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A truly scary "Alice down the rabbit hole" look at a grieving man whose life has been taken over by a smart device. We have all had those creepy moments when Alexa decides to turn on for no reason at all and laughed it off. Thiago thought the strange voices, lights and music randomly coming on through their smart device was laughable until his wife is killed and he runs away to a cabin near Rocky Mountain National Park to grieve in private. Going to a remote location was his first mistake. A series of scares happen as well as the appearance of a strange wall (like the one in 2001 A SPACE ODYSSEY, a CUJO like dog, zombie like encounters and really weird dreams push him to the edge of sanity that even his well meaning mother-in-law can't help with. This is raw grief inspired psychosis mixed with a futuristic fear of evil technology and a good old fashioned horror story. Fans of HORROSTOR, vintage Stephen King and NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD are all worthy readalikes. This will be your go to Halloween horror read! 4 stars 
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Just in time for Halloween, a chill in the air and witchy things! Annie gets dumped and what makes it unbearable is that he is also her best friend. She takes a job away from the city teaching high schoolers in a small upstate New York town. It is quaint and she can wallow in self pity (and wine) until she is befriended by a beautiful ,seemingly ageless woman who runs the town and its inhabitants. Or, is it that the town runs away from? Sophie is everything that Annie needs at the moment and they spend more and more time together until strange things start happening during those weekend sleepovers. A very fun story -part romcom, part female empowerment and a healthy dose of Rachel Harrison horror. Not since CHARLOTTE'S WEB have I been so charmed by a spider. 4 spooky stars  We all think we know what happens between "once upon a time" and "happily ever after". This slim tale will change that impression. A mash up of most of our favorite fairy tales with a moral of course and many laughs. Ambrose and Imelda should be thrilled to have an enchanted kingdom in which they are bound by everlasting love but they aren't. To get out of this gig they must do a little task for a wicked witch and it is this quest which might leave them questioning what they thought they wanted. From charmed honey badgers to a cloak that thinks it is a horse , it is a delight from page one. For fans of the shenanigans of Kevin Hearn and Delilah Dawson and all those revisited Disney princess tales- so much fun. 4 1/2 stars  The curse that began in 1620 still affects the Owens women in this final story of the series. They lose those they love so they tried to spare the last generation from magic and knowledge of the curse. When they come together to bury their beloved Jet the curse rears its ugly head making several of the women take matters into their own hands and break it for good. It will take the power of goodness, strong family ties and a lot of courage tea to succeed . Alice Hoffman has a melodic writing style that speaks to a deep inner spirit and ties to the natural world. This story, like her others, centers around a strong family and the belief that if you are brave enough and it is something you want bad enough that left hand magic can be overcome. Fans of her other books will not be disappointed except to learn this is the last one. 4 stars  I have seen this book pitched as a cross between Rebecca and The Haunting of Hill House and that would be my take as well. Jane is practical - she needs a husband but doesn't care for the romance. Independent and smart, she doesn't want a life tied to housekeeping and raising children. The handsome but tragic Doctor Lawrence fits the bill and accepts her proposal with one condition. She must stay at the doctor's office in town and never come to his dreary estate house. This wouldn't be a gothic tour de force if Jane stayed put and never caught a whiff of the dark and sinister going ons at the house at night as well as what it is doing to the good doctor. There is also the small matter of Elodie, a very haunted house and dark magic. This will appeal to those lovers of classic horror like Frankenstein as well as readers of gothic thrillers that feature unconventional women taking matters into their own hands for better or worse. Best read under the covers and not in a creaky old house. 4 stars  In a boarded up house at the end of a remote little street houses some interesting occupants and this story is told from their point of view. There is Ted (a recluse), Lauren (Ted's daughter), Dee (sister of a little girl who went missing years ago) and my favorite Olivia (a bible quoting cat). As the story progresses you think you know what is going on (but you don't) to an ending you've sure you've read before (but you haven't). To say more would spoil the whole thing. It is wonderfully dark, eerie, scary and really twisted and it is easy to see why Stephen King finds it remarkable. A LibraryReads pick. 4 stars  A debut that brings to mind the mystical , romantic and dangerous adventure found in A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES, books by Alice Hoffman and Paula Brackston with a dose of Mean Girls thrown in. Persephone is lost - an orphan who never stays in the same home, place, relationship or job for long because she knows at some point they will look into her eyes and run the other way or harm themselves. As you can imagine, it makes it really hard to date. She takes up a friend's offer to visit a faraway island and falls down the rabbit hole. She begins to understand her connection not only to the island but the inhabitants and her own history. Good old fashioned spell casting, curse breaking, world jumping, herbal teas to cure it all plus a wondrous library - this story has something magical to suit every taste. A great crossover for young adults as well. 4 stars  Magical RomCom that pits a failed relationship against a curse and angry witches. Vivi lives in a magical little town where she teaches at the college and quietly practices magic. She is a good witch except for the night her boyfriend announced that there was the other girl back home and she cursed him with every awful thing she could think of. Nine years have passed and Rhys must come back to the college that his ancestors founded to strengthen the ley lines that boost the magic connection. Something is really wrong with the connection and his magic. The only connection that is still very electrified is the one he has with Vivi. Time is running out and only days to solve the magical mystery. Witches, curses, haunted libraries fill the pages along with some very witty writing and characters you want to see win. This is the perfect "stay home by the fire and read" book. For fans of DISCOVERY OF WITCHES, THE INVISIBLE LIBRARY and even the zany world of Charlaine Harris and Sookie Stackhouse will love this. 4 stars  This is the second in a series that features a school of magic where if you aren't careful you won't survive. El and her protective hero boyfriend Orion are in over their heads when they try to get ready for finals which in this school could mean your final breath. Lots of gross mals , strange creatures and a wide variety of students means this is scary fun for all. I would recommend reading the first book to get the whole background of El and Orion's relationship but you could read this by itself and still enjoy it. Fun for fantasy loving adults and young adults. 4 stars  Andrew travels to begin a graduate study program at Vanderbilt and his best friend since childhood just like they had planned except for one little hitch. Eddie had pushed off Andrew's arrival date and without any warning committed suicide. Andrew needs answers and he doesn't believe Eddie would have taken his own life. There is a restless spirit that needs Andrew to find those answers as well. As Andrew questions people who were close to Eddie and adapts to the lifestyle of Eddie's last months he falls deeper into the supernatural rabbit hole. Classic gothic horror full of untapped longing, dangerous dark summer nights, unkept promises and goosebumps galore. It starts slow like a humid summer night and ends like a fresh batch of moonshine - drugs, drinks, drag racing and danger. Readers of THE BLADE BETWEEN, THE ONLY GOOD INDIANS and WHEN THE RECKONING COMES will appreciate this relationship deep dive/ horror debut. 4 stars  |
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