The September House by Carissa Orlando

Available now

Content notes can be found at The StoryGraph

From the Publisher:

When Margaret and her husband Hal bought the large Victorian house on Hawthorn Street—for sale at a surprisingly reasonable price—they couldn’t believe they finally had a home of their own. Then they discovered the hauntings. Every September, the walls drip blood. The ghosts of former inhabitants appear, and all of them are terrified of something that lurks in the basement. Most people would flee. 
Margaret is not most people. 
Margaret is staying. It’s her house. But after four years Hal can’t take it anymore, and he leaves abruptly. Now, he’s not returning calls, and their daughter Katherine—who knows nothing about the hauntings—arrives, intent on looking for her missing father. To make things worse, September is just around the corner, and with every attempt Margaret and Katherine make at finding Hal, the hauntings grow more harrowing, because there are some secrets the house needs to keep.

This book! I listened to it on audio and was instantly hooked. It’s so refreshing to have a middle aged female main character who is so interesting and intelligent and refuses to be made into a victim. Margaret is such an absolute force of calm, reasoned thinking that it’s almost disconcerting how easily she adjusts to the quirks of her dream home. Now, I fully understand that her devastating and painful past has shaped her into the woman she is, but she really comes across as a woman who knows herself and her ability to handle any situation. Literally, any situation.

The writing in this novel is absolutely incredible. I was instantly invested in the characters, especially the mystery of the house and it’s “pranksters” in just the first few chapters. Margaret narrates our tale of horror and supernatural suspense and do so in the most casual and light hearted way. The narrator, Kimberly Farr, was perfect as the voice of Margaret. My husband caught the last two hours of the book while we completed some home projects and stopped several times to comment how flippant Margaret seemed to be about actual horrors happening before her eyes.

Evenly paced with a balanced mix of plot and character development, flashbacks to Margaret’s early years of marriage and raising her daughter provide a very heartbreaking, but important insight to her ability to always be a survivor. And the way she has fallen in love with the house! I felt that on a visceral level.

I absolutely loved this book. I listened to all 13.5 hours over just two days because I couldn’t put it down. If you’d like to add this incredible novel to your shelf, you can click on the cover above or here for ordering information.

This post may contain links, including Amazon Associate Links, and I may earn from qualifying purchases.

The Last Heir to Blackwood Library by Hester Fox

Available now

Here’s a list of CW from The StoryGraph.

From the Publisher:

With the stroke of a pen, twenty-three-year-old Ivy Radcliffe becomes Lady Hayworth, owner of a sprawling estate on the Yorkshire moors. Ivy has never heard of Blackwood Abbey, or of the ancient bloodline from which she’s descended. With nothing to keep her in London since losing her brother in the Great War, she warily makes her way to her new home.

The abbey is foreboding, the servants reserved and suspicious. But there is a treasure waiting behind locked doors: a magnificent library. Despite cryptic warnings from the staff, Ivy feels irresistibly drawn to its dusty shelves, where familiar works mingle with strange, esoteric texts. And she senses something else in the library too, a presence that seems to have a will of its own.  

Rumors swirl in the village about the abbey’s previous owners, about ghosts and curses, and an enigmatic manuscript at the center of it all. And as events grow more sinister, it will be up to Ivy to uncover the library’s mysteries in order to reclaim her own story—before it vanishes forever.

Reader Friends, this book contains a secret family, a secret library, a secret society, and a magical secret! It’s just secrets on secrets on secrets! I’m a sucker for a gothic romance and one that contains a hidden library with magical powers? Instantly hooked. I listened to this one on audio and the things I did to make sure I could keep listening…my floors were so clean and my house has never been so free of dust.

Fox does an excellent job of crafting one of the most sympathetic and enraging characters I’ve read. Ivy, young, alone, and living in poverty, is like a fish out of water in her new home. She wants nothing more than to spend her days in the hidden library cataloging and reading every book she can reach, but her household staff do everything in their powers to keep her away from her precious books. Unsure of how to truly conduct herself, Ivy is torn between asserting her place of power in the home and her easy-going, non-confrontational nature. At every point that I wanted to shake Ivy for acting so naive and trusting, the author not so gently reminds the reader of the era in which Ivy lives and her lack of agency as a young, single woman. Nearly every character felt like they had their hands tied in some way when it came to protecting Ivy, which was both infuriating and begrudgingly made sense with the story.

I really enjoyed how much Ivy was completely enthralled by her new home and it’s secrets. A former abbey, Ivy’s new home is incredibly large and she is constantly getting lost in newly discovered halls and rooms and there are even hidden passageways! She is hopelessly in love with her Library and immediately wants to share her new-found literary wealth with the rest of the village. It’s pretty hard to get too mad at a character who finds herself newly titled and her first thought is to start a Bookmobile!

For such a charming and magical story, this book is actually quite dark and disturbing. There is some serious gaslighting that goes on and Ivy is placed in some seriously dangerous situations by people who are supposed to care for her so definitely take care when reading this one.

If you want to add this enchanting tale to your library, you can click on the cover above or here for ordering information. I borrowed the audiobook version from my local Library using the Libby app so don’t forget to check if your Library already bought it for you.

This post may contain links, including Amazon Associate Links, and I may earn from qualifying purchases.

What Never Happened by Rachel Howzell Hall

Available now

This book is amazing!

From the Publisher:

Colette “Coco” Weber has relocated to her Catalina Island home, where, twenty years before, she was the sole survivor of a deadly home invasion. All Coco wants is to see her aunt Gwen, get as far away from her ex as possible, and get back to her craft—writing obituaries. Thankfully, her college best friend, Maddy, owns the local paper and has a job sure to keep Coco busy, considering the number of elderly folks who are dying on the island.

But as Coco learns more about these deaths, she quickly realizes that the circumstances surrounding them are remarkably similar…and not natural. Then Coco receives a sinister threat in the mail: her own obituary.

As Coco begins to draw connections between a serial killer’s crimes and her own family tragedy, she fears that the secrets on Catalina Island might be too deep to survive. Because whoever is watching her is hell-bent on finally putting her past to rest.

I thoroughly enjoyed this twisty, gothic thriller set on the exclusive and idyllic Catalina Island. There is a lot going on in this novel - lots of characters, lots of side plotlines, lots of back story - and it all weaves together seamlessly to create a dark and sinister story of racism, gentrification, entitlement, and greed.

This book made me realize that nearly every gothic thriller I have ever read was historical. There is something about the contemporary setting that makes it feel far more scary and terrifying. The writing is so descriptive that you feel like you are sitting alongside Coco, questioning your own sanity and jumping at every noise in your own home. I never would have thought that a golf cart could feel ominous or an important tool in a person’s survival…but that' is how good the writing is.

What Never Happened is a compelling, haunting, thriller that will stick with you long after you turn the last page.

If you’re interested in adding this amazing book to your collection, you can click on the cover image above, or here, for ordering information.

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

She is a Haunting by Trang Thanh Tran

Available now

From the Publisher:

When Jade Nguyen arrives in Vietnam for a visit with her estranged father, she has one goal: survive five weeks pretending to be a happy family in the French colonial house Ba is restoring. She's always lied to fit in, so if she's straight enough, Vietnamese enough, American enough, she can get out with the college money he promised.

But the house has other plans. Night after night, Jade wakes up paralyzed. The walls exude a thrumming sound while bugs leave their legs and feelers in places they don't belong. She finds curious traces of her ancestors in the gardens they once tended. And at night Jade can't ignore the ghost of the beautiful bride who leaves cryptic warnings: Don't eat.

Neither Ba nor her sweet sister Lily believe that there is anything strange happening. With help from a delinquent girl, Jade will prove this house--the home they have always wanted--will not rest until it destroys them. Maybe, this time, she can keep her family together. As she roots out the house's rot, she must also face the truth of who she is and who she must become to save them all.

Look at that cover! Isn’t it incredible!

This book comes to you from not just me, but also recommend by my two fabulous, real-life teenage interns at the Library! It’s definitely one of the most compelling, horrifying, and imaginative books I’ve read this summer. It delves into the complexities of colonialism, identity, belonging, and intergenerational trauma. Jade is a very complex character that is dealing with SO MUCH. Her relationship with her father is strained even more with her bargain to stay in Vietnam with him for the summer in exchange for tuition money. She’s scared to come out to her mother but also wants to live her life as she wishes. She feels the need to protect her siblings as much as she possibly can. She also has a house that is actively trying to do her harm. You know, life stuff.

It’s beautifully written, incredibly compelling, and very fast paced. The highly descriptive writing makes you feel like you are right beside Jade as she’s learning more about her ancestors and the horrors they faced. Also, don’t read this book hungry! The food descriptions alone are worth reading for. I learned so much about Vietnamese culture from this book and for that, I’m so grateful.

I loved this book, as did my fabulous interns, and if you want to add it to your shelf, you can click on the cover or here for ordering information.

As always, this post may contain affiliate links, including Amazon Associate links, and I may earn from qualifying purchases.

Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon

Available Now

Hey all! This week is the #TransRightsReadathon and I’m rounding up some of my favorite books by, or featuring, trans people. If you’d like more information about the origins and goals of this movement, you can find it here.

Content Warnings for harm to children, partner abuse, and body horror.

Look at this gorgeous cover!

If you are able to, avoid all descriptions of this book before diving in. I mean it; just go in blindly. All I knew when I requested this book was that it was by Rivers Solomon and it was about a woman who is going through a metamorphosis and needs to escape a religious compound. I didn't really need any more information than Rivers Solomon being the author to get excited and I am so glad that I didn't read further. This made every twist and turn that much more exciting and I was completely caught off guard multiple times. Now if you really need to know more, then by all means keep reading this post before putting this book on hold at the Library. But trust me, this book is amazing.

Reader Friends, this book is an intense ride and I was completely enthralled from start to finish. Vern gave birth to her children alone while hiding in the woods from her abusive husband and the repressive religious compound she grew up in. Only more surprising than her not knowing she was pregnant with twins is Vern´s age. At only 14, Vern is now tasked with not only her own survival against a dark and evil force, but that of her children as well. Deep in the woods, Vern and her small family spend their days gathering, foraging, and hunting their food while spending their nights drying and preserving their surplus. As the days pass on, her children grow into inquisitive toddlers as Vern discovers her own body changing and developing as well. When the forest fiend gets too close to her children, Vern knows she must finally ask for help. Packing up her children and their meager supplies, Vern and her children set off across the country to find an old friend from Vern´s childhood. As the days pass, Vern continues to change and hallucinations from her childhood return with greater force. With no one to trust but herself, Vern must learn more about her past in order to secure a future for herself and her children. 

Sorrowland is one of those magical books that crosses so many genres that it becomes something new altogether. It is part historical fiction, part science-fiction, and a whole lot of gothic horror. Solomon´s writing is intense and compelling with richly drawn characters caught up in an intricate and complicated plot. Much of the book's impact comes from it's too-close-to-reality storyline of racism, misogyny, and distrust in authority. Spoiler, everyone has every reason to distrust all authority in this book. It's also incredibly fast paced and I was so engrossed in the story that I finished it in one sitting. I loved this book and can't wait to hear what you all think of it. 

If you would like to add this book to your collection, you can find ordering information here:

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book. All opinions and mistakes are my own. This post also contains affiliate links and I earn from qualifying purchases. 

#Review: The Hacienda by Isabel Caña (Re-Post)

It’s a super busy spooky season around here so enjoy some my recent favorite spooky reads!

Available Now

Reader Friends, this book is so spooky! I love a gothic horror novel and when you set it in post-War of Independence in Mexico with some major family drama you end up with a riveting combination of All the Things I Love. That’s right, we have family drama, political drama, a spooky house, a remote location, some mysterious deaths, and a tight knit group of people who have everything to lose if they come forward with their suspicions. 

Beatriz’s whole world fell apart after her father was executed and she and her mother had to move in with relatives who treated them more as servants than family. Desperate to have a home for herself and her mother Beatriz marries Rodolfo Solórzano, a wealthy politician who can guarantee safety and stability, but not love. When Beatriz arrives at her new home, she is not greeted with kindness or friendliness. She is met with iciness from the staff and even the house seems displeased with her presence. 

When Rodolfo leaves for the capitol shortly after her arrival, Beatriz is determined to make the home her own, not just a series of reminders of her husband’s first wife. As Beatriz works on redecorating and furnishing her home, she encounters more strange occurrences within the home that are both unsettling and terrifying. When she calls in help from a local priest, Beatriz finds herself, and those around her, in grave danger. 

It’s so spooky! The pacing in this novel is perfect. There’s just enough flashbacks and backstory to really set the stage and the right amount of horror and suspense to keep you glued to the page. I was enthralled by this book and found myself constantly thinking about it and wanting to get back to it. You know it’s good when I’m willing to give up my sci-fi shows to read. 

I loved the history included in the novel and the way it was written as known facts and not needing to be overly explained to the reader. You could feel the oppression the war had on those around Beatriz and how her father’s execution absolutely devastated her. Working for her mother’s family damaged her confidence and filled her mind with doubt that impacted so many of her decisions. Andres, the priest, had to be so careful with his knowledge and family legacy so that those around him weren’t threatened by the local law or ostracized by those around them. It was a constant weight felt through everyone’s decisions and actions. 

I absolutely loved this book and can’t want to see what else this author has in store for us. 

If you would like to add this amazing book to your shelf, you can find ordering information here:

This post may contain affiliate links, including Amazon Associate links, and I may earn from qualifying purchases.

Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth (Re-Post)

It’s Spooky Season! Enjoy some of my favorite horror novels from the past few years.

Originally posted December 2020

Available Now

I have been on a creepy book kick lately and I’ve been lucky to have read a string of excellent books. Plain Bad Heroines kicks it up even further by being a creepy book about a book. Actually, it’s a book about a movie being made that is based on a book all about an obsession with another book. 

I swear. 

So, in the early 1900’s, at the Brookhant’s School for Girls, two girls became obsessed with a memoir written by Mary MacLane. Their obsession led to not only their own tragic and horrific deaths, but the deaths of three more people tied to the school. A century later, the abandoned school is now the center of a novel written by the brilliant and precocious author, Merrit Emmons, who was only 16 at the time. Her novel about the young women obsessed with not only each other, but the writings of Mary MacLane, is going to be adapted into a gothic horror film. As production begins on the movie, tensions between Merrit and the two young movie stars rise and mysterious events put everyone in danger. 

This book is a chunker - the hardcover edition clocks in at 617 pages and there is a lot of story to be found in those pages. I’m not exaggerating on the book about a movie about a book about a book. A lot of story. The book is constantly changing. In one chapter, you will be reading about the brutal murder of a young woman decades in the past, and in the next, read about a romantic and chaotic first date between two enigmatic young women in the present. There are so many elements of a classic gothic horror. There’s the dark and dilapidated boarding school where young women are sent to become ladies, but really discover that women are great at kissing. There are tragic and mysterious deaths that could be explained away as male violence, or, a curse. Layered on top of our gothic horror story is a coming of age novel about a young actress who needs to break away from her mother and make her own way in Hollywood. But how do you keep your wits about you when it seems that a curse is following you, you’re possibly in love with your co-star, and you know that writer thinks you’re unqualified? Like I said, there’s a lot of story.

I absolutely loved the writing style in this book. It read like you were listening to one of your best friends tell their famous local legend, while sitting by a fire and enjoying a boozy cocktail. It’s very conversational and snarky, with such compelling and campy writing that you are instantly swept up in the soap opera feel of what is really, a quite tragic story. The book is it full of black and white illustrations of our young, plain, bad heroines in all their tragic glory and has some of the best footnotes ever included in a book. Many provide historical context, many are just the narrator being sarcastic and hilarious and I’m pretty sure I sent screenshots of at least 10 pages to my boss within the first 20 pages of reading the book.

The characters are very well developed and incredibly interesting. Merrit is very prickly and slightly obnoxious while Harper Harper, yes that’s her name, is a glamorous and gorgeous chameleon of a character. To me, Harper was the hardest to figure out. Was she just an excellent actress and we never saw the real woman within? Was she just such a quick thinker that she could turn the acting on and off? She’s a puzzle. Meanwhile, Audrey is in a little bit over her head but really wants to make it as an actress and is far stronger than she believes. All three women are smart, interesting, and driven. They’re also all gorgeous, queer, and know that there is something going on at Brookhants. 

This book checked off a lot of my reader wheelhouse boxes-there’s a creepy school full of rich girls and their rich girl problems. It’s fast paced and the multiple timelines slowly reveal all the deliciously creepy scariness that follows everyone involved with Mary MacLane’s book. The characters are interesting and compelling and I was quickly invested in everyone’s survival. This book is also incredibly fun. It never takes itself too seriously, is very campy, and was an absolute delight to get lost in. I highly, highly recommend this for anyone who loves gothic horror, star crossed lovers, and a ton of snark. 

If you would like a copy for yourself, or to buy as a gift for your favorite book lover, you can find ordering information here: 

This post contains affiliate links and I earn from qualifying purchases.

They Drown Our Daughters by Katrina Monroe

Available now

CW: child abuse, parental death, suicide, drowning

Mourning the end of her marriage, Meredith comes back to the one place she never wanted to return. Cape Disappointment is haunted by the tragedy her family suffered generations ago, and by the animosity of the townspeople who have made their money on the tourists brought in by the ghost that haunts the water. Adding to Meredith’s already stressful life, her mother appears to be suffering from alzheimer’s and is caught up in delusions about the dangers of the water. Convinced the ghost stories are real, Meredith’s mother is consumed by the need to keep her daughter and granddaughter safe at any cost.

This is a gorgeously written and compelling slow burn gothic mystery. Told through multiple points of view across history, we learn of the tragedy that has shaped Meredith’s family over several generations. Monroe weaves one of my favorite types of story: is it a ghost or is it a delusion? I was immediately invested in the characters and their continued survival. It’s incredibly atmospheric. Set on the Pacific coast, Monroe’s descriptions of the beaches, lightowers, and the character’s greatest threat-the ocean-leaves you feeling cold and damp throughout the entire story. Meredith, along with her other female ancestors, felt a palpable connection to the water and whether it was real or not, that connection ruled their daily lives. Adding to the mysterious and otherworldly feel are the characters with supposed magical knowledge and workings that are used to keep generations of the family safe. I really love a story with women who make charms and know the power of nature to fend off ghostly nonsense. It’s one of my favorite tropes.

This is a fabulous book that I flew through in two days and couldn’t wait to read more of it. It’s creepy, atmospheric, mysterious, and has wonderfully developed characters. Highly recommend this if you like generational stories, women with magic, dark family secrets, and complicated characters.

If you would like to add this amazing book to your shelf, you can click here or on the book cover for ordering information.

This post may contain affiliate links, including Amazon Associate links, and I may earn from qualifying purchases.

#Review: The Hacienda by Isabel Caña

Available Now

Reader Friends, this book is so spooky! I love a gothic horror novel and when you set it in post-War of Independence in Mexico with some major family drama you end up with a riveting combination of All the Things I Love. That’s right, we have family drama, political drama, a spooky house, a remote location, some mysterious deaths, and a tight knit group of people who have everything to lose if they come forward with their suspicions. 

Beatriz’s whole world fell apart after her father was executed and she and her mother had to move in with relatives who treated them more as servants than family. Desperate to have a home for herself and her mother Beatriz marries Rodolfo Solórzano, a wealthy politician who can guarantee safety and stability, but not love. When Beatriz arrives at her new home, she is not greeted with kindness or friendliness. She is met with iciness from the staff and even the house seems displeased with her presence. 

When Rodolfo leaves for the capitol shortly after her arrival, Beatriz is determined to make the home her own, not just a series of reminders of her husband’s first wife. As Beatriz works on redecorating and furnishing her home, she encounters more strange occurrences within the home that are both unsettling and terrifying. When she calls in help from a local priest, Beatriz finds herself, and those around her, in grave danger. 

It’s so spooky! The pacing in this novel is perfect. There’s just enough flashbacks and backstory to really set the stage and the right amount of horror and suspense to keep you glued to the page. I was enthralled by this book and found myself constantly thinking about it and wanting to get back to it. You know it’s good when I’m willing to give up my sci-fi shows to read. 

I loved the history included in the novel and the way it was written as known facts and not needing to be overly explained to the reader. You could feel the oppression the war had on those around Beatriz and how her father’s execution absolutely devastated her. Working for her mother’s family damaged her confidence and filled her mind with doubt that impacted so many of her decisions. Andres, the priest, had to be so careful with his knowledge and family legacy so that those around him weren’t threatened by the local law or ostracized by those around them. It was a constant weight felt through everyone’s decisions and actions. 

I absolutely loved this book and can’t want to see what else this author has in store for us. 

If you would like to add this amazing book to your shelf, you can find ordering information here:

This post may contain affiliate links, including Amazon Associate links, and I may earn from qualifying purchases.

The Lighthouse Witches by C. J. Cooke

Available now

From the Publisher:

Two sisters go missing on a remote Scottish island. Twenty years later, one is found--but she's still the same age as when she disappeared. The secrets of witches have reached across the centuries in this chilling Gothic thriller from the author of the acclaimed The Nesting.

When single mother Liv is commissioned to paint a mural in a 100-year-old lighthouse on a remote Scottish island, it's an opportunity to start over with her three daughters--Luna, Sapphire, and Clover. When two of her daughters go missing, she's frantic. She learns that the cave beneath the lighthouse was once a prison for women accused of witchcraft. The locals warn her about wildlings, supernatural beings who mimic human children, created by witches for revenge. Liv is told wildlings are dangerous and must be killed.

Twenty-two years later, Luna has been searching for her missing sisters and mother. When she receives a call about her youngest sister, Clover, she's initially ecstatic. Clover is the sister she remembers--except she's still seven years old, the age she was when she vanished. Luna is worried Clover is a wildling. Luna has few memories of her time on the island, but she'll have to return to find the truth of what happened to her family. But she doesn't realize just how much the truth will change her.

This is an intriguing and compelling story of dark family secrets, small town politics, and history that keeps repeating itself. In this atmospheric novel, Cooke effortlessly blends together tales of centuries old witch trials and present day crimes. As the story unfolds through multiple characters from different time periods, we learn the dark history of the local lighthouse and it’s hold on the present day village.

Liv, our exhausted and overwhelmed artist and mother of three, is doing her best to balance everything on her plate. As she struggles to connect with her moody teenage daughter, she also has two other daughters that need her as well. Her latest commission should be a chance at a fresh start but instead, turns out to be a terrifying nightmare. As Liv tries to settle in with her family, tales of the local forest being filled with changelings hits remarkably close to home when her daughter Luna’s doppelganger appears on her doorstep.

Fast forward twenty years and we have Luna , pregnant and in a precarious place in her own romantic relationship. When she is told her sister has been found after twenty-two years, she immeadiately jumps into action. Discovering her sister hasn’t aged in over twenty years is only the tip of the bizarre iceberg that has become her current life. Unraveling the mystery of her family’s fate is a compelling and compulsive story that is filled to the brim with twists and turns.

I loved the author’s take on the impacts of the witch trials with the local community. The lore that is handed down through the generations shaped the community and it makes their actions believable and understandable. I really enjoyed the characters and found them all well-developed and relatable. The magic system was both intricate and easy to understand, while still being quite fantastical and intriguing.

Overall, this is a wonderful, atmospheric and gripping gothic thriller that will keep you engrossed from start to finish. If you are like me and wanting to keep all your October reads spooky, this is definitely one to add to the list.

You can find ordering information here:

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley for the opportunity to read and review this title. All opinions and mistakes are my own.

This post also contains affiliate links and I may earn from qualifying purchases.

All the Murmuring Bones by A.G. Slatter

Available now

I recently learned that I love books with dark, scary, and evil mermaids. I don’t want pretty, inquisitive princesses, I want deadly and terrifying monsters of the deep. 

In All the Murmuring Bones, legend tells of a woman who made a deal with a merqueen that enriched her family with wealth and importance. Ships full of goods and sailors were always met with a safe return and profits for the family soared. As the family grew richer in wealth, they grew more closed and fearful of others discovering the secret to their success. As the families grew smaller and there were no more children to sacrifice to the mer, the family’s coffers dried up. Now, Mirren finds herself the last of the O’Malley’s. Broke, engaged to a horrible cousin, and full of secrets of her own, Mirren sets out to find the parents she once believed dead and discovers that wasn’t the only secret kept from her. 

Reader friends, this book is amazing. It’s absolutely stunning and I cannot find the words to describe how amazing it truly is. Mirren is a fabulous character. Over and over again she proves that she is a product of her environment and upbringing-much to the surprise and dismay of those around her. Her feelings toward her family are very complex and she repeatedly has to sit with the fact that even as they betrayed her again and again, she still loves them and understands why they acted the way they did. 

There is a delicious mystery that is woven throughout the novel and it was so rewarding to get to the end and see all the breadcrumbs Slatter left for us along the way. I love when a book is integral to the plot and this truly delivers. Tales passed down through generations are bound in heavy volumes, stored away in cavernous libraries and strictly off-limits. Of course our heroine does what every great heroine should do-she sneaks in at night and reads them by candlelight. Side note: I would totally buy a book full of just the O’Malley tales. They were creepy!

I loved how the setting played such an important role in the story. Hob’s Head, the O’Malley mansion, is a dark and dreary place that feels neglected and ready to crumble. You can feel the “wrongness” of the house as Mirren describes her time there. 

The magic system was very interesting in this novel. It’s not a secret and many people have the ability, but some seem either afraid to use it or can only perform small acts. There are some magical beings within the story and while it’s assumed that Mirren isn’t surprised by their existence, they still seem to hide their identity. It was interesting. Even with all of her magical ability, Mirren relies mostly on her physical strength and force of will to fight her battles. 

All the Murmuring Bones is a beautifully written gothic mystery full of magic and dark family secrets. It is a perfect book to either step your toe into the supernatural genre, or to kick off our upcoming spooky reading season. 

If you would like to add this incredible book to your shelf, you can find ordering information here:

This post contains affiliate links and I may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. 

Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon

Available Now

Content Warnings for harm to children, partner abuse, and body horror.

Look at this gorgeous cover!

If you are able to, avoid all descriptions of this book before diving in. I mean it; just go in blindly. All I knew when I requested this book was that it was by Rivers Solomon and it was about a woman who is going through a metamorphosis and needs to escape a religious compound. I didn't really need any more information than Rivers Solomon being the author to get excited and I am so glad that I didn't read further. This made every twist and turn that much more exciting and I was completely caught off guard multiple times. Now if you really need to know more, then by all means keep reading this post before putting this book on hold at the Library. But trust me, this book is amazing.

Reader Friends, this book is an intense ride and I was completely enthralled from start to finish. Vern gave birth to her children alone while hiding in the woods from her abusive husband and the repressive religious compound she grew up in. Only more surprising than her not knowing she was pregnant with twins is Vern´s age. At only 14, Vern is now tasked with not only her own survival against a dark and evil force, but that of her children as well. Deep in the woods, Vern and her small family spend their days gathering, foraging, and hunting their food while spending their nights drying and preserving their surplus. As the days pass on, her children grow into inquisitive toddlers as Vern discovers her own body changing and developing as well. When the forest fiend gets too close to her children, Vern knows she must finally ask for help. Packing up her children and their meager supplies, Vern and her children set off across the country to find an old friend from Vern´s childhood. As the days pass, Vern continues to change and hallucinations from her childhood return with greater force. With no one to trust but herself, Vern must learn more about her past in order to secure a future for herself and her children. 

Sorrowland is one of those magical books that crosses so many genres that it becomes something new altogether. It is part historical fiction, part science-fiction, and a whole lot of gothic horror. Solomon´s writing is intense and compelling with richly drawn characters caught up in an intricate and complicated plot. Much of the book's impact comes from it's too-close-to-reality storyline of racism, misogyny, and distrust in authority. Spoiler, everyone has every reason to distrust all authority in this book. It's also incredibly fast paced and I was so engrossed in the story that I finished it in one sitting. I loved this book and can't wait to hear what you all think of it. 

If you would like to add this book to your collection, you can find ordering information here:

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book. All opinions and mistakes are my own. This post also contains affiliate links and I earn from qualifying purchases. 

Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth

Available Now

I have been on a creepy book kick lately and I’ve been lucky to have read a string of excellent books. Plain Bad Heroines kicks it up even further by being a creepy book about a book. Actually, it’s a book about a movie being made that is based on a book all about an obsession with another book. 

I swear. 

So, in the early 1900’s, at the Brookhant’s School for Girls, two girls became obsessed with a memoir written by Mary MacLane. Their obsession led to not only their own tragic and horrific deaths, but the deaths of three more people tied to the school. A century later, the abandoned school is now the center of a novel written by the brilliant and precocious author, Merrit Emmons, who was only 16 at the time. Her novel about the young women obsessed with not only each other, but the writings of Mary MacLane, is going to be adapted into a gothic horror film. As production begins on the movie, tensions between Merrit and the two young movie stars rise and mysterious events put everyone in danger. 

This book is a chunker - the hardcover edition clocks in at 617 pages and there is a lot of story to be found in those pages. I’m not exaggerating on the book about a movie about a book about a book. A lot of story. The book is constantly changing. In one chapter, you will be reading about the brutal murder of a young woman decades in the past, and in the next, read about a romantic and chaotic first date between two enigmatic young women in the present. There are so many elements of a classic gothic horror. There’s the dark and dilapidated boarding school where young women are sent to become ladies, but really discover that women are great at kissing. There are tragic and mysterious deaths that could be explained away as male violence, or, a curse. Layered on top of our gothic horror story is a coming of age novel about a young actress who needs to break away from her mother and make her own way in Hollywood. But how do you keep your wits about you when it seems that a curse is following you, you’re possibly in love with your co-star, and you know that writer thinks you’re unqualified? Like I said, there’s a lot of story.

I absolutely loved the writing style in this book. It read like you were listening to one of your best friends tell their famous local legend, while sitting by a fire and enjoying a boozy cocktail. It’s very conversational and snarky, with such compelling and campy writing that you are instantly swept up in the soap opera feel of what is really, a quite tragic story. The book is it full of black and white illustrations of our young, plain, bad heroines in all their tragic glory and has some of the best footnotes ever included in a book. Many provide historical context, many are just the narrator being sarcastic and hilarious and I’m pretty sure I sent screenshots of at least 10 pages to my boss within the first 20 pages of reading the book.

The characters are very well developed and incredibly interesting. Merrit is very prickly and slightly obnoxious while Harper Harper, yes that’s her name, is a glamorous and gorgeous chameleon of a character. To me, Harper was the hardest to figure out. Was she just an excellent actress and we never saw the real woman within? Was she just such a quick thinker that she could turn the acting on and off? She’s a puzzle. Meanwhile, Audrey is in a little bit over her head but really wants to make it as an actress and is far stronger than she believes. All three women are smart, interesting, and driven. They’re also all gorgeous, queer, and know that there is something going on at Brookhants. 

This book checked off a lot of my reader wheelhouse boxes-there’s a creepy school full of rich girls and their rich girl problems. It’s fast paced and the multiple timelines slowly reveal all the deliciously creepy scariness that follows everyone involved with Mary MacLane’s book. The characters are interesting and compelling and I was quickly invested in everyone’s survival. This book is also incredibly fun. It never takes itself too seriously, is very campy, and was an absolute delight to get lost in. I highly, highly recommend this for anyone who loves gothic horror, star crossed lovers, and a ton of snark. 

If you would like a copy for yourself, or to buy as a gift for your favorite book lover, you can find ordering information here: 

This post contains affiliate links and I earn from qualifying purchases.

The Ancestor by Danielle Trussoni

Available Now

I found this book through a list of gothic fiction, and sorry, I don’t remember who posted it. I have been on a kick of dark, spooky books about creepy houses that exude a feeling of oppression. Mexican Gothic, The Nesting, The Whisper Man have all been recent creepy house reads. The Ancestor checks all those boxes. It’s creepy, disturbing, uncanny, and just outside the realm of possibility that makes you wonder for days later if it’s possible it’s true…

Bert Monte never thought she would find herself the last surviving heir to an Italian Noble family. Bert never knew she had enough family to begin to form that illusion. Shortly before Christmas, alone and estranged from her husband Luca, Bert finds herself holding an envelope that will change her life forever. But, the letter is in Italian which means Bert will need help from her husband’s Italian grandmother to translate. If discovering her family came from noble blood was shocking enough, discovering they were fiercely despised is even more so. 

Now Bert finds a family lawyer at her doorstep informing her of the private plane waiting to take her to her family’s estate in the mountains of Italy. Bert and Luca decide to take the chance that it’s all legit and maybe, just maybe, this could be a fresh start for them. What begins as a glamorous and enchanting vacation quickly turns into a nightmare as Bert is separated from Luca and finds herself stranded at the estate with no way out. 

Within the crumbling walls of the estate, Bert finds a great-aunt by marriage Dolores and a handful of loyal servants struggling to maintain a dark and dreary mansion. It’s through Dolores that Bert discovers the darkest secret of her family’s heritage. Her great-grandmother is alive and it’s Bert’s duty to keep her safe. 

It’s from here that Bert discovers the legends from the village of Nevenero about a monster that roamed the woods hunting for children and stranded hikers. Along with the estate’s secretary, Bert discovers a trove of diaries that tell the tale of her family’s history, their dangerous past, and the threat they pose to those around them.

It’s so very hard to discuss this book without giving away spoilers so know this-it’s a dark and chilling story that fills you with an overwhelming sense of “wrongness.” This family went to a lot of trouble to cover up the existence of Vita, Bert’s great-grandmother, and her entire story is fascinating. The mansion-more like a castle-is full of antiques, unused rooms, winding staircases, and a labyrinth of hallways. It’s also full of family history in the form of diaries and personal papers. Any estate that can hire a private librarian has some major secrets to keep hidden. The staff members also felt like they were compelled somehow to stay loyal to the family. They know what’s going on and for some reason, they stay in that dark and dreary place and it doesn’t feel like it was by choice. It also plays the line of only feeling like it’s one tick off from reality so maybe there’s a possibility that something like this could be true? Maybe? 

I really enjoyed this book. It was one that I devoured during my days of being laid up with my faulty knee and it definitely helped take my mind off the pain. 

If you would like to add this book to your collection of spooky stories, you can find ordering information here:

This post contains affiliate links and I earn from qualifying purchases. 

Start Your Library Holds for Spooky Season

If you are the type of Reader who loves to fill the month of October with spooky, magical stories, like I am, you need to start your Library Holds now. Here are six books that I have read recently with elements of horror, magic, all things supernatural, and a book series that takes place in a Library in Hell. Click on the covers for more information about each title and ordering information.

Set in a strict, religious colony led by a feared polygamist patriarch, Immanuelle Moore was born a crime. Her mother was one of the many wives of the leader and her betrayal led to the death of her lover and her banishment from the colony. A dark forest on the edge of the colony is rumored to be inhabited by dark witches and when Immanuelle finds herself drawn to it, she discovers her mother’s ties to the darkness and inadvertently releases a plague upon her colony.

Claire is the Head Librarian of the Unwritten Wing of the Library in Hell. Yep, a Library in Hell. Charged to protect the books of the Unwritten, books unfinished by authors and whose characters are always trying to escape the Library, her retrieval of a missing character goes horribly wrong when fallen angels interfere. I loved this book and the second book, The Archive of the Forgotten, comes out on October 6.

This one gave me nightmares! Four high school friends go on a hunt that violates their tribal law. Now, ten years later, something is hunting them. It is bloody, gory, intensely graphic, and absolutely terrifying. It’s so good.

One of the best books I’ve read this year! When her cousin sends her a cryptic letter fearing for her life, Noemí is sent to determine if it’s just new marriage nerves or an actual crisis. Noemí discovers her cousin horribly ill and surrounded by her in-laws that give Noemí the absolute creeps. What the family doesn’t understand, is Noemí is far from a shrinking violet and is more than willing to do whatever it takes to free her cousin. Set in a dark, damp mansion, this is one of the most atmospheric books I’ve ever read.

This is a fabulous collection of short stories that will leave you terrified. I love short stories for when you have limited time but still need to get some reading in. Each story in this collection is unique and chilling and Machado’s writing is so deceptively beautiful. Beautiful words should not terrify you, but she does it.

Told through multiple points of view, this book tells the story of a mother and daughter who have the ability to heal through magic and the lengths they will go to survive through the tumultuous years of the Civil War. This is a heavy one-enslavement, torture, kidnapping, and dark secrets that could tear apart an entire community. At the core, this story is about the secrets women keep to protect those that they love.

This post contains affiliate links and I earn from qualifying purchases.