Slewfoot by Brom

 

A spirited young Englishwoman, Abitha, arrives at a Puritan colony betrothed to a stranger – only to become quickly widowed when her husband dies under mysterious circumstances. All alone in this pious and patriarchal society, Abitha fights for what little freedom she can grasp onto, while trying to stay true to herself and her past.

Enter Slewfoot, a powerful spirit of antiquity newly woken ... and trying to find his own role in the world. Healer or destroyer? Protector or predator? But as the shadows walk and villagers start dying, a new rumor is whispered: Witch.

Both Abitha and Slewfoot must swiftly decide who they are, and what they must do to survive in a world intent on hanging any who meddle in the dark arts.

Pages: 320

The Outsider by Stephen King

 

An unspeakable crime. A confounding investigation. At a time when the King brand has never been stronger, he has delivered one of his most unsettling and compulsively readable stories.

An eleven-year-old boy’s violated corpse is found in a town park. Eyewitnesses and fingerprints point unmistakably to one of Flint City’s most popular citizens. He is Terry Maitland, Little League coach, English teacher, husband, and father of two girls. Detective Ralph Anderson, whose son Maitland once coached, orders a quick and very public arrest. Maitland has an alibi, but Anderson and the district attorney soon add DNA evidence to go with the fingerprints and witnesses. Their case seems ironclad.

As the investigation expands and horrifying answers begin to emerge, King’s propulsive story kicks into high gear, generating strong tension and almost unbearable suspense. Terry Maitland seems like a nice guy, but is he wearing another face?

Pages: 561

Midnight Crossroad (Midnight, Texas #1)

 Midnight Crossroad (Midnight, Texas #1)

by Charlaine Harris

Pages: 305

Stars: 5 out of 5 stars

A fun read from the creator of the Sookie Stackhouse series, Aurora Teagarden series and other supernatural mysteries. Midnight, Texas is a very small town with the few businesses lining Davy Road and situated at the crossing of Witch Light Road. It is a small, old, western town. But newcomer, Manfred Bernardo is happy with the quiet location and the locals who keep mostly to themselves. There's a small diner and a gas station but you have to drive into Davy to find a grocery store and most other services. 

Everything starts out quiet and friendly enough, but a gathering for a picnic just outside of town reveals a murder. Now the county sheriff and other out of town people are snooping around and the local residents do not appreciate any digging into their past. They all have something to hide, but who is a murderer?

Dream a Little Dream by Kerstin Gier

...Jumanji vibes
THERE'S A CHARACTER NAMED TOM HOLLAND.....COME ON
....So part of me wants to like....not touch this with a ten foot pole because...ummmm......let's not talk about doing those things....Let's not mess with demons....
My brain keeps thinking this is going to be a Clueless situation with Grayson.....and ummmm...kind of don't want that anymore..
Henry is a sweet treat. 
352 Pages

Locke and Key, Volume 1: Welcome to Lovecraft by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez

Ok but why would....in a semi truck...really... my faith in humanity died a little bit....
So I love the mystery and the paranormal aspects of the story..Just the house in general...And it's dark and it's gritty. Wonderful....if I can just erase that one scene out of my brain...
152 Pages

Shadow of Night (All Souls Trilogy Book #2)

 Shadow of Night (All Souls Trilogy Book #2)
by Deborah Harkness
Pages: 584
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

This book picks up immediately from where, A Discovery of Witches left off. Diana and Matthew travel back in time to Elizabethan London where they meet famous literary and historical figures. It would be an amazing trip for Diana except for the spies and Matthew's past creating a web of danger all around them. Diana continues to seek out a witch who can tutor her, without drawing attention to her magical powers - this is the time of witch hunts and the Inquisition.

Clues to the whereabouts of Ashmole 782 lead them on on a dark and dangerous journey.

Pet Sematary by Stephen King

I read this book for the first time last year and decided to listen to it to get me in the fall mood. Michael C. Hall (a.k.a. Dexter Morgan) is the perfect narrator and does a great job swinging from sarcastic and funny to menacing tones. Still as creepy as I remember!

Pages: 374

War of the Sons (Supernatural #6) by Rebecca Dessertine & David Reed

War of the Sons (Supernatural #6)
by Rebecca Dessertine & David Reed

4/5  |  320 pages

Twenty-seven years ago, Sam and Dean Winchester lost their mother to a mysterious and demonic supernatural force. In the years after, their father, John, taught them about the paranormal evil that lives in the dark corners and on the back roads of America... and he taught them how to kill it.


On the hunt for Lucifer, the boys find themselves in a small town in South Dakota where they meet Don - an angel with a proposition... Don sends them a very long way from home, on a mission to uncover the secret Satan never wanted them to find out.

I enjoyed this one.  It can be hard to capture TV characters, but I think this novel does a pretty good job.  I am going to start at the beginning of these novels and work through them as I re-watch the show in preparation for Season 15.  I will so miss this show.

Night Terror (Supernatural #9) by John Passarella

Night Terror (Supernatural #9)
by John Passarella 

3.5/5

381 pages

Alerted to strange happenings in Clayton Falls, Colorado, Bobby sends the boys to check it out. A speeding car with no driver, a homeless man pursued by a massive Gila monster, a little boy chased by uprooted trees — it all sounds like the stuff of nightmares. The boys fight to survive a series of terrifying nighttimes, realizing that sometimes the nightmares don’t go away — even when you’re awake...

Overall, not bad.  I'm always wary of tie-in novels, especially the ones for Supernatural.  It's hard enough to write good horror fiction, but add in the pressure of using a well-loved, well-established world, and well - it's usually crappy.  This one was better than the others I've tried.  The horror element was strong and the story held my attention.  My main complaint is the extreme gore (I had to skip ahead a couple of times) and the amount of time it took S&D to figure out the problem - longer than is true to their characters. 

The show will have its last season this year, so I'm excited these novels are out there. 

Bobby Singer's Guide to Hunting by David Reed

Bobby Singer's Guide to Hunting
by David Reed

4.5/5

272 pages

My name is Bobby Singer. In twenty-four hours I’m gonna lose my memory. So here’s everything you need to know.

Monsters, demons, angels, vampires, the boogeyman under your bed: I’ve seen it, I’ve hunted it, I’ve killed it. I’m not the only hunter out here, but there aren’t as many as there used to be. Not near as many as there need to be. I’ve learned everything I can about every damned critter that walks, crawls, or flies, and I’m not gonna let that all be for nothing. I’m not going down without a fight. I’m not letting everything I’ve learned disappear. So that’s what you’re holding in your hands—everything I know. Anything that’d be useful for Sam, Dean, and the hunters that come after me.

It’s a guide to hunting...it’s a guide to me. My last will and testament. Ya idjits.

This was a fun read and was true to the characters.  I love the show, and Bobby is a favorite, so it was really awesome to go on another adventure and get some back story from him. 

Good Omens by Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett

Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch
by Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett

512 pages

5/5

According to The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch (the world's only completely accurate book of prophecies, written in 1655, before she exploded), the world will end on a Saturday. Next Saturday, in fact. Just before dinner.

So the armies of Good and Evil are amassing, Atlantis is rising, frogs are falling, tempers are flaring. Everything appears to be going according to Divine Plan. Except a somewhat fussy angel and a fast-living demon—both of whom have lived amongst Earth's mortals since The Beginning and have grown rather fond of the lifestyle—are not actually looking forward to the coming Rapture.

And someone seems to have misplaced the Antichrist . . .

I am PUMPED for the upcoming Amazon series - I mean, David Tennant, y'all.  So, I thought I'd better read this gem of a novel again as it's been at least five years since I last read it.  It's still awesome - still snarky - still irreverent - still totally fun.

And just for your enjoyment, here is the trailer for the upcoming show:

The Prophet (Graveyard Queen, #3) by Amanda Stevens

The Prophet (Graveyard Queen, #3)
by Amanda Stevens

3.5/5

347 pages

I am the Graveyard Queen, a cemetery restorer who sees ghosts. My father passed down four rules to keep me safe and I've broken every last one. A door has opened and evil wants me back.

In order to protect myself, I've vowed to return to those rules. But the ghost of a murdered cop needs my help to find his killer. The clues lead me to the dark side of Charleston—where witchcraft, root doctors and black magic still flourish—and back to John Devlin, a haunted police detective I should only love from afar.Now I'm faced with a terrible choice: follow the rules or follow my heart.

Fused in Fire (Fire and Ice Trilogy, Book 3) by K.F. Breene

I'd thought the threat from Seattle was finished. That we showed up in time and took care of business.

I hate being wrong. It really ruins my day.

When Roger, the alpha of the North American pack, shows up at my door with the news that a demon has made it to the Underworld with knowledge of me, some hard decisions have to be made.

Do I stay above ground, with all my magical friends, and wait for the battle to come to me? Or do I seek the demon out, and pluck the threat out by the root?

I don’t want my friends to die on my behalf. I could never live with myself. But if I venture into the Underworld, it’ll be the most perilous journey of my life.

This time, it isn’t just my life hanging in the balance, it is my eternity.

I had really high hopes for this book, but I have to admit - this was my least favorite of the trilogy.  As the book went on, it dragged.  I felt it kept getting more ridiculous (rather than intense as I suspect the author wanted).  I had a hard time making it through the middle.  And the end, while decent, did not live up to my expectations.  I wanted a huge, all out ending.  Didn't happen.

Still a good series, and I'm glad I read it.

3.5/5 for the book

4.5/5 for the series overall

398 pages

Raised in Fire (Fire and Ice Trilogy, Book 2) by K.F. Breene

It is a common truth in my life that when it rains, it pours. 

The killings that once plagued New Orleans are cropping up again in Seattle. The local office is stumped. I’m called out to lend a fresh set of eyes, and my unique magical touch.

It’s only when I get there that I realize the Seattle office isn’t stumped at all.

They’re being silenced by the Mages’ Guild, a corrupt magical institution that doesn't want word to get out of what is plaguing the city. Worse, news of my magic might’ve slipped down to the underworld, hitting the ears of some extremely powerful demons.

What I thought was a routine murder investigation turns into a fight for my life. With the help of Darius, my stalker elder vampire, and my dual-mage side kicks, I somehow have to dodge the Guild in order to stop one of the most powerful demons I’ve ever encountered. If I don’t? It’ll escape back down below with proof of what I really am.

My life hangs in the balance, and this time, I can't see a way out.

While this one wasn't quite as awesome as the first book, I'm still loving this series!  There's some serious action, gore, and steam in this novel - but none of it is gratuitous.  On to book three!

4/5

432 pages

Born in Fire (Fire and Ice Trilogy, Book 1) by K.F. Breene

Supernatural Bounty Hunter isn’t the sort of thing you see on LinkedIn. But with a rare type of magic like mine, I don’t have many options. 

So dangerous or not, the job is mine. And it was going fine, until an old as sin vampire stole my mark, and with it, my pay day.

Knowing I’m poor and desperate, he has offered me a job. I’ll have to work by his side to help solve a top secret case.

Everyone knows not to trust vampires. Especially a hot elder vampire. But without any other jobs coming up, I’m stuck. As I uncover a web of lies and treachery, revealing an enemy I didn’t know existed, the truth of my identity is threatened. I might make it out alive, only to end up in a gilded cage.

I've been in a reading rut lately - you know the kind - where nothing is appealing and nothing seems worth the time.  Thankfully, I was stuck waiting at the doctor's office with nothing but my phone, so I was desperate and this was free through Kindle Unlimited.  So I started it.  And loved it.  Right from the start. 

Reagan is a supernatural bounty hunter with a BIG secret to her power.  She's smart, snarky, and strong - both mentally and physically.  The author does an excellent job building the mystery of both her mark and her background.  The vampires, mages, demons, etc. are well-built and add dimension to the story which, in this type of novel, often doesn't happen.  And while it seems romance-y, it's not.  There are some steamy scenes, but she reacts to the 'love interest' in the way you want to see a strong female react - no sighing, preening, or submission here, folks.

Overall, I have already started book two and will mostly likely stay with this author for a while.

5/5

437 pages 

Relentless Series by Karen Lynch

Relentless by Karen Lynch
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was fantastic, and the cover does it no justice. In fact, I refrained from reading it, not even knowing what it was about, as I wasn't sure it was going to be good...just another book with sword and faces on the cover. That is so overdone, even though the cover is nice, that it put me off.

But wow, I was wrong. This is the first series to have really caught my full attention this past few months, and it grabbed me right from the start. I pretty much don't want to do anything but listen to this series, and as soon as I hit stop on book one, I started book 2. I'm even annoyed that work exists, because it is getting in the way of this world and all of its mysteries.

World building= A

Characters = A+ (especially the non-human characters)

Action & Excitement = A

Drama = A (Not overly dramatic, but plenty of real, solid drama that is not just silly nonsense)

Lack of characters named Becky = C-

Variety of paranormal creatures = A+

Ratio of male to female characters = B- (almost every character is male, except the MC--that's not bad, and I get it. I had far more guy friends in high school than girls, and there is a reason for the gender difference. But still. I hope book 2 turns out some more believable female side characters)

Hell Hounds = A+++++ (Please can I have some of my own? Pretty please?)

Book 264 read in 2018

Pages: 540

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Refuge by Karen Lynch
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I. Am. Obsessed.

Book 264 read in 2018

Pages: 309

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Rogue by Karen Lynch
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Whew.

WHEW!!

More, please.

More, give me more, give me more, give me more.

Book 265 read in 2018

Pages: 418

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Warrior by Karen Lynch
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I confess, I wasn't sure at first, but this sucked me right in. I really enjoyed the new perspective.

Book 266 read in 2018

Pages: 548

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Haven by Karen Lynch
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Oh, Roland. This is why werewolves are the best of the supernatural world. Team wolf.

Book 267 read in 2018

Pages: 357

The White Rabbit Chronicles by Gena Showalter

Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is not an Alice retelling with zombies, so get that out of your stubborn head right now. If that's what you wanted, I'm sorry. Honestly, it's what I wanted, too, which is why I delayed in reading this book for 6 years.

What this happens to be is a very interesting YA zombie novel, with a unique approach to zombie culture and zombie fighting. Yes, it does make Alice references, but that is all. The main character's name, the white rabbit references, and the title of each chapter is something totally pop culture Alice---it's so surface level Alice though, that even if you haven't read the real Alice in Wonderland and only saw the movie once about 20 years ago, you'd still be able to pick up on all the references, as it really only uses surface level references.

Now that we have that out of the way, I did really enjoy this book. It could have dug even deeper on the character development and world building fronts, but it was a solid first effort. I went straight on to book 2.

Book 250 read in 2018

Pages: 404

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Through the Zombie Glass by Gena Showalter
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Well, this was an excellent follow-up, and it took me to all kinds of interesting and unexpected places that I really enjoyed. I did have to shout at Ali a few times, because she kept me on edge with her precarious inner-struggles.

Overall, I liked this better than book 1.

Book 251 read in 2018

Pages: 480

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The Queen of Zombie Hearts by Gena Showalter
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I confess that I had trouble sticking with this one. A whole lot of interesting and unexpected things happen to really build the world, but it just all somehow felt like way too much all at once. I found myself stopping and rewinding a lot, though I think I am partly to blame for being inattentive to the book.

This is one where there is a whole lot of action and forward motion, but I had trouble wanting to stay connected and interested in that. As a result, I'm not going to continue on to book 4, though I hear from others that this was their absolute favorite book in the series, which means, it likely really is just me.

Book 252 read in 2018

Pages: 464

New Moon by Stephenie Meyer

New Moon by Stephenie Meyer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Team Jacob, and this is my favorite Twilight book.






Now that we have that out of the way, let's talk about how the first time I read this book, it was right after the end of a relationship that had left me absolutely gutted, so at the time I related with how hollow and numb Bella felt at the start of this story, on so many different levels. This time around, I didn't have the weight of that hanging over me and jading my perspective, which made me love the story even more.





Now, let's talk about why I love this book, which is that quite frankly, Jacob is fantastic and brings real life to this story. He's funny and bold, and he makes a ton of mistakes when it comes to friendship and communication. However, he is always very sorry and tries to make up for it. He's just so genuine and loving that it is impossible not to enjoy his character.





I confess that upon rereading this, I fell asleep on the book, right at the part that Edward returns. That's how little interest I had after Bella raced away from Jacob. Sigh. But alas, we don't always get what we want














FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO MAY STILL BE ON THE FENCE, I PULLED TOGETHER THIS FLOW CHART TO HELP YOU SORT OUT IF YOU ARE TEAM JACOB (WOOHOO!) OR TEAM EDWARD (MEH). 

Book 193 read in 2018

Pages: 563

Supernatural: John Winchester's Journal by Alex Irvine

Supernatural: John Winchester's Journal by Alex Irvine

After the death of his wife, Mary, at the hands of a demonic force, John Winchester sets out to learn everything he can about the supernatural, his young sons Dean and Sam in tow. Both prequel and resource guide, John Winchester's Journal is comprised to folklore, legend, and superstition. All you might ever want to know about the creatures that appear in the TV show Supernatural, and then some, appear in this guide.

218 pages.

Lifeblood by Gena Showalter
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

#BecRereads2018

Upon listening to this again, I’ve realized I’m not really all that interested in the star-crossed lovers theme of this one, but it doesn’t matter, as the concept of an epic battle between opposing afterworlds is so unbelievably fascinating to me.

There’s a lot of action going on that isn’t tied to the romance, and I enjoy how all the side characters are unique and stand out.

Book 126 read in 2018

Pages: 443

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