Are you as exhausted by 2024 as I am? How about a book to help soothe the soul, or make you laugh, or give you a reason to read more on a topic? Here are twenty options that made my list (and more available upon request- heh heh!):
Actual Facts (aka Nonfiction)
The Comfort of Crows by Margaret Renkl
This is a beautifully crafted book, both the art work and the sharing of the author’s life experience in monthly chapters. If you’re looking for a gift for a nature loving friend -this might be worth checking out.
Generations by Jean Twenge
This book plus The Coddling of the American Mind have answered a lot of questions for me I didn’t know I had.
Something Cozy
Sipsworth by Simon Van Booy
Short in length, long on happiness impact. Take an afternoon and enjoy!
A New Lease On Death by Olivia Blacke
Looking for a cozy mystery? Here you go!
How to Age Disgracefully by Claire Pooley
Zesty characters and a cute dog. Do I need to say more?
The Guncle Abroad by Steven Rowley
Welcome back to Patrick O’Hara -everyone’s favorite Guncle!
Something a Little Different
Tilda is Visible by Jane Tara
What if you felt invisible because you’re a woman who’s getting older, and then your physical body actually started disappearing? And the medical community even had a name for the phenomenon?!
The Voyage of the Damned by Frances White
If you’re willing to read a fantasy book in which charming characters have magical gifts, this is also a locked room mystery that will keep you guessing until the end.
The Failures by Benjamin Liar
A chonky science fiction story with multiple storylines that come together in a pretty satisfying way to end the first in a trilogy.
After Annie by Anna Quindlen
When Annie unexpectedly passes away, we are given the opportunity to know her better through the lives she touched.
Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe
Margo is used to people thinking she makes bad choices, the current bad choice would be sleeping with her married college professor. When she discovers she’s pregnant and decides to keep the baby, Margo feels overwhelmed and determined to succeed.
Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty
When a woman on a plane starts predicting when and how other passengers will die, the first response was to brush it off. After the first prediction comes true, the rest of the group begins to bond and a search begins to find the mysterious lady.
Something a Little Dark
Fireborne Blade by Charlotte Bond
First in a new series, this is another short in length but long on impact book. You’ll be amazed at the world building the author is able to accomplish in only 167 pages!
The Haters by Robyn Harding
Camryn Hart went from celebrating her first published book to trying to figure out who’s making damaging false accusations about her online. The longer the attacks go on, the less trust Camryn has in the people surrounding her. What a wild ride!
Diavola by Jennifer Thorne
Creepy, creepy, creepy… So good!
Something Old (aka Historical)
Shelterwood by Lisa Wingate
Set in Oklahoma, with storylines in 1909 and 1990s, this book is filled with young women fighting for survival and for acceptance.
The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon
I had no idea who Martha Ballard was before reading this book and now I know why her legend lives on. Fascinating details on midwifery and all the additional jobs that were attached to that title.
The Mesmerist by Caroline Woods
Using some factual happenings and some fictional characters, this is another story of women fighting to have control over their own lives.
The Wealth of Shadows by Graham Moore
Just when you think there’s nothing new to learn about World War II, you read a book like this. Also, I’m a little sorry I didn’t pay more attention in my Macro Economics course…
Hopefully one of these books is just what you were looking for, and I’m *always* interested in hearing what you thought after reading! []~(￣▽￣)~*
Enjoy!
Stacey
Horror
Melinda’s Top 10 of 2024
It’s that time again! All week, your favorite library staff will be sharing their Top Ten Books of 2024. From horror to memoir to fantasy to romance, we have a wide range of book to recommend. Be sure to keep checking back – there will be new Top Ten lists every day this week!
Click on the book cover to request a print copy of the book, or check out Libby or Hoopla for eBook and eAudiobook offerings.
In no particular order, here are my Top Ten!
The Reformatory by Tananarive Due
Twelve-year-old Robbie Stephens, Jr., is sentenced to six months at a reformatory for kicking the son of the largest landowner in town in defense of his older sister, Gloria. So begins Robbie’s journey further into the terrors of the Jim Crow South and the very real horror of the school they call The Reformatory. Robbie has a talent for seeing ghosts, or haints. But what was once a comfort to him has become a window to the truth of what happens at the reformatory.
The Dallergut Dream Department Store by Miye Lee
In a mysterious town hidden in our collective subconscious there’s a department store that sells dreams. Each floor specializes in a specific type of dream: childhood memories, food dreams, ice skating, dreams of stardom.
Full review here.
Youthjuice by E.K. Sathue
Joining HEBE, a luxury skincare/wellness company, 29-year-old Sophia Bannion is soon addicted to her HEBE lifestyle, especially youthjuice, the fatty, soothing moisturizer she’s been asked to test, but when she learns the gruesome secret ingredient, she must decide how far she’s willing to go to stay beautiful forever.
Full review here.
You Could Make This Place Beautiful by Maggie Smith
The book begins with one woman’s personal, particular heartbreak, but its circles widen into a reckoning with contemporary womanhood, traditional gender roles, and the power dynamics that persist even in many progressive homes. With the spirit of self-inquiry and empathy she’s known for, Smith interweaves snapshots of a life with meditations on secrets, anger, forgiveness, and narrative itself.
The Farm by Joanne Ramos
Nestled in New York’s Hudson Valley is a luxury retreat boasting every amenity: organic meals, private fitness trainers, daily massages–and all of it for free. In fact, you’re paid big money to stay here–more than you’ve ever dreamed of. The catch? For nine months, you cannot leave the grounds; your movements are monitored, and you are cut off from your former life while you dedicate yourself to the task of producing the perfect baby.
A Grandmother Begins the Story by Michelle Porter
The story of the unrivaled desire for healing and the power of familial bonds across five generations of Métis women and the land and bison that surround them.
The Prettiest Star by Carter Sickels
At eighteen, Brian, like so many other promising young gay men, arrived in New York City without much more than a love for the freedom and release from his past that it promised. But within six short years, AIDS would claim his lover, his friends, and his future. With nothing left in New York but memories of death, Brian decides to write his mother a letter asking to come back to the place, and family, he was once so desperate to escape.
Outofshapeworthlessloser by Gracie Gold
When Gracie Gold stepped onto center stage (or ice, rather) as America’s sweetheart at the 2014 Sochi Olympics, she instantly became the face of America’s most beloved winter sport. Now Gold reveals the exclusive and harrowing story of her struggles in and out of the pressure-packed world of elite figure skating: the battles with her family, her coaches, the powers-that-be at her federation, and her deteriorating mental health.
Mister Lullaby by J.H. Markert
As coma patients are trapped in a world full of evil mythical creatures of sleep, which is linked to an old train tunnel around town, one troubled man finally acts upon the voice in his head called Mr. Lullaby who wants him to kill all the coma patients he can find.
Full review here.
Dolls of Our Lives by Mary Mahoney & Allison Horrocks
Combining history, travelogue, and memoir, Dolls of Our Lives follows Allison Horrocks and Mary Mahoney on an unforgettable journey to the past as they delve into the origins of this iconic brand.
Happy reading!
-Melinda
Stories That Go Bump in the Night
Spooky season is upon us, and the Library has spooky stories of all types to keep you up at night! From vampires to haunted houses and zombies, there’s a scary amount of good books coming out that will haunt you. Grab a blanket to cozy up and get ready to meet the monsters that lurk in the shadows. These chilling reads are waiting for you on our shelves!
Click on the book title to request a print copy of the book, or check out Libby or Hoopla for eBook or eAudiobook offerings.
So Thirsty by Rachel Harrison
Sloane 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 weekend getaway–not with him, but with Sloane’s longtime best friend, troublemaker extraordinaire Naomi. But when they arrive at their rental cottage, it becomes clear Naomi has something else in mind. She wants 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 Bog Wife by Kay Chronister
Since time immemorial, the Haddesley family has tended the cranberry bog. In exchange, the bog sustains them. The staunch seasons of their lives are governed by a strict covenant that is renewed each generation with the ritual sacrifice of their patriarch, and in return, the bog produces a “bog-wife.” Brought to life from vegetation, this woman is meant to carry on the family line. But when the bog fails–or refuses–to honor the bargain, the Haddesleys, a group of discordant siblings still grieving the mother who mysteriously disappeared years earlier, face an unknown future.
William by Mason Coile
Henry is a brilliant engineer who has achieved the breakthrough of his career–he’s created an artificially intelligent consciousness, the half-formed robot William.
No one knows about William. Henry’s agoraphobia and his fixation on his project keeps him up in the attic, away from everyone, including his pregnant wife, Lily.
When Lily’s coworkers show up, wanting to finally meet Henry, he decides to introduce them to William, and things go from strange to much worse.
This Cursed House by Del Sandeen
Jemma Barker is desperate to escape her life in Chicago–and the spirits she has always been able to see. When she receives an unexpected job offer from the Duchon family in New Orleans, she accepts, thinking it is her chance to start over.
Light enough to pass as white, the Black family members look down on brown-skinned Jemma. Their tenuous hold on reality extends to all the members of their eccentric clan. And soon the shocking truth comes out: The Duchons are under a curse.
The Unmothers by Leslie J. Anderson
Marshall is still trying to put the pieces together after the death of her husband. After she is involved in a terrible accident, her editor sends her to the small, backwards town of Raeford to investigate a clearly ridiculous rumor: that a horse has given birth to a healthy, human baby boy.
When Marshall arrives, she finds an insular town that is kinder to the horses they are famous for breeding than to their own people. But when two horribly mangled bodies are discovered in a field–one a horse, one a human–she realizes that there might be a real story here.
Hampton Heights by Dan Kois
On a cold winter’s evening in 1987, six middle-school paperboys wander an unfamiliar Milwaukee neighborhood, selling newspaper subscriptions, fueled by their manager Kevin’s promises of cash bonuses and dinner at Burger King. But the freaks come out at night in Hampton Heights. Sent out into the neighborhood in pairs, the boys will encounter a host of primordial monsters–and triumph over them.
Happy reading!
-Melinda
Summer Scares
Photo by Melanie Wasser on Unsplash
Summer is in full swing! Step aside beach reads, scary summer stories are hitting the shelves hard this season. Here are a selection of horror titles from legendary authors and newcomers alike. Whether you like to read with the lights on or surround yourself in spooky vibes, this summer has a book for you!
House of Bone and Rain by Gabino Iglesias
A group of young men seek vengeance after one of their mothers is murdered in a Puerto Rican slum;
Youthjuice by E.K. Sathue
A 29-year-old copywriter realizes that beauty is possible–at a terrible cost–in this surreal, satirical send-up of NYC It-girl culture.
Horror Movie by Paul Tremblay
In June 1993, a group of young guerilla filmmakers spent four weeks making Horror Movie, a notorious, disturbing, art-house horror flick.
Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman
A chilling horror novel about a haunting, told from the perspective of a young girl whose troubled family is targeted by an entity she calls “Other Mommy.”
How to Make a Horror Movie and Survive by Craig DiLouie
A famous 80s slasher director sets out to shoot the most terrifying horror movie ever made using an occult camera that might be (and probably is) demonic.
Bury Your Gays by Chuck Tingle
Misha knows that chasing success in Hollywood can be hell.
But finally, after years of trying to make it, his big moment is here: an Oscar nomination.
The Eyes Are the Best Part by Monika Kim
Ji-won’s life tumbles into disarray in the wake of her Appa’s extramarital affair and subsequent departure. Her dreams, horrifying… yet enticing.
Pink Slime by Fernanda Trias
In a city ravaged by a mysterious plague, a woman tries to understand why her world is falling apart. Inland, a secretive corporation churns out the only food anyone can afford–a revolting pink paste.
Middle of the Night by Riley Sager
A man must contend with the long-ago disappearance of his childhood best friend–and the dark secrets lurking just beyond the safe confines of his picture-perfect neighborhood.
If you enjoy reading all things spooky and scary, check out our upcoming book discussion, Reading in the Dark. For more details, click here: https://events.rrpl.org/event/10328357
Happy reading!
-Melinda
Book Review: Youthjuice
Gut healing supplements, anti-aging night cremes, and questionable wellness practices lie at the heart of youthjuice. Imagine a world where Devil Meets Prada is crossed with Gwyneth Paltrow’s goop and you’ve got HEBE, a fictional luxury wellness company run by New York City it girl Tree Whitestone. When Sophia lands herself a job on the Storytelling team at HEBE, she’s ready to embrace the cult of wellness with open arms. Living in the shadow of a beauty blogger roommate, the radiating youthful glow of the interns and employees at HEBE call out to Sophia as she tries to blend into the world of colonics, concoctions, and connection. When Tree offers Sophia a tester of HEBE’s newest moisturizing product, youthjuice, Sophia jumps at the chance to prove her loyalty. Especially when the moisturizer gives her painful (and shameful) nail-bitten hands new life. But with all things, HEBE’s glittering facade might just be hiding a darker underworld…and Sophia’s about to dive right in.
Former beauty editor E.K. Sathue takes the reader on a journey into beauty culture that is sure to delight fans of the horror genre. This campy yet cunning exploration of the body horror subgenre could be a bit of a queasy-filled journey, but ultimately the world of pseudo-wellness lures you back. Readers will relate to Sophia’s desire to balance the all-consuming need to get ahead with her moral compass. This book is great for anyone who likes a little gore with their glam.
youthjuice comes out on June 4. Request a copy here.
Happy reading!
*I received a review copy from Soho Press and Edelweiss. This is my honest review.
-Melinda
Book Review: Mister Lullaby
Harrod’s Reach is home to a train tunnel filled with spooky stories. After a fatal train accident in the tunnel, all the kids and adults know- stay away from the tunnel. Bad things happen to those who enter the tunnel, as Gideon Dupree knows all too well. His brother, Sully, ran into the tunnel…and never woke up. Years later, Sully is still in a coma and Gideon is coming home from a tour abroad. His childhood friend, Beth Gardner is now the deputy sheriff of their small town, with a son of her own and a wariness surrounding the tunnel and its lore.
When the tunnel once again begins to beckon to the townspeople, strange figures and phenomena begin to occur. One of the town’s oddballs, “Simple” Simon, is discovered by Beth outside the tunnel. His limited language skills are far outweighed by the vivid drawings in his sketchbook, clutched tightly in his hands and carefully labeled LaLaLand.
This book had an intricately built world which made for a page-turning read. There are multiple first person narrators, but each main character has their own well-developed voice. The uneasiness and horror elements are not too gruesome but are definitely enough to keep you up at night. Likened to Stephen King, J.H. Markert tells a haunting tale that will stick with you long after you finish reading. A return to Harrod’s Reach would be welcome!
Put the print copy on hold here or put the audiobook on hold here.
Happy reading!
-Melinda
Book Review: The September House
Margaret and Hal think they’ve struck the gold mine when they purchase a stately old Victorian home. But come September, things start going awry. Blood drips down the walls, items get misplaced, and ghostly former inhabitants known as “the pranksters” roam the halls. And they all ominously point to the basement door with a warning- “He’s down there.”
Margaret spends all her time managing the house and its quirks, but Hal has had enough. So when another September rolls around, Hal decides to take matters into his own hands…and disappears without a trace. When their daughter Katherine calls, Margaret begrudgingly shares the news that Hal is missing. Panicked, Katherine immediately plans a visit. In September. Just as the house is waking up for its annual haunting. What could go wrong?
I listened to this horror novel and was mesmerized by the characters, plot, and setting. The pranksters are explained in vivid detail, which gives them an especially spooky feel, and Margaret and Katherine’s antics are those of a classic mother-daughter pair. The house itself is a central character to the story as it creaks and groans with its dark secrets. If you want to be swept away by a scary story, this book is for you.
Request it here.
Happy reading!
-Melinda
Melinda’s Top 10 of 2023
Just Like Home by Sarah Gailey
There are secrets yet undiscovered in the foundations of the notorious Crowder House. Vera must face them and find out for herself just how deep the rot goes.
I was introduced to Sarah Gailey this year and have loved everything I’ve read so far. Spooky house stories are a win anytime of year.
Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa
After a young Japanese woman’s life falls apart, she moves into a flat above her eccentric uncle’s bookshop, staying rent-free in exchange for working at the store and developing a passion for Japanese literature.
This is a quietly paced gem of a book. A short read perfect for all book lovers.
Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing by Matthew Perry
The beloved Friends star shares candid behind the scenes stories from the legendary sitcom, as well as detailing his own struggles with addiction.
As a Friends fan, this book was a heavy read, but an important read for anyone wanting to understand addiction and its impact.
A Long Stretch of Bad Days by Mindy McGinnis
To earn the last credit she needs to graduate, Lydia Chass teams up with foul-mouthed Bristal Jamison to transform her listener-friendly local history podcast into a hard-hitting, truth-telling expose as they investigate an unsolved murder from their small town’s past.
Full review here.
A House with Good Bones by T. Kingfisher
Warned by her brother that their mother seems “off,” Sam visits and discovers a once-cozy home with sterile white walls, a her mom a jumpy, nervous wreck and a jar of teeth hidden in the rosebushes.
Full review here.
Alchemy of a Blackbird by Claire McMillan
Felling the Nazis, painter Remedios Varo and her poet lover await exit papers from a safe house on the Riviera and take refuge in a mysterious bookshop that opens up a world of occult learning that sparks creative genius.
Full review here.
A Guide to Midwestern Conversation by Taylor Kay Phillips
Learn how to speak like a Midwesterner in this humorous and self-deprecating look at their common phrases and sentiments and featuring an ode to the Garage Fridge.
Ope, lemme just tell you- this light-hearted look at the Midwestern states and our odd speech patterns was a fun read.
The Golden Spoon by Jessa Maxwell
During her annual televised baking competition on her Vermont estate, celebrated baker Betsy Martin, hailed as “America’s Grandmother,” finds murder in the mix when a body is discovered, and everyone is a suspect.
Full review here.
My Murder by Katie Williams
Having been murdered by a serial killer and subsequently resurrected, Lou must solve her own slaying.
An original and intriguing tale of cloning, crime, and community- one of my few five star reads this year!
The Drowning Kind by Jennifer McMahon
Investigating an estranged sibling’s suspicious drowning at their grandmother’s estate, Jax connects the tragedy to the unsolved case of a housewife who in 1929 allegedly succumbed to a wish-granting spring.
Jennifer McMahon is always a must-read for me, and the alternating timeline of this book made this one hard to put down.
Happy reading!
-Melinda
Stacey says, “It’s time for the Top Ten of 2023!”
This year I’m really leaning into the popular saying, “So many books, so little time!” My list of possibilities for a Top Ten is longer than usual thanks to my participation on American Library Association’s The Reading List committee. The Reading List is focused on finding great reads in the genres of Adrenaline, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Relationship Fiction, Romance, and Science Fiction -some of these categories aren’t ones I naturally gravitate toward but I’ve enjoyed the entire experience! (Plus -now I have bonus books for this list!)
As always, the books are in alphabetical order in each genre. I’m attempting a three emoji description -🤞 I can make it work. The link will take you to our digital collection but there are print books as well, just give us a call!
General Fiction:
Half-Life of a Stolen Sister by Rachel Cantor 🤔 👀 🔎
Late Bloomers by Deepa Varadarajan 👪🏽 🤐 🎉
Murder Your Employer by Rupert Holmes 🏫 🕵🏼 👫🏽
Maame by Jessica George 👪🏾 🏠 🏋🏾♀️
Happiness Falls by Angie Kim 🏡 🤫 🔍
Adrenaline:
Dirty Laundry by Disha Bose 🤐 😮 🪤
A Twisted Love Story by Samantha Downing 🕵🏼♀️ 👩❤️👨☠️
Historical Fiction:
Ghost Girl, Banana by Wiz Wharton 🇭🇰 🏴 👨👩👧👧
The Beach at Summerly by Beatriz Williams ⚔️ 💘 🏡
The House is on Fire by Rachel Beanland 🎭 🔥 💔
Mystery:
The Appeal by Janice Hallett 🤫 🔍 🥸
Better the Blood by Michael Bennett ☠️ 😰 🇳🇿
Killing Me by Michelle Gogan 🙅 😳 🤥
The Sunset Years of Agnes Sharp by Leonie Swann 👵 🐢 🪤
Horror:
The September House by Carissa Orlando 🔥 🫠 😵
How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix 👻 😱 🥴
Fantasy or Science Fiction:
The Books of Babel series by Josiah Bancroft series ☠️ ⛓️💥
Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett 🧚 ✨ 📚
The Meister of Decimen City by Brianna 🐉 🦸♀️ ⚡
The Road to Roswell by Connie Willis 🗺️ 🛸 😉
📚 💖 😊
– Stacey
Haunted Reads
We’re nearing the end of spooky season and if you haven’t gotten your fill of scary stories, here are some to keep you in the spirit of witches, hauntings, and monsters:
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
“An 80-year-old mansion harboring dark secrets comes to menacing life in this classic spine-tingling tale from Shirley Jackson. Anthropologist and ghost hunter Dr. John Montague invites three strangers to stay in haunted Hill House for the summer. One of the guests is 32-year-old Eleanor, for whom three months in a haunted house is preferable to caring for her invalid mother. Soon, Eleanor begins to see and hear things that the other guests cannot. Is it all in her imagination, or is she the only one who can perceive the evil that lurks in Hill House?”
A Haunting on the Hill by Elizabeth Hand
“Hand’s new novel revisits the infamous haunted house from Shirley Jackson’s classic The Haunting of Hill House. Holly, a struggling playwright looking to flesh out her witchy comeback, thinks that Hill House, the eerie mansion she’s stumbled across in Upstate New York, would be the perfect place to finish her play. She rents the house and takes her partner Nisa, a singer; their friend, sound guy/actor Stevie; and theater legend Amanda along, despite warnings and a disturbing first visit. The house rapidly reveals itself to be a malevolent force, playing on the past traumas and insecurities of its guests with typically devastating consequences.”
I’m Thinking of Ending Things by Iain Reid
“It’s snowing, and the unnamed narrator is traveling with her new boyfriend Jake to visit his parents at the family farm. The novel’s vague title seems to become clearer as the narrator repeatedly ponders calling off their relationship. While this revelation may not have arrived at the best of times, it’s quickly apparent that a failed relationship is the least of her problems. When the couple arrives at their destination, Jake’s parents are awkward, and the evening goes from strange to unsettling as the narrator explores the setting of Jake’s childhood. When the pair drive home, the weather takes a turn for the worse. Jake turns off the highway and parks by an empty high school. He goes inside, leaving the narrator alone and frightened. When she enters the building, her vague sense of foreboding turns into outright terror. Interspersed throughout are snatches of conversation about some unknown act of violence that only heightens the feeling of unease.”
“When the Creed family’s beloved cat, Winston Churchill, dies, Dr. Louis Creed — on the instructions of his elderly neighbor — buries the animal not in the “Pet Sematary” where local children inter their deceased pets, but rather in the haunted Indian burial ground behind it. The next day, a changed Churchill comes back, a little smellier and more vicious than before. What will happen when a person dies and is buried in the same area?”
Nothing But Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw
“Four friends gather at a Heian-era mansion in the Japanese countryside to celebrate the elopement of two of their group. From the start, something is off. There’s no paper trail of their rental, for reasons the owner makes vague; more unsettling is that this house has a haunted history. A thousand years ago, a bride awaited her groom at the site; he never arrived. She made her guests bury her alive under the building’s foundation so she could await him forever. Every year since, it is said, a young woman is sacrificed to help the lost groom find his way back to his beloved. This short novel, immersed in unease and oozing menace, is engrossing and methodically paced. The atmosphere, the characters, and their strained, complicated relationships are carefully constructed and slowly revealed, until the group finds itself in the middle of a nightmare, stalked by a faceless woman in white as they fight to leave the mansion alive. The conclusion will leave all unsettled, haunting both characters and readers.”
“In 1915, Montana allows unmarried, Black women the opportunity to claim a homestead, so, having lived her entire life in a California farming community with her parents, Adelaide Henry, 31, sets off. But before she leaves, Adelaide places her murdered parents in bed and burns the house down. Taking only an overnight bag and a heavy, securely locked trunk containing her family’s curse, one that she is now solely responsible for controlling, Adelaide will attempt to flee her past while still shackled to it, thus setting LaValle’s latest, a pervasively uneasy and brilliantly plotted horror-western hybrid, in absorbing motion. Readers are led to Big Sandy to meet its marginalized and outcast citizens, feel the wide open, unforgiving landscape, and watch the captivating drama, both real and supernatural, unfold. Told with a pulp sensibility, this masterfully paced tale, with short chapters, heart-pounding suspense, a monster that is both utterly terrifying and heartbreakingly beautiful, and a story line focused on the power of women, bursts off the page.”
-Linnea
Read it or Weep 