science fiction

Goodreads Reading Challenge 2024 (4/26/24)

April 26, 2024 — 1 Comment

I have been reading 6-7 books per month, but I managed 8 in April (though I’ve been working so much, I don’t know that I’ve absorbed any of them – ha). I dove further into the world of Catriona Ward, knocked out a couple of novellas, and indulged in another cozy mystery. I also discovered just two days ago that Ivy Tholen released a sequel to Tastes Like Candy, so naturally, that has jumped to the top of my TBR pile!

Here are the books I devoured in April.

Sundial (Catriona Ward)

Rating: 4/5

Have I mentioned that I adore Cat Ward? No? Well, I do. I’ve enjoyed every book from her that I’ve read, and Sundial is no different. I love her writing style, the complexities of her (flawed) characters, and how there’s always a twist that catches me just a little off-guard. I also appreciate the fact that she can break my heart into a million pieces with the tragicness of her characters, even if one would typically consider them “bad.”

Sundial explores the darkest parts of human nature, and how deep familial bonds can go…even triumphing over science. “You can’t escape what’s in your blood.“ But perhaps you can help control what you pass on.

Devil in Ohio (Daria Polatin)

Rating: 3/5

I read Devil in Ohio after I watched the series, and I actually liked the show better. (And I never say that.) The twist at the end of the series was frustrating, but it worked. Not to say the book was bad! It wasn’t, and you should definitely read it. The story is fascinating and dark. I thought the characters were very real, especially the teen daughter, Jules. The writing style is easy; I finished the book much quicker than I thought I would.

Bad Girls With Perfect Faces (Lynn Weingarten)

Rating: 4/5

Another quick read. Bad Girls With Perfect Faces was nothing that I expected. The story kept me guessing, and every character was relatable in certain ways and very sympathetic. It was a book that had me considering what I would do in the main character Sasha’s position. (There were multiple points of view, but Sasha was the major player, involved on all fronts.) I would recommend this be added to your TBR right now! I will be checking out other books from Lynn Weingarten.

Channel X: A Streaming Service to Kill For (Matt Shaw)

Rating: 3/5

This could have been a good book, if Shaw had bothered to go a little deeper and make the characters more three-dimensional. However, I didn’t hate it. When I was finished, I just thought “Meh.” The violence and gore were on point, if that’s your thing, but the plot was not a fresh one. It’s been done before and done better. If you like books that focus on newer technology and have a penchant for blood splattered pages, Channel X is for you.

Alice (Christina Henry)

Rating: 4/5

I love retellings of Alice in Wonderland. There’s so much that can be done with it, and Christina Henry took it in the direction of a gangland and the sex trade. It is a darkly enchanting book, a horror fantasy, an adult fairytale. There is violence and murder and multiple mentions of rape, but if you can handle that, I would highly recommend this novel.

The Social Media Murders (Jon Athan)

Rating: 2/5

The Social Media Murders was a book that had a solid – if overdone – concept, but the execution fell flat. Reminiscent of any number of slashers that have come into being since the rise of social media, the plot is simple: students being slaughtered for views, all because (spoiler alert) someone was bullied. I feel that Athan put a lot of thought into the methods of murder, but let everything else slide. I did not care for the writing style, either. Sorry I keep mentioning that; it’s just important to me.

Murder Next Door (Michele Pariza Wacek)

Rating: 2/5

Book 3 in the Charlie Kingsley series really fell flat for me. It took me ages to get through it. The plot wasn’t great. Charlie was attempting to solve two mysteries at once, and I’m still not sure exactly how she arrived at the right answer this time. One minute she’s talking to the girl who was missing and reappeared, the next she suddenly knows who murdered the man who was found in someone’s backyard. I still like the writing and the characters, and I will give this series another chance. Murder Next Door just wasn’t it.

The Wonderland Murders (Lanie Olson)

Rating: 2/5

This is another missed opportunity. It was only 65 pages, so there was zero character development. The story was short, quick, and had an abrupt, unsatisfying ending. And honestly, I could have done without the unnecessary smut. I don’t suggest reading this one.

***

I am currently reading Stillhouse Lake (Rachel Caine), The Mermaid’s Sister (Carrie Anne  Noble), and Eat, Drink, and Be Scary (Olivia Jaymes).

Progress: 27 of 50

Goodreads Reading Challenge 2024 (3/29/24)

March 29, 2024 — 1 Comment

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.

***

I am currently reading Sundial (Catriona Ward) and the next book in the Charlie Kingsley series, Murder Next Door.

Progress: 19/50

Movie Review: M3GAN (2023)

June 12, 2023 — Leave a comment

M3GAN hit theaters back in January (in the U.S. at least), and despite my love of all things horror, I opted not to go see it. Nothing about the previews made this film a must-see for me. It was a story that has been told before, only in a current setting: humans mess with artificial intelligence, are eventually outsmarted by their own creation(s), and are finally forced to destroy said creation(s). Been there, done that, right?

However, not long after its release, I read a review of M3GAN posted by a user on Instagram. She offered what was very solid advice – go into this movie with the understanding that it’s fun and entertaining; do not expect to be scared and don’t hope for a bloodbath. The rating is PG-13, after all.

The plot is simple. After her parents die in an accident, Cady (Violet McGraw) is taken in by her aunt Gemma (Allison Williams). Gemma has no children of her own and struggles to relate to her niece. As a brilliant roboticist, Gemma works for a multi-million dollar toy company, and she uses her talents, and her employer’s funds, to create M3GAN. The doll is designed to be a child’s best friend, to be a companion, to learn and teach and play and protect. But M3GAN’s self-awareness advances faster than expected and she soon surpasses her inventors and takes the command to “protect Cady” too far.

This is nothing the previews didn’t give away, and honestly, that’s it. There is no big twist. You know everything going in. For me, though, that didn’t rob me of any enjoyment.

M3GAN is wholly watchable. I personally felt the final showdown was dragged out a bit too long, and I struggled with Cady’s behavior about halfway in (which was done purposely, I know), but the film was good. There were a few points about parenting made throughout, yet mostly M3GAN was something to get drawn into and escape from reality for a while. I even appreciated the lack of gore: way too many movies try to cover a poor storyline with an exceptional amount of blood and gruesomely violent deaths. M3GAN didn’t need that. There was only one really aggressive, slasher-esque kill, and I loved it more for it being the sole bloody murder.

I would highly recommend this movie to anyone who wants to be entertained. From a horror perspective, no, M3GAN does not stand up to the classics, or other recent releases. I wouldn’t even describe it as creepy, let alone scary…except that having a life-sized “living” doll in my bedroom while I slept would weird me out. Haha. However, for a movie night with a significant other or a group of friends, this should definitely be on your watch-list.

M3GAN is available to stream on certain carriers, and the unrated version has been released on Blu-ray and DVD.

30 Day Film Challenge: Day 25 – A Film You Like That is Not Set in the Current Era

January 25, 2023 — Leave a comment

The Fifth Element (1997)

30 Day Film Challenge: Day 13 – A Film That Put You in Deep Thoughts

January 13, 2023 — Leave a comment

Donnie Darko (2001)

30 Day Film Challenge: Day 10 – Your Favorite Superhero Film

January 10, 2023 — Leave a comment

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1 (2014) – and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)

I may like the second one a little more, but both of these movies are spectacular. They’re funny and entertaining, the cast is perfect, and the soundtracks are amazing. I can’t wait for Vol. 3!

Update to My 2022 Goodreads Challenge (11/5/22)

November 5, 2022 — Leave a comment

I finished Danielle Vega’s Survive the Night and Natasha Preston’s The Fear. Both were readable books, yet I was disappointed with the stories overall.

On the bright side, I stumbled upon Small Spaces by Katherine Arden thanks to an Instagram post and I loved it! Yes, it is considered a kids’ book, but y’all, the creepy factor was real. I will certainly be reading the rest of that particular series from Arden.

My mom brought me Court of the Vampire Queen by Katee Robert. That was a disaster. If you don’t mind books with more smut than plot, this one should be right up your alley. Lol. I myself didn’t enjoy it.

And I know it seems horribly after the fact, but I just read The Maze Runner. I was unexpectedly impressed with the movie, and I tend to think the novels are always superior to the films, so of course I had to check it out. I couldn’t put it down. Another series I will have to follow through on.

My current reads are as follows:

Daylighters (Rachel Caine)

The Snakes (Sadie Jones)

This one was actually sent to me via a “blind date with a book” order from Etsy.

Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke – and Other Misfortunes (Eric LaRocca)

Once I finish these three, I will have completed my reading challenge for 2022!!!!!

[Trailer] The Predator – 2018

June 30, 2018 — Leave a comment

The latest Predator is hitting theaters on September 14, 2018. Here is the synopsis, via Wikipedia:

“From the outer reaches of space to the small-town streets of suburbia, the hunt comes home. The universe’s most lethal hunters are stronger, smarter and deadlier than ever before, having genetically upgraded themselves with DNA from other species. When a boy accidentally triggers their return to Earth, only a ragtag crew of ex-soldiers and a disgruntled science teacher can prevent the end of the human race.“

Below is the trailer. I warn you, it’s gonna get bloody!

You Can Now Pre-order ‘A Dying Machine’ (The Novel)

June 29, 2018 — Leave a comment

In case you didn’t know, there is going to be a novel that tells the story of Tremonti’s concept album A Dying Machine. The book is the combined effort of Mark Tremonti and John Shirley. Pre-orders available on both Fret12.com and marktremonti.com. Items will ship later this summer.

Here’s the synopsis, via Fret12:

“When Brennan Gibbons’ beloved wife Eleanor dies, so does the renowned architect’s career. On a fluke, Brennan enters and wins the 22nd Century Lottery to be one of the few people able to buy a first generation Vessel – an artificial human, part flesh, part machine, created to be the perfect partner. Though slightly dubious, Brennan brings Stella home, with the hopes that she can help him re-engage with life, without replacing his dead wife. At first, Stella is everything Brennan could desire in a partner, but Stella is not entirely human. Her robotic parts make her better, stronger, and faster. Yet as time passes, Stella begins to develop her own personality and free will–along with a dark obsession.

At the same time, the Vessels created to be the bodyguards for the rich and powerful board members of Fusion Flesh are realizing that they too have free will. Bred to be killers and forced to serve as confidants and lovers, these Vessels realize that they have the tools necessary to fight for the rights of their kind. Led by Ares, the bodyguard of Fusion Flesh CEO Maggie Coogan; the Vessels band together to form a ruthless guerilla unit to overthrow those who control them.

A DYING MACHINE weaves a tale of two stories: that of Ares and Stella – highlighting human folly through the creation of seemingly perfect beings… Beings who ultimately want what all people want: the freedom to love and live.“

Must-Watch Horror Movies

October 20, 2017 — Leave a comment

Horror is an interesting genre because there are so many facets. Fear, whether rational or not, is a personal experience. I feel that this gives the writers, directors, etc., of horror films a lot of room in which to play. There are movies I don’t find remotely creepy that scare my friends, and vice versa. So naturally, this list is very subjective.

1. Halloween — (The original one. Rob Zombie’s remake was atrocious.) How can you not love this movie? I watch it every year.

2. Halloween II — They should have stopped with this one. But come on. Trapped in a hospital, unable to fully function because you’re on meds, and people are gradually disappearing around you…

3. Saw — Judge me if you must, I didn’t sleep after I watched it the first time.

4. Scream — Yes, it’s terrible, in a way. Still, it started a string of movies that everyone close to my age watched.

5. Urban Legend — The least lame of those particular slasher films. The premise was actually legitimate. So underrated.

6. The Houses October Built — A mockumentary. Haunted houses, clowns, and a stripper joint where the dancers wear monster masks. Two thumbs up.

7. The Den — Okay, this one bothered me more than it should have. It had that realistic edge, the multiple events that made me say “That could really happen.” I was tense throughout.

8. Fright Night — Again, the original. Not that I don’t love Anton Yelchin, but Chris Sarandon may literally be the sexiest vampire in the history of ever. When he dances with Amanda Bearse in the club… Rawr!

9. Lights Out — It wasn’t exactly scary. However, it was very well done.

10. The Final Girls — In my opinion, not technically a horror film despite being classified as “horror” and “comedy”. With that being said, I adored this movie. It was SO good. Funny and full of feeling, as well as all the 80’s slasher flick staples, this is a must-have in your collection.

I would give The Funhouse Massacre honorable mention. Another movie that embraces the comedic value of horror films, it toed the line of cheesiness rather admirably, without ever crossing into full-on lame. The killers and their methods actually earned a shiver or two.

And that’s it! Most of these can be found on Netflix or Hulu, I believe. And Showtime has been running The Funhouse Massacre into the ground. Pop some popcorn, grab a blanket, and turn off the lights… It’s time to get spooky!