A Mother Always Knows, by Sarah Strohmeyer

A few years ago, I said my true crime fix was stalkers, but I think I've added another one to the list: cults. Jonestown, the Ant Hill Kids, the Work, anything that involves a sociopathic narcissist roping innocent victims into their twisted orbit, under the guide of improving their lives. Everyone says that they are … Continue reading A Mother Always Knows, by Sarah Strohmeyer →

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark Vol. 1, by Alvin Schwartz

No book title evokes more millennial Halloween nostalgia than Alvin Schwartz' Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. There's probably no use reviewing this book because we all know it so well. But these stories have staying power all these years later, thanks in part to the books' iconic macabre illustrations and the variety of … Continue reading Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark Vol. 1, by Alvin Schwartz →

The Housemaid, by Frieda McFadden

Many domestic thrillers tell the same story: a picture-perfect suburban family (often wealthy, white, and Christian) is hiding a deadly secret that threatens their perfect image. But gosh darn it if that formula does not give so much space to play with everyday domestic anxieties and create powerful emotional responses. The Housemaid is almost as … Continue reading The Housemaid, by Frieda McFadden →

Horror Movie, by Paul Tremblay

Paul Tremblay has really gained traction as a contemporary horror writer. For some reason, I didn’t actively seek out more of his works after I enjoyed A Head Full of Ghosts a couple of years ago, but his most recent release, Horror Movie, kept popping up in my digital library feed, so I decided to … Continue reading Horror Movie, by Paul Tremblay →

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls, by Grady Hendrix

You know, the world can make you really, really, REALLY angry sometimes. And one of the best ways to gratify said anger is to pick a book about repressed young women giving the people who wronged and infantilized them their comeuppance through witchcraft. Yes, here we are, another book about women using magic to even … Continue reading Witchcraft for Wayward Girls, by Grady Hendrix →

The Writing Retreat, by Julia Bartz

When trying to find something to read, I thought maybe I would need something frothy and fantastical. Given everything going on in the world right now, it seemed like the best solution. It worked during the pandemic, so I thought it would work now too. But nothing seemed interesting. Then, I was going back and … Continue reading The Writing Retreat, by Julia Bartz →

‘Salem’s Lot, by Stephen King

I'm most certainly a broken record when it comes to Stephen King at this point. Many of you probably saw King's name in the review title and thought, "I can sit this one out, since it'll be nothing but praise and adulation for King." I mean…you would not be wrong about that. King's career has … Continue reading ‘Salem’s Lot, by Stephen King →

A Head Full of Ghosts, by Paul Tremblay

You probably wouldn't know from this blog, but I actually consume horror stories quite often. I am subscribed to many a true crime YouTube channel, and I sometimes listen to Reddit stories about close encounters with scary people. I find them very mentally engaging when I'm waiting for the next penny to drop, caught in … Continue reading A Head Full of Ghosts, by Paul Tremblay →

Sweetly, by Jackson Pearce

Jackson Pearce began her fairy tale retelling series with Sisters Red, and that series continues with Sweetly, which asks what Hansel and Gretel's modern lives would be like. Probably doesn't need much more of an introduction than that. The day that Gretchen Kassel turned eighteen, she and her nineteen-year-old brother Ansel were kicked out of … Continue reading Sweetly, by Jackson Pearce →

Christine, by Stephen King

Well, we're diving back into the era of "classic" Stephen King with Christine. Many people seem to rank it among some of his best supernatural horror stories, alongside works like Pet Sematery or The Shining. I was personally skeptical about a possessed car actually being scary, but since King hasn't failed me yet, I knew … Continue reading Christine, by Stephen King →