SPRING INTO HORROR 2026!

April 1 - April 30

Opposite Readathon: April 17 - 18

8 PM - 8 PM

Let the Horror Times Roll!

Que l'ère de l'horreur commence !

FRIGHTFALL OCTOBER 2025

With Daily Readings:

DRACULA. Chapters: #27 Days: #15 ✅COMPLETE

✅COMPLETE. SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES by Ray Bradbury. Chapters: #54 Days: #14

✅ COMPLETE THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE by Shirley Jackson. Chapter: #9 /Day #9

✅ COMPLETE THE 31st TRICK-OR-TREATER by Ben Farthing:
Days: #October 31 /Days Read: #16

NIGHT IN THE LONESOME OCTOBER by Richard Laymon. Chapters #13/Day #5.

✅ COMPLETE A NIGHT IN THE LONESOME OCTOBER by Roger Zelazny. Chapters: October 31 / Day #6

The End of the World As We Know It: New Tales of Stephen King's The Stand. Edited by Christopher Golden and Brian Keene. 2025. October 1-31. Stories: # Days: #

FRIGHTFALL Titles Read: 1. THE BOTTLE WITCH OF BRIMLEY by Linda DeMeulemeester. MG Spooky. Canadian. 9/01.

2. THE HAUNTER [GOOSEBUMPS MOST WANTED] Reread from October 2022. MG Horror.

3. HOUSE IN HELL by Clyde Lafferty. Horror/Hades.

4. NIGHT OF THE WENDIGO by Clyde Lafferty. Wendigo/Horror .

5. THE COWFER HOUSE by Clyde Lafferty. Cosmic/Haunted House Horror.

6. FERDINAND THE FOX SAVES THE DAY. NetGalley ARC Children.

7. CHRISTMAS PARTY DEMON by Wendy Dalrymple. (90's setting YA Horror)

8. NAMELESS THINGS by Ernest Jensen. Survival Horror/SF. Colorado.

9. ROBBIE THE ROBOT VACUUM AND HIS BIG ADVENTURE by Sara Biggs. Children. NetGalley. Children.

10. DARWIN'S BLADE. Hoopla Virtual. Crime/Noir/Contemporary.

11. BACKWOODS. KU Virtual. Black History Month. Supernatural Horror.

12. WHITEOUT. Hoopla Virtual. Antarctica. Thriller.

13. DRACULA. Mount TBR.

14. VOICES. KU Virtual SF./Horror

15. DARWIN'S BASTARDS. Hoopla Virtual SF

. 16. POTATO MAN: THE LIVING SUPERHERO PART II. KU Virtual. Comics. For Kindle Achievement

17. THE YETI: KU. Survival Horror.

18. COYOTE TALES by Thomas King. Hoopla Virtual. Native American Heritage Mythology.

19. PERCY JACKSON AND THE SEA OF MONSTERS. KU. Virtual 10/14. Graphic. For Kindle Achievement.

20. WE HAVE ALWAYS LIVED IN THE CASTLE. Mount TBR.

21. SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES. 10/15. Mount TBR.

22. CATCH YOUR DEATH by Ravena Guron. Hoopla Virtual October Book Club

23. I BOUGHT A HAUNTED SUMMER CAMP by Sam Whittaker.

24. DREAMS IN THE WITCH HOUSE by H. P. Lovecraft. Classic Horror/SF.

25. THE HOUSE ON DOGWOOD COURT by Robert Lass. Haunted House.

26. "Usher II" in THE MARTIAN CHRONICLES by Ray Bradbury. SF/Horror

27. "Outskirts of the Family" by Nicholas Licalsi. SF Sppoky AI. 28. "Ulalume" by Edgar Allan Poe. Mythology Spooky. 29. IT CAME FROM THE PUMPKIN PATCH by Chris Heinicke and Kate Reedwood. Wisconsin Small-Town Mutant Genetic Engineering Horror. 30. HALLOWEEN TREE by Ray Bradbury. Fantasy/Mythology/Halloween Horror/Pied Piper. 31. DARK SPIRITS: THE WATCHER by Lee Mountford (Book 1). Occult Horror/Paranormal. 32. I KILLED AN ELDRITCH TERROR ON MY CAMPING TRIP by Sam Whittaker.

33. I'M NOT AFRAID OF MONSTERS by Mike Byrne. Children, gentle Horror, with Monsters and Spider 🎃 Hoopla Bonus Borrow October

34. THIS IS WHERE WE DIE by Cindy R. X. He. YA Horror/Psychological Thriller/Survi al Horror.

35. IT'S ALWAYS HALLOWEEN HERE by Matt Fortig. Cosmic Occult Horror.

36. WALKING THROUGH A WINTER TERRORLAND by Sam Whittaker. Christmas Eve Cosmic Horror.

37. THE PERFECT HALLOWEEN by Sam Whittaker. Halloween Fairy Tale Horror.

38.THE 31ST TRICK-OR-TREATER by Ben Farthing. Halloween Horror.

39. THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE by Shirley Jackson. Classic House-Possession Horror.

40. A NIGHT IN THE LONESOME OCTOBER by Roger Zelazny. Classic Occult Horror.

FRIGHTFALL TBR!🎃🎃🎃

September-October Daily Reads: HELL HOUSE by Richard Matheson. September-October. ✅ COMPLETE September
Dandelion Wine ✅ COMPLETE September & Something Wicked This Way Comes. September -October.
DYSTOPIA by Richard Christian Matheson [60 stories] September 1-October 30 ✅ COMPLETE September

FRIGHTFALL: THE COMPLETE GHOST STORIES. M. R. James
THE YETI.
SUCK-U-BUS.(DIABOLUS IN MUSICA BOOK 1) Occult Heavy Metal Horror.
CORROSIVE RAVENS. (DIABOLUS IN MUSICA BOOK 2)
THE WITCHES OF SCOTLAND: THE EDINBURGH. FILES BOOK 1.
THE END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT. Anthology/THE STAND. 34 tales, 1 per day October 1-28, 2 per day October 29-31.
THE DARK THING.
CARPATHIANS.
MOUNTAIN OF THE DEAD.
THE TERROR.
THE ABOMINABLE.
VEIL. Janz.
THE HAUNTED HOUSE FROM HELL.
BOTHELL HELL HOUSE: POLTERGEIST.
DEVIL IN THE DARKNESS. Archie Roy. Scottish Highlands.
9 titles by Richard Matheson. Everand. THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE.

CASTLE MACABRE 2025 - FRIGHTFALL 2025

1. September 23 #1 I remember well where I was the first time I read this (unusual) and I reread in 2021 (and probably one or two other times). I don't know that it would be my favorite: that still goes to THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE (book and Liam Neeson film) but certainly one of the top. I think this rereading, although it's still scary, I am more "aware" of the evil nature. The degradation. The total devotion to destroying anything righteous in humans. The dedication to turning humans toward pursuits animals wouldn't consider! Then I read the NYT revelation on Elon Musk's father, Errol, evil this AM! I started reading two days earlier than September 1, and try to read some a day, so I am reading December 23. Florence has already had three very ugly experiences (the middle one of which was really frightening to me). But I'll save those for later discussions. Also my thoughts on the incursion of "the Richard Laymon Effect," which I've also noticed in RM's I AM LEGEND. I'll be rereading THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE for Frightfall, and also Nancy A. Collins' RETURN TO HELL HOUSE (available on KU, thankfully, as is HELL HOUSE).;

SPRING INTO HORROR 2025

April 1-30

SPRING INTO HORROR 2025

I'll be going for Science Fiction Horror! Plus the good old Horror tropes!

Titles Read: 1. I Could Pee on This: and Other Poems by Cats . Own, Mount TBR (December 2013). POETRY Month.
2. Guess Again: Sneak Peek, Charlie Donlea. Suspense.
3. 🎃 When the Moon Hits Your Eye . SF Horror.
4. 🎃 The Ghost Station. KU. Greenland Plague Horror.
5. 🎃 Haunted Wastelands . Ghost Horror. Reread prior to reading Sequel (in Progress).
6. Nothing Rhymes with Orange Libby Virtual. Children, Humor.
7. 🎃Nuclear Ghosts (Sequel to Haunted Wastelands)
8. 🎃The Exorcism at 1600 Penn. NetGalley ARC, Graphic novel.
9. 🎃 Hitler's Graveyard: A Short Tale of Terror..own, Mount TBR. Nazi Necromancy.🤐🎃
10.🎃 Witchdoctorpoet. annual reread for National Poetry Month.
11. 🎃Jurassic Dead. Own, Mount TBR.
12.🎃 Ligeia by Edgar Allan Poe. Mount TBR.
13. 🎃THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE CATS. own, new.SF.
15. 🎃THE EXORCIST. own Mount TBR 2013. Reread (2014). 16. 🎃EXORCIST CODE. own, new. AI.
17. 🎃🎃🎃YOU KNOW HOW THE STORY GOES, Thomas Olde Heuvelt. Ghost Horror Mount TBR.
18. 🎃 The Accidental Exorcist. Mount TBR.
19. 🎃 LETTER SLOT. KU.
20.🎃 JACKKNIFE. KU.
21.🎃 THE INDIGO ROOM. KU
22. 🎃THE BLANKS. KU
23. 🎃 NIGHT AND DAY IN MISERY. KU.
24. 🎃 IT WAITS IN THE WOODS.KU.
25. 🎃 HAUNTED SECRETS: TALES OF LEO MORELAND VOLUME FOUR. ARC.
26. 🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃THE OMEN (40TH Anniversary 2019)
27. 🏳️‍🌈 DEVIL'S CHEW TOY.
28. WILD GOOSE CHASE by Kathy Broderick. Sequoia Children's Publishing. Hoopla Virtual.
29. 🎃HITLER'S MONSTERS. Hoopla Virtual. NF.
30. 🎃HITLER AND THE HAPSBURGS. Hoopla Virtual. NF.
31. 🎃♾🛸♾DECIPHER. Hoopla Virtual.
🎃[DNF: The Sentinel, Jeffrey Konvitz. Homophobia.] 32. 🎃Planetside by Michael Mammay. Book 1. SF/Horror.
33.🎃 Forsaken Fallout (Haunted Wastelands Book 3), Ian Fortey and Ron Ripley, Scare Street. Horror
34. 🎃Belly Up (Funjungle #1) by Stuart Gibbs. MG Suspense/Horror
29 = Horror

Proposed TBR:

The Exorcist
The Exorcist Legacy: 50 Years of Fear. NF.
Welcome to Halycon.
Black Veil County Trilogy (3)
Legacy.
The Casebook of Atticus Priest: 3 by Mark Dawson: Paranormal.
Mothman Tales.
How to Create a Monster.
Fiend.
It Was Her House First.
Four and Twenty Blackbirds.
In These Hallowed Halls.
Kill Zone. Nuclear Horror/Natural Disaster.
-The Mothman Prophecies.
-Cold Eternity. SF Horror
-Cold Storage. SF Horror
-Cold Storage by David Koepp. Fungal Horror Masterpiece. Reread.
-And the Last Trump Shall Sound.
-Powerless.
-The Last Request. Alaska Locked Room.
-Snakewood. Grimdark Fantasy.
The World's Most Haunted House. NF
Twice As Dead. Vampires & Zombies.
Darkness: Two Decades of Modern Horror. Anthology.
Screams From the Dark. Anthology.
The Nightmare Room (Messy Man 1)
The Hungry Ones (Messy Man 2)
The Smashed Man of Dread End.
The Black Slide.
Welcome to the Ghost Show.
A Lit Fuse: The Provocative Life of Harlan Ellison.
More Fire: Building The Towering Inferno 50th anniversary edition.
....

FRIGHTFALL 2024

FRIGHTFALL

MY-FRIGHTFALL-READS 1. USHERS, Joe Hill. Horror/ SF (Metaphysical)👻

2. LIVESUIT, James S. A. Corey. SF Horror👻

3. CALL OF THE DEAD (THE GHOST REAPERS Book 1), Ian Fortey and Ron Ripley, Scare Steet. Ghost Horror👻

4. THE STAIRCASE IN THE WOODS, Chuck Wendig. Cosmic Horror, SF👻

5. SLEEP TIGHT by J. H. Markert Horror/Suspense/Psychological Thriller👻

6. RAINBOW MARS, Larry Niven. SF.

7. THE HAUNTED SCREEN by J. M. Tyree. Hauntings, Supernatural Horror, Disintegration Into Madness.👻

8. SCREECH SCHOOL by Jennifer Killick. MG Horror.👻

9. STARSHIP TROOPERS By Robert Heinlein. AUDIO. SF Classic

10. THE WEIRD WONDERFUL WORLD OF BATS. N-F.

11. THE STONE CHILD. own, new. MG Horror. 👻

13. SMALL TOWN HORROR by Ronald Malfi. 2024. Coming-of-age Horror, Anniversary Horror.👻👻👻 14. STONE CERTAINTY (THE HOLY TERRORS BOOK TWO) by Simon R. Green. Supernatural Horror/Standing Stones. 👻👻👻👻

15. 👻👻👻👻FEEDERS by Matt Serafini. NA/CyberHorror.

16. INFLUENCER by Adam Cesare..YA/CyberHorror.👻👻👻👻

17. MURDER AT THE BEACON BAKESHOP by Darci Hannah. Great Lakes, Cozy Mystery with Haunted Lighthouse!👻👻👻

18. THE CHEF by Robin Mahle. Psychological Horror/Suspense.👻👻👻

19. WITCH by Iain Rob Wright. YA Horror.👻👻👻👻

20. MALIBU BURNING (SHARPE & WALKER #1) by Lee Goldberg. Contemporary Wildfire Suspense/Horror. 👻👻

21.ASHES NEVER LIE (Sharpe & Walker #2) Contemporary Arson and Homicide Horror. 👻👻👻

22. FIRST CONTACT by Kat Green. Paranormal: Ghosts, Horror, Evil Villains. Cozy Horror.👻👻👻👻👻

23. ARKWRIGHT. SF. (Space Opera/Contemporary Aliens).

24. HAUNTING ON WEST 10TH STREET. Supernatural Horror + Occult, Generational Horror.👻👻👻👻👻

25. WITCHNAPPED IN WESTERHAM. Cozy Witch Mystery.👻👻👻

26. Pumpkin (Short story collection) by Steven Blackmore. Horror!👻👻👻👻👻👻

27. AN ELDERLY LADY MUST NOT BE CROSSED. (in Translation). Cozy Horror/Suspense. 👻👻

28. A KILLER WELCOME. Cozy Mystery/Horror👻👻

29. SHADOW STALKER. SCARE STREET ARC. BOOK 2.👻👻👻👻👻👻

30. MISCHIEF NIGHT MASSACRE by Jason Parent. (Short story collection) Horror! 👻👻👻👻👻👻

31. DEADSTREAM by Mar Romasco-Moore. YA Internet Paranormal Ghost Horror!👻👻👻👻👻👻👻

32. SOMEONE IN THE ATTIC by Andrea Mara. psychological Thriller/Suspense.👻👻👻

33. A SLOWLY DYING HOUSE [BOOK 1, THE MOTHERWELL TRILOGY] by Steven Savile and Nimue Brown. Occult Suspense Cosmic Horror 👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻

34. THE MAN IN THE VENTS by Oliver Kane. SplatterHorror. 👻👻👻👻👻

35. Reading: HELL WALKS by David Dunwoody. Post-Apocalyptic Kaiju/SF Horror.

SOMETHING WICKED FALL 2024

2024 SPRING INTO HORROR!!!

plus 24-hour Readathon April 27-28 [10 AM to 10 AM]

SPRING INTO HORROR Titles Read:

** are Horror or contain Horror elements (for example, the Grimdark Fantasy).

1.** book:Cut and Thirst: A Short Story. New Release: Feminist Suspense/Light Horror
2. The Bold Pumpkin Plan by Kate Hudson. Children, NetGalley ARC.
3.** Sunbringer. Feminist GRIMDARK Epic Fantasy.
4.** Division X 2.0. Werewolf Horror.
5.** The Iron Trial. Empathetic Grimdark Epic Fantasy, MG/YA. [Recommendation from my Fantasy-obsessed 12yo granddaughter!)
6.** THE THING IN THE WIND. Horror/Environmentalism.
7. ALPACAS MAKE TERRIBLE LIBRARIANS. NG ARC new. Children.
8.** MOTHMANS MERRY CRYPTID CHRISTMAS. NG ARC Mount TBR. Children.
9.** THE LEVIATHAN. KU Virtual. Marine SF/Horror
10.** IT WATCHES IN THE DARK. NG Mount TBR. MG. Horror.
11.** NIGHTMARE IN THE BACK YARD. NG ARC. MG. Cryptid Creature Horror.
12.** FESTIVAL. Norse Music Horror.
13.** THE SPEEDY SPIDERSAURUS. NG ARC SHELF. Children.
14.** THE GATHERING. NG ARC
Vampyr Paranormal Psychological Thriller.
15.** ECHOES FROM THE MOON. SF.
16.** SHADOWS OF THE EARTH. KU Virtual.
17.** SOUL REDEMPTION. Horror (Series)
18.** RED RAIN (Dane Hatchell). Mount TBR. SF Horror >br> 19. NINJA ROBOT REPAIRMEN. Children. Mount TBR [2012]
20. IF I WERE A ROBOT. Mount TBR [2014] Children
21. NOVO ROBOT: HOW TO FIND THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT. Mount TBR NG ARC Children.
22.** OF MYCELIUM AND MEN. KU Virtual. Book 1. SF Aliens Mycology >br> 23.** DOWN AMONG THE MUSHROOMS. KU Virtual. SF Aliens Mycology
24.** DANISH DESIGN. KU Virtual. Scandi-noir
25. POINT NEMO. KU Virtual. SF.
26.** SHADOWDEATH WIND. BookSirens ARC. F. 27.** THE COPPER GAUNTLET [MAGISTERIUM BOOK 2]. HOOPLA Virtual.
28.** THE REAPPEARANCE OF RACHEL PRICE. Libby Virtual
29.** WHO TO BELIEVE. NG ARC Mount TBR and Libby Virtual
30.** A STEP PAST DARKNESS. NG ARC and Libby Virtual
31.** RITUAL IN THE MIND. Author ARC
32.** JABALI ISLAND. KU Virtual.
33.** NEVER SAW ME COMING. Mount TBR.
34.** HOW TO SOLVE YOUR OWN MURDER. Mount TBR.
35.** HAUNTED SECRETS: TALES OF CARL HESSELSCHWERDT VOLUME 2. publisher ARC.
36. GIGI BALLET RECITAL. EDELWEISS ARC. Children.
37.** SPRING HARVEST. NG ARC Current
38. CLEAR. Carys Davies. Libby Virtual
39.** STREET BETWEEN THE PINES. KU VIRTUAL.
40.** ONE OF US KNOWS. Libby Virtual
WHERE THE BODIES ARE, to 33%
Horror = 32 (total 40)[32 and 1/3 of 40 and 1/3)

I READ HORROR YEAR-ROUND Challenge

I READ HORROR YEAR-ROUND

Going for Level HORRIFYING:
3 📚
12 Categories
= 36 books 📚

Review: THEY STALK THE NIGHT

I always enjoy Brian Moreland's work, particularly so his Winter Horror, and THEY STALK THE NIGHT,  his newest, is a fine blending of Winter Horror,  Folk Horror,  Historical Horror,  with contemporary issues common to current culture [domestic abuse, drug epidemic,  violence,  sexism, psychopathy, etc. ]  Arrayed against these pervasive negatives of the human condition are strong moral characters,  integrity,  familial devotion (mothers, father,  grandparents), and generational shamanic lineage. Mr. Moreland's choice of creature to inhabit this Land of Horror will particularly resonate with fans of Graham Masterton and Algernon Blackwood.  Although it's not specifically named, the resemblance is clear and welcome,  as the author giftedly delineates the nature and capabilities and weaknesses of this predator. 

Kudos also for the STRONG female characters ! and the foil theme of the "bodyguard professional" and his ulterior motives for seeking the position of "security guard" on the Minnesota pipeline construction.

The plot is sound and well-knitted, and characters are linked up in a realistic and satisfying fashion. This author knows Plot and Character, p and both are strongly delineated here.

Caution: gore, violence, sexual assault, p sexism, psychopathy, obscenity, hunting, black-market, willingness to sacrifice others, fatalities [aninal, human], otherworldly Horror.

Review: THE EERIE BROTHERS AND THE WITCHES OF AUTUMN

THE EERIE BROTHERS AND THE AUTUMN WITCHES is a magical delight (in multiple senses), a Middle Grade contemporary fantasy about the importance of family and found family, of friendship and discernment, of discovering purpose and talents and drive. Two twins, just twelve years old, island dwellers, lost their mother in a boating accident two months ago. Their Aunt Jan is their guardian, but even having a loving aunt in loco parentis doesn't ease the grief. Then on a long weekend free from school, the brothers unexpectedly discover Magic is real, and they are inescapably involved. This debut excitement I believe is going to be a wonderful, not-to-be-missed series. Author Higdon is a talented wordweaver with a deep comprehension of his characters and a vividly expressed imagination.

Review: THE GATEWAY IN APARTMENT 8 by Chisto Healy

A snappy, fast-moving, nonstop, VERY scary read [an implacable horror that no one can escape!] which is guaranteed to keep readers wide awake with the lights on and ready to emergency-dial! Set in the horrendous Sunnycrest Apartments (oh, let there be future stories set in this Horrifying establishment! I want to know about the stairwell children....and yes, expand on Fred! And return Leremy, Felicia, Connor, Kevin, Sarah!) [Those are not spoilers.]

A young college student sensibly rents an inexpensive apartment. Sensible would apply, if the entire building didn't intermittently spit tenants into insane asylums because it is grossly, tremendously, haunted! Worse for Sarah, her apartment (8) contains portals in the bedroom and living room closets: portals to the 1980's...and they're two-way. Not the only portal apartment in the Sunnycrest, either.

I really enjoyed being terrified by this novel. I appreciated the Pride themes and the depth of characterization. Plus there were several occurrences I couldn't foresee, turning the story on its head (and thoroughly spinning my head)!

FRIGHTFALL 2023!!

FRIGHTFALL OCTOBER 2023

Total Read: 40 October Spooky: 37! "R" indicates "Recommend," "HR" indicates "Highly Recommend"

1. ****The September House HR

2. ****THE EERIE BROTHERS and THE WITCHES OF AUTUMN HR

3.**** Out There Screaming: An Anthology of New Black Horror HR

4. **** The Lover R

5. **** A Haunting on the Hill HR

6. **** The Night House HR

7. **** Becoming the Boogeyman

8. **** **Brainwyrms

9. ** This Thing Between Us

10. Device Free Weekend R

11. ****Black Sheep HR

12. ****They Stalk the Night HR

13. ****Hatchet Girls HR

14. Lavender House R

15. The Bell in the Fog R

16.**** Hokuloa Road HR

17. ****Beneath the Stairs R

18. ***The Hampton House Mystery

19. ***The Haunting R

20. ****Cutter's Deep

21. THE MOVING HOUSE (GHOSTLAND Prequel, Reread) Mount TBR [2019]

22. GHOSTLAND (#1). Mount TBR

23. TAVERN OF TERROR VOL 10 SCARE STREET ARC

24. LAST LIGHT NG ARC/TOUR

25. ELSEWHERE. own. Mount TBR. SF.

26. CHRISTMAS AND OTHER HORRORS. NG ARC Current. Release October 24.

27. THE LODGE. NG ARC MOUNT TBR, own Mount TBR.

28. WALKING AFTER MIDNIGHT PART I. own Mount TBR.

29. WALKING AFTER MIDNIGHT PART III. KU Virtual

30. PROJECT JOTUNHEIM. KU Virtual. SF.

31. HAUNTED SOULS. Own.

32. MACHINE VENDETTA. NG ARC New SF

33. A SEASON OF MONSTROUS CONCEPTIONS. NG ARC Current Release October 31

34. HALLOWE'EN PARTY. Scribd Virtual reread.

35. THE REFORMATORY. NG ARC Current

36. EVERSION. SF.

37. REVENGE OF THE CLOWNS.

38. JIGGLYSPOT AND THE ZERO INTELLECT. NG/KU

39. MIDNIGHT IS THE DARKEST HOUR. LIBBY Virtual

40. SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE ARCANA OF MADNESS. CLP ARC.

ANTICIPATING AUTUMN EVENTS!!

SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES at Castle Macabre

Review: WHAT HAPPENED AT HAWTHORNE HOUSE

Release August 25 2023

Wow! WHAT HAPPENED AT HAWTHORNE HOUSE just stunned me, rendered me speechless; and I 'm still pondering. This was my first encounter with author of the short-form Gothic, Hadassah Shiradski; surely it will not be the last. Now I've read some Weird Boarding School/Orphanage riffs [most recently Philip Fracassi's newest, BOYS IN THE VALLEY]; but Ms. Shiradski has managed a particular historical English Gothic rendering quite exquisitely. This is a take-no-prisoners variation which settles into one's imagination, burrows in. I recommend, do read the content warnings before commencing. Matron is awful, but the girls! Way worse! And of course, there's not going to be sweetness and light and an afternoon stroll in an English garden! This is Horror Gothic! And persistence beyond the veil! So beware!

: THE COVENANT SACRIFICE by Lee Allen Howard

This excellently written, compelling, Dark Horror comes with a full complement of Content Warnings....applicable, as it is very Grimdark. Despite that, I couldn't stop; I had to find out "what happens next?" THE COVENANT SACRIFICE confidently provides its readers with multiple villains [wolves in sheep's clothing and in wolves'], so beware: insisting one is of the Light doesn't prove that. There are outright practioners of the Dark Arts, and those who claim goodness but embrace evil. Thankfully, there are also those who are servants of the Light, and those who just hope to live their lives as they see fit, with love of family, friends, and others.

The plot and premise are exceptionally intriguing, and I admire the author's approach to characterization. We really get to know and understand those who populate this novel [even those we wish would just vanish]. There's generational legacy among both the Light and the Dark, so one suspects that rather like Appalachia, whatever the original ancestors have embraced, whether evangelical Christianity, or Dark Arts, or Spiritualism, carries on down through generations.

Content: Rampant Homophobia. Religious fanaticism and persecution. Animal Sacrifice. Human Sacrifice. Human/Insect Metamorphosis. Rape. Physical Abuse. Emotional Abuse. Bullying. Dark Arts.

Review: THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG WITH AUNTY BETH by Mark Towse

I'm here to tell you, there IS something WRONG with Aunty Beth, and with a whole lot of other people populating the stories in this collection. Well, they spring from the imagination of Mark Towse--why should I be surprised? Daytime reading only: do not enjoy a meal, do not read while alone, do not leave doors unlocked nor windows open.

My favorite stories in this collection: There's Something Wrong With Aunty Beth [of course];
The Fruits of Labor [whoa whoa whoa];
My Name is Mark Kellis [again, whoa],
Music Man [speechless]
Bucket of Chicken [A whole lot of Sleepless Nights ahead]
The Undertones [I knew it all along!!]

Cosy Street is WAY TOO SCARY
and Long Distance Call is SAD.

A Bad Harvest. This may be my favorite in the entire collection. Why? It's way saddening, gory, reeks of despair, but man, Poetic Justice.
Retail Therapy: I'm with George. 100% Right On.
Time For A Change: Ah ha, definitely a special favorite among my favorites. Poetic Justice again, and Sisterhood.
Mount Pleasant Home: Painful story, but: Poetic Justice, and Schadenfreude.
Just A Fly: really unexpected, not for the faint of heart; but the protagonist's early views are precious (especially considering his object) and suffused with lyrical imagery.
Time To Reflect: Weeks if not months of sleepless nights will follow. It's all your fault, Mark Towse.
The Bedroom Window: and umpteen more months of sleepless nights!!
Make Me Shine: I begged and begged and begged the story NOT to turn out this way. Shouldn't have cold chills on a sunny afternoon. No forgiveness, Mr. Towse.
The Candle Maker: YEARS of Sleepless Nights!!!

I'm noticing a couple patterns throughout these stories, and I wonder if these are continuing themes with Mr. Towse:

1. A character commits a certain act, out of peer pressure or rage or envy--for whatever reason--expecting a certain limited outcome. But it never works that way: like a stone causing ripp!es in a pond, the consequences are bound to be widespread and drastic.

2. Regret and remorse are useless. You can whine for forgiveness all you want, it's not coming; but retribution sure as Hades is.

3. The Crack in the Ceiling. Never just a crack, it's an always enlarging portal.

Review: THE LADY'S MAID'S BELL by Edith Wharton 1903

<><>>> I read this first in February, and determined I need to read all of Edith Wharton's ghost tales. On first read, I was primarily struck by the fright (plenty), and the unpleasant character of the lady's husband. On second read, I gleaned more and differently: I noticed how the Narrator's physique and description, following her recovery from the dread Typhoid, make her appearance similar to that of her employer, who seems to fulfill the typical description of a Victorian "Fainting Lady." (The Narrator assumes Heart Failure, but I deduce Consumption. ) Nonetheless, the Narrator and the Lady both exude an ethereal appearance and, I think, are or were closer to Death and so are unintentionally open to seeing across the Veil separating Life from Death. Also on reread, I am more disgruntled at the lack of closure of the puzzle. Why had the Lady's Maid of twenty years' duration passed? What did she hold against the Lady's unpleasant alcoholic husband? Why wasn't he frightened to death? What secret did the ghost attempt to impart to the Narrator? All in all, a fine rendering in the classic 19th century Ghost Story tradition! >>

Review: HOLLY HORROR by Michelle Jabes Corpora

Whoa! This YA novel is distinctly SCARY!! [Yes, there was internal Screaming involved! More than once!!] I was totally engrossed by the author's treatment of divergence, that is, those who experience beyond the accepted five senses [Evie and Aunt Martha] as opposed by those who go 100% the rational route. Anyone who has ever experienced feeling "different" from the crowd [as we are all avid readers, we're already "set apart"] can riff on Evie's (and her Aunt's] feelings, experiences, and attempts to find her own path in a world that doesn't respect what it doesn't see.

There's a great side theme too that initially arises as backstory but later in the novel surfaces as highly significant and it's precious how author Michelle Jabes Corpora wove it in, so gently and subtly so that the significant consequences are gradually revealed, sneaking up on readers. There are indications this will be a Series; I definitely hope so! I'm really enthralled with these characters and hope to see much more of their "normal" and Paranormal adventures!

Review: HELL'S HIGHWAY by Ian Fortey and Ron Ripley

Release April 17 2023

Climb aboard this nonstop thrill ride from accomplished horrormeisters Ian Fortey and Shane Ryan. Former Marine, cynical "tough guy" Shane Ryan of New Hampshire is once again pulled in to a quest not his own, this one not even occurring in his native New England, but hundreds of miles across the Canadian border, along the notoriously infamous 401 Highway. Shane's close friend, Detroit Homicide Detective Jacinta Perez, summons Shane's input on a bizarre, escalating, series of murders of Michigan residents, all near 401. Worryingly, not all the killers are alive; and Shane's lifelong ability to see and interact with Ghosts is crucial to prevent further fatalities.

Violent, gory, breathlessly Suspenseful; I can't wait to read the next in this new Series!

Review: IT FOUND US by Lindsey Currie

IT FOUND US is an engrossing, fast-paced, Paranormal Thriller with a very scary cover and spooky character. Aimed at middle graders, I found it very enjoyable [and scary], but also heartwarming as the twelve-year-old amateur sleuth works with her older brother and best friend to solve a multilayered mystery, including a vanishing. The author skillfully weaves in an actual early 20th-century tragedy as the basis for the contemporary events. Just as important are the characters' evolution, and the process by which families are solidified by recognizing the worth of each family member and of the family as a totality. Totally worth reading: give it a go!

Review: THE SPITE HOUSE by Johnny Compton

Release: February 7 2023

A magical, extraordinary, unforgettable, debut novel! Already a favorite of my 2023 reading (and of 2023 releases). Resonating on themes Historical, geographical, ethnic, cultural, of bigotry reversed by compassion, rage overcoming demise, love overcoming death, devotion and determination: THE SPITE HOUSE is magical in many senses. All these characters (present and past) are rolling at 1000%, emotions, intent, and intellect wide open! So many layers of stories are wrapped up together and woven into one intense experience for the wide-eyed reader with imagination cranked to the max. Just perfect. Never forget.

Now can we please have a sequel in which Eric, Dess, and Stacy acquire Pa-PaFred's land/house in Odessa? And in which we learn more about Fred's life and secrets??