This felt like if a season of Black Mirror were written by someone who normally writes books about women who are in very unhappy marriages.
I loved it.This felt like if a season of Black Mirror were written by someone who normally writes books about women who are in very unhappy marriages.
I loved it. Some of the stories weren't 100% there for me, but a majority of them were ones I'll be thinking about for awhile. Loved the one with the body bit measurings, and also the one with the woman's little safe house in the basement....more
I sometimes struggle with anthologies because I *need* them to be in a theme that I love or else I'll start losing focus halfway through. When the ediI sometimes struggle with anthologies because I *need* them to be in a theme that I love or else I'll start losing focus halfway through. When the editor asked if I'd be interested in checking out this antho with stories & poems focusing on Baba Yaga, I literally couldn't say yes fast enough - I can think of very few topics I'd want an entire anthology to cover!
This didn't disappoint at all. Lots of themes of reclaiming / owning your power, mother/daughter relationships, morally grey women, and more! A few of my favorites (although I didn't give anything in this under 4 stars!!):
Dinner Plans with Baba Yaga by Stephanie M. Wytovich Last Tour Into the Hungering Moonlight by Gwendolyn Kiste The Story of a House by Yi Izzy Yu Of Moonlight and Moss by Sara Tantlinger Mama Yaga by Christina Sng The Space Between the Trees by Jo Kaplan Sugar and Spice and the Old Witch's Price by Lisa Quigley Fair Trade by Jacqueline West Stork Bites by EV Knight Where the Horizon Meets the Sky by R.J. Joseph
Overall, absolutely loved it. I'll be highly recommending it up to and beyond its release date this November -- whimsically horrifying, it's the perfect tribute to Baba Yaga, and a must-have on every witchy horror lover's shelf....more
I absolutely LOVE stories focused on women - their friendships, their traumas, their flaws, their discoveries. I especially love when stories are focuI absolutely LOVE stories focused on women - their friendships, their traumas, their flaws, their discoveries. I especially love when stories are focused on women friendships, especially toxic or tragic ones - and this collection has so much of all that, omg. This was like HEAVEN to read, which is possible strange since the collection is so dark.
There's a little something for everyone here, too - body horror, cosmic horror, ghosts, possession. Each story started off in a way that had me immediately hooked, and I ended up finishing the entire collection in like 2 sittings 'cause I was so impressed with each story and couldn't wait for the next one.
Another thing I loved was that none of these stories were ones you'd expect - each one had me on my toes, not knowing where they'd go or what would happen as I read. Being able to nail that sort of tension without giving anything away until the author wants to takes skill.
Overall such a great collection, def gonna be one I recommend from here on out!
Short story collections can sometimes be rough for me, especially when they're by one single author. I sometimes find that there's only one or two stoShort story collections can sometimes be rough for me, especially when they're by one single author. I sometimes find that there's only one or two stories that really grab my attention, and the rest sort of just blur together.
Very happy to report that SEEDS did the complete opposite for me - from the first page, I was completely hooked and couldn't put it down. Each story started off in a way that wouldn't let me stop, and I read it all at once during my readathon when I only intended to start off with a few of the stories - seriously, blown away.
I love that this is organized by story length, since one of my biggest problems with collections is that I don't always have the time to devote to a 40 page story, but usually collections mix 'em all up - which I get works for other people & this is probably just a personal thing, haha. I end up having to hunt for shorter stories, then go digging for longer ones when I have more time. With this collection, it's all spelled out for me, and I was able to bounce back and forth knowing what I was getting into lengthwise - a small thing I appreciated and haven't seen done much in other collections!
Some of my favorites, although I wouldn't give anything in this less than 4 stars:
Bloom - Could see this as a short little mini-film, would love it. Creepy and sad. Just Deserts - MAGICAL FOOD IS SO COOL, YES! I love food stories, haha, this was fantastic. Birth Rites - Haven't stopped thinking about this one, tbh. I might draw something creepy inspired by it because I can't get some of the visuals out of my head!! Long Drop - I was on the EDGE OF MY SEAT for this one, omg! Also, I don't know if this was on purpose, but the way the daughter is described is a lot like how I was as a child during some of my Autistic breakdowns / "episodes" (when things didn't go the way I planned or envisioned & I could NOT adjust, which still happens lol), so I found it kind of neat to recognize that (even if it wasn't intended or meant - don't wanna say the author meant it as anything, just to be clear!! Just something I personally related to! I think my mom would've tossed me to the creatures tbh, heh.)
Anyway, LOVED this so much, can't recommend it enough.
EXCELLENT short story collection - from the first story to the last, I loved them all. Full review to come eventually, but for now: don't miss out on EXCELLENT short story collection - from the first story to the last, I loved them all. Full review to come eventually, but for now: don't miss out on this collection, easily one of my favorites of the last couple years....more
I'm going to be embarassingly honest here, folks: romance in horror - or "horromance" as it's called ~in bookish circles~ - has been one of my favoritI'm going to be embarassingly honest here, folks: romance in horror - or "horromance" as it's called ~in bookish circles~ - has been one of my favorite things since I was a weirdo goth teen discovering smutty vampire books for the first time. There's just something incredibly intoxicating about a well-done mixture of danger and sex, and lots of people think so, at least judging by the overwhelming amount of Sexy Candyman and Sexy Freddy Kruger costumes we've seen during Halloween season.
Still, in horror fiction, it's really hard to see the combination done right. Too often we're getting unrealistic depictions of women written by men who don't seem to have ever touched one, or really awful and triggering rape scenes that dudebros just can't seem to leave out of their ~works of genre-defying art~ - I hope my sarcasm is being conveyed there, 'cause ew.
When I heard about Sonora Taylor's newest collection, and that it'd focus on love and sex within a horror lens, I was SO excited to read it. I've loved Taylor's writing in both short and longer formats in the past, and so when she reached out to offer a review copy for me, I couldn't hit the 'reply' button fast enough!
This didn't disappoint at all - in fact, it went above and beyond my expectations. I'm always a little nervous going into short story collections because they can be SO hit or miss for me - and a lot of people, judging by what some of my reviewer pals have had to say! But I didn't have anything to worry about 'cause each one of these was an absolute treat to read - both for the spicier bits, but also for how truly creepy some of it was!
The pieces in this range in length, and in format, too. We have some really short things like Petal, Page, Piel - as a book collector, I absolutely loved how macabre this was. There's also a bit of poetry in the collection, which I always love seeing. Poems aren't for everyone, but they definitely work for me, and Metal Meticulous was great! There are a few in the collection I'd read before - The Parrot (a short I'd read in a previous anthology) and 'Tis Better to Want (I had the pleasure of drawing the cover for this one when it was digitally released last Christmas as a standalone story, still so proud of that, haha!). Upon reread, they were just as good the second time. Another fun one was The Sharps, which I think would make a really fun short film - those creatures, ahh!! And lots of blood to satisfy those horror-lovers out there, too!
Overall, this is a stunning addition to the "horrormance" genre, and to horror short story collections in general. Super fun, quick to read, and that cover - spicy, whooooo! Love it so much, and will continue reading anything by Sonora Taylor in the future - she's got so much range, folks!!...more
"I’m not a chainsaw kind of girl, but her teeth sure are pretty when they catch the sunshine."
Single author collections tend to be hit or miss for me,"I’m not a chainsaw kind of girl, but her teeth sure are pretty when they catch the sunshine."
Single author collections tend to be hit or miss for me, because even when I absolutely love the author's work in a longer format, sometimes the shorter versions just don't work for my brain and attention span. Sometimes when they do work, there's still the chance that I'll get lost along the way somewhere while reading, with no cohesive vision or theme or voice to keep me tethered to the pages.
With Unfortunate Elements of My Anatmy, I went into it knowing my track record with these sorts of collections, and decided to go for it anyway - and I'm so glad I did. This is such a varied collection of stories, with 18 in total making up the full book. Many of the stories here deal with themes of identity, queerness, and sexuality, and Hailey doesn't shy away from the use of body horror to achieve some incredibly intense and horrifying visuals with her writing on these themes - truly, some of these things will stick with me forever, I'm sure.
The range in this collection & in Hailey's writing is unbelievable; I'm honestly convinced that she can do no wrong at this point - her talent is unmatched. She has a unique perspective and a unique mind, and she blends them together with this natural sort of otherworldly, terrifying brilliance that blows me away every time I read anything new she's written.
This is an incredible collection, one you won't want to miss! If you're already a fan of Hailey, this will not disappoint at all. If you're new to her work, this is a great variety of stories to introduce you to her powerful written voice....more
Wow, what an amazing way to end a great year of reading! I finished this one a few hours before midnight on the 31st, and I’m so happy with the choiceWow, what an amazing way to end a great year of reading! I finished this one a few hours before midnight on the 31st, and I’m so happy with the choice to wrap it up over anything else I was in the middle of reading – I absolutely loved it!
Being totally honest here: I sometimes struggle remembering specific stories as stand-alones when finishing a collection, and I find myself flipping back through the pages or through my notes to jog my memory of what happened, or what the story was about. With Baxter’s 16 short stories in SERVED COLD, I didn’t have that problem at all.
Just from looking at the titles in the table of contents from the book, I can easily recall the chilling scenes written on the pages, able to picture them in my mind due to how vividly the writing conveyed each tale’s situations and characters horrors. This is an absolute stand out collection, and I didn’t rate a single story in it anything less than 4 stars.
Alan Baxter’s ability to fluidly go from writing emotionally impactful horror (The Goodbye Message, pg. 106) to a terrifying adventure story about soldiers and mind-breaking monsters (In Vaulted Halls Entombed, pg. 156) is nothing short of impressive. In this collection, we meet ghosts and gangsters, murderers, demons, and worse. Rather than sticking to any specific theme beyond “darkness”, we go on a journey through doors-that-shouldn’t-be and lethal video games, stay in Lovecraftian hotels and Airbnbs that you wouldn’t wish on your worst enemy.
The range in stories provides something for lovers of different types of horror – there are so many subgenres, and Baxter touches on quite a few of them expertly throughout the collection. His writing is simultaneously ethereal and blunt, allowing the reader to indulge themselves both in gorgeously haunting storytelling, as well as excellent pacing, and plenty of cringe-inducing gore to top it all off. That also isn’t to say that this is a strictly horror collection, as a lot of the stories seem to be heavily influenced by science fiction & fantasy both; obviously, with these being my 3 favorite book genres, this is a huge win for me!
I read this with my Night Worms pals and a few other friends on Instagram for a #nightwormsbookparty, and my friend Janelle mentioned that some of the stories felt like they could be episodes of BLACK MIRROR to her, which I absolutely agree with! In fact, Baxter’s written voice and writing ability is so strongly developed that I could easily picture any of the titles from this collection as incredible screen adaptations – and you’d better bet I’d watch every second of them if they’re ever made!
I can’t recommend this one highly enough, especially to readers who may want to explore horror a bit more in all of its many genres – but it surely won’t disappoint any long term fans of the genre either! Each of the stories is relatively short, which makes the entire collection feel really bite-sized and manageable, which are qualities I love from my short stories ’cause it makes me feel productive! ...more
This was my first book by Sonora Taylor, although I was familiar with her and know her already through social media. Sometimes knowing authors before reading their work can be a little tricky; there’s always that worry that you may really dislike their writing, which could potentially make for an awkward situation along the lines – especially for book reviewers! Luckily, I’m happy to say that in this instance, there was no need for worry on my part – I really liked this collection, and I am totally sold on the author’s writing chops!
LITTLE PARANOIAS is a collection of 20 pieces of creative writing, ranging from spooky stories to short poems. While it may seem like 20 short pieces of fiction is a lot to pack into 140ish pages, Sonora manages to do it expertly, leaving just the right amount of length to each to have left me wanting more. I’d probably qualify some of these as flash fiction even, due to how brief but impactful they are.
There were a few stand-outs in the collection for me, but that isn’t to say the rest were weak. As a whole, the collection is an amazing showcase of the author’s abilities as a writer. Throughout these 20 stories and poems, we feel love, and loss, and regret, and desire. Between these pages are living skeletons, true crime podcasts, the end of the world. We’re introduced to characters that we think we know, only to have the scripts completely flipped a few paragraphs from the ending, leaving the reader unsteady and unsure.
That unsteadiness was probably my favorite part about this collection, and one of the things that a majority of the pieces had in common. I love a good unreliable narrator-type story, and so many of these went in directions I just wasn’t expecting at all. I went back to re-read some of the ones that caught me most off guard, and found that there were little details and bits of foreshadowing here and there that I’d missed the first time around. I really enjoy books and stories like this, so this was right up my alley.
Another thing I had a lot of fun with was the focus on female characters, especially in roles that women are typically not written into. I don’t want to say too much on this point without giving anything away or ruining any twists, but read it, and you’ll see what I mean!
While I would shelve this as a “horror” collection, I do also love the bits of science fiction scattered throughout. Not every horror collection has that sort of sci-fi flair to it, which is totally okay, but when I find one that does, oh boy! Having that influence really kicks things up a notch for me, and with stories like “Weary Bones” and “Quadropocalypse”, I had a lot of fun making my way through this book....more
It’s no secret that I love short story collections; working 4 jobs, having a blog, running an Etsy, and even just existing gets pretty busy sometimes, and it can be hard for me to find the time to devote to an entire thick book the same way I used to. Because of this busy lifestyle, my recent reads have been pretty short in nature, from novellas and flash fiction to collections like this one.
I hadn’t heard of the author before, and when they reached out to me to review the book, I will admit to being a little hesitant. I never want to waste anyone’s time, and I’ve had someone in the past become very aggressive because I didn’t get to their book fast enough for their liking, so whenever I get a message or email from someone I’m unfamiliar with, I try to really evaluate if I think the book and situation would be a good fit for me. In the proposal email, the author mentioned that the reason they were drawn to the short story format was because of a busy life as well, which I absolutely relate to. Ultimately, I decided that JB Lovet’s collection sounded like one I really wanted to read, and they sent the book over to me pretty soon after.
Upon seeing it, I was glad I’d made the decision that I did – I love the cover design so much! It really ties in with the first story, too, and yikes! Once I got to reading it, all it took was the first story to draw me in and get me hooked – it was so good! Each story was different from the last, and the way they’re written gives the characters their own distinct voices for each one, which isn’t easy to do in a collection like this.
This collection has a little bit of everything, which is great for those like me who love a lot of different things in horror. Spooky dolls, monsters, crazy killers, tragedy, folklore, the works! My favorite stories are below, and there are actually a couple of bonus stories at the end of the book that aren’t part of the main collection, but are still worth reading ’cause they’re also pretty good!...more
Since discovering Kealan Patrick Burke through the bookstagram community, I’ve been consistently amazed at how talented he is. A couple of his novellaSince discovering Kealan Patrick Burke through the bookstagram community, I’ve been consistently amazed at how talented he is. A couple of his novellas were the very first purchases I made “thanks to bookstagram”, and since reading those, I haven’t stopped buying. Kealan’s voice is singularly enthralling, with this really amazing creep factor that I just can’t get enough of. His writing is eloquent, atmospheric, and consistently compelling – qualities I value very much in my reading, and will cause me to continue auto-buying everything he puts out.
I think my favorite part of the book is that this collection of short stories (and one poem!) are part of a larger whole. A boy stumbles upon these stories in a creepy old place, and begins reading them one by one, as we the readers do, too. It was such a cool way of framing the collection, and one that I find isn’t used super often in what I’ve recently read.
Another really great thing about this collection is that it features “Story Notes” at the back of the book. These notes are from the author himself, giving us a peek into what went into the creation or inspiration of each story here. I love reading about what inspired something, or random little trivia bits about the things I love, so this was awesome! I really wish more authors included stuff like this, ’cause as a reader, it’s like a little treat at the end of the book. ...more
I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again – I love short story collections! Ones from single authors are awesome, but I also really enjoy anthologies oI’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again – I love short story collections! Ones from single authors are awesome, but I also really enjoy anthologies of collections from different writers put together. If edited well, the collection of widely different voices can, despite the odds, somehow come together to form a really cohesive whole. With IN DARKNESS, DELIGHT’s first volume, MASTERS OF MIDNIGHT, Andrew Lennon & Evans Light did exactly that.
This was my first brush with many of these authors – all but 3 actually, which is a pretty high number of unknowns to me considering there are only about 17 stories total in the whole thing. Of the below list of contributors, I was only familiar with Malerman, Lacey, & Chizmar. What a shame, because the rest are also amazing, and I’m excited to read more by them in the future!
Contributors:
Josh Malerman | William Meikle | Jason Parent | Ryan C. Thomas | Mark Matthews | Israel Finn | Evans Light | Joanna Koch | Andrew Lennon | John McNee | Patrick Lacey | Paul Michaels | Michael Bray | Lisa Lepovetsky | Espi Kvlt | Billy Chizmar | Monique Youzwa
I loved that this collection had a nice mixture of both male and female writers. I know this isn’t something everyone cares about or looks at, but as a woman who has been reading horror her entire life, I can say that for a long time, I didn’t even know there were female horror writers anymore. Of course, I knew about the classic horror writers, but was totally ignorant to modern stuff!
I’m incredibly grateful that my newfound bookish community, both on Instagram & Twitter, have introduced me to so many. And now, when I’m picking up a collection for example, I can make a mental note of the inclusion, and it’s a nice little extra thing to appreciate. ...more
This little collection of flash fiction popped up in my 'recommended' Amazon section, and I'm an impulsive book buyer, so I grabbed it right away. I'vThis little collection of flash fiction popped up in my 'recommended' Amazon section, and I'm an impulsive book buyer, so I grabbed it right away. I've been really enjoying reading short stories/novellas lately due to time constraints in my personal life (3+ jobs is no joke, friends!), so when I saw this, I thought it seemed right up my alley.
I hadn't read anything by Maria Haskins before, but after getting through this, I can see that she's got a clear voice to her writing. While a couple of the entries to this were a bit less fleshed out than I'd have liked, I do understand that there are hard limitations to what you can convey in a matter of pages - and honestly, I think the author did a really great job here overall.
It'd be hard to categorize this into a single genre, although I completely agree that its name, "Dark Flash", just about covers it. Dark fantasy, horror, My favorites in this collection were "The Unicorn" and "Chiaroscuro" - the ending to both took me by surprise, which is an effect I really adore books (especially short stories!) having on me. I also really enjoyed the callback to the previous "Miriam and Cat" in the last story, "The Demon" - a really excellent way to wrap up the collection, in my opinion!
This was a super quick read, and I'd definitely recommend it to anyone either looking for something quick and entertaining, or just trying to branch out into the flash fiction genre. Bonus that it's written by a lady, and I've been really trying to even out my 'read' authors since noticing that I lean heavily toward male writers!
I loved this SO MUCH! I expected horror, but got sci-fi, dark fantasy, dragons, space, Lovecraftian water gods, and more! Full review soon, but pick iI loved this SO MUCH! I expected horror, but got sci-fi, dark fantasy, dragons, space, Lovecraftian water gods, and more! Full review soon, but pick it up and read it - you won't regret it!...more
This is my second seasonal collection by Kealan Patrick Burke, with DEAD LEAVES being the first, and I'm really loving how the stories pair to the timThis is my second seasonal collection by Kealan Patrick Burke, with DEAD LEAVES being the first, and I'm really loving how the stories pair to the time of year.
While in the previous collection, the stories carried the crisp air of Autumn and the creepy feel of Halloween between their lines, in this one, whatever warmth leftover from Fall has completely abandoned the reader. The cold bleakness of the stories in DEAD OF WINTER will chill you to the bone!
The collection houses just 7 short stories, so you can easily read this in a single sitting (I read it by candlelight in the bath, and 5/5 would recommend this method!).
My favorite stories were "VISITATION RIGHTS" and "SNOWMEN". The latter in particular would receive a 10 star rating alone if I could do that, because it completely took me by surprise, and if any of you following me for awhile know anything, it's that I freaking LOVE shocking twists in my reading (when well done, of course)!
None of the stories got less than 3 stars from me, so I'd say this is a pretty solid collection! Definitely check it out, and pick up DEAD LEAVES while you're at it as well, because having both books next to each other gives a happy feeling that you'll want to hold onto after reading about all the sad, cold things that winter can bring. ;)...more
First, I’d like to thank Andrew Cull for sending a copy of his book over to me shortly after I joined the bookstagram community. I was a lowly nobody there, with barely any followers, and he was just trying to spread the word of his book – and he gave me a chance! I went on vacation shortly after, and the book arrived and sat at home waiting for me until I was able to give it the attention it deserved. Fast forward to now, a couple months later, when I’ve read the darn thing THREE TIMES because it’s so good, and am finally attempting to review it here!
This book is comprised of 4 short stories (5, if you count the awesome little flash fiction-esque bonus at the very end!), and I honestly am hard pressed trying to choose a single favorite. Each one of them is so different from the others in the book, but themes of death, grief, and loss tie them together in a beautifully woven tapestry that make up Cull’s stellar debut into the writing world.
Check out my blog for a full breakdown of each story (minus any crazy spoilers!).
Overall, I was extremely impressed with this collection, and I’m adding Andrew to my list of must-read authors for all of his new releases. Speaking of, his first full book, REMAINS, should be out sometime in 2019, and I can’t wait to add it to my collection!...more
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