horror – One Chapter

Startling Stay: Scary Hotels and Inns by Natalie Lunis

5 stars Nonfiction Middle School/YA

They can check out anytime they want, but they never really leave. Welcome to a book devoted to some of the mysterious hotels and inns in North America and Europe. One of the first things that came to my mind when I picked up this book was that individuals still flock to the historical hotel where Stephen King’s The Shining took place. I loved this movie and I would definitely love to stay at this hotel, perhaps someday I just may book a room, take a tour, and maybe, hopefully, I might see something. This book touches on all the senses: do individuals see a vision, hear an unexplained noise, smell something that’s not physically there or do they feel something in close range when nothing is there.

In one hotel, management has tried to keep individuals from experiencing any of these feelings. They have physically locked one of their room doors to from curious minds so the dead spirit that is contained inside can’t harm them. Now, that is one hotel boss who cares about his customers. The story of Robert the Doll was a good one for me as I like creepy dolls. A life-sized cloth doll was given to a painter’s son who lived in this beautiful large home. Gene named his doll, Robert. Strange behavior was recorded by others surrounding Robert. When Gene got older, he left home for schooling but returned years later with his wife. Robert behavior continued as the community’s awareness continued. After Gene’s death, Robert was placed in a museum where his behavior continues. Want to go see him? Be nice and don’t take a picture unless you ask.

Each 2-page spread in the book features a destination. Each destination features why it is creepy, strange, or even spooky. A destination you’ll want to visit or stay clear from. Tales from the years gone past or ones not too long ago, these stories are interesting and exciting.

This book gave me the basic facts on specific destinations. I liked how the book provided where the destination is, what it consists of, and how things went dark. The story continues with how individuals experience these strange happenings and the author tries to shed some light on the subject. With realistic photographs and art, each destination becomes its own eerie destination. There’s just enough detail to make the reader aware of the destination and the history behind it.

I really liked this book. It’s a children’s nonfiction book covering about 18 different destinations but it’s a great one in my opinion. This is one book in the series, which I grabbed the rest of the series the library had while I was there. The Index in the back of the book was very good and there is also a list of 4 other Read More books at the back which the author listed. There is a Learn More Online site which includes a QR code which I scanned. This scan led me to more resources which listed more destinations which I could read about. There was a www. Site for those who can’t or don’t want to scan the code and/or you can even scan the cover of the book to see other websites. There is also a Glossary which is helpful for young readers. I liked the detailed map, A World of the Startling Stays, which shows the world and points out each of the different sites which was mentioned in the book. Check out this book!! 5 stars

Hauntings at Home: Scary Houses and Farms

5 stars Nonfiction Middle School/YA

What the heck! These stories were just craziness. Take Annie for example. Annie built a dungeon in the middle of her house to imprison her workers who tried to run away from her. That’s one cruel, evil woman. This is Annie and this is the early 1800’s. Annie lived in a large mansion. Annie was later known as the White Witch of Rose Hall. An owner of a sugar plantation, she liked to have her workers beaten and tortured for fun. Annie was married three times, and it’s been said that she killed all of them. She later had her eyes on another gentleman, but this gentleman had his eyes on one of Annie’s workers. So, yeah…..Annie wasn’t going for that. So, Annie put a spell on the girl (The White Witch part of her name) and the girl died days later. A relative of the girl got his revenge, and he put Annie to rest, forever. Ha! Her beautiful home, she still is in control of it. She haunts the grounds and it had to be turned into a museum as it could no longer be a home. Crazy! What about the farm in Germany where the whole family was killed including the housekeeper. Who did this and why? Still today, over a hundred years ago, the police have never been able to solve this case. It’s the events leading up to this day that make this crime bizarre. Were those events just coincidence or were they something else? Makes you think. You’re bound to find something inside this book to make your sense come alive.

Each 2-page spread in the book features a destination. Each destination features why it is creepy, strange, or even spooky. A destination you’ll want to inquire more about or one you’re glad you know about. From mansions, to estates, to the famous Amityville House, this book will get you going,

This book gave me the basic facts on specific destinations. I liked how the book provided where the destination is, what it consists of, and how things went dark. The story continues with how individuals experience these strange happenings highlighting the senses within them. With realistic photographs and art, each destination becomes its own eerie destination. There’s just enough detail to make the reader aware of the destination and the history behind it.

Alarming Afterlife: Scary Cemeteries and Graveyards by Alex Giannini

5 stars Middle School/ YA

Cemeteries? A whole book devoted to cemeteries and graveyards. This looks very interesting. I thought the Angel of Death from Iowa City was interesting when I had read about it so a couple years ago my husband and I got into the car and visited her. What an interesting site that was. I never thought I would be intrigued by a statue inside a cemetery, but the story was interesting and the statue, that was even more impressive. This book was fun and I liked the variety of stories. This book touches the globe. The United States, Europe, Africa, Australia, and even South America. Each 2-page spread in the book features a destination. Each destination features why it is creepy, strange, or even spooky.

Although most of the destinations inside this book are about hauntings or issues from beyond, not every story carries that tune. Some explain why that particular destination became famous, the history behind the stories. I found most of these stories very interesting. The Last American Vampire, The Voodoo Queen of New Orleans, Ghost Town Graves, and The Haunted Road and the Hanged Man just to name a few. I thought it was interesting how some of these stories reminded me of a few stories that I have read, in a lighter tone, in a children’s holiday book.

This book gave me the basic facts on specific destinations. I liked how the book provided where the destination is, what it consists of, and how it originally was structured. It goes on, in the story, explaining how the destination became more disturbing over time. With realistic photographs and art, each destination becomes its own creep show. There’s just enough detail to make the reader aware of the destination and the history behind it.

Information from the book: The late 1700’s in Paris. Graveyards were getting crowded and individuals were no longer able to bury their dead underground. So, what did they do? They started to bury them on top of each other above ground. Yes, above ground! Stacking them “almost 10 feet high inside the cemetery walls.” Visualize this for a moment. Just like anything stacked too tall, the corpse’s weight started to cause these tall towers to fall, spilling the rotten corpses out onto the streets. Eventually, the city workers had to dig up some of the corpses and remove the rotting ones from the streets and rebury them in underground catacombs the city had created. I find this pretty interesting and gross. Imagine digging them up and reburying them under the ground. You must remember that this was over 200 years ago, the technology and advancements that we have now, were not available to them. There were 180 miles of catacombs! That’s a lot of corpses and work!!

I really liked this book. It’s a children’s nonfiction book covering about 18 different destinations but it’s a great one in my opinion. This is one book in the series and thankfully, I grabbed the rest of the series the library had, while I was there. The Index in the back of the book was very good and there is also a list of 4 other Read More books at the back which the author listed. There is a Learn More Online site which includes a QR code which I used. This scan led me to more resources which listed more destinations. There was a www. site for those who can’t or don’t want to scan the code and/or you can even scan the cover of the book to see other websites. There is also a Glossary which is helpful for young readers. I liked the detailed map, “A World of the Alarming Afterlife”, which shows the world and points out each of the different sites which was mentioned in the book. Check out this book!! 5 stars

Petrifying Playtime: Scary Amusement Parks and Playgrounds by Joyce Markovics

5 stars

When a place of fun and entertainment turns into something sinister, what happens to it? From Hawaii to Nebraska, from Massachusetts to Louisiana, this nonfiction book covers the United States. Each 2-page spread features a destination. Where once this destination was a fun way to spend some time, it has now turned into something dark and dreary.

It’s not all about ghost hauntings. There are some places that have been abandoned, rediscovered, or for some, they just shut the doors and never opened them back up. Some of these stories were very interesting and I would like to follow-up on them later. This book gave me the basic facts on specific destinations. I liked how the book provided how each of the destination sites came to be, what happened to cause it to fall from its days of glory and what the condition of the site ended up being. There wasn’t a lot of detail but just enough to provide the information and intrigue the reader or to make the reader aware that such a place exists. The pictures provided were historical and most of them were real photographs. I think the author choice of words in the title is misleading for some as not all the stories as “scary” per say. Sinister, creepy or disturbing would be a more accurate description, I think.

Krug Park in Omaha, Nebraska, the Big Dipper roller coaster brought in the crowds in the 1930’s. For 17 years, this park thrived and was loved by all. Then, unfortunately, things tumbled. An accident occurred on the Big Dipper, which marked the beginning of the end of Krug Park. What’s left of this park? Check out the book.

13 Months Haunted by Jimmy Juliano

4.5 stars Suspense

This one was creepy in a mysterious way. I don’t get creeped out too easily, but this one got a bit under my skin considering the way the entity(s) moved. Perhaps it’s because of the world that we now live in, the uncertainty of times that we now live in, and my own comprehension of the world of technology, but this was a great read for me.

Piper ends up becoming a library clerk, not the job that she wanted after college, but it pays the bills. She’s finally living out on her own, in the small town of Northwoods and like everyone says, small town living has its disadvantages. She is hosting a student Halloween writing contest at the library and the entries have started to trickle in. Receiving one from Avery, Piper is immediately drawn to it. Why? Could it be because Avery’s mother accompanies Avery to school each day and stays inside each of the classrooms with her throughout the day. Could it be that Avery is a new student and the only surviving members of her family include her mother and Avery, the rest of her family has died. Their death? That’s the gossip that is running throughout the community. Could it be that the title of Avery’s entry, The Thing in the Closet and after reading it, Piper isn’t sure if the story is nonfiction or fiction. I liked how Piper was intrigued with Avery’s writing and wanted to know more about her. Trying to decipher whether her story was reality or fantasy, Piper wants to see what all the gossip is about and who Avery is. That’s when the pieces of the puzzle start to come together.

Could this really be technology driven? Seriously? Avery claims she doesn’t remember but it was her. When Avery starts to “feel” something yet no one else “feels” anything, is she acting or is this real? No one can see anything including Avery so where is this coming from? Avery’s head? I had to think about the future, could this happen? I mean we never thought about Covid hitting and sweeping through the country. Could this really happen and if so, how can we gain control of the situation? The Who, what and where were flowing through my head as Piper tries to understand the situation and its connection to Avery. Was it deliberate? What’s the purpose and why Avery? The ending, I really enjoyed. 4.5 stars

Choose Your Own Adventure: Eighth Grade Witch by Andrew E.C. Gaska

2 stars Children’s Chapter/Middle School

I was excited when I came across this book while volunteering at the library last week. Once a month, I clean the children’s graphic novel sections at two of the branches that our library has in town, and when I came across this graphic novel, I immediately snagged it up. This book brought back so many memories of reading the smaller paperbacks of Choose Your Own Adventure stories with my own children when they were younger. I really had high hopes for this graphic novel. Unfortunately, this book didn’t work for me.

I was totally lost in this book, I mean really lost. I started it multiple times and took many of the different options that were offered within its pages, but it still didn’t make any sense to me. I even backtracked and thought that perhaps I had landed on the wrong page and had read the “If you want …… go to page XX” wrong but nope, I was just lost. It felt that when I page hopped, there was no connection to the previous page that I had just read, which was unfortunate.

I liked the storyline as I thought it could have lots of different possibilities. Thirteen-year-old Rabbit has just moved into a new city, into a new house, that has been rumored to be haunted. From day one, things are a bit weird and I’m not sure if she’s a witch or if she’s not but that’s just one of the questions that she’s confronted with. There seems to be a lot happening in Rabbits new surroundings, bits and pieces that I tried to put together, but it was the illustrations that drew me in.

The illustrations were great, and I liked the variety of text fonts that were used throughout the book as they made the scenes pop.

I remember loving the original Choose Your Own Adventure books in fact, I still have some of the books that I used to read with my own children. I will try to find another one of these graphic novels and try it again, as perhaps it was the story itself that I couldn’t follow. Perhaps I am better off imagining these books in my head instead of seeing them in a graphic novel. This book, I’m not a fan. 2 stars

William by Mason Coile

5 stars Horror Thriller

Wowza! Take notice people, this is what is happening……AI is in our future. I just hope that William will not be there! This was one exciting book to read on vacation. I’m not much of a science fiction fan but boy, give me a book like this and I will be reading sci-fi forever! The story centers upon a couple Lily and Henry who live in a multiple story house. Henry doesn’t leave the house as he has some type of psychological disorder and just opening the outside door, sets off some alarms in his head. He does work though. He has his own lab on the top floor of the house as he’s a robotic engineer. Lily, a computer engineer, actually leaves the house and goes to work. Basically, Lily is their link to the outside world.

They’re rich, money is no object as Lily has sold a company that she created so as Henry tinkers in the attic, Lily heads off to work. Reading about Henry’s creations in the attic, I kept wondering if there was some type of goal running through Henry’s mind. Their house has a start-of-the-art security system which if you think about Henry’s disorder, their financial situation, their vocations, and how big the house is, it’s understandable, they’d have this.

Life is good until Lily invites Paige and Davis, former employees of Lily’s, over for supper. During the evening, Henry sees some physical contact between Lily and Davis and begins to wonder what that is all about. Lots of emotions here and now, Henry wants the upper hand, so he invites everyone to his lab. This is the first time that even Lily gets to see what’s behind this locked door. Everyone meet William.

Lily, Paige and Davis all think William is amazing! Created by Henry, this independent AI is able to think creatively by himself. William is not a walking, talking AI man with arms and legs but he’s close. As they conversed with William, he was creeping me out! Lily, Paige, and Davis were all shocked at how well-spoken William was yet here was Henry standing right there with them, and he was even shocked. This was impossible! He’s more human than Henry created him to be!!

The house goes on lockdown. The house’s security system has become engaged. David and Lily deny turning it on. The house is a fortress, they are locked in. William has plans for this evening and he’s dangerous, very dangerous. William is everywhere, he’s smarter than you can imagine, and he’s not giving up as he’s got nothing to lose.

I had my thoughts on how this book would go but dang, that twist that came out of nowhere and got me! Boy, did it get me! Never saw that one coming and that was pure craziness! Pure fantastic craziness!!! Loved it….. Can someone erase my mind so I can read this one again? 5+ stars – have to reread this one sometime in the future if/when I ever get over it.

Middle of the Night by Riley Sager

5 stars Thriller

To live with this guilt for years would have drove me crazy. Ten-year-old Ethan and his best friend Billy are sleeping in a tent in the backyard at Ethan’s house. This is nothing new, they’ve done it before, countless times. Only, this time Ethan awakes and finds that Billy is not there. What? Not only that but there is a slice in the tent. Yup, Billy is missing, and no one knows anything!

Dang! These ten-year-old boys were neighbors and friends and to have this happen, I can’t even imagine. It’s now thirty years later and Ethan returns to his childhood home. The memories of that horrific night linger and when strange events start to occur, Ethan is on high alert. What is happening? Who or what is doing this and why? Reconnecting with friends and neighbors, Ethan tries to piece together what happened in his backyard, thirty years ago. He’s finding similarities between the two events, yet I began to wonder about the reliability of the individuals Ethan is connecting with.

This was a great page-turner. As Ethan gets reacquainted with his past, I was conducting my own investigation and eliminating suspects. The author was kind enough to throw in some exciting twists into the mix and I had to reexam my predictions as some of them went out the window. I liked how it wasn’t just one mystery that we were trying to solve but Ethan was now living another nightmare, and this was linked somehow. 5 stars

Cold Snap by Lindy Ryan

3 stars Fiction

What did I really read? Thinking that this book was going to be a good short read, I found myself slowing down as a read and trying to decipher exactly what was happening which made this book so long. For only 124 pages, it took me days to get this book finished. I loved the cover of the book. If you look closely at the deer on the cover, the added graphics made me excited for what was inside the pages of this book.

I thought the book started out strong as the main character Christine decides to head to their cabin with her 15-year-old son and their cat. A recent widow, Christine, is still mourning the loss of her husband so it’s off to their remote cabin in Pennsylvania to celebrate the holidays. Are you starting to understand the complications this trip “can” entail? Remote cabin. Recent widow. Grieving family. A family cabin. Well, I was really stoked about how this book was starting off.

Their son Billy hasn’t been the same since dad’s accident and well, neither has mom. Billy’s lack of communication is not helping the situation and if you add that to Christine’s emotional issues, the two of them together alone in a cabin over the Christmas holidays was not a good plan from the start. Christine was supposed to be the mother, but she frustrated me with her actions and her attitude towards those around her. She chose to go on this journey with her child and their cat, she was supposed to be the adult here, but I think she forgot that.

I liked that the book carried the creepy, mysterious traits that I was looking for, the pages were definitely turning quickly but when it came down to trying to straighten out any of the uncertainties that the characters were facing, I felt lost. I wasn’t sure if it was the grief, the weather, the characters, or just plain craziness but the book started to go off the rails for me. What was missing? Perhaps I was trying too hard to put everything together, perhaps it was a combination of a lot of different things, and I just needed to go with the flow of the book, but it was frustrating. I was stopping and rereading portions of the book, under the impression that I had missed something from the first read.

This is my first book by Lindy Ryan and I’d like to read another book by this author. I loved how the author set up the story and built upon it. Perhaps this book was not for me. 3 stars.

You Better Watch Out by James S. Murray

5 stars Thriller

“What’s going on?” he asked.

“You gotta see this.””

I couldn’t see fast enough nor read fast enough as Eddie and Jess tried to make sense of the world that had become their new world. As my husband was driving the car, I was trying to read him some of this book, but my mouth and my eyes were not in sync. I was talking gibberish and as my husband suggested, I just read silently, as silent as I could with all my gasps and shoutouts. Dang, I wasn’t expecting the last half of this book to be this exciting!

For only 225 pages, this book packs a punch! At first, the book reminded me of one of my favorite Twilight Zone episodes and I was intrigued to find out how this one was going to end. What would they find at the end of this so-called, “town”, if they ever do find the end and were they going to make it out alive? One-by-one, we meet the characters in this book and I’m trying to find their common dominator. They’re all stuck inside this little make-believe town but what is the purpose and what type of game is this that they are the “players” when they don’t know the rules. Dang, this book is one that I will definitely have to reread again, if I can ever get it out of my head! 5 stars++