Small thoughts on the books I've finished during November:
Shadow Prey (John Sandford, 1990): Fun thriller, better than "Rules" in a lot of ways, somewhat problematic in others. The almost "For the Evulz" mentality of the main villain is somewhat underwhelming. Could it be published today? Maybe, with some tweaks, especially regarding Shadow Love.
f. Night Shift: Showing a sci-fi world from the perspective of a character that finds no wonder or excitement from it, I think it's one of the most interesting stories in this book. If it weren't from some sci-fi machines, it would almost describe any packing/shipping plant.
g. Bitterblooms: This one is also interesting, and (a common sentiment in this collection) also sad. I think the main character is the most fleshed out in the book, by far.
h. Nightflyers: Captivating read. At first I thought the theme was going to be something related to voyeurism, since it paid a lot of attention to how the characters were being watched all the time. I was a bit surprised when it turned into horror/mystery. The characters were well-defined. I felt like the ending didn't really hit the mark, though. The truth about the volcryn felt rushed.
I think I first heard about this book while listening to an ad on a Rotten Mango podcast episode, and I was drawn to it because of my love for true crime, mystery, thriller, and suspense. The idea of a podcaster becoming the subject of her own podcast was fascinating to me, and I couldn't wait to dive into it.
Lisa Jewell did such a great job crafting these characters and their storylines. I knew after Janie followed Alix to the restroom in that restaurant that she was going to be weird. Her behavior after that initial interaction slowly but creepily escalated from being "okay that's weird" to "wtf is wrong with her?" The social worker in me wants to pull out a DSM-5 manual and diagnose her with a personality disorder. I'm curious if anyone else shares the same opinion.
The ending still left me with questions. None of this is true... but which part? Josie's telling of her version of her life experiences? Roxi and Erin's telling of their version of their life experiences? I personally want to believe that Josie is, in the words of the British, completely mad and that her (possible) personality disorder and (possible) psychosis has deluded her into believing that she truly is a victim who just wanted to break free.
Side note... This would be cool to watch as a dramatized version on Netflix or something.
I’m #currentlyreading Fallout, the third book in the Crank series by Ellen Hopkins. This book is from the perspectives of three of Kristina Snow’s five children, Hunter, Autumn, and Summer. They all have different fathers and live with different guardians.
I’m also reading A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson. Pippa (Pip) Fitza-Amobi is working on her senior capstone project. Her topic of choice? To research the roles of print, televised, and social media in police investigations using the case of Andie Bell as a case study.
Five years ago, Andie Bell went missing and then was presumed to be dead when her body was not located. Her boyfriend, Sal Singh, is believed to be the murderer but this could not be confirmed because he was found dead in the woods, presumably from suicide. The police and practically the whole town believe he murdered Andie. Pip does not.
Now that Spotify offers audiobooks to premium subscribers, I can listen to audiobooks without having to wait for them to be available on Libby. I remember when Spotify first added audiobooks and you were required to purchase them. I thought it was absurd. I already pay for premium services, and you want me to pay extra to listen to some books? No thanks.
Twisted family secrets are at the heart of T.M.Dunn’s novel : a murder, an unreachable father and secret notebooks describing gruesome abuses. Linda, the heroine, makes unexpected discoveries that will change her life forever.
This book definitely had me gripping its pages and wanting to know what was going to happen next. I love a good #mystery#thriller novel, and I also love the concept of #timetravel, so combining the two was perfect. Did I know this book would be about time travel initially? No. I wanted to read it because it's a mystery/thriller. But as soon as Jen woke up on Day Minus One, then Day Minus Two, I knew. At first, I was confused by the frequent time skips and didn't understand why they were so random, but after learning that they may be happening so that Jen can pay more attention to the details of her surroundings and interactions, it made more sense. Like, if you had a chance to go back and do things differently, would you do it?
@BigAngBlack@blackmastodon@BlackMastodon
Too hot to handle!
Too cold to hold!
Thank you for bringing back Ghostbusters theme for Halloween. This was an unambiguous banger back then + Bobby Brown was just fine. :ablobcatattention: #ScienceFiction#Fantasy
I’ll rate this somewhere between 3.5 and 4 stars. It took a long time for me to actually finish reading this book. I picked it up and put it down so many times, because I was annoyed with the main character’s personality and behavior and I didn’t exactly enjoy the pacing. But once I finally was determined to finish it, everything I thought I knew about the story changed. Sarah Pearce wrote so many plot twists and turns, I never would’ve guessed the truth on my own. Besides the mystery of solving the murders was also Elin’s journey to the truth—not only of the current situation but also of her past. After all she’s experienced at Le Sommet, I hope she continues on a path of healing.
Side note… The truth behind the murders and the horrifying past of the hotel???? I almost want to call it unhinged.
@bookstodon I don’t think the novel is classified as horror, but the shit that was happening back in the day when the building was a sanatorium can only be described as something straight out of a horror movie. #bookreview
The #Kindle edition of "Shards" is now available for #free on Amazon's various international storefronts. This will be the case until October 4th, so get while the getting's good.
@markdevries@bookstodon@horror@scifi Sadly, I haven't had much luck publishing eBooks anywhere else. My first two novels for example were available on other platforms such as Apple Books and Google Play for years but never sold enough to justify keeping them there when compared to being Amazon exclusive via Kindle Unlimited. Fortunately, things aren't quite so locked down on the print side of things, at least for paperbacks, and those can now often be found in (or ordered by) various places.
Are you in LA area? I'll be at Dark Delicacies bookstore with these fellow writers (see pic) this Sunday the 17th starting around 3 pm. We'll be reading excerpts, signing, answering questions, scratching our privates, and generally hanging out. I'll sign anything but a check. 822 N. Hollywood Way
Burbank, CA 91505
I reviewed The Graveyard Shift by Maria Lewis for Grimdark Magazine! A late-night radio host finds herself targeted by a Scream-style slasher. Fast and fun, but maybe a bit too light-hearted?
@RobinMarx@bookstodon Having now read this book, I would also like to add that my suspension of disbelief in the opening sequences was severely impacted by the implausible lack of drunken yobs shouting "Piss off, Yank, we don't do Halloween in Australia" (I also found it a bit weird that one of the characters knew who Bill Belichick was, but maybe people care about the NFL in Australia now)
As the harbor explodes before me,
I glance back at David,
his face lit by the orange glow
of the shooting flames.
Before the curse can claim us,
David takes my hand, and we run.
I #read the 38 hr #audiobook of Debt of Honor by Tom Clancy. This 6th #book in the Jack Ryan #thriller series is really important to the overall plot arc of Ryan’s life. I am not going to wax on about the highs or lows of it, but if you read any of this series as a standalone, this is the one to invest in. I have an economics degree & think this might be very difficult to parse in places. #books#reading#romancelandia#bookstodon@bookstodon
@Borg@bookstodon oh I love Red October, I just think this one is the most critical to the plot. The Sun of All Fears may be the most important for character development. But Red October is the best written and the best read overall.