This Inevitable Ruin by Matt Dinniman

Title: The Eye of the Bedlam Bride (Dungeon Crawler Carl #7)

Author: Matt Dinniman

Publisher: Dandy House 2024

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 724

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Cover Lover - A title and/or scene that makes you laugh

They call it Faction Wars. The ninth floor. Nine armies, each led by rich and powerful aliens from across the galaxy. Each team has one objective: to capture and hold the castle at the very center of the battlefield. Strategy, alliances, pitched battles, and, of course, betrayal... It all makes for great fun and even greater television. After all, none of these powerful aliens really die when they’re playing war.

Except this time. This time, winner takes all. Those who fall, stay in the ground.

As the AI continues its rapid decline, Carl and company take advantage of the chaos. For the first time ever, the crawlers are fighting back. They are now one of the nine teams. And this season, there’s a tenth army on the playing field. The NPCs, who are normally used as nothing but cannon fodder, have become fully self-aware and formed a team of their own.

For Donut and Katia, the stakes are even higher. Only one of them will be allowed to leave this level. If they all want to survive, they’re going to need a little help from a veteran or two. This is it. This is what they’ve been fighting toward. This is war. This inevitable ruin.

I finally got time to listen to the newest Carl book! And my goodness, I knew it was going to be a doozy. We finally get to see Faction Wars and the outcomes of so many things set up during the previous few books. I could not wait to see how Carl, Donut, and crew screwed over the corporations and the various enemies of the Princess Posse. The book starts and we immediately dive into nonstop action. Within the action, we get a few quiet moments of serious emotional weight. Just what I was expecting from this volume. The ending wasn’t a huge surprise overall, but I did love how it played out. I cannot wait to see what happens on the 10th Floor.

Dungeon Crawler Carl

• #1 Dungeon Crawler Carl

• #2 Carl’s Doomsday Scenario

• #3 The Dungeon' Anarchist’s Cookbook

• #4 The Gate of the Feral Gods

• #5 The Butcher’s Masquerade

• #6 The Eye of the Bedlam Bride

• #7 This Inevitable Ruin

Next up on the TBR pile:

Service Model by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Title: Service Model

Author: Adrian Tchaikovsky

Publisher: Tor Books 2024

Genre: Science Fiction

Pages: 376

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Cover Lover - Cityscape

Where I Got It: Library

To fix the world they must first break it, further.

Humanity is a dying breed, utterly reliant on artificial labor and service.

When a domesticated robot gets a nasty little idea downloaded into its core programming, they murder their owner. The robot discovers they can also do something else they never did before: They can run away.

Fleeing the household they enter a wider world they never knew existed, where the age-old hierarchy of humans at the top is disintegrating into ruins and an entire robot ecosystem devoted to human wellbeing is having to find a new purpose.

Sometimes all it takes is a nudge to overcome the limits of your programming.

I had absolutely no frame of reference going into this book. It was picked for my speculative fiction book club and I just dove in. Right away, I was intrigued by the narration by the robot. The writing took a bit to get used, but it was perfect for the characters and the story. We slowly orient ourselves in the world and attempt to understand what has happened in the manor. Once that is revealed, we begin our quest with Uncharles and slowly piece together the world as it stands. I loved the language, the characters, and the plot. We get a very fresh-feeling robot story wrapped in a post-apocalypse world. We get to see a future destroyed by humans and continued by robots. I loved that we get a big mystery aspect to the story while keeping our robot a robot. While Uncharles has its own thoughts and decisions, it is still a robot with all the logical thinking and inability to really imagine. I found this book to be very refreshing. I cannot wait to discuss this with my book club friends in June.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Jujutsu Kaisen Vol. 6

Title: Jujutsu Kaisen Vol. 6

Author: Gege Akutami

Publisher: VIZ Media 2019

Genre: Comics

Pages: 192

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Finishing the Series

Where I Got It: Library

In a world where cursed spirits feed on unsuspecting humans, fragments of the legendary and feared demon Ryomen Sukuna have been lost and scattered about. Should any demon consume Sukuna’s body parts, the power they gain could destroy the world as we know it. Fortunately, there exists a mysterious school of jujutsu sorcerers who exist to protect the precarious existence of the living from the supernatural!

During the Goodwill Event, the Kyoto School's authorities order their students to assassinate Itadori. However, Mahito and a horde of special grade curses and curse users complicate matters by attacking the students. The teachers move quickly to counterattack but find themselves cut off by a barrier. Can the students survive this demonic onslaught?!

Oh no! The students are now in some actual danger due to outside influences. I loved seeing how they figured out the new situation and responded accordingly. I loved seeing the students from both schools come tougher to help each other to dispel the curses. The added complication of the bubble targeting Gojo was a fun wrinkle in their plans. I cannot wait to see how they overcome this obstacle and what it reveals about the characters and the larger mystery.

Jujutsu Kaisen

• Volume 1

• Volume 2

• Volume 3

• Volume 4

• Volume 5

• Volume 6

• Volume 7

• Volume 8

• Volume 9

• Volume 10

• Volume 11

• Volume 12

• Volume 13

• Volume 14

• Volume 15

• Volume 16

• Volume 17

• Volume 18

• Volume 19

• Volume 20

• Volume 21

• Volume 22

• Volume 23

• Volume 24

• Volume 25

Next up on the TBR pile:

Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green

Title: Everything is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection

Author: John Green

Publisher: Crash Course Books 2025

Genre: Nonfiction - Science, History

Pages: 208

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf; Nonfiction Reader

Where I Got It: Preordered in 2025!

Tuberculosis has been entwined with hu­manity for millennia. Once romanticized as a malady of poets, today tuberculosis is seen as a disease of poverty that walks the trails of injustice and inequity we blazed for it.

In 2019, author John Green met Henry Reider, a young tuberculosis patient at Lakka Government Hospital in Sierra Leone. John be­came fast friends with Henry, a boy with spindly legs and a big, goofy smile. In the years since that first visit to Lakka, Green has become a vocal advocate for increased access to treatment and wider awareness of the healthcare inequi­ties that allow this curable, preventable infec­tious disease to also be the deadliest, killing over a million people every year.

In Everything Is Tuberculosis, John tells Henry’s story, woven through with the scientific and social histories of how tuberculosis has shaped our world—and how our choices will shape the future of tuberculosis.

I really appreciate John Green’s ability to weave hard science and history with emotional human stories and somehow not make it seem trite or manipulative. We get a comprehensive history of tuberculosis, its place in society, and current state. We get some beautiful and tragic human stories weaving in and out. I really loved hearing personal stories of dealing with the disease. Along the way, Green also includes his own commentary about his obsession with tuberculosis. I absolutely loved this short book.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Jujutsu Kaisen Vol. 1

Title: Jujutsu Kaisen Vol. 1

Author: Gege Akutami

Publisher: VIZ Media LLC 2018

Genre: Comics

Pages: 192

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Finishing the Series

Where I Got It: Library

In a world where cursed spirits feed on unsuspecting humans, fragments of the legendary and feared demon Ryomen Sukuna have been lost and scattered about. Should any demon consume Sukuna’s body parts, the power they gain could destroy the world as we know it. Fortunately, there exists a mysterious school of jujutsu sorcerers who exist to protect the precarious existence of the living from the supernatural!

Although Yuji Itadori looks like your average teenager, his immense physical strength is something to behold! Every sports club wants him to join, but Itadori would rather hang out with the school outcasts in the Occult Research Club. One day, the club manages to get their hands on a sealed cursed object. Little do they know the terror they’ll unleash when they break the seal…

I finally started this series! And it really starts off with a bang! We get introduced to our main characters and the action starts right away. I loved puzzling things out with Itadori and trying to understand the world we’ve been thrown in. The inclusion of our Sensei and other students really helped round out the introduction story. We got a few great action sequences and some world-building in this volume. I cannot wait to continue with this series, and eventually watch the anime.

Jujutsu Kaisen

• Volume 1

• Volume 2

• Volume 3

• Volume 4

• Volume 5

• Volume 6

• Volume 7

• Volume 8

• Volume 9

• Volume 10

• Volume 11

• Volume 12

• Volume 13

• Volume 14

• Volume 15

• Volume 16

• Volume 17

• Volume 18

• Volume 19

• Volume 20

• Volume 21

• Volume 22

• Volume 23

• Volume 24

• Volume 25

Next up on the TBR pile:

Parasyte Vol. 2 by Iwaaki Hitoshi

Title: Parasyte Vol. 2

Author: Iwaaki Hitoshi

Publisher: Del Rey 1991

Genre: Comics

Pages: 288

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Finishing the Series

Where I Got It: Library

PERSONAL DEMON: Shin looks like an ordinary high school boy, but he has a terrible secret: an alien parasite has infected his body. This mysterious creature is ruthless, deadly, and utterly indifferent to human suffering . . . and it is beginning to assert itself over Shin. As Shin fights for control of his body, can he also hold on to his humanity?

This volume had some terrible gut punches. I was so not expecting the emotional weight in this one. I was flipping pages with an increasing sense of dread that was finally revealed on the page. I am really loving how this story is evolving and changing just as Migi and Shin are evolving and changing. And I’m really enjoying the subtle art involved in the differences between the humans and parasite-infected humans. Guess I’m deeply involved in this series now. And I just realized that there was an anime version of the series.

Parasyte

• Volume 1

• Volume 2

• Volume 3

• Volume 4

• Volume 5

• Volume 6

• Volume 7

• Volume 8

Next up on the TBR pile:

All the Water in the World by Eiren Caffall

Title: All the Water in the World

Author: Eiren Caffall

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press 2025

Genre: SciFi

Pages: 304

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Read Around the USA - New York; Cover Lover - Famous Structure

Where I Got It: Library

All the Water in the World is told in the voice of a girl gifted with a deep feeling for water. In the years after the glaciers melt, Nonie, her older sister and her parents and their researcher friends have stayed behind in an almost deserted New York City, creating a settlement on the roof of the American Museum of Natural History. The rule: Take from the exhibits only in dire need. They hunt and grow their food in Central Park as they work to save the collections of human history and science. When a superstorm breaches the city’s flood walls, Nonie and her family must escape north on the Hudson. They carry with them a book that holds their records of the lost collections. Racing on the swollen river towards what may be safety, they encounter communities that have adapted in very different and sometimes frightening ways to the new reality. But they are determined to find a way to make a new world that honors all they've saved.

Inspired by the stories of the curators in Iraq and Leningrad who worked to protect their collections from war, All the Water in the World is both a meditation on what we save from collapse and an adventure story―with danger, storms, and a fight for survival. In the spirit of From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler and Parable of the Sower, this wild journey offers the hope that what matters most – love and work, community and knowledge – will survive.

50 pages into this book and I contemplated DNFing it. Not because I hated it, but because it was really bringing all the emotion and I didn’t know if I could handle that right now. I persevered and absolutely ended up loving this one so much. There’s beautiful writing, relatable characters, and suspense. This apocalypse feels very relevant and prescient to our world right now. But we get to experience it through the eyes of a child who doesn’t quite remember The World Before. While the world drowns, Nonie has a love and affinity with the water. That dichotomy alone intrigued me. I loved her commentary about the pull of the water and the wonder at the life that it holds. The book flips between the present escape from AMNH and their life in AMNH after the floods came. We slowly learn more about the characters and their struggles and triumphs over the years. This book deals with a lot of death and it’s very present on th page, but it was told in such a beautiful way that I couldn’t put it down.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Way is Up is Death by Dan Hanks

Title: The Way Up is Death

Author: Dan Hanks

Publisher: Angry Robot 2025

Genre: Horror

Pages: 368

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Cover Lover - Spooky Scene; I Read Horror - Cosmic Horror

Where I Got It: Library

When a mysterious tower appears in the skies over England, thirteen strangers are pulled from their lives to stand before it as a countdown begins. Above the doorway is one word: ASCEND.

As they try to understand why they’ve been chosen and what the tower is, it soon becomes clear the only way out of this for everyone is… up.

And so begins a race to the top with the group fighting to hold on to its humanity, through sinking ships, haunted houses and other waking nightmares. Can they each overcome their differences and learn to work together or does the winner take it all? What does the tower want of them and what is the price to escape?

I am not quite sure how to review this book, but I do know that I absolutely loved it. There’s a lot of plot in here, from the characters to the tower levels. But at its core, this book is attempting to answer some philosophical questions. What is the meaning of life? How should we, as humans, grow and change throughout our lives? What is our individual purpose? How should we operate within a community or society? We get to see 13 strangers wrestle with this questions while attempting to survive the horror within the tower. I know that I will be thinking about this book for awhile…

Next up on the TBR pile:

Horseman by Christina Henry

Title: Horseman

Author: Christina Henry

Publisher: Berkley 2021

Genre: Horror

Pages: 302

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf; Books to Movies

Where I Got It: HPB December 2024

Everyone in Sleepy Hollow knows about the Horseman, but no one really believes in him. Not even Ben Van Brunt's grandfather, Brom Bones, who was there when it was said the Horseman chased the upstart Crane out of town. Brom says that's just legend, the village gossips talking. 

More than thirty years after those storied events, the village is a quiet place. Fourteen-year-old Ben loves to play "Sleepy Hollow boys," reenacting the events Brom once lived through. But then Ben and a friend stumble across the headless body of a child in the woods near the village, and the discovery makes Ben question everything the adults in Sleepy Hollow have ever said. Could the Horseman be real after all? Or does something even more sinister stalk the woods?

Somehow I missed that Christina Henry published a book based on Sleepy Hollow. I got very excited seeing this in the used book store and immediately bought it. The book did not disappoint. We get a story set about 30 after the events in Washington Irving’s story. We are thrown back into the town of Sleepy Hollow and have to parse out what is real and what is legend. In the course of the book, we see the world through Ben’s eyes, a young man who does not fit into society’s conventions. There was a timeless quality to the book that really sucked me in and creeped me out at the same time. As the story slowly unfolds, I was eager to the turn the pages and learn more. I could not put this one down at all.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas

Title: The Hacienda

Author: Isabel Cañas

Publisher: Berkley 2022

Genre: Horror

Pages: 352

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf Project; I Read Horror - Ghosts

Where I Got It: Book of the Month May 2022

During the overthrow of the Mexican government, Beatriz’s father was executed and her home destroyed. When handsome Don Rodolfo Solórzano proposes, Beatriz ignores the rumors surrounding his first wife’s sudden demise, choosing instead to seize the security that his estate in the countryside provides. She will have her own home again, no matter the cost.

But Hacienda San Isidro is not the sanctuary she imagined.

When Rodolfo returns to work in the capital, visions and voices invade Beatriz’s sleep. The weight of invisible eyes follows her every move. Rodolfo’s sister, Juana, scoffs at Beatriz’s fears—but why does she refuse to enter the house at night? Why does the cook burn copal incense at the edge of the kitchen and mark the doorway with strange symbols? What really happened to the first Doña Solórzano?

Beatriz only knows two things for certain: Something is wrong with the hacienda. And no one there will save her.

Desperate for help, she clings to the young priest, Padre Andrés, as an ally. No ordinary priest, Andrés will have to rely on his skills as a witch to fight off the malevolent presence haunting the hacienda and protect the woman for whom he feels a powerful, forbidden attraction. But even he might not be enough to battle the darkness.

Far from a refuge, San Isidro may be Beatriz’s doom.

A perfect ghost story for this week! I can’t believe I let this book sit on my floor for this long before reading it. This was the perfect blend of atmospheric ghost story featuring a (potentially) unreliable narrator and a beautifully remote setting. I love these types of books and this is no exception. I couldn’t help rooting for Beatriz immediately after meeting her. This entire story including the characters really reminded me of the movie Crimson Peak. Beatriz is swept away to a house that is supposed to be her safe harbor, but quickly becomes something else. I loved the chapters we get from Andrés’s point of view as we learn more about the house and its inhabitants. The last third of this book is really a nonstop ride the I loved. And we get a great conclusion with a fun ambiguous last paragraph. Loved it!

Next up on the TBR pile:

A Ship of Bones and Teeth by Karina Halle

Title: A Ship of Bones and Teeth

Author: Karina Halle

Publisher: Karina Halle 2023

Genre: Romance Fantasy

Pages: 508

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Romanceopoly - The Lighthouse: Fairytale Retelling - The Little Mermaid

Where I Got It: Library

Spice Rating: 8

Princess Maren is a woman with a secret.

When she was just 16-years old, she sold her soul to the sea witch Edonia, giving up a life underwater in exchange for the love of Prince Aerik on land. But after a decade of abuse and misery inflicted by the cruel prince, Maren wants nothing more than to leave him and her royal role behind and find Edonia to reverse the spell.

An opportunity for escape presents itself when the prince and princess are traveling overseas and are taken hostage by a band of notorious pirates, led by the fearsome Captain Ramsay "Bones" Battista. Maren has heard the sordid stories about the infamous pirate--not only is his ship supposedly haunted and crewed by the damned, but that no prisoners ever survive. Fortunately for Maren, she learns that the captain also has a score to settle with the sea witch. With any luck, Maren may be able to get her old life back, even if it's being held in the captain's wicked hands.

But Ramsay gets more than he bargained for when he learns who--and what--Maren is, and that her appetite for revenge, freedom, and bloodlust rivals his.

Meanwhile Maren finds herself falling for the pirate's dark nature, even as she discovers that Ramsay has a secret more deadly than her own.

When it comes to the high seas, not all monsters lurk beneath the surface.

I grabbed this one as a dark, adult retelling of The Little Mermaid and it really hit the spot for me this week. I dove in not quite knowing what to expect, but very quickly I got my feet underneath me and the plot hit full steam. Trying to figure out exactly who Maren and Ramsay were was an added bonus to the storyline. We get a contentious relationship between our main characters until larger forces bring them together. I was fully immersed in the world and wanted to see more from all of the other characters. I must say that the steamy scenes are very steamy and very riské; be forewarned. While I really enjoyed this book, I might have actually been a bit sad that this is a standalone.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Alice in Borderland Vol. 2-3

Title: Alice in Borderland Vol. 2

Author: Haro Aso

Publisher: VIZ Media LLC 2021

Genre: Comics

Pages: 344

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Finishing the Series

Where I Got It: Library

Eighteen-year-old Ryohei Arisu is sick of his life. School sucks, his love life is a joke, and his future weighs on him like impending doom. As he struggles to exist in a world that can’t be bothered with him, Ryohei feels like everything would be better if he were anywhere else. When a strange fireworks show transports him and his friends to a parallel world, Ryohei thinks all his wishes have come true. But this new world isn’t an empty paradise, it’s a vicious game. And the only way to survive is to play.

Life in Borderland can be grim, but after completing two games Arisu feels like he might be getting a handle on how his new world works. Chota’s and Shibuki’s visas are expiring soon, however, so the group doesn’t have time to be picky about their next match. And the arena they stumble upon is a lesson in just how treacherous the rules in Borderland can be.

Diving back into this series and it just doesn’t let up. This particular volume really hit me in the feels. I did not see the events coming at all. The game depicted was absolutely brutal. I was completely slack jawed by the end. I am obsessed with this series.

Title: Alice in Borderland Vol. 3

Author: Haro Aso

Publisher: VIZ Media LLC 2022

Genre: Comics

Pages: 344

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Finishing the Series

Where I Got It: Library

Eighteen-year-old Ryohei Arisu is sick of his life. School sucks, his love life is a joke, and his future weighs on him like impending doom. As he struggles to exist in a world that can’t be bothered with him, Ryohei feels like everything would be better if he were anywhere else. When a strange fireworks show transports him and his friends to a parallel world, Ryohei thinks all his wishes have come true. But this new world isn’t an empty paradise, it’s a vicious game. And the only way to survive is to play.

Aguni now has control of the Beach, and one of his first actions as king is to lock Ryohei in a room on one of the empty floors of the hotel to die of an expired visa. But Ryohei gets an unexpected stay of execution when the Beach becomes the arena for a brutal game of Hearts! Can he survive a witch hunt and get his visa extended, or has he just traded one terrible death for another?

And on to the next volume… with a change of venue and new characters. I wasn’t sold on the beach resort plot line, but it grew on me. The volume got even better when a game began at the beach. I cannot wait to see what happens next and how this particular game concludes.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Savor It by Tarah DeWitt

Title: Savor It

Author: Tarah DeWitt

Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin 2024

Genre: Romance

Pages: 336

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: She Reads Romance - Heroes Who Cook

Where I Got It: Library

Spice Rating: 5

Sage Byrd has lived in the coastal town of Spunes, Oregon (not to be confused with Forks, Washington) her entire life. She's learned to love her small world, with the misfit animals on her hobby farm, and her friendships with the town’s inhabitants. But when her 5-year relationship ends and her ex, town-golden-boy Ian, suddenly gets engaged, Sage needs a win―something that will convince everyone to stop pitying her all the time, and to put Ian in his place. The Festival of Spunes, the town’s annual summer competition, would be the perfect opportunity. She just needs a partner.

Fisher Lange was a hotshot chef in New York City until the loss of his sister left him numb, grieving, and responsible for his teenage niece Indy. When Fisher loses his Michelin star along with his love of cooking, his boss sends him and Indy to Spunes on a much-needed summer sabbatical to consult on a restaurant opening. But when clashes with the townspeople threaten his last chance to redeem himself and a kiss with his new neighbor Sage leads to dating rumors, a strategic alliance might just be the best way to turn things around.

A deal is struck. Sage will improve Fisher’s image in the eyes of the town and remove the roadblocks he is facing with the restaurant, and Fisher will be Sage’s partner for the competition. But as their pact quickly turns into steamy rendezvous, emotional wounds begin to heal, and the pair tries to savor every moment, they start to realize that summer is racing by much faster than they would like...

What a surprise! I went into this book expecting a light-hearted romcom style romance. On one side, this does have a light-hearted romance in it, but it also has a much more serious story of two people finding each other amidst all of their life obstacles and obligations.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Story of Evolution in 25 Discoveries by Donald R. Prothero

Title: The Story of Evolution in 25 Discoveries: The Evidence and the People Who Found It

Author: Donald R. Prothero

Publisher: Columbia University 2020

Genre: Nonfiction - Science

Pages: 376

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf Project

Where I Got It: The Nook, Cedar Falls IA

The theory of evolution unites the past, present, and future of living things. It puts humanity’s place in the universe into necessary perspective. Despite a history of controversy, the evidence for evolution continues to accumulate as a result of many separate strands of amazing scientific sleuthing.

In The Story of Evolution in 25 Discoveries, Donald R. Prothero explores the most fascinating breakthroughs in piecing together the evidence for evolution. In twenty-five vignettes, he recounts the dramatic stories of the people who made crucial discoveries, placing each moment in the context of what it represented for the progress of science. He tackles topics like what it means to see evolution in action and what the many transitional fossils show us about evolution, following figures from Darwin to lesser-known researchers as they unlock the mysteries of the fossil record, the earth, and the universe. The book also features the stories of animal species strange and familiar, including humans―and our ties to some of our closest relatives and more distant cousins. Prothero’s wide-ranging tales showcase awe-inspiring and bizarre aspects of nature and the powerful insights they give us into the way that life works.

I grabbed this last summer from the used bin at a bookstore (The Nook) in Cedar Falls, Iowa. I was hoping for a fun adventure through what we know about evolution. And that’s exactly what we got! I love how every chapter is its own mini book. You can do a deep dive into a variety of topics within evolution in this one volume. I was especially fascinated by chapter tracing animal lineage. We get to see exactly how our understanding of topics have changed over the decades. I loved it so much that I had to pass it on to a friend. And I will be adding it to Arthur’s required reading in high school. In the end, I will be putting Prothero’s other texts onto my TBR pile.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Loneliest Place by Lora Senf

Title: The Clackity (Blight Harbor #3)

Author: Lora Senf

Publisher: Atheneum 2024

Genre: MG Horror

Pages: 368

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

Where I Got It: Library

As summer comes to an end, Evie Von Rathe is determined to begin the search for her parents in earnest. Armed with her knowledge of the otherworldly, her mom’s violet glasses, and a pendant full of doors, Evie begins to piece together clues. When she realizes her mother’s bedtime story might be a roadmap to finding them, Evie follows it back to the Dark Sun Side.

But stories are funny things, and they change from one teller to the next.

The black nothing of the Radix is waiting, and it knows more than it’s ever let on. Evie will need every bit of courage she has for what’s coming. With Bird at her side, and maybe even a reluctant Lark as well, Evie has what she hopes is her last adventure under a purple sky.

A beautiful end to this trilogy. We get another great quest, along with appearances by all our favorite previous characters. I especially loved the scenes with the Story Thief, such an interesting character. Evie is on a mission to defeat The Clackity and rescue her parents. Will she make it? I bet you can guess the ending, but thankfully it’s the journey that’s the interesting part. Weaving the quest around the storybook added a fun element to the book. I really loved this entire trilogy. Apparently I dig middle grade horror.

Blight Harbor

• #1 The Clackity

• #2 The Nighthouse Keeper

• #3 The Loneliest Place

Next up on the TBR pile:

We Kept Her in the Cellar by W.R. Gorman

Title: We Kept Her in the Cellar

Author: W.R. Gorman

Publisher: Crooked Lane Books 2024

Genre: Horror

Pages: 304

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fairy Tale Retellings

Where I Got It: Library

Eunice lives her life by three simple rules: One, always refer to Cinderella as family. Two, never let Cinderella gain access to rats or mice. Three, never look upon Cinderella between the hours of twelve and three a.m. 

Cinderella has dark and terrifying powers. As her stepsister, Eunice is expected to care for her and keep the family’s secret. For years, Eunice has faithfully done so. Her childhood flew by in a blur of nightmares, tears, and near-misses with the monster living in the cellar. But when she befriends the handsome Prince Credence and secures an invitation to the ball, Eunice is determined to break free. 

When her younger sister, Hortense, steps up to care for Cinderella, Eunice grabs her chance to dance the night away—until Cinderella escapes. With her eldritch powers, Cinderella attends the ball and sweeps Prince Credence off his feet, leaving behind a trail of carnage and destruction as well as a single green glass slipper.   

With Cinderella unleashed, Eunice must determine how much of herself she is willing to sacrifice in order to stop Cinderella. Unsettling and macabre at every turn, this page-turning horror will bewitch horror fans and leave its readers anxiously checking the locks on their cellar doors.

Oh yes! This was exactly the kind of horror I was hoping to read this season. We get a fairy tale turned on its Lovecraftian head. Everything starts normal, but then as soon as Cinderella arrives. we now that things are just a little off. Very quickly things go from bad to worst. I absolutely reveled in Cinderella’s creepy nature and the ways in which she tried to mess with Eunice. And then the second half of the book really kicked into high gear. I was dreading where the story was going, but in for the ride. This boo is not for those that get squeamish easily. There are some horrifying scenes throughout. I was in it until the very last page.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer

Title: Assistant to the Villain (Assistant and the Villain #1)

Author: Hannah Nicole Maehrer

Publisher: Entangled 2023

Genre: Romance

Pages: 342

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf; Spooky Season

Where I Got It: Under the Cover, KC June 2024

ASSISTANT WANTED: Notorious, high-ranking villain seeks loyal, levelheaded assistant for unspecified office duties, supporting staff for random mayhem and terror, and other Dark Things In General. Discretion a must. Excellent benefits.

With ailing family to support, Evie Sage's employment status isn't just important, it's vital. So when a mishap with Rennedawn’s most infamous Villain results in a job offer—naturally, she says yes. No job is perfect, of course, but even less so when you develop a teeny crush on your terrifying, temperamental, and undeniably hot boss. Don’t find evil so attractive, Evie.

But just when she’s getting used to severed heads suspended from the ceiling and the odd squish of an errant eyeball beneath her heel, Evie suspects this dungeon has a huge rat…and not just the literal kind. Because something rotten is growing in the kingdom of Rennedawn, and someone wants to take the Villain—and his entire nefarious empire—out.

Now Evie must not only resist drooling over her boss but also figure out exactly who is sabotaging his work…and ensure he makes them pay.

After all, a good job is hard to find.

I got very excited when a book club member chose this slightly spooky romance that I bought while at the retreat in June. Unfortunately, I am not able to make the meeting. Such a shame, as I absolutely loved this very slow burn romance full of action and adventure. Evie stumbles into a new job working for the evil villain of the forest. Of course, we meet the Villain and realize that there’s more going on than meets the eye. As Evie settles into her job as an assistant, the Villain starts to realize just how important she is to his entire world. I loved the increasing sexual tension in the itneractions between our main characters. Beyond that, I really loved the overall mystery of who the mole is. I’m really finding a mix of romance and mystery to be my jam right now. My only issue with this book is the ending. We are faced with a pretty big cliffhanger! Ugh! I put the next one on hold from the library. I cannot wait to see what happens between Evie and Trystan.

Assistant to the Villain

• #1 Assistant to the Villain

• #2 Apprentice to the Villain

Next up on the TBR pile:

A Witch's Guide to Fake Dating a Demon by Sarah Hawley

Title: A Witch’s Guide to Fake Dating a Demon (Glimmer Falls #1)

Author: Sarah Hawley

Publisher: Berkley 2023

Genre: Romance

Pages: 367

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Spooky Season

Where I Got It: Library

Spice Rating: 5

Mariel Spark is prophesied to be the most powerful witch seen in centuries of the famed Spark family, but to the displeasure of her mother, she prefers baking to brewing potions and gardening to casting hexes. When a spell to summon flour goes very wrong, Mariel finds herself staring down a demon—one she inadvertently summoned for a soul bargain.

Ozroth the Ruthless is a legend among demons. Powerful and merciless, he drives hard bargains to collect mortal souls. But his reputation has suffered ever since a bargain went awry—if he can strike a bargain with Mariel, he will earn back his deadly reputation. Ozroth can't leave Mariel's side until they complete a bargain, which she refuses to do (turns out some humans are attached to their souls).
 
But the witch is funny. And curvy. And disgustingly yet endearingly cheerful. Becoming awkward roommates quickly escalates when Mariel, terrified to confess the inadvertent summoning to her mother, blurts out that she's dating Ozroth. As Ozroth and Mariel struggle with their opposing goals and maintaining a fake relationship, real attraction blooms between them. But Ozroth has a limited amount of time to strike the deal, and if Mariel gives up her soul, she'll lose all her emotions—including love—which will only spell disaster for them both.

Oh another delightful spooky-lite romance featuring a very hot MMC. I do love a bit of a sunshine and grump trope mixed with forced proximity. This fun romp has both of those things. I really enjoyed the wild ride that Mariel is forced to take with Oz as they navigate her accidental summoning of a bargainer demon. We get lots of sexual tension and some fun encounters. I loved seeing these two characters eventually reach an understanding of their own relationship. Plus we get some fun mystery involving the magic in the town. I really really enjoyed this one and cannot wait to read the next one.

Gimmer Falls

• #1 A Witch’s Guide to Fake Dating a Demon

• #2 A Demon’s Guide to Wooing a Witch

• #3 A Werewolf’s Guide to Seducing a Vampire

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Clackity by Lora Senf

Title: The Clackity (Blight Harbor #1)

Author: Lora Senf

Publisher: Atheneum 2022

Genre: MG Horror

Pages: 288

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Spooky Season

Where I Got It: Library

Evie Von Rathe lives in Blight Harbor—the seventh-most haunted town in America—with her Aunt Desdemona, the local paranormal expert. Des doesn’t have many rules except one: Stay out of the abandoned slaughterhouse at the edge of town. But when her aunt disappears into the building, Evie goes searching for her.

There she meets The Clackity, a creature who lives in the shadows and seams of the slaughterhouse. The Clackity makes a deal with Evie to help get Des back in exchange for the ghost of John Jeffrey Pope, a serial killer who stalked Blight Harbor a hundred years earlier. Evie reluctantly embarks on a journey into a strange otherworld filled with hungry witches, penny-eyed ghosts, and a memory-thief, all while being pursued by a dead man whose only goal is to add Evie to his collection of lost souls. Will she ever find Des, or is The Clackity planning something far more sinister?

I have no idea where I heard about this series, but I’ve found that I really enjoy Middle Grade horror. So I dove into this series and fell in love with it. We get a fascinating setting filled with fascinating characters. I would have been perfectly content to stay in Blight Harbor. But even better, we get to travel to a fantasy world and a journey through a proper horrifying fairy tale. I loved seeing how each house presented Evie with a new challenge and horrifying aspect. I sped through this one hoping to see Evie succeed in her quest. I definitely need to read the next book in the series and read the further adventures of Evie.

Blight Harbor

• #1 The Clackity

• #2 The Nighthouse Keeper

• #3 The Loneliest Place

Next up on the TBR pile:

Year Zero Vol. 2

Title: Year Zero Vol. 2

Author: Benjamin Percy, Kaare Andrews, Juan Jose Ryp, Frank Martin

Publisher: Artists, Writers, and Artisans 2020

Genre: Graphic Novel Horror

Pages: 144

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Spooky Reading Season

Where I Got It: Library

Upshot's hit series Year Zero returns with four new harrowing tales of survival from around a post apocalyptic world, set several months after the events on Volume One: A grizzled Norwegian sea captain and her two young grandchildren navigate an ocean teeming with undead while eluding the relentless pirates on their trail. A Colombian cartel boss indulges all of his most sadistic whims unaware that a threat far greater than zombies is headed toward his jungle fortress. A Rwandan doctor must overcome the crippling fear that has plagued him all his life as he stumbles through the African bush. And a pregnant woman barricaded in an American big box store discovers that the greatest threat to her life – and her unborn child's – might not be undead. Benjamin Percy (Wolverine, X-Force) once again pens this global look at the zombie apocalypse, now joined by artist Juan Jose Ryp (Britannia) and colorist Frank Martin (Infinity Wars).

Another great collection of stories. I really enjoyed the Norwegian sea captain story. We get to see children added into the mix and a fun setting. I also really enjoyed the art style of that story. It was bleak and yet fun of emotion and action. Another great collection of stories from the zombie apocalypse.

Next up on the TBR pile: