Author: thelibraryladiesmn

Serena’s Review: “How to Help a Hungry Werewolf”

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Book: “How to Help a Hungry Werewolf” by Charlotte Stein

Publishing Info: St. Martin’s Griffin, October 2024

Where Did I Get this Book: ARC from the publisher!

Where Can You Get this Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | IndieBound

Book Description: What We Do in the Shadows with the small town feels of Gilmore Girls in this swoon-worthy romance that will leave readers delightfully cozy and hungry for more.

When Cassandra Camberwell returns to her hometown of Hollow Brook to clear out her late grandmother’s ramshackle old house, the last thing she expects is Seth Brubaker on her doorstep. Her former best friend was responsible for the worst moment of her high school life, and she can’t imagine he wants to do anything but torment her all over again.

Until she unearths the real reason this annoyingly gorgeous beast of a man keeps hanging around: he’s an actual werewolf, who’s certain she’s the witch that will ease his suffering. But Cassie just isn’t sure if she can trust him again. So Seth offers a pact: he’ll teach her all about her undiscovered magic, and she will brew the potions he needs. No feelings, no funny business, just a witch and a werewolf striking a deal.

Totally doable. Until they get hit with a do-or-die mating bond. And now the heat is rising, in between fights with formers bullies and encounters with talking raccoons. They just have to not give in. Unless giving in just might be the very thing they never knew they always wanted.

Review: While October is Kate’s month with her yearly “Horrorpalooza,” if the right options present themselves, I like to get in on the themed action and read some Halloween books myself! Of course, these often skew towards the fantastical and the romantic rather than, you know, all the actual horror. That being the case, I was excited when the publisher contacted me about a potential review for this book. Judging by the title and the adorable cover alone, I thought this would perfectly fit my more laid back Halloween vibes during the month of October!

This book was a bit of a strange read, in that I really enjoyed the first half of the story, but then as it moved into the second part, I found myself beginning to struggle more. But to start with the positives, the story starts out on a strong foot. This is very much a cozy fantasy story in that there is a distinct tone to the storytelling. Nothing is ever discussed in too serious of a manner and much of the dialogue is quite quippy and silly. There is a very stylistic approach to the storytelling, and it’s the kind of thing that will either work for readers right from the start or it will annoy them. For the most part, I was happy to go with it and did find much of it humorous. I made the wise decision early in the story to firmly slot the romantic interest into the “himbo/golden-retriever-esque” character archetype, which helped with my expectations throughout.

That being the case, however, I do wish the book had balanced some of the more light-hearted moments out with some seriousness. While the Seth was funny, I also wished we had some more sincere moments from him. And, as the story progressed, I increasingly began to struggle with the dialogue/character decisions we were getting as contrasted with the actual age of these characters.

We are meant to believe these two are adults well into their twenties. But too often the manner of their speech and the quality of their observations fell firmly into the teenage category. Towards the middle, the romantic conflict began to take an incredibly silly turn, with Cassie misinterpreting Seth’s actions and reactions to a truly ridiculous degree. I get that this was meant to delay their reconciliation, but it began to become silly to the point of frustrating very quickly. Her thought process (and his as well, from what we could see) fell firmly within the juvenile category and was simply not believable as coming from a mature woman.

I also understand that this is the type of cozy fantasy story where the magic system, such as it is, is very broad and undefined. Which is fine, that’s not the point of this type of story. However, Cassie also began to feel incredibly over-powered fairly early on which did take out some of the conflict in the last act of the story.

All of this said, I believe this is the beginning of a series, and I’m fairly certain we meet the next two main characters in this book, both of whom I’m definitely interested in following. So while I felt a bit let down by the end of this book, I’m definitely interested in checking out the next one. Fans of cozy fantasy romance should probably give this one a shot, though the overall quippy tone may be hit and miss for some readers.

Rating 7: A bit bogged down by the quippy tone and immature main characters, but still a fun enough read for the most part.

Reader’s Advisory:

“How to Help a Hungry Werewolf” can be found on these Goodreads lists: A Dash of Spice: Autumn Romance Reads and Witch Romance

Kate’s Review: “My Vampire Plus One”

This post may contain affiliate links for books we recommend.  Read the full disclosure here.

Book: “My Vampire Plus One” by Jenna Levine

Publishing Info: Berkley, September 2024

Where Did I Get This Book: I received an eARC from NetGalley

Where You Can Get This Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | Indiebound

Book Description: Nothing sucks more than fake dating a vampire in this paranormal romantic comedy from the USA Today bestselling author of My Roommate Is a Vampire.

Amelia Collins is by definition successful. She would even go so far as to say successfully single. But not according to her family, and she’s tired of the constant questions about her nonexistent dating life. When an invitation to yet another family wedding arrives, she decides to get everyone off her back once and for all by finding someone–anyone–to pose as her date.

After a chance encounter with Reginald Cleaves, Amelia decides he’s perfect for her purposes. He’s a bit strange, but that’s fine; it’ll discourage tough questions from her family. (And it certainly doesn’t hurt that he’s very handsome.) For centuries-old vampire Reggie, posing as her plus-one sounds like the ultimate fun. And if it helps his ruse of pretending to be human, so much the better.

As Amelia and Reggie practice their fauxmance, it becomes clear that Reggie is as loyal to her as the day is long, and that Amelia’s first impressions could not have been more wrong. Suddenly, being in a real relationship with Reggie sounds pretty fang-tastic.

Review: Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this novel!

Last year I read and reviewed the romance novel “My Roommate Is A Vampire” by Jenna Levine, which introduced us to Cassie and her vampire roommate turned lover Frederick. I found it to be very sweet and very fun (and very steamy), and quite enjoyed it. One of the standouts, however, was Frederick’s sarcastic fellow vampire friend (frenemy?) Reginald, whose wit and snide remarks consistently made me laugh. So when I saw the cover for the sequel “My Vampire Plus One”, I immediately thought ‘oh my GOD REGGIE IS GETTING A BOOK!’, and requested it post haste. I needed to see what Levine was going to do with his character and a love interest that would surely be able to stand toe to toe with him. And folks, this didn’t disappoint. A fake dating romance is already a trope I love, and when you make a high strung accountant meet a vampire bad boy, I am even MORE desperate to read it.

Since it is Halloween Season and this is in my Horrorpalooza celebration, I will first talk about the general vampire mythos that Levine is continuing here. I am still quite enjoying the way that she is tackling vampires and how they are functioning in this version of our world, as they don’t feel shoe horned in, nor does the world feel very different from our own. Vampires like Reggie have vampiric traits that are familiar, though there are also some twists on them to make them feel unique (sunlight doesn’t kill them but it does cause some pain, different vampires have differing abilities, etc). I also liked the descriptions of “The Collective”, a long functioning vampire cult that is hunting down Reggie for a crime they think he committed centuries ago, but who all feel a bit bumbling and very “What We Do in the Shadows” in their silliness. To make things even more entertaining, one of the many epistolary devices used in this book is them communicating with each other on their hunt, and how their hunt isn’t going super well. There were many laugh out loud moments involving these kinds of chapter breaks (another of note: records from a bullet journaling chat room that Reggie frequents to ask for romantic advice. SO CHARMING). But even MORE intriguing? Levine has introduced the concept of witches in this world now, and boy I hope that if she does do a follow up we get a story centered around Reggie’s old potential lover Zelda, who is now running a hot yoga studio on the west coast.

Dare I dream we get to see a witch romance next?? Also, total side track, these two were the best and Joss Whedon did her so dirty. (source)

And I also just loved Reggie and Amelia, and all of the delicious chemistry they have together. For Amelia, it’s her slightly neurotic and incredibly ambitious personality that makes her a little tightly wound, though very endearing all the same. I enjoyed how she is competent and incredibly clever, and loved that by getting entangled with Reggie she starts to learn to loosen up a bit, but not in a way that criticizes her personality or her character. And Reggie? Well. It’s a been pretty common to see two kinds of male vampire potential love interest archetypes in modern vampire literature. There’s the serious, broody, kind of sullen one, and there’s the sarcastic, mischievous, kind of bad boy one. Louis, Bill Compton, and Angel are all the former, while Lestat, Eric Northman, and Spike are all the latter. I have ALWAYS preferred the latter. And if Frederick in “My Roommate is a Vampire” is a Louis/Bill/Angle type, Reggie is DEFINITELY a Lestat/Eric/Spike type. And readers, this means I automatically ADORE HIM. Reggie is funny, he’s a bit mysterious, he’s a BIT of a dope, and he is so endearing in his terribly suppressed sappy/emotional side (he has a scrapbooked bullet journal and if THAT isn’t Spike coded I don’t know WHAT is!!). When you combine that kind of personality with Amelia’s kind of personality it is an instant win, and my gosh do these two have fantastic chemistry. Which, of course, means that the slow burn romance is VERY satisfying as they banter, pine, and eventually consummate. I really loved these two and was so on board with their love story.

I loved “My Vampire Plus One”! Even more so than its predecessor, which is saying something because I also really enjoyed that one too. Jenna Levine continues to be a go to for paranormal romance with a goofy edge!

Rating 9: A delightful and incredibly humorous follow up to a stand out read from last year, “My Vampire Plus One” is sexy and witty and everything I was hoping it would be!

Reader’s Advisory:

“My Vampire Plus One” is included on the Goodreads lists “Spooky Season Reads”, and “Vampires!”.

Highlights: October 2024

October is here! It’s the month of Kate…we mean, Halloween! So far, it’s been on the warmer side, which Serena is happy about, but the trees are definitely changing color and the cooler weather will soon be here. Kate, of course, has her Horrorpalooza books to cover, and even Serena will get into the spirit of the season a bit. Check out our picks for the month!

Serena’s Picks

Book: “How to Help a Hungry Werewolf” by Charlotte Stein

Publication Date: October 1, 2024

Why I’m Interested: See? Look, a Halloween-related story! Well, sort of. It does feature paranormal creatures like werewolves and witches, but let’s be real. This is a cozy fantasy/romantic comedy book at its heart. I also won’t lie that I wasn’t immediately drawn in by the simply adorableness of the cover image. The story follows a young woman who returns to her home town (you know, like almost all romcom plot lines…) and finds herself re-connecting with her childhood best friend who had betrayed her in high school. This seems like a fairly straightforward story, but I’m excited to see how it all comes together with the magical elements.

Book: “Monstrous Nights” by Genoveva Dimova

Publication Date: October 22, 2024

Why I’m Interested: “Foul Days” was one of those magical reading moments for me. I went in knowing very little about the story, having never heard of the author before, and really having zero expectations. And then it blew me away and became an instant favorite! While the book wrapped up in a satisfying way, I was thrilled to discover the second part was coming out so soon afterwards. And here we finally are! I can’t wait to return to this world and continue following the story of our favorite witch and her police officer side kick! A bit more romance would also be appreciated!

Book: “Pride and Prejudice in Space” by Alexis Lampley

Publication Date: October 15, 2024

Why I’m Interested: It’s impossible to keep up with all of the Jane Austen retellings and adaptations out there. But this one had two major factors working in its favor. For one thing, it included beautiful artwork throughout. For a second, it re-located the story of “Pride and Prejudice” into space, merging the story into the science fiction genre, a favorite of mine. I’m so curious to see how this historical romance is changed by this massive shift in genre. Could go either way, but I have high hopes!

Kate’s Picks

Book: “This Cursed House” by Del Sandeen

Publication Date: October 8, 2024

Why I’m Interested: We all know that I love a haunted house story, and if it also has a family drama with it AS WELL AS social commentary, I’m very much going to be all in. So I was definitely interested in “This Cursed House”, as it has all of those things! In 1962 a Black woman named Jemma leaves Chicago for New Orleans in hopes of starting over, banking on a promise to be a tutor for a wealthy family. But when she arrives, she realizes that she’s not there to be a tutor, but is expected to break a familial curse. To make matters more complicated, the cold and intimidating Duchon family has some secrets not only about their actual intentions, but also about their identities. In multiple ways. And what else? Jemma can see ghosts. And there are MANY around. I am very excited for this one, what a perfect Halloween read!

Book: “American Rapture” by C.J. Leede

Publication Date: October 15, 2024

Why I’m Interested: Well for one, the cover is pretty freaking cool. That was the first thing that caught my eye. But I also LOVE an apocalypse story, and “American Rapture” sounds like a VERY unique apocalypse story, involving sexuality, religious trauma, and hoping to find something left of humanity at the end of the world. The description is holding some things a LITTLE close to the vest so I don’t have much more information than that, BUT there is the hilarious tagline ‘the end times are ‘coming”, which is…. I mean that’s just perfect. I’m very much looking forward to this one.

Book: “All The Hearts You Eat” by Hailey Piper

Publication Date: October 15, 2024

Why I’m Interested: First and foremost, I still haven’t read anything by Hailey Piper, even though she has been making waves in the horror genre for a bit now. So I thought that this was the time to jump in with her newest novel “All The Hearts You Eat”, a story about a dead woman, a notorious island filled with rumors, and ghosts upon ghosts. A woman named Ivory stumbles upon the dead body of Cabrina on the seaside, and it looks like she had been trying to swim out to a close by island that has lots of secrets and rumors that fly about it. And then when Ivory starts seeing Cabrina’s ghost, she wonders if Cabrina is trying to tell her something. I love a haunting Gothic tale that’s steeped in sadness, and it sounds like this one will be exactly what I want.

What books are you looking forward to this month? Let us know in the comments!

Kate’s Review: “Shallow Ends”

This post may contain affiliate links for books we recommend.  Read the full disclosure here.

Book: “Shallow Ends” by David James Keaton

Publishing Info: Podium Publishing, September 2024

Where Did I Get This Book: I received an eARC from the author.

Where You Can Get This Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | Indiebound

Book Description: An innocent celebration takes a twisted turn when thirteen unlucky people find themselves trapped on a party bus with an inscrutable driver at the wheel.

It was just supposed to be a birthday party, a mobile celebration with a group of college friends on a modified fire truck. But at some point, things take a dark detour. As the pulsating beats of dance music reverberate over an endless stretch of asphalt, the temperature suddenly plummets, and the reality of the situation becomes chillingly clear. The driver will not stop. After frantically attempting contact, the passengers begin to suspect this party may never end. Desperation mounts as the trapped revelers hatch a plan to halt the rolling nightmare themselves. While they continue to drink and argue, shifting narrators peel back the layers of their past lives, exposing the disturbing secrets that bind them all together. Alliances shift, old grudges resurface, and battles erupt as the terrified passengers turn on one another in a struggle for survival as they careen through the night.

The Twilight Zone meets Speed in Shallow Ends, a harrowing exploration of the human psyche set on a desolate highway, where the line between what’s real and unreal blurs. Brace yourself for a psychological thrill ride that will leave you questioning the boundaries of perception—and confronting the darkness that lurks beneath the placid surface of our lives.

Review: Thank you to David James Keaton for sending me an eARC of this novel!

Halloween Season keeps on keeping on, and I am trying to showcase a variety of sub genres this year for Horrorpalooza. Heck, I’m trying to expand my horror reading experiences all year round, really. So when David James Keaton reached out with his new horror novel “Shallow Ends”, and I saw it described as “The Twilight Zone” meets “Speed”, I thought that it sounded out there enough that I HAD to check it out. And I’m happy that I took a chance on it, because “Shallow Ends” was bizarre in the best way.

I didn’t really know what to expect with this story but it was a high tension roller coaster for the most part. While the comparisons to “The Twilight Zone” and “Speed” are definitely on point, I was also thinking of the anthology horror film “Night Train to Terror” as I read this as this party firetruck of people hurtles towards who knows what. Keaton definitely knows how to up the suspense as our party goers start to realize that their party firetruck isn’t stopping, and may NOT stop unless they can figure out a way to do so. It’s creative and weird, and I did find myself wondering just how this was all going to shake out for our cast of characters as the night continues on, they start to turn on each other, and the booze keeps on flowing. I will admit that the huge cast of characters made it a bit tricky for me to keep them all straight, but characterization for every player isn’t really the point, even as we start to delve more and more into their backstories (more on that in a bit). I think that for me the biggest success was the oddball strangeness of a party firetruck with a pool and bar a volatile group of revelers getting stuck in a time loop or something of the sort and their journey never ends as as they get more desperate. It’s SO weird but because of that it utterly charmed me.

And yes, as we see character backstories or memories as told through separate short stories, it also has a bit of a “Canterbury Tales” vibe to it. Which is ALSO so oddball, but executed in a way that I found to be interesting and unique. At first I was a little thrown, but once I figured out what was going on I got on board. I will say that sometimes it kind of threw the momentum off to be going from something so frenetic as an out of control party firetruck to a total change in scenery, but it was, again, an oddity to what I have come to expect from the genre. And yes, there were plenty of things in this book that actually had me laughing out loud. There are a lot of characters who are just awful, but have some really funny lines, both in the moment on the party truck, but also within the stories that are representing themselves beyond the chaotic moments in the pool.

“Shallow Ends” is a strange brew, and I found it entertaining and suspenseful. If you like weird horror, this is one to look out for!

Rating 7: Frenetic and strange with an ever building tension, “Shallow Ends” is breakneck and suspenseful, and one of the more unique horror books I’ve read this year.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Shallow Ends” isn’t on any Goodreads lists as of now, but it would fit in on “Best Weird Fiction Books”.

Serena’s Review: “Immortal Dark”

This post may contain affiliate links for books we recommend.  Read the full disclosure here.

Book: “Immortal Dark” by Tigest Girma

Publishing Info: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, September 2024

Where Did I Get this Book: ARC from the publisher!

Where Can You Get this Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | IndieBound

Book Description: The Cruel Prince meets Ninth House in this dangerously romantic dark academia fantasy, where a lost heiress must infiltrate an arcane society and live with the vampire she suspects killed her family and kidnapped her sister.

It began long before my time, but something has always hunted our family.

Orphaned heiress Kidan Adane grew up far from the arcane society she was born into, where human bloodlines gain power through vampire companionship. When her sister, June, disappears, Kidan is convinced a vampire stole her—the very vampire bound to their family, the cruel yet captivating Susenyos Sagad.

To find June, Kidan must infiltrate the elite Uxlay University—where students study to ensure peaceful coexistence between humans and vampires and inherit their family legacies. Kidan must survive living with Susenyos—even as he does everything he can to drive her away. It doesn’t matter that Susenyos’s wickedness speaks to Kidan’s own violent nature and tempts her to surrender to a life of darkness. She must find her sister and kill Susenyos at all costs.

When a murder mirroring June’s disappearance shakes Uxlay, Kidan sinks further into the ruthless underworld of vampires, risking her very soul. There she discovers a centuries-old threat—and June could be at the center of it. To save her sister, Kidan must bring Uxlay to its knees and either break free from the horrors of her own actions or embrace the dark entanglements of love—and the blood it requires.

Review: I’ve been looking forward to this one for a few months! While vampires aren’t my favorite supernatural beings, I’ve had a lot of success with some of the recent books featuring them. On top of that, this one added in several other tropes I enjoy: dark academia, gothic fiction, and an enemies-to-lovers romance.

Unfortunately, this one was a bit of a mixed bag for me. But it was by no means a complete loss, and by the time I had finished the book, I had mentally slotted this author into the “worth checking out again” category in my head. So, let’s start with what I did like. The writing had a lot of potential, I think. It got bogged down a bit in info-dumping and confused world-building, but on its own, it was good. There were several turns of phrase and story-building moments that stood out, and the strength of the writing itself is largely what pulled me through when I began to struggle.

I also liked a lot of the ideas that went into this world and its society, especially the dark academia aspects. There was a lot of creativity to be found here, and, as much as I hate the term, the gothic “vibes” were well done. I definitely wanted to learn more about this world, and became increasingly frustrated when the book continued to lack clarity with some of these elements.

Clarity, overall, was a real problem. Which was odd because there were also significant moments early in the novel that felt extremely info-dumpy. There were also a plethora of different plot lines and magic systems that were all introduced early in the book. So even with clunky exposition moments, I still felt unclear on exactly how any of this worked exactly and how these various plotlines were meant to weave together.

I also struggled with the characters themselves. For all that I love enemies-to-lovers romances, I’ve realized that I’m also fairly picky in this regard. Sure, they can be enemies, but there’s a point of animosity that it’s difficult to believe anyone would come back from. And that’s what we had here. These characters HATED one another and were truly terrible to one another, so much so that it was difficult to buy their slow reconciliation. To be fair, the book doesn’t rush this, and even by the end, it’s more of a “hate less” situation than anything.

But the biggest problem here was the struggle I had to become invested in the main character. She was truly terrible at times, and her hatred of the vampires was uncomfortable at times. On one hand, I appreciate books that don’t shy away from demonstrating what bigotry can look like. Many authors simply take the safe route and show villains being bigots and then pat themselves on the back for “tackling” a tough topic. But here, our main character is too truly blinded by her hatred of an entire group of people to engage honestly with the individual in front of her. However, while I appreciate the difficulty of this task, it still left me following a character I struggled to like.

As for the rest of the characters, most of them felt like cardboard cutouts of characters, reading as very flat. And while I think the writing was strong in its descriptive elements for the most part, the dialogue was a mess. There were many times where I honestly have no idea what the characters were even trying to say. It’s like they were talking in riddles simply because it was meant to make them seem deep. But in reality, they were saying nothing and no one talks like this.

This book was a bit all over the place. I think there was a lot of potential here, and perhaps the author will settle in to her style a bit more as she moves forward. But on its own, this book was a bit of a struggle for me to get through. I think it will best work for dark fantasy/romance readers who enjoy fairly extreme versions of enemies-to-lovers romances. Take “The Cruel Prince” dynamic and elevate the cruelty, essentially.

Rating 7: While the descriptive writing was good, the story felt bogged down by too many plot lines and inscrutable magic systems.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Immortal Dark” can be found on these Goodreads lists: The Vampire Renaissance and Magic Schools, Academies & Universities.

Kate’s Review: “The Hysterical Girls of St. Bernadette’s”

This post may contain affiliate links for books we recommend.  Read the full disclosure here

Book: “The Hysterical Girls of St. Bernadette’s” by Hanna Alkaf

Publishing Info: Salaam Reads/ Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, September 2024

Where Did I Get This Book: I received an eARC from the publisher.

Where You Can Get This Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | Indiebound

Book Description: An all-girls school is struck with mysterious cases of screaming hysteria in this chilling dark academia thriller haunted by a deeply buried history clawing to the light.

For over a hundred years, girls have fought to attend St. Bernadette’s, with its reputation for shaping only the best and brightest young women. Unfortunately, there is also the screaming.

When a student begins to scream in the middle of class, a chain reaction starts that impacts the entire school. By the end of the day, seventeen girls are affected—along with St. Bernadette’s stellar reputation.

Khadijah’s got her own scars to tend to, and watching her friends succumb to hysteria only rips apart wounds she’d rather keep closed. But when her sister falls to the screams, Khad knows she’s the only one who can save her. Rachel has always been far too occupied trying to reconcile her overbearing mother’s expectations with her own secret ambitions to pay attention to school antics. But just as Rachel finds her voice, it turns into screams.

Together, the two girls find themselves digging deeper into the school’s dark history, hunting for the truth. Little do they know that a specter lurks in the darkness, watching, waiting, and hungry for its next victim…

Review: Thank you to Salaam Reads for sending me an eARC of this novel!

I went to an elite private school in St. Paul, Minnesota, and let me tell you the pressure was pretty horrendous (especially for a girl with a slew of learning disabilities and ADHD). But because of this experience that continues to kind of haunt me to this day in some ways, I’m always interested in a thriller/horror story that has an elite private school as its location. So when I was approached to read “The Hysterical Girls of St. Bernadette’s” by Hanna Alkaf I was pretty much on board right away. You already had me at private school woes of school girls screaming their heads off, but then you really sold me when 1) it was in a locale and culture that I’m not super familiar with, as this book takes place in Malaysia, and 2) there was a hinted at supernatural side to it. So I took the plunge with high hopes, and I’m happy to say that they were pretty well met!

In terms of a mystery thriller with a potential supernatural twist, “The Hysterical Girls of St. Bernadettes” checks a lot of boxes that make it a successful read. We have our two protagonists Khadijah and Rachel, who have alternating chapters and can give us multiple insights across the story as the mystery unfolds (aka, why are their classmates at their prestigious all girls school suddenly screaming for no discernible reason, and what isn’t the school telling the students?). I liked following both of them as they had very different paths in terms of getting the clues together, and as there were more and more questions about whether it is hysteria, something otherworldly, or perhaps something totally understandable, I found myself more and more eager to get to the solution. Some of the imagery in this book was also downright frightening, with Alkaf setting the scene and creating a vision in my minds eye of a girl screaming her head off that really got under my skin. This may be a bit more of a mystery thriller than a horror story, but let me tell you, the bits that were horror were superb.

And even beyond the well paced and creepy mystery and horror story at hand, I really liked the other themes of this book, specifically the calling out and dressing down of violent misogyny and the silencing of women to keep a system untouched and in place. Both Khadijah and Rachel have different ways that they are being silenced, and I liked the choice that Alkaf made to show that there are different ways for these girls to be silenced, whether it is Khadijah’s selective and self imposed non speaking due to the trauma that she endured at the hands of her stepfather, or Rachel not feeling like she can have a say in any part of her future due to her overbearing and cold mother. We shift between both of their perspectives, and it was effective to see their different experiences and the different ways that they fit into the overall mystery of why their classmates are screaming, and how their experiences are both the results of societal expectations for women in their community, with Khadijah being basically silenced in the wake of her stepfather’s crimes and her victimization, and Rachel being pushed into a very specific acceptable box. Throw in the fact that the school is trying to hide a dark history with screaming girls and bouts of hysteria, and doesn’t want Khadijah making waves as she investigates, and you have a critique of misogyny that sears and burns in the best ways.

“The Hysterical Girls of St. Bernadette’s” is a well done thriller/mystery/horror tale. Hanna Alkaf is someone to watch. I know I will be doing so.

Rating 8: A tense and angry horror story that calls out violent and systemic misogyny and lauds feminine rage, “The Hysterical Girls of St. Bernadette’s” is a searing YA tale of all too real terrors to go with the fantastical ones.

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Hysterical Girls of St. Bernadette’s” is included on the Goodreads lists “Books by Malaysian Authors/Set in Malaysia”, and “Horror to Look Forward to in 2024”.

Serena’s Review: “The City in Glass”

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Book: “The City in Glass” by Nghi Vo

Publishing Info: Tor, October 2024

Where Did I Get this Book: ARC from the publisher!

Where Can You Get this Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | IndieBound

Book Description: A demon. An angel. A city that burns at the heart of the world.

The demon Vitrine—immortal, powerful, and capricious—loves the dazzling city of Azril. She has mothered, married, and maddened the city and its people for generations, and built it into a place of joy and desire, revelry and riot.

And then the angels come, and the city falls.

Vitrine is left with nothing but memories and a book containing the names of those she has lost—and an angel, now bound by her mad, grief-stricken curse to haunt the city he burned.

She mourns her dead and rages against the angel she longs to destroy. Made to be each other’s devastation, angel and demon are destined for eternal battle. Instead, they find themselves locked in a devouring fascination that will change them both forever.

Together, they unearth the past of the lost city and begin to shape its future. But when war threatens Azril and everything they have built, Vitrine and her angel must decide whether they will let the city fall again.

The City in Glass is both a brilliantly constructed history and an epic love story, of death and resurrection, memory and transformation, redemption and desire strong enough to burn a world to ashes and build it anew.

Review: I’ve only recently discovered this author, and my first introduction was to jump in to the middle of an ongoing series of novellas. Which, objectively, was probably a foolish decision. But it does serve as a testament to the skills of the author that I still found myself fully drawn in and enjoying my read, even as I met these characters and this world for the first time! That being the case, however, I was excited when I saw that she was releasing a new stand-alone fantasy novella! Perfect for a relative newbie like me!

The very premise of this book sounded like it was right up my alley! I love second-world fantasy stories like this, the sort that require elaborate and detailed world-building on the author’s part to weave together a landscape completely foreign to our own. Add on top of that the rather classic angel/demon enemies-to-lovers storyline, and I was in! These expectations, based on the short summary we were given, were both perfectly on point for what this book has to offer and a bit misleading.

The concept was just as described, but there’s no emphasizing enough the powerful writing that went into describing the unique relationship between the city and the chaotic demon, Vitrine. She’s a demon in the truest sense, in that she’s passionate but unpredictable, as much a patron to her city as she is a force similar to the weather, capricious and destructive. But what really sells the heart of this story, is the tragedy that follows. The loss of her city and then the endless battle she finds herself in with the angel that wrought it.

I think I have certain expectations (whether good or bad, who knows) about what enemies-to-lovers stories look like. And, if you’re a fan of that sort of romance, you probably do too. Well, I’m here to say that this isn’t that! This is a devastating exploration of two beings destined to hate one another who cautiously become intrigued and then slowly beguiled by the other. However, none of these feelings undo the massive tragedy that came before, and a sense of darkness looms throughout. The ending is also not a “romance” ending, if you know what I mean. Instead, it was as strange, beautiful, and tragic as everything that came before in this book.

For all that I loved about this book (beautiful writing, creative world-building, complicated characters), I would have a hard time saying that I “enjoyed” this read. It’s not that kind of book. Beach read, this is not. However, readers who enjoy this author or who are looking for a lyrical, more complicated, approach to the oh-so-popular enemies-to-lovers storyline should definitely check this one out!

Rating 8: Beautiful and tragic, this book explores themes of loss and re-birth all through the lens of two fantastic characters, an angel and a demon.

Reader’s Advisory:

“The City in Glass” can be found on this Goodreads list: [ATY 2025] Fictional Location

Kate’s Review: “So Thirsty”

This post may contain affiliate links for books we recommend.  Read the full disclosure here

Book: “So Thirsty” by Rachel Harrison

Publishing Info: Berkley, September 2024

Where Did I Get This Book: I received an eARC from NetGalley.

Where You Can Get This Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | Indiebound

Book Description: A woman must learn to take life by the throat after a night out leads to irrevocable changes in this juicy, thrilling novel from the USA Today bestselling author of Such Sharp Teeth and Black Sheep.

Sloane Parker is dreading her birthday. She doesn’t need a reminder she’s getting older, or that she’s feeling indifferent about her own life. Her husband surprises her with a birthday weekend getaway—not with him, but with Sloane’s longtime best friend, troublemaker extraordinaire Naomi.

Sloane anticipates a weekend of wine tastings and cozy robes and strategic avoidance of issues she’d rather not confront, like her husband’s repeated infidelity. But when they arrive at their rental cottage, it becomes clear Naomi has something else in mind. She wants Sloane to stop letting things happen to her, for Sloane to really live. So Naomi orchestrates a wild night out with a group of mysterious strangers, only for it to take a horrifying turn that changes Sloane’s and Naomi’s lives literally forever.

The friends are forced to come to terms with some pretty eternal consequences in this bloody, seductive novel about how it’s never too late to find satisfaction, even though it might taste different than expected.

Review: Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this novel!

It is October 1st!! We are officially at the start of my favorite month of the year, and we are also officially in full on Halloween Season, with that most blessed of holidays happening as the month comes to an end. And like I always do for October, I am starting my Horrorpalooza Celebration, in which I dedicate all of my book reviews to horror centered reads. I am always eager for this time of year and this celebration, and I decided that I wanted to kick it off with Rachel Harrison’s new novel “So Thirsty”. I love Rachel Harrison, and I was very eager to see what she was going to do with vampires, as I’ve really liked her takes on other horror sub-genres and how she makes them perhaps a little lighter, while still having some great scares. And “So Thirsty” was a great way to kick things off.

Harrison has always approached horror stories with a quick wit and some well done beats that find quality scares while still being approachable to those who may not be as entrenched in the genre, and she continues that pattern here. Our story is simple: life long friends Sloane and Naomi are going on a girls trip for Sloane’s 36th Birthday. Sloane is feeling stuck in a rut with a cheating husband and boring routine, while Naomi has been traveling Europe with few constraints and a side of flakiness. In hopes of loosening Sloane up, Naomi gets them invites to a big isolated house with some oh so charming strangers, and before we know it Sloane and Naomi have been turned into vampires, wondering what happens next, but perhaps also seeing a new beginning. As a plot it’s great. I love the idea of being changed into a vampire acting as a new start or a way to get one’s groove back, and I thought that Harrison made the vampires in this story appropriately predatory while also being very fun and genial. Less blundering than the “What We Do in the Shadows” group, but not as menacing or cruel as the “Near Dark” nomads. I really enjoyed all of them and their banter and humor, but also liked how nasty they could be when needed (and when their vampiric nature called for it). And there were definitely some moments in this book that were pretty scary and even gory, without being too over the top. Which would make it more accessible to people who are looking for something this Halloween season but may not like things to be TOO bloody.

I also really enjoyed the character development between Sloane and Naomi, both as a friendship pair and as individuals. As Sloane is our main character I expected it for her story arc, and while it didn’t really go outside of the box of ‘ennui and people pleasing woman who is approaching middle age finds her spark again’, I thought that it was a very satisfying storyline to follow. Her frustrations with her life (a boring job, a cheating husband, few things that bring her joy) felt pretty realistic, as did her hesitance to try and change things out of fear of what that change could do to a life she already knows, even if it’s boring and unsatisfying. I also enjoyed her chemistry with Henry, who starts as a mysterious guest at the ill fated party they attend, and turns into a symbol of what Sloane’s life COULD have should she be willing to take a leap (though it’s not like she’s going to have a choice). But what surprised me story wise was that we also got to see a bit of growth for free spirited party girl Naomi, who seems to have the opposite issue of Sloane, but is still in need to confronting how dissatisfied SHE is, even if it’s for different reasons. We don’t get into her head nearly as much, but Harrison knows how to imply and hint at Naomi’s own inner conflicts. And seeing both of these women be confronted with a life changing moment in time, and having to suss out and hash out their complicated friendship because of it, was an arc that I quite enjoyed. Harrison really has a knack for displaying all the ups and downs of female friendships and how they can be incredibly gratifying and fulfilling while also having complexities that can hinder them. Sloane and Naomi are another solid example of that.

“So Thirsty” is a fun way to kick off Horrorpalooza! I always look forward to Rachel Harrison for the spooky season and this one didn’t disappoint!

Rating 8: A fun and introspective tale about friendship and embracing oneself no matter what changes may occur, “So Thirsty” is another entertaining and satisfying novel from Rachel Harrison!

Reader’s Advisory:

“So Thirsty” is included on the Goodreads lists “I Support Women’s Wrongs”, and “Pink Horror Genre”.

Not Just Books: September 2024

While we do love us some books, believe it not, we do have a life outside of reading. So to highlight our other pop culture interests, on the last Monday of each month, we each will highlight three other “happenings” from the last month. Big events on favorite TV shows, new movies we’ve watched, old movies we’ve “discovered,” etc. Pretty much whatever we found of particular interest outside of the book world during the last month. Share your own favorite things in the comments!

Serena’s Picks

TV Show: “Slow Horses” Season 4

More often than not, bookclub often devolves to me and my friend Aimee ranting about the trend of streamers releasing their seasons week-to-week and hence undercutting one of the primary appeals of streaming in the first place: binge watching. In protest (probably protest that hurts no one but myself, but alas), I often wait to watch a show until the entire season has been released. However, for shows that I watch with my husband, our combined impatience often gets the best of this strategy, and such has been the case with this most recent season. All of my favorite characters are back in their full ridiculous and incompetent glory, and Gary Oldman is back to rudely dismiss them all. The writing on this show is excellent, and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys spy/thriller shows!

Movie: “Hacksaw Ridge”

This is one of those movies that has been on my list to watch for quite sometime. But it’s also the kind of movie where you really need to be in the right mood to handle the grim subject matter. The story itself is uplifting and incredible, but the actual horror that was the battle on Hacksaw Ridge cannot be undersold. The movie does a great job of balancing both this horror as well as the incredibly heroism of Desmond Doss, brilliantly portrayed by Andrew Garfield. We also see a lot of focus on the European side of WWII (for good reason), but I think it’s often largely forgotten how much of a focal point the Pacific War was through these years, particularly for the U.S. public at the time. Obviously, this movie was well received in pretty much every way, so a recommendation from me many years later is rather silly. But, well, it’s good and you should watch it!

Netflix Series: “The Perfect Couple”

Yes, you got me Netflix, I am one of those viewers who will often check out your new show/movie/what-gave-you if you cast a major star I enjoy as a lead. And I’ve always liked Nichole Kidman. She always seems to bring complicated layers to her performances, leaving viewers often befuddled as to how they are meant to feel about the character. Such is the case here as well, as the story follows a murder that occurs at a wealthy family’s wedding. Most of the cast shine, though I will say, the other lead actress, Eve Hewson, was a bit of a struggle at times. It’s hard to know whether this was due to the writing or her performance. But the strength of the rest of the cast and the intriguing murder mystery still left me enjoying it overall.

Kate’s Picks

Podcast: “Tooth & Claw”

This past month “Last Podcast on the Left” did a series on SeaWorld and the orca Tilikum, the notorious whale that was responsible for the deaths of three people while in captivity. It was a fantastic and devastating series, and while reading on the Reddit boards what other people thought I kept seeing reference to another podcast called “Tooth & Claw”. I decided to give it a go, and I was really happy with what I found! “Tooth & Claw” is a podcast run by a conservationist/wildlife biologist named Wes, his brother Jeff, and their friend Mike, where they talk about incidents and cases of animal attacks. They’ve covered stories like The Night of the Grizzlies, The Jersey Shore Shark Attacks, other famous cases, and numerous stories that perhaps went viral but aren’t as well known. But it’s not just sensationalism, as Wes always has great information about ecology, biology, and zoology for each episode, and does a great job of contextualizing the animal behavior (I never imagined I would be so enthralled by percentages of types of food sources for grizzly bears in Yellowstone National Park, but lo and behold I was!), while also giving tips on how to safely interact with wildlife . I’m learning a lot while also getting to hear harrowing tales of animal attacks, it’s win win.

TV Show: “The West Wing”

This has been on the Not Just Books list before from both Serena and myself, but my husband and I are doing another re-watch and it’s been taking up a lot of my non book down time. And it’s still a great show that MOSTLY holds up (there are some moments that make me go ‘well we know better now’, but for a twenty five year old show and having not too many is impressive). I’ve been pretty nervous (perhaps terrified) about the state of politics in the U.S. this year given that it’s once again a Presidential Election cycle and things just continue to escalate, but I’m enjoying the Bartlett White House and all of the people who work there. Josh Lyman continues to be super relatable (there is a reason I was once described as the Josh Lyman of book club), and more than ever I am yelling “LISTEN TO TOBY, TOBY IS RIGHT!!” on this rewatch. Which you can take as you will. I don’t know how the election is going to shake out in November, but I’m living vicariously through this show and crossing my fingers.

Netflix Docuseries: “Mr. McMahon”

As I’ve mentioned before, my husband was a huge WWF/WWE fan when he was a kid and a teenager, and he still likes to dip in to watch pro-wrestling for the big events like Wrestlemania, the Royal Rumble, and Summer Slam. I watch with him too because it’s fun to watch him be so nostalgic and entertained, but also because I find pro-wrestling to be SO fascinating as it’s a bunch of super athletic theater kids. But I have always HATED Vince McMahon, the absolute monster who is responsible for making WWE what it is today…. but also for a slew of depraved and horrifying behaviors and crimes. So obviously we were both very excited to watch “Mr. McMahon”, the docuseries that kind of peels back the image of Vince and his company and compiles and exposes him for the trash heap psychopath that he actually is. It wasn’t really news to me and my husband, as we’ve been well aware of his bullshit and horrible behavior for years now. But man, having it all in one place? It’s jarring. But what’s even more disturbing is that I didn’t even feel that the series went as hard as it could have! It’s also a little unnerving to see so many people involved with the company STILL being unable to call him out for what he is. But maybe not surprising. Good riddance, Vince, you slimeball.

Kate’s Review: “Nightmare of a Trip”

This post may contain affiliate links for books we recommend.  Read the full disclosure here.

Book: “Nightmare of a Trip” by Maureen Kilmer

Publishing Info: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, September 2024

Where Did I Get This Book: I received an eARC from NetGalley.

Where You Can Get This Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | Indiebound

Book Description: A horror-tinged National Lampoon’s This is one family getaway they’ll never forget… Leigh Somerset wants to spend some quality time with her kids before they grow up, and her husband has always fancied himself sort of a Clark Griswold figure. So the Somersets will be spending their family vacation on the road, driving from suburban Milwaukee to Orlando, Florida. Already off to a rocky start, when they stumble upon an abandoned, half-burned farmhouse in Indiana, the Somersets inadvertently unleash an eerie past that will follow them the rest of their trip. From creepy indoor waterparks to paranormal-activity plagued Cracker Barrels, it’s one thing after another in the pursuit of the great American summer road trip. Will the Somersets be able to shake these bad vibes and get on with family bonding, or will the road less traveled become the highway to hell?

Review: Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this novel!

My family never did a huge cross country road trip when I was a kid, though we did take four-five hour trips to visit relatives in Iowa or drive to the Apostle Islands on occasion. I think that my parents knew that none of us had the wherewithal to do the long drives across multiple states, and since we could afford plane tickets, that’s what we did. But even with the smaller road trips I was compelled to pick up “Nightmare of a Trip” by Maureen Kilmer. I had enjoyed another of her books, and the promise of a haunting story mixed with “National Lampoon’s Vacation” is hard to resist. Unfortunately, my high hopes were a bit dashed this time.

First what I did like. The entire concept of a stereotypical American family road trip being waylaid by supernatural hijinks is a pretty fun idea. Given that I found Kilmer’s book “Suburban Hell” to be a fun satire on American suburbia I was hoping that “Nightmare of a Trip” would have a similar execution and also be a fun satire. And there were definitely some fun things about this book. The idea of a Cracker Barrel being thrown into chaos due to poltergeist activity is hilarious, and I also enjoyed the stress and exhaustion of Leigh and Nick as they are trying to take their kids on a memorable family vacation while also keeping their shit together. Because there were a couple nights at Disney World this past Spring where once the kid was in bed my husband and I just collapsed in a puddle of burn out, and Kilmer nails the feel. It’s also the kind of spooky story that I would be more than confident to recommend to people who want something a little scary to read for Halloween, but not TOO scary. I definitely think it’s important to have varying degrees of horror stories for readers, and “Nightmare of a Trip” would be a pretty safe choice that still gets the reader in a scary story mood.

On the flip side, however, “Nightmare of a Trip” didn’t have the same oomph that “Suburban Hell” did, as I wasn’t nearly as invested in the characters this time around. Sure I found some of them realistic, as mentioned above, but Leigh as our narrator was pretty bland. I appreciate a harried mother character, but I was hoping that we would get a bit more exploration beyond a harried mother, especially since I find the greater strengths in books like this to be the characters when the horror is muted a bit. Along with this, the humorous/satirical elements of this book, which should have been the biggest narrative strength, just didn’t land as well as I had hoped it would. It isn’t BAD. It just isn’t very interesting. Pretty middle of the road. And that’s fine! I had just hoped for more.

“Nightmare of a Trip” is a quick read that is light on scares but still entertains. I had hoped it would be as enjoyable as “Suburban Hell”, but even if it didn’t live up to my expectations I still found it mostly fun.

Rating 6: It’s fun and frothy and probably a good choice for someone looking for some lighter horror this Halloween season, but it was pretty middle of the road.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Nightmare of a Trip” is included on the Goodreads list “All the New Horror, Romantasy, and Other SFF Crossover Books Arriving in September 2024”.