morganjanedavis's Reviews (396)

Miranda is a has-been actor who is now an assistant professor at a small university. It's her job to teach a few classes and direct the annual play put on by the abysmally-funded theatre department. Miranda is in chronic pain due to a faulty hip surgery which then lead to back issues. Essentially, she can't get through the day without a combination of pills that she abuses to no end. As if things couldn't get worse, her theatre students have organized a mutiny against her play choice "All's Well That Ends Well", campaigning instead for Macbeth. Completely down on her luck and in severe never-ending pain, Miranda seems to have found relief from 3 strange men she met in the bar she frequents. All they want in return for their gifts is "a good show". Will Miranda be able to deliver before truly spiraling out of control?

This is my first Awad novel and I am truly at a loss...like wtf RLLY happened?!
The dialogue was a lot of inner self-talk and the plot points were extremely murky, thanks to our insanely unreliable narrator who is neurotic at best, rapidly approaching insanity at worst. Miranda moves from downright miserable to so cheery that it's scaring her friends, students, and lover. As the story unfolds, the lines between reality and wherever tf Miranda is when she's not living IRL are blurred. It's a big ol' question mark for the reader to decipher themselves, and it only gets blurrier as the time moves on. Miranda's changes are documented well, characterized by consistent paranoia that someone will ~find out about what she's done/is doing~, holding rehearsals until 1AM, and just generally treating her dumpster fire of a life like "all's well". While this book is clearly a work of fiction, it forced me to think deeply about chronic pain, more specifically women and chronic pain. Although Miranda hyper fixates on her life before the accident and came into her newfound health in a terrible way, I felt for her (and eventually Briana as well) as I read. All of her doctor's appointments, remedies that wouldn't work, men that told her that "pain lives in the brain", the reluctant kindness shown by others was infuriating. All's Well framed chronic pain as an inconvenience to others and painted the sufferers as people who were simply stressed, anxious, and/or wallowing in their pain, which is oftentimes how these people are perceived in reality (Even by their loved ones AHEM: Grace), which is super shitty.
I'm not sure WHAT genre I'd classify this as but the writing style and flat out insanity that ensued reminded me of A Touch of Jen by Beth Morgan. So if that was your vibe, you'd probably like this too.

The sleepy town of Jerusalem's Lot ('Salem's Lot if you're local), has never seen anything ominous or eerie come its way that is, until now. The majority of the population of Salem's Lot has seemingly vanished over the course of a few days, and the remaining (past) residents refuse to divulge too far into the speculation of what occurred there. The Lot became a ghost town overnight, with no explanation as to why...that is until we dive into the firsthand accounts of what took place leading up to the total annihilation of what used to be a close-knit community.

Ooh so in my quest to read King's works in order 'Salem's Lot was #2 on my list. I loved this book SO much! The storyline starts slow but, quickly picks up speed and moves along at an alarmingly fast pace, keeping the reader HEAVILY invested. Reading as the characters scrambled to gather themselves during the day and then tried to ensure protection throughout the nights made me exhausted for them...the fact that most of this took place over just 3 days is insane. Sometimes with King books I feel that there are so many characters it makes my head spin but, here in the Lot, that wasn't an issue for me at all. I loved each character and what they brought to the story, ESPECIALLY Mark, truly a little badass of a child. The narrative created around Ben and his late wife was so good and added an emotional depth to the story that wouldn't have been included otherwise. This portion of the book also made other deaths harder to swallow and feel more emotionally charged than I anticipated.

My only complaint is the little to no background we receive on Barlow and Straker. Yeah, I get it that's not *the point* but I would have enjoyed some more info on why they chose The Lot (Barlow mentioned Marsden a few times but I need the whole scoop), how EXACTLY was Hubie Marsden involved w/ the vamp community (???), and what came of the rest of the infected townspeople after Ben and Mark dipped. Some of the unnecessary detail (I mean what did I expect from King, truly) could have been swapped for that information IMO but, still a classic vamp read that I enjoyed big time.

In the early 80's young girls began to disappear in the small town of Fell, New York. This was uncharacteristic of the area yet law enforcement in the area were willfully incompetent in attempting to solve these murders. Enters Viv, our 19 year old protagonist in the story. Viv works as the night clerk at the Sun Down Motel, and is convinced she can help solve these murders...until she herself goes missing. Fast forward to 2017, Viv's niece Carly comes to Fell, and her aunt's old job falls into her lap. She uses this position to find out exactly what happened to her aunt, uncovering secrets and encountering ghostly pals that help her along the way.

MEGA ULTRA SPOILERS AHEAD FYI PSA
Eh....idk ya'll :( this really wasn't for me. This book was classified as a horror read and so I went in expecting a gristly murderer in a seedy hotel vibe and while I got that (SORT OF) I felt like it was delivered in the most bland, watered down way possible. When we get Viv's side of the story, she isn't really DOING much besides calling her police bestie and screaming into the void that Simon Hess is a murderer. This was slightly frustrating to begin with but after chapters and chapters of her doing the same thing I simply began to not care lmao. Carly's chapters were far more interesting to me yet, the supernatural elements were corny af and unnecessary. I would have appreciated them if they brought an eerie/scary vibe to the story but instead the plot became more murky, there was too much going on. BIG OL SPOILERS COMIN AHEAD: Callum (Hess' grandson) being randomly revealed to be someone who is "weird to girls" right at the 80% mark in the book felt like an afterthought...and it was so CHEESY??? And then his death...totally weird and misplaced, again just adding to the chaos to the book. ANOTHER SPOLIERY THING: Viv randomly having cancer??? Carly saying the phrase: "A girl's gotta lose her virginity somewhere right?" (If this wasn't at the 98% mark in the book I'd have DNF'd right there bc....9-1-1)????? Idk it just felt like St. James was pulling ideas from a hat to plop into the book sporadically to see what would happen. The overload of elements and writing style made this story fall FLAT. This is a super bummer considering that the premise for the story + the setting is really cool but, it just didn't work out IMO. This is a Would not recommend :(

Chloe has done everything she can to strip herself of her past. Understandably so, as her father was the most prolific serial killer the small town of Breaux Bridge has ever seen, killing 6 young girls over time. As Chloe and Cooper have grown into adulthood, they've learned to cope with their father's infamy and how it affects them. That is until a potential copy cat killer begins to strike in Chloe's town of Baton Rouge. As the killings continue and prove themselves to be close to Chloe personally, she realizes that she's got to figure out these connections before more young girls go missing or her own safety is compromised.

If anyone ever asks me for a thriller recommendation, this is going to be my new go-to. Works like THIS should be what defines the thriller genre as a whole. It's got everything a thriller lover could ever ask for and is executed in a way that showcases all of these elements *perfectly*. The book alternates between past and present, and Willingham intertwines these two flawlessly. While there was a LOT going on, the way that it was timed and unfolds made it to where the storyline wasn't too cluttered. You can tell the events were extremely will planned, it didn't feel like things were thrown in for the sake of a shock, they felt natural while at the same time, unpredictable. I made 2-3 guesses throughout the book (and flip flopped between them consistently) and even if you do have a theory about the murders/killer as you read, it's so deeply involved with twists and turns that I don't think the "full story" can be guessed. If you like the thriller genre in any capacity, this is 4 U.

Our story starts with Hannah, a thirty-something woodturner (*not* a carpenter), growing concerned as to why her husband, Owen, isn't home yet. While waiting, their 12 year old neighbor comes over to pass a note to Hannah, from Owen, consisting of only 2 words: protect her. The situation grows even more strange as a duffel with 60k+ is left in his 15 year old daughter (Bailey)'s locker. Hannah and Bailey are hastily led on a wild goose chase to figure out what Owen is hiding as it's imperative that Bailey's safety is relying on the answers.

I'm gonna be totally candid and say that I have allowed this book to expire from my Libby account 2 times now...I finally decided to read it the third time around. All because of the cover...:/. In my head I thought there was no way that a novel with a cover that looks like a cutesy beach read would pack a punch. I immediately associated it with a Nicholas Sparks type beat and put it off. I was SO wrong.

I loved this thriller because thrillers that involve double lives, running away, corporation scandal, etc. are sparse on my TBR, so this was a breath of fresh air. The story takes place only over the course of a few days and we follow Hannah's point of view through the events. I found her inner dialogue to be compelling and well-equipped to incite the psychological ~build up~ as the story unfolds. By the end I really felt for Hannah and Bailey and I loved Hannah's unwavering love for a child that wasn't technically hers. The plot itself was interesting and I could not predict the turns it was going to take although, this may be due to the fact that I never read thrillers like this. My only issue with the book was Owen. I felt that he was extremely selfish? He had only been married to Hannah for a year and for him to have put her in the position to be the sole provider for his teenager because of a mess that he had a hand in (and that the reader truly never finds out how deep it goes) was....wack. I know he was the piece that made the thriller thrilling but still...whatta loser dude. If you're looking for a thriller that doesn't involve murder/death I'd recommend this one! A quick and fun read.

Our story starts with Sonny, a young teen who's dealing with immense grief following the loss of his father (admittedly his favorite parent) and coping with the aftermath of his death. Moving to a new state, dealing with his mom's actions and seeming distain for him, or more specifically having a kid in general, is really taking a toll on him. Sonny feels as if everything is shitty and it won't get better any time soon. That is until his new normal turns on its head, when he is visited by THE actual Grim Reaper with an offer: to take his place for the next 1000 years. Sonny's got some big shoes to fill and major challenges to face to get there--if he can.

I've been anticipating this book since its release and I'm so happy I finally picked it up. This novel is razor-sharp and succinct, packing a PUNCH; clocking in under 300 pages. Gruesome imagery that characterized the horrors that took place throughout is counterbalanced with interrelationships that are just as much, if not more, of a gut punch than the blood-n-guts depicted. Death being portrayed as a chain-smoking, junk food fiend was truly *perfect*, it felt like the perfect amount of sleaze for the entity that is responsible for the ending of every living being. Sonny and Jess' mom struggles, though very different, added an emotional depth that proved to be just as gripping as Sonny and Grim's storyline. The relationship/mentorship between Sonny and Grim blossomed into more than I could have ever asked for or expected when Death was introduced in the beginning, and that ending--I wouldn't have had it any other way. Please don't sleep on this book. Fritz does an insanely good job at creating an atmosphere where his story exists, keeping the reader fully immersed the whole time. LOVED.

"All people are like that. Eager consumers of someone else's pain. Whether they know it or not. Why deny them what they want?"

We Can Never Leave This Place is set in a society that is plagued with war, famine, and hardship. Mara, our main character, is a fifteen year old who has been labeled as a storyteller (cool and admonishing by her mother, affectionately by her father) often leaning into narratives woven from her active imagination. Mara's already meager existence comes to a halt when her father is brutally murdered. With only her mother to lean on, Mara begins to feel a new sense of helplessness in the fact that the parent that loved and understood her most is now gone forever. Upon her father's death, a stranger named Rake arrives at their apartment and offers to provide Mara and her mother protection from the horrors that have taken over their city. Only time will tell if this stranger will offer protection or bring further destruction into the already corrupt lives of this family.

I feel like no one can fit as many horrors into a tiny 92 page novella like LaRocca does. I'm not talking about blood-n-guts gore (Though of course there's that too). I'm talking about deeply rooted familial traumas, a maternal relationship that lacks humanity, and multiple instances of deep abuse that bruises the reader, too. I was fooled by what I thought were little glimmers of hope, only to have my feet knocked out from under me and to fall flat on my face, again. and again. and again. The seemingly brighter portions of the novella were showcased just long enough for the reader to believe that there was some semblance of hope for Mara only for these to be quickly dimmed by the reality of the bleakness she faced. It HURT! WCNLTP is sensory enveloping. I could vividly picture the dank, sewage ridden apartment. I could hear and feel the bombs dropping from the sky and shaking the complex. When Rake described his meals of the past, I had to step away for a few minutes. LaRocca's writing style is beautiful and completely unique, using harrowing fantasy and horror elements that perfectly showcase the allegory that lies beneath the surface, which is equally, if not more dismal.

This is the type of book that begs to stick around, and it does. Thank you to the author, Eric LaRocca for sending me an ARC of this novella for review. The publication date is June 24, 2022--don't sleep on it.

Stella is a twenty-something moonshiner with a past she's trying to outrun. She's distanced herself from her family for...religious reasons. Back in a Tennessee holler that is days away from being seized by the federal government lies Stella's childhood home, where she was raised by her grandmother, Motty. Growing up with Motty, Stella became acquainted with the family's personal god that dwelled in the mountainous caverns of the Smoky Mountains, Ghostdaddy. Stella is forced to return to The Cove years later, upon Motty's passing. Here she is faced with the task of assuring her 10-year old cousin Sunny remains safe and that moving with Stella's Uncle Hendrick is the best fit for the young girl. Stella has to dig through the pain of the past to ensure that her family stays safe in the present.

I finished this book 4 days ago and not a day has gone by that it hasn't crossed my mind. If I was asked, I'd be hard pressed to fit Revelator into a particular genre besides Southern Gothic. The story elements are disturbing and real without crossing a line into full terror/horror. The book alternates between 2 storylines and while initially I thought that one timeline was more interesting than the other, I quickly began to realize that both were equally alluring. What really hit me with this story was how ALL elements were extremely well written. This read was character-driven, I found myself rooting for Stella and Abby, while simultaneously praying (to Ghostdaddy?) for Hendrick's downfall. Themes of secrecy, power, greed, and faith scream through the unpredictable events that take place. Throughout both timelines I made predictions that were very, very wrong. Feelings of heartbreak snuck up on me as I read, both timelines rearing back and punching me in the FACE with feels before the story was over. Gregory's writing style makes the reading effortless; weaving even the smallest of details together that make Revelator a read that feels like it took charge and wrote itself.

If you like Southern stories on ANY level, this is for you. I will recommend this to anybody and everybody.

Beautiful Country follows Qian and her family (Ma Ma and Ba Ba), outlining the hardships they faced as undocumented immigrants from China coming to America, Mei Guo, or "The Beautiful Country". Qian's parents held respected positions as professors in China, so why do the only offers of work come from sweat shops and other forms of labor that are far below their worth? This is just one of the many examples of the struggles the Wang family faced. Beautiful Country follows these through the eyes of a child, leaving the reader contemplating how beautiful this country really is.

My resolution for 2022 was to get out of mainly reading books by white people in order to broaden my world view, support not white authors, and hopefully come away from the experience with better understanding of my own privilege and how I should leverage that to do good for others who don't have it, always. Beautiful Country absolutely did that for me. As I read through young Julie's anxieties and realizations about money, her undocumented status, and how other white people saw her I felt the weight of the safety nets I have had my entire life and I wished I could go back in time and extend some of them to this bright and loving child. This memoir vividly painted an image of the "best country in the world" laughing in the face of intelligent, skilled immigrants and what they have to offer; whittling their existence down to "non-English speaking immigrant", and treating them as such. As a teacher, this book offered more to me than I ever could have anticipated. I teach in an underserved community and while there were times of struggle throughout my childhood it was nothing close to what Qian described. Beautiful Country offered me experiences that some of my very own students are going through that I will never understand as a white woman, broadening my already deep empathy for my amazing kids. I am thankful to have read this, please do the same.