year, with no book events, no trade shows, no indie bookstore browsing, I am at a loss for what the new releases even are. And since this is the type of things you like to take a look at before recommending, I cannot really recommend any spooky kid titles. I did buy my grandson two books, but they are more for the idea of the book than the story (he is only 15 months). However, I have a blog post here from Janssen Bradshaw, a blogger I’ve recently begun following, who has her finger on the pulse of all things kids and books. She has a list here of 31 Halloween books for kids that will surely help you find some kind of spooky or ooky reading for this time of year!

Ten for Ten

Ten years deserves ten more books! I am also sharing a post that rounds things out nicely. Check this post if you are looking for more YA witchy reads. YA tends to fit better in my wheelhouse of spooky but not too scary. I have worked with these bloggers (Briana and Krysta) in the past on Tolkien celebrations, writing guest posts for them. I know they never recommend something they wouldn’t enjoy themselves. So here is a list of 10 YA titles that feature witches. I have not read any of these! Several of them are on my list (I prefer the fantasy titles to the romance). There is a wide assortment here, from contemporary to fantasy to manga. Enjoy!

Finally

I always end up with a stack of half-read books that I had meant to include in this post, and it always goes up later than I had hoped. But this time, I’m going to save some of those for next year. I hope you have been able to read some spooky reads this month, and if you haven’t, I hope that this gives you a few ideas for something you can run out and grab.

I want to thank you for stopping by. If you have read previous posts (and here and here and here) (and here and here!), thank you very much! I don’t know if there is anyone out there who has been with me this entire ride. But when I realized this was my ten year post, I just got all misty. So thanks to anyone who reads, and those who comment, and the bloggers who have given me good content to link to, and the publishers who have sent me review copies (none for this post, but a girl can hope), and all of the other bookworms out there who know how it feels to just love books so much that it is hard to surface sometimes. This world is a mad, mean place and we can all use an escape from time to time.

And finally, I know it has been a long time since I’ve posted. I spent the spring and summer working in the dirt. It was the only way I could process all of the things going on in the world. I live near Minneapolis, so the death of George Floyd hit hard and close to home. My city is still healing. And the anxiety induced by the pandemic has taken its toll on an already fragile mental health situation (I received a depression diagnosis in February). So I planted. And now we have early snow so I am back at my desk. This is my favorite post of the year, and I had always intended to do it. But maybe now I can be present here a little more often. I hope this finds you well, and safe. Happy reading!

Halloween Reads 2014 Redux

October 28, 2020 / / 0 Comments

 

Welcome to my fourth annual round-up of Halloween reading (even though I’ve been doing this column since 2009, I apparently didn’t get this idea until 2011). This isn’t hard-core horror – I can’t sleep if I read things like Stephen King. I prefer something with a creep factor. It’s not hard these days to find creepy literature, focusing on macabre or ghastly subjects. The proliferation of ghost hunter shows (some of which I’m a fan), the apparent zombie craze and a sudden uptick in interest in cemeteries attest to the public’s appetite. I don’t see the attraction to zombies, myself, but I do find many aspects of macabre subjects fascinating. My favorite TV shows are Grimm and Sleepy Hollow. And of course, I love Halloween. Check out my previous years’ posts from 2011, 2012 and 2013.

You might find something you like on this year’s Halloween Reads list. In the past, I had always included one classic, a couple fiction pieces, and maybe a kid’s book or two, or a middle grade if I could find one. This year, I’m grabbing whatever strikes me that might put someone in mind of a creepy time of year. It’s a bit of an eclectic mix, and includes my first nonfiction selection.

Nonfiction

Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach

My first nonfiction selection, this is not for the squeamish. And even though her later title, Spook, might seem more appropriate for Halloween, I got to this one first. On the surface, it is an examination of what happens to bodies after people die. The terminology is very explicit – they are cadavers, they are bodies, rarely people or corpses. From Victorian grave robbing (the “resurrectionists”) to uses for bodies donated to science (including decay measurement and surgical education), to use of human body parts for medical and culinary preparations – yes, a bit of a discussion of cannibalism – to a very interesting discussion of ecological funerary practices, Roach covers a lot of ground (and truth, makes me not want to end up buried under it). It’s less a grotesque look at dead bodies than it is a thoughtful, intelligent, and good-humored look at all the ways we have left to go once we’re gone. And the surprise? It’s funny – often laugh-out-loud funny. Roach is a good writer, and her explorations are always humane and comprehensive. I know, you may think this is just ooky. But in the hands of Roach, it’s fascinating.

Mystery

The Tale of Halcyon Crane by Wendy Webb

This was Wendy Webb’s first novel, and she nailed it. She is now being billed as the Queen of the Supernatural Mystery! A woman finds out after her father dies that her mother, whom she had thought was dead, was actually still alive until very recently. A very strange and mysterious trip follows, back to her childhood home on Lake Michigan. It’s a wild, old place, and she finds ghosts there of all types.  The townspeople think that she and her father died, so her reappearance is pretty surprising. The ghosts of the past don’t give up, though, and she must try to find out what really happened to put them to rest. That, however, proves not to be so simple. There are many ghosts who do not wish to rest. In the process of solving the mystery, she finds that she has special powers and talents. I loved the ending of this story, the setting, the atmosphere of it.
A great read for blustery fall days. Something to put you in the mood for Halloween!

YA Fiction

Series, The Hollow by Jessica Verday (The Hollow, The Haunted, The Hidden)

If you can get past the angsty and entitled teenager, this is a solid good story about death, dying, and being left behind. It’s also about first love, true love, honor and doing what’s right. I initially looked at this in preparation for a panel I was on about the TV show Sleepy Hollow at a Con. But I got hooked and read all three books. It’s not creepy, though – at least it didn’t feel that way to me. It’s imaginative about what we might encounter – what is really happening on the other side. From creepy Reverants to soul mates to death days, there is a whole world there. The hobby of our heroine was interesting, too – perfume making. Her dreams and hopes are understandable, and the loss of her best friend all-encompassing, which I can truly relate to. The story takes great liberties but also has a smooth reverence for The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, and I love that. It was, on the whole, a good story with a satisfying ending – not easy to do after three books. Just suspend disbelief, enjoy the twists and turns, fall into it for an hour or three.

Classics

The Turn of the Screw by Henry James

I hadn’t really had Henry James on my radar before, had never read him. This title was brought to my attention through an article about Her Fearful Symmetry, one of my all-time favorite books. You know those You Might Also Like algorithms on GoodReads? Yes, that’s where I found this. Perhaps the success of this story dwells in the ominous sense of foreboding that permeates it. This was written, after all, in 1898, in gaslight days, when there were shadows everywhere. In fact, that is basically what the book is comprised of: foreboding. Governess takes over secluded manor with two children who appear to be haunted. Not the manor – the children. Seemingly by the ghosts of her predecessor and the old valet. This is a governess with one heck of an imagination. Were they having an affair? Are they trying to come for the children? And more importantly, do the children want them to? It was so creepy at first, that I actually didn’t want to read it when I was home alone at night. I found, too, that the language can be difficult for our modern sensibilities. This book was part of a huge Gothic tradition that included Bram Stoker and others (see below), and if you can wade through the syntax, it may just get your heart pumping. Just don’t ask me what actually happened.

Classics I couldn’t find anywhere

The Mystery of the Yellow Room by Gaston Leroux
Said to be the perfect mystery story, this is the classic locked-room murder by the author of The Phantom of the Opera (last year’s classic). A young woman cries out and upon bashing the door in, her father and brother find her nearly expired. How did it happen? I love this classic motif, from The Orient Express to Sherlock Holmes. And I’m dying to read the prototype.

The Shadow of Ashlydyat by Mrs. Henry Wood
Also mentioned in the article about Her Fearful Symmetry, I am determined to find this one, too. I am also quite curious about the indomitable Mrs. Wood. It would seem that this was her own favorite of her 30 novels, and in a distinctly un-Victorian turn, “an unscrupulous woman is left unchecked at the end.” The description in the article was, in fact, so alluring that I am grasping for this one as well.

 

I know, Abe Books. I just haven’t gotten that far yet. I am afraid I can’t get enough of creepy reading. Earlier in the year, I was reading The Corpse Reader (about the ‘father of forensics’ in China), Burial Rites by Hannah Kent (highly recommended!), The Obituary Writer by Ann Hood, and We’ll Be the Last Ones to Let You Down: Memoir of a Gravedigger’s Daughter by Rachel Hanel. Anyone looking at my GoodReads Challenge page would sense a definite trend. Hope you find something you like that puts you in the appropriately creepy state of mind for this time of year. Let me know what works for you – or what your own favorite creepy read is!

Book Review: Wizard for Hire: Magic Required

April 7, 2020 / / 0 Comments

This finale in the Wizard for Hire series was the perfect ending to an adventurous, magical story.

The overall questions of the series were answered, but not in all the ways you might expect. Does Ozzy find his parents? Is there really magic? Read and find out!

The stakes in this last installment were as high as in the previous ones. There is danger around every turn, and Ozzy and his friend Sigi are right in the thick of it. Will Rin come back from Quarfelt to help them? Where is Clark, Ozzy’s sentient mechanical bird, gone off to? How will Ozzy go forward? This book looks at a lot of things – what is family? What is magic? Is magic real? And why would you want to use it? How magical is our own world, after all?

If you are thinking, ho hum, just another orphan story, think again. The overlying narrative to the whole trilogy – Ozzy’s hunt for his parents – is carried to its fateful conclusion here. The story doesn’t lose its way, even though there a lot of added complications. There are characters who have a change of heart, there is redemption, and there is a serious villain.

In fact, the characters are the core of this series. I love Rin – the madcap, earnest wizard – even if he does wear a yellow bathrobe. And I love Ozzy, whose life has been turned upside down for reasons he doesn’t understand. And Sigi provides that common sense, back-to-reality snap that we just can’t get from either Rin or Ozzy. Ozzy is dealing with some pretty heavy real-life stuff, and his sentient mechanical bird Clark provides just the exact right amount of comic relief. He is really something. I even loved Sigi’s mom, and perhaps the sheriff who comes calling more than his duties might specifically require.

I loved finding out more about the whole process of becoming a wizard, as Ozzy goes through it. I am glad he proudly wore his pants! And I loved finding out more about Rin’s story. There were unexpected twists and turns, and some of them were a little sad. But overall, the entire series is a madcap adventure with a real message. It’s about family, and home, and how those two things can be our choice as much as our circumstance. I only wish I could get one more installment, to find out how Ozzy fares as he grows up. I worry about him. He is such a great kid.

I am a real stickler for endings, and I have to say, the final few pages of this really were wonderful. I love it when a tiny thread is pulled throughout a story, and we only get the final tug on it on the last page. That’s what this is. Pay attention. It is lovely.

Highly recommended for any reader who is looking for the Next Magical Story, perhaps after finishing Harry Potter or Rick Riordan. It is older Middle Grade, and full of snappy dialogue, jokes and situations made comical by Ozzy’s complete innocence (which makes sense after growing up in the forest by himself).

You can see my reviews of the previous books in this series here and here. I enjoyed all of them but I had to wait a year between books 2 and 3. You have no such problem! Order them right now from your favorite indie bookstore and keep your brain happy for at least a few days! To be clear, the first book is Wizard for Hire (blue cover), the second book is Wizard for Hire: Apprentice Needed (green cover), and the third book is Wizard for Hire: Magic Required (purple cover), which releases today, April 7. And if you don’t think it’s hard releasing a book in the middle of a pandemic (not to mention simply regularly releasing the third in a series), have another think.

I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher in return for my honest review. I am looking forward to getting final copies of all the books (I mean, just look at those gorgeous covers!), and bingeing the whole series from start to finish. This is a series that will bear rereading, and which I’m sure any wizard-loving reader (of any age) will enjoy. And I have the first few books in Skye’s Leven Thumps series, so they are coming up on the docket pretty soon too.

Best Books of 2019

December 5, 2019 / / 1 Comment

What a wild year. I discovered so many great books this year! Some of them were rather old, but some of them were brand spanking new. All of them were first reads (I could gush about some rereads too!). I had a lot of five star reads. I’ve only recently begun using star ratings on GoodReads. I wanted to see how it would work and I think I like it. Half of the fun of doing this list was going back and reading my original reviews/notes on GoodReads. So much gushing!

These books inspired me (one even gave me a huge breakthrough on my own novel!), they broadened my horizons, they made me laugh and they made me cry. I started the year saying I wanted to read more classics, and boy, I sure did. Now I think I want to dial that back a bit, but there are still several classics on my list. I’m already planning for 2020. But for now, here is (in no particular order) what rocked my world in 2019. Continue reading

Halloween Reads 2019

October 27, 2019 / / 1 Comment

It’s time for another installment of spooky reads, folks! If you are looking to get some chills and thrills from your reading, look no further. However, note that I don’t do horror, so you probably won’t get any jump scares out of these selections.

If you’re counting, this is the ninth annual Halloween Reads list. I’ve been on the hunt since 2011. Since before this blog, when I posted on Examiner.com. Check the links at the bottom for the posts for previous years. This year, there seems to be a bumper crop of spooky reads! So without further ado, here is my list for your spoopy reading pleasure!

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Book Review: Last Things by Jacqueline West

May 7, 2019 / / 1 Comment

Last Things is the newest YA from New York Times bestselling author Jacqueline West. Her award-winning The Books of Elsewhere is one of my favorite MG series. I was excited to hear that she was writing another YA, especially after reading her most recent book, The Collectors, last fall.

This story simply hummed! This story kept me turning pages well past midnight. *cough 2am cough* Not that reading this in the dead of night is the best idea. Because no. It is creepy, it is heebie jeebie, it is deliciously spooky. It might make you rethink the wisdom of reading alone at night next to an uncovered window. Just me? Oh, okay.

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