Books #72

I’ve got some good ones for you!! Run, don’t walk, and get these books!

1 – My Darling Girl by Jennifer McMahon

Holy cow! What a read. Alison had a terrible childhood, with the scars to prove it. Her mother was an alcoholic and abusive. But when she gets the call that her mother is dying of stage 4 cancer, she decides to allow her to move in with her and her family for end of life care. Her hope is to fix her relationship and get some closure.

But when her mother moves in for palliative care, something isn’t right. She’s sweet as pie to the family, but when no one is around, Alison sees a different side and creepy things start happening that make her wonder if her mother is who she is. Is she possessed by a demon? Or just inflicting psychological abuse like she did when Alison was a child?

The book is eerie, with a constant sense of foreboding. There is tension that never lets up. It’s well written and the ending gave me chills. I’d love to see it made into a movie!

2 – The Last List of Mabel Beaumont by Laura Pearson

I enjoyed this story. It was a feel-good emotional story about love, friendships, aging, dying, loneliness and second chances. Mabel Beaumont is 86 years old and has lived with her husband for 60-something years. She loves him, but has never been in love with him. When he dies she’s suddenly faced with what to do with the rest of her life. She decides to try and find her best friend, Dot, from before she was married. And in the process she makes new friends and discovers herself. In a way it kind of reminded me of a Man Called Ove. The ending surprised me.

3 – The September House by Carissa Orlando

Margaret and her husband have finally moved into her dream home after a lifetime of rentals and bumpy starts as a child. But then September arrives and they discover the house is haunted. Every September blood drips down the walls and ghostly children disrupts their lives. Some of the ghosts are terrifying, some are helpful.

“Blythe liked to come crawling out of the fireplace, skin melted by flames, charcoal limbs dragging her along the floor, leaving a trail of ash in her wake. She would get right in your face and scream, charred fingers scratching at your cheek—not exactly pleasant.”

There is also something in the basement.

“I didn’t admit to it initially, but sometimes rooms just felt wrong. It wasn’t every room, and it wasn’t constant, but from time to time, I would walk into a room and feel as if I had just interrupted two people in the middle of a fight. The air would seem angry, and there would be a distinct sense that I shouldn’t be there.”

I LOVED this book. It was brilliant. There were so many layers to it. There was a Stepford Wife aspect, there was a nod to The Yellow Wallpaper, the horror story was good, the subtle humor was brilliant. I read half of it in one sitting and could not put it down. It was the kind of book I didn’t want to end. I loved how the author slowly revealed the story like peeling back layers of an onion and you thought “OH yes, that!” I cannot wait to read more of her stuff.

4 – Such Sharp Teeth by Rachel Harrison

This was such a fun read! I loved “Cackle” by this author so gave this one a try. It’s fun, hilarious, the romance aspect wasn’t cheesy and it was well written. The story is quick paced and the writing is sharp. I would say this is not quite “horror” because there wasn’t really anything scary about it. But it’s a fun twist on the “classic” horror genre.

5 – The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon

“Every laboring woman suspects that she is, in fact, moments away from death.”

This was a really good and interesting book. I didn’t know what to expect, and honestly I kept waiting for the main character to be accused of witchcraft! The story takes place in 1789 in New England. There are references to Paul Revere and other historical things of that time. The story focuses on midwife Martha, her job and the rape of a woman in the community. It’s a story about the injustices of women during this time, for example women having to pay a fine if they are found to have “fornicated” outside of marriage but the men don’t…..

The story was pretty good but what shone throughout was the main characters and female strength.

Happy reading!~