Books I Recently Rated Five Stars

FIVE STAR READS

Here’s a list of books I’ve recently read and rated five stars! Hopefully, there’s something on the list that you will find enjoyable!

DESCRIPTION:

Nat Cassidy’s highly commercial, debut horror novel Mary: An Awakening of Terror, blends Midsommar with elements of American Psycho and a pinch of I'll Be Gone in the Dark.

Mary is a quiet, middle-aged woman doing her best to blend into the background. Unremarkable. Invisible. Unknown even to herself.

But lately, things have been changing inside Mary. Along with the hot flashes and body aches, she can’t look in a mirror without passing out, and the voices in her head have been urging her to do unspeakable things.

Fired from her job in New York, she moves back to her hometown, hoping to reconnect with her past and inner self. Instead, visions of terrifying, mutilated specters overwhelm her with increasing regularity and she begins auto-writing strange thoughts and phrases. Mary discovers that these experiences are echoes of an infamous serial killer.

Then the killings begin again.

Mary’s definitely going to find herself.

DESCRIPTION:

Kate is a hard of hearing homeless woman fighting for her own survival.
All she wants is safety and a place to call home. Instead, she is suddenly able to see visions of the future.
She dreams of disasters and is unable to prevent the events alone.
Will anyone help her? Who gave her the curious ability and who are the tall, sinister men that follow her so closely?
Society does not see her, no one will listen.
Kate is determined to be heard...

DESCRIPTION:

The trees of Alaska’s Arctic wilderness have always been Sarah’s sentries and her house, a fortress, isolated from society and an abusive marriage.
Until it isn’t.
The arrival of a new neighbor and an oil company drilling through primordial, cold earth changes the forest of her valley. It bleeds through the serenity and disrupts her home, her sanity. Plagued with insomnia from the midnight sun, Sarah increasingly suspects something is using her sanctuary to hide from the bright, incessant light. An insidious menace, ancient and beyond explanation, using the wilderness for cover. Her personal demon that cares nothing for Sarah or her mental health. Something that won’t stop until it takes it all

DESCRIPTION:

A short story on the horrors of dating during a zombie apocalypse by bruja and award-winning writer and educator, Maria DeBlassie.

You know how it goes.

You go out, hoping to meet someone.

You wade through your fair share of brainless automatons, lifeless bodies, and ravenous undead, good at passing as human.

The more you go out, the less hope you feel and the colder your body gets.

But you keep at it.

All you need is one beating heart to match your own before yours stops pumping altogether.

How hard can it be to find one living, breathing human in a city full of bodies?

Dating.

It's hungry business.

Advance Praise

"Simple yet detailed, unique, and innovative. A brilliantly written little gem that is equal part creepy with the plague of walking dead and equal parts cozy with the hot chocolate and watching the neighbor's cat."

"Drawing parallels between the pitfalls of dating and dating in the zombie apocalypse, this short story packs a big world into a few pages."

"Just the right size to occupy your time while waiting. I hope you find the humor I found."

The Dead Inside: A Horror Anthology Book Review

THE DEAD INSIDE: A HORROR ANTHOLOGY EDITED BY LAUREL HIGHTOWER AND SANDRA RUTTAN

4.5 stars

COVER ART BY GEMMA AMOR

THE DEAD INSIDE is a dramatic thirty piece collection of short stories and poetry delving into the topic of identity horror. The plots explore what happens when identity is denied, forgotten, repressed, or suppressed whether through society, culture, or family. There’s an inclusive range of characters and a wide array of heartbreaking lessons to be learned. Readers will easily find stories that speak to their own internal and external experiences mirrored by these dynamic characters.

Highwater and Ruttan do a fantastic job of compiling a steady mix between stories and poetry. The collection starts off with a bang, immediately capturing reader’s attention with “From Within” by S.H. Cooper. This body horror short story focuses on an overlooked woman trying to rise the corporate ladder. From there, the collection continues in a steady ebb and flow of themes, characters, and premises that will connect with readers from various cultures and backgrounds.

Each story has a stand out moment, and while many selections will stick with readers long after the final word has been read, there are a few that rise above:

Similar in theme to “From Within,” “Evil Inc. (Or How to Succeed in Business without Really Dying)” by Robert Stahl) delves into the horrors of evil corporations that work their employees to the bone, asking readers, “How far would you go to succeed?” Some stories have a more lyrical tone such as “Subsidence” by Sarah Jackson where the protagonist discovers a crack “not a scar, just a pale slit, like a paper cut” along the collarbone. The poem entitled “Black Like That” by R.J. Joseph is an exquisitely crafted raw look at racism:

“we know your blackity black

but don’t be black like that

dark skin and thick, dark lips

bubble butt rounded with hips…”

“Ending is the Only Beginning” by Ali Seay is a chilling look at motherhood, depression, and substance abuse, while “The Daughter She Wanted” by Jaecyn Boné is less a horror story and more a powerful dramatic piece about family, self-love, and acceptance. Finally, the book ends on a fitting note of death as a young man finds himself on an unusual job interview in “An Evaluation” by Scott J. Moses.

While a few of the stories were a bit slow in pacing, the majority sunk their claws deep within, not letting go of the reader until the final moments. Transphobia, homophobia, racism, suicide, and child death are just some of the sensitive topics that are written about. Check out the content warnings at the back of the book for further information. For those who enjoy Carmen Mario Machado, Thomas Ligotti, or Rachel Yoder, this collection is a perfect fit!

My Top Three Authors of 2018

This was an incredible year for literature, especially indie horror and science fiction. As a member of scifiandscary.com, I got advanced reader copies of several amazing titles, many of which you can read about under my Books You Need to Read page. So for my last blog post of 2018, I wanted to share three amazing authors I discovered this year. I hope you’ll enjoy them as well!

Alan Baxter

Alan is an award winning British-Austrailian author who writes dark fiction, supernatural thrillers, urban horror, crime and noir all mixed into a blender of literary brilliance. He’s written around twenty books so far, including Manifest Recall which was the first book I ever gave a five star review to. There’s tension from start to finish of each of his novels, with high action and twisted characters that will make any eccentric heart beat a little faster. Check him out.

J. Barton Mitchell

I discovered award winning author J. Barton through his book The Razor, an intense science fiction plot with a unique and wild storyworld. He does a bit of everything, from YA to to comic books to selling screenplays to Warner Bros. and 21st Century Fox. I really hope The Razor ends up as a movie because it’s a fierce story. Check him out.

Scott Cole

I mean, who wouldn’t want to read more books by the author of Triple Axe, a story about revenge and porn actresses? Scott manages to depict a rather sensitive subject with a gore, grit and even a bit of humor, making him a wordsmith. I can’t wait to read more of his work! Check him out.