Take a photo of a barcode or cover
morganjanedavis's Reviews (396)
In this non-fiction interview style book, Virginia Grohl, mom of famous musician Dave Grohl, travels across the country to interview other mothers of musicians. Virginia has selected a wide range of artists' parents including Miranda Lambert's mom and mother of the sisters-only group Haim. The classics aren't forgotten either, as Virginia recalls her time with Warren Hayes, Geddy Lee, and Tom Morello's mamas. Many topics are covered throughout the interviews including their kids' love of music and when it started to blossom, the concerns they had as worried mawmas, and when they knew their kids had made it.
This was a super fun read! I listened to this, and I really enjoyed the different perspectives that all the mothers gave. Each mom and their child came from such varied backgrounds that listening to their rise to the top was really interesting. My personal favorites were: Geddy Lee (his mom was a holocaust survivor and overall STRONG woman), Haim (I love them s'much and listening to their mom talk about their successes was just so sweet.), Janis Winehouse (RIP AMY), and Harriette Brown (This one surprised me the most as IDGAF abt Zac Brown or his band but, I had no idea of all the charitable contributions he's made to his community & continues to make through acts of service. Amazing). If you're into music then there's definitely something in this book for everyone to enjoy. I could have done without the Adam Levine interview (I know, I know. There's nothing "wrong with him" but Maroon 5 is just.....not good to me LOL) but, I understand that it had to have some ~*variety*~. I wish that the questions dug a bit deeper than they did and the book contained a few less interviews to accommodate that but, I'd still recommend this nonetheless. I did listen to this but, I looked at the hard copy at the bookstore and it includes pictures so if you're more into that I feel it'd be just as cool.
This was a super fun read! I listened to this, and I really enjoyed the different perspectives that all the mothers gave. Each mom and their child came from such varied backgrounds that listening to their rise to the top was really interesting. My personal favorites were: Geddy Lee (his mom was a holocaust survivor and overall STRONG woman), Haim (I love them s'much and listening to their mom talk about their successes was just so sweet.), Janis Winehouse (RIP AMY), and Harriette Brown (This one surprised me the most as IDGAF abt Zac Brown or his band but, I had no idea of all the charitable contributions he's made to his community & continues to make through acts of service. Amazing). If you're into music then there's definitely something in this book for everyone to enjoy. I could have done without the Adam Levine interview (I know, I know. There's nothing "wrong with him" but Maroon 5 is just.....not good to me LOL) but, I understand that it had to have some ~*variety*~. I wish that the questions dug a bit deeper than they did and the book contained a few less interviews to accommodate that but, I'd still recommend this nonetheless. I did listen to this but, I looked at the hard copy at the bookstore and it includes pictures so if you're more into that I feel it'd be just as cool.
Because of it's notoriety, I will spare the synopsis :-)
SPOILERY TINGS ALSO SO PSA
I'm currently participating in #chronologicallyking and this was next up on my list. The Shining is probably (possibly) my favorite King work so far. The foreshadowing in this book is impeccable, and begins before the family even leaves for the Overlook. That feeling in your gut when you know the other shoe is going to drop in a horrendous situation occurred for me the *entire* time I was reading. The atmosphere surrounding the hotel itself is mesmerizing. The Overlook was fully visible in my mind, along with the eerie undertones that came along with it. When Danny interacted with Hallorann in the beginning of the novel, it set the tone for the hotel: beautiful but
SPOILERY TINGS ALSO SO PSA
I'm currently participating in #chronologicallyking and this was next up on my list. The Shining is probably (possibly) my favorite King work so far. The foreshadowing in this book is impeccable, and begins before the family even leaves for the Overlook. That feeling in your gut when you know the other shoe is going to drop in a horrendous situation occurred for me the *entire* time I was reading. The atmosphere surrounding the hotel itself is mesmerizing. The Overlook was fully visible in my mind, along with the eerie undertones that came along with it. When Danny interacted with Hallorann in the beginning of the novel, it set the tone for the hotel: beautiful but
Satan is feeling a little burnt out. Hell is barely functioning, Death has quit, Satan and his secrets have been revealed to a nun (?!), and to top it all off, Frita Babbit has filed a lawsuit against him that is sweeping the nation. What ever is Lucifer to do? This goofy & downright hilarious novel covers all of Satan's woes mentioned and then some. If you want to find out how the Prince of Darkness solves his problems, look no further.
I have tried to get my hands on this book for *so long* and my boyfriend lucked up and found it for $7 at a thrift. While this isn't my favorite of Hendrix's work, it's for sure a must read if you enjoy his style. Satan Loves You is one of his earlier self-published novels, and is WAY more zany than anything I've ever read by him. I have laughed out loud at one book (another Hendrix, go figure) before this one but, this took the cake for me. From the depictions of celebrities, Frita Babbit's testimony, and the possibility of Nicholas Cage becoming the new death (LMAO that rn in 2022 he just came out to say "I am a goth." dead.), I was rolling. Because of the over the top campy silliness, I feel that I was able to overlook Mary getting way less of the spotlight than I felt she deserved. I expected her to be more of a power player than she was, since Hendrix's style typically revolves around strong female leads. I thoroughly enjoyed this and would love to read more novels like this. This is a caricature of a horror novel in the best way. Comedy horror lovers: U have gotta read this.
I have tried to get my hands on this book for *so long* and my boyfriend lucked up and found it for $7 at a thrift. While this isn't my favorite of Hendrix's work, it's for sure a must read if you enjoy his style. Satan Loves You is one of his earlier self-published novels, and is WAY more zany than anything I've ever read by him. I have laughed out loud at one book (another Hendrix, go figure) before this one but, this took the cake for me. From the depictions of celebrities, Frita Babbit's testimony, and the possibility of Nicholas Cage becoming the new death (LMAO that rn in 2022 he just came out to say "I am a goth." dead.), I was rolling. Because of the over the top campy silliness, I feel that I was able to overlook Mary getting way less of the spotlight than I felt she deserved. I expected her to be more of a power player than she was, since Hendrix's style typically revolves around strong female leads. I thoroughly enjoyed this and would love to read more novels like this. This is a caricature of a horror novel in the best way. Comedy horror lovers: U have gotta read this.
Our story follows Gage Chandler, a small-time true crime novelist who's moving into the infamous Devil House. Devil House has lived many lives: A small dinette, a porn store, a crime scene. Gage is taking up residency due to the latter, a bizarre double-murder most likely committed by one of three teens in the 80's. While Chandler is more than excited to dive into the research so he can receive his big break, some of the pieces aren't fitting. Things aren't adding up. Intertwining past and present, Chandler has some heavy information to sift through before his novel is complete--if only he can piece this puzzle together.
OKOK A FEW SPOILERY THINGS BUT NOT ACTUAL SPOILERS....LIKE IF UR A GOOD GUESSER MAYBE SKIP MY REVIEW SRRY :/
I feel it should be a law that if a cover looks ominous and spooky that the book has to match that vibe. Unfortunately, Devil House did not :-(. This novel doesn't conform to one genre: multiple themes are explored that make the read feel more like a work of non-fiction rather than a story about fictional murders. The writing is flowery and very much overkill the majority of the time. I often felt like the book was being narrated by a pretentious college professor, especially during portions where the teens were interacting with one another. It felt very strange, like the writing style and the plot weren't matching up. Along with this, I felt that the ending was cheap and unnecessary. I'm assuming that the point was to have readers think more critically about true crime and true crime media. These creators profit off of people's pain, which was outlined beautifully in the letter from Jesse's mom but, the ACTUAL ending made me almost want to cackle. While it's extremely important that true crime content creators are scrutinized, I feel the situation he created was highly unrealistic, if someone wanting to be taken seriously in a true crime community pulled what Gage did they would simply be shunned and shamed. This reminded me of when Crime Junkie Podcast plagiarized work; they were called out for it mercilessly (rightfully). Is it ambitious? Yes! Is it evident it was extremely well crafted? Yes! Is it enjoyable? Eh. I was looking for something frightening and this is not. I would recommend if you're looking for a philosophical-eqsue work about true crime/true crime fiction but, not if you're a horror reader like myself.
OKOK A FEW SPOILERY THINGS BUT NOT ACTUAL SPOILERS....LIKE IF UR A GOOD GUESSER MAYBE SKIP MY REVIEW SRRY :/
I feel it should be a law that if a cover looks ominous and spooky that the book has to match that vibe. Unfortunately, Devil House did not :-(. This novel doesn't conform to one genre: multiple themes are explored that make the read feel more like a work of non-fiction rather than a story about fictional murders. The writing is flowery and very much overkill the majority of the time. I often felt like the book was being narrated by a pretentious college professor, especially during portions where the teens were interacting with one another. It felt very strange, like the writing style and the plot weren't matching up. Along with this, I felt that the ending was cheap and unnecessary. I'm assuming that the point was to have readers think more critically about true crime and true crime media. These creators profit off of people's pain, which was outlined beautifully in the letter from Jesse's mom but, the ACTUAL ending made me almost want to cackle. While it's extremely important that true crime content creators are scrutinized, I feel the situation he created was highly unrealistic, if someone wanting to be taken seriously in a true crime community pulled what Gage did they would simply be shunned and shamed. This reminded me of when Crime Junkie Podcast plagiarized work; they were called out for it mercilessly (rightfully). Is it ambitious? Yes! Is it evident it was extremely well crafted? Yes! Is it enjoyable? Eh. I was looking for something frightening and this is not. I would recommend if you're looking for a philosophical-eqsue work about true crime/true crime fiction but, not if you're a horror reader like myself.
A zany soft core sex worker who is fibbing about being clairvoyant is met with a job. Enter Susan, a wealthy woman looking for answers as to why her stepson is acting out in ways she finds harmful and has a hunch that their newly renovated 1800's home is to blame. She assumes that our psychic protagonist can help rid her home of whatever malevolent forces are acting against her and her family. Susan didn't realize she hired a quack and things are continually getting worse, fast.
This novella is only 64 pages so I'm not going to go into extreme detail but this was such a fun read. Our unnamed narrator was bleak and sarcastic; stating her opinions with brutal honesty throughout. For this to have been so small, it was very twisty--lots of things I didn't expect and ever-changing as I read on. I normally don't like when endings don't give a sense of closure but, here that was perfect. I would recommend this cheeky horror-esque read for sure.
This novella is only 64 pages so I'm not going to go into extreme detail but this was such a fun read. Our unnamed narrator was bleak and sarcastic; stating her opinions with brutal honesty throughout. For this to have been so small, it was very twisty--lots of things I didn't expect and ever-changing as I read on. I normally don't like when endings don't give a sense of closure but, here that was perfect. I would recommend this cheeky horror-esque read for sure.
"Fridays at midnight, long after the casual moviegoers filed out of the exits, the Starlight Cinema transformed into something dark and perilous. Theater One, the newer half of the Starlight, closed for the night, while the other half, Theater Two—the older, original theater—was plunged into a shadowy world of hauntings and serial killers, werewolves and cannibals, slaughter and mayhem. Witching Hour Theatre."
Larry Wilson's life was mundane. The thirty-something doesn't go out much, doesn't socialize, doesn't date. What Larry looked forward to each Friday was the Witching Hour Theatre. Three horror films are shown on a loop, back-to-back: a horror lover's delight. That is until when Larry realizes the movie goers are becoming less and less, less than the normal number to stay for feature three. An ominous energy envelops the theatre and Larry realizes there may be more bloodshed off screen than on screen tonight.
I really enjoyed this! Witching Hour Theatre was only ~85 pages, a small novella that is a great depiction of slasher horror. Janz's writing style is descriptive af which I felt to be impressive for such a little book. He was able to set the scene and take me there, while simultaneously ensuring the plot moved at an engaging pace. As stated by Larry himself, the events are bit formulaic but, in the endearing way that horror lovers LUV. The gore was disgusting (in a good way) describing in full detail the slasher scenes, down to the sounds. I realize this is a novella but, my only wish is that we got more information on the villains in the story. No motive is stated nor is the villains fate revealed to the reader. The ending was unexpected, which is (most) always enjoyable. I definitely recommend this, it's perfect if you're in the mood for a mindless movie theatre slasher.
Larry Wilson's life was mundane. The thirty-something doesn't go out much, doesn't socialize, doesn't date. What Larry looked forward to each Friday was the Witching Hour Theatre. Three horror films are shown on a loop, back-to-back: a horror lover's delight. That is until when Larry realizes the movie goers are becoming less and less, less than the normal number to stay for feature three. An ominous energy envelops the theatre and Larry realizes there may be more bloodshed off screen than on screen tonight.
I really enjoyed this! Witching Hour Theatre was only ~85 pages, a small novella that is a great depiction of slasher horror. Janz's writing style is descriptive af which I felt to be impressive for such a little book. He was able to set the scene and take me there, while simultaneously ensuring the plot moved at an engaging pace. As stated by Larry himself, the events are bit formulaic but, in the endearing way that horror lovers LUV. The gore was disgusting (in a good way) describing in full detail the slasher scenes, down to the sounds. I realize this is a novella but, my only wish is that we got more information on the villains in the story. No motive is stated nor is the villains fate revealed to the reader. The ending was unexpected, which is (most) always enjoyable. I definitely recommend this, it's perfect if you're in the mood for a mindless movie theatre slasher.
No synopsis for this 17 pg story :-)
Entertaining small story by King. Last 5 or so pages were slightly predictable but, if it wouldn't have ended that way I wouldn't have enjoyed it I don't think? V 2022 w/ the mention of Covid, democrats drinking blood, Kamala Harris, etc etc etc. Fun 20 minute read.
Entertaining small story by King. Last 5 or so pages were slightly predictable but, if it wouldn't have ended that way I wouldn't have enjoyed it I don't think? V 2022 w/ the mention of Covid, democrats drinking blood, Kamala Harris, etc etc etc. Fun 20 minute read.
3.5
When Vivian gets offered a job as a counselor at a theatre Summer camp she views it as the perfect opportunity for a resume-builder as she works towards her undergrad in Performing Arts. All she has to do is help kids with the basics of acting and put on a few shows throughout a couple of months: what could go wrong?! Viv is making friends and all is well until counselors and kids start disappearing, random bursts of wind carry the stench of rotting meat throughout the building, and growling noises become hard to ignore. Can Vivian figure out what's happening to her students and staff members before it's too late?
I enjoyed this! Book 17 in the Rewind or Die series truly read like an old school Goosebumps novel. The gargoyles is really what made the book exude that energy imo, very much something silly turned ominous. While this was a fun read, I felt that the action was sparse throughout the middle of the book. The portions where the counselors were just goofing around and hanging out were drawn out and I would have loved to have read a little bit more of a build up besides just discussion about the events before the climax of the book was revealed. I thought the ending tied everything together well. I'd recommend this if you're in the mood for an old school middle grades type of spooker.
When Vivian gets offered a job as a counselor at a theatre Summer camp she views it as the perfect opportunity for a resume-builder as she works towards her undergrad in Performing Arts. All she has to do is help kids with the basics of acting and put on a few shows throughout a couple of months: what could go wrong?! Viv is making friends and all is well until counselors and kids start disappearing, random bursts of wind carry the stench of rotting meat throughout the building, and growling noises become hard to ignore. Can Vivian figure out what's happening to her students and staff members before it's too late?
I enjoyed this! Book 17 in the Rewind or Die series truly read like an old school Goosebumps novel. The gargoyles is really what made the book exude that energy imo, very much something silly turned ominous. While this was a fun read, I felt that the action was sparse throughout the middle of the book. The portions where the counselors were just goofing around and hanging out were drawn out and I would have loved to have read a little bit more of a build up besides just discussion about the events before the climax of the book was revealed. I thought the ending tied everything together well. I'd recommend this if you're in the mood for an old school middle grades type of spooker.
Trapped in a bathroom during a horrific storm, a family already on the verge of imploding is pushed to their limits. They've been in this bathroom for days, weeks, maybe even a month? Everyone is on edge and their alcoholic father seems to be close to lashing out on the family if he doesn't get a drink. As the family gets closer and closer to desperation, Melissa's guilt only intensifies. When will she tell them? Does it matter? How will they get out? Will they get out?
I really wanted to love this book! I've seen nothing but stellar reviews for this, and I was excited going into it. It was intense especially for the setting to never change and remain confined to one small bathroom. Booth did a great job at assigning characters traits that made the reader feel emotionally charged. I really hated the dad with his terrible takes on everything and lack of love, respect and empathy for his family. Bobby was the most annoying child character in a book, probably ever. If I had to hear butts n farts one more time I think I would have just DNF'ed. The concept of the family secrets spilling as the book progressed kept it interesting and enjoyable. My overall issue with the book is the ambiguity. I think books that have vague elements are hard to execute as there's a fine line to walk between the work being open for reader interpretation intentionally and seeming like it wasn't stated just for the sake of it. I felt the latter with this book. There was no concrete explanation as to what was going on: at all. While we have a VERY good hypothesis/working theory what was up with the machine gun? And the snake? I probably could have overlooked those if not for the ending of the book. It did create an ominous feel and I'm all for keeping things open-ended but this was far too ~unknown~ for my taste. If you're looking for something that is simply unsettling and you don't mind getting little to no closure/explanation, I recommend this.
I really wanted to love this book! I've seen nothing but stellar reviews for this, and I was excited going into it. It was intense especially for the setting to never change and remain confined to one small bathroom. Booth did a great job at assigning characters traits that made the reader feel emotionally charged. I really hated the dad with his terrible takes on everything and lack of love, respect and empathy for his family. Bobby was the most annoying child character in a book, probably ever. If I had to hear butts n farts one more time I think I would have just DNF'ed. The concept of the family secrets spilling as the book progressed kept it interesting and enjoyable. My overall issue with the book is the ambiguity. I think books that have vague elements are hard to execute as there's a fine line to walk between the work being open for reader interpretation intentionally and seeming like it wasn't stated just for the sake of it. I felt the latter with this book. There was no concrete explanation as to what was going on: at all. While we have a VERY good hypothesis/working theory what was up with the machine gun? And the snake? I probably could have overlooked those if not for the ending of the book. It did create an ominous feel and I'm all for keeping things open-ended but this was far too ~unknown~ for my taste. If you're looking for something that is simply unsettling and you don't mind getting little to no closure/explanation, I recommend this.
