It felt so good to be back in the world of Buffy! This book was SO close to 5 stars for me; but it was not quite there. I relished in all of the little references and snippets to the Buffy movie, show, and comics. I am sure I understood far more than a lot of people may since I have been uber obsessed with Buffy since I was in elementary school, but I also think that you do not have to be a Buffy fan or know much about Buffy to love this book. I am so ready for the second book to get written and released already that I can hardly stand it, though! 4.5 stars for this one!

"I do love you. But I love Satan more.""

YES! What a bloody ride. Kill For Satan is the first thing I have read by Bryan Smith and its definitely one of the few books in this sub-genre of horror that I have read, as well. I really enjoyed the pace of this story and how we got to experience it from the POV that we did - and how that POV went through a roller coaster of emotions, assumptions, and realizations. This book made me cringe at the bloody carnage and terror at times and I am absolutely looking forward to more from Bryan Smith!

So I finally read this book... and it was no where nearly as bad as everyone has made it out to be over the years. If anything, it was actually quite entertaining. I was never bored with the book, even if I was angry with one of the main characters. Anger at least still shows an interest and an investment in the story whether anyone wants to admit that or not. Was the story a little unbelievable? Slightly, sure. But then again I have never met a billionaire who can literally make anything happen at any time day or night, so I can also not really attest to that level of credibility for the story. Did Ana flip flop? Yep. A whole lot. But then she was a virgin with almost 0 dating experience, so that part of the story makes sense to me, too. All in all, the story did not bother me at all. As I mentioned, I was quite entertained.

What did bother me were a lot of the writing elements chosen. Phrases were COMPLETELY overused and exhausted. If I have to read 'my inner goddess' or 'you're biting your lip' or 'my fifty shades' in the next books then I may have to get a whip of my own to beat a pillow senseless in order to take out my frustration of the repetitive phrasing and vocab. Also, the author misused a TON of phrases throughout the book. I do wonder if there was a proper editor? Not sure. But I can only hope (maybe...?) that the writing itself improves as the books progress? Or maybe I am just being too naive here.

And the ending? Wait, what ending? That could have just been an end of a chapter it was so run-of-the-mill. I was expecting the "cliffhanger" of the book to related to Grey's "situation" - but no. The book ended just like half a dozen of the chapters ended.

Anyway, the book gets 3 stars from me still. I was entertained and I really had a hard time putting the book down at times (no pun intended).

Claire C. Holland's collection of horror & dark poetry is stunning. Horror movies almost always have a final girl... the one girl to stop the killer and survive. But the rest of the movie usually has women playing silly roles and are extorted for one reason or another. In this collection, she turns up the female empowerment. And in a sense, she uses strong female characters from horror movies as the focus of each poem. Holland really gets under your skin with these smart, powerful, dark poems. 5 stars! I cannot WAIT for more!

3.5 stars - full review to come!

Well I will say that this book had a twist out of no where, sure. But so much of what was KINDA going to happen was hinted at throughout the book with the talks of fires, drugs, etc. While the twist was a little out there, I did expect SOMETHING to happen but just not this exact thing. I am not throwing this book out the window - I rather enjoyed the story of it all. I definitely consider it more thriller than horror - a little more domestic noir than anything else. I sorta see the "horror" aspect of it/the end, but it is not enough for me to classify it as such. In the end, I def enjoyed this ride and will read more books by this author! 4 stars!

"The first time I punched a baby in the face I didn't realize what I'd done until I heard its mother shrieking."

Baby Hater follows an infertile woman who is basically tired of being defined by others by her ability to have/not have a baby. She has been practically shunned by the last two men she was with because of that fact and so her head space is a little angry - and I don't blame her! What ensues is a baby-punching spree to satirical proportions and a copy cat. And what are we if not sheeple in this day and age and do everything we see on the news and post our variations and versions of it on YouTube/Facebook for attention, likes, and sh*ts and giggles? This tongue-in-cheek novellete is a perfect introduction to C.V. Hunt for me to learn some of her style. I truly enjoyed this story and can't wait for more! 4 stars! And my copy is signed! WOO!

"We're always closest to death when we're asleep."

Tananarive Due, y'all. OMG! How have I not read any of her work until now? I am so glad to begin with The Between - as it was a hauntingly poignant story full of grief, loss, death, marriage, family, race, anger, mental health, acceptance, and more. The book covers real-life horror of people - the fact that it was written in the mid-90s and so much resonates and rings true to this day is horror enough. The Between also has a supernatural element that we mostly see in dream sequences and "whispers between the paragraphs."

Reading this book was effortless in the way that Due chose her words and told her story. Conversely, reading this book was heart-wrenching and gave me anxiety at times due to the subject matter. Watching Hilton and his psychological breakdown over the course of the book tore me up.

This book is an easy 5 stars. EASY 5 STARS! I am sooooo ready to just devour all of Due's other works now. Her style is compelling, engaging, and beautiful. It made me feel ALL the emotions. Highly recommended to all readers!

Say Her Name is an engaging horror re-telling of the urban legend of Bloody Mary. While you think you may know the story of what really happened to her, be prepared for a fresh take on this legend that will definitely keep you guessing until the end.

This story takes place at an all-girls boarding school following a group of friends who are dared to go into a bathroom and say Bloody Mary's name five times in front of a mirror. What happens in the next five days as they fear for their own lives is part mystery part horror. Will they figure out how to stop Bloody Mary from coming for them when the time runs out?

4.5 stars! This book read easily and I highly enjoyed the ride! Fans of urban legends and horror movies/books focused on high school students will definitely like this one!

I have always loved Sally Field. My first memory of her was in the movie Steel Magnolias. I will never forget her emotional scene at the graveyard as both painful, poignant, and brilliant. Since then of course I have seen her in countless movies and TV shows. It was great to get to know more about her upbringing and the trials and tribulations she endured. I had no idea of her sexual abuse as a child and I had no idea of how unhappy she was while working on The Flying Nun. She tells a great story that I think all fans of Sally Field will enjoy. A good, quick read! 4 stars!