Tag: Lists

Serena’s Favorite Reads of 2020: Picks 10 through 6

Another a year, another almost impossible task trying to each choose our Top 10 Reads of the year! For me, the word “favorite” is an important part of this list. As I go through the last year’s worth of reading, I often found that some books would strike particular chords within me more deeply than others, even if, quality-wise, another book might be stronger. Of course, this just makes it all that much harder to put them in any order. But here it goes! Today I’m going to countdown my favorites reads, ten to six. And since it’s the end of the reading year, don’t forget to enter our “12 Days of Christmas Giveaway!”

#10 “The Body in the Garden” by Katharine Schellman

“The Body in the Garden” Review

This was a book that definitely took me by surprise this last year. I had fairly randomly requested it on NetGalley just based on the fact that it was a historical mystery. The cover looked kind of derpy and I hadn’t heard of the author. But then it absolutely blew me away! Not only do I just love this type historical mystery featuring a crime-solving lady, but this one broke a lot of the molds and tropes that I had begun to tire of from other similar series I’ve been reading recently. Our main character is a widow, for one thing, and one who has only fairly recently lost her husband and is still clearly mourning him. There is, of course, a gentleman friend introduced in the story, but given the circumstances, the development of any romance will look very different and there was none in this book. I also liked the inclusion of a more racially diverse cast with one of the main character’s friends being a POC young woman. The book also featured a solid mystery and found ways for a lady such as Lily Adler to solve the crime without falling into too many traps of anachronisms in behavior for a woman of the time.

#9 “Driftwood” by Marie Brennan

“Driftwood” Review

I also read the first in Brennan’s popular “The Memories of Lady Trent” series this year, but it was this, her recently released stand-alone novel that really captured me. It’s a strange little book about essentially the afterlife where worlds go to finally die after whatever apocalyptic event took them out in the first place. There, these worlds shrink slowly and whatever people remain, must make due in a patchwork place made up of all sorts of different peoples and worlds. It’s a place where change is everything, except for one man, Last, an individual who no one seems to really know but who has been around forever. The story jumps through various people’s tales of their interactions with Last, and through these tales, we explore a taste of the wide variety of worlds and peoples that make up Driftwood. It was such a unique story, I don’t think I’ve ever read anything like it. It’s definitely a must-read for fans of science fiction/fantasy.

#8 “Mexican Gothic” by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

“Mexican Gothic” Review

This was a joint review for both Kate and I, and we both enjoyed it immensely. I think I’ve included a book by Moreno-Garcia on my last two “Top 10” lists, as well, so that should demonstrate my general love for this author. All of her books have been completely different, a Regency romance/fantasy, a Mexican folklore/fable, and here we have a Gothic horror story also set in Mexico. I never know what I’m going to get, but I do know that it’s always good. This book was definitely the creepiest thing I’ve read by her. It plays with all of the Gothic horror tropes in really creative ways and even has tinges of other horror stories like “The Yellow Wallpaper.” The setting is so cool, a rural town in Mexico during the 1950s, and Noemi is an excellent heroine. Fans of the author will definitely enjoy this, and as Kate can attest, horror-lovers will likely enjoy it, too.

#7 “The Poppy War” by R. F. Kuang

“The Poppy War” Review

I’m currently reading the second book in this series, “The Dragon Republic,” and it’s bringing back all the memories of why I enjoyed the first book so much. Don’t get me wrong, both the fist and the second are tough reads, but that’s also because Kuang doesn’t shy away from the absolute horror that is warfare, especially the terrible impact it has on innocents caught in the crossfire. The series also explores the burdens that warfare places on its soldiers. Rin’s story is dark, heavy, but also completely compelling. She’s just the sort of character you can’t help but fall in love with while also wanting to constantly shake her and say “No, don’t do that!! Can’t you see??” I also really enjoy the interesting magic system and pantheon of gods that are introduced. Magic comes with a heavy, heavy price, and we see Rin’s struggle with it lead her into incredibly challenging moral areas. The third book came out this fall, so I’m a bit late to this series, overall. But fantasy lovers, especially military fantasy lovers, are sure to enjoy this.

#6 “A Memory Called Empire” by Arkady Martine

“A Memory Called Empire” Review

I think this was the most straight-up science fiction story I read this year, and it’s only fitting that it made it’s way onto this list. It’s also another one that came out a bit ago and for whatever reason, I didn’t get to until this fall. I blame long library audiobook wait lists for delaying the pure joy that was my experience reading this book. I really loved everything about it: the interesting technology that is introduced, the various cultures that we see, the exploration of topics such as colonialism, empire, and reform. And, of course, our main character Mahit Dzmare is lovely. Taking on the role as a new ambassador to the sprawling Empire, Mahit’s story is one of untangling a complex web of politics and opposing motivations. Through her eyes, we, too, get to explore the tensions that come between both loving and fearing such an immense force as an Empire that is slowly sprawling out across the galaxy and subsuming all it finds in its path. The second book in the series is coming out this spring, and I have an e-ARC all queued up, so this time I’ll be more on top of things!

So that’s ten through six. Next time I will give a countdown of my top five. What have been some of your favorite reads of 2020?

Kate’s Favorite Reads of 2020: Picks 10 Through 6

Another a year, another almost impossible task trying to each choose our Top 10 Reads of the year! Like past years I won’t be including re-reads, and I also realized that sometimes my opinion of a book could change and evolve after I had read it, so some surprises may be up near the top. Boy let me tell you it was a HARD year to pick ten, as it was a year of HIGH quality books. And since it’s the end of the reading year, don’t forget to enter our “Twelve Days of Christmas Giveaway”! Today I’m going to countdown my favorite reads, ten to six. 

10. “Superman Smashes the Klan” by Gene Luen Yang and Gurihiru (Ill.)

“Superman Smashes the Klan” Review

I love me some DC as you all know, and I am still super thrilled that Gene Luen Yang will take on various titles every one in awhile. But “Superman Smashes the Klan” is above and beyond his other Superman stories, if only because of how seamlessly he weaves in themes of social justice and anti-racism along with the Superman stuff. Not only do we have some well done and nuanced takes on the difficulties of immigrant families when it comes to dealing with racism and the expectations to assimilate, we get a fantastic juxtaposition with Superman, who has his own identity hurdles that he’s facing. And who doesn’t love seeing a stand in for the Klan get their asses handed to them by one of the most beloved superheroes of all time?

9. “The Return” by Rachel Harrison

“The Return” Review

Weird hotel? Check! A strained female friendship? Check! Creepy imagery and a totally unsettling horror undercurrent that ties these things together and more? Check mate! “The Return” is an unsettling horror story about a missing woman who suddenly reappears, and her closest (but waning) friend realizes that something about her is… off. But what “The Return” is really about is how sometimes friendships slowly melt away, and how we have to come to terms with letting go of something that is no longer giving us what we need, even though it brought us joy in the past. It’s a horror story that had the right amount of pathos, frustration, and bittersweetness to go with some really scary moments.

8. “Mexican Gothic” by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

“Mexican Gothic” Joint Review

A Gothic horror story set in the rural Mexican countryside, starring a Latina woman who is battling an unknown malevolent force that is inside the home of a white, Colonialist family? Hot damn, now THAT sounds interesting! And “Mexican Gothic” certainly was a wild and disturbing read that subverted a lot of Gothic tropes. Noemí enters the strange and dark setting of My Place and introduces us to some twisted body horror, a screed against colonialism, and a genuinely haunting and atmospheric tale of terror that continues the grand tradition of using horror to address issues of social justice. And now Silvia Moreno-Garcia is on my must read list of authors.

7. “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder” by Holly Jackson

“A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder” Review

While sometimes popular YA thrillers don’t quite catch my attention as much as I want them to, “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder” completely exceeded my expectations and became one of my favorite thrillers of 2020! Plucky teen Pip’s obsession with a local murder case sucks her into a tangled web of suspects, threats, and lies, and as she works to clear the name of a suspect whose family is still grieving, she finds twists, turns, and lots of surprises. I was completely enthralled by this book, and I cannot WAIT for the sequel, which will be arriving in April (and has already been pre-ordered from my favorite indie children’s book store)! “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder” is a hoot and a half.

6. “The Only Good Indians” by Stephen Graham Jones

“The Only Good Indians” Review

2020 was the year I finally got in gear and read Stephen Graham Jones, and his newest horror novel “The Only Good Indians” was quite the story to start with. This folk horror tale about four Indigenous men who did something terrible on a hunting trip, and then become hunted themselves, burrowed into my brain and kept me thinking about it for days afterwards. But again, along with the horror comes a story about identity, tradition, grief, and trauma, and the heart and hope that glimmer amongst the despair and destruction was incredibly emotional and touching. A truly visceral and haunting horror tale that may not be for the faint of heart, but should be read by horror fans everywhere.

So that’s ten through six. Next time I will give a countdown of my top five. What have been some of your favorite reads of 2020?

Not Just Books: November 2020

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:

Movie: “The Aeronauts”

My husband and I celebrated our anniversary recently, and so we were looking for a good movie to watch on our “date night” at home (damn you Covid). This was one that I’d on my list for a while, and it seemed like a good fit. Inspired by a true story, it’s the tale of a scientist and an aeronaut who set out to study the patterns of the weather and attempt to rise to the highest elevation achieved in a balloon at the time. Of course, things don’t go to plan, and I can testify to this being a bit more stressful than I had anticipated. But it was also beautiful to look at an Felicity Jones and Eddie Redmayne are excellent in everything they’re in. It’s a lovely little movie, and one I highly recommend.

Netflix Show: “Away”

I really like movies and shows about space. They can be pretty hit and miss, but the ones that are good are often very good. This made it a no-brainer for me to check out “Away” when it dropped on Netflix. Telling the story of a group of astronauts setting off on the first mission to Mars, the show is a gripping tale of family, exploration, and the struggles we all bring with us, even out into space. The acting was all solid, and I really enjoyed Hillary Swank’s performance. Some of the space stuff…was, eh. I feel like there were times where the show definitely veered into the unnecessarily dramatic. Real astronauts are incredibly professional and put that above almost everything. Some of the early events of this show definitely had me raising my eyebrows. But, hey, it’s still a space show, so I enjoyed it overall.

TV Show: “Documentary Now!”

My husband and I are becoming more and more pathetic on our general bedtime. We can blame the kids, age, whatever, but it’s still a fact. It’s gotten to the point that if it’s even close to 9, we feel hesitant about starting up another 40-60 minute episode of whatever show we’re watching. But we also don’t want to be in bed before 9! What to do? Start watching a 20 minute parody show of course! I hadn’t heard of this show before, but Aaron had. It’s basically mocking our current obsession with documentaries and the different ways they’re filmed. We’ve only watched a handful at this point, but they’re pretty good. If you’ve seen the original documentary or documentary series that a particular episode is mocking, it’s all the better. I’ve particularly enjoyed the one about professional bowling and the one about a famous chef who is know for his beans and rice. If you’re looking for a way for fill 20 minutes or so, this is definitely worth checking out!

Kate’s Picks:

Video Game: “Blair Witch”

As someone who is a huge, HUGE fan of “The Blair Witch Project”, when I heard that they were coming out with a video game called “Blair Witch” I was super interested. Unfortunately it was right around the time I had my kid, and I didn’t have much time for video games. But this past Halloween season I was reminded that I still hadn’t tried this game, so I got it for my Switch. You play as Ellis, a man suffering from PTSD who is in a not so good place, and who joins a search party for a missing boy in the woods outside Burkitsville. Using your dog Bullet and various items, you find clues about the missing boy… but as the game goes on, you find yourself lost in the woods hunted by something. I wasn’t able to REALLY pick it up and concentrate until recently, and boy oh boy is it freaky.

Disney+ Show: “The Mandalorian”

If you asked me if I was a “Star Wars” fan, I’d probably say ‘kinda’. I like the original trilogy, as well as a few of the (previously canon and now non-canon) Expanded Universe books. I also don’t really like Westerns. So because of those, I held off on “The Mandalorian” for awhile, and now I’m regretting not diving in sooner. A nameless Mandalorian (bounty hunter group that Boba Fett belonged to as well) has adventures in bounty hunting across the galaxy, and after rescuing a baby from Yoda’s species (or Baby Yoda as he is called) he has found a new purpose. It’s a sci-fi meets wandering gunslinger tale, and it works really, really well. I’ve always liked the Mandalorian mythology, and this show is very ‘Mad Max’ in the sense that it’s also very much about the people he helps in each episode (and soooo many guest stars!). I’m hooked. And Season 2’s premiere ended with a HUGE moment that made me gasp.

Film/TV Franchise: “The Purge”

So my anxiety was off the charts going into Election Night at the beginning of the month, and for whatever reason I decided to alleviate those anxieties by watching a bunch of “The Purge” content. I watched “The Purge” TV show Season 2, I watched “The Purge: Election Year” (on Election Night itself!), and then as we waited for counts I watched “The First Purge” and “The Purge: Anarchy”. While it may look like this franchise is another foray into torture porn horror or other splatter punk genres, it is also a deeply interesting satire of American society and the violence that runs deeply within it (and those who benefit from that violence, and are the main victims of it on a systemic level). And hey. It’s not too audacious to say that I see a LOT of similarities between the New Founding Fathers of America, the evil far right party in the “Purge” universe, and the current GOP. Sorry not sorry.

Booksgiving: Books We’re Thankful For

There are many things to be thankful for, family, friends, experiences in life and challenges faced. But here at the Library Ladies we do tend to focus on one thing: books. So going into this season of thanksgiving, here is a list of some of the books that played an important part in our lives and for which we are thankful.

Serena’s Picks:

Book(s): “Song of the Lioness” quartet by Tamora Pierce

Why I’m Thankful: There are a lot of reasons why I’m thankful for reading this series as a middle school girl. There’s the obvious strong heroine who is making her way in a man’s world, proving her metal and taking names, of course. But there are also quite a few books that tackle this subject. What made this series stand out is how it also drew in other important aspects of Alanna’s life as a woman into the story. Always good at the fighting part, Alanna has more to learn about valuing her feminine side, learning the powerful magic of weaving and working with string. She also learns the crucial lesson that first love, while powerful, is not always the be-all, end-all of romance, and not to allow herself to be blinded by this first sweep of emotion. She goes on to have several romantic relationships before finally finding the one man who is right for her. As a young woman going through the angst of teenage years, this was a crucial lesson for me and one that is often missed in YA books today which often present the very trope-y, very silly “one true love” story as beginning and ending with the first guy the protagonist thinks is cute at age 16.

Book: “The Princess Bride” by William Goldman

Why I’m Thankful: Between the book and the movie, I feel like “The Princess Bride” is the story that just keeps giving. It’s the ultimate comfort read book for me and was one of the first books I read that really showed what good comedy writing looks like. I have yet to find a fantasy comedy that even comes close (though I have read some other good ones). Goldman set a pretty high bar! Of course, it’s not just funny. It’s a high adventure fantasy where the action seems non-stop. Add on top of that the clever meta commentary of Goldman writing the book as if he is editing a dry, historical tome written by another author. Whenever times are tough, this is a book I’m thankful to have in my arsenal for re-reads.

Book(s): “Oz” series by L. Frank Baum

Why I’m Thankful: My family always read books together before bedtime. I think a lot of families do this, but my parents were super dedicated, and we were still doing it in junior high, I’m pretty sure. It was a really nice time, and we all enjoyed it. Of course, reading every night for so long, we had to have a bunch of books to get through. The “Oz” books were probably one of the first long series that we made it through with 14 books in total. Only a few of them stand out in my memory, but I do remember enjoying them all as we read them. I have a long list of books that I’m planning on reading to Will, and this series is right up there near the top! Not only do I hope that he enjoys them too, but I’m excited to revisit so many of the stories that I don’t remember as well.

Kate’s Picks:

Book: “Carrie” by Stephen King

Why I’m Thankful: It too me awhile in my younger elementary and high school years to find my people. As someone who went to the same institution from Kindergarten through senior year who was a misfit (and surrounded by a class of people who were notoriously awful), I was fairly bullied and lonely for a long time. So reading “Carrie” in middle school was INCREDIBLY cathartic for me. The story of a bullied teenage girl who finds out she has supernatural powers that empower her was something to strive for, and while I definitely knew the whole ‘and then she kills everyone at the Prom’ plot point, that was merely incidental (aaaand the cathartic part). But it was Stephen King’s rather authentic and wholly relatable teenage girl characters, Carrie and nice girl Sue Snell, that really spoke to me in the text. Plus, this was the second King book I’d ever read, and it solidified my love for the man.

Book: “Watchmen” by Alan Moore and David Gibbons (Ill.)

Why I’m Thankful: When I was a kid, I dabbled in comics on and off, but was more inclined to watch the movie or TV versions of my favorite DC superheroes and superheroines. Once I got to college, I did pick up graphic novels like “Maus”, “The Crow”, and “Bone”, but it wasn’t really my wheelhouse. And then I read “Watchmen” and everything changed. I was blown away by the intricate and dark storyline, the compelling and sometimes unsettling characters impressed,(Rorschach is a fave, even though he is a MONSTER in a lot of ways), and the inversion of superhero tropes and themes blew me away. I mean, when the big reveal about Ozymandias’s plan happened, I literally gasped in the middle of the library I was taking a work break in. It’s one of my very favorite books, and I credit “Watchmen” with my current love of graphic novels.

Book(s): “The Baby-Sitters Club” by Ann M. Martin

Why I’m Thankful: Soooo along with the scares of “Fear Street”, “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark”, and “Goosebumps”, the other big series that I loved as a kid was “The Baby-Sitters Club”. And I think that it was this series that made me a compulsive reader, as I was always wanting to get my hands on the next in the series (unlike “Fear Street” or “Goosebumps”, where I skipped around based on plot). The stories of a group of middle school girls running a business, navigating friendships, and growing up were aspirational for me, as at the time I didn’t really have the ideal group of girl friends that the books presented. Mary-Anne was my favorite, but I wished I was as cool as Stacey, and all of them made me want to be a good babysitter (and I was, during the few babysitting jobs I had as time went on). “The Baby-Sitters Club” will always have a special place in my heart, and I can’t wait to see how it continues to shape and change as time goes on (and for when my own daughter gets to be the age where she could read them)!

What books are you most thankful for? Let us know in the comments!

Whoa Baby!: Favorite Books for Babies

Given that the two of us are such heavy readers, it’s probably no surprise that our kiddos also really enjoy books (even if they’re still a little young to read themselves). So we thought it would be fun to give some recommendations of books that our babies have enjoyed, given that the holidays are coming upon us fast and you may have kiddos in your life that could use some fun books to read.

Serena’s Picks

Book: “Kitten’s First Full Moon” by Kevin Henkes

Publishing Info: Greenwillow Books, March 2004

Why Will and I Like It: I obviously like it for the kitten aspect. And as I want to forcibly instill a love of cats into my son, this was a favorite to read to him right from the get-go. Luckily, he also seems to really like it. The black and white pictures provide a lot of contrast, making it a book that even very young babies can appreciate. The story is simple and sweet with just enough repeated words that, as he’s gotten older, he can follow long and repeat some of them back. This is a Caldecott winner, so obviously it’s a big favorite with a lot of people, and there’s a reason why!

Book: “Little Blue Truck” by Alice Schertle, Jill McElmurry (Illustrator)

Publishing Info: HMH Books for Young Readers, May 2008

Why Will and I Like It: This has been a more recent favorite. I picked this book up on a whim before a long car trip this summer, and much to my surprise it became a quick favorite. The illustrations are lush and beautiful. And the bouncy, fun rhyme that makes up the story is fun for Will. He’s also recently begun to really like matching animal noises with the animal, and this book has been a perfect match for that neat, little trick. There are a bunch more “Little Blue Truck” books in this series, so I’m pretty sure he’ll be getting more for Christmas.

Book: “‘More, More, More!’ Said the Baby” by Vera Williams

Publishing Info: Greenwillow Books, 1990

Why Will and I Like this Book: This is an oldie, but a goodie. Another Caldecott nominated book, it’s been a favorite for many years. My mom got this book for Will this summer, and he had tons of fun reading it with her during our long visit. It features three short stories of babies running around being chased and loved on by their caregivers. The illustrations are gorgeous, and the rhythm and meter of the story are unique and beautiful. Will particularly appreciates having his nose, toes, and tummy tickled along with the babies in the book!

Kate’s Picks

Book: “Baby Goes to Market” by Atinuke and Angela Brooksbank (Ill.)

Publishing Info: Candlewick Press, September 2017

Why Winnie and I Like It: My daughter has books that she obsesses over, and she has gotten to the point where she recognizes the spines on her shelf and grabs them with intent and vigor. “Baby Goes to Market” by Atinuke is a favorite of both of us, though probably for different reasons. For me, it’s the gorgeous artwork, the fun way of incorporating counting into a cute story, and a setting of an African marketplace with lots of different people and imagery. I think for Winnie it’s more about the colors and the repetition of the words as a baby keeps adding items to his mother’s basket. Regardless, “Baby Goes to Market” is one that we revisit over and over again.

Book: “Look, Look!” by Peter Linenthal

Publishing Info: Dutton Books for Young Readers, 1998

Why Winnie and I Like It: This was the first book that my husband and I read to Winnie, as the black and white pictures with splashes of red is great for infant eyesight. When we incorporated reading into her bedtime routine at about three months, “Look, Look!” was the book, and it’s still a nightly read. Winnie likes the pictures, the sun and the cat especially get big smiles each night. I like the unique drawing style that probably is designed specifically for infant optics in mind. It’s a simple and generally plotless read, but we haven’t gotten sick of it yet.

Book: “Rocky Mountain Babies” by Wendy Shattil

Publishing Info: Farcountry Press, 2009

Why Winnie and I Like It: This was an impulse buy while my husband and I were visiting Rocky Mountain National Park. Who knew that it would become one of Winnie’s favorite books (one she loves so much that she once burst into tears because we weren’t getting to it fast enough)? “Rocky Mountain Babies” introduces the reader to various animals that you can find in the Rockies, all in baby form. If you like baby animals, which Winnie certainly does, this will be a hit. I, too, like cute baby animals, and the rhyming scheme is easy to memorize, so if your child is holding the book up across the room in hopes you’ll read the page they’ve selected, all you have to do is tap into the ol’ memory bank and voila. Everyone’s happy. The photos really are adorable.

Not Just Books: October 2020

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: “The Great British Baking Show”

It’s back!!! I was very concerned that like many of my favorite shows, this was going to be delayed and/or cancelled this year because of The-Pandemic-That-Shall-Not-Be-Named. I swear, it’s trying to ruin everything! But not the happy, British baking fun times! Instead, the show created their own little baking bubble where everyone remained together throughout filming and were thus able to film a pretty standard season. We’re only a few episodes in, but it’s great as always. My husband and I always pick two favorites to win and see who comes out on top. I’m 2 for 1 so far (there were seasons where neither of us got it right), so I’m hopeful my picks come through again so I can maintain my lead!

Netflix Movie: “Enola Holmes”

Of course I watched this movie. It’s like it was practically made for me. Sherlock Holmes re-telling? Check. Millie Bobby Brown? Check. Superman? I mean, Henry Cavil? Extra extra check! This was such a charming little movie. The acting was all superb. It leaned into the quirkiness of its concept, and of course, historical mysteries are always my jam. It’s the kind of thing where my biggest criticism of it is why it couldn’t have been longer? Like a mini series or something! But alas, all good things and such. Perhaps they’ll do a sequel? They definitely leave it opened ended enough to support that. But knowing Netflix….*sigh*

Movie: “A Knight’s Tale”

I loved this movie when it came out. It was a go-to for me and my sister when we were younger and wanted a feel-good romantic comedy to watch. Sadly, she owned the DVD and cruelly took it with her to college. So it had been quite a while since I had seen it and I was thrilled when I saw it pop up on Netflix. Of course, watching it now is a bit bitter sweet, all things considered. But it’s still such a fun ride, if you get past the sadness. And also so weird! I want to be in the meeting where someone pitched this movie to producers. A medieval story about a knight, but with a bunch of modern music and anachronisms every where. Very weird, but it worked!

Kate’s Picks

TV Show: “Evil”

Oddly enough, it was my mother, a woman who doesn’t care for horror as a rule, who told me I should watch this show. Perhaps it’s not that shocking, given that she was a HUGE fan of shows like “The X-Files” and “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”, and “Evil” definitely harkens a bit towards shows like that in a lot of ways. It follows Kristen, a forensic psychologist, and Acosta, a man studying to be a Catholic priest as they go out, by orders of the Catholic Church, to investigate potential demonic and supernatural events to see if the Church should perform exorcisms and other rights. In lighter hands it could have been a feel good CBS show, but it’s dark and hell and can give a serious case of the creeps to its viewers. Even this self professed nonbeliever. I love Kristen, I love Acosta, and I love their companion Ben, a tech whiz who is there to find hard scientific evidence (played by the HILARIOUS Aasif Mandvi). Also, the always unsettling Michael Emerson is there to play a potential demon who wants to throw wrenches into the teams work.

Netflix Show: “The Haunting of Bly Manor”

Honestly, they had me at a creepy version of Motley Crue’s “Home Sweet Home” in the trailer. Well, also at the fact that this is the next Mike Flanagan famous haunted house story adaptation. Based on “The Turn of the Screw”, “The Haunting of Bly Manor” has updated the classic mind twisty story of a governess and her charges in the isolated countryside. Much like “Hill House” before it, “The Haunting of Bly Manor” takes themes from the source material to tell a new story, in which a Governess takes a position at the Country House Bly Manor watching a man’s niece and nephew, and starts to experience strange things. Flanagan and the others expand upon this, with new characters, an updated timeline, and some twists that make it all the more intriguing. Plus, creepy creepy moments and unsettling ghosts galore! It’s the perfect Halloween watch! But be sure to have tissues handy. I spent the last half of the series bawling on and off.

TV Show: “Canada’s Drag Race”

I was VERY happy with season 12 of “RuPaul’s Drag Race”, and knew that I was going to be craving more drag show content as the year went on and my need for levity remained in midst of everything else going on. Well never fear, because The Great White North has its own offshoot drag competition! Enter “Canada’s Drag Race”! While it’s officially part of the RuPaul brand, instead of Ru and the usual set of judges, we have a three judge panel (consisting of Stacey McKenzie, Jeffry Boyer-Chapman, and “Drag Race” alum Brooke Lynn Hytes), a rotating host, and a group of awesome Canadian Queens ready to fight for the crown. I love seeing the drag cultures of different countries from around the world, and I also liked the stripped down and organic feel of this first season (a stark contrast to a now VERY regimented and commercialized U.S. “Drag Race”). Plus, all the Canadian references are just wonderful (including an “Anne of Green Gables” inspired look in episode 1). I hope that we get more of this in the future!

Monster Mash: Books Featuring Cool Monsters

Happy early Halloween! Like everything this year, COVID is affecting everyone’s usual holiday traditions. But, while Halloween itself may not look the same as what we’re used to, there is still good ole reading holding down the fort as a prime socially distanced activity. So while you might be able to get out to the costume parties, you can still hunker down with a bowl of candy all to yourself and a few good books featuring the creepy crawlies! Here’s a list to give you some ideas!

Book: “The Beast is an Animal” by Peternelle van Arsdale

I mean, the cover speaks for itself, right? Even having read it and knowing the story and ending, looking at the cover still gives me the creeps. This is the story of Alys, a girl growing up in a village near the woods. In the woods lurks the soul eaters as well as the Beast, each as powerful and mysterious as the other. For her part, Alys knows too much, making her an object of fear by her neighbors as well. Try and hide as she might, Alys and her secrets are dragged into the light, and she soon finds herself deep in the woods itself. There she will discover not just the Beast, but the beast within herself.

Book: “Sorcery of Thorns” by Margaret Rogerson

This book definitely falls more firmly in the “fantasy” category than “horror.” But I wanted to included it for those of you (coughmecough) who are often a bit wary about wandering too deep into the scary stuff. Plus, it features some really neat monsters that are born from evil books, which is pretty unique as far as monsters go. Elisabeth has grown up in one of the Great Libraries, the massive fortresses built to not only house books, but to protect the populous from the books. Grimoires are powerful, and if not carefully warded, can burst forth into powerful monsters that can wreak havoc. But when disaster strikes and one makes its way free of the Great Library, Elisabeth is suspected and thrust out into the greater world to fend for herself. Soon she discovers that there may be more to the libraries, books, and magic altogether than she had thought.

Book: “The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon” by Stephen King

Of course a Stephen King book was going to make this list! Unlike Kate, I haven’t read as many of his books, but I did read this one as a teenager. I think the fact that it is equal parts a woodsy survival story as it is a horror novel is what initially drew me. The story features a 9-year-old girl, Trisha, who gets lost in the woods. But as if surviving alone in the wilderness while trying to find home isn’t hard enough, Trisha soon begins to suspect that she’s not completely alone. Something is out there. Something more than just wildlife. Following the good old horror trick of keeping the monster off the page for most of the book, this story will definitely raise the hairs on your arms!

Short Story: “The Damned Thing” by Ambrose Bierce

Though this is a short story as opposed to a full on novel, “The Damned Thing” is too good to be left off such a list. I read it in high school for my English class, and I was completely taken with the build of dread and partial epistolary narrative (I remember me and my friend Blake being like ‘what the HECK’ after reading it). After a man named Morgan ends up dead on a hunting and fishing trip with a friend, an inquest is called in. His companion says that he and Morgan kept hearing things, but not seeing anything, and Morgan kept referring to ‘that damned thing’ before being attacked by some invisible force. Then diary entries are produced, which chronicle Morgan’s final days as he has started to hunt a creature that cannot be seen. It’s so strange and unique, especially for the time it was written (the 1800s), and not really knowing what is going on just adds to it.

Book: “Mongrels” by Stephen Graham Jones

I just recently discovered Stephen Graham Jones and am kicking myself for not looking into his works before. So a book added to my list is his novel “Mongrels”. One might think ‘ah, a typical werewolf story’, but I have the feeling that this is probably so much more than that. Sure, it DOES have to do with a boy who is potentially going to age into his lycanthropy, but it also has a coming of age story at its very center. A boy who lives with his Aunt and Uncle has been on and off the road for his entire life, the group moving on when they’ve needed to to stay ahead of the law and suspicion. But now things are starting to catch up to them, and the boy starts to sort out his identity. Jones is known to bring in some really good social commentary into his stories, and issues of identity, poverty, and family are sure to come together in powerful ways. All while dealing with werewolves!

Book: “The Devil In Silver” by Victor LaValle

If the setting in a run down and underfunded mental institution isn’t enough to give you the creeps, why not throw in being held there against your will AND a monster with a bison head terrorizing the patients? If that sounds up your alley, “The Devil in Silver” should definitely be a monster book on your list. When Pepper is thrown into the psychiatric ward at New Hyde Hospital, he knows he doesn’t belong there as he doesn’t have a mental illness. He doesn’t remember what he did to get committed, however. And it becomes clear that being involuntarily committed is the least of his problems, as a monster with a bison head is running around at night, scaring people nearly do death. Pepper recruits a few other patients to try and help him fight the monster, and to hold the hospital accountable for its misdeeds. Super weird, and definitely unsettling as well as scary.

What monster books do you like? Let us know in the comments!

Highlights: October 2020

It’s that time of year, folks! The time of year where the days start to get shorter, the wind and leaves dance through the air, and the scary and spooky feelings of Halloween get kicked up as well! Though it’s probably going to be a very different Halloween this year than we’re used to, that isn’t going to stop the feelings of the season. Kate has her Horrorpalooza reads all in order, and Serena is breaking out the cardigans. We also have books we’re looking forward to!

Serena’s Picks

Book: “Return of the Thief” by Megan Whalen Turner

Publication Date: October 6, 2020

Why I’m Interested: I’ve been a fan of Whalen Turner’s “The Queen’s Thief” series for years now. It’s been a long haul, around 20 years I think, to get to this point, but here we are, the last book in the series! Luckily, each book in this series has read well enough as a stand-alone, completely its own story arc fully and leaving the characters in places that aren’t too unstable which has made the wait time between books much more bearable. So it will be bitter sweet to finally pick this one up and know we’re truly at the end of the line. Sadly, I was remiss on putting my name on the holds list at the library, so it will probably be a bit before I get around to reading this and reviewing it. Unless I break down and buy it…we shall see!

Book: “Murder on Cold Street” by Sherry Thomas

Publication Date: October 6, 2020

Why I’m Interested: Yet another book that is continuing a much-loved series. While I did struggle a bit with the previous book in this series, I’m still a big fan of Thomas’s writing style overall and her unique take on the Sherlock Holmes story. With a return to England and a return to a good old murder mystery, I’m hopeful that this book will return to some of the strengths that originally drew me in to this series. I’m also still intrigued by where the romance between Charlotte and Lord Ingram is ultimately headed. Will we see any new developments (finally!) in this one?

Book: “The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue” by V.E. Schwab

Publication Date: October 6, 2020

Why I’m Interested: A break to all the continuations of book series comes in the form of a new, stand-alone novel by V.E. Schwab. The story sounds super originally, following the centuries-long life of a woman cursed/blessed to live forever but to never be remembered. Until, of course, she finally meets someone who does remember. I’m really intrigued by the entire concept, and if anyone is capable of pulling it off, it’s Schwab. The last thing I read from her was her YA duology which was…ok. But she also really wowed me in the with her “Shades of Magic” trilogy and other standalone works. In a lot of ways, this book doesn’t sound anything like what she’s written before, so I’m curious to see what she’ll do with it!

Kate’s Picks

Book: “Ring Shout” by P. Djèlí Clark

Publication Date: October 13, 2020

Why I’m Interested: I was a big fan of the book “Lovecraft Country” when I read it a few years ago (no I haven’t started the show yet, but I will!), and reading the description of “Ring Shout” by P. Djèlí Clark gave me some similar vibes. “Ring Shout” takes the idea of American Racism as the true horror and adds some cosmic and inter-dimensional elements as well. Three Black women are working to rid the world of Klu Kluxes, demons from another world that have been summoned by a sorcerer (D.W. Griffith, the man who brought the racist film “Birth of a Nation” to the screen), that have started amplifying the racist hate of the white people in this country. Led by the intrepid Maryse Bordeaux and her sword, these women and others hope to fight off the demons and bring justice to Black and other marginalized people before The Klan takes over. Unique concept and biting satire, a great combination.

Book: “I Hope You’re Listening” by Tom Ryan

Publication Date: October 6, 2020

Why I’m Interested: True crime podcasts continue to be a big part of my entertainment life, and so I always like seeing books that take that idea and run with it. So I was, of course, very interested when I stumbled upon “I Hope You’re Listening” by Tom Ryan on a ‘Fall Thrillers’ list. It follows Dee, an amateur podcast host whose show focuses on people who have gone missing, in hopes of getting information and attention that can lead to them being found. What her listeners don’t know is that she was a girl left behind in a notorious kidnapping case, where he childhood best friend was kidnapped before her eyes as hasn’t been seen since. Now, just as her podcast is getting more attention, another girl in her town is taken without a trace. Dee wants to help, but wants to keep her identity secret, and her own traumas under control. I’m sure it will keep readers on the edge of their seats.

Book: “The Haunting of Beatrix Greene” by Rachel Hawkins, Ash Parsons, and Vicky Alvear Shecter

Publication Date: October 28, 2020

Why I’m Interested: The Halloween season wouldn’t be complete without a ghost story or two, so look no further than “The Haunting of Beatrix Greene”, a joint effort by Rachel Hawkins, Ash Parsons, and Vicky Alvear Shecter. Beatrix Greene is a medium working during the first Spiritualist obsession in the 1800s. The only issue is that she’s a fraud who is just trying to make ends meet. When she’s invited to Ashbury Manor by noted scientist and skeptic James Walker, she is hesitant, but wants to make him eat his hat. James has his own motivations for wanting her to be there, potentially exposing her as a fraud not at the top of the list. But both of them are completely shocked when they and their companions find themselves in a very haunted house…. and in grave danger. What a way to top off the Halloween season!

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

Not Just Books: September 2020

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: “Lucifer” Season 5

After many Covid-related delays, the first half of “Lucifer” season 5 dropped in late August. I think it probably took me like two days to binge it? In most ways, it’s everything one would expect, which is both good and bad. The cast is, of course, still excellent and the show doesn’t hesitate to lean into the silliness of its own concept. However, the longer it has been on Netflix and the more it has dived into its own supernatural storylines, the aggressively episodic approach to much of its storytelling seems to feel more and more out of touch with where the show itself wants to go. Maybe part of that feeling has to do with the fact that season 5 has been split into two parts which further weakens the serialized elements that are present. I think the second half is set to come out sometime in early 2021, so we’ll see how that plays out. I’m still enjoying the heck out of this, either way.

Video Game: “The Witcher III: Wild Hunt”

Perhaps foolishly, I decided recently that I needed a new video game to immerse myself in. I’d already played through “Skyrim” a few times and with the sequel seemingly stuck in development for….forever, I turned to another super popular fantasy franchise. I still haven’t gotten around to watching the Netflix show for this game/book series, though my love of Henry Cavil is never-ending. So it will be interesting to play this game through and then compare it to that show whenever I do get around to it. I’m still barely into the main plot line, but I’m enjoying the familiar-feeling open world concept and so far the plot and dialogue have been interesting and engaging. I’m now mostly feeling guilty for starting this without my husband…

Movie: “The American President”

So, politics…yeah, they’ve been a thing. And whenever I feel like I’m beginning to become overwhelmed with pessimism regarding politics, my go-to is usually a re-watch of “The West Wing.” But at 7 seasons long, that’s quite the commitment, so this time around I turned instead to its predecessor and inspiration: “The American President.” Re-watching this movie, it’s so clear the connections between these two. Mostly, it’s the clever dialogue and the supremely idealistic imaging of what politics, and the White House in general, could be. The lovely romance at its heart is pretty swell, too.

Kate’s Picks

Movie: “Bill and Ted Face The Music”

I have been a huge, huge, HUGE “Bill and Ted” fan ever since I was about six years old and saw “Excellent Adventure” randomly. When I found out that they were going to make a third one with Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter coming back to play their roles of Ted and Bill, I was ecstatic that I would finally be able to see a “Bill and Ted” movie in the theater!!…. And then COVID found another way to ruin something. But I went for the VOD option at my house, and my gosh, it was everything I needed. In this long awaited third film, Bill and Ted are now middle aged, and still haven’t written the song that is supposed to bring synchronicity to the universe. When Rufus’s daughter Kelly comes to tell them that they need to do it now, they start a new time traveling adventure… But along with that, their daughters Billie and Thea go on their OWN adventure through times in hopes of helping their dads. It’s sweet, it’s wholesome, it’s everything 2020 needs to make it a little gentler. And yes…. The Grim Reaper is back.

Netflix Show: “Cobra Kai”

So I watched the first few episodes of “Cobra Kai” when it premiered on YouTube a few years ago, but couldn’t justify getting YouTube Red to finish out the series. Which pained me, because I loved the continuing stories of “Karate Kid” characters Johnny and Daniel. So when I found out that Netflix got the rights to it, I was ECSTATIC. “Cobra Kai”, as I’ve mentioned on here before, follows Johnny, the bully from “Karate Kid” whose life hasn’t really gone very far, and his journey to reopen the Cobra Kai karate studio, this time attracting misfits and weirdos. Daniel, the hero from the movies, is living a GREAT life now… but is stuck in the past. When they meet up again, old rivalries start up once more. What I love most about this show is William Zabka’s new take on Johnny, and showing how a lot of his worst characteristics are and were the result of serious childhood traumas and baggage. Plus, this show is wildly funny, and the new karate students, especially the sweetheart Miguel, are charming as hell.

TV Show: “The Vow”

Will I ever get enough NXIVM content? It seems that I won’t, because even though I’ve listened to podcasts and read books about the cult, I am now obsessed with the HBO docuseries about it. “The Vow” has actual footage from the likes of Keith Raniere and his creepy minions in action, and follows former members who had deep ties to the group until they started to realize that something was very, very wrong. The most interesting aspect of this is that the footage is something you wouldn’t expect from an expose like this, but the people who made it had been documenting the group and its members before everything hit the fan and Raniere, Alison Mack, Nancy Salzman, and others were arrested for sex trafficking. It’s super interesting being able to see these primary source interviews of some very manipulative and dangerous people.

Who Wrote It: Lesser-Known Titles from Favorite Authors

Many authors don’t come out the door swinging with a blockbuster book. And even when they do, over the course of their careers, there are usually some quieter novels that somehow seem to slip beneath the radar of the general reading public’s notice. So today we’re going to dig into those backlists and highlight some lesser-known titles from a few of our favorite authors!

Serena’s Picks

Book: “The Near Witch” by V.E. Schwab

Schwab seemed to come onto the scene around 2013 when her book “Vicious” first came out and took readers by storm. Since then she’s gone on to write a number of high profile works, including one of my favorite trilogies ever, the “Shades of Magic” series. But before that came this quiet, little fantasy novel originally published in 2011. In fact, it was so quiet that it was re-released in 2019 (after Schwab’s name had gained so much more buying power) with the hopes that it would garner more readership than it did in its first outing. It’s a lovely book, and as one of her earliest books, it’s easy to see the building blocks forming here for themes that she will dive more deeply into in coming books. It’s also a stand-alone, that rare and magical beast of fantasy fiction.

Book: “Warbreaker” by Brandon Sanderson

I’ve already highlighted “Elantris” in previous lists, so while I do think that that book ranks as Sanderson’s most unknown title, I thought I’d go with another one that often gets overlooked in the huge list of titles this author’s produced. This is all subjective, of course, but I think that Sanderson first really came onto the epic fantasy scene with the release of “Mistborn,” published in 2006. So that makes this book, published in 2009, one of those strange cases where a book by an already-popular author seems to fall through the cracks. Mostly this is probably due to the stand-alone nature of the book when Sanderson was already beginning to make a name for himself as an epic fantasy series author. But this book is simply fantastic and probably has my favorite cover of all of his works. It features his usual strong female-characters and intricate magic system, this time based around color and music. It’s a delightful book and one definitely worth checking out for fans of Sanderson’s work or of epic fantasy in general.

Book: “Heart’s Blood” by Juliet Marillier

Not only is Marillier one of my favorite authors ever, but she’s been consistently producing fantasy works for over twenty years now since her first book,”Daughter of the Forest,” came out in 1999. Over that period of time, her “Sevenwaters” books and their off-shoots have been by far her most popular and well-known titles. But she’s also quietly produced several stand-alone novels and duologys. Like her first book, “Heart’s Blood” is a fairytale re-telling. What’s more, it’s a “Beauty and the Beast” re-telling! My favorite! But among the many interwoven books that Marillier has produced over time, this one stands on its own and often gets left unnoticed. Which is such a shame given how beautiful a story it is. Plus, it has a very unique approach to re-imaging one of the most popular (and challenging!) fairytales out there. If you love “Beauty and the Beast,” or fairytale re-tellings in general, this is one to add to your TBR list!

Kate’s Picks

Book: “20th Century Ghosts” by Joe Hill

Joe Hill is becoming more and more popular thanks to adaptations of his works “Locke and Key” and “N0S4A2” being brought to the TV screen, but I think that one of his lesser known titles, and one of my favorites, is the short stories collection “20th Century Ghosts”. Hill runs a complete gamut in his storytelling her, from the legitimately disturbing “Best New Horror” (in which an editor for a horror anthology tries to meet the elusive author of a twisted story), to the bittersweet “Better Than Home” (the story of a relationship between a boy with special needs and his father), to the fascinating “Abraham’s Boys” (a spin off to “Dracula” where Van Helming moves to America and raises his two sons to be vampire hunters). This collections makes it easy to find a story of Hill’s that you can relate to and enjoy, and it also shows off his vast talent as an author with a deft ability to hop from genre to genre and give them all solid representation. If you are just discovering Hill now, you definitely need to read “20th Century Ghosts”.

Book: “Fevre Dream” by George R.R. Martin

While these days most people associate George R.R. Martin as the guy who created (and has neglected to finish) “A Song of Ice and Fire”. This probably means you think high fantasy when you hear his name. But did you know that he wrote a story about a vampire on a steamboat traveling down the Mississippi River? It’s true! “Fevre Dream” was actually the first thing of Martin’s that I read, and it took me years to actually make the connection between these two very different works. In the mid 19th Century, a riverboat captain named Abner Marsh is approached by a wealthy mysterious man named York. York wants Marsh to take him down the Mississippi, though he isn’t very forthcoming as to why. Marsh, needing the money, takes the job… And then finds himself a travel companion to someone who may not be human. If you like vampire stories and Martin’s other works, give this one a shot!

Book: “The Running Man” by Richard Bachman (aka Stephen King)

This one may be a bit of a cheat, but too often have I been talking about the movie “The Running Man” with someone only to blow their minds that not only is it based on a book, it’s based on a book by Stephen King (writing as his old alias Richard Bachman). While it’s true that the movie and the book are pretty different in plot and tone, the basic premise is the same: in the first quarter of the 21st century, the U.S. has become a dystopian nightmare in which poverty, strife, and fascism have run rampant, and the most powerful man in America is the host of the show “The Running Man”. On this show people have to evade people who are trying to kill them. In the novel Ben Richards signs up in hopes of winning the prize to support his wife and baby, and has to stay alive long enough to collect. It’s dystopian angst to be sure, but it’s pulse pounding and suspenseful, and was one of the books that King got to push beyond expectations.

What are some of your favorite books that aren’t as well known by authors you love? Let us know in the comments!