The Poisoned House by Michael Ford…(R.I.P. 3)

The blog Stainless Steel Droppings has hosted this reading challenge for the past 6 years. This reading challenge asks you to read books that fall into the following genres:

Mystery
Suspense
Thriller
Dark Fantasy
Gothic
Horror
Supernatural

 If you’d like to join up just click the image above to find more info. Know that if you’re new to challenges (or just really busy reading other things) this challenge comes with levels. Including one that asks you to read just one book. I’ve chosen Peril the First, which means I’ve signed up for 4 books! That’s a lot of scary for a scaredy-cat like me, lol.

Without Further Ado, My 3rd Book…The Poisoned House

BookTalk

Roughly a year since her mother’s death Abi Tamper has decided to run away. Abi is a serving girl at Greave Hall, an elegant estate in which Abi spent the first 10 years of her life in relative bliss. Abi was treated as ‘almost’ one of the family, given privileges normally denied a servant because of her mother’s nurse position in the household.

But a year after her mother’s death finds Greave Hall a cold and imposing place. The master of the Hall is slowly losing his mind, his son returned from war ill and broken, and the Housekeeper wages a personal war against Abi forcing abuse of all kinds. This is the house Abi tried to leave. But fate didn’t allow such a wish. Something in the house wants Abi back. A ghost is beginning to haunt Abi’s dreams, and her waking hours…hand prints appear, books are burned, and rooms destroyed…but most chilling of all is the whispered word…Murder…

Review

Ooooh, this book was exactly what I wanted in an R.I.P. read. I killed about half the book in one late night read and had to stay up an extra half an hour with a trashy romance to avoid the nightmares that would come from the ghosts of The Poisoned House.

Side Note about the scary-ness:

Oh, the ghost hand! eek, coming through the window…shut the book right there. I swear, couldn’t read any further even with the hubby sleeping next to me and the dog at the foot of the bed; because dogs always know when something is up…it’s a sixth sense, you know.

The next night, again armed with my dog and my husband, I managed to finish the book. Luckily the ending was quite happy. I’m beginning to see this as a trend in horror/suspense novels. The happy ending. I think the authors put you through so much, get you to question every motive, every creak in the house, they have to overly assure you that once the story is told the characters are safe.

First off, I loved the beginning and the ending. The book opens with the warning that the following story was found amongst forgotten papers in an attic. Score 1 for creepy. Also, the first chapter was foreshadowing at it’s finest…scared Victorian serving girl running away screaming that the house was evil. Score 2 for creepy. But the ending…that happy ending I told you about…it’s written in obituary form. Yep, obituary. LOVED it.

Really, what keeps you going is the lovely writing (yeah, it’s well written to boot!) and the suspense. If you wanted a little sleep-with-the-lights-on-have-to-start-a-trashy-romance-slam-the-book-shut kinda read, this is it. I found Abi to be a little ‘young’ I won’t go as far as to say immature, she’s seen too much and been abused too many times to seem immature, but she exudes a youngness that had me reminding myself of her age. I think this added to the creepy factor. Abi is young enough to believe it all while still being old enough to realize ramifications and to piece the mystery together.

Oh and P.S. bookish peeps…there really is a ghost. Ooooh, Score 3 for creepy!

Finally we have our supporting characters. The half mad Lord Greave. The man is running around in his Victorian underwear (revealing I’m sure, lol) calling people the wrong names and staring at things in the fireplace. A medium actually connects with the dead and our ghost is an active soul…lots of ruined rooms, books, clothing, and dirty hand prints *chill*. Ahh, but our final and greatest supporting character is the Housekeeper Mrs. Cotton. Evil incarnate. Loved her character and I loved the role her character played in the final plot.

If you’re on the lookout for a good, fast, gothic read this Halloween…look no further, you’ve found the book.

Rating: 5/5 Creepy Victorian Gothic tale about things that go bump in the night.

*Book received for review from Albert Whitman & Company via NetGalley…Thanks!*

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The Shining by Stephen King…(R.I.P. 2)

The blog Stainless Steel Droppings has hosted this reading challenge for the past 6 years. This reading challenge asks you to read books that fall into the following genres:

Mystery
Suspense
Thriller
Dark Fantasy
Gothic
Horror
Supernatural

 If you’d like to join up just click the image above to find more info. Know that if you’re new to challenges (or just really busy reading other things) this challenge comes with levels. Including one that asks you to read just one book. I’ve chosen Peril the First, which means I’ve signed up for 4 books! That’s a lot of scary for a scaredy-cat like me, lol.

Without Further Ado, My 2nd Book…The Shining

BookTalk

Have you ever known a person who was special? Someone who always seemed to evade trouble? Always seemed a step ahead? Maybe they always knew what mood you were in? They just seemed to Know something the rest of us miss…

An unexplained 6th sense perhaps? Some call this gift The Shine. People with shine just seem to be aware of things others aren’t. Not everyone is capable of predicting lottery numbers or if it will rain tomorrow…no…most are simply ‘touched’ by The Shine. Walking through life unaware they posses this gift.

But not Danny. Danny is more than ‘touched’ by The Shine. Danny radiates The Shine. He is the boy who doesn’t just stumble upon his luck. He can call forth visions of the future and answers to his problems. At five, Danny is just beginning to realize this is an unusual skill. He’s also beginning to realize that his visions aren’t always happy and helpful…

Lately Danny is dreaming of a place…A hotel…The Overlook. It is a place filled with death, with secrets, and with Redrum. Danny has been forewarned of the dangers of The Overlook. As much as Danny wishes to avoid the horror he’s about to find that it may not be for him to decide. You see, The Overlook wants to keep Danny within it’s walls…Dead or Alive…

Review

I don’t know how scared I was by this book. I mean it has all the elements. Kid with paranormal connections, Father who goes crazy, Creepy hotel full of ghosts…lots of death and murder…not to mention those moving topiaries. Yep, nothing scarier than a hedge in the shape of a bunny.

I do kid. This book really was freaky. I think I’m just more scared by things that chase you, by stuff like the apocalypse and a deadly virus taking over the world. I also think I was distracted by the bits and pieces I knew from the movie. While I’ve never seen the film through general culture I knew what Redrum meant, and knew that Jack Nicholson went crazy in a hotel during winter trying to kill everyone.

But I was also expecting those creepy twins. While in the book, they played a smaller and completely uninvolved role. They were not the ghost hiding behind 217. The biggest surprise from my read was how well written a book this was. I’m not a reader who thinks that in order for a book to be good it needs to be “well written” in an old-school literary canon kinda way. I’m just as ‘in awe’ of a writer who is a good story-teller or one who can create tension and play on my emotions. But as a former English major, and a general literary devotee I do appreciate a man who has full command of his writing skills.

King manages to combine horror, paranormal, and a bit of rawness while still showing masterful writing chops. Sometimes I found myself enjoying the read, not because I was so into the story…but because I loved the way King was playing with his words, with his use of punctuation. Very well done, and still accessible. Bravo.

I’m not going to reveal too much about the plot. It’s not my place to ruin the mystery for the next reader. I liked that the book delved into the history of the characters. Showing how the experiences that formed them was twisted and used by the hotel. And I loved Danny. I really liked the kid, and for all of his 6th sense abilities he didn’t creep me out. And finally the end was slightly happier than I expected. Don’t get me wrong…it’s all super-horrific and gory…but it ends with hope. Didn’t see that coming…

Rating: 4/5 Well written tale about a Hotel that comes to life and a family that falls apart.  

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Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick…(R.I.P. 1)

The blog Stainless Steel Droppings has hosted this reading challenge for the past 6 years. This reading challenge asks you to read books that fall into the following genres:

Mystery
Suspense
Thriller
Dark Fantasy
Gothic
Horror
Supernatural

 If you’d like to join up just click the image above to find more info. Know that if you’re new to challenges (or just really busy reading other things) this challenge comes with levels. Including one that asks you to read just one book. I’ve chosen Peril the First, which means I’ve signed up for 4 books! That’s a lot of scary for a scaredy-cat like me, lol.

Without Further Ado, My 1st Book…Ashes

BookTalk

It all begins with an Electromagnetic Pulse. An EMP that shakes the world leaving all modern technology…and many people dead.

Those people the pulse doesn’t kill instantaneously are either the very old or the very young. But, anyone from puberty to roughly age 24 are instead ‘Changed’. The change could happen after a matter of minutes to a matter of days…but the end result is the same. A zombie-like state that leaves the person wild and instinctual…and also, very, very hungry for flesh…

But there are the few…the ‘Spared’ who defy the EMP. The youth that managed to survive. Alex is one of these few. She was on a week-long hiking trip in the mountains when the EMP hit. Alex was on the run from the death of her parents and the massive brain tumor about to cause her own demise. But after the EMP not only is she ‘Spared’ Alex is also seemingly healed. Perhaps beyond healed…

Armed with extra senses, Alex will need all the help she can get to battle not only the flesh-eating changed…but the ‘Spared’ who would hunt her down at any cost…

Review

Oh my gosh this book just ended…Like black-out ended…Like hurrygivemethenextbookNOW ended. And just my luck the book debuted a month ago. The second isn’t even slated with a date yet. But I’ll be internet stalking the second for the following reasons…

1. This book was Scary!

Seriously, believe people when they say this book will make you pee your pants. It’s a sleep-with-the-light-on kinda read. Personally, there were times where I was wound so tight I had to remind myself the zombies or “Changed” weren’t after me…I was safely ensconced on my couch, in a fully lit house, with my dogs in the room (dogs smell “Changed” people first you know). Honestly, this was a tension filled ride. The action keeps on coming and the journey is not an easy one for these characters. You never know what’s around the next bend and odds are it’s going to try to kill you…

2. The love interests were oh, so, likeable

I know “likeable” isn’t how we always want our romantic heroes to come across. Sexy, bad boy, sweet…this is what we usually look for. But Tom and Chris (yep Alex gets two hotties) were exactly the type of guy you’d want by your side in this apocalyptic situation. Nobody wants to deal with the “beaudouche” in this book. When zombies are chasing you around and others are trying to kill you or take you for property…What you really want is a survivor-man type.

Enter Tom: the ex-Army guy who paid attention to basic medic training and thinks like a soldier who just spent a tour in Afghanistan. He’s got survival down pat, and isn’t afraid to fight his way out of any situation. True he’s got some secrets of his own…but we may have to wait till book two to find out what they are…

Enter Chris: sure he’s the quiet type but, a man willing to travel miles to fulfill a book request is a man after my own heart. He’s strong and willing to lead…but is he strong enough to break all the rules?…

Again I ask…Book Two…Where for art thou?! I’ve got questions only you can answer!!

3. The World-building

I loved the uniqueness of the plot points. An electromagnetic pulse may be a little far-fetched to create such mass destruction. But the explanation holds for the moment because:

1. I’m not a science kinda gal and I’ll believe just about anything an author writes, so long as it comes with an authoritative voice.
2. Our characters are still searching for the reason…more books will provide more insight.
3. Honestly, if people can’t be changed back from zombie status…it may not actually matter what did the changing.

The ‘Changed” a.k.a. the zombies were horrific and display potential to continue to become even scarier and more bloodthirsty. Chills!

Finally, the use of animals throughout the text. Animals were an underlying gauge of safety. They clue our heroine into many, many situations. Providing everything from rescue, to a tip-off, to comfort. Loved it! The scene with the wolves and the puppy…broke my heart!

4. Alex…Our Heroine

What a kick-butt kinda gal! I read a few reviews that claimed she was a little too prepared for a situation like this. I have to disagree. I don’t know if it’s because I just finished Waterfall by Lisa Bergren, in which the main character defies logic in her medieval-skills skill set…But Alex’s camping ability and basic medical knowledge seemed reasonably explained. It makes me want to take a survival course of some kind…maybe to go camping…or glamping

(Anyone got a million dollar RV I can tool around in? Anyone?)

Ok, maybe not glamping…I’ll never learn Alex’s skills from an experience that involves flat screen tvs. But her sheer determination and survival tactics were very cool to watch. And they played out in a seemingly realistic fashion.

This book is a “Do Not Miss” for me. Super-scary, filled with likeable characters who have an action packed story. Can’t believe it sat around on my Nook for this long…For Shame! lol

Rating: 5/5 Well written horror romp out just in time for Halloween…Enjoy!

*Book received for review from Egmont via NetGalley…Thanks!*

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Library Musings: R.I.P. …Or TheLibrarian gets Freaky

I love the Fall. It’s one of the things I miss most living in Southern Florida. No crisp days built for sweaters, no apple cider, no houses decked out in mums and corn stalks. It just doesn’t look right when it’s still 90 something out. So right about now I’m yearning for a little Fall theme-y-ness. Something to put me in the mood.

Then poof!

What did I stumble across but this Halloween themed Reading Challenge:

R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril Challenge

(affectionately known as the R.I.P. Challenge)

Ooooh, I do love me some horror, some scary, some things-that-go-bump-in-the-night stuff around the month of October. In the past I’ve done Frankenstein, The Crucible, and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde during that urge to read some Halloween-esque books. This Reading Challenge asks you to read books that fall into the following genres:

Mystery.
Suspense.
Thriller.
Dark Fantasy.
Gothic.
Horror.
Supernatural.

The blog Stainless Steel Droppings has hosted this reading challenge for the past 6 years. If you’d like to join up just click the image above to find more info. Know that if you’re new to challenges (or just really busy reading other things) this challenge comes with levels. Including one that asks you to read just one book.

I’ve chosen:

Which means I’ve agreed to read 4 scary books between now and October 31st.

Now for the books…Hmm…I’ll admit I’m not really a Scary Story buff…

I may or may not have nightmares after watching/reading scary stuff and may or may not wake up in the middle of the night and have to open every door and space big enough to hold a person in my house so as to unmask the killer…before he finds me but kills my little white dog first. Killers are always doing something mean like that…making the victim watch their dog die so they feel sadness as well as horror at their own death. And I am completely convinced that this will happen to me around 3am some morning. Yep, that’s about the same time of night I also think the pillows on my couch have turned into a ghost…or perhaps a skeleton wearing a top hat. Skeletons are fancy you know.

So…Knowingly risking a few good nights of sleep, I’d love some book suggestions. I’m currently considering:

The Poisoned House

The Shining

Dark Souls

Again, if you’re a kind reader and want to suggest some spine-tingling tales the criteria for the books are as follows:

Mystery.
Suspense.
Thriller.
Dark Fantasy.
Gothic.
Horror.
Supernatural.

Wish me luck! And hope I don’t keep the hubs up at night with my killer-prevention-tactics 😉 I swear, I check the guest room closet too even though I couldn’t fit in another shoebox…you can never be too careful, lol

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