Library Reads: March 2018

Friday was Library Reads day but I was presenting in Green Bay all day, so you get the list as a bonus Sunday post. Library Reads Day means three things here on RA for All:

1. I post the list and tag it “Library Reads” so that you can easily pull up every single list with one click.
2. I can remind you that even though the newest list is always fun to see, it is the older lists where you can find AWESOME, sure bet suggestions for patrons that will be on your shelf to actually hand to them right now. The best thing about Library Reads is the compound interest it is earning. We now have hundreds and hundreds of titles worth suggesting right at our fingertips.
3. You have no excuse not to hand sell any Library Reads titles because there is a book talk right there in the list in the form of the annotation one of your colleagues wrote for you. All you have to say to your patron is, “such and such library worker in blank state thought this was a great read,” and then you read what he or she said.

So get out there and suggest a good read to someone today. I don’t care what list or resource you use to find the suggestion, just start suggesting books.

March 2018 LibraryReads

Let Me Lie

by Clare Mackintosh

Published: 3/13/2018 by Berkley
ISBN: 9780451490537

“For readers who enjoyed Mackintosh’s I Let You Go and I See You, you most certainly will enjoy her latest suspenseful thrill ride. Anna has been struggling to get on with her life after her parents’ suicides when she starts to receive clues that maybe her parents did not carry out the heinous act that everyone believed they committed.”

KC Davis, Fairfield Woods Library, Fairfield, CT

The Broken Girls

by Simone St. James

Published: 3/20/2018 by Berkley
ISBN: 9780451476203

“Parallel narratives, one set in Vermont 1950 and the other in Vermont 2014, are woven together in this intricate mystery. Timely themes of violence toward women and abuses of power resonate throughout. A well-crafted and unsettling tale for fans of Gothic horror and female centered thrillers.”

Kate Currie, Hennepin County Library, Minneapolis, MN 

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The Flight Attendant: A Novel

by Chris Bohjalian

Published: 3/13/2018 by Doubleday
ISBN: 9780385542418

“Cassie Bowden is a flight attendant with a drinking problem. Rock bottom comes when she wakes up in a hotel room in Dubai with a dead man next to her. Warning: do not read this on a plane!”

Marika Zemke, Commerce Township Public Library,
Commerce Township, MI 

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Sometimes I Lie: A Novel

by Alice Feeney

Published: 3/13/2018 by Flatiron Books
ISBN: 9781250144843

“For fans of the recent psychological thrillers, The Woman In the Window and The Wife Between Us, comes another one that will keep you on your toes. I felt like I needed a whiteboard to keep track of the twists and turns.”

Robin Beerbower, Salem Public Library, Salem, OR

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Burn Bright

by Patricia Briggs

Published: 3/6/2018 by Ace
ISBN: 9780425281314

“The latest installment in the Alpha and Omega series. The tension between humans and werewolves is ramping up and Charles and Anna are becoming more deeply involved in Pack business. For readers who enjoy Ilona Andrews and Kelly Armstrong.”

Shana Harrington, Las Vegas Clark County Library District, Las Vegas, NV 

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Sunburn: A Novel

by Laura Lippman

Published: 2/20/2018 by William Morrow
ISBN: 9780062389923

“Polly leaves her husband and child while on a beach vacation and winds up in a small town in Delaware with almost nothing. She gets a job at the local bar and starts a relationship with Adam, someone who seems to have landed in the town by accident as well. As the novel progresses, we learn of Polly’s past and soon you won’t know what to believe. Sunburn is a twisted novel that will suck you in.”

Annice Sevett, New Hanover County Public Library, Wilmington, NC 

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Every Note Played

by Lisa Genova

Published: 3/20/2018 by Gallery/Scout Press
ISBN: 9781476717807

“Richard is a successful concert pianist who has contracted ALS and now his right arm is paralyzed. His wife Katrina takes on the role of reluctant caretaker. Theirs is a marriage filled with secrets, blame, loneliness and disappointment. The book is beautifully written and visceral in its description of the progression of ALS. Most moving to this reader was both characters’ impassioned relationship to music.”

Maggie Holmes, Richards Memorial Library, North Attleborough, MA 

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Girls Burn Brighter: A Novel

by Shobha Rao
Published: 3/6/2018 by Flatiron Books
ISBN: 9781250074256

“A beautiful tale of survival despite overwhelming destructive forces all around. After her mother’s death, Poornima is left to care for her siblings and father until her arranged marriage. When a free spirited Savitha enters, Poornima begins to imagine a different life. Told in alternating perspectives, the girls’ ambition keeps them going through unimaginable trials.”  

Darla Dykstra, Mid-Continent Public Library, Independence, MO 

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Alternate Side: A Novel

by Anna Quindlen

Published: 3/20/2018 by Random House
ISBN: 9780812996067

“This book really captures contemporary New York, the increasing disparity between the wealthy Manhattanites and those who work for them and live in the outer boroughs, and the obsessive search for parking. The title hits exactly the right tone as “alternate side” has several meanings in this novel.”

Rosemarie Borsody, Lee Library Association, Lee, MA 

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Tangerine

by Christine Mangan

Published: 3/27/2018 by Ecco
ISBN: 9780062686664

“This novel brings to mind Hitchcock. This is the story of two women, friends in college, until an accident drives a wedge between them. Years later, Alice is living in Tangier with her husband when Lucy shows up. A twisted tale told in alternating points of view.”

Terri Smith, Cornelia Habersham County Library, Cornelia, GA

RA for All Roadshow Visits Green Bay Wisconsin!

Today I begin a stretch of training trips and appearances where I will present 6 times in 6 weeks and run a 1 day conference in Rhode Island.

I am very excited for this busy stretch to begin. After my self created break in January, I am raring to go. I have updated all of my presentations and some are so revamped that they are basically brand new.

It all kicks off with a 3 hour drive due north to Green Bay, Wisconsin to conduct a training for the staff of Brown County Library.

Below is what we have planned for the day including the links you would need whether you attended this event or are just following along at home.

Back Monday with all of the Adult Book Award Announcements from ALA Midwinter!

Brown County [Public] Library Staff In-Serivce Training Schedule

• RA for All Signature Program which follows Becky’s 10 Rules of RA Service
• Booktalking: Harnessing the Power of Sharing Books With Readers
• Slide Access
• Booktalking Practice
• RA Rethink: Merchandising and Upselling Edition [Updated and Reworked]
• Slide Access

Guest Post: How to Gamify Your TBR Featuring Jennifer from Book Den

Back in November I had this post where I laid out my strategy for handling TBR anxiety. I got a lot of positive feedback from a wide range of readers thanking me for the post, for acknowledging this anxiety and for trying to help you combat it.

Many people have been informally sharing their strategies with me, but back in January, my friend Jennifer from Book Den had a post about how she turns her TBR into a game with the TBR mug. I asked her to write up something for my readers to help them battle their own TBR anxiety.

Jennifer’s TBR mug is a fun way to gamify your own reading list. Gamification is one of the biggest trends in society and thanks to The Center for the Future of Libraries [here], there was some direction on how to move this trend into libraries specifically. Gamification in libraries is pretty mainstream by now, but why not gamify your own reading too? What a great motivational tool, and it is fun.

Thanks Jennifer for sharing with my readers. She will be updating her progress on her site all year long if you want to follow along for fun or inspiration.

Here’s Jennifer.

Every year I have a select list of books I'm hoping to finally read. More often than not, the year goes by without me getting to read many of the books that have been sitting on my shelf for years. This year I decided to implement a TBR jar. I went through all of my unread books and selected 15 books I'd love to finally read this year.

The Talisman by Stephen King and Peter Straub
My Soul to Keep by Tananarive Due
Neverland by Douglas Clegg
American Gods by Neil Gaiman
The House Next Door by Anne Rivers Siddons
Cinder by Marissa Meyer
The Fury by John Farris
Summer of Night by Dan Simmons
Ghost Story by Peter Straub
Rebecca by Dauphne du Maurier
1984 by George Orwell
Little Brothers by Rick Hautula
Killing Mr. Griffin by Lois Duncan
Tell No One by Harlan Coben
The Orchard by Charles L. Grant

Each of the these titles have been placed into a mug that sits on my bookshelf. I plan to select one title each month through 2018. (There are 15 titles in the jar instead of just 12 so I can have a little wiggle room to mood read if I want to put a title back into the jar.)


The first title I pulled from the jar was Summer of Night by Dan Simmons which is turning out to be a fantastic read.
Since February is Women in Horror month, I may cheat a little and read My Soul to Keep by Tananarive Due without pulling it from the jar. Even if I don't follow the rules exactly, having my TBR jar sitting up front on my shelf will help keep the books I want to read most in the forefront of my mind. 

I'd also like to mention how fun it is to pull a random title out of the jar. I was so nervous and excited to find out which book I would be reading first. I have a feeling by the end of the year I will have finally read many of the books I've been wanting to read that I already own.

If you decide to do a TBR jar of your own, you can put as many or as few titles as you would like. I tried to keep my list small because these are the books I'd really like to focus on this year. I'm already thinking ahead to which titles will make the cut next year!

Bram Stoker Awards Final Ballot and Semi Regular Reminder on Using Awards Lists As A RA Tool

On Monday, the Horror Writers Association announced the final ballot for the Bram Stoker Awards. As a member of one of the juries and an Active voter, I am very proud of this list. I already voted in the preliminary round and most of he books I voted for made it through. Most importantly, in the category for which I was on the jury, all of the books I wanted to make it through, did. I have a favorite, but I would honestly be proud if any of the five nominated titles won.

In the ballot I have attached below, I linked to the books for which I have written a formal review. I have read many more than that, but I am only 1 person and never manage to write a review for every book I read. You can also click here for the official press release from the HWA.

But before we get to the list, I wanted to also remind all of my readers of the wonderful resource awards announcement lists make.  I have written many times about using awards lists as a RA tool but the first time was here.

Please don’t ignore this post if you think horror is not “for you.” If you help a single reader, ever, knowing what is considered “the best” in any genre, at any time is very important. Awards lists are always a fantastic resource-- any awards list. Yes, you use this list for collection development, but you also use it for sure bet suggestions.

Take the “Best Novel” category below. I know for a fact that most of the libraries in the country have the Golden, Malerman, and King books in their collections.  Go down just a bit further and there is the Ferris Graphic Novel which has been one of the best reviewed graphic novels of the year. Even further you see a collection by Hill, and ones edited by Maberry and Datlow. And of course, in nonfiction we have Paperbacks from Hell. All of these titles are linked to more info by me [except the King, you don’t need my help on that one].

The point is, you know some of these titles. You own them. Suggest them or the other titles here on the final ballot. Or make a display of any of the nominees you do have, and not just these nominated titles, anything you have by nominees. Just the Datlow edited anthologies you have alone could probably fill a display. Also the fact that King is nominated this year will draw people to your display. Use the big name authors [King. Hill, Maberry] to introduce readers to other authors they may like, if only they knew about them.

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The 2017 Bram Stoker Awards® Final Ballot

+MailThe Horror Writers Association announces the 2017 Bram Stoker Awards® Final Ballot. HWA is the premier organization for writers of horror and dark fantasy. “This year’s slate of nominees truly demonstrates the breadth and quality of the horror genre,” said Lisa Morton, HWA President and multiple Bram Stoker Award winner. “Once again, our members and awards juries have chosen outstanding works of literature, cinema, non-fiction, and poetry.”

The presentation of the Bram Stoker Awards® will occur during the third annual StokerCon™, to be held March 1st-4th at the historic Biltmore Hotel in Providence, Rhode Island. The gala presentation will happen on Saturday night, March 3rd. Tickets to the banquet and the convention are on sale to the public at http://www.stokercon2018.org . The awards presentation will also be live-streamed online via the website.

Named in honor of the author of the seminal horror novel Dracula, the Bram Stoker Awards® are presented annually for superior writing in eleven categories including traditional fiction of various lengths, poetry, screenplays and non-fiction. Previous winners include Stephen King, J.K. Rowling, George R. R. Martin, Joyce Carol Oates and Neil Gaiman. HWA is a nonprofit organization of writers and publishing professionals around the world, dedicated to promoting dark literature and the interests of those who write it. The HWA formed in 1985 with the help of many of the field’s greats, including Dean Koontz, Robert McCammon, and Joe R. Lansdale. The HWA is home to the prestigious Bram Stoker Award® and the annual StokerCon™ horror convention.

We proudly provide the list of talented nominees who reached the final ballot below for each category.

Superior Achievement in a Novel

Golden, Christopher – Ararat (St. Martin’s Press)
King, Stephen and King, Owen – Sleeping Beauties (Scribner)
Malerman, Josh – Black Mad Wheel (Ecco)
Miskowski, S.P. – I Wish I Was Like You (JournalStone)
Tem, Steve Rasnic – Ubo (Solaris)

Superior Achievement in a First Novel

Cabeen, Robert Payne – Cold Cuts (Omnium Gatherum Media)
Davidson, Andy – In the Valley of the Sun (Skyhorse Publishing)
Hayward, Matt – What Do Monsters Fear? (Post Mortem Press)
Hepler, Jeremy – The Boulevard Monster (Bloodshot Books)
Thomas, Scott – Kill Creek (Ink Shares)

Superior Achievement in a Young Adult Novel

French, Gillian – The Door to January (Islandport Press)
Leveen, Tom – Hellworld (Simon Pulse)
Liggett, Kim – The Last Harvest (Tor Teen)
Lukavics, Amy – The Ravenous (Harlequin Teen)
Porter, Sarah – When I Cast Your Shadow (Tor Teen)

Superior Achievement in a Graphic Novel

Carey, Mike and Arvind, Ethan David – Darkness Visible (IDW)
Duffy, Damian and Butler, Octavia E. – Kindred: A Graphic Novel Adaptation (Abrams ComicArts)
Ferris, Emil – My Favorite Thing is Monsters (Fantagraphics)
Hickman, Jonathan – The Black Monday Murders (Image Comics)
Liu, Marjorie – Monstress Volume 2: The Blood (Image Comics)

Superior Achievement in Long Fiction

Edelman, Scott – Faking it Until Forever Comes (Liars, Fakers, and the Dead Who Eat Them) (Written Backwards)
Jones, Stephen Graham – Mapping the Interior (Tor.com)
Kiernan, Caitlín R. – Agents of Dreamland (Tor.com)
Taylor, Lucy – Sweetlings (Tor.com)
Waggoner, Tim – A Kiss of Thorns (DarkFuse)

Superior Achievement in Short Fiction

Bailey, Michael – “I Will Be the Reflection Until the End” (Tales from the Lake Vol. 4) (Crystal Lake Publishing)
Chambers, James – “A Song Left Behind in the Aztakea Hills” (Shadows Over Main Street, Volume 2) (Cutting Block Books)
Mannetti, Lisa – “Apocalypse Then” (Never Fear: The Apocalypse) (13Thirty Books)
Neugebauer, Annie – “So Sings the Siren” (Apex Magazine #101) (Apex Publications)
Yardley, Mercedes M. – “Loving You Darkly” (F(r)iction Magazine #8) (Tethered by Letters)

Superior Achievement in a Fiction Collection

Hill, Joe – Strange Weather (William Morrow)
Kiste, Gwendolyn – And Her Smile Will Untether the Universe (JournalStone)
Malerman, Josh – Goblin (Earthling Publications)
Matsuura, Thersa – The Carp-Faced Boy and Other Tales (Independent Legions Publishing)
McGrath, Patrick – Writing Madness (Centipede Press)

Superior Achievement in a Screenplay

Del Toro, Guillermo and Taylor, Vanessa – The Shape of Water (TSG Entertainment, Double Dare You Productions)
Duffer, Matt and Duffer, Ross – Stranger Things: MadMax, Episode 02:01: Chapter One (21 Laps Entertainment, Monkey Massacre)
Frost, Mark and Lynch, David – Twin Peaks, Part 8 (Rancho Rosa Partnership, Inc.)
Palmer, Chase, Fukunaga, Cary, and Dauberman, Gary – It (New Line Cinema)
Peele, Jordan – Get Out (Universal Pictures, Blumhouse Productions, QC Entertainment)
Shyamalan, M. Night – Split (Blinding Edge Pictures, Blumhouse Productions)

Superior Achievement in an Anthology

Brooks, Kinitra, PhD., Addison, Linda D., and Morris, Susana, PhD. – Sycorax’s Daughters (Cedar Grove Publishing)
Datlow, Ellen – Black Feathers: Dark Avian Tales: An Anthology (Pegasus Books)
Maberry, Jonathan and Romero, George A. – Nights of the Living Dead: An Anthology (St. Martin’s Griffin)
Manzetti, Alessandro and Lester, Jodi Renee – The Beauty of Death Vol. 2: Death by Water(Independent Legions Publishing)
Murano, Doug – Behold!: Oddities, Curiosities & Undefinable Wonders (Crystal Lake Publishing)

Superior Achievement in Non-Fiction

Brittany, Michele – Horror in Space: Critical Essays on a Film Subgenre (McFarland)
Brooks, Kinitra D. – Searching for Sycorax: Black Women’s Hauntings of Contemporary Horror (Rutgers University Press)
Hendrix, Grady. Paperbacks from Hell: The Twisted History of ‘70s and ‘80s Horror Fiction (Quirk Books)
Jones, Stephen – The Art of Horror Movies: An Illustrated History (Applause Theatre & Cinema Books)
Mynhardt, Joe and Johnson, Eugene – Where Nightmares Come From: The Art of Storytelling in the Horror Genre – (Crystal Lake Publishing)

Superior Achievement in a Poetry Collection

Frazier, Robert and Boston, Bruce – Visions of the Mutant Rain Forest (Crystal Lake Publishing)
Manzetti, Alessandro – No Mercy (Crystal Lake Publishing)
Simon, Marge and Turzillo, Mary – Satan’s Sweethearts (Weasel Press)
Sng, Christina – A Collection of Nightmares (Raw Dog Screaming Press)
Wytovich, Stephanie M. – Sheet Music to My Acoustic Nightmare (Raw Dog Screaming Press)

Active and Lifetime members of the organization are eligible to vote for the winners in all categories. For more on the Horror Writers Associations, please visit http://www.horror.org .

ARRT Book Discussion: Exit West Discussion Notes and A Distant Heart Announcement

On January 23, 2018, the ARRT Book Club Study met to discussion Exit West by Mohsin Hamid. The notes on the discussion of the book, led by Jennifer, can be found here. For the second half od the meeting, Elizabeth led the the Leadership Discussion which focused on discussing "best" books. "Best" books referred to either award winners or popular book club picks. Click here for the notes on the Leadership Topic discussion.

And now on to the announcement of our second discussion of the year. This one is in conjunction with the start of our 2 year genre study. From the ARRT Book Club Study Homepage:

Think romance isn’t discussable?  Let us prove you wrong with A Distant Heart by Sonali Dev!  Sonali is a local Naperville author who writes romances with a Bollywood flavor that tackle big issues perfect for any book club to discuss. Sonali’s novels often win starred reviews and have been listed on Library Journal, NPR, Washington Post and Kirkus Best Books of the year lists. She has also received the American Library Association’s award for best romance, the RT Reviewer’s Choice award for best contemporary romance, the RT Seal of Excellence, and is a RITA Finalist.  

Please join us for a discussion of A Distant Heart by Sonali Dev led by Karen Toonen: 

Her name means “miracle” in Sanskrit, and to her parents, that’s exactly what Kimaya is. The first baby to survive after several miscarriages, Kimi grows up in a mansion at the top of Mumbai’s Pali Hill, surrounded by love and privilege. But at eleven years old, she develops a rare illness that requires her to be confined to a germ-free ivory tower in her home, with only the Arabian Sea churning outside her window for company. . . . Until one person dares venture into her world.

Tasked at fourteen-years-old with supporting his family, Rahul Savant shows up to wash Kimi’s windows, and an unlikely friendship develops across the plastic curtain of her isolation room. As years pass, Rahul becomes Kimi’s eyes to the outside world—and she becomes his inspiration to better himself by enrolling in the police force. But when a life-saving heart transplant offers the chance of a real future, both must face all that ties them together and keeps them apart.

As Kimi anticipates a new life, Rahul struggles with loving someone he may yet lose. And when his investigation into a black market organ ring run by a sociopathic gang lord exposes dangerous secrets that cut too close to home, only Rahul’s deep, abiding connection with Kimi can keep her safe—and reveal the true meaning of courage, loss, and second chances.

Infused with the rhythms of life in modern-day India, acclaimed author Sonali Dev’s candid, rewarding novel beautifully evokes all the complexities of the human heart.

The discussion will be held:

Wednesday, April 25

2-4 p.m.

Naper Blvd. location of Naperville Public Library

(This is a different location than ARRTCon 2017!)

RSVP to Karen Toonen (ktoonen@naperville-lib.org)

Please arrange to obtain your own copy of the book for the discussion

As always, discussion of the book includes a nuts-and-bolts session devoted to sharing practical solutions to the problems and concerns of book discussion leaders.

The Leadership Topic, led by Becky Spratford, will focus on incorporating romance novels into any book club. Please note: Sonali will be joining us for the leadership topic! Sonali is a delightful speaker, passionate about romance novels, and an excellent advocate for diverse authorship in all publishing. In addition to the notes, ARRT will also be providing a booklist of discussable romance novels! If you have discussable romance titles, bring them and we will add them to the list to share with everyone.

Also, remember that you can always bring any problems or concerns you have with your group, no matter the topic, so we can all help each other.

What I’m Reading: A Novel, A Novella, and a Collection-- Booklist Reviews

In the newest issue of Booklist I have three reviews of three very different books. Please note, I post my draft reviews with extra RA info here on the blog. The official reviews are the in magazine; full citation with each review.

Let’s start with the one every single library in America will be ordering....

Unbury Carol.

Malerman, Josh (author).

Apr. 2018. 384p. Del Rey, hardcover, $27.00  (9780399180163). 
First published February 1, 2018 (Booklist).

Carol is prone to falling into comas that mimic death, for days at a time. While in them, she is very much alive and sentient, yet completely immobile. Only her husband Dwight and her friend John Bowie, whose burial opens the novel, know her secret. With Bowie gone, during Carol’s next spell, Dwight fakes her death and attempts to bury her alive. So begins this original retelling of Sleeping Beauty as a tale that mixes the genres of suspense, dark fantasy, and the spaghetti western, holding the reader hostage in its magical and sinister thrall for the duration. All of the major players, take their turns narrating the story from their various perspectives, back and forth, including but not limited to, dastardly Dwight, Carol’s long lost, outlaw love-- Moxie, the perfectly rendered villain sent to stop Moxie-- Smoke, and more. But the most interesting point of view is Carol’s, as she resides in her coma, trapped in darkness, in a free fall, listening to everyone around her, frantically struggling to save herself. Malerman seamlessly blends the very best of the genres whose tropes he has borrowed from and creates something compelling and new with strong world building, a steadily building pace, and a tone that is breathtaking and menacing. This is an intricately plotted, lyrical, page turner with complex characters. It is a novel about love, betrayal, revenge, and the primal fear of being buried alive, that will leave scores of satisfied readers in its wake. Start by suggesting it to fans of atmospheric, supernatural suspense that is both thought provoking and terrifying like Keith Donohue’s The Motion of Puppets or the back list gem The Brief History of the Dead by Kevin Brockmeier, but hand out freely to anyone looking for “a good read.”

Further Appeal: Many patrons who don’t normally read “horror” were introduced to Malerman with Bird Box. It is still my personal go-to suggestion for people who want to give the genre a try. However, with Unbury Carol, I think Malerman might reach even more readers. As I note in the review, there is a little bit of many different genres in this book, but the overall feeling that this mixture produces is of a magical, timeless tale, with a very sinister tone.

The setting is just like a Western, but the place is not actually real. It is based on a real place, it feels real, but it is NOT real. The frame is amazing. The towns come alive, the trail that connects them feels like a place you can visit. Also, remember, I have been saying this a lot, but it bears repeating, Westerns are very hot, especially “weird westerns,” and that is exactly what this is.

But this book is more than a western, it is also a fractured fairy tale, dark fantasy, horror, and historical fiction. It has something for everyone but without being too scattered. It is amazingly cohesive for all of this genre blending.

This is a character centered novel; the complex cast of characters and their varied motivations and backgrounds matter immensely. Yet, the pacing is still steady. The pace stays compelling because of the frequent shifts in POV. You keep turning the pages to see what is coming next, from where, and from whom.

Another key appeal here is Carol. She is a strong female lead who doesn’t need the men to save her; they are key to the story and the suspense, but in the end, she is the only one who can save herself.

Finally, it is important to note that Josh Malerman now has 3 novels, all of which are critically acclaimed, but which on the surface seem very different. However, I can tell you that all three do have 1 very strong feature that unites them. They are all very aural, sound and more specifically, being an active listener is key in all of his work. It adds to the unease of every story too because as modern humans, we want to rely on “seeing” things, but in Malerman’s world, listening is what we are asked to do instead. It is creepy and unnatural and boy does it work each and every time!

Three Words That Describe This Book: Magical, Sinister, Intrictaely Plotted

Readalikes: The two authors I mention in the review above are great options. I have linked to every time I have mentioned these authors and there are a lot more readalikes available with those links.

People who in general also like Karen Russell, Patrick DeWitt [especially Undermajordomo Minor], or Kelly Link will also enjoy this novel. Again, the links I provided will send you to even more options with reasons why.

Fractured fairy tales may also be an entry point for readalikes here, but only ones with a very realistic setting. Uprooted by Naomi Novik came to mind right away. Also the Seanan McGuire Wayward Children novella series.

[I realize I am mentioning almost all female authors here, but I cannot stress enough how female driven this title is. Even the two titles I mention in the review, while by male authors, have very strong female leads, leads that drive the action.]

Genre blending western readers will also be intrigued. Again, go to my post on the topic that was also referred to above for more options.

Finally, when I read this book back in November, I made a note that it would be an awesome option for readers who are sick of domestic suspense. This is a strong woman being victimized by men who, in the end, saves herself, despite or in spite of them. Just throwing that observation out there.

Widow’s Point.

Chizmar, Richard (author) and Billy Chizmar (author).

Feb. 2018. 160p. Cemetery Dance, hardcover, $25  (9781587676475). 
First published February 1, 2018 (Booklist).

Acclaimed horror author Richard Chizmar and his son, Billy, deliver an original and terrifying cursed place tale that may only take one sitting to read, but will leave readers looking over their shoulder for weeks to come. Thomas Livingston is a bestselling author of nonfiction about the supernatural. For his newest book, Livingston spends three days locked inside one of the most haunted places in North America, Widow’s Point Lighthouse. His plan, to document the secrets behind this cursed location, home to over 150 years of deaths, odd occurrences, and horrible violence by both recounting its past and relating his present experience. But even a prepared expert like Livingston is no match for the horror lurking inside these stone walls. With its “found footage” frame of recordings left by Livingston and creepy pen and ink drawings scattered throughout, this is a haunted house tale that allows the reader to experience the action, the dread, the doom and the danger at both a breathless pace and from an intimate perspective. Readers are right next to Livingston as he uncovers layers of intensifying horror, watching in pure terror as the supernatural evil lurking in the lighthouse takes over everything in its path. While at first glance this novella appears to use all the same tropes employed by the long line of haunted house tales that came before it, readers will quickly find that this story is more viscerally terrifying, realistic, and intense than any of its predecessors. It is a modern ghost story that will scare even the most seasoned horror reader, and will be eagerly devoured by fans of paranormal investigation tales, as well as those who enjoy intense, cursed place stories like Hex by Thomas Olde Heuvelt or the back list gem Ghost Radio by Leopoldo Gout.

YA Statement: With a college age co-author and a story that features extreme dread, a terrifyingly realistic found footage frame, a breakneck pace, and no on-stage violence, this is a great option for teens looking for a modern ghost story that will make them feel the fear.

Further Appeal: The cursed place where a paranormal investigator dares to go to prove it all wrong, and fails, is a trope that many horror readers enjoy. Often these stories are told with found footage. It works very well here. The way the different types of footage are presented in the prose format [with some drawings] is compelling, intense, suspenseful and terrifying. 

And, as I say in the review, even though these tropes are well worn, this story felt fresh, original, and exciting.

The father-son writing team might also interest a lot of readers, and it has teen cross over appeal.

The book is short and super fast paced. You can read it in a single sitting, but you might not want too. You might need a break, but you will love every minute of it. I also cannot guarantee that you will even be able to visit a lighthouse again though.

Three Words That Describe This Book: Cursed Place, Found Footage, Intense

Readalikes: The two listed in the review have links to my blog reviews with even more readalike options.

Some people might love the intense and terrifying story of a cursed place but are sad that this one is over too quickly. For them, I would also suggest The Grip of It by Jac Jemc. This haunted house story was so terrifying and intense that I had to physically leave my house for a moment to take a breath of fresh air.

But don’t forget about movies like Blair Witch Project or any paranormal investigation TV shows too. They are great watch alikes.

Cries from the Static.

Speegle, Darren (author).

Feb. 2018. 226p. Raw Dog Screaming, paperback, $15.95  (9781935738398). 
First published February 1, 2018 (Booklist).

Compiling 17 horror stories and poems, about half of which were previously published in different genre periodicals, Cries From the Static is an excellent introduction to an up and coming author whose voice is ready for a larger audience. Using lyrical, often beautiful  language to describe brutal things, Speegle looks deeply at the inner lives and turmoil of all people, but especially, the expat, as these tales are set all over the world. While each piece is unique with a different frame, and varied protagonists, all are insidious, speculative, and unsettling. For example, in the short piece, “Things That Tend to Disturb,” Speegle holds the reader in a paralyzed state of unease as he lists, for two and a half pages, things both universal and very specific that while not overtly terrifying on their own, are highly unnerving when all piled up together. Or, like the more traditional story, “The Horticulturalist’s Daughter” which follows a family, mom, dad, and special needs, bird obsessed daughter, as they navigate their surreal life in the Cotswolds. These are dark tales and poems, literary genre benders that get under your skin and burrow into your head much like the award winning work of Jeff VanderMeer or Paul Tremblay. Chances are that you have nothing by Speegle on your shelves currently, but you do have many fans of his popular brand of weird fiction, making this collection a great place to start.

Further Appeal: Since this collection is so varied, I don’t have much more to say than what is in the review. This is an author people just need to read. And seriously, I cannot stress enough how unsettling that 2.5 page list of things that disturb is. Wow. Worth the price of admission.

Three Words That Describe This Book: unsettling, lyrical, insidious

Readalikes: Poet and novelist Stephanie Wytovich would also be a good readalike author here. And, although Speegle does not have the feminist angle of Carmen Maria Muchado’s stories, I found the way each tells an unsettlingly, dark story to be very similar.