Recent Updates and Currently Reading | June 30

We are hosting a giveaway of the entire House of Furies series over at Ladies of Horror Fiction. Be sure to go enter!

We also started a Goodreads group recently so be sure to check that out, too! I would love for you to join.

Posted Last Week

I posted reviews last week!

Book Review | The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon ⭐⭐⭐★★

Book Review | Five Midnights by Ann Dávila Cardinal ⭐⭐⭐★★

Currently Reading

Wanderers by Chuck Wendig - I started reading Wanderers this weekend, and I'm loving it! If you love post-apocalytic novels, stay tuned for this one.

Recent Acquisitions

Many thanks to Quirkbooks for sending a promotional package for the paperback release of We Sold Our Souls! We Sold Our Souls is a fun read {my review}. They also sent a chocolate CD, sticker, and fireballs.

I'm trying really hard to be review copy free, but I could not resist grabbing A Hero Born from Netgalley. A Chinese Lord of the Rings? I'm not missing that one.

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 | Five Midnights by Ann Dávila Cardinal

Five Midnights is a YA horror novel by Ann Dávila Cardinal.

Five friends cursed. Five deadly fates. Five nights of retribución.

If Lupe Dávila and Javier Utierre can survive each other’s company, together they can solve a series of grisly murders sweeping though Puerto Rico. But the clues lead them out of the real world and into the realm of myths and legends. And if they want to catch the killer, they'll have to step into the shadows to see what's lurking there—murderer, or monster?

The premise of Five Midnights is set around the legend of El Cuco. Going into Five Midnights I expected it to be heavier on the horror elements. I think this book will appeal most to those who enjoy mystery/thrillers with a supernatural element.

I’m new to the legend of El Cuco, but I enjoyed what Ann Dávila Cardinal did with the legend. I got a real sense that she made it her own.

I loved the Puerto Rico setting and the way Cardinal wove in the culture and a lot of (very accessible) Spanish language throughout the story.

The ending of Five Midnights had a slower mystery oriented unveiling of what was occurring than a punchier horror climax. This will work well for YA readers who are moving into darker books.

⭐⭐⭐★★

Discussion:
Have you heard of the El Cuco legend before? El Cuco is a boogeyman that will come for you if you aren't behaving. It reminds me a bit of La Llorona in the way parents tell their kids the stories to keep them in line.

Review copy provided by publisher

Book Review | The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon

The Winter People is a horror novel by Jennifer McMahon.

West Hall, Vermont, has always been a town of strange disappearances and old legends. The most mysterious is that of Sara Harrison Shea, who, in 1908, was found dead in the field behind her house just months after the tragic death of her daughter.

Now, in present day, nineteen-year-old Ruthie lives in Sara's farmhouse with her mother, Alice, and her younger sister. Alice has always insisted that they live off the grid, a decision that has weighty consequences when Ruthie wakes up one morning to find that Alice has vanished. In her search for clues, she is startled to find a copy of Sara Harrison Shea's diary hidden beneath the floorboards of her mother's bedroom. As Ruthie gets sucked into the historical mystery, she discovers that she's not the only person looking for someone that they've lost. But she may be the only one who can stop history from repeating itself.

There was a lot to keep track of in The Winter People, and I struggled a bit with it. It was a great Ladies of Horror Fiction readalong choice because there was so much mystery and so many questions that needed answers. Unfortunately, it also wasn’t a book that lended itself to being put down for any real length of time.

The Winter People was told through dual timelines. One was set in 1908 and the other was set in the present. I found myself enjoying the past timeline more than the present.

The creepy scenes scattered throughout The Winter People was my favorite aspect of the book. I think The Winter People would make a great read for a long, cold winter’s night. I would definitely recommend sitting down with this one when you have a good amount of time to devote to it.

Overall I’m pretty split down the middle on The Winter People. On one hand it had too many threads, and I wasn’t fully on board with believing the ending. On the other hand, I had a good time reading it since there was plenty of creepy horror to keep me going.

⭐⭐⭐★★

Discussion:
Have you read anything by Jennifer McMahon? I have a copy of The Night Sister on my TBR pile.

I really enjoy dual timelines, but I understand why some people aren't a fan of them. Do you enjoy them or do you prefer a linear story? I also don't mind multiple POVs. I wonder if people who like one tend to like the other. Let me know your thoughts!

Recent Updates and Currently Reading | June 23

Summer is in full swing, and I'm struggling to settle into a new routine. This has really affected my reading, blogging, and checking out everyone's reviews.

I'm finally at home all weekend (except for going to see Toy Story 4 today!) so I plan to do a lot of catching up. Do you struggle with keeping up in the summer or is it easier for you?

Posted Last Week

Nothing. Send help!

Finished Reading

I Wrote This for You by Iain S. Thomas ⭐⭐★★★ - I liked a few poems in this collection, but mostly it wasn't my thing.

Five Midnights by Ann Dávila Cardinal - I'm hoping to write my review of Five Midnights today so keep an eye out this week for my thoughts.

Final Girls by Mira Grant - Emily and Alex are hosting a #PrideHorrorthon right now on Instagram, and Final Girls was my first selection for the weekend.

I'm still building up my Spanish reading skills. I finally finished reading Harry Potter y la cámara secreta (the Chamber of Secrets).

I also read the next Magic Treehouse book: El caballero del alba (The Knight at Dawn). I highly recommend these as easy Spanish readers. I was able to find them through my library on Overdrive.

I enjoyed reading this Introduction to Spanish Poetry. It contains both the Spanish version and the English translations.

Currently Reading

Osgood As Gone by Cooper S. Beckett - Several folks are reading Osgood As Gone for the #PrideHorrorthon right now. Many thanks to Cooper Beckett for offering to gift me a copy so I could read it as well. I'm enjoying it a lot!

Harry Potter y el Prisionero de Azkaban by J.K. Rowling, Adolfo Muñoz García (Translator), Nieves Martín Azofra (Translator) - Harry Potter is life.

La telaraña de Carlota by E.B. White, Guillermo Solana (Translator) - Azkaban and Charlotte's Web are two of my all time favorite books so I'm very comforted right now!

Recent Acquisitions

Monster, She Wrote: The Women Who Pioneered Horror and Speculative Fiction by Lisa Kröger and Melanie R. Anderson - I won this in a Goodreads giveaway, and it looks absolutely incredible. Thank you Quirkbooks!

Theme Music by T. Marie Vandelly - Emily highly recommended Theme Music so I requested a copy from Netgalley. Thank you to Dutton Books for the approval!

A Penny For Your Thoughts by Robert Ford and Matt Hayward - I preordered this after Tracy raved about it. I'm looking forward to reading it soon.

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.

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.