Recent Updates and Currently Reading | May 26

Happy Sunday! Where did this month go?! We have officially closed out the end of the school year. This week was filled with awards days (don't get me started on those) and end of the year parties and early dismissals.

I'm so happy to have a long weekend this weekend. Do you have any plans? I have a weird sinus infection happening so I'm happy to stay in and just chill for a while.

Posted Last Week(s)

I posted my ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review of The House Next Door by Anne Rivers Siddons. Have you ever read anything by her? I'm super curious about her other novels. I don't think any of her other books are horror, but she did some brilliant things in The House Next Door.

Finished Reading

The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon - The week 3 discussion is live today over on the LOHF website. After we finished discussing week 3, we all immediately went into reading the last section because we all needed answers! I'll probably wait until the following week (once the readalong has ended) to get a review up.

Dinosaurios al atardecer (La casa del arbol #1) by Mary Pope Osborne, Marcela Brovelli (Translator)
Dinosaurs Before Dark (Magic Tree House #1) by Mary Pope Osborne - I was excited to find some Spanish editions of Magic Tree House on Overdrive. I know these stories pretty well from reading them to my kids, and they are highly readable in Spanish. If you are looking to practice your reading skills, I enjoyed making my way through this one last week. I found the translation really interesting.

Currently Reading

Wolves of the Calla (The Dark Tower #5) by Stephen King - I'm attempting Wolves of the Calla again. It's in the TBR jar this year, and I'm determined to move forward in my journey to the Dark Tower.

Recent Acquisitions

Diabhal by Kathleen Kaufman - Many thanks to Kathleen Kaufman for sending the Ladies of Horror Fiction an ARC of Diabhal. I'm also planning to read her previous release Hag this year because they both sound amazing!

Selected Poems of Edith Wharton by Edith Wharton, edited by Irene Goldman-Price - I couldn't help but request this book of poetry from Netgalley. Many thanks to Scribner for granting me access.

The Last Astronaut by David Wellington - I also recently requested The Last Astronaut on Netgalley. Thank you to Orbit books. The Last Astronaut is going to be the perfect change of pace for me.

So what about you? Let me know what you're reading this week or leave me some links!

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This post is being shared as part of Book Date's It's Monday! What Are You Reading? and Caffeinated Book Reviewer's The Sunday Post.

Book Review | The House Next Door by Anne Rivers Siddons

The House Next Door is a horror novel by Anne Rivers Siddons.

Their lives would never be the same.

Colquitt and Walter Kennedy enjoyed a life of lazy weekends, gathering with the neighbors on their quiet, manicured street and sipping drinks on their patios. But when construction of a beautiful new home begins in the empty lot next door, their easy friendship and relaxed get-togethers are marred by strange accidents and inexplicable happenings.

Though Colquitt's rational mind balks at the idea of a "haunted" house, she cannot ignore the tragedies associated with it. It is as if the house preys on its inhabitants' weaknesses and slowly destroys the goodness in them -- ultimately driving them to disgrace, madness and even death.

I’ve had The House Next Door on my shelf seemingly forever, and each year I put off reading it. I’m so glad I finally took the time to give it a read. I loved it!

The House Next Door was not what I was expecting. Set in suburbia, it was a different take on the haunted house story.

I love what Anne Rivers Siddons did with the characters and the situations in The House Next Door. The lulls and the escalation of events in the house next door seemed so perfectly placed. She is a brilliant writer.

If you’ve been putting off reading this as well (or this is the first you are hearing about it), it’s definitely one worth checking out.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Recent Updates and Currently Reading | May 12

Happy Mother's Day 🌸 The last few weeks have been so busy! Some of it good, some of it not so good. I have so much to catch up on today and this week because my blogging and involvement in the community just haven't been happening lately. My kids have two weeks left of school, and then we can say bye to the huge amounts of homework and projects for a few months!

I've decided to close for review requests through the summer, too. I'm considering a much more extended closure again. I love being able to review all of the amazing new books being released, but I have so many personal reads I just want to lose myself in. It's such a hard balance. You all know what I mean!

An exciting thing happened last week! Rue Morgue magazine did a small write up of Ladies of Horror Fiction. It was such a cool surprise and a huge honor!

StokerCon was this weekend so the Bram Stoker Awards were announced last night. The horror ladies killed it this year. I will be sure to get a post up featuring all of the nominees and winners.

Posted Last Week(s)

Book Review | The Dark Game by Jonathan Janz ⭐⭐⭐⭐★

Book Review | Wolfhunter River by Rachel Caine ⭐⭐⭐⭐★

Finished Reading

2,000 to 10,000 by Rachel Aaron ⭐⭐⭐⭐★ - This was fascinating! If you enjoy reading about writing, I recommend it.

The Invited by Jennifer McMahon [dnf @ 90 pages] - Sorry guys. I know several of you wanted to hear more about this one, but it wasn't for me.

Thrill Me: Essays on Fiction by Benjamin Percy ⭐⭐⭐⭐★ - This was another great writing book I really enjoyed.

Shift (Silo #2) by Hugh Howey ⭐⭐⭐⭐★ - I loved Wool years ago, and I had trouble getting into Shift the first time I tried to read it. Thank you to Tracy for buddy reading this with me! Once I got into it, I loved it. I can't wait to read Dust. This was also a pick from my 2019 TBR jar.

Wolfhunter River (Stillhouse Lake #3) by Rachel Caine ⭐⭐⭐⭐★ - You can read my review here.

The House Next Door by Anne Rivers Siddons ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - I loved this! I'm so glad I finally read it. This was another pick from my 2019 TBR jar

Look at all of those stars!

Lucy has a question for you! Is anyone interested in hearing more details about the writing books I enjoy?

Currently Reading

Middlegame by Seanan McGuire - I am loving this so much!

The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon - So far this one is really creepy!

Recent Acquisitions

Five Midnights by Ann Dávila Cardinal - Many thanks to Tor Teen for sending me a copy of Five Midnights. I cannot wait to read this!!

Maria The Wanted and the Legacy of The Keepers (The Keepers Series #1) by V. Castro - This is on sale today for $0.99 so it's a great time to scoop it up!

Skyward (Skyward #1) by Brandon Sanderson - I couldn't resist grabbing the audio for this during the Audible deal. I have the print copy, but... I really couldn't resist.

Thank you guys so much for putting up with me being such a terrible blogger when life gets crazy. ❤️

So what about you? Let me know what you're reading this week or leave me some links!

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This post is being shared as part of Book Date's It's Monday! What Are You Reading? and Caffeinated Book Reviewer's The Sunday Post.

Book Review | Wolfhunter River by Rachel Caine

Wolfhunter River is the third book in the Stillhouse Lake series by Rachel Caine.

She can’t ignore a cry for help. But in this remote hunting town, it’s open season.

Gwen Proctor escaped her serial-killer husband and saved her family. What she can’t seem to outrun is his notoriety. Or the sick internet vigilantes still seeking to avenge his crimes. For Gwen, hiding isn’t an option. Not when her only mission is to create a normal life for her kids.

But now, a threatened woman has reached out. Marlene Crockett, from the remote town of Wolfhunter, is panicked for herself and her daughter. When Gwen arrives in the small, isolated rural community, Marlene is already dead—her own daughter blamed for the murder. Except that’s not the person Marlene feared at all. And Gwen isn’t leaving until she finds out who that was.

But it may already be too late. A trap has been set. And it’s poised to snap shut on everyone Gwen loves. Her stalkers are closing in. And in a town as dark as Wolfhunter, it’s so easy for them to hide…

Have I mentioned lately that I'm obsessed with this series?

Book one (Stillhouse Lake {review}) introduced us to Gwen Proctor and her kids who were trying to escape public scrutiny (and voilent threats) after Gwen's husband was discovered to be a serial killer. (< Not a spoiler.) Book two was a bit of a departure in some ways but also a fun installment. I feel like Wolfhunter River brought us full circle back to book one which made me extra happy.

Rachel Caine knows how to keep me turning the pages. I love the characters, and I need to know what is going to happen to them next throughout the entire book.

I kind of assumed the Stillhouse Lake series was going to be a trilogy. After book one I wondered how Rachel Caine was going to manage to pull a trilogy out of this particular story/family. Let me just say that Rachel Caine is brilliant because now I see how this series has the potential to go forever. I hope someday I'll be happily sharing my review of Stillhouse Lake #14 because I'm here for it!

⭐⭐⭐⭐★

Review copy provided by publisher