The Ghostkeeper

The Ghostkeeper
By Johanna Taylor
G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2024. 272 pages. Young Adult Comic.

Dorian Leith can see ghosts. Not only that, he listens to their problems and tries to help them move on to the afterlife. It's a gift that's made him an outcast to everyone in town. That is except for his dearly departed grandmother, who he's partnered with to turn this paranormal ability into an honest living, and the local bookshop owner, who seems to be the only non-deceased person willing to give him a chance. But it's all worth it to Dorian, who feels like he's been given a bigger purpose. A chance to save those who cannot save themselves. Then one day, the key to Death's Door is stolen, trapping all the ghosts in the land of the living. Since he's only one who can see them, the spirits rely on Dorian to retrieve the key before it is too late. If they can't move on, they'll soon be consumed by a ghostly rot that has begun to plague them. As it continues to fester and spread, and the ghosts become desperate for relief, Dorian must do whatever it takes to find a way to bring peace to the restless dead—even if that peace comes at the cost of his own...

I'm not normally one for stories about the supernatural, but I found Ghostkeeper very engaging!  The idea of a ghost therapist was intriguing and the world-building behind why ghosts would need a therapist was done very well.  With full color illustration, and a blue and pale green color palate for the ghosts with warmer browns and greens reserved for the living world, this book is a very lovely read.  Themes of found family, setting boundaries, and letting go are creatively explored.
 
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Confetti Realms
By Nadia Shammas
Mad Cave Studios, Inc., 2023. 196 pages. Young Adult Comic.
 
On Halloween night, when the moon is full, teenagers get up to mischief. But when an encounter with a giant, sentient puppet in a graveyard sends five teens to a mysterious dimension called the Confetti Realms, they must overcome obstacles in their own friendships-and collect the debted teeth owed to the puppet-in order to make their way home. But the allure of staying in a fantasy world is a hard one to beat, and going home to their normal lives is starting to sound less and less appealing for some. Will these friends return home?

The Glass Scientists
By S. H. Cotugno
Razorbill, 2023. 240 pages. Young Adult Comic.
 
Dr. Henry Jekyll believes mad scientists would do well to fix their public image, so he starts the Society for Arcane Sciences, but when a mysterious stranger aims to take the Society in a radical new direction, Jekyll's life starts to spiral out of control, threatening to expose his darkest secret.

ERB

The Weight of Blood

The Weight of Blood
By Tiffany D. Jackson
Katherine Tegen Books, 2022. 406 pages. Young Adult Fiction

When Springville residents -- at least, the ones still alive -- are questioned about what happened on prom night, they all have the same explanation...Maddy did it. An outcast at her small-town Georgia high school, Madison Washington has always been a teasing target for bullies. She's dealt with it because she has more pressing problems to manage. Until the morning a surprise rainstorm reveals her most closely kept secret: Maddy is biracial. She has been passing for white her entire life at the behest of her fanatical white father. After a viral bullying video pulls back the curtain on Springville High's racist roots, student leaders come up with a plan to change their image: host the school's first integrated prom as a show of unity. The popular white class president convinces her Black superstar quarterback boyfriend to ask Maddy to be his date, leaving Maddy wondering if it's possible to have a normal life. But some of her classmates aren't done with her just yet. And what they don't now is that Maddy still has another secret...one that will cost them all their lives.

Wow. This book kept me turning pages far past my bedtime. Tiffany D. Jackson is able to ramp up horror, with a nod to Stephen King's Carrie, and also tackle America's history and legacy of racism at the same time. The anti-Blackness in the small, Georgia town is almost one of the characters in the book itself; the weight of it is palpable on each page. The reader aches for Maddy from the very start of the story, as the severity of the bullying and racism unfolds. This book could stand alone as a horror novel, but taken together with its deep dive into the genuine horror of internalized and externalized anti-Blackness, it is absolutely un-put-down-able. 

If you like The Weight of Blood, you might also like:

Burn Down, Rise Up
By Vincent Tirado
Sourcebooks Fire, 2022. 338 pages. Young Adult Fiction

When an urban legend rumored to trap people inside the subway tunnels seems to be behind mysterious disappearances in the Bronx, sixteen-year-old Raquel and her friends team up to save their city--and confront a dark episode in its history in the process.

The Taking of Jake Livingston
By Ryan Douglass
G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2021. 244 pages. Young Adult Fiction

Jake Livingston is one of the few Black kids at St. Clair Prep, one of the others being his infinitely more popular older brother. To make matters worse and definitely more complicated, Jake can see the dead. In fact, he see the dead around him all the time. Most are harmless: stuck in their death loops as they relive their deaths over and over again, they don't often interact with people. But Sawyer was a troubled teen who shot and killed six kids at a local high school last year before taking his own life. Now a powerful, vengeful ghost, he has plans for his afterlife--plans that include Jake.

You're Not Supposed to Die Tonight
By Kalynn Bayron
Bloomsbury, 2023. 230 pages. Young Adult Fiction

Charity Curtis has the summer job of her dreams, playing the "final girl" at Camp Mirror Lake. Guests pay to be scared in this full-contact terror game, as Charity and her summer crew recreate scenes from a classic slasher film, Curse of Camp Mirror Lake. The more realistic the fear, the better for business. But the last weekend of the season, Charity's co-workers begin disappearing. And when one ends up dead, Charity's role as the final girl suddenly becomes all too real. If Charity and her girlfriend Bezi hope to survive the night, they'll need to figure out what this killer is after. Is there more to the story of Mirror Lake and its danger past than Charity ever suspected?

LKA

Club de brujas: Una Guia de Inicio al Tarot y la Astrologia

Club de Brujas: Una Guia de Inicio al Tarot y la Astrologia
Por Mel Knarik y Ayelen Romano
Lectorum Pubns, 2022. 205 páginas. No Ficción

Este libro no es uno más. Es uno de magia. En él te iniciarás en la astrología y el Tarot. Conocerás sus orígenes y los primeros pasos para empezar a usarlos.

¡BIENVENIDO A CLUB DE BRUJAS!

¿Cómo leer tu Carta Natal? ¿De dónde viene la astrología? ¿Sirven los horóscopos? ¿Cómo tiro las cartas? ¿Qué es ser una bruja en la actualidad?

Las talentosas creadoras de podcast Club de brujas, Mel Knarik y Ayelén Romano, presentan esta guía práctica para iniciarte en el Tarot y la astrología, repleta de historia, tips, cultura pop y mucho girl power.

Si le gusta «Club de Brujas: Una Guia de Inicio al Tarot y la Astrologia» le recomendamos:

Bruja: despertar el poder ancestral de las mujeres
Por Lister, Lisa
Editorial Sirio, 2018. 370 páginas. No Ficción

Una bruja es una mujer sabia, una sanadora. Sin embargo, durante demasiado tiempo, esta palabra ha tenido connotaciones negativas. En este libro, Lisa Lister, tercera generación de una estirpe de brujas, revela la historia oculta tras este movimiento, por qué tantas fueron quemadas y, sobre todo, por qué la bruja está despertando hoy en las mujeres de todo el mundo. Todas las mujeres son brujas, y cuando se conectan con sus orígenes, confían en su intuición y usan su magia, pueden crear medicina para sanarse a sí mismas y al mundo.

Este libro es un relato con voz femenina, que acerca la sabiduría antigua al mundo moderno, un repaso por las diferentes escuelas de brujería y sus prácticas. Descubrirás entre, las diferentes propuestas de la autora, la rueda del año, los sabbats y los ciclos de la luna; herramientas para mejorar tu intuición, incluidas las cartas y la radiestesia ... Porque no lo olvides: somos las nietas de las brujas que no pudieron quemar.

American Brujeria : modern Mexican-American folk magic
Por J. Allen Cross
Weiser Books, 2021. 212 páginas. Nonfiction

A practical, hands-on guide to Mexican-American folk magic.

American Brujeria is about the fascinating blend of American and Mexican folk magic currently practiced by those living in the US but whose roots are steeped in Mexican culture. The author, who has named this tradition “American brujeria,” explores this magical system, while also offering practical advice on using it. American brujeria is a living, vital tradition that -- while it shares things in common with other folk magic traditions, such as American Conjure—also features its own unique traditions, as well as familiar ones, such as the veneration of saints, both canonized, such as Guadalupe, and folk saints like Santa Muerte.

American Brujeria includes stories from Mexico (folk saints, the story of Guadalupe), the influence of Catholicism, the art of limpias (spiritual cleansings), spell casting, oil crafting, praying the rosary (in English and Spanish), making an altar to Guadalupe, using novena candle magic, crafting protective charms from saints’ medals, and more.

The Mexican witch lifestyle : brujeria spells, tarot, and crystal magic
Por Valeria Ruelas
Simon Element, 2022. 164 páginas. Nonfiction

Discover the vibrant culture of brujeria and embrace your own inner witch with this essential guide to spellcasting, spirit worship, tarot, crystals, and all the other elements of this increasingly popular lifestyle.

A modern Mexican bruja is a powerful person, one who reads the tarot and performs spellwork and rituals of devotion to their spirit guides and deities. Brujeria, which translates as witchcraft in Spanish, is a unique form of spirituality that blends core elements of Afro-Indigenous beliefs. Having originated in Mexico, brujeria is now practiced in Latinx communities across the world.

MEB

Labels: español, ingles, MEB, No Ficción, Juvenil, Brujería, Paranormal, Jóven Adulto

Creepy Cat Volume 1

Creepy Cat Volume 1 

By Cotton Valent 

Seven Seas Entertainment, 2021. 180 pages. Young Adult Graphic Novel 

Flora moves into a mysterious mansion and finds it inhabited by a strange creature--Creepy Cat! Thus begins her strange and sometimes dangerous life with a feline roommate. This Gothic comedy brings the chuckles...and the chills! With full-color illustrations, this graphic novel originated as a webcomic by Thai artist Cotton Valent. 

This is an absolutely hilarious comic about living with cats and the creepy things they do. There is romance, humor, mystery, all wrapped up in a gothic setting. This is a great read for anyone who loves cats, paranormal adventures, or funny comic books. 

If you like Creepy Cat, you might also like: 

Fangs 

By Sarah Andersen 

Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2020. 100 pages. Graphic Novel 

Elsie the vampire is three hundred years old, but in all that time, she has never met her match. This all changes one night in a bar when she meets Jimmy, a charming werewolf with a wry sense of humor and a fondness for running wild during the full moon. Together they enjoy horror films and scary novels, shady strolls, fine dining (though never with garlic), and a genuine fondness for each other's unusual habits, macabre lifestyles, and monstrous appetites. 

How to Tell If Your Cat is Plotting to Kill You 

Edited by TheOatmeal.com 

Andrew McMeel Publishing, 2012. 130 pages. Graphic Novel 

A hilarious, brilliant offering of cat comics, facts, and instructional guides from the creative wonderland at TheOatmeal.com 

Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs? : Big Questions from Tiny Mortals About Death 

By Caitlin Doughty 

W. W. Norton & Company, 2019. 222 pages. Nonfiction 

Best-selling author and licensed mortician Caitlin Doughty answers real questions from kids about death, dead bodies, and decomposition. Every day, funeral director Caitlin Doughty receives dozens of questions about death. What would happen to an astronaut's body if it were pushed out of a space shuttle? Do people poop when they die? Can Grandma have a Viking funeral? In the tradition of Randall Munroe's What If?, Doughty's new book blends her scientific understanding of the body and the intriguing history behind common misconceptions about corpses to offer factual, hilarious, and candid answers to thirty-five urgent questions posed by her youngest fans. Readers will learn what happens if you die on an airplane, the best soil for mummifying your dog, and whether or not you can preserve your friend's skull as a keepsake. Featuring illustrations from Dianne Ruz, Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs? will delight anyone interested in the fascinating truth about what will happen (to our bodies) after we die. 

The Promised Neverland Volume 1 

By Kaiu Shirai 

Viz Media, 2017. 183 pages. Young Adult Graphic Novel 

Emma, Norman and Ray are the brightest kids at the Grace Field House orphanage. And under the care of the woman they refer to as 'Mom, ' all the kids have enjoyed a comfortable life. Good food, clean clothes and the perfect environment to learn-- what more could an orphan ask for? One day, though, Emma and Norman uncover the dark truth of the outside world they are forbidden from seeing.

TT

Hijos de Sangre y Hueso

Hijos de Sangre y Hueso (Orisha, #1)
Por Tomi Adeyemi
RBA Molino, 2018. 621 páginas. Fantasía

Zélie Adebola recuerda cuando la tierra de Orïsha desprendía magia. Pero todo cambió la noche en que esta desapareció. Por orden del rey, los maji fueron perseguidos y aniquilados. Ahora, Zélie tiene una oportunidad de devolver la magia a su gente, pero para ello deberá ser más rápida y astuta que el príncipe heredero del trono, que está dispuesto a todo con tal de erradicar la magia para siempre. El peligro acecha en Orïsha, donde los leopardarios de nieve campan a sus anchas y los espíritus vengativos esperan escondidos bajo el agua. Sin embargo, el mayor peligro puede ser la propia Zélie en su lucha por controlar sus poderes.

Si le gusta «Hijos de Sangre y Hueso» le recomendamos:

La Ciudad de los Fantasmas
Por Victoria Schwab

Puck, 2018. 253 páginas. Ficción

Los padres de Casidy Blake son 'Los Inspectros', un equipo que se dedica a cazar fantasmas. Pero Cass es la que realmente ve fantasmas. De hecho, Jacob, su mejor amigo, es uno de ellos. Cuando los Inspectros se dirigen a Edimburgo, una ciudad ultraembrujada, para realizar su nuevo programa de TV, Cass y Jacob se unen al grupo. En Escocia, Cass se ve rodeada de fantasmas ... y no todos son amistosos ... Los poderes de Cassidy la llevarán a entablar una lucha épica para salvarse a sí misma, que se llevará a cabo entre los mundos de los vivos y de los muertos.

Bajo Cero
Por David Koepp

HarperCollins Español, 2019. 293 páginas. Ciencia Ficción

Hace treinta y dos años, Roberto Díaz, que forma parte de un equipo élite y secreto del Pentágono, viajó al desierto australiano para investigar un posible ataque bioquímico. Lo que encontró fue mucho peor: un organismo altamente mutante, similar a una planta, capaz de causar epidemias destructivas. Se las arregló para contenerlo, enterrándolo en una cámara de almacenamiento en el fondo de una instalación gubernamental fuertemente armada. Sin embargo, esa instalación del gobierno se cerró y se vendida a una compañía que renta espacios para almacenamiento. Al no tener supervisión, el organismo encuentra su salida y está mutando más rápido que nunca. A Diaz se le pide volver de su retiro para ayudar a dos inusuales guardias de seguridad: uno es un exconvicto, la otra una madre soltera, ambos se esfuerzan por preservas sus vidas. Díaz sabe demasiado bien lo que está en juego; los otros dos están aprendiendo sobre la marcha, enfrentando los efectos de esta catástrofe mientras pasan por ella. El objetivo sigue siendo simple: poner en cuarentena este horror una vez más y salvar a toda la humanidad. Cold Storage es un libro de suspenso, único y placentero, con una acción que se mueve rápidamente, un agudo sentido del humor y una brillante exhibición de historias.

MEB

Etiquetas: Español, Ficción, Ficción Juvenil, Fantasía, Ciencia Ficción

Storm Front

Storm Front: Dresden Files #1

By Jim Butcher 

Roc, 2000. 322 pages. Fantasy 

As far as he knows, Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden is only openly practicing professional wizard in the country. With rent past due and a decent meal becoming an issue of importance, Harry needs to find work soon. A call from a distraught wife, and other from Lt. Murphy of the Chicago Police, makes Harry believe that things are looking up. In fact, they are about to get much worse. Someone has violated the first law of magic: Thou Shalt Not Kill. 

If you like Storm Front, you might also like: 

Thin Air 

By Richard K. Morgan 

Del Rey, 2018. 528 pages. Science Fiction 

On a Mars where ruthless commercial interests violently collide with a homegrown independence movement, as Earth-based overlords battle for profits and power, Hakan Veil is an ex-corporate enforcer equipped with military-grade body tech that's made him a human killing machine. But he's had enough of the turbulent red planet, and all he wants is a ticket back home--which is just what he's offered by the Earth Oversight organization, in exchange for being the bodyguard for an EO investigator. It's a beyond-easy gig for a heavy hitter like Veil . . . until it isn't. When Veil's charge, Madison Madekwe, starts looking into the mysterious disappearance of a lottery winner, she stirs up a hornets' nest of intrigue and murder. And the deeper Veil is drawn into the dangerous game being played, the more long-buried secrets claw their way to the Martian surface. Now it's the expert assassin on the wrong end of a lethal weapon--as Veil stands targeted by powerful enemies hellbent on taking him down, by any means necessary 

Clean Sweep 

By Ilona Andrews 

CreateSpace Independent Publishing, 2013. 227 pages. Science Fiction/Fantasy 

On the outside, Dina Demille is the epitome of normal. She runs a quaint Victorian Bed and Breakfast in a small Texas town, owns a Shi-tzu, and is a perfect neighbor. But Dina is different: her broom is a deadly weapon and her Inn is magic and thinks for itself. Meant to be a lodging for otherworldly visitors, the only permanent guest is a retired Galactic aristocrat who can't leave the grounds because she's responsible for the deaths of millions and someone might shoot her on sight. Under the circumstances, 'normal' is a bit of a stretch for Dina. And now, something with wicked claws and teeth has begun to hunt at night. Feeling responsible for her neighbors, Dina decides to get involved. Before long, she has to juggle dealing with the annoyingly attractive, ex-military, new neighbor, Sean Evans, an alpha-strain werewolf, and the equally arresting cosmic vampire soldier, Arland, while trying to keep her inn and its guests safe. But the enemy she's facing is unlike anything she's ever encountered before. It's smart, vicious, and lethal; and putting herself between this creature and her neighbors might just cost her everything.

TT

Midnight Sun

Midnight Sun 
By Stephanie Meyer
Little, Brown and Company, 2020. 662 pages. Young Adult

When Bella met Edward, her world was set on a path where everything changed in less than a moment. We followed Bella’s thoughts and feelings in Twilight, but what was going on behind Edward’s eyes? The long-awaited Midnight Sun shows their iconic origin story from Edward’s much darker perspective. Edward’s inner struggle is brought to light as he wrestles with what he believes is right and what he discovers he must have.

While mirroring the events of Twilight, Midnight Sun also illuminates the mystery of many behind-the-scene moments and character backstories only mentioned in the series. Delving into the depths of Edward’s mind and discovering how close every encounter came to ruin was definitely worth the all-nighter. Whether read alone or along with the series, this is a fascinating and engaging companion to the classic romance that rewrote a genre.

 

AS

The Lost Causes of Bleak Creek 
By Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal
Crown, 2019. 326 pages.

The small town of Bleak Creek takes pride in it’s city BBQs, its conservative values, and its highly successful reform school for troubled youth. Rex and Leif just want to spend their summer making their home-movie masterpiece, Polterdog, with their friend Alicia. But when a scene in their movie goes horribly wrong, Alicia is sent to the Whitewood School, and the teens soon realize that there is something sinister boiling under the surface of their small town’s sleepy façade.

You know you have a winning book when it gives you the same feelings of nostalgia and horror as the hit show Stranger Things. The characters are endearing, and the plot is well-paced and full of enough easy humor to balance out the supernatural creepiness. If you enjoy tales of the supernatural, spunky adolescent heroes, or if you are fans of the authors’ award-winning web series, this is a must-read!

If you want to read more about the authors, check out their semi-biographical guide to creativity and tomfoolery here.

ALL

Dreadful Places

The World of Lore: Dreadful Places
By Aaron Mahnke
Del Rey, 2018. 329 pages. Nonfiction

Do you ever visit a place and get *that* feeling? In-explainable, unsettling, and dark? This book takes the reader into the creepy underbelly of many well-known cities. It features some of the most popular stories from the Lore Podcast and is sure to send a shiver down your spine. It's terrifyingly interesting to discover how many supernatural occurrences have happened in some of the most familiar places!

As a Stephen King fan, I was particularly fascinated by the story of his stay at The Stanley Hotel; his inspiration for writing The Shining. Mahnke's book reads like fiction even though it is not. The chapters are a perfectly consumable length and divided up by location. Be sure to keep the lights on for this one!

LKA

Skeleton Keys: Workplace Hauntings

Skeleton Keys: Workplace Hauntings
By John Klann
Schiffer Publishing, 2016. 143 pgs. Nonfiction

If you grew up reading Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark books or you saw the recent film adaptation, this book is for you! John Klann has compiled ten true stories of paranormal experiences that focus specifically on workplace hauntings. Each story is less than twenty pages and provides a quick, enjoyable scare. The author writes in his introduction, "If the theme intrigues you, you will find material here worthy of your inspection. If you are one of these key holders yourself, you have found your peers."

I really enjoyed this book! It was an entertaining break from the mundane, easy to read, and left me wondering. I'm a big fan of suspense, but don't always have big chunks of time to invest in reading for pleasure. This compilation was a spooky treat!

LKA

Elevation

Elevation
by Stephen King
Scribner, 2018. 144 pages. Fiction

Scott Carey hasn't been trying to lose weight, but he's been doing so anyway. There are other strange things too: he looks exactly the same no matter how much weight he loses and he weighs the same with his clothes on or off. Scott lives his life alone, in a quiet home, in the picturesque town of Castle Rock, Maine. He doesn't want to make a big deal out of his mysterious weight loss, so he only confides in his doctor and friend Bob Ellis. Scott insists that he not be treated like a science experiment and instead of trying to determine a cause, only has Dr. Ellis monitor his weight loss. During this baffling time in his life, Scott has an encounter with his new neighbors - a married, lesbian couple - that escalates quickly into an ongoing battle. The women are new to town and trying to open up a restaurant in an environment that is less than welcoming. Scott's inexplicable situation becomes unexpected common ground with these women. Through a deeper look at the prejudices the women face - including his own prejudices - Scott is able to find accidental allies in them. Together, they navigate a town that seems to have no place for any of them, and find deeper life lessons than they knew they were looking for.

If you pick up anything with Stephen King's name on it like I do, then you will enjoy this quick read. It left me with a delightfully complete feeling once it was done. It's bizarre, as is most Stephen King, but somehow it's not impossible to believe. I enjoyed experiencing this weird phenomenon through Scott's perspective, which was so very different from what I think my own perspective would be. He accepts what is happening to him and then goes one step further and actually embraces it. The relationship he develops with his neighbors is both inspiring and heartfelt; an example of what it means to focus on love. Be advised that there is some strong language in this book, but if you can get past that, it's absolutely worth the read!

LKA

Warm Bodies

Warm Bodies 
by Isaac Marion
Emily Bestler Books, 2011. 241 pages.

Romeo and Juliet’s love story get a paranormal makeover in this surprisingly poignant and funny zombie romance. Meet R, a brain-eating zombie with no memories, no identity, and no pulse. But he has thoughts. He dreams of a better life. He enjoys collecting things and listening to old records (mostly Frank Sinatra). And he hopes to one day find meaning to his otherwise lifeless existence.

Enter Julie. Julie is a living human being, and the most interesting person R has ever met. When R rescues Julie from a zombie attack, the two form a special friendship. Through this relationship, R becomes more human, leading the couple to believe that maybe there is a cure that can transform their lifeless world.

What really makes this story work is the inner dialogue of the endearingly adorable R. Often funny and witty, sometimes bordering on the existential, this is a perfect heart-warming romance for those that like a little gory side-action. If you enjoyed the 2013 John Malkovich movie of this story, the book will give you all the same happy and lovey feels, just in time for Valentine’s Day!

ALL

The Door to January

The Door to January
By Gillian French
Islandport Press, 2017. 193 pgs. Young Adult Fiction

Ever since she moved away from her hometown of Bernier, Main, Natalie has been having repetitive nightmares, nightmares that center on an old house in Bernier. When she goes back to visit in the summer, she’s trying to both figure out what the nightmares mean, and face the reason she left Bernier in the first place. With the help of her cousin, Teddy, Natalie makes some startling discoveries about the house, the people who lived there, and some of her repressed memories.

With multiple stories being told, in a book this short every word has to count. Right from the start there’s a lot going on, and it can be hard to keep up. Initially things felt a little clunky and disjointed, but as the setting and backstory were introduced it started feeling more cohesive. Finally it became a decent paranormal-thriller that kept me reading past my bedtime. That being said, some of the dialog felt overly contrived, and while I liked the characters, they didn’t necessarily feel real. I could recommend this for those looking for a shorter book, and who care more about an interesting, suspenseful, paranormal story, rather than rock solid writing.

ACS

Sunshine

Sunshine 
By Robin McKinley
Jove, 2003. 405 pgs. Paranormal

Sunshine only wanted some peace and quiet, some time away from her life as the early morning cinnamon roll baker at Charlie’s, her stepfather’s bakery. The lake out in the country where her grandmother used to live seemed like a good choice. Since the VooDoo Wars devastated New Arcadia, there hadn’t been trouble out there in years. But before it would be possible for human ears to hear, Sunshine is abducted. Her drawn out captivity with one vampire Constantine as well as her unprecedented escape means she returns forever changed, forced to accept her experience and her new self.

Most read Sunshine because they are either Robin McKinley fans or fans of urban fantasy; for some, it’s both. For me, I’ve been an indifferent reader of McKinley for years. Her trademark character-driven fantasy novels full of internal monologue and description have never won me over. And it’s not like there is anything different about Sunshine. She is perhaps more tangential than many of her protagonists. I was joking with a co-worker that you know it’s a McKinley by glancing at just one page of any of her novels. Almost always you will see one or two long paragraphs. My eyes hurt just thinking about it. But that is her style. Go to McKinley’s blog and you will find in her long posts and use of asterisks, parentheses, and post scripts a reflection of her characters.

So what made the reading experience of this McKinley different for me? I finally connected big-time with the characters. Sunshine, in all her stubborn, loquacious glory and Con in his stoic, silent, complete vampire otherness felt real. Similarly, New Arcadia felt like a strange place which exists in another part of the world. Together, Sunshine and Con are something special. While the plot was still slow and meandering for my taste at times and there was some brief sexuality that felt out of place, I loved Sunshine immediately, just as I savored any interaction between her and Con. There were also unforgettable lines and an ending that exceeded my expectations. I agree with Neil Gaiman: Sunshine is “pretty much perfect.”

I read parts of Sunshine via audio book and it is an excellent way to listen to Sunshine’s internal musings.

HSG

Magic Bites

Magic Bites 
by Ilona Andrews
Ace Books, 2007. 260 pages. Fantasy

Kate Daniels is a mercenary whose main job is to clean up paranormal messes. She finds out at the beginning of the book that some monster has killed her guardian. Kate goes to the Knights Order to persuade them to let her work her uncle’s case. As she investigates the murder she gets caught between The People (Vampires) and the shape shifters (werewolves, werebadgers…) who both blame the other for the deaths of their people. Kate is way over her head and doesn’t mind it that way.

I have fallen in love with this series.I will admit this one is a little slow going at first I really had to push myself through the first 50-60 pages but around 80 pages the story really picked up for me. I have read about one book from this series a day since I finished this first one. There is some language, but overall it is a really compelling paranormal fantasty with plenty of action to keep you entertained.

MHhttps://provo.ent.sirsi.net/client/en_US/pl/search/detailnonmodal/ent:$002f$002fSD_ILS$002f0$002fSD_ILS:262462/email?qu=magic+bites&d=ent%3A%2F%2FSD_ILS%2F0%2FSD_ILS%3A262462~ILS~0

Moon Called

Moon Called
By Patricia Briggs
Ace Books, 2006. 288 pages, Fantasy

Mercy Thompson is not your normal Volkswagen mechanic living in the tristate area. Her next door neighbor is a werewolf, one of her clients for car repairs is a vampire, and her boss is a metal smith, not to mention she is a shapeshifter who can at will turn into a coyote. When Mercy’s neighbor Adam is attacked and his daughter kidnapped, Mercy is under the gun to try to help the werewolves save Jessie.

This is one of my favorite books, it is a paranormal romance that is fast paced and really tastefully written. I love the dynamic between Mercy and the other characters in the story. Some of my favorite characters beside Mercy and Adam are Zee who is a grumpy old gremlin, and Stephan a vampire who smells like popcorn and loves to talk Scooby Doo. Patricia Briggs is one of my favorite authors.

MH

Beauty and the Clockwork Beast

Beauty and the Clockwork Beast
By Nancy Campbell Allen
Shadow Mountain, 2016. 335 pgs. Romance

In this steampunk retelling of Beauty and the Beast, Lucy visits Blackwell manor to help take care of her sick cousin. She soon discovers that things are not as they seem as a restless ghost roams the halls and Lord Miles is obviously hiding something.

This is another book published my Shadow Mountain as part of their Proper Romance series but it is very different from all the rest. It still takes place in Regency England and I knew it would have a steampunk twist, but I wasn't fully prepared to have ghosts, vampires, and werewolves too. There was also a murder to be solved and a mysterious illness. There was a lot going on in this novel and for me, it was almost too much. The romance was very subtle and almost got buried under everything else. I still really enjoy this new line of books and will continue to read them but I'm am glad this one is not part of a series.

AL

Over Your Dead Body

Over Your Dead Body (John Cleaver, #5)
by Dan Wells
Tor, 2016. 303. Horror

John and Brooke are on the run. From who? The law, the Withered... pretty much everyone. Their running isn't aimless, though; they're following the clues lodged in Nobody's memories about the demons that still remain after the massacre at the end of The Devil’s Only Friend. Freed from the framework of the FBI, the two are finally able to do things John's way, stalking and killing Withered using every trick in the sociopathic toolbox. Unfortunately, Brooke is as fragile as ever, flipping between personalities at the drop of a hat and alternately resisting and falling prey to her own suicidal tendencies. As he tries to keep his last remaining friend alive, John must confront the fact that a killer’s life on the road might not be what Brooke needs.

This book is the fifth installment in the series that started with I Am Not a Serial Killer, and this volume is engaging as all the ones that came before it. I have to admit that this is the weakest installment yet, though, as Well’s characterization suffers a bit from over-use. John has already completed his character arc, and seems to have stagnated, mostly just rehashing emotional moments from his past instead of having new ones. The plot twist in this volume also seemed a lot less inventive than the ones in the previous books. That being said, I still love this series, and fans of the other John Wayne Cleaver books will gobble up #5 without question.

LK

This Savage Song

This Savage Song 
By Victoria Schwab
Greenwillow Books, 2016. 464 pgs. Young Adult.

In a divided city at war with monsters, Kate Harker wants to be like her cutthroat father, who allows the monsters to live in the city and forces humans to pay for his police force. Like his father, August Flynn wants to protect the innocent in a more forgiving way, except for one problem - he is one of the monsters. When Kate meets August at school and eventually discovers his secret, the two are forced to flee the city or die.

After devouring the first two books in Schwab’s A Darker Shade of Magic series for adults, I put This Savage Song on my radar. I didn’t find it as compelling as her parallel magic Londons but it was still an enjoyable read. The plot takes its time to develop and the world-building is not entirely original. However, when Kate and August finally reveal their intentions and team up, it was hard to put down. Overall the book is quite dark and the soul-stealing monsters are frightening at times so I would not recommend this to younger readers.

HSG

The Dark Days Club

The Dark Days Club
by Alison Goodman
Viking, 2016. 482 pages. Young Adult.

It’s London 1812 and Lady Helen Wrexhall should be preparing for her presentation to the queen and her coming out party, but when one of the housemaids mysteriously disappears and some of the clues lead to enigmatic Lord Carlston who has just returned to England after waiting out the rumors that he contributed to the death of his wife, Helen knows she should stay away. Knowing and doing are not the same and Helen soon finds herself plunging deeper and deeper into Lord Carlston's world where she discovers that a cabal of demons have infiltrated London society and that she has inherited special powers from her dead mother that can help fight these demons.

Goodman’s novel deftly blends supernatural elements with a richly described historical Regency setting. If you like these elements, then you should definitely pick up this clever, fast-paced book. I personally prefer more of a blend of fantasy and historical fiction so it wasn’t quite my cup of tea.

AJ