I adored Johnny Compton’s previous novel, The Spite House. His emphasis on character development and plot, resulted in an incredibly impressive, and terrifying debut. Compton’s follow-up, Devils Kill Devils, is straight-up, bat poop crazy, in an amazing way. Our protagonist, Sarita, has a literal guardian angel, Angelo. He first surfaced when she almost drowned as … Continue reading Review: Devils Kill Devils, by Johnny Compton (Tor Nightfire)
Review: Haunt Sweet Home, by Sarah Pinsker (Tor Nightfire)
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: 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: Maeve Fly, by CJ Leede (Tor Nightfire)
When I was in my early twenties, I was so in love with the Brett Easton Ellis novel, American Psycho, it essentially formed the basis for my personality. With hindsight, there are probably better books to personify, but I didn’t encounter Shirley Jackson until my thirties. I’m not going to say CJ Leede’s novel, Maeve … Continue reading Review: Maeve Fly, by CJ Leede (Tor Nightfire)
Review: The Salt Grows Heavy, by Cassandra Khaw (Tor Nightfire)
I consider Cassandra Khaw to be the most intelligent horror writer working today. The way she crafts her stories with precision is a gift, and her latest work, The Salt Grows Heavy, is an absolute gem. Our mermaid narrator, and her Plague Doctor companion encounter a strange village, where young people are butchered in the … Continue reading Review: The Salt Grows Heavy, by Cassandra Khaw (Tor Nightfire)
Review: A House with Good Bones, by T. Kingfisher (Tor Nightfire/Macmillan Audio)
In A House with Good Bones, Sam goes to stay with her mother, Edith, who is displaying dementia-like symptoms. Edith has redecorated her previously vibrant house with bland colors and questionable, racist photos. She also seems to be willfully rewriting her bleak family history, especially regarding her deceased mother and feared matriarch, Gran Mae. And … Continue reading Review: A House with Good Bones, by T. Kingfisher (Tor Nightfire/Macmillan Audio)
Review: Sister, Maiden, Monster, by Lucy A. Snyder (Tor Nightfire)
No matter how awful your experience of COVID-19 was, in Sister, Maiden, Monster, Lucy A. Snyder goes all out to speculate how it could have been so, so much worse. Sister, Maiden, Monster follows the progress of a deadly pandemic, from the perspective of three different women. Erin, recently engaged to Gregory, is quarantined due … Continue reading Review: Sister, Maiden, Monster, by Lucy A. Snyder (Tor Nightfire)
Review: The Spite House, by Johnny Compton (Tor Nightfire)
There are so many delicious things in the plot synopsis for The Spite House, that I found it completely impossible to resist. A man fleeing his life under mysterious circumstances with his two daughters in tow - check! A job offer to stay in an old house with “pronounced paranormal activity” - big check! An … Continue reading Review: The Spite House, by Johnny Compton (Tor Nightfire)
My Favorite Books of 2022
My reading year has been a bit of a strange one. Around September I started to get a bit of reader burnout, and I felt like finishing a book became more important to me than actually enjoying the experience of reading. I don’t actually remember reading some of the books on my Goodreads, but apparently … Continue reading My Favorite Books of 2022
California Reading 