WHY, YOU ASK, would I review this mass of TWs on a romance book website? It’s because I know a subset of our readers are all about embracing the “Bitch” in Smart Bitches, and this is a story about women who band together for physical and emotional survival and find ways to claim their stories in a world that does not support them. Unfortunately, Maya and I were disappointed by the presence of harmful stereotypes … Continue reading The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix →
I’m a huge Grady Hendrix fan (see my reviews of Horrorstor, My Best Friend’s Exorcism, and the amazingly excellent We Sold Our Souls). This book was so much more intense than I thought it would be, and there’s so much to unpack that it’s a tough one to grade. Truthfully, if I had known what I was getting into, I doubt I would have read this book. And yet I’m so glad I did, because … Continue reading The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix →
I love We Sold Our Souls so much that returning it to the library is going to cause me physical pain. Many a shitty day has come and gone, but I have persisted fueled largely by the words, “She didn’t worry, she didn’t smile, she didn’t feel out of place. A girl with a guitar never has to apologize for anything.” Hell yeah. Our story begins with Kris Polaski, who was once the lead guitarist … Continue reading We Sold Our Souls by Grady Hendrix →
If you are pining for 1980s tribute fare like Stranger Things, and you love books that focus on friendships between women, and you can tolerate some gross content, then I highly recommend My Best Friend’s Exorcism. It is not a romance, but it does have a great, though platonic, love story between two teenage girls who battle occult forces in 1988. And yes, the paperback cover is a perfect facsimile of a beat-up VHS tape. … Continue reading My Best Friend’s Exorcism by Grady Hendrix →
NB: Welcome to Flashback Friday! During FBF, we’ll be resurrecting older posts and reviews that are relevant to things we’ve published on the site this week. Elyse reviewed a pretty creepy horror/thriller, so we thought we’d resurrect a lighter horror novel for other readers. This review was originally published (weirdly a year ago today) August 26, 2015. Horrorstör is basically a novel about a haunted IKEA. There’s no romance in it, but it’s relevant to the interests of … Continue reading Horrorstör by Grady Hendrix →
NB: This week, we’re taking a look back at 2021. We’ve got a week of best-of posts to share, with reviews, cover snark, sales, and more. We hope you enjoy revisiting our archives, and most of all, we wish you and yours a wonderful holiday and a happy new year – with all the very best of reading. … We’re counting down the best of our 2021 reviews, which I’m sure you’re all curious about. … Continue reading Best of Reviews 2021, Part One →
NB: This week, we’re taking a look back at 2020. We’ve got a week of best-of posts to share, with reviews, cover snark, sales, and more. We hope you enjoy revisiting our archives, and most of all, we wish you and yours a wonderful holiday and a happy new year – with all the very best of reading. … We’re counting down the best of our 2020 reviews, which I’m sure you’re all curious about. … Continue reading Best of 2020 Reviews, Part One! →
I had to double check and see if it was the first or second Whatcha Reading post of the month. But as Sarah and I like to remind ourselves lately: time has no meaning. Anyway, let’s get into the books! Shana: I’m reading Get Well Soon by Jennifer Wright, which is an irreverent history of plagues. I started it ages ago, after Aarya recommended it, but the library stole it back before I could finish. … Continue reading Whatcha Reading? July 2020 Edition, Part One →
Something strange is happening at the Orsk furniture superstore in Cleveland. Every morning, employees arrive to find broken Kjerring wardrobes, shattered Brooka glassware, and vandalized Liripip sofa beds – clearly someone, or something, is up to no good. To unravel the mystery, five young employees volunteer for a long dusk-till-dawn shift and encounter horrors that defy imagination. Along the way, author Grady Hendrix infuses sly social commentary on the nature of work in the new … Continue reading Horrorstor →