March has been a slow month for me. I’m not really sure why, but I’ve only finished four books over the past thirty days. Here they are, with my ratings, and may I do better in April!
We Used to Live Here (Marcus Kliewer)
Rating: 4/5
To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Lee)
Rating: 3/5
The House Across the Lake (Riley Sager)
Rating: 4/5
The October Society: Season Two (Christopher Robertson)
Rating: 4/5
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I am currently reading The Stranger in Her House (John Marrs) and Every Summer After (Carley Fortune).
I finished six books in February! And one of those was A Tale of Two Cities (finally). Unfortunately, the Dickens novel was my only classic this month. I’ll do better in March.
Anyway, here are the books I read over the past 28 days, and my rating of each.
The Murder of Sleepy Hollow (Michele Pariza Wacek)
Rating: 4/5
Unholy Magic (Stacia Kane)
Rating: 4/5
Where the Crawdads Sing (Delia Owens)
Rating: 5/5
Babydoll (Christopher Robertson)
Rating: 4/5
Nettle & Bone (T. Kingfisher)
Rating: 4/5
A Tale of Two Cities (Charles Dickens)
Rating: 3/5
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I am currently reading We Used to Live Here (Marcus Kliewer) and The House Across the Lake (Riley Sager).
It has been a doozy of a month, and not in a good way. That’s very unfortunate, since October is typically my favorite month of the year. I still found time to read, though. I’ve been on a streak of interesting books, but I actually had one that I quit without finishing. The story was shaping up to be okay; however, the author couldn’t leave their personal opinions about racism out of the equation – which is fine to an extent, I just don’t need to read about it once every freakin’ paragraph.
Here are the books I did finish in October. I’m in a rush as I write this, so I will rate them but won’t bother with a short review.
Rune (Christopher Fowler)
Rating: 4/5
The Only One Left (Riley Sager)
Rating: 5/5
The Dead Children’s Playground (James Kaine)
Rating: 4/5
As someone who is from Alabama, I had to read this novel that focused on the stories surrounding Maple Hill Cemetery and the Dead Children’s Playground. Let me tell you – it did not disappoint.
The Cotton Candy Massacre: Part Treats (Christopher Robertson)
Rating: 5/5
Buried in a Good Book (Tamara Berry)
Rating: 4/5
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I am currently reading One of Us is Lying (Karen M. McManus), Finale (Stephanie Garber), and Chaos at the Lazy Bones Bookshop (Emmeline Duncan).
March was a good reading month for me! I temporarily lost track of the Goodreads challenge, though. I’m pretty sure I actually read Pressure by Jeff Strand in February… Oops! I’ll review it here since I missed it last month. (I am usually reading 2-3 books at any given time, so I occasionally mess up this list.)
Pressure (Jeff Strand)
Rating: 4/5
I have read one other Jeff Strand novel (My Pretties), and I find I like his writing style and his twisted ideas. Pressure was a tense story throughout. The reader can feel the frustration of Alex’s dealings with Darren and how hopeless it is to think Darren can be bested. I won’t say anything else because I try my best not to include spoiler alerts, but I highly recommend adding Pressure to your TBR is you enjoy psychological thrillers that keep you on the edge.
Virgin Night (Christopher Robertson)
Rating: 5/5
I love Christopher Robertson. In case you haven’t noticed, I’m just devouring his books. Lol. I love his take on all of my favorite horror tropes, and Virgin Night is another masterful ode to 90s slasher flicks. The core characters were well-written and relatable, and the ones you’re supposed to hate…well, you will. The references to AIM, “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” industrial/metal bands that were what I listened to back then, etc., just carried me on a wave of nostalgia, while the story itself was crafted in a way that kept you on your toes. There was never a lull in the action: Virgin Night will have you hooked from page one!
Hannah’s War (Jan Eliasberg)
Rating: 4/5
Hannah’s War was sent to me via a “Blind Date With a Book” purchase on Etsy. I put off reading it for a while because I wasn’t sure it was going to be my cup of tea. However, once I started it, I was drawn in almost instantly. This book is historical fiction, set during the final months of World War II. It’s a love story, yes, but all the intricacies of the tale are not drowned in a sappy, over-the-top romance. Hannah is a remarkable woman, intelligent and poised, and the men around her can’t help noticing. She also holds the future in her hands, as she has made a discovery that could alter everything – and she risks losing it all, including her life, to protect that discovery and keep it out of the wrong hands.
Ice Cold Murder (Michele Pariza Wacek)
Rating: 4/5
Another installment in the Charlie Kingsley series, Ice Cold Murder takes the reader on a journey through a blizzard, to a haunted house, for a weekend with estranged family members and a will reading. Only before any business can be handled, the lawyer is found dead in the woodshed. Now, it is up to Charlie and Officer Wyle to discover the culprit. Have they unwittingly found themselves spending the weekend with a murderer?
All I can say is, if you enjoy cozy mysteries, you’ve gotta try this series.
The Ritual (Adam Nevill)
Rating: 4/5
I actually watched the movie based on this novel a while ago, so naturally, I had to read it, too. The Ritual does take a bit of patience to get through. The main characters are lost in the woods, so there are times when nothing much is happening aside from hiking or huddling I tents. However, the shadow of fear lurks around every corner as Luke, Hutch, Phil, and Dom attempt to escape the ancient forest and slowly discover that they’ve stumbled upon a corner of the world where the things that go bump in the night still exist. If you like messed up stories about people who live beyond the outskirts of society and still respect old traditions (including human sacrifice), this is the book for you.
A Swiftly Tilting Planet (Madeleine L’Engle)
Rating: 3/5
I read A Wrinkle in Time many, many years ago. When I found three of the companion novels, I bought them without hesitation. I’m glad I did, but I have to say that neither A Wind in the Door nor A Swiftly Tilting Planet was able to recapture the magic of that first book. A Swiftly Tilting Planet was readable, I just didn’t get sucked in. I had to work to get through it. Here’s hoping Many Waters is better.
The Playroom (Wallace Henry)
Rating: 3/5
I generously gave The Playroom three stars for one reason only: the first part of this book is gloriously fucked-up. The story began like dozens of horror movies I’ve loved. Two cops find a woman covered in blood out in the middle of nowhere, and she has a harrowing tale about a house in the woods where a twisted duo did unspeakable things to her. Sounds promising, right? Yeah, it’s not. The twist killed it for me. You can try it, though. Just brace yourself for the genre-bend about halfway through.
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I am currently reading Sundial (Catriona Ward) and the next book in the Charlie Kingsley series, Murder Next Door.
I hope you all had a fantastic February, and if it’s something you enjoy, I hope you found time to get lost in a few books! I continued my reading challenge. As a reminder, my goal for 2024 is 50 books. Here are the novels I finished this month!
Gone to See the River Man (Kristopher Triana)
Rating: 4/5
Gone to See the River Man was a truly eerie work. Without giving too much away, the plot involves a woman going on a quest to impress a convicted serial killer…so that in itself sets it up to be a rather twisted tale. I enjoyed how dark and atmospheric it was, and I loved Triana’s writing style. The blurring of the line between reality and the main character’s own thoughts is gloriously gradual, until you as the reader are no longer sure what is actually happening and what she’s imagining. I would highly recommend this book. I will be reading the second one soon!
The Murder Before Christmas (Michele Pariza Wacek)
Rating: 5/5
I feel like I have made it very clear how much I love cozy mysteries, and The Murder Before Christmas is no exception. Yes, it follows a semi-generic plot for the genre, but the main protagonist, Charlie Kingsley, is such a likable character. The author, Wacek, did an admirable job of creating an intelligent character who doesn’t magically solve everything at the drop of a hat. In fact, Charlie had a list of suspects but had not exactly narrowed it down to the actual perpetrator until certain information was thrown in her lap. I am currently reading book two in the series – Ice Cold Murder – and I think it might take on a supernatural edge 😊
Room For Rent (Noelle W. Ihli)
Rating: 4/5
I have now read four books by Noelle Ihli, and I have enjoyed all but one. In Room For Rent, Ihli builds the tension at an agonizing pace, and just when you think you’ve figured it out, she throws in a final twist. If you enjoy suspense, this book should definitely be added to your TBR pile.
Looking Glass Sound (Catriona Ward)
Rating: 5/5
Catriona Ward is rapidly becoming one of my favorite authors. I fell head-over-heels with The Last House on Needless Street, and while Looking Glass Sound has not stolen the top spot, it was a fantastic read. The concept was a fairly original one, and it kept you guessing until the end…an ending that was not what you expect. Again, if you enjoy suspenseful thrillers filled with twists, add Looking Glass Sound to your TBR list.
The October Society: Season One (Christopher Robertson)
Rating: 5/5
Christopher Robertson is the reason Catriona Ward isn’t my new favorite author. Lol. I love the way he writes, and I love his homages to pop culture, 90s slashers, classic horror and sci-fi, and all the things that make my little heart happy. The October Society: Season One gave me “Are You Afraid of the Dark?” vibes. I figured out the twist pretty early on, but that in no way ruined the book. And while there were gruesome moments, The October Society: Season One was a heartfelt story overall. I cried at the end. Read this one, NOW!!!!! I’ll be checking out season two in March!
Caraval (Stephanie Garber)
Rating: 5/5
Caraval is a mix of magic, carnival, and a mind-bending fantastical scavenger hunt, with a ribbon of romance thrown in. I devoured this novel, and I wasn’t even halfway finished when I ordered the second in the series. This is yet another must-read.
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I did a lot better in February than I did in January! As mentioned, I am now reading Ice Cold Murder, the second book in the Charlie Kingsley series, as well as Virgin Night by Christopher Robertson.
It’s been a semi-slow month for me in regard to reading. I did reach my new goal of 50 books for 2023, though. Guess I have to reset the goal again. I feel like I’m getting through so many books because I use the Kindle app and read on my lunch breaks at work. My coworkers think I’m weird, but whatever. Losing myself in a good book makes me happy and, I swear, lowers my blood pressure when I’m having a stressful shift.
Anyway, I have finished 6 books since my last update. My favorites were The Cotton Candy Massacre and its sequel, written by Christopher Robertson. If you like gore-filled slashers, these are the books for you! And now for my usual list of what I read, along with a brief review of each.
Nightseer(Laurell K. Hamilton)
Rating: 3/5
I have read a lot of books by Laurell K. Hamilton, most of them part of her Anita Blake series. I’ve tried two of her stand-alone novels, including this one, and I enjoyed both. Nightseer had a good plot and decent story, but I had to knock off a couple of points for the way it built so gradually, only to end very abruptly. I wondered if she intended to continue this story at a later date, for the ending left it wide open for a sequel.
The Nightmare (Lars Kepler)
Rating: 3.5/5
The Nightmare is the second book in Lars Kepler’s Joona Linna series. These novels are intricately crafted, in-depth, and filled with twists and turns, but they are fairly quick reads because of how they are written, and they certainly grab and hold your interest. So far, The Hypnotist has been my favorite. With The Nightmare as its follow-up, I am sure I will finish this whole series.
Every Witch Way But Wicked (Amanda M. Lee)
Rating: 3.5/5
I didn’t realize how many series I have started until I was putting this list together. Every Witch Way But Wicked is the second book in Amanda M. Lee’s Wicked Witches of the Midwest series. I would call these books “cozy paranormal mysteries.” They’re fun and humorous and great for indulging while curled up with a fuzzy blanket and a mug of tea. I highly recommend checking them out.
Shadow Girl (Gerry Schmitt)
Rating: 4/5
I did one of those Blind Date With a Book orders on Etsy and was sent this novel. I was wary, because I don’t typically enjoy stories about cops, detectives, etc. However, I actually liked Shadow Girl. Perhaps my favorite thing about it was the way the characters were written, particularly Afton Tangler. Afton has goals, she wants to be a detective, but she’s not superwoman, and I appreciate that. So often authors make the mistake of having a main character who is super smart or unrealistically tough or something that puts them above their surrounding cast. But Gerry Schmitt has made a relatable, likeable protagonist in Afton, someone you can root for and that you want to see succeed.
The Cotton Candy Massacre and The Cotton Candy Massacre: Part Toots (Christopher Robertson)
Rating: 5/5
This was a nightmare carnival ride of clowns, gore, and creative kills. As stated, if you’re a fan of slashers – and if you hate clowns, or love them – these are books you should read. The characters were vivid and interesting and likeable, in their own way, and Leigh was just a straight badass. I loved both books and will definitely be reading the third one if it’s written (which Christopher has implied will happen).
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As planned for October, I have begun reading Frankenstein. I’m also totally engrossed in Lisa Jewell’s None of This is True and Jennifer McMahon’s The Drowning Kind.
Mostly Music 