The Fifth Bedroom by Alex Bell

Book Review, , ,
Overview
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Title: The Fifth Bedroom
Author: Alex Bell
In: The Mammoth Book of Ghost Stories by Women (Marie O’Regan)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Ghosts, Horror
Dates read: 6th November 2020
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2012
5th sentence, 74th page: And when that happens, love – or what passes for love – dies too.

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Synopsis

Chloe is bitter about the past and the accident that tore down her life. So she’s moved to her own home to lick her wounds in private. But the non-existent fifth bedroom bell keeps ringing and she just can’t seem to find that peace she so deeply desires…

Thoughts

Yeah. I really shouldn’t have read this short story at dusk. While the wind was blowing through my house. And the wind chimes hanging in my window were going mad. Talk about mood-setting…

This was a really creepy story. There is something about bitterness that seems to be more terrifying than anger or sadness. It’s like a disease that eats someone from inside. The fact that Chloe’s bitterness leads to her sad ending was intense and really, really sad. It may not have quite ended the way that I anticipated… but it was still creepy and a reminder to let go of the past.

Finishing this short story left me feeling seriously disturbed. And uncomfortable. And just plain not ready to go to sleep. I may have poured myself a big glass of wine and taken a pretty big gulp after finishing this. It left me feeling that unsettled…

<- Sister, Shhh…Scairt ->

Image source: Goodreads

The Clockwork Cowboy by J. Steven York

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
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Title: The Clockwork Cowboy
Author: J. Steven York
In: Westward Weird (Martin H. Greenberg & Kerrie Hughes)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Cyborgs, Weird western, Wild west
Dates read: 5th November 2020
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Daw Books
Year: 2012
5th sentence, 74th page: Which was true.

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Synopsis

In the middle of the desert is a town where everyone just wants to be free. But it’s a town with a difference – it’s colonised by free automatons. And all they want is to be left alone.

Thoughts

I thought that this was a great short story that emphasised the fight for survival and freedom. Which, considering all of the Western themed stories I’ve been reading lately seems to be a bit of a theme. A great theme though. Particularly when this is combined with automatons and science fiction…

This was a wonderfully intense and brilliant short story. I was hooked from the very beginning and found it difficult to look away. Probably lucky that this was a short story, because my productivity would have gone down the drain if this was any longer. At least being so short, I was able to be fully immersed without jeopardising all of the adult things that I needed to be doing…

The cruel turning on the lead character in this story at the end was a little heartbreaking. After all, the saviour is then spurned. And finds himself an outcast when all he did was save everyone…

<- Showdown at High MoonBlack Train ->

Image source: Amazon

Sundays by Melissa Keil

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
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Title: Sundays
Author: Melissa Keil
In: Begin, End, Begin (Danielle Binks)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance,  Young adult
Dates read: 5th November 2020
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Year: 2017
5th sentence, 74th page: Lou holds out a bottle of Limonata, the top popped.

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Synopsis

Sundays are a day of leisure. But, on this fateful night and morning, they are also a day of change. One that heralds the beginning of new things, and the end of the old.

Thoughts

I absolutely adore Melissa Keil, in fact, she’s the reason that I bought the Begin, End, Begin collection – I knew that she had a story in there somewhere and I knew that it was one that I thoroughly enjoy. This short story just drove home how important that was and just why I love this author so damn much. Now I just have to wait for her to publish some more stories…

This story completely matches the idea of Begin, End, Begin. It’s about beginnings and endings, and how just one night can mean the change in everything. I remember finishing high school myself, and how terrifying that precipice of change and adulthood is. I don’t think that I had just one night that did this for me, but I had a whole heap of moments that I can still remember with terrifying clarity that were about the ending of the old, and the beginning of the new. Most of them from this point in my life…

Gabe is a great narrator for this story. She’s not the mainstream teenager that you would expect, and so I probably related to her way more than I otherwise would have. That, and Lou, the rock for her throughout this realisation of change… I absolutely adored both of these characters. I want more of them! Just like I want more of all of Keil’s characters… I’m not slightly obsessed at all…

<- First CasualtyMissing Persons ->

Image source: Harper Collins Australia

Sister, Shhh… by Elizabeth Massie

Book Review, , ,
Overview
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Title: Sister, Shhh…
Author: Elizabeth Massie
In: The Mammoth Book of Ghost Stories by Women (Marie O’Regan)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Ghosts, Horror
Dates read: 5th November 2020
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2012
5th sentence, 74th page: Wait.

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Synopsis

Charity and Fawn just wanted to escape The Prophet and his brother, their husband. But things don’t quite go as planned, and Charity wakes up in a cupboard.

Thoughts

There is something about cults that always pulls me in completely. And also leaves me feeling very freaked out and uncomfortable. After all, cults are all about brain washing and the sorts of horrible things that I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy…

The ending of this story is beautifully open-ended and not conclusive at all. It gives me plenty of room to imagine a terrible, horrible and gruesome comeuppance for Rufus and The Prophet. And for all of the others in this story who have preyed upon the weak… a trio of ghosts can probably do a lot of damage if they’re focused on revenge enough.

Sister, Shhh… was all about victims and the vulnerable. It’s bad enough when people are preyed upon… but when those who are preyed upon are vulnerable and innocent? Yeah, it most definitely made me shudder to read this. And feel all sorts of sympathy throughout.

<- The Ninth WitchThe Fifth Bedroom ->

Image source: Goodreads

The Innsmouth Nook by A. Lee Martinez

Book Review, , ,
Overview
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Title: The Innsmouth Nook
Author: A. Lee Martinez
In: Death’s Excellent Vacation (Charlaine Harris & Toni L.P. Kelner)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal fantasy, Urban fantasy
Dates read: 4th November 2020
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Gollancz
Year: 2010
5th sentence, 74th page: ‘So what brings you to Clam Bay?’ he asked.

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Synopsis

All they wanted to do was open up a quaint little B&B in a small coastal town. But then tourism dropped off. And the locals really didn’t like these two interlopers coming into their town. And then, well, things just got worse.

Thoughts

To start with, I was a little bit “eh” about this story. I mean, two guys from the Big Smoke move to a tiny, backwater town… it’s not exactly a groundbreaking or really very original story. But then it started to develop. And I got hooked. And now I’m still thinking of it with fond memories.

As someone from a tourism area, I completely understand how drastically tourism can impact on a town. This story helped to drive this fact even further home. Plus, it was quite entertaining the new form of tourism that started to encroach on the town.

This short story is a great mix of mythology and folklore. And just the general wit, fun and mayhem that I seriously enjoy in a good short story and paranormal fantasy tale.

<- Meanwhile, Far Across the Caspian Sea…Safe and Sound ->

Image source: Amazon

The Ninth Witch by Sarah Langan

Book Review, , ,
Overview
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Title: The Ninth Witch
Author: Sarah Langan
In: The Mammoth Book of Ghost Stories by Women (Marie O’Regan)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Ghosts, Horror, Witches
Dates read: 4th November 2020
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2012
5th sentence, 74th page: Her feet were webbed; her hips wide.

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Synopsis

She’s the ninth daughter of a horrifying man, and life has not been kind to her or her sisters. But, this ninth daughter is also a witch, and things may end up alright if she just trusts in her power…

Thoughts

The Ninth Witch is a gross, creepy, and seriously disturbing short story. It basically careens from one horrible moment to another as the story unfolds. And it’s just… not okay. Or comfortable. Or really anything that makes me have happy feelings when reading a story. But it is also a really good story, one which I would pick up again.

Although this story was seriously disturbed and filled with the horrors of being a woman, it did have a happily ever after. Which is probably why I would love to read this again. After all, I can put up with a lot of horrible nonsense in my stories, if there is going to be a happily ever after.

Ultimately, this story is one that is about the lengths that a mother will go to to protect her child. And the fact that you should really never get between a mother and child, regardless of what species / powers they have.

<- The Lost GhostSister, Shhh… ->

Image source: Goodreads

The Exterminator’s Daughter by Meg Cabot

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
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Title: The Exterminator’s Daughter
Author: Meg Cabot
In: Prom Nights from Hell (Meg Cabot, Stephenie Meyer, Kim Harrison, Michele Jaffe & Lauren Myracle)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal fantasy, Vampires, Young adult
Dates read: 4th November 2020
Pace: Medium
Format: Novella
Publisher:Harper Collins
Year: 2007
5th sentence, 74th page: “Yes,” Adam says calmly.

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Synopsis

Mary knows one thing… that her friend’s prom date is evil. And it’s her job to take him down. But things don’t always go quite to plan… they can be better.

Thoughts

I most definitely want more of Adam and Mary in my bookshelves. I’m not sure that I’ll get more. But it’s most certainly something that I desire! They work so well as a cute teensy couple. Yet, Mary is also completely kick butt and more than a little damaged. Just how I like my heroines.

I’m still a big believer in the fact that prom is completely, totally and utterly boring. But, this one feels a little bit more fun. Mostly because it involves a cute boy and vampire hunting. Alright, I might be a strong, independent woman, and my own prom I did have a cute date… but not a cute date that would use a water blaster to kill a vampire. Or shoot ketchup at him…

This novella involved not only Dracula’s son, but the exterminator’s daughter. And she also happens to be the daughter of a mad scientist… which, honestly, what’s not to love about that? There is so much fuel in this story for more amazing tales, and it’s a seriously fun little journey. Particularly when the ending is so… full of future possibilities.

I’ve read a few books in the Princess Diaries series. So I’m used to Cabot’s fun, cute and easy to read teenage stories. This fit all of the usual bills and was definitely a story that I would read again and again. A bit like Cabot’s other stories…

<- Prom Nights from HellThe Corsage ->

Image source: Harper Collins

The Lost Ghost by Mary E. Wilkins-Freeman

Book Review, , ,
Overview
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Title: The Lost Ghost
Author: Mary E. Wilkins-Freeman
In: The Mammoth Book of Ghost Stories by Women (Marie O’Regan)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Ghosts, Horror
Dates read: 3rd November 2020
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 1903
5th sentence, 74th page: “I never eard anything like it in my life,” said Mrs Emerson, staring at the other woman with awestruck eyes.

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Synopsis

Two old gossips talk about the old house that finally has some new occupants. And the little, lost girl who used to spend her time there…

Thoughts

I’m not sure why, but there is always something a little bit extra creepy about children ghosts. They give me the absolute heebie geebies. Kind of like porcelain dolls. So any short story that features the creepy little demon children, I’m going to get the horrible goosebumps. Alright, this wasn’t the most horrifying story which features child ghosts in this collection, but it was still pretty damn creepy.

Although the ending to this short story was still pretty creepy, it was also kind of cute. And sweet. Or I’m just one seriously messed up woman. After all, the lost ghost leads another lost soul off into the sunset, and it feels like neither one is so lonely anymore.

This is most definitely a short story that I’m going to read again! It was everything that a ghost story should be. But with a less tragic ending.

<- The Madam of the Narrow HousesThe Ninth Witch ->

Image source: Goodreads

There Will Be Peace in Korea by Larry McMurtry

Book Review,
Overview
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Title: There Will Be Peace in Korea
Author: Larry McMurtry
In: The Mammoth Book of Westerns (Jon E. Lewis)
Rating Out of 5: 3 (On the fence about this one)
My Bookshelves: Westerns
Dates read: 3rd November 2020
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 1964
5th sentence, 74th page: He wasn’t even living there, it was my room, but I was off on a roughnecking tower and I guess the room was the best place he could find.

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Synopsis

One day there will be peace. But, maybe not today.

Thoughts

I really enjoyed the tone and voice of this short story. Although, I didn’t find it all that engaging.

This is a bit of a rambling adventure. And not enjoyably so. I just found it kind of hard to concentrate on the rambling and I’m honestly not 100% sure of what was even happening.

This was well written. Just not the kind of story that I really wanted to read.

<- The BanditC. B. & Q. ->

Image source: Hachette Australia

The Madam of the Narrow Houses by Caitlin R. Kiernan

Book Review, , ,
Overview
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Title: The Madam of the Narrow Houses
Author: Caitlin R. Kiernan
In: The Mammoth Book of Ghost Stories by Women (Marie O’Regan)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Ghosts, Horror
Dates read: 2nd November 2020
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2012
5th sentence, 74th page: That both Mr Wells and Mrs hunt died in November has always seemed significant, and sometimes this sempstress who is not a medium imagines it a portent of some sort, conceivably that she herself will perish on a chill November day, only after the crisper delights of October have finished, and that thought bestows a certain solace.

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Synopsis

She lives in a narrow house, one that is filled with mystery, grief and death.

Thoughts

This story was one of those that is beautiful and ethereal and on my read again pile. But, unlike most stories that I find like that, I’m not entirely sure what was actually happening. I’m getting used to that with Kiernan’s stories. They all seem to be impossible to put down, but impossible to describe. I love it.

There is so much symbolism and so many hidden layers throughout this story. It furthers my desire to reread this at a future point in time. I love stories which are heavy with symbolism – they’re the type that no matter how many times you read them, you find something new to engage and captivate.

Although I can’t quite describe what went on in this story, it is one that most definitely feels hauntings. There are amazing feelings of death and hauntings throughout. And an overwhelming feeling of loneliness.

<- The Shadow in the CornerThe Lost Ghost ->

Image source: Goodreads