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This was a doozie! I‘ve read THE RIVER like three times and the follow ups, so I know Heller (a) is excellently skilled in knowing about, describing, and plopping you firmly into nature/wild settings under suspenseful circumstances and (b) is unafraid of taking your heart and making it pound harder, grow bigger, and then break into a zillion pieces. And yet, I was astounded. At turns gritty, gruesome, and gorgeous. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ *watch those TW, tho 😳

Guys!!! The author liked my review! 😍😍😍 My inner fan girl is screaming in glee. 🥰🥰🥰

#Read2025

This apocalyptic horror novella caught my eye on the library shelf & it was a good creepy quick read. (I finished it in about an hour-ish at Silent Book Club). An unreliable narrator makes it hard to tell what was “real” & what was in Riley‘s head & the tension & crazy ratcheted up with each page turn. A Bird Box vibe (at least the movie, I didn‘t read the book) & a good fast book if you are in the mood for somewhat graphic horror.

After a deadly flu wipes out most of the human population Hig is just trying to survive in Colorado. Peter Heller‘s books are usually hit or miss for me. I‘ll keep trying but unfortunately this one was mostly a miss. The love story was super clinical and I just didn‘t really care about the characters.

Books # 15, # 41, and # 69 in that order for this August‘s #roll100 !!!

I found this horror novella by Sunny Moraine a brilliantly haunting story. I finished reading this many months ago, but the story and the skill of Moraine‘s writing still linger in my thoughts. Riley proves an incredibly unreliable narrator. Normally I‘m not a fan of unreliable narrators, but Moraine skillfully uses it in a way that works for me. (1/3)

Book #9 of 2025: “The Scourge of God” by SM Stirling. I was reallly into this series when I was younger but got behind during/post college. I picked this up at a used bookstore in Florence over the winter and loved it. Time to get the rest of the series!

Currently reading. Bird Box vibes for sure. I picked it up from the cover alone, about 100 pages in. Not sure where it's going exactly.

Another journey story, this time for a new home, a safe place when the world you knew has ended and doubt is everywhere. I particularly enjoyed Rice‘s descriptions of the Ontario landscape and the way nature had crept back into previously man-made spaces. At risk from roving bands of mercenaries as well as Nature herself, this journey takes a weaving path to safety, and to home. Beautifully written and starkly lovely.

In a burned out America, a father and his young son walk under a darkened sky, heading slowly for the coast. They have no idea what if anything awaits them there
Attempting to survive, they have nothing but a pistol to defend themselves.