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Sarah (7799 KP) rated Black House in Books

Jan 4, 2020  
Black House
Black House
Stephen King, Peter Straub | 2001 | Fiction & Poetry, Horror, Science Fiction/Fantasy
8
8.8 (12 Ratings)
Book Rating
Another of King's epic stories
Stephen King is my favourite author, so I'm always going to enjoy his stories although it varies as to how much. I have a particular fondness for his short stories or epic doorstop sized novels, and I'm pleased that Black House falls into the latter.

The Talisman is a great story, and this is a very welcome sequel with Jack now as a rather endearing and heroic adult, scarred by his past. This is a story that starts off as a standard crime story and as it goes on turns into a fantastical horror, filled with King's usual mix of well written secondary characters and a nice amount of gore. What I also loved about this is how it links into other King stories - not just The Talisman, but others that I won't spoil but are very much beloved.

That's not to say this book is perfect. It is VERY long and I feel like there are parts of this that get too rambling and long winded, and there are some parts that could quite easily have been cut out without impacting on the main plot. There are also a few characters in this with odd speech impediments or accents, and trying to read their manner of speech gets very irritating after a while.

But apart from this, this is a hugely enjoyable King epic novel. Although only one to read if you've read The Talisman - this is not a standalone sequel.
  
Before You Sleep
Before You Sleep
Adam Nevill | 2020 | Horror
9
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
124 of 200
Kindle
Before you sleep: three horrors
By Adam Nevill

A trilogy of horror stories from the award-winning writer's first collection of short stories - SOME WILL NOT SLEEP - and an introduction to the nightmarish visions and ghastly spectres that have been disturbing the sleep of readers for years. In this book you'll find two ghost stories and a tale of ancestral demoniac horror.

In the big white house on the hill angels are said to appear . . .
When the children left the house, their toys remained . . .
A confused and vengeful presence occupies the home of a first-time buyer . . .





1. Where Angels come in

So reading this in the dark is so bloody frightening but the only way to read it! This reminds me of all the creepy places we used to dare each other to go as kids. There are images from this story that are going to stay with me for a while! Brilliant short!!

2. Ancestors

Well that was bloody creepy as hell!! One I think I’m hiding all the toys in a locked box!! Also don’t go poking your nose in where it’s not needed!


3. Florrie

This sent shivers down my spine. I also felt a little sad at the lives just being left and florrie still being tied to the house. Think he would have listened to his mother though! A very strange story!

Overall!

I’m a huge fan of Adam Nevill’s work and have been for years his books truly terrify me. I find myself jumping at stupid noises in the house that I know are normal! I highly recommend his books!
  
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In this collection you will find 12 short stories that are set during the 1800s in the frontier of our expanding country. As the name of the collection proclaims each story highlights a bride's journey to love and romance. This collection has a wide variety of stories and characters. While I thoroughly enjoyed each story, a couple of my favorites were: The Festive Bride by Diana Lesire Brandmeyer, The Nutcracker Bride by Margaret Brownley and The Christmas Tree Bride by Susan Page Davis.

What better way to get into the Christmas spirit than 12 novellas written by some of my favorite authors? Each author did a wonderful job of capturing the Spirit of Christmas in just 50 short pages. Every story drew me into the heart of the season. The blessing that God gave us in Jesus' birth is demonstrated beautifully. Love, forgiveness and redemption are the main focus of this collection. If you are looking for a good Christmas read, I recommend this collection. You can read one here and there or burn through the whole collection in a week like I did. Either way, you are sure to enjoy the festivity between the pages.

I received a free digital copy of The 12 Brides of Christmas from Barbour Publishing Inc. through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
  
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Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post

Jul 7, 2022  
Author Thomas H. McNeely visits my blog to discuss what it means to lose where we live in an emotional yet touching guest post. Read up on his coming of age/short stories fiction book PICTURES OF THE SHARK while you're there. Be sure to enter the giveaway for a chance to win an editorial critique of an excerpt from an unpublished short story or novel and/or an autographed copy of Pictures of the Shark.

https://alltheupsandowns.blogspot.com/2022/07/book-blog-tour-and-giveaway-pictures-of.html

**BOOK SYNOPSIS**
A sudden snowfall in Houston reveals family secrets. A trip to Universal Studios to snap a picture of the shark from Jaws becomes a battle of wills between father and son. A midnight séance and the ghost of Janis Joplin conjure the mysteries of sex. A young boy’s pilgrimage to see Elvis Presley becomes a moment of transformation. A young woman discovers the responsibilities of talent and freedom.

Pictures of the Shark, by Houston native and Dobie Paisano award-winning author Thomas H. McNeely, traces a young man's coming of age and falling apart. From the rough and tumble of Houston's early seventies East End to the post-punk Texas bohemia of late eighties Austin, this novel in stories examines what happens when childhood trauma haunts adult lives.
     
My Sister's Bones
My Sister's Bones
Nuala Ellwood | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
4
7.2 (5 Ratings)
Book Rating
Predictable, what an anti-climax!
If I ever hear that another book is the "next Gone Girl" or the "next Girl On A Train", I'm going to rate it 0.

The genre has become predictable. There are three elements to look out for in these books:

1. Neurotic women are usually right
2. Nice men are psychopaths
3. The women won't be believed by authorities until the very end

And so goes this tale of two sisters, one who became a war correspondent suffering from post-traumatic stress, and the other an alcoholic - both abused as children. One's high functioning, the other is a deadbeat mother. In between are the stories of mysterious children appearing here, there and everywhere. And the women not being believed.

The writer attempts to make a difference by bringing in stories of the horrors of the Middle East, which was a nice change - but it seemed more like a tool to follow exactly the pattern. It seemed promising but it falls short.