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ericarobyn
The Survival of Molly Southbourne by Tade Thompson is the amazing follow up to one of my all time favorite novellas, The Murders of Molly Southbourne. It’s another tale that is filled with life, death, and lots of blood, but this time, we finally learn more about Molly’s condition.
Opening line: I am holding a telephone while watching a house burn.
What a great line to kick things off! I was so pumped to see that we’re just minutes after where we left off in the first book.
In the first chapter, the author did a wonderful job recapping what happened in the first book. But I’d definitely still recommend reading that one first before diving in to this novella.
In this story, we follow our main character as she learns more about navigating life with the ghosts of her past haunting her.
Within this tale, there were also quick bits and pieces of video log transcription shown from the viewpoint of poor Professor Down as he tracks what happens to his body. He seems to be doing okay when we first see him, but over time, as he fights to survive after the bombshell we learned in the first book, we start seeing his hope evaporate…
While reading, I was so nervous to see what would happen next for both of the characters that we focused on. All I wanted to see was a happy ending! But boy did this one keep throwing curve-balls!
Needless to say, I was totally captivated by this one!
My Favorite Passages
The stories Molly told me are as seeds, each one a focal point for the budding and flowering of memory.
It’s interesting the kind of sinking feeling you get when the foundations of your world are shaken.
My Final Thoughts
What an amazing follow up to the first novella! I loved this so much. It didn’t pack quite the punch of the first one for me, but to be fair, I just REALLY love the first book!
I highly recommend checking this one out if you enjoy horror reads with a bit of a sci-fi twist and a lot of blood.
Opening line: I am holding a telephone while watching a house burn.
What a great line to kick things off! I was so pumped to see that we’re just minutes after where we left off in the first book.
In the first chapter, the author did a wonderful job recapping what happened in the first book. But I’d definitely still recommend reading that one first before diving in to this novella.
In this story, we follow our main character as she learns more about navigating life with the ghosts of her past haunting her.
Within this tale, there were also quick bits and pieces of video log transcription shown from the viewpoint of poor Professor Down as he tracks what happens to his body. He seems to be doing okay when we first see him, but over time, as he fights to survive after the bombshell we learned in the first book, we start seeing his hope evaporate…
While reading, I was so nervous to see what would happen next for both of the characters that we focused on. All I wanted to see was a happy ending! But boy did this one keep throwing curve-balls!
Needless to say, I was totally captivated by this one!
My Favorite Passages
The stories Molly told me are as seeds, each one a focal point for the budding and flowering of memory.
It’s interesting the kind of sinking feeling you get when the foundations of your world are shaken.
My Final Thoughts
What an amazing follow up to the first novella! I loved this so much. It didn’t pack quite the punch of the first one for me, but to be fair, I just REALLY love the first book!
I highly recommend checking this one out if you enjoy horror reads with a bit of a sci-fi twist and a lot of blood.
Don't Overthink It: Make Easier Decisions, Stop Second-Guessing, and Bring More Joy to Your Life
Man oh man, this book couldn’t have come into my life at a more PERFECT time. Don’t Overthink It: Make Easier Decisions, Stop Second-Guessing, and Bring More Joy to Your Life by Anne Bogel is the exact self-help book that I needed to cope with the craziness of 2020 so far. But not only that, this book helped me with a lot of things that I’m hung up on currently but know I need to get over, things that have made me feel stuck in the past, and so much more.
This is a book that I’m going to read over and over again.
So, first things first, a little shout out to Anne Bogel and Carmichael’s Bookstore for organizing the pre-order event! As soon as I heard Anne say the title of the book, I was already sold… When she then read the passage from the book about debating whether or not to buy flowers while at the grocery store, and getting so focused on that internal debate that she ended up forgetting something important that she needed, I knew that I needed this book ASAP.
I’m so grateful that I was able to jump in and snag a signed copy! While I usually treat my signed copies like treasures, this book is going to have some wear and tear because as I mentioned above, this one is going to be read over and over again!
On just my first pass through, I highlighted SO many passages. I cannot wait to re-read this already. I’m also excited to see what new passages stick out to me at different stages of my life when I pick it up for another re-read.
A couple of parts that really stuck out to me:
Listing your core values– The prompt to write down my core values and my shared family values with Alex! When I was thinking about this one quickly, the three that came to mind immediately were Kindness, Reliability, Creativity. I can’t wait to sit down with Alex to discuss this idea.
Taking breaks– Real breaks, not “fake breaks” like checking email or scrolling through social media… I have been historically awful at taking time for myself, let alone taking breaks. I’m always so GO, GO, GO, that I don’t give myself time for a breather. I will be making more of an effort to take breaks in 2020. REAL breaks.
Rethinking making a mistake– When making a mistake, we all know that it’s easy to dwell on that mistake and berate yourself. Alex and I are especially seeing that now that we have our house and we’re learning all these home-improvement things on our own. The key according to Anne is to recognize that the mistake happened, learn from it, let go of the irritation, and move on. I LOVE that so much.
Writing things down– Taking more notes just to get things out of my head and onto paper has been a major focus of mine since Spring of 2019 when my life got insanely hectic. I loved seeing “write it down” as a tip in this book because it really validate the fact that this can be super helpful.
Check out this passage:
“It’s easy to build things up in your mind to be much bigger than they actually are. Sometimes I’ll notice I’m feeling completely overwhelmed because it seems like I have so much to do, but when I stop to capture my swirling thoughts – or even better, my action items – in writing, it doesn’t look so bad.
This strategy works because it allows us to wrangle our unwieldy thoughts into a more manageable format, which restores our objectivity. This is old advice, but it remains useful. Many things don’t feel so daunting once they are written down, because the active writing forces us to clarify what’s actually happening and what we need to do about it.”
Just wonderful! I love it!
There were SO many other sections that I highlighted from or bookmarked for easy reference later!
Check out some of my favorite passages below! There are a bunch there, and this isn’t even close to the number of things I actually highlighted in my book!
My Favorite Passages:
When we talk about overthinking, we’re talking about those times when we lavish mental energy on things that don’t deserve it. Those times when we can’t seem to think about anything else, even though we know our thoughts are better spent elsewhere.
Overthinking takes different forms. Sometimes it looks like worry… Sometimes overthinking looks like fretting about the small stuff… Sometimes overthinking looks like second-guessing ourselves.
When we assume we can’t, it’s guaranteed we won’t.
It’s hard today, but it won’t stay hard forever.
When we’re overthinking, the easiest thing to do is keep overthinking. To stop the cycle, we need to interrupt these thought patterns, and we can do that by taking a small step in the right direction. Then it becomes easier to take another right step, and another.
…it’s hard to choose anything when it’s past your bedtime and you’ve whipped yourself into a frenzy.
Completing the cycle isn’t a magic bullet. But it’s benefits are real, even if they aren’t all readily apparent. Open cycles consume mental energy, occupy brain space, and beg us to monitor them as “jobs in progress.” Our brains get anxious when too many cycles remain open, because it takes energy to maintain them. They register as clutter to our brains. We’re using mental energy and our limited working memory trying not to forget about them. Think about it as you would a computer’s memory- the more RAM that’s available, the smoother the machine operates. When a cycle is complete, that’s in less thing to keep track of so we can focus on the task at hand.
Clutter, by definition, distracts us from what’s important and makes it harder to focus on the things that matter.
But at a certain point, waiting time becomes wasted time. We think moving slowly will help us, but we can spend so much time considering our options that we get stuck in analysis paralysis. We need to remember that important doesn’t necessarily require slow every step of the way. There comes a time when a decision doesn’t need any more thought- and past this point, we’re overthinking it. We don’t need to keep pondering; we need to speed up- that is, make a decision and take some action.
When we put off doing something we don’t want to do, we keep the unpleasant thing right in front of us for much longer than we need to. As long as we are contemplating the issue, we’re dwelling on the negative. If we’re dreading something, we can serve ourselves well by dealing with it sooner rather than later. If we’re overthinking something we can actually do something about, the best thing we can do is speed up to move on. Take action as soon as possible.
As long as we are contemplating the issue, we’re dwelling on the negative. Nobody’s got time – or headspace – for that.
With our thoughts, we make our worlds. This is why two people can experience the same thing in vastly different ways.
Train yourself to appreciate the positive.
We don’t have to do it ourselves. When we get someone else to do it, we give ourselves the gift of one less thing to worry about, one less thing to handle, one less thing to manage so we can put our mental energy to better use.
My Final Thoughts:
I absolutely loved this book. It was wonderfully organized and Anne’s way of mixing in her personal stories with really important life lessons was very powerful. There were so many little one liners that really packed a punch!
I could just go on and on about this book, but if there’s one thing you take away from my review, it’s this – YOU NEED TO GO GET A COPY OF THIS BOOK!!
I cannot recommend it highly enough! This is one that I will be gifting to others right away.
This is a book that I’m going to read over and over again.
So, first things first, a little shout out to Anne Bogel and Carmichael’s Bookstore for organizing the pre-order event! As soon as I heard Anne say the title of the book, I was already sold… When she then read the passage from the book about debating whether or not to buy flowers while at the grocery store, and getting so focused on that internal debate that she ended up forgetting something important that she needed, I knew that I needed this book ASAP.
I’m so grateful that I was able to jump in and snag a signed copy! While I usually treat my signed copies like treasures, this book is going to have some wear and tear because as I mentioned above, this one is going to be read over and over again!
On just my first pass through, I highlighted SO many passages. I cannot wait to re-read this already. I’m also excited to see what new passages stick out to me at different stages of my life when I pick it up for another re-read.
A couple of parts that really stuck out to me:
Listing your core values– The prompt to write down my core values and my shared family values with Alex! When I was thinking about this one quickly, the three that came to mind immediately were Kindness, Reliability, Creativity. I can’t wait to sit down with Alex to discuss this idea.
Taking breaks– Real breaks, not “fake breaks” like checking email or scrolling through social media… I have been historically awful at taking time for myself, let alone taking breaks. I’m always so GO, GO, GO, that I don’t give myself time for a breather. I will be making more of an effort to take breaks in 2020. REAL breaks.
Rethinking making a mistake– When making a mistake, we all know that it’s easy to dwell on that mistake and berate yourself. Alex and I are especially seeing that now that we have our house and we’re learning all these home-improvement things on our own. The key according to Anne is to recognize that the mistake happened, learn from it, let go of the irritation, and move on. I LOVE that so much.
Writing things down– Taking more notes just to get things out of my head and onto paper has been a major focus of mine since Spring of 2019 when my life got insanely hectic. I loved seeing “write it down” as a tip in this book because it really validate the fact that this can be super helpful.
Check out this passage:
“It’s easy to build things up in your mind to be much bigger than they actually are. Sometimes I’ll notice I’m feeling completely overwhelmed because it seems like I have so much to do, but when I stop to capture my swirling thoughts – or even better, my action items – in writing, it doesn’t look so bad.
This strategy works because it allows us to wrangle our unwieldy thoughts into a more manageable format, which restores our objectivity. This is old advice, but it remains useful. Many things don’t feel so daunting once they are written down, because the active writing forces us to clarify what’s actually happening and what we need to do about it.”
Just wonderful! I love it!
There were SO many other sections that I highlighted from or bookmarked for easy reference later!
Check out some of my favorite passages below! There are a bunch there, and this isn’t even close to the number of things I actually highlighted in my book!
My Favorite Passages:
When we talk about overthinking, we’re talking about those times when we lavish mental energy on things that don’t deserve it. Those times when we can’t seem to think about anything else, even though we know our thoughts are better spent elsewhere.
Overthinking takes different forms. Sometimes it looks like worry… Sometimes overthinking looks like fretting about the small stuff… Sometimes overthinking looks like second-guessing ourselves.
When we assume we can’t, it’s guaranteed we won’t.
It’s hard today, but it won’t stay hard forever.
When we’re overthinking, the easiest thing to do is keep overthinking. To stop the cycle, we need to interrupt these thought patterns, and we can do that by taking a small step in the right direction. Then it becomes easier to take another right step, and another.
…it’s hard to choose anything when it’s past your bedtime and you’ve whipped yourself into a frenzy.
Completing the cycle isn’t a magic bullet. But it’s benefits are real, even if they aren’t all readily apparent. Open cycles consume mental energy, occupy brain space, and beg us to monitor them as “jobs in progress.” Our brains get anxious when too many cycles remain open, because it takes energy to maintain them. They register as clutter to our brains. We’re using mental energy and our limited working memory trying not to forget about them. Think about it as you would a computer’s memory- the more RAM that’s available, the smoother the machine operates. When a cycle is complete, that’s in less thing to keep track of so we can focus on the task at hand.
Clutter, by definition, distracts us from what’s important and makes it harder to focus on the things that matter.
But at a certain point, waiting time becomes wasted time. We think moving slowly will help us, but we can spend so much time considering our options that we get stuck in analysis paralysis. We need to remember that important doesn’t necessarily require slow every step of the way. There comes a time when a decision doesn’t need any more thought- and past this point, we’re overthinking it. We don’t need to keep pondering; we need to speed up- that is, make a decision and take some action.
When we put off doing something we don’t want to do, we keep the unpleasant thing right in front of us for much longer than we need to. As long as we are contemplating the issue, we’re dwelling on the negative. If we’re dreading something, we can serve ourselves well by dealing with it sooner rather than later. If we’re overthinking something we can actually do something about, the best thing we can do is speed up to move on. Take action as soon as possible.
As long as we are contemplating the issue, we’re dwelling on the negative. Nobody’s got time – or headspace – for that.
With our thoughts, we make our worlds. This is why two people can experience the same thing in vastly different ways.
Train yourself to appreciate the positive.
We don’t have to do it ourselves. When we get someone else to do it, we give ourselves the gift of one less thing to worry about, one less thing to handle, one less thing to manage so we can put our mental energy to better use.
My Final Thoughts:
I absolutely loved this book. It was wonderfully organized and Anne’s way of mixing in her personal stories with really important life lessons was very powerful. There were so many little one liners that really packed a punch!
I could just go on and on about this book, but if there’s one thing you take away from my review, it’s this – YOU NEED TO GO GET A COPY OF THIS BOOK!!
I cannot recommend it highly enough! This is one that I will be gifting to others right away.
Eating Vegan: A Plant-Based Cookbook for Beginners by Dianne Wenz is an awesome cookbook that provides the foundation for adjusting your diet or, if you’re like me, just want to add some fun new recipes to your list!
I don’t have any health concerns that would require me to go fully vegan, but I do really struggle with meat on occasion. I really only eat hamburger, steak, chicken, and turkey, but if I get a bad bite, I can’t eat meat for weeks!
On top of that, I’m an extremely picky eater and have some really odd allergies…
So when I saw this one, I was super interested to check it out to see what dishes I could add to the little book of recipes that Alex and I have been organizing since we moved in together.
Full disclosure: This book was provided to me by the publisher via Callisto Publisher’s Club in exchange for an honest review.
I loved that the book begins with a lovely note from the author and then moves into a chapter titled “Vegan Eating 101” that covers reasons to go vegan, debunking myths about the vegan lifestyle, and what to expect in this cookbook.
Next up, was a chapter that explained vegan staples such as nutritional yeast and seitan. The chapter then went into some fundamentals that someone looking to adopt this lifestyle or learn more about plant based recipes will need to know, followed by meal prep support.
Next, we dove into the recipes! Each recipe had a little note to indicate if it is a 30 minute or less recipes, gluten free, leftover-friendly, nut free, or if you needed to plan ahead and prep certain elements! These notes are wonderful!
This book covered Breakfast, Salads Soups and Stews, Snacks and Sides, Handhelds, Main Course, and Desserts. There was also a section on homemade essentials if you wanted to make them on your own.
At the very end of the book, there was a wonderful selection of resources from books and documentaries to apps and websites!
Throughout the book, my favorite element was simply the little jabs of humor that the author included here and there!
With the recipes, I knew that they would be hit or miss for me like most cookbooks. In this case, a number of the recipes would need to be adjusted for me, or I’d have to just skip them if the tofu was the main element. I’m allergic to onions, I can’t do mushrooms or anything ginger or cinnamon, and tofu doesn’t work well with my digestive system… Those alone nixed quite a number of recipes for me, but there were still a few recipes in there that I bookmarked to try later!
These recipes that I marked included:
Lemon Raspberry Overnight Chia Pudding
Apple Spinach Salad
Chickpea Noodle Soup
Crispy Roasted Chickpeas
Spinach Artichoke Dip Buffalo Cauliflower (for Alex only)
Rosemary Garlic Potato Wedges
Mac and “Cheese” (obviously to those that know me… lol)
Chocolate Chip Cookies Almond Parmesan Crumbles
I can’t wait to try these items!
I thought that this was a great collection! I can’t wait to check out more cookbooks like this one to help grow my list of fun things to try!
I don’t have any health concerns that would require me to go fully vegan, but I do really struggle with meat on occasion. I really only eat hamburger, steak, chicken, and turkey, but if I get a bad bite, I can’t eat meat for weeks!
On top of that, I’m an extremely picky eater and have some really odd allergies…
So when I saw this one, I was super interested to check it out to see what dishes I could add to the little book of recipes that Alex and I have been organizing since we moved in together.
Full disclosure: This book was provided to me by the publisher via Callisto Publisher’s Club in exchange for an honest review.
I loved that the book begins with a lovely note from the author and then moves into a chapter titled “Vegan Eating 101” that covers reasons to go vegan, debunking myths about the vegan lifestyle, and what to expect in this cookbook.
Next up, was a chapter that explained vegan staples such as nutritional yeast and seitan. The chapter then went into some fundamentals that someone looking to adopt this lifestyle or learn more about plant based recipes will need to know, followed by meal prep support.
Next, we dove into the recipes! Each recipe had a little note to indicate if it is a 30 minute or less recipes, gluten free, leftover-friendly, nut free, or if you needed to plan ahead and prep certain elements! These notes are wonderful!
This book covered Breakfast, Salads Soups and Stews, Snacks and Sides, Handhelds, Main Course, and Desserts. There was also a section on homemade essentials if you wanted to make them on your own.
At the very end of the book, there was a wonderful selection of resources from books and documentaries to apps and websites!
Throughout the book, my favorite element was simply the little jabs of humor that the author included here and there!
With the recipes, I knew that they would be hit or miss for me like most cookbooks. In this case, a number of the recipes would need to be adjusted for me, or I’d have to just skip them if the tofu was the main element. I’m allergic to onions, I can’t do mushrooms or anything ginger or cinnamon, and tofu doesn’t work well with my digestive system… Those alone nixed quite a number of recipes for me, but there were still a few recipes in there that I bookmarked to try later!
These recipes that I marked included:
Lemon Raspberry Overnight Chia Pudding
Apple Spinach Salad
Chickpea Noodle Soup
Crispy Roasted Chickpeas
Spinach Artichoke Dip Buffalo Cauliflower (for Alex only)
Rosemary Garlic Potato Wedges
Mac and “Cheese” (obviously to those that know me… lol)
Chocolate Chip Cookies Almond Parmesan Crumbles
I can’t wait to try these items!
I thought that this was a great collection! I can’t wait to check out more cookbooks like this one to help grow my list of fun things to try!
Intruder by Nick Clausen is the type of tale that make me incredibly grateful that I have a security system at our house…
Full disclosure: I was given a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my rating in any way.
Okay, that cover is seriously spooky! And the tag line “TONIGHT LINDA DIES”?! I’m so in!
The story begins with poor Linda waking up on the couch. She senses that she’s not alone but tries to talk herself out of it. Then a news announcement comes on the TV of a man that escaped a psychiatric facility and is extremely volatile. As Linda goes to search the house, she realizes her initial thought was correct. Someone is in the house with her…
This story was incredibly eerie. The thought of someone breaking into my house is one of my biggest fears! The thoughts that we see going through Linda’s mind absolutely nail the anxiety-filled tension that I’ve felt quite a few times since buying our house. Luckily, we have an alarm system and I sleep much better now, but there’s always the “what if” thoughts that go through my mind…
AND THAT ENDING!
Right now, this tale is exclusive to Nick’s readers club, but keep an eye out for this one and snag it the second you can!
Full disclosure: I was given a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my rating in any way.
Okay, that cover is seriously spooky! And the tag line “TONIGHT LINDA DIES”?! I’m so in!
The story begins with poor Linda waking up on the couch. She senses that she’s not alone but tries to talk herself out of it. Then a news announcement comes on the TV of a man that escaped a psychiatric facility and is extremely volatile. As Linda goes to search the house, she realizes her initial thought was correct. Someone is in the house with her…
This story was incredibly eerie. The thought of someone breaking into my house is one of my biggest fears! The thoughts that we see going through Linda’s mind absolutely nail the anxiety-filled tension that I’ve felt quite a few times since buying our house. Luckily, we have an alarm system and I sleep much better now, but there’s always the “what if” thoughts that go through my mind…
AND THAT ENDING!
Right now, this tale is exclusive to Nick’s readers club, but keep an eye out for this one and snag it the second you can!
A play by play:
Headlights
Oh boy. I think I missed something with this tale. Not a great start.
Preserves
What... the... heck... this collection is not off to a good start for me at all. Maybe I just can’t do pregnancy tales right now?
Butterflies
Erm... what?
Mouthful of Birds - 2/5
Here we go! Finally a tale that worked for me. This one was really odd and totally unexplained, but it was quite the trip!
Santa Claus Sleeps at our House
Not a fan of this one.
The Digger
What?
Irman
Giving this one more try. Annnnd nope.
Bailing on page 75. None of this makes any sense. I loved Fever Dream, which also didn’t make sense but lived up to the title. This was just a mess of stories that may have meaning hidden in there somewhere, but it all went way over my head.
I’m actually quite angry with this one because it’s one I was so excited to jump into.
Headlights
Oh boy. I think I missed something with this tale. Not a great start.
Preserves
What... the... heck... this collection is not off to a good start for me at all. Maybe I just can’t do pregnancy tales right now?
Butterflies
Erm... what?
Mouthful of Birds - 2/5
Here we go! Finally a tale that worked for me. This one was really odd and totally unexplained, but it was quite the trip!
Santa Claus Sleeps at our House
Not a fan of this one.
The Digger
What?
Irman
Giving this one more try. Annnnd nope.
Bailing on page 75. None of this makes any sense. I loved Fever Dream, which also didn’t make sense but lived up to the title. This was just a mess of stories that may have meaning hidden in there somewhere, but it all went way over my head.
I’m actually quite angry with this one because it’s one I was so excited to jump into.
If you’re looking for an amazing fantasy filled with action and wonderfully diverse characters and relationships, The Shoreless Sea by J. Scott Coatsworth is a must read for you!
Full disclosure: I was given a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my review in any way.
Have I mentioned how much I love when authors recap what has happened in the series to catch the reader up to speed?! This author added a wonderful recap to get the readers back into the story.
But before we dive into the story, can we just take a moment to appreciate the fact that this author added in a list of Principal Characters with their correct pronouns?!
Then the story begins years after the second book ended. While the crew of our favorites have had some time to get their lives back together after the last threat they dealt with, the next threat is already looming…
Just like the other two books, there was so much action and suspense! There were many times when I just couldn’t put this book down.
The difficult situations that the characters faced in this one were very tough to read about simply because many things could be related to things that are going on in the world today. These situations were super powerful and I thought that the author handled them very well.
I know I’ve mentioned how protective I feel about characters from time to time, and that was certainly the case here. Particularly toward the end!
One of my favorite new characters in this book was Destiny. Destiny was a nonbinary character, and the first nonbinary character that I have encountered in a book!
I was so thrilled to see this character introduced to the audience in a way that was totally natural but also slightly educational. This author totally nails things like this! I loved seeing the proper pronouns, Se/Ser, used throughout the book. I also loved how the other characters reacted when discussing ser pronouns of choice or asking about how she identified.
Destiny was such a kick-butt character! I loved every second she was included and couldn’t wait to see what she was going to do next. Her character’s story line was so much fun to experience.
My Favorite Passages
There was something cathartic about putting things in order, about organizing things on the outside even if she was a mess on the inside.
The boy cursed, using a surprisingly wide array of words, a couple of which she’d never heard before.
Humans always seemed to find a way to make a mess of something good. Just when you thought they had evolved, they took two steps back into chaos.
My Final Thoughts
This whole trilogy was so perfect. I cannot recommend it highly enough.
The characters, their relationships, and their family trees were amazing. The overall plot of the whole series, as well as the plots for each individual section of book, were so captivating. The action and suspense was tense and exciting. I could go on and on!
These books are just wonderfully written.
Be prepared to totally lose yourself in these books when you give them a read.
Full disclosure: I was given a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my review in any way.
Have I mentioned how much I love when authors recap what has happened in the series to catch the reader up to speed?! This author added a wonderful recap to get the readers back into the story.
But before we dive into the story, can we just take a moment to appreciate the fact that this author added in a list of Principal Characters with their correct pronouns?!
Then the story begins years after the second book ended. While the crew of our favorites have had some time to get their lives back together after the last threat they dealt with, the next threat is already looming…
Just like the other two books, there was so much action and suspense! There were many times when I just couldn’t put this book down.
The difficult situations that the characters faced in this one were very tough to read about simply because many things could be related to things that are going on in the world today. These situations were super powerful and I thought that the author handled them very well.
I know I’ve mentioned how protective I feel about characters from time to time, and that was certainly the case here. Particularly toward the end!
One of my favorite new characters in this book was Destiny. Destiny was a nonbinary character, and the first nonbinary character that I have encountered in a book!
I was so thrilled to see this character introduced to the audience in a way that was totally natural but also slightly educational. This author totally nails things like this! I loved seeing the proper pronouns, Se/Ser, used throughout the book. I also loved how the other characters reacted when discussing ser pronouns of choice or asking about how she identified.
Destiny was such a kick-butt character! I loved every second she was included and couldn’t wait to see what she was going to do next. Her character’s story line was so much fun to experience.
My Favorite Passages
There was something cathartic about putting things in order, about organizing things on the outside even if she was a mess on the inside.
The boy cursed, using a surprisingly wide array of words, a couple of which she’d never heard before.
Humans always seemed to find a way to make a mess of something good. Just when you thought they had evolved, they took two steps back into chaos.
My Final Thoughts
This whole trilogy was so perfect. I cannot recommend it highly enough.
The characters, their relationships, and their family trees were amazing. The overall plot of the whole series, as well as the plots for each individual section of book, were so captivating. The action and suspense was tense and exciting. I could go on and on!
These books are just wonderfully written.
Be prepared to totally lose yourself in these books when you give them a read.
The Patience of a Dead Man by Michael Clark is an amazing and terrifying tale about a man that purchases a property and then learns that it is haunted by a family of ghosts.
But these ghosts aren’t just floating specters that he sees from time to time… They leave puddles of water on the floors, dead geese in the kitchen, and they can even get physical…
Full disclosure: I was given a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my rating in any way.
This is a tale about a man named Tim. Tim purchases a property in New Hampshire after his divorce in a last-ditch effort to ease his financial situation. He thinks that it’s a great property to flip in order to make some money. Much to his dismay, he soon discovers that there are ghosts on the property and it’s not long before he learns that there is some major unfinished business keeping those ghosts tethered to the property.
Like most unfinished business, the solution is wrapped tightly in the web of mystery. As Tim and his real estate agent, Holly, work to learn more about what happened and why the beings remain, they learn things that are more and more unsettling the deeper into the web they go.
Can they solve the mystery and help the ghosts pass on before their lives are abruptly ended too?
Oh. My. Goodness. THIS BOOK!
I loved that the author included a map of the property as well as a layout of the house right at the start. That really helped me to imagine exactly where everyone was at any time.
I also really enjoyed that the very first chapter opens with the previous homeowners… I had already fallen for them when things were turned upside down. Of course, from there, we dive into the story-line with Tim. I also fell in love with his character immediately! But thanks to that first chapter, I was already nervous for him!
The rest of the characters were amazing as well! I loved Johnny and Holly for their humor, loyalty to Tim, and their willingness to dive right in to help. Each of the ghosts were really interesting as well! I loved that we slowly learned more about them. And man, what a force Mildred was!
As this was a scary and very unsettling story, I had a really hard time putting it down! I just couldn’t wait to see what was going to happen next. There were quite a few scenes that startled me quite a bit! On more than one late-night reading session, I found myself turning on an extra light in the house… just in case.
This is a book that I could easily go on and on about, but it’s really best if you just dive right in!
My Favorite Passages
“Well, I guess I’d rather have a false sense of security than no sense of security.”
In a normal house, you walk in, pick up your tools, and start hammering. In this house, you listen and check your surroundings.
He felt as though he was trying to put together a jigsaw puzzle while missing half of the pieces.
Worrying does nothing to strengthen tomorrow. It only ruins today.
My Final Thoughts
If you’re looking for a really spooky tale with amazing characters that is wonderfully written, I highly recommend that you go snag a copy of this one! It’s a ghost story that’s truly haunting on many fronts. It’s a tale that will lock you right in until the final page.
But be ready, you’ll want to start reading the second book immediately!
This is a story that was written so wonderfully that I could really see it playing out on my head. I would love to see a series adaptation of this story one day!
But these ghosts aren’t just floating specters that he sees from time to time… They leave puddles of water on the floors, dead geese in the kitchen, and they can even get physical…
Full disclosure: I was given a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my rating in any way.
This is a tale about a man named Tim. Tim purchases a property in New Hampshire after his divorce in a last-ditch effort to ease his financial situation. He thinks that it’s a great property to flip in order to make some money. Much to his dismay, he soon discovers that there are ghosts on the property and it’s not long before he learns that there is some major unfinished business keeping those ghosts tethered to the property.
Like most unfinished business, the solution is wrapped tightly in the web of mystery. As Tim and his real estate agent, Holly, work to learn more about what happened and why the beings remain, they learn things that are more and more unsettling the deeper into the web they go.
Can they solve the mystery and help the ghosts pass on before their lives are abruptly ended too?
Oh. My. Goodness. THIS BOOK!
I loved that the author included a map of the property as well as a layout of the house right at the start. That really helped me to imagine exactly where everyone was at any time.
I also really enjoyed that the very first chapter opens with the previous homeowners… I had already fallen for them when things were turned upside down. Of course, from there, we dive into the story-line with Tim. I also fell in love with his character immediately! But thanks to that first chapter, I was already nervous for him!
The rest of the characters were amazing as well! I loved Johnny and Holly for their humor, loyalty to Tim, and their willingness to dive right in to help. Each of the ghosts were really interesting as well! I loved that we slowly learned more about them. And man, what a force Mildred was!
As this was a scary and very unsettling story, I had a really hard time putting it down! I just couldn’t wait to see what was going to happen next. There were quite a few scenes that startled me quite a bit! On more than one late-night reading session, I found myself turning on an extra light in the house… just in case.
This is a book that I could easily go on and on about, but it’s really best if you just dive right in!
My Favorite Passages
“Well, I guess I’d rather have a false sense of security than no sense of security.”
In a normal house, you walk in, pick up your tools, and start hammering. In this house, you listen and check your surroundings.
He felt as though he was trying to put together a jigsaw puzzle while missing half of the pieces.
Worrying does nothing to strengthen tomorrow. It only ruins today.
My Final Thoughts
If you’re looking for a really spooky tale with amazing characters that is wonderfully written, I highly recommend that you go snag a copy of this one! It’s a ghost story that’s truly haunting on many fronts. It’s a tale that will lock you right in until the final page.
But be ready, you’ll want to start reading the second book immediately!
This is a story that was written so wonderfully that I could really see it playing out on my head. I would love to see a series adaptation of this story one day!
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Dead Woman Scorned is another unsettling tale from Michael Clark filled with cults, the living dead, and a bloody quest for revenge.
This tale is the follow-up to The Patience of a Dead Man. I had finished the first book yesterday and dove into the second book immediately. Finishing it in just a few sittings… Now, I will anxiously await book three!
If you haven’t yet read book one, I definitely recommend starting there. While the author did a brief recap to catch the readers back up to speed on where things left off, knowing the entire backstory is critical here.
Full disclosure: I was given a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my rating in any way.
I was so thrilled to see that this story focused mainly on the backstory of our amazing, rage-filled, revenant queen, Mildred.
My heart absolutely broke for her time and time again during her upbringing. Her strength was awe-inspiring considering the torture she was going through… Of course, her upbringing doesn’t excuse the actions she took later in life, but it helped to paint a better picture of her mental state, that’s for sure!
Her revenge tour was filled with unabashed violence, lots of blood, and a bit of magick. Mildred certainly proved that she isn’t a force to reckon with.
When the story caught back up to current times, I was immediately nervous for Tim and Holly again. They were almost in the clear! Ugh!
But also in the current timeline, there were a number of new characters introduced that got my blood boiling. Man, if only people could mind their own business!
And remember my comment from my review of the first book, I found myself turning on an extra light in the house… just in case. Make that double this time around.
Yet again, another book I could go on and on about, but I’ll leave the grisly and exciting details for you to discover on your own!
Happy reading!
My Favorite Passages
It was still nearly impossible to think logically; there was too much emotion because everything was so fresh. The rug has been pulled out from under her feet, and chaos ruled her mind. The expression “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned” was the closest phrase to the way she felt, but somehow it still didn’t seem strong enough.
“… I’m freakin’ whistling while I’m working. I’m half expecting Snow White to come out of the woods with birds on her shoulders.”
Despite their best hunter impersonations, the boys made sounds equivalent to a drunken moose walking through the woods, and all the squirrels knew it.
The woman’s hair, makeup, and manicure were perfect, yet overdone – she stood out like a plastic rose in a garden of weeds.
My Final Thoughts
Coming in at 453 pages, this is a book that I was so invested in, I read it in just a few sittings! I absolutely loved learning the spooky details about the cult and the living dead crew before jumping back into the mess that poor Tim finds himself in currently. I’m so anxious for a happy ending, but will there be one?!
Of course, this story was as wonderfully written as the first. Amazing characters that are both good and bad, a wicked engaging plot, perfect pacing, and plenty of terror.
Bravo, Mr. Clark! I cannot wait to dive into book three when it’s ready for the public!
This tale is the follow-up to The Patience of a Dead Man. I had finished the first book yesterday and dove into the second book immediately. Finishing it in just a few sittings… Now, I will anxiously await book three!
If you haven’t yet read book one, I definitely recommend starting there. While the author did a brief recap to catch the readers back up to speed on where things left off, knowing the entire backstory is critical here.
Full disclosure: I was given a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my rating in any way.
I was so thrilled to see that this story focused mainly on the backstory of our amazing, rage-filled, revenant queen, Mildred.
My heart absolutely broke for her time and time again during her upbringing. Her strength was awe-inspiring considering the torture she was going through… Of course, her upbringing doesn’t excuse the actions she took later in life, but it helped to paint a better picture of her mental state, that’s for sure!
Her revenge tour was filled with unabashed violence, lots of blood, and a bit of magick. Mildred certainly proved that she isn’t a force to reckon with.
When the story caught back up to current times, I was immediately nervous for Tim and Holly again. They were almost in the clear! Ugh!
But also in the current timeline, there were a number of new characters introduced that got my blood boiling. Man, if only people could mind their own business!
And remember my comment from my review of the first book, I found myself turning on an extra light in the house… just in case. Make that double this time around.
Yet again, another book I could go on and on about, but I’ll leave the grisly and exciting details for you to discover on your own!
Happy reading!
My Favorite Passages
It was still nearly impossible to think logically; there was too much emotion because everything was so fresh. The rug has been pulled out from under her feet, and chaos ruled her mind. The expression “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned” was the closest phrase to the way she felt, but somehow it still didn’t seem strong enough.
“… I’m freakin’ whistling while I’m working. I’m half expecting Snow White to come out of the woods with birds on her shoulders.”
Despite their best hunter impersonations, the boys made sounds equivalent to a drunken moose walking through the woods, and all the squirrels knew it.
The woman’s hair, makeup, and manicure were perfect, yet overdone – she stood out like a plastic rose in a garden of weeds.
My Final Thoughts
Coming in at 453 pages, this is a book that I was so invested in, I read it in just a few sittings! I absolutely loved learning the spooky details about the cult and the living dead crew before jumping back into the mess that poor Tim finds himself in currently. I’m so anxious for a happy ending, but will there be one?!
Of course, this story was as wonderfully written as the first. Amazing characters that are both good and bad, a wicked engaging plot, perfect pacing, and plenty of terror.
Bravo, Mr. Clark! I cannot wait to dive into book three when it’s ready for the public!
The Girl Who Wasn’t There by Nick Clausen is an amazing paranormal thriller that will suck you right in!
Full disclosure: I was given a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my rating in any way. I also pre-ordered myself a copy of the eBook.
This story was about two siblings who we on their way home one day after school. The brother, Andy, wants to stop by the library really quickly but his sister, Rebecca, is low on patience. When Andy goes into the library, Rebecca decides to play a prank on Andy to make him worry about her. Andy is indeed worried, but believes that it’s a prank for a short time. When it gets later and later and Rebecca still hasn’t shown up, it’s clear something more serious happened to his sister.
Soon, Andy is in a situation where his parents have shut down, the cops don’t believe part of his story, and his older sister spends less and less time at the house. But Andy won’t give up. He know’s Rebecca is out there. He just has to find the yellow van.
The story is told in three main parts. First we focused on Andy and saw what happened from his perspective as well as the fallout from his sister going missing within the family. Then we jumped back to see things from Rebecca’s point of view. In the third chapter, it begins to alternate between different characters until the perspectives merge in an explosive ending.
I felt so protective of the characters, which I’m now seeing as a theme with Mr Clausen’s work for me! Throughout the story, there were so many instances where I wanted to jump up and down and cheer for the main characters after they did something awesome, like standing up to a bully for example. I would also cringe when something bad happened, and I felt horrible for all of the bad things each of them had to go through.
And speaking of the bad things, this is another tale that didn’t shy away from violence and body horror! Of course, there was a kidnapping, but there was also elements like broken bones, skin being burnt with a cigar, murder, and other such things. And heads up to my dog-loving pals, there was a dog death, but that wasn’t violent.
However, the character’s determination was something that really drove the story. I was so proud of how strong they all were!
The last chunk of the book… Oh my gosh, I couldn’t stop reading. I wanted to shout at the kids to keep going, to hurry up! And I was SO nervous for Doris! What a trooper that puppy was with all that she went through! And her one major moment of protection… It was wonderful!
My Favorite Passages
Andy unwraps his scarf and inhales the scent of the books. Ever since he learned to read, Andy has loved books more than anything, and he feels the old excitement bubble up now at the mere thought of the countless universes lurking between the pages. In those universes he can get lost for hours on end.
Andy has already read quite a few horror stories in his life. He has even taken on some of the heavier monsters, like Dracula, of Cthulhu, or Pennywise the Clown. But the wendigo scares him in a way none of the others ever managed to do. There is something absolutely terrifying about that invisible thing lurking in the woods, just waiting patiently for someone to come close enough…
What happens next is the most curious and inexplicable thing Andy has ever experienced.
The line is changed.
In books, nothing ever happens by accident – there is always a deeper meaning – and Andy is getting a growing sense that the real world has somehow been mixed up with the world of books.
My Final Thoughts
This story was so wonderfully organized and written in a way that made it very difficult to pause reading for any reason. I just couldn’t wait to see how things were going to turn out.
I cannot wait to see more from this series!
Full disclosure: I was given a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my rating in any way. I also pre-ordered myself a copy of the eBook.
This story was about two siblings who we on their way home one day after school. The brother, Andy, wants to stop by the library really quickly but his sister, Rebecca, is low on patience. When Andy goes into the library, Rebecca decides to play a prank on Andy to make him worry about her. Andy is indeed worried, but believes that it’s a prank for a short time. When it gets later and later and Rebecca still hasn’t shown up, it’s clear something more serious happened to his sister.
Soon, Andy is in a situation where his parents have shut down, the cops don’t believe part of his story, and his older sister spends less and less time at the house. But Andy won’t give up. He know’s Rebecca is out there. He just has to find the yellow van.
The story is told in three main parts. First we focused on Andy and saw what happened from his perspective as well as the fallout from his sister going missing within the family. Then we jumped back to see things from Rebecca’s point of view. In the third chapter, it begins to alternate between different characters until the perspectives merge in an explosive ending.
I felt so protective of the characters, which I’m now seeing as a theme with Mr Clausen’s work for me! Throughout the story, there were so many instances where I wanted to jump up and down and cheer for the main characters after they did something awesome, like standing up to a bully for example. I would also cringe when something bad happened, and I felt horrible for all of the bad things each of them had to go through.
And speaking of the bad things, this is another tale that didn’t shy away from violence and body horror! Of course, there was a kidnapping, but there was also elements like broken bones, skin being burnt with a cigar, murder, and other such things. And heads up to my dog-loving pals, there was a dog death, but that wasn’t violent.
However, the character’s determination was something that really drove the story. I was so proud of how strong they all were!
The last chunk of the book… Oh my gosh, I couldn’t stop reading. I wanted to shout at the kids to keep going, to hurry up! And I was SO nervous for Doris! What a trooper that puppy was with all that she went through! And her one major moment of protection… It was wonderful!
My Favorite Passages
Andy unwraps his scarf and inhales the scent of the books. Ever since he learned to read, Andy has loved books more than anything, and he feels the old excitement bubble up now at the mere thought of the countless universes lurking between the pages. In those universes he can get lost for hours on end.
Andy has already read quite a few horror stories in his life. He has even taken on some of the heavier monsters, like Dracula, of Cthulhu, or Pennywise the Clown. But the wendigo scares him in a way none of the others ever managed to do. There is something absolutely terrifying about that invisible thing lurking in the woods, just waiting patiently for someone to come close enough…
What happens next is the most curious and inexplicable thing Andy has ever experienced.
The line is changed.
In books, nothing ever happens by accident – there is always a deeper meaning – and Andy is getting a growing sense that the real world has somehow been mixed up with the world of books.
My Final Thoughts
This story was so wonderfully organized and written in a way that made it very difficult to pause reading for any reason. I just couldn’t wait to see how things were going to turn out.
I cannot wait to see more from this series!
Vampiro and Other Strange Tales of the Macabre by Kevin J. Kennedy is an awesome collection of tales that were each written by Mr. Kennedy.
I was so thrilled when the author emailed me to let me know this one was coming out soon. What a perfect collection to read to kick off October!
This collection was SO fun to read. I recognized a couple of the tales from other collections I’ve read from Mr Kennedy, and I was so excited to re-read them.
Each tale is so unique and interesting! They are all just perfectly written, giving the reader just enough information, but not too much to bog down the story. I really enjoyed them all!
Per usual, here are my quick reactions and rating breakdowns for each story:
The Games – 4/5
Goodness the first part of the story was disgusting! Then in the final game, we see the big reveal. This is where the major action was! And phew… that ending!!
I loved this passage from the tale:
“As one man looked down to see his guts slide out of his torn-open stomach, she had removed the heads of four more, while tearing the hearts from others. The crowd didn’t have time to scatter – never mind escape.”
Thirteen Voices – 5/5
What a creepy idea! I loved when the voices in his head were explained to the reader as, “ I was as if my head was a room and I could only hear the conversations when people entered it.” However none of the voices talked about him or engaged with him.
But then on his thirteenth birthday, one of the voices speaks to him. And then something terrifying happens.
This passage…: “As far back as I can remember, I always had voices in my head. When I was around five it just seemed like thoughts, but by the time I was seven I knew they weren’t my own… They had become louder, more distinct and they argued. I didn’t even understand what they were talking about sometimes.”
Don’t Grass – 5/5
Oh my goodness this poor kid. Dealing with his alcoholic mom was horrible enough, but add in terrible bullies? By the time we got to the end of the tale I was definitely routing for him!
Would You Sell Your Soul? – 5/5
Love, love, love this one! This is a lighter tale about a troll that just wants to be a successful author. This has one very small element that shoves it into the horror genre.
Vampiro – 5/5
YAS! I loved the pacing and overall plot of this one. So well done.
A Town Called Easter – 5/5
I love this one so much! Absolutely terrifying!
Christmas in Hell – 5/5
This is one of my favorites! It’s funny to me, I love Christmas, but all of the complaints about the holiday are so spot on for me.
My Final Thoughts:
This collection is a perfect read for any time of year if you’re looking for a wonderful collection of creepy and strange tales!
I was so thrilled when the author emailed me to let me know this one was coming out soon. What a perfect collection to read to kick off October!
This collection was SO fun to read. I recognized a couple of the tales from other collections I’ve read from Mr Kennedy, and I was so excited to re-read them.
Each tale is so unique and interesting! They are all just perfectly written, giving the reader just enough information, but not too much to bog down the story. I really enjoyed them all!
Per usual, here are my quick reactions and rating breakdowns for each story:
The Games – 4/5
Goodness the first part of the story was disgusting! Then in the final game, we see the big reveal. This is where the major action was! And phew… that ending!!
I loved this passage from the tale:
“As one man looked down to see his guts slide out of his torn-open stomach, she had removed the heads of four more, while tearing the hearts from others. The crowd didn’t have time to scatter – never mind escape.”
Thirteen Voices – 5/5
What a creepy idea! I loved when the voices in his head were explained to the reader as, “ I was as if my head was a room and I could only hear the conversations when people entered it.” However none of the voices talked about him or engaged with him.
But then on his thirteenth birthday, one of the voices speaks to him. And then something terrifying happens.
This passage…: “As far back as I can remember, I always had voices in my head. When I was around five it just seemed like thoughts, but by the time I was seven I knew they weren’t my own… They had become louder, more distinct and they argued. I didn’t even understand what they were talking about sometimes.”
Don’t Grass – 5/5
Oh my goodness this poor kid. Dealing with his alcoholic mom was horrible enough, but add in terrible bullies? By the time we got to the end of the tale I was definitely routing for him!
Would You Sell Your Soul? – 5/5
Love, love, love this one! This is a lighter tale about a troll that just wants to be a successful author. This has one very small element that shoves it into the horror genre.
Vampiro – 5/5
YAS! I loved the pacing and overall plot of this one. So well done.
A Town Called Easter – 5/5
I love this one so much! Absolutely terrifying!
Christmas in Hell – 5/5
This is one of my favorites! It’s funny to me, I love Christmas, but all of the complaints about the holiday are so spot on for me.
My Final Thoughts:
This collection is a perfect read for any time of year if you’re looking for a wonderful collection of creepy and strange tales!