Like many of us, Mara is drifting through life, trying to figure out what she actually wants to “do”. Sick of sarcastic comments from her family members, she accepts a job from her cousin, working on his TV show, Haunt Sweet Home, where HGTV meets Ghost Hunters. Mara gets stuck with the night shift, creating … Continue reading Review: Haunt Sweet Home, by Sarah Pinsker (Tor Nightfire)
Review: The Night Guest, by Hildur Knútsdóttir, translated by Mary Robinette Kowal (Tor Nightfire)
The Night Guest is a short, sparse story set in Reykjavík, Iceland. Iðunn, our central character, wakes up each morning exhausted and covered in mysterious injuries. It is only when she starts tracking her steps that she realizes she is not only sleepwalking, but covering miles every night. Iðunn also begins an ill-advised relationship with … Continue reading Review: The Night Guest, by Hildur Knútsdóttir, translated by Mary Robinette Kowal (Tor Nightfire)
Review: Flowers from the Void, by Gianni Washington (Clash Books)
I am not exaggerating when I say about five stories into this collection, I reached out to the writer, Gianni Washington, and told her the stories in Flowers from the Void were “Stephen King-level great”. This is one collection worth getting excited about, my fellow short story lovers. One of the many things I loved … Continue reading Review: Flowers from the Void, by Gianni Washington (Clash Books)
Review: Vague Prophecies and Predictions, by Daisuke Shen (Clash Books)
Yay for weird short story collections! Daisuke Shen’s debut collection is full of uncanny oddities. Here are some of my favorites: The Pasture - This opening story truly kicks the door down. A group of awful young boys commit mild terror. They encounter a strange pasture of women, and it does not end well. Such … Continue reading Review: Vague Prophecies and Predictions, by Daisuke Shen (Clash Books)
Review: A Sorceress Comes to Call, by T. Kingfisher (Tor)
I think I’ve probably said this before, but I am a T. Kingfisher loyalist, and she never disappoints. I especially love her fairy tale novels (Nettle and Bone, Thornhedge), so I was very excited for A Sorceress Comes to Call, a retelling of Grimm story, The Goose Girl. Once again, Kingfisher has created a world … Continue reading Review: A Sorceress Comes to Call, by T. Kingfisher (Tor)
Review: Ghost Station, by S.A. Barnes (Tor Nightfire)
S.A Barnes made a huge impact with her debut space horror novel, Dead Silence, and now we’re returning to the terrifying void for more terrors with Ghost Station. Psychologist Dr. Ophelia Bray is assigned to work with a small space exploration crew, to study a condition called ERS, which is kind of like whatever Jack … Continue reading Review: Ghost Station, by S.A. Barnes (Tor Nightfire)
Review: Smothermoss, by Alisa Alering (Tin House)
Siblings Sheila and Angie live with their aging great-aunt and mother in a rural Appalachian community. Older sister Sheila endures relentless bullying at school, and is essentially in charge of the house while her mother works long shifts at a nearby asylum. Sheila is also haunted by a strange rope around her neck, which no … Continue reading Review: Smothermoss, by Alisa Alering (Tin House)
Review: Incidents Around the House, by Josh Malerman (Del Rey)
First off, Incidents Around the House is an incredible title. I think I’d probably read a book with that title regardless of who wrote it. But the fact that it’s the latest Josh Malerman novel just adds to the excitement. Our narrator is Bela, an eight-year-old girl who lives with her Mommy and Daddo. AND … Continue reading Review: Incidents Around the House, by Josh Malerman (Del Rey)
Review: The Eyes are the Best Part, by Monica Kim (Erewhon)
I think if you choose to read a book called The Eyes are the Best Part, which features a bloodied eyeball held between chopsticks on the cover, you probably have a good idea what you’re in for. Reader, this novel is thrillingly bonkers, gruesome, and incredibly gratifying. Ji-won is having a rough time. Her father … Continue reading Review: The Eyes are the Best Part, by Monica Kim (Erewhon)
Review: The Tainted Cup, by Robert Jackson Bennett (Del Rey)
The Tainted Cup is a highly entertaining combination of historical fantasy and murder mystery, with wonderful central characters. The book starts with a brutal, strange death of a high-ranking individual, seemingly speared by a tree in his own home. Enter the eccentric Ana Dolabra, a Sherlock-esque, reclusive investigator. Her newly employed assistant, Dinios Kol, is … Continue reading Review: The Tainted Cup, by Robert Jackson Bennett (Del Rey)
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