Category Archives: Book Review

Slider by Reed Farrel Coleman

Book Review,
Overview
Murder and Mayhem in Muskego: Jordan, Jon & Ruth, Phillips, Gary, Richardson, Kat: Amazon.com.au: Books

Title: Slider
Author: Reed Farrel Coleman
In: Murder and Mayhem in Muskego (Jon & Ruth Jordan)
Rating Out of 5: 3.5 (Liked this)
My Bookshelves: Crime
Dates read: 6th August 2021
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Down and Out Books
Year: 2012
5th sentence, 74th page: I got a shield to prove it and everything.

Synopsis

A body washes up on the shore, sparking memories of a time long ago. As the tale unravels, the past and present combine.

Thoughts

I loved the disjointed nature of this story. It had “chapters” that were incredibly short (sometimes only 2 sentences). But they added to this feeling of multiple stories, multiple tales that pull you in.

This whole story has an incredibly vague, hazy feel to it. Even when you find out who the culprit is, you’re not entirely sure if it’s the “true” culprit. The one that actually did it. Things aren’t often tied up in a neat little bow… and this story really drives that fact home.

I really enjoyed how everything pulls together at the end of this story. And how you just have so many questions (and much enjoyment) when you turn that final page. Definitely intriguing and engaging.

<- Pattern RecognitionUndying Love ->

Image source: Amazon

The Mammoth Book of Paranormal Romance 2 edited by Trisha Telep

Book Review, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Overview
Image result for the mammoth book of paranormal romance 2 book cover

Title: The Mammoth Book of Paranormal Romance 2
Author: Trisha Telep, Jackie Kessler, Ava Gray, Shirley Damsgaard, Nathalie Gray, Gail Carriger, Moira Rogers, Elissa Wilds, Karen Chance, Sonya Bateman, Sherri Browning Erwin, Michele Hauf, Sharon Ashwood, Lara Adrian, Helen Scott Taylor, S.J. Day, Seressia Glass & Kim Lenox
Series: Mammoth Books
In: The Mammoth Book of Paranormal Romance 2 (Trisha Telep)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal fantasy, Paranormal romance, Short story collections
Dates read: 7th February – 5th August 2021
Pace: Slow
Format: Anthology
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2010
5th sentence, 74th page: His low voice cut her off.

Synopsis

Love is the drug

Paranormal romance was never going to be content with just vampires and werewolves. The fantastic stories in this new collection lay claim to much, much more: paranormal serial killers, gaslight Victorian rendezvous, and the urban mayhem of fantasy and steampunk.

Here you will find bestselling authors writing under new pseudonyms, fresh stars and steadfast favorites, together offering a feat of mind-bending subgenres.

Paranormal romance will never be the same again.

Thoughts

Admittedly it took me quite a while to read this. As much as I love paranormal romance, I think I just in general tend to prefer the full length versions. There’s just more time to connect to and love the characters and the relationship… but, it’s still fun getting a taste of the different authors in the genre.

I enjoyed writing the reviews for each of these stories. They were fun to write and read. Plus, I have a few new series to add to my wish list and shelves now… because I really needed more books to add to the pule… I mean, will I stop when my house explodes? Probably not.

This was a fun adventure to go on. I’d definitely pick up this collection again, but I might just take a while to make everything feel like new again…

<- The Dream CatcherTo Hell With Love ->

Image source: Amazon

Henry and Booboo by Elanor Dymott

Book Review, ,
Overview
Image result for xo orpheus book cover

Title: Henry and Booboo
Author: Elanor Dymott
In: Xo Orpheus (Kate Bernheimer)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Mythology
Dates read: 5th August 2021
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Penguin Books
Year: 2013
5th sentence, 74th page: She did up the last of her buttons and she dropped to the floor and put her head down to tie her laces and still he thought it would be all right and she’d turn and walk away, but then suddenly he couldn’t hold his breath anymore and it came out in a kind of a grunt, and she flicked her head back and saw him.

Synopsis

It would be eight years before he told her he’d killed them. Or at least, before he told her he held himself responsible for their deaths, which at the time were put down to natural causes: dehydration, the heat of the sun, overexertion.

Thoughts

This was both kind of brilliant and super disturbing… I enjoyed the reading of it. But there comes a certain point when you feel…. seriously uncomfortable about what’s happening in the story line.

What I found most difficult about this story was the open ended nature of the tale. The fact that the bad guy really didn’t get his comeuppance (which I like). But there is definitely a hint of it…

The little bit at the end about the original story and how these themes were intertwined. But it was completely brilliant. Just not for the faint of heart.

<- The Veiled ProphetModern Coyote ->

Image source: Goodreads

Haunted by Joyce Carol Oates

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Hauntings: Datlow, Ellen: 9781616960889: Amazon.com: Books

Title: Haunted
Author: Joyce Carol Oates
In: Hauntings (Ellen Datlow) & Demons and Dreams (Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling)
Rating Out of 5: 3.5 (Liked this)
My Bookshelves: Horror
Dates read: 5th August 2021
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Tachyon
Year: 2013
5th sentence, 74th page: Mother didn’t like Mary Lou visiting with me when no one else was home in our house: she didn’t trust her, she said.

Synopsis

Adulthood gives us many moments to reflect on the past. But there are some ghosts that should maybe stay buried.

Thoughts

This story had so many horrible layers throughout it. Like, seriously disturbing layers. It made me very uncertain as to the amount of liking I feel for this short story.

This was brilliantly written. An adult reflecting on their childhood in that broken way we all have. After all, memories are just functions of our mind and never truly “true”.

This was a seriously not okay story. Don’t get me wrong, I seriously enjoyed it… but it was still very much disturbing and not okay.

<- The Ammonite Violin (Murder Ballad No. 4)The Have-Nots ->

Image source: Amazon

Best Friends Forever by Cecil Castellucci

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Image result for teeth ellen datlow terri windling book cover

Title: Best Friends Forever
Author: Cecil Castellucci
In: Teeth: Vampire Tales (Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal fantasy, Vampires
Dates read: 5th August 2021
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Harper
Year: 2011
5th sentence, 74th page: She didn’t want to, it just happened, in an alley in New York City.

Synopsis

They met by chance – the dying girl and the one who was already dead. But that’s not what cemented them together in friendship.

Thoughts

This was actually a ridiculously sweet vampire story. There is something about friendship and that depth of love that I think gets missed in stories a lot. But Castellucci managed to capture it perfectly.

I love how this story took you on the adventure of forming an everlasting friendship. Not just that moment of connection… but also that moment when you realise that that friendship you’ve formed… its something special.

I loved this story about friendship. But what I loved the most was how it ended. It was kind of sad. But seriously sweet, all at the same time.

<- The List of Definite EndingsSit the Dead ->

Image source: HarperCollins

Answer the Wicked by Kim Lenox

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Image result for the mammoth book of paranormal romance 2 book cover

Title: Answer the Wicked
Author: Kim Lenox
In: The Mammoth Book of Paranormal Romance 2 (Trisha Telep)
Rating Out of 5: 3.5 (Liked this)
My Bookshelves: Historical romance, Paranormal romance
Dates read: 5th August 2021
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2010
5th sentence, 74th page: Her crisply issued instructions echoed in the cavernous space.

Synopsis

Malise is a nurse for the elderly, a career she chose in no small part due to the fact that she could hide. But, when her favourite patient reveals his hidden past, she might find that she can no longer hide from the world… it could be the best outcome ever though.

Thoughts

This started put a little slow. And I also couldn’t quite figure out where the “romance” fit in. And, honestly, even at the end, I’m not entirely sure where the romance factor supposedly fits. But, all in all, it wasn’t a bad story.

I did like the mystery and fast pace of this story. I enjoyed how Malise managed to weave in bits of her own past while we canoned into the future. It was a good way to constantly keep the story engaging and entertaining.

All in all, this was an easy read to finish the The Mammoth Book of Paranormal Romance 2 collection on. It certainly wasn’t my favourite, but I did enjoy it, and would maybe even read it again.

<- The MajesticThe Mammoth Book of Perfect Crimes & Impossible Mysteries ->

Image source: Amazon

The List of Definite Endings by Kaaron Warren

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Image result for teeth ellen datlow terri windling book cover

Title: The List of Definite Endings
Author: Kaaron Warren
In: Teeth: Vampire Tales (Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal fantasy, Vampires
Dates read: 27th July 2021
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Harper
Year: 2011
5th sentence, 74th page: With the thought of Joel a dull ache and Ken very much on her mind, Claudia walked down to the seawall, enjoying the wind on her face and the smell of the salt.

Synopsis

Claudia never really fit in when she was human… now that she’s a vampire… well, she still doesn’t quite fit in. But at least she has her list.

Thoughts

This was a nice, easy duck out of water kind of story. I’m still not totally sold on the vampire fad. But stories like this are kind of fun. I loved all the ways that Claudia didn’t fit in. Because it was probably some of the same reasons I felt that way at nineteen.

A lot of information was packed into this very short story. Not only did it give Claudia a great characterisation. Buy it also told of her relationships, friendships, turning and morals in life. A whole heap of information in very few pages. But told in such a fun way that I couldn’t help but smile.

I’ve read a few short stories by Kaaron Warren. And honestly, I’ve enjoyed every one. They’re light, easy, but with a great moral core at the very centre of the story. Even when the story features a vampire out of water.

<– Late BloomerBest Friends Forever ->

Image source: HarperCollins

The Majestic by Seressia Glass

Book Review,
Overview
Image result for the mammoth book of paranormal romance 2 book cover

Title: The Majestic
Author: Seressia Glass
In: The Mammoth Book of Paranormal Romance 2 (Trisha Telep)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal romance
Dates read: 26th July 2021
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2010
5th sentence, 74th page: Rinna pressed against him, running her hands over his back just above his kidneys.

Synopsis

Rinna has a past. One that she once ran from. But, now, at a night in The Majestic, she might just run towards a new future.

Thoughts

This was a nice and simple short story. And I liked it. I loved how the flash back was so seamlessly incorporated…. particularly since this short story was quite, well… short.

Rinna and Bale are a nice couple. And I like that they both acknowledged their need to be away from one another to grow. To find out if they really wanted one another. And in this, managed to find their way back to each other.

I genuinely really enjoyed the world building and story telling in this tale. I have NO idea whether these hybrids are based on real mythological creatures or not, but I loved the idea of paranormals feeding in adrenaline energy…

<- Eve of WarfareAnswer the Wicked ->

Image source: Amazon

The Ammonite Violin (Murder Ballad No. 4) by Caitlin R. Kiernan

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Hauntings: Datlow, Ellen: 9781616960889: Amazon.com: Books

Title: The Ammonite Violin (Murder Ballad No. 4)
Author: Caitlin R. Kiernan
In: Hauntings (Ellen Datlow)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Crime, Horror
Dates read: 26th July 2021
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Tachyon
Year: 2013
5th sentence, 74th page: She wonders how it will affect the sound, those five ancient stones, how they might warp and alter this violin’s voice.

Synopsis

He’s a collector. The only thing? One collection is on public display… and then the other? Well, that one is just haunting.

Thoughts

You know that a story is going to be creepy when the lead character is called The Collector. And when the whole story is written from this eerie birds eye point of view. But, it was kind of much more intense than I had expected….

There is always something a bit eerie about Kiernan’s writing. Yet, I found this one particularly bad. Probably because The Collector is a serial killer. And you spend the whole time wondering who the next victim will be. And what the obsession with the violin is.

Nothing about this story is comfortable. But it was intriguing. And I loved that uncomfortable feeling that lingers at the end. Truly haunting.

<- Nothing Will Hurt YouHaunted ->

Image source: Amazon

Late Bloomer by Suzy McKee Charnas

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Image result for teeth ellen datlow terri windling book cover

Title: Late Bloomer
Author: Suzy McKee Charnas
In: Teeth: Vampire Tales (Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling)
Rating Out of 5: 3 (On the fence about this one)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal fantasy, Vampires
Dates read: 26th July 2021
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Harper
Year: 2011
5th sentence, 74th page: Writing verses (what was he thinking? Now he was really going to be killed in the boys’ bathroom) – with Freaky Frye!

Synopsis

Josh is from a family of artists and creators. He’s spent his whole seventeen years trying to figure out what his “talent” is. The moment he finally discovers it… well, it might just be too late.

Thoughts

I found Josh to be a bit of a whiney fool throughout this. So wrapped up in his ideas of being “great” that he didn’t stop and smell the roses. But, he kind of got his poetic justice / karmic justice in the end. That made me happy.

I did enjoy the idea of brain chemistry being unchanging when turned into a vampire. Particularly the fact that as a teenager, the brain is not fully formed. And being turned as a teenager? It means that you’ll be forever not fully formed. It’s a bit disturbing when you truly think about the consequences… but it was a very cool and dark idea. One I seriously enjoyed.

All in all, I pleasantly enjoyed this story. It may not have been a ground-shaking, earth-quaking tale that I’ll necessarily read again. But it was fun and unique. Which, honestly is all I want in a short story some days.

<- Vampire WeatherThe List of Definite Endings ->

Image source: HarperCollins