I had hoped this book would be the start of a new obsession for me. I mean it lasted all the way until the letter 'Y' and only there because the author died during/before the letter 'Z' could be finished. Unfortunately, this one just could not hold my attention enough. I am not sure if they get better later on or not, but I just have too many other books that I would like to read to find out especially since book one left me so underwhelmed. 2.5 stars.

"There was nothing like death to make you want to cling to what little you had left."

Where the Dead Go to Die is not your average post-apocalyptic zombie book. Not in the slightest. This story goes a step up and humanizes the infected, placing them in hospice care before their transition. This book explores acceptance, understanding, love, death, grief, and loss. It explores humanity at its core and how divisive we can all be, if we did not already know that. But we get divisive over some of the silliest things. And fear is a root cause of a lot of that divisive and ignorance.

I read this one in two sittings and could barely put it down that first time. Each page just flowed so easily and both Dries and Gunnells to an excellent job of collaborating and creating a story that is so unique and compelling. Who would have ever guessed that I could be moved by a "zombie story?" But this one is a gem and I highly recommend it!

4.5 stars - rounded up for Goodreads!

"The trick is... finding the secret value of shitty situations."

The Actor's Life: A Survival Guide is a fun memoir and teaching tool from Jenna Fischer. I honestly had no idea she had a book until I was just scrolling online one day and then I instantly had to have it! I loved her in The Office and Blades of Glory. She just seems like such a genuine and optimistic person and this book proved that correct. She talks about her journey into the business, tips/tricks of the trade, and highlights things that are worth focusing on and things that are not worth your time at all. 4 stars!

Mary Shelley Makes a Monster follows the Monster we all know as it surpasses the life of his creator/mother and tries to find a replacement. All the Monster knows is what Shelley has put into it. So it knows writers. We follow the Monster as it meets authors like Virginia Woolf, Sylvia Plath, Octavia Butler, and Murasaki Shikibu to name a few. The writing is smart, creative, and entertaining. A solid collection of work!

3.5 rounded up to 4 for Goodreads

This was a quick and pretty solid read. It's a perfect read on a chilly day - it helps put you into the story even more. And it makes you want hot pizza and to build a snowman like our protagonist, Jimmy. Jimmy's ability to read minds while also being mentally challenged is something people are desperate to control. But just what happens to him and his friend/caretaker in the span of a couple days that threatens all of that?? Read and find out! And fall in love with Jimmy! 4.5 stars!

Skinwrapper is a fun, quick, creepy space-horror novella that throws you right into the action as soon as you start reading. It kind of has blended vibes of Dead Space and Firefly, especially when it comes to the Skinwrappers themselves. This book had a lot of great imagery and I can only imagine walking around and seeing chunks of body parts or pools of blood floating in the air due to the gravity or lack thereof. I really loved being in the head of our protagonist because she assesses the situation pretty genuinely and how I might expect to act in the same level of peril. I loved the conversation and banter between the Skinwrappers and they sound totally merciless and powerful.

3.5 rounded up to a 4 for Goodreads! Thanks to Sinister Grin Press for a copy!

Cirque Berserk is the first piece of work I have read by Jessica Guess, and it will 100% without a doubt not be the last! I had a great time from the first page through the end... and I still want more! Cirque Berserk is just my kind of book: slasher horror! I will always love the slasher sub-genre. But this is not your average or cookie-cutter slasher. Guess creates her own new formula and she executes it perfectly.

Full of twists and revamped/modernized tropes, Guess delivers quite the scary slasher story. I love how many times I found myself predicting what was about to happen only to be totally cast off balance when the event(s) actually unfolded. The dialogue was engaging, the kills were never a let down, and the fact that this book also "has heart" makes it even better. Also, the fact that the sections of the books are titled after famous 80s pop songs is just the cherry on top. Guess checks all the right boxes with Cirque Berserk!

If you enjoy slasher books and movies then this needs to go to the top of your TBR! 5 stars from me - and I need to read anything and everything that Guess delivers from here on! Thanks so much to the author for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Catfish Lullaby is a Southern Gothic novella with a touch of Lovecraft/cosmic horror as well. AC Wise knows how to write beautifully and tell a story that is dark, mysterious, and haunting. This novella follows Caleb and Cere as kids to adults in a two-part tale. It seems that whenever Caleb and Cere are together that tragedy is just around the corner. I do not want to give too much away, though, because I want you to be just as surprised, delighted, and in awe of this story while reading it as I was.

This story dives into childhood, family, preconceived notions of others, acceptance, small-town lore, and more. It's amazing just how much Wise put into this novella and how impactful it is. 4 stars!

What a fun time with this one! I grew up with the movies but never thought about actually reading the book for some reason... which is interesting because this book is meta af and is basically a book about how awesome books are.

I have to say... the Artax scene was much more devastating and traumatic in the movie than in the book. While it was still sad in the book, it was just nowhere near the same level of pain and gut-wrenching sadness.

All in all this was a nostalgic gem for me and one that I hope to share with others. I spent too many days and nights as a kid wishing I were like Bastian and Atreyu. Good times! 4 stars!

"The thing about joy and happiness, however, is that it is only ever one stroke away from despair."

Grief is a False God is a short story that focuses on a family living on a farm. Elijah and Jess are happily married and just seem head-over-heels perfect in life. They parent a child and things still seem as if life could not be better. But Elijah discovers his wife dead and floating in the farm's pond one day. What happened? Was it suicide? Or something else? Gemma Amor helps highlight that just because things may seem okay, that does not mean they are. Depression can be a foul and tricky demon, literally or figuratively.

In this story, Gemma Amor intimately dives into emotional and psychological horror. I felt like I was out of breath and devastated while reading... I felt like I was on the farm with the family. The illustrations in this story are by Anibal Santos and they bring the story to life even more. You can feel the sadness and longing in some photos and you can feel the horror and fear in others.

This short illustrated story packs quite a punch - and it is not one that I will soon forget. Highly recommended! Thanks to Cemetery Gates Media for a copy in exchange for an honest review! 5 stars!