The Staircase In The Woods by Chuck Wendig

Available now

A list of content warnings can be found here on The StoryGraph.

This is one of the wildest, most nightmare inducing books I’ve read in a long time! It’s definitely not for the faint of heart so be sure to check out the content warnings before reading.

From the Publisher:

Five high school friends are bonded by an oath to protect one another no matter what.

Then, on a camping trip in the middle of the forest, they find something extraordinary: a mysterious staircase to nowhere.

One friend walks up—and never comes back down. Then the staircase disappears.

Twenty years later, the staircase has reappeared. Now the group returns to find the lost boy—and what lies beyond the staircase in the woods. . . .

This is a truly terrifying tale of friendship, obsession, and trauma. I really believe the less you know about the actual plot, the better your reading experience will be. In true Chuck Wendig fashion, the characters are interesting, the writing is completely captivating, and the story is some of the craziest and scariest I’ve ever read. While it does start off a little slowly, the story really picks up and becomes a pretty fast-paced and thrilling ride. I really enjoyed how Wendig crafted such interesting and flawed characters. The story is told from the points of view of two characters, Owen and Lore but everyone feels very fleshed out and integral to the story. It’s a wildly weird and haunting story and if you’ve ever read another Wendig book, you’re going to be very pleased. If you’ve never read him before, this is sure to send you down his incredible back list.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read and review this title. All opinions and mistakes are my own. This post may contain links, including Amazon Associate Links, and I may earn from qualifying purchases.All opinions and mistakes are my own.

---

The Bones Beneath My Skin by T.J. Klune

Available now

CW: check out The StoryGraph for a complete list of content warnings. Also, there’s a kid in this romance who is not obnoxious!

This a book where reading the Author’s Note is an absolute must! This book has had an interesting publishing journey and I love to see self-published authors make their way to great publishers. I also love when an author’s book covers have a similar vibe and look so they all look great on the shelf together.

From the Publisher:

In the spring of 1995, Nate Cartwright has lost everything: his parents are dead, his older brother wants nothing to do with him, and he's been fired from his job as a journalist in Washington DC. With nothing left to lose, he returns to his family's summer cabin outside the small mountain town of Roseland, Oregon to try and find some sense of direction. The cabin should be empty. It's not. Inside is a man named Alex. And with him is an extraordinary little girl who calls herself Artemis Darth Vader. Artemis, who isn't exactly as she appears. Soon it becomes clear that Nate must make a choice: let himself drown in the memories of his past, or fight for a future he never thought possible. Because the girl is special. And forces are descending upon them who want nothing more than to control her.

I do not contain the words to tell you how much I loved this book. It’s delightfully weird and a little kooky, but also incredibly compelling with characters that are easy to fall in love with. This is one of those books that you need to go in with knowing as little as possible. I promise, knowing less is really more with this one. I love how it’s set in 1995. It makes everything our characters are up against so much more exciting and thrilling, and admittedly, allows the story to actually take place. Hello, no cell phones! Darth Vader Artemis is my new favorite book heroine and her banter with both Nate and Alex is some of the most delightful writing I’ve read in awhile. It’s funny, fast paced, full of action, and and has a lot of heart. It hits on some really heavy topics, especially homophobia and family estrangement, but it’s not a sad book. It’s hopeful and loving and you just feel better having read it.

If you want to add this book to your shelf, you can click on the cover above for ordering information. This was my February 2025 pick from Book of the Month and while all the selections looked great, there was no way I was passing this book up! If you’d like to try BOTM for yourself, you can use my code and join for just $5. I have paid for this subscription with my own money since 2018 and I have really enjoyed it.

This post may contain links, including Amazon Associate Links, and I may earn from qualifying purchases.All opinions and mistakes are my own.