An exciting update! and Wednesday Reading Meme
GOOD NEWS!! After trying everything we could here to increase my WiFi stability, and seeing things only get worse, I've made the call to get my own internet connection. Since I'm tech-stupid and since technology hates me, I went through everything in "talk to me like a 5-year-old" terms with the salesperson, who assures me that the tech guy will install whatever hookup into the wall, and that I'll have my own modem that I can plug my desktop computer into directly, and that there should be no problems. (I feel like I'm jinxing it just by typing this.) I won't be sharing with anybody and it'll just be mine, mine, mine. Of course, the bill will just be mine as well and I'm already struggling but at the very least with not having to worry about the WiFi dropping all the time I can work more, like into the evenings a few times, to cover it. This is provided there are files at that time, but *fingers crossed*.
Literally EVERY TIME I think that I think I will try to do a little update or attempt to reply to comments, my WiFi drops. I am soooooooooo hopeful that this will solve the problem. I can't see why it wouldn't since it's the WiFi that's unstable and plugging in directly should solve it. Right? Riiiiight?
Anywho. The tech person is coming on Tuesday so maybe I will be able to be back to normal next week!
And now... Wednesday Reading Meme
What I Read This Week: This looks like a super crazy reading week, but that's because six of these books are actually short stories that were released individually under Amazon's Creature Feature promotion. They were free for Kindle Unlimited users. Then I read two short books that are probably better classified as novellas. I also did read 2 full-length novels though.
The novels: The Bullet by Mary Louise Kelly and The President's Vampire by Christopher Farnsworth
The novella: Tabby Trouble by Iris Leigh and The Monster of Elendhaven by Jennifer Giesbrecht
The short stories: The Pram by Joe Hill, Ankle Snatcher by Grady Hendrix, It Waits in the Woods by Josh Malerman, In Bloom by Paul Tremblay, Big Bad by Chandler Baker, and Best of Luck by Jason Mott.
Reviews for all below.
What I'm Reading Right Now: I just started Into Every Generation a Slayer is Born by Evan Ross Katz. Looking forward to it.
What I'm Planning To Read Next: I have another library book out, The Collective by Alison Gaylin.
119. The Monster of Elendhaven by Jennifer Giesbrecht
This is a tale of revenge, murder, depravity, magic and mayhem all squished into only 159 pages of overly written pretentious purple prose. The sad thing is that there is a really interesting story here, if only the author wasn’t so intent in wrapping it in unnecessary verbiage and trying to make it seem more complex than it was. I just found myself annoyed that she had basically ruined what could have been a really atmospheric and creepy story.
Dates Read: September 26 to 27, 2023
Page Count:159
2 out of 5 stars
Lost Challenges Pyramid of Books - Task 20 - read a book set on water/has water on cover/set in coastal town (07/20)
Challenge Factory Hallowe’en Roundup - VAMPIRE Arm 2 - Prompt: A S H in title
120. The Bullet by Mary Louise Kelly
When an MRI reveals a bullet lodged in the base of Caroline’s skull, it leads to the revelation that she was adopted after the murder of her parents and sends her searching for answers in Atlanta. This started off choppy because Caroline, a wealthy French Lit professor, is pretentious and seriously off-putting. Since the story is from Caroline’s POV, it’s a big misstep. I mean, I don’t know anyone who describes themselves as having “liquid chocolate eyes” or who, while on a two-day trip to visit the childhood home she doesn’t remember, packs a leather dress and stiletto boots. Of course, this could explain why the waiter at her hotel assumes she’s a “high class prostitute.”
The book does pick up, however, as Caroline’s sleuthing turns up more information and sets in motion some twists and turns. I also felt that the secondary characters were very strong. I did find the doctor completely creeptastic though, but Caroline doesn’t seem very smart in the romance department. Overall, this one kept me turning the pages despite some shortcomings.
Dates Read: September 28 to 30, 2023
Page Count: 421
4 out of 5 stars
Lost Challenges Pyramid of Books - Task 18 - read 18 books with a red, white or blue cover (14/18)
Challenge Factory Hallowe’en Roundup - VAMPIRE Leg 2 - Prompt: red cover
121. Tabby Trouble by Iris Leigh
Well, this was just dreadful. A woman gets electrocuted by her toaster and can suddenly understand cats, one of whom wants her to investigate his owner’s murder. The author apparently has no idea how time works or what actually happens after a death, or how to at least semi-realistically chat up some suspects. This is a paint-by-numbers version of a cozy mystery that was actually painful to read. The cats didn’t even have fun personalities!
Date Read: September 30, 2023
Page Count: 93
1 out of 5 stars
Lost Challenges Pyramid of Books - Task 11 - read 11 books that take place in a small town [unnamed town] (08/11)
122. The President’s Vampire by Christopher Farnsworth
The sequel to Blood Oath finds vampire Cade and his handler Zach involved in tracking creatures that Zach terms “snakeheads”, who are actually mutated humans. Once again the CIA and the Company are duplicitous (shocked face). I enjoy that the author tries to make Cade as otherworldly and emotionless as possible, as “non-human” as a vampire might be. The secondary characters were interesting if not particularly well-shaded. I also really enjoy the links to both historical and other fictional events that dot the story, which include references to JFK’s assassination and also movies like Nightmare on Elm Street and Gremlins.
Dates Read: September 30 to October 01, 2023
Page Count: 415
4 out of 5 stars
Lost Challenges Pyramid of Books - Task 19 - read 19 books with an outdoor cover (07/19)
Challenge Factory Hallowe’en Roundup - VAMPIRE Arm 1 - Prompt: vampire in title
123. The Pram by Joe Hill
This short story by Joe Hill is suitably creepy for the season, though honestly I think it could have been fleshed out more and turned into a novella. It features Willy and Marianne, a couple who recently suffered a miscarriage who move to a big house in the country for a fresh start. Suffice to say the neighbours may not have their best interests in mind. I think that the events would have been served better by, as I said, expanding the story and giving it some more room to breathe. But that being said, I did really enjoy this.
Date Read: October 02, 2023
Page Count: 58
4 out of 5 stars
Lost Challenges Pyramid of Books - Task 11 - read 11 books that take place in a small town [Hobomeck, Maine] (09/11)
**
124. Ankle Snatcher by Grady Hendrix
I got serious chills from this one. Marcus has been told by his dad that the ankle snatcher who lives underneath the bed killed his mom. Marcus believes that his father murdered his mother, but he always obeys the rules so that the ankle snatcher won’t get him too. I can’t say too much but I really loved the gruesomeness of this story and the revelations that come toward the end. I loved the guide! This one was super creepy to me.
Date Read: October 02, 2023
Page Count: 29
5 out of 5 stars
Lost Challenges Pyramid of Books - Task 12 - read 12 books that you choose (02/12)
**
125. It Waits in the Woods by Josh Malerman
When a teen goes missing in the woods, her sister becomes obsessed by the story of a local legend. Absolutely nothing new or interesting happens here. It’s a by-the-numbers story, and I could practically see the author marking things off on his checklist as he wrote them. Yet the timeline doesn’t make any sense. It’s also very repetitive and a bit pretentious, and the ending is disappointing.
Date Read: October 02, 2023
Page Count: 52
2 out of 5 stars
Lost Challenges Pyramid of Books - Task 19 - read 19 books that have an outdoor cover (08/19)
**
126. In Bloom by Paul Tremblay
I’m not sure what to make of this one, about sentient algae? The writing is strong but it gives off schlocky 1950s slime monster vibes. Which is maybe what the author is going for? I wonder if it would have benefitted from a longer word count. It felt like the ending came out of nowhere and I found it quite unsatisfying. Ultimately as you can probably tell I was just a little confused about what was intended by this one, because it just didn’t work for me as it was.
Date Read: October 02, 2023
Page Count: 35
3 out of 5 stars
Lost Challenges Pyramid of Books - Task 19 - read 19 books that have an outdoor cover (09/19)
**
127. Big Bad by Chandler Baker
Super creepy! Sam and Rachel move to a rural country house with their two kids after a hinted-about event in their past. They’re struggling in their marriage and with a precocious daughter, a task made more difficult by a secret they’re hiding. A very deep sense of foreboding permeated the story, and it left me anxious to keep turning pages to get to the surprising conclusion. I think this is the best of the Creature Features!
Date Read: October 03, 2023
Page Count: 59
5 out of 5 stars
Lost Challenges Pyramid of Books - Task 14 - read 14 books that take place in a state [Oregon] (09/14)
**
128. Best of Luck by Jason Mott
Jason has everything he could want, while his old friend Will has suffered endless hardships. Is Jason to blame? This is creepy and gruesome, with a relentless pace. Both men are equally heartfelt - Will in his accusations, Jason in his professions of innocence - and the conclusion is set up in such a way that I sincerely was a little surprised. Well done.
Date Read: October 03, 2023
Page Count: 29
5 out of 5 stars
Lost Challenges Pyramid of Books - Task 12 - read 12 books that you choose (03/12)
Those 6 short stories put me over my goal of 125 books for the year, woot woot! I'm not going to adjust my goal, I'm just going to see how far over it I can get. Last year it took me the whole year to read 125 books. I'm going to definitely have to adjust 2024's goals. :D
Wish me luck on the internet install next week!
.
Literally EVERY TIME I think that I think I will try to do a little update or attempt to reply to comments, my WiFi drops. I am soooooooooo hopeful that this will solve the problem. I can't see why it wouldn't since it's the WiFi that's unstable and plugging in directly should solve it. Right? Riiiiight?
Anywho. The tech person is coming on Tuesday so maybe I will be able to be back to normal next week!
And now... Wednesday Reading Meme
What I Read This Week: This looks like a super crazy reading week, but that's because six of these books are actually short stories that were released individually under Amazon's Creature Feature promotion. They were free for Kindle Unlimited users. Then I read two short books that are probably better classified as novellas. I also did read 2 full-length novels though.
The novels: The Bullet by Mary Louise Kelly and The President's Vampire by Christopher Farnsworth
The novella: Tabby Trouble by Iris Leigh and The Monster of Elendhaven by Jennifer Giesbrecht
The short stories: The Pram by Joe Hill, Ankle Snatcher by Grady Hendrix, It Waits in the Woods by Josh Malerman, In Bloom by Paul Tremblay, Big Bad by Chandler Baker, and Best of Luck by Jason Mott.
Reviews for all below.
What I'm Reading Right Now: I just started Into Every Generation a Slayer is Born by Evan Ross Katz. Looking forward to it.
What I'm Planning To Read Next: I have another library book out, The Collective by Alison Gaylin.
119. The Monster of Elendhaven by Jennifer Giesbrecht
This is a tale of revenge, murder, depravity, magic and mayhem all squished into only 159 pages of overly written pretentious purple prose. The sad thing is that there is a really interesting story here, if only the author wasn’t so intent in wrapping it in unnecessary verbiage and trying to make it seem more complex than it was. I just found myself annoyed that she had basically ruined what could have been a really atmospheric and creepy story.
Dates Read: September 26 to 27, 2023
Page Count:159
2 out of 5 stars
Lost Challenges Pyramid of Books - Task 20 - read a book set on water/has water on cover/set in coastal town (07/20)
Challenge Factory Hallowe’en Roundup - VAMPIRE Arm 2 - Prompt: A S H in title
120. The Bullet by Mary Louise Kelly
When an MRI reveals a bullet lodged in the base of Caroline’s skull, it leads to the revelation that she was adopted after the murder of her parents and sends her searching for answers in Atlanta. This started off choppy because Caroline, a wealthy French Lit professor, is pretentious and seriously off-putting. Since the story is from Caroline’s POV, it’s a big misstep. I mean, I don’t know anyone who describes themselves as having “liquid chocolate eyes” or who, while on a two-day trip to visit the childhood home she doesn’t remember, packs a leather dress and stiletto boots. Of course, this could explain why the waiter at her hotel assumes she’s a “high class prostitute.”
The book does pick up, however, as Caroline’s sleuthing turns up more information and sets in motion some twists and turns. I also felt that the secondary characters were very strong. I did find the doctor completely creeptastic though, but Caroline doesn’t seem very smart in the romance department. Overall, this one kept me turning the pages despite some shortcomings.
Dates Read: September 28 to 30, 2023
Page Count: 421
4 out of 5 stars
Lost Challenges Pyramid of Books - Task 18 - read 18 books with a red, white or blue cover (14/18)
Challenge Factory Hallowe’en Roundup - VAMPIRE Leg 2 - Prompt: red cover
121. Tabby Trouble by Iris Leigh
Well, this was just dreadful. A woman gets electrocuted by her toaster and can suddenly understand cats, one of whom wants her to investigate his owner’s murder. The author apparently has no idea how time works or what actually happens after a death, or how to at least semi-realistically chat up some suspects. This is a paint-by-numbers version of a cozy mystery that was actually painful to read. The cats didn’t even have fun personalities!
Date Read: September 30, 2023
Page Count: 93
1 out of 5 stars
Lost Challenges Pyramid of Books - Task 11 - read 11 books that take place in a small town [unnamed town] (08/11)
122. The President’s Vampire by Christopher Farnsworth
The sequel to Blood Oath finds vampire Cade and his handler Zach involved in tracking creatures that Zach terms “snakeheads”, who are actually mutated humans. Once again the CIA and the Company are duplicitous (shocked face). I enjoy that the author tries to make Cade as otherworldly and emotionless as possible, as “non-human” as a vampire might be. The secondary characters were interesting if not particularly well-shaded. I also really enjoy the links to both historical and other fictional events that dot the story, which include references to JFK’s assassination and also movies like Nightmare on Elm Street and Gremlins.
Dates Read: September 30 to October 01, 2023
Page Count: 415
4 out of 5 stars
Lost Challenges Pyramid of Books - Task 19 - read 19 books with an outdoor cover (07/19)
Challenge Factory Hallowe’en Roundup - VAMPIRE Arm 1 - Prompt: vampire in title
123. The Pram by Joe Hill
This short story by Joe Hill is suitably creepy for the season, though honestly I think it could have been fleshed out more and turned into a novella. It features Willy and Marianne, a couple who recently suffered a miscarriage who move to a big house in the country for a fresh start. Suffice to say the neighbours may not have their best interests in mind. I think that the events would have been served better by, as I said, expanding the story and giving it some more room to breathe. But that being said, I did really enjoy this.
Date Read: October 02, 2023
Page Count: 58
4 out of 5 stars
Lost Challenges Pyramid of Books - Task 11 - read 11 books that take place in a small town [Hobomeck, Maine] (09/11)
**
124. Ankle Snatcher by Grady Hendrix
I got serious chills from this one. Marcus has been told by his dad that the ankle snatcher who lives underneath the bed killed his mom. Marcus believes that his father murdered his mother, but he always obeys the rules so that the ankle snatcher won’t get him too. I can’t say too much but I really loved the gruesomeness of this story and the revelations that come toward the end. I loved the guide! This one was super creepy to me.
Date Read: October 02, 2023
Page Count: 29
5 out of 5 stars
Lost Challenges Pyramid of Books - Task 12 - read 12 books that you choose (02/12)
**
125. It Waits in the Woods by Josh Malerman
When a teen goes missing in the woods, her sister becomes obsessed by the story of a local legend. Absolutely nothing new or interesting happens here. It’s a by-the-numbers story, and I could practically see the author marking things off on his checklist as he wrote them. Yet the timeline doesn’t make any sense. It’s also very repetitive and a bit pretentious, and the ending is disappointing.
Date Read: October 02, 2023
Page Count: 52
2 out of 5 stars
Lost Challenges Pyramid of Books - Task 19 - read 19 books that have an outdoor cover (08/19)
**
126. In Bloom by Paul Tremblay
I’m not sure what to make of this one, about sentient algae? The writing is strong but it gives off schlocky 1950s slime monster vibes. Which is maybe what the author is going for? I wonder if it would have benefitted from a longer word count. It felt like the ending came out of nowhere and I found it quite unsatisfying. Ultimately as you can probably tell I was just a little confused about what was intended by this one, because it just didn’t work for me as it was.
Date Read: October 02, 2023
Page Count: 35
3 out of 5 stars
Lost Challenges Pyramid of Books - Task 19 - read 19 books that have an outdoor cover (09/19)
**
127. Big Bad by Chandler Baker
Super creepy! Sam and Rachel move to a rural country house with their two kids after a hinted-about event in their past. They’re struggling in their marriage and with a precocious daughter, a task made more difficult by a secret they’re hiding. A very deep sense of foreboding permeated the story, and it left me anxious to keep turning pages to get to the surprising conclusion. I think this is the best of the Creature Features!
Date Read: October 03, 2023
Page Count: 59
5 out of 5 stars
Lost Challenges Pyramid of Books - Task 14 - read 14 books that take place in a state [Oregon] (09/14)
**
128. Best of Luck by Jason Mott
Jason has everything he could want, while his old friend Will has suffered endless hardships. Is Jason to blame? This is creepy and gruesome, with a relentless pace. Both men are equally heartfelt - Will in his accusations, Jason in his professions of innocence - and the conclusion is set up in such a way that I sincerely was a little surprised. Well done.
Date Read: October 03, 2023
Page Count: 29
5 out of 5 stars
Lost Challenges Pyramid of Books - Task 12 - read 12 books that you choose (03/12)
Those 6 short stories put me over my goal of 125 books for the year, woot woot! I'm not going to adjust my goal, I'm just going to see how far over it I can get. Last year it took me the whole year to read 125 books. I'm going to definitely have to adjust 2024's goals. :D
Wish me luck on the internet install next week!
.