The Many By: Nathan Field Mini Review

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a free ebook copy of The Many By: Nathan Field in exchange for an honest review. 

Short Review Summary: 

Excellent psychological thriller with a touch of horror. 

The Many started off strong and I was immediately drawn into the story. I have to say that this thriller is not quite what I expected, but in a good way! There are a few surprises that made this one different from other thrillers and I definitely enjoyed that. One thing that surprised me is how dark The Many is! A few parts are pretty creepy and twisted. The book did lose a little bit of traction around the middle and it started to drag on. Luckily, this didn't last too long and it picked back up again. The ending is especially fast paced and intriguing. I wish the end had been explored even more, but hey I wouldn't say no to a sequel.

#AFewSuprisesAreAlwaysAppreciated

Overall The Many is an intoxicating thriller with twists and some excellent creepy parts. I would personally have to classify this one as thriller with a touch of horror due to some dark/violent parts. I really enjoyed this one, despite the short lull in the middle. I also love that I genuinely had no clue where the story was going to go. A psychological thriller with a fresh and unique take is always great in my opinion.

#CreepyTwistedDark

I recommend The Many for fans of False Memory (Dean Koontz), You (Caroline Kepnes), and American Horror Story. 

#CallingDarkThrillerLovers!

The Graveyard Apartment By: Mariko Koike Review

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a free ebook copy of The Graveyard Apartment By: Mariko Koike in exchange for an honest review. 

Short Review Summary: 

Atmospheric, good tension, and slow building. 

 The first thing that drew me to The Graveyard Apartment is the cover, but the other thing that really caught my attention is that it was originally published (in 1986, the year I was born) in Japan. I enjoy Japanese horror and I feel like it's something that I haven't read/watched enough of. Boy, am I glad I gave this one a try because I really enjoyed it! 

#CoverLove

The Graveyard Apartment is an extremely atmospheric book. Due to the atmosphere, the mystery, the supernatural aspects, and the slow build I found it to be a bit gothic. I love stories that are a bit gothic and have a great slow building story, so this definitely was a big plus for me! However, this book is also psychological and pretty intense at times. The tension is really magnificently done in this novel.  I'm a sucker for atmosphere and tension. I don't really have a lot to say about the characters though. I felt for Teppei, Misao, and their daughter Tamao in their situation, but I didn't really like any of them. It's not that I disliked them, but I definitely feel like this is a more of a setting/plot driven novel. 

#AtmosphereAndTensionAreAWinningCombo

There are a few classic tropes, but they are very well done. Also, because it was first published in the 80s that is to be expected. I really enjoyed the tropes that were used and it didn't take away from the intensity of the novel. One part was so intense and then I had to go to sleep right after (since I couldn't keep my eyes open lol) and I really wanted to keep reading. It's funny because I dreamed about that intense part in my dreams that night. I couldn't wait to get back to it and finish the book the next day. I think that part will stick with me for a while. I love that. 

#IDreamAboutBooks

Overall The Graveyard Apartment is a FANTASTIC horror novel and I loved it. I even love the ending that is equal parts awesomeness and frustrating. You'll have to read for yourself to see what exactly I mean by that though. I'm so glad I read this one. It's exactly what I've been in the mood for this Fall. 

#OctoberReads

I recommend The Graveyard Apartment for fans of Shirley Jackson, The Ring, atmospheric/tense horror stories. 

#CallingAllHorrorFans

The Hatching By: Ezekiel Boone ARC Review

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing an ebook copy of The Hatching By: Ezekiel Boone in exchange for an honest review!

So let me begin this review by saying that I am terrified of all bugs and insects. Including spiders. SO why did I pick The Hatching to read? Because I love horror. I love to be creeped out and scared. As long as creepy crawlies stay away from me in real life. 

#HavePestControlOnStandby

The Hatching takes a little bit of time to set up, but then it gets good. Really good. This is not the most action packed novel, but what action it has really makes an impression. For example some parts had me screaming, "Ahhh and Ewww and No, no, oh my god, no!" If spiders creep you out at all then this book will terrify you. I saw a small spider in the house later that night when I finished this book and I almost just decided to set the house on fire. 

#AlmostBurnedMyHouseDown

My skin is crawling even just writing this review. I had no idea that it was possible to be even more terrified of spiders. I don't think that The Hatching will be everyone's brand of horror, but I think the apocalyptic and sci-fi side will attract a lot of fans as well. The style of the novel kind of reminded me of World War Z (which I didn't finish because that one bored me to tears and I tried twice), but it worked for this book. It has multiple POV's that it follows, but not too many so that it's hard to keep up with. I liked most of the characters, but I do have to say that Mike and Melanie are my favorites. 

#MySkinIsStillCrawling

Overall The Hatching is a book that creeped me the hell out. It's an engaging read and written very well. This book will leave you feeling uneasy and creeped out, even if you don't have arachnophobia. I hate spiders, but I loved this novel and I can't wait for the sequel!

#INeedTheSequelLikeYesterday

I recommend The Hatching for fans of World War Z and for horror loving arachnophobes. My husband is also frightened of spiders and by the end of the book I kept telling him that he has to read this! 

#ChallengingAllArachnophobesToReadIt

#That'sRightI'mCallingYouOut

#YouScared?

#MySkinIsSTILLCrawling

Top Ten Tuesday- Top Ten Books Every Horror Nerd Should Read

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature/meme hosted here at The Broke and the Bookish. The topic for this week is Top Ten Books Every X Should Read.

I decided to do top ten books every horror nerd should read. I chose this for my topic because I am a huge horror nerd and with Texas Frightmare (Frightmare is a horror convention) coming up at the end of the month I have horror on the brain. I can't wait to go and Robert Englund will be there, OMG!!! Whoops, sorry! Back to bookish things... these books are some of my all time favorite novels and I really do think every horror fan should read these. Each one is incredibly valuable to the horror genre in it's own way.

1.  House of Leaves By: Mark Z. Danielewski 

I picked House of Leaves as my top choice because I really love how this one shows that you can have more than just a scary story. The formatting (some pages have words upside down, diagonal on the page, and etc. ) of this book really adds to the mood of the book and increases the creepiness of the story. I know that I have talked on my blog about this one a lot, but I can't say enough just how great this book is. It's MUCH more than just a horror story. 

2. The Exorcist By: William Peter Blatty 

I bet you have seen The Exorcist movie, but have you read the book? I have seen this movie a lot since I was a kid and so I was a little hesitant to read the book. This was one that I thought the book wouldn't compare to the MOVIE. I'm happy to say that both are fabulous in their own right and this one is a must read for horror fans. 

3. The Troop By: Nick Cutter 

If you haven't read any of Nick Cutter's books yet then you are missing out. The Troop has a classic Lord of the Flies feel to it, but with some surprises that make this a winner on it's own. 

4. Locke & Key Graphic Novel Series By: Joe Hill & Illustrated By: Gabriel Rodriguez 

The first Locke & Key volume was my first graphic novel read... EVER. I picked this up only because I love Joe Hill's writing. I was very surprised at how much I loved this whole series and how unique it is. I have yet to find any graphic novels that compare to the story and art in this one. Definitely a must for any horror nerd, whether you are into graphic novels or not. 

5. Heart-Shaped Box By: Joe Hill 

Anything by Joe Hill is a must read. He definitely has his father's skill when it comes to writing horror, but he certainly has his own flair too. 

6. Rosemary's Baby By: Ira Levin 

Rosemary's Baby is another classic that I grew up watching the movie and was concerned about reading the book. While I think The Exorcist movie and book are equal in quality, I actually prefer the book on this one. I think you get more details in the novel that make the story even more chilling. 

7. Hell House By: Richard Matheson 

I love Richard Matheson's writing and Hell House is a classic haunted house story that all horror nerds need to read. Very spooky.

8. The Entity By: Frank De Felitta

Has anyone seen this classic horror movie? When I was a kid I watched The Entity and it is one that has had a lasting impact and terrified me ever since. I had no idea there was a book until I was well into adulthood and I just had to read it. If you thought the movie was creepy and disturbing, then you must read the book because more details makes it more terrifying.

9. The Amityville Horror By: Jay Anson 

Now I know all my horror peeps have seen at least one of The Amityville Horror movies. Well whether you have or not, this is a must read. This story (whether you think it's true or false) is incredibly fascinating and scary. 

10. Let the Right One In By: John Ajvide Lindqvist 

Let the Right One In is one of the oddest vampire books I have read. The author has been called a Swedish Stephen King and I can totally see why. I have read a couple of his books and they have all been great, but this is the best one I've read so far. While Let the Right One In may not be for everyone, due to the weirdness, it is more than just an average vampire story. Personally, I think the oddity of it makes it even creepier. 

Honorable Mentions:

Edgar Allan Poe- All of his work.
Stephen King- All of his horror novels.

You may be wondering why I left these guys off of the top ten and that is because I figured they are both obvious choices. I couldn't stand not mentioning them at all though. :P

So that's it for my Top Ten Books Every Horror Nerd Should Read! What do my horror peeps think- Agree? Disagree? What horror novels would you add to the list? 

You By: Caroline Kepnes Review + Unwanted Sequels Discussion

When I first started reading You I was reminded of this movie called Maniac (there is also an older version that I haven't seen yet from the 80s) that I saw on Netflix with Elijah Wood. In that movie Elijah Wood's character is a killer and we see everything through his eyes. The way it was done visually with the camera angles and all that has stuck with me because it was very creepy and You does a similar thing in book form. You is told through Joe's POV and it's written almost like he's talking to or writing a letter to Beck. To me this is creepy, unique, and makes this an unforgettable book.

I hate to say it, but I actually kind of liked Joe. Almost in an antihero kind of way, but Joe definitely was not a hero in any way. Joe is not like Dexter out there killing people guilty of bad things, but you root for him any way. Even though Joe is an unreliable narrator you can still tell that Beck is a bit of a moron and not the best person herself. She drove me nuts actually, which may have been the author's intent. Either way even though Joe is a very bad dude I love that you still feel for him a bit. I also love how condescending and hilarious he was at times.

I also thought that the Stephen King references were great, of course being the SK nut that I am. :P I found this even more amusing since the copy of the book I have has a quote on the cover from SK praising You. Ha!

Overall I don't have a bad thing to say about You. The whole book was suspenseful and there was never a dull moment with Joe. The ending was perfect and while You may not be scary, in this day and age that makes stalking so easy, it sure did creep me out. Now I'm headed to go double check all of my social media and make sure my private stuff is still private and my public stuff is not too revealing. Eep.

I recommend You for fans of Maniac (the Elijah Wood movie I mentioned), Dexter, and any one that loves thrillers!

So after this whole review of how much I LOVED You I am going to tell you that I refuse to read Hidden Bodies. Shocking right? It seems that when a popular book comes out when you read it and like it people always tell you that you HAVE to read the sequel next. Sometimes I do, but sometimes I don't and I'm going to tell you why. First, here are a few of the books that I personally refuse to read any more of the series:

You By: Caroline Kepnes

Me Before You By: Jojo Moyes

Between the Lines By: Jodi Picoult and Samantha Van Leer

The Giver By: Lois Lowry

Any book that is the same story told from the other main characters perspective.(Another Day By: David Levithan or Midnight Sun By: Stephenie Meyer (so glad that went unfinished!) are good examples here.)

The Fever Series By: Karen Marie Moning (I'm going to pretend this one ended at book 5 even though I read to book 7.)

Now here's why---

I DON'T HAVE TO.

Sometimes I think that a book doesn't need a sequel. Or to keep going, and going, and going. Or to be told from another character's perspective. I really hate when I love a book and I read the sequel and it's bad. The bitter disappointment is too much for me (here's looking at you Go Set a Watchman) and so I've decided to free myself from it. At times I really do feel like some of these books are money making schemes only. Yet, time and time again I have bought into the hype (or basic peer pressure) to read a sequel to a book I didn't want a sequel to in the first place. So I'm no longer going to be reading sequels or continuing series that I don't want to read. If I do want to continue with a series then of course I will. I just wanted to put this out there because I want others like me to know that you don't have to keep reading these unwanted sequels if you don't want to!

As far as Hidden Bodies goes I personally think it leaves more of an impact how You ended and I don't want to know what Joe is up to next or if he ever gets caught or anything else. I think You ended perfectly for me and I have no desire to continue.

So here are my questions to you all: Do you ever feel pressure to read sequels to books that you like, even if you don't think the book needs a sequel? Even if the sequel sounds horrible? Do you read them any way? Are there books you refuse to read any more of the series? Which ones?