What's Happening (04-23-21)...

 

So once again I'm going to try to make this a regular feature.  I got really bad about updating at the end of 2020.  Hopefully I'll get better at checking in regularly.  As always, I'm linking up with Stacking the Shelves at  Tynga's Reviews and The Sunday Post at The Caffeinated Reviewer.

It's been a busy few weeks.  The job is going really well but there's so much to learn.  I'm having flashbacks of being a Pre-Law major in college as I research WV rules and statutes and see how they apply to  the work I'm doing.  Besides the first three days, I've worker the remainder of the first five weeks at home and have to say that is definitely a plus as well.  I do have to make myself go out into the real world though or I sometimes find myself feeling closed in and stressed.  You could say I'm a work in progress - haha.

On Wednesday I also got the first of my COVID vaccines.  I get the second one in 4 weeks.  I felt kind of odd the first night and my arm really hurt for three days but I wouldn't NOT get it.  Grandpa is back in the hospital.  Tuesday myself and a family friend tried calling him all day and after a few hours of not getting him on the phone, I finally called my Aunt and told her to go lay eyes on him.  Three hours later and she hadn't made it there (it was a REALLY far mile and a half I guess) so I called Mom and she left work to go.  He had barricaded himself in the house, moved the couch and loveseat to the middle of the room, turned on a flood light and took all the lampshades off the lamps and crawled down inside the couch.  They thought he had actually passed because the house was close to 100 degrees inside because it was almost 80 that day and he had the heat cranked up.  Luckily he was physically fine but he no longer recognizes any of the family.  I thought it might pass and we might get sparks of him back but so far, nope.

I have still been reading and watching.  I'm hoping tonight to watch Godzilla vs Kong.  But I don't want Kong to die so I'll have to look up spoilers first.  I've been purchasing a few books here and there.  I keep telling myself it's a treat for my new job but it's probably more like retail therapy.  Needful Things is for a buddy/retro read.   This month Stormi and I are actually reading the same book.  I had a hardback somewhere but I think a few boxers ago it might have gotten eaten as I can't locate it.  I love the New Orleans setting of Ruby so grabbed it at Wal-Mart on a whim and I've been hearing great things about the Theodora Goss series.  And isn't Moon Dog adorable?

And I received some great books for review. I snagged a copy of Feral Creatures and I was in Wal-Mart (no, I don't live there) when I got the email notification.  I think I danced in the aisle.  I've read a few books by Chizmar so I'm very curious about Chasing the Boogeyman.  Just One Look promises to be an exciting thriller and finally, after falling in love with Glenn Rolfe's Until Summer Comes Around last year, I knew I had to read his newest release, August's Eyes.

So Cassius and Apollo want to wish all who celebrate a wonderful Easter and as always, they thank you for stopping by Booker T's Farm!

Can't Wait Wednesday

 

Can't Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings to spotlight highly anticipated books.  It is based on the Waiting on Wednesday meme which used to be hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

FROM GOODREADS: Riverdale meets Stephen King in the terrifying new thriller from the author of Harrow Lake.

From its creepy town mascot to the story of its cursed waterfall, Burden Falls is a small town dripping with superstition. Ava Thorn knows this well—since the horrific accident she witnessed a year ago, she's been plagued by nightmares. But when someone close to her is brutally murdered and Ava is the primary suspect, she starts to wonder if the legends surrounding the town are more fact than fiction. Whatever secrets Burden Falls is hiding, there's a killer on the loose, and they have a vendetta against the Thorns. 

WHY I CAN'T WAIT:  I still need to read Harrow Lake but I can't help but fall for the Riverdale/Stephen King comparison.  

CASSIUS'S PICK:

FROM GOODREADS: Lawyer Andy Carpenter and his wife, Laurie, enjoy walking their dogs, Tara and Sebastian. By this point in their marriage, it's routine. When out for one of their strolls, their simple ritual isn't so simple anymore. Across the street, a man is mistreating his dog. Three things happen at once: Andy yells, Laurie runs to stop the abuse, and so does a closer passerby, who so thoroughly beats the owner that both are arrested when the cops arrive.

Andy scoops up the dog and takes him to the Tara Foundation, the dog rescue organization that's always been his true passion. Meanwhile, at the police station, the passerby is identified as Matthew Jantzen, and he's wanted for murder. Andy and Laurie are struck by the fact that Jantzen, a man on the run, would nevertheless intervene to help a dog, and decide to find out more.

Dog Eat Dog, the twenty-second installment in the Andy Carpenter series, features the charming cast of characters - old and new - that David Rosenfelt is known for and the dogs that accompany them.

WHY CASSIUS CAN'T WAIT:  I've given up all hope that Mom will ever read this series - even though she needs to do so.  So basically I'm featuring this one because it has a great cover.  Dogs and donuts.  What more can you want?

WHAT BOOKS CAN'T YOU WAIT FOR THIS WEEK???

2 Bloggers 1 Book - Later by Stephen King

 

So I actually surprised Stormi with a copy of our buddy read when it released this month.  She didn't know what book was coming, but she knew we'd read it together.  I'm just a tad sad though because it ended up being a book she didn't really care for.  So read on for my review and then hop over to Stormi's @ Books, Movies, Reviews! Oh My! and see her thoughts.

TITLE: Later

AUTHOR: Stephen King

PUBLISHER: Hard Case Crime

PUBLISHING DATE: March 2, 2021

PAGES: 248

SOURCE: Own Library

FROM GOODREADS: 

The son of a struggling single mother, Jamie Conklin just wants an ordinary childhood. But Jamie is no ordinary child. Born with an unnatural ability his mom urges him to keep secret, Jamie can see what no one else can see and learn what no one else can learn. But the cost of using this ability is higher than Jamie can imagine - as he discovers when an NYPD detective draws him into the pursuit of a killer who has threatened to strike from beyond the grave. 

Later is Stephen King at his finest, a terrifying and touching story of innocence lost and the trials that test our sense of right and wrong. With echoes of King's classic novel IT, Later is a powerful, haunting, unforgettable exploration of what it takes to stand up to evil in all the faces it wears.

MY THOUGHTS: So I'm not going to hold back.  I absolutely loved this book... until I didn't.  And that actually happened in the last 15 pages or so so I guess you could say I was as shocked as you might be.  So in Later, we follow Jamie Conklin from a young boy on.  When he was six, he saw his first dead person.  His ability allows him to sometimes see the deceased for up to three days following their demise.  They fade a bit each day until they disappear and for some reason, when Jamie talks to them, they have to be honest with their answers.

Jamie's mother doesn't initially believe him and neither does her detective girlfriend.  However things start to happen and the people closest to Jamie start using his ability for their own selfish goals.  And that's when things go wrong.

I enjoyed the "crime" aspect of this book but will be honest, it's kind of light, especially for a book marketed primarily as a "hard case crime" book.  I did enjoy the paranormal aspect of the novel and having the tale told from Jamie's POV was an extra bonus.  So all this is great right?  I flew through this book, and then I hit the wall that is the last 15 pages.  

I LOVE King. But I think it's no secret that people often feel his ending are sometimes weak.  Yes, Under the Dome, I'm looking at you!  So I can't help but feel King is tired of that criticism so in Later, he decided "I'll show you!  I'll throw something in the ending to amp everything up."  But what he threw in was totally unnecessary and pointless.  And it kind of bummed me out.  

So needless to say, I do still recommend this book.  If for no other reason than I love seeing everyone else's thoughts on the ending.  If you are a King fan, then pick this up.  And if you want to start reading King, I think this is a great starting place because it's on the short side and not completely horrific and scary. Just remember that I warned you about the ending.  It dropped my 5/5 rating down a notch.

RATING: 4 Paws

Flame Tree Press Tour - Your Turn to Suffer

 

TITLE: Your Turn to Suffer

AUTHOR: Tim Waggoner

PUBLISHER: Flame Tree Press

PUBLISHING DATE: March 23, 2021

PAGES: 256    

SOURCE: ARC

FROM GOODREADS: 

Lorelai Palumbo is harassed by a sinister group calling themselves The Cabal. They accuse her of having committed unspeakable crimes in the past, and now she must pay. The Cabal begins taking her life apart one piece at a time – her job, her health, the people she loves – and she must try to figure out what The Cabal thinks she’s done if she’s to have any hope of answering their charges and salvaging her life.

MY THOUGHTS: I've read several books by Waggoner and if on this is for sure, the reader never knows what to expect and more likely than not, it's going to be one hell of a ride.  Lorelai is headed home from a tough day at work when she runs into a mysterious woman in the grocery story who claims she must confess and atone or suffer.  Soon weird and awful things start happening around her and to the people she cares about the most.  Lorelai takes it upon herself to get to the bottom of things and ends up traveling to an alternative dimension full of creepy cult members and strange creatures.  Can Lorelai figure out what she needs to atone for before it's too late.

Honestly, this really wasn't my favorite Waggoner book.  Everyone who knows me knows how much I enjoy an odd book and this one definitely fits the mark.  But I think it says something (probably about me but oh well) when my favorite character is a man who spews killer insects from his mouth and then welcomes them back "home" when their job is done.  I didn't mind Lorelai but clearly she had a lot of secrets which were uncovered the more the tale progressed and as they did, I found myself not liking her even more.  I will say the book did pick up for me toward the end and I can see where there might be a sequel in the future as the conclusion was a tad open-ended.  

If you love body horror and odd tales and haven't picked up Waggoner, you are definitely missing out.  I'm starting to think that author's mind is both brilliant and a scary place to be all at the same time.

RATING: 3 PAWS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Tim Waggoner has published over forty novels and four short story collections, and his articles on writing have appeared in Writer’s Digest and Writers’ Journal, among others. He's won the Bram Stoker Award and has been a finalist for both the Shirley Jackson Award and the Scribe Award. He teaches creative writing at Sinclair Community College in Dayton, Ohio. Visit him on the web at www.timwaggoner.com.

As an extra bonus, I read this book as a buddy read with my bestie Stormi.  Make sure you hop over to her blog and see her thoughts @ Books, Movies, Reviews! Oh My!

Can't Wait Wednesday (314)

 

Can't Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings to spotlight highly anticipated books.  It is based on the Waiting on Wednesday meme which used to be hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

FROM GOODREADS: What do you do when the undead comes knocking on your door?

Play pop music for her, of course.

Katya, a grieving suburban wife recovering from trauma, is shocked, to say the least, when a shambling, mud-covered girl shows up at her home claiming she took her heart. Once she finds out the girl means her no ill will, however, they become unlikely friends.

Having lost the memories of the life that led to her untimely demise, the girl soon recruits Katya and husband Vijay in a whirlwind quest of self-discovery and revenge. And drinking. The more they learn, however, the more mysteries they uncover about the nature of her death.

Supernatural abilities aside, this conspiracy may end up with more deaths than her own.

WHY I CAN'T WAIT:  I'm not going to lie.  This was initially a complete cover grab.  But after reading the synopsis, I'm really curious and need to find out more.  

CASSIUS'S PICK:

FROM GOODREADS: Thirteen-year-old Abby Hubble lives in an unhappy home in the Sierra Nevada foothills where her father makes life miserable for her and her mother, Mary. One day Abby witnesses a man dump a litter of puppies into the nearby river. Diving in to rescue all seven, she knows she won’t be able to bring them home. Afraid for their fate at the pound, she takes them to an abandoned cabin, where all she can offer is a promise that she’ll be back the next day.

To grieving widower Elliot Colvin, life has lost meaning. Looking for solace, he retreats to the hunting cabin he last visited years ago, before his wife’s illness. What he discovers is not at all what he expected: seven puppies and one determined girl with an indomitable heart.

As Abby and Elliot’s friendship deepens, Abby imagines how much better her life—and the puppies’ lives—would be if her mother were married to Elliot instead of her father. But when Abby’s father moves the family hundreds of miles away, Abby and her mother must decide how long they’re willing to defer happiness.

Seven Perfect Things is a story about joy, where to find it, how to know it when you see it, and the courage it takes to hang on to it once you have it.

WHY CASSIUS CAN'T WAIT:  First of all, since Mom did a cover grab, I'm going to as well.  Look at those adorable puppies.  And I know Mom really likes this author a lot so I'm excited for her to read this one!

WHAT BOOK CAN'T YOU WAIT FOR THIS WEEK???

Don't Understand the Hype

 

TITLE: The Cousins

AUTHOR: Karen M. McManus

PUBLISHER: Delacorte Press

PUBLISING DATE: December 1, 2020

PAGES: 337

SOURCE: Library

FROM GOODREADS: 

Milly, Aubrey, and Jonah Story are cousins, but they barely know each another, and they've never even met their grandmother. Rich and reclusive, she disinherited their parents before they were born. So when they each receive a letter inviting them to work at her island resort for the summer, they're surprised... and curious. 

Their parents are all clear on one point—not going is not an option. This could be the opportunity to get back into Grandmother's good graces. But when the cousins arrive on the island, it's immediately clear that she has different plans for them. And the longer they stay, the more they realize how mysterious—and dark—their family's past is. 

The entire Story family has secrets. Whatever pulled them apart years ago isn't over—and this summer, the cousins will learn everything.

MY THOUGHTS: I was really excited to finally get my hands on this book as it seemed to be quite popular at my local library. I've heard people rave about the author and finally wanted to give one of her books a go.  While I didn't exactly hate this book, I just don't understand all the hype.

Milly, Aubrey and Jonah are summoned by their estranged Grandmother to spend the summer at an exclusive island getaway working at her prestigious resort.  Many years ago Grandmother ceased all contact with her children and no one has spoken to her for years.  Her final contact included a letter simply stating "You know what you did."  The parents encourage (force) their children to go seeing it as a chance to get back in their mother's good graces and reclaim what they feel is their rightful inheritance.  However, when the teens arrive, the more time they spend there the stranger things seem to be.  Grandmother doesn't really want to have anything to do with them and they find themselves trying to unravel what happened so many years ago.

I know this is going to sound strange but the majority of the time I was reading this book I couldn't shake the feeling that this was a mystery without a mystery.  If I can clarify, and don't hold out hope, I knew there was a mystery present but just wasn't sure what it was.  There were a few surprise twists that I didn't see coming which is probably what actually raised my overall rating a bit.  Most of the action and reveals come in the last 20% and by then, I just wanted to book to be over.  I didn't mind Milly, Aubrey and Jonah as characters but as far as entitled, spoiled teenagers go, they didn't really stand out from others I've read.

If you love this author then I'm sure you'll want to grab The Cousins.  And I'm sure a lot of people will enjoy this book because I've seen tons of good reviews/hype. I just found it kind of middle of the line though.

RATING: 3 Paws

Can't Wait Wednesday (313)

 

Can't Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings to spotlight highly anticipated books.  It is based on the Waiting on Wednesday meme which used to be hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

FROM GOODREADS:  Ten years ago, disaster struck the remote town of Indigo Falls. A horrific event drove the residents underground, into shelters that keep them safe from the danger on the surface. No one speaks about what happened that fateful day, but even the youngest still remember the fear and, most of all, the searing pain when sunlight touched their skin.

Now, a handfull of families inhabit this bunker together, guided by a charismatic leader named Dr. Imogen Moran. There are many rules Dr. Moran has instilled to govern life belowground. You must always tell the truth. You must avoid the light of the sun. You must never touch skin to skin.

But the most important rule, the one that was drilled into their heads from the moment the hatch slammed shut all those years ago, was at the very end of the list. It rattled around in their skulls when all was silent, echoing in the quiet, lonely dark.

You must never go outside.

WHY I CAN'T WAIT:  I love the creepy cover and I always need more horror in my life.  

CASSIUS'S PICK:

FROM GOODREADS: The Man is happy. The Woman is happy. That means Gatz is happy. He'd like to forget about the trouble he made to get them back together--only slightly ashamed at his antics--and focus on the future. The Woman and New Man are about to get married, after all. But when The Woman loses her job because of some bad press about the two of them, her confidence is broken and she can't help but feel resentful towards New Man when his own career stays intact. Gatz has to give it to him; New Man remains as patient as a saint (of course he does).

The Man is doing better, too, thanks to the New Woman in his life, who just so happens to be a writer as well. But two authors in the same relationship can sometimes be one too many, and they find themselves getting quite competitive with each other. But Gatz has faith in them--The Man did learn from his mistakes, didn't he?

Gatz doesn't know what happened to these two perfectly happy couples, but he knows one thing is for sure: not all families are alike, and happiness can be found in the unlikeliest pockets--just like treats! 

WHY CASS CAN'T WAIT:  The first in this series is one of Mom's favorite books and I have to admit, Gatz is a pretty good dog.  I'm glad Mom doesn't have human children because she might sell one to get her hands on this book early.  I know me and Apollo are safe though - she told us!

WHAT BOOK CAN'T YOU WAIT FOR THIS WEEK???