I could not stop laughing. If you enjoy British mysteries, do read this. The art makes it perfect. Beware the vicar!

The sequel to the novel Rabbits, which was based on the podcast. I loved both to the extent I even have a set of Path cards. I wished there had been a little more about the game in this one, but it was still excellent. R U playing?

This book was inspired by the tragic case of Bridget Cleary, burned as a changeling in the 1890s (The Burning of Bridget Cleary is an excellent account of this murder.) It questions folk belief vs. reason and what can happen to a person when all around them believes in something far from their own beliefs.

I have already seen the HBO series (it was one of the things that inspired me to get the book) so I knew how things would play out. But I love King's writing and it was still suspenseful for me. And now I have to.back and read the other Holly Gibney books before I get to Holly. Such a chore. 😀

Another hit for Dan Jones! This sequel to Essex Dogs takes the Dogs from Crecy to Calais. Of course the history shines through but so do the characters and the setting. Highly recommended

This is the basis of the absolutely heartbreaking series The Crowded Room. Billy was charged with robbery and rape in the 1970s, but something made him different from other criminals: his eventual diagnosis of multiple personalities. This is the story of his life before prison and in treatment. It's a hard read.

John Connolly is such a beautiful writer. It's evident in his Charlie Parker books, but his writing just shines in this story of a boy trying to.find his way home. There are many folkloric and fairy tale elements present, all used to perfect effect.

Ellie also approves.

The sequel to In the Rolling Deep, but this also works fine as a standalone. Mermaids. Or sirens. You don't want to meet them. I can't stress this enough. But again, people are going in search of them.

Oh, I loved this book so much! Definitely read Her Majesty's Royal Coven first. I don't want to say a lot because it would spoil the first book. I love the characters so much. By the next book, they are going to be old friends.

This I the story of Folkvi and Aslakr, siblings who happen to be very close and what happens when Aslakr becomes betrothed to Gerd. Set in the Viking age, when omens and magic are a part of everyday life, this is a slow burn literary horror with an ending that will stick with you.

Mermaids may not be what you think. The crew of the Atargatis (which is a great name for a ship in this book) has been hired for a mockumentary about discovering real mermaids. No one, not crew, not those hired by the network has survived. But footage exists and it's horrible. Mira Grant is the name under which Seanan McGuire writes horror and she is as skilled in it as she is in fantasy.

This will be one of my top books for 2024. Beautifully written and an intriguing plot and I couldn't put it down. It's the story of a house with a history and a young girl who discovers that history. A Gothic atmosphere pervades the story.

I was captivated by the whole Murdaugh saga since I found the Murdaugh Murders podcast early on. Naturally I wanted to read this book ASAP. It's a memoir about Mandy's beginnings in journalism and about how she became involved with reporting on the Murdaughs. It also follows the Murdaugh saga (of course). It's not a deep dive into the Murdaughs since it is a memoir (other books do that). I had a hard time putting this one down.

The best bird guide you will ever read (if you enjoy swearing). The illustrations are great. I laughed hard

Poe has been a favorite since my mom read us "The pit and the Pendulum" when we were kids. Reading Poe is like curling up in a.soft blanket with a cup of hot chocolate. And this edition is so beautiful.

Edith Holler lives in a theater. She has never stepped outside. There is a curse that should she do so, the theater will be destroyed.
I have now gotten Edward Carey's other books.

I'm a sucker for vampire lit. Always have been. Was completely tickled by the whole Mercy bit (I've known about Mercy for ages---Food for the Dead is a great book). I saw someone say somewhere that this is not a vampire novel. Hard disagree. There are different types of vampires in the lore. I loved this book
On a more personal note, the description of scoliosis surgery is spot-on. I had it done when I was 16. Oh, the memories.

Willy and Marianne mive from Brooklyn to a small town in Maine. There is a religious sect known as the Sin-Planters in the town. And there is something just not right with this little pram Willy is using to haul groceries.
CW: miscarriage

You've seen the algae. It turns ponds and rivers and other waterways a bright green. It's dangerous. We all know that. But we don't know how dangerous.

Brenda's sister Amanda goes missing. Town lore tells of a faceless creature living in the woods. But that's a kids' tale; surely it can't be true.

Oh memories of when I was little. I had to sleep with my covers tucked in, no body part off the bed or outside the covers. Surrounded by stuffed animals who would protect me from the monsters.

It's Grady Hendrix. Of course it's great.

Very late on this so I'm not tagging anyone except @CrowCAH who tagged me

1. It's really the whole Nancy Drew series. I read and reread those books so much.
2. My dad. He was watching a Christopher Lee vampire movie. I kept creeping in to watch (I was about 4 or 5) and he kept shooing me out. But I was persistent and eventually he gave up.
3. A few weeks ago, when the new book assignments at work were given

An excellent collection of horror, as one would expect from Peele. So many good authors, some very hard stories but all so well done

I won this from LT early reviewers. I hate writing bad reviews but this was bad. Factual errors like the wrong poison at Jonestown and implying it was a painless death. Icarus in the minotaur's maze. Even if this was faulty thinking on the character's part nothing shows it as such. Points of view blend--the characters can't be differentiated. The age of the two girls is extremely nebulous. The dialogue is unreal and stilted.

Reprinting early issues of the comics in two beautiful formats.

The latest in the Kingsbridge series, The Armor of Light begins in 1792 and takes us through Waterloo. As always there is an intriguing cast of characters and intertwined plot lines. Plus the book itself is beautiful (shout out to the designer for this one!).

Conspiracy theories are nothing new and especially not new when it comes to the US government. Dickey traces their development from the founding of the United States up to the present day. Tinfoil hat optional.

I love Flynn Berry. I have never disappointed in a book by her. In this one, Tessa is told her sister, Marian, is part of the IRA. Tessa doesn't believe it, but there is video. What follows in a story of sisters, of Tessa the mother, and a troubled country.

The Ghost Club (not in the database so I had to pick another book by the author) is an audio only book about London's ghost club whose members included Dickens, Doyle, and Yeats. Stories of ghosts and premonitions ahoy!

It's not the beach, but the pool will do.

Another book I'd read a chunk of but haven't finished. I adore Flynn Berry and I know from her socials that the sequel will be out next year.

If historical disasters are your thing like they are mine, you'll want to check out this humorous guide to surviving the greatest disasters in history.

Fantastic! A podcaster returns to her boarding school to investigate a murder that occurred when she was a student there. Makkai is a wonderful writer and the plot was so very engrossing.

I have long said that Dan Jones's history books read like novels, so it is no surprise that his first novel is excellent. The invasion of France in 1346. Crecy. Other harrowing battles between the two. Told through the eyes of a group of soldiers who call themselves the Dogs of Essex. I loved the characters, the history, the depictions of battle, just everything about the book.

Grady Hendrix does it again. Of course he does. The sad parts got to me as much as the fun parts were enjoyable. I can't recommend this one enough!

Happy release day! I have been waiting for thisbook for about a year now (it feels like longer). I can't wait to dive in!

New work mail! I've read parts of both of these and now I'm looking so forward to diving in

I'm going with a pick on this one. I am a big fan of the podcast the author cohosts (Crime Writers On). The story was enjoyable for a cozy but the book could have benefited from a bit more stringent editing and proofreading. However it is self-published, and given that I'm going with pick.
Piper Greene is a likeable protagonist and I'll be reading future books in the series.

A good thriller for snowy days! An avalanche at a hotel that was formerly a tb sanatorium and someone goes missing. Is it related to the past or present? There were thing I especially appreciated but those are spoilers! Anyway, well done and I will be reading the author's next.

I am back! I took a longer than expected hiatus. My reading really dropped during the pandemic. But I'm making a comeback.

And in a silver lining, I have moved. My company is allowing fully remote work so I am now in North Carolina, where my husband has family (I have family here too, about 3 hours away). I have almost enough bookcases to shelve my library. Two or three more should do it

So hi all!

Oh, how I loved this book! I was fairly certain I had the major things figured out by page 40 (print edition), like the exact identity of the druid visitor. I wouldn't expect many other people to figure it out because I have a set of specific interests that dovetail in this book. And it made me so happy. It's also an excellent and well written story

A necessary and important read. Listen. I listened to this one and the author is the most wonderful narrator. After the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, the company I work for (Penguin Random House) declared it was going to do better. One thing it did was to institute a companywide read and discussion of this book. It's important, so important, to know what unconscious racist beliefs we hold. And to work on fixing them.

Another hit by Tana French. Another standalone as well, this one involves an ex-Chicago cop in the Irish countryside and a missing boy. The resolution has a special place in my heart for reasons. I can't say why--I'm not spoiling it!

This is a strange little book. The inner thoughts of one day in the narrator's life. The formatting shows how thoughts run together, in and out of one another, and is quite innovative. Subject matter could be triggering for some

I read a manuscript so no pic on this

I grew up in New Jersey. I saw ads for Action Park all the time. I wanted to go so badly. My parents never took us. I am so glad now. Details of the insanity will make you laugh and make you glad it's not the 1970s anymore.

Reading a book about an epidemic during a pandemic--that's how I roll. And I will devour anything by Tremblay. The disease in question here is a rabies variant and it's scary, but I love this. And yes, there are times you want to smack everybody involved but also times you understand why. Gore involved to some degree but telegraphed.

Vacation day 1: I get a message from my friend from work (must be read in Thor's voice) that Penguin Random House offices are closed till sometime in 2021. Don't worry, we are all working from home to keep making books, as we have been since March 13! I feel safer this way, especially since I am married to someone who has very bad lung issues.

In the Robin Hood genre but more about Little John. With faeries. How could I not??? Was the author in my brain? And the more I read, the more I felt she was. About 30 years ago I started a RH-related novel and it would have ended up quite similar to this one. (Sorry for the cover pic but sometimes the covers come out as more than one page one the work reader app.)

First, hey all. I have been suffering major loss of focus with the pandemic and have not been around at all. I am still working (at home) and doing puzzles on my phone. But maybe this book got me out of the reading slump. It's somewhat like WWZ in that it's presented as true--kind of like the found footage book version. With Bigfoot. And I loved it. Worth the read for sure, if you like that sort of stuff.

A creepy book that will stay with me for a very long time. The reader suspects what is going on but oh it can't possibly be true.

This is important. Those words will always carry a chill.

Kate Beaton is a treasure. Her comics range from history to literature to (of course) Batman. The footnotes are not to be missed. I don't remember when I first started reading her, but she's one of my go-to faves.