Farm News - March 31, 2025 (A Late Edition)

 

I meant to do an update yesterday but ended up being sick all day, so I became a couch potato, reading and watching TV all day.  I had an earache which I NEVER get and while it is somewhat better today, it's still throwing me off.  I wanted to get one more update in during March so this may be a quick one.

All is good here at the Farm.  We did get storms last night, but they were pretty mild compared to some areas so I'm not complaining.  Apollo was sick last weekend and didn't show much of an interest in food.  I think he had an upset stomach, and it could have been related to allergies because as soon as I made a vet appointment, fed him a bland diet, and provided him Pepto and Benadryl, he snapped out of it.  So we didn't actually have to follow through with the appointment.  Also, last Wednesday was the two-year anniversary of Cassius' death so I think that was making my anxiety high as well.

I'm trying to cram one last book into today so hopefully tonight will provide some quality reading time. I visited a new area bookstore Saturday near my home. It's a cute shop downtown with brick walls and opens spaces and two bearded dragon mascots.  They sell a combination of new and used books and host some clubs and events.  I think the owner must be a romantasy/dark romance fan though because that was the majority of the new book releases she carried.  It's called "First Chapter" and I would definitely visit again.  

I received a few arcs I REALLY REALLY wanted this past week, so I have to share.

13 Months Haunted: Jimmy Juliano

Sister, Butcher, Sister: KD Aldyn

A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping: Sangu Mandanna

Demon Summer: J.J. Buffet

That's about it.  Hope to get a Coming Attraction post and a few reviews up this coming week, as well as catch up on some blog hopping.

Thanks for visiting Booker T's Farm!

Feed Your TBR - Matchmaking for Psychopaths

 

Can't Wait Wednesday, which I have adapted to better suit my blog as "Feed Your TBR" 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.

July 17, 2025

FROM GOODREADS: Alexandra grew up hungry. Hungry for food, hungry for safety, hungry for love. Which is why she's worked so hard to have it a beautiful home, a gorgeous doctor boyfriend, and an ambitious job matching individuals with... unconventional emotional responses. Sure, her clients may sit somewhere on the psychopathy scale. But they're not the dangerous, murderous kind. They're doctors, lawyers, teachers, and everyone deserves love.

And that's exactly what Alex thinks she's found. Love. So she's floored when she arrives to her dinner with her boyfriend, expecting a ring in a little box, and instead finding her best friend sat at the table with him. They have news. They're together now. And apparently her birthday dinner is the best time to share the news.

Suddenly, Alex's world implodes. She has lost the two people in the world closest to her, her only support. She's utterly alone, her future in pieces. So when she unexpectedly bumps into a client, Rebecca, and Rebecca seems to want to be friends, it feels like a lifeline.

But then Alex's now ex turns up dead, then more people around her seem to be dropping like flies. And she can't help but wonder if this new friendship is a match made in hell.

WHY I CAN'T WAIT:  I still need to read this author's previous book, Love Letters to a Serial Killer, but this one sounds so interesting I just had to add this one.  The cover is what immediately caught my attention but once I read the synopsis, I was sold.

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

I Knew I Was Done With Winter!

 

TITLE: Our Winter Monster

AUTHOR: Dennis Mahoney

PUBLISHER: Hell's Hundred

PUBLISHING DATE: January 28, 2025

PAGES: 304    

SOURCE: Library

FROM GOODREADS: For the last year, Holly and Brian have been out of sync. Neither can forget what happened that one winter evening; neither can forgive what’s happened since. Tonight, Holly and Brian race toward Pinebuck, New York, trying to outrun a blizzard on their way to the ski village getaway they hope will save their relationship. But soon they lose control of the car—and then of themselves. 

Now Sheriff Kendra Book is getting calls about a couple in trouble—along with reports of a brutal and mysterious creature rampaging through town, leaving a trail of crushed cars, wrecked buildings, and mangled bodies in the snow. 

To Kendra, who lost another couple to the snow just seven weeks ago, the danger feels personal. But not as personal as it feels to Holly and Brian, who are starting to see the past, the present, and themselves in a monstrous new light . . .

MY THOUGHTS:  I absolutely love winter horror.  Which is kind of ironic because I really only enjoy winter from Thanksgiving to New Year's.  But give me a winter-themed horror book and it will quickly move up the ranks of the good old TBR.  

Our Winter Monster tells the story of Brian and Holly.  They have both been through a very traumatic incident when has created a huge rift in their relationship. Hoping to move past it, the set out to a small ski village, hoping they can beat an impending blizzard.  Guess what?  They can't.  They end up getting stranded and separated and what goes on from there is one action-packed, destruction-filled, gore-filled night.  And for the most part, I loved every minute of it.

The formatting of the book really lends itself to the author's tale.  The entire book takes place in less that 24 hours with only a few well-placed flashbacks showing what led Holly and Brian to this crossroads in their life.  The chapters are also relatively short which helps lead to the urgency in the tale.  We meet quite a few townspeople along the way who add quite a bit to the story and explained some of the struggles the sheriff, Kendra Book, has experienced which makes her more determined than ever to figure out and stop the monster terrifying her town.  Oh Kendra, if it was only that easy.

If you love winter horror, I can't recommend this one enough.  My only complaint is that there is somewhat of an open ending.  Yet even though I am not a fan of this formula, it did really work with this book, and I hope more people decide to pick it up!  Definitely want to read more from this author.

MY RATING: 4 PAWS

Did I Do That???

 

TITLE: Growing Up Urkel

AUTHOR: Jaleel White

PUBLISHER: Simon and Schuster

PUBLISHING DATE: November 19, 2024

PAGES:    

SOURCE: Library

FROM GOODREADS: An incisive and insightful memoir by one of the most beloved icons of nineties television Jaleel White, the actor who portrayed Steve Urkel on the hit sitcom Family Matters.

At the tender age of twelve, Jaleel White auditioned for the role of Steve Urkel, the socially inept genius, who was in love with his next-door neighbor, Laura. Though Steve Urkel was intended to be in only one episode, Jaleel’s indelible performance catapulted Urkel into the pantheon of American pop culture. But success can cost as much as it pays. After nine years on the popular sitcom Family Matters, Jaleel is twenty-one, a UCLA undergrad, and adjusting to a world and industry that sees him as the nasally nerd in high water pants, suspenders, and coke bottle glasses.

MY THOUGHTS: When I am in the mood for non-fiction, I tend to gravitate toward subjects related to pop culture or of course, animals.  So, when I saw this one available on Libby, my interest was piqued.  I have watched some Family Matters in syndication and have always found Urkel to be such a polarizing character when looking at more modern shows currently on TV and streaming.

Jaleel White is not your typical childhood actor.  His parents were very grounded and kept him in check.  Even when working and making extreme amounts of money, his allowance consisted of $300.00 when he needed something because that was the amount his mother was comfortable drawing out at once.  In addition, it wasn't until he entered college that he bought his first new car.  Up until that part, he drove his dad's hand-me-down.  His parents' main reason for encouraging and supporting his son's acting career was so he would have the money needed to obtain a good high school education.

White also experienced some problems once Family Matters ended.  It was hard to leave Urkel behind as the character was so uniquely portrayed and was really not allowed show a lot of character growth over the year.  White did have a few other series afterwards but they were on smaller networks and I will admit to know very little about them.

Finally, I respect what White did with this book.  He has a young daughter and referenced her only a few times and included only one picture with her.  He was never really in a long-term relationship with the mother and chose to air very little of their interactions with the book itself.  Also, there was a character named Judy,  the youngest daughter, on Family Matters who just disappeared and was never mentioned again after four seasons.  I'm always a little shocked when shows do that but after reading this book, at least now I know what happened.  

If you like memoirs and want to read about a childhood actor who didn't fall into the pitfalls many others did, this book is a good reference on how to make sure that doesn't happen.  Plus, it's just plain interesting for those of us just out-and-out curious.  

MY RATING: 5 PAWS 

(Rating this for Goodreads purposes.  However, I chose not to rate the lives of famous people or public figures as I believe it is not my position to question or support their choices or beliefs.  

Feed Your TBR - Black Cat Tales

 

Can't Wait Wednesday, which I have adapted to better suit my blog as "Feed Your TBR" 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.

June 13, 2025

FROM GOODREADS: Join authors from around the world for never before published horror, dark fantasy and mystery short stories and poems featuring the beloved, feared and mystical  black cat . Black Cat Tales showcases a diverse group of authors ranging in age from 17 to 80, some with multiple award winning publications under their belts, for others, this will be the first time seeing their work in print.

Goodreads has a wonderful list of all the authors and tales included in this one, most of whom I have never heard of.  If you want to check it out, click HERE.

WHY I CAN'T WAIT: I've always found the use of the black cat in literature and film to be quite interesting and please don't tell Apollo and Zekey, but I believe black cats often get a bad rap.

I also like collecting anthologies.  I do not like reading them in digital format so I end up buying them and they look pretty on my shelves.  Maybe I should read more of them though, right? 

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

They're Supposed to Be Green!

 

TITLE: The Cut

AUTHOR: C.J. Dotson

PUBLISHER: St. Martin's Press

PUBLISHING DATE: April 8, 2025

PAGES: 304   

SOURCE: ARC

FROM GOODREADS: In this chilling supernatural horror novel set in a mysterious hotel, a woman fleeing her abusive ex finds herself running from more than just her past. 

 A historic hotel long past its prime and huddled along The Cut, a questionable Lake Erie beach, isn’t Sadie Miles’ ideal place to raise a toddler while also navigating her second pregnancy. After finally fleeing her abusive ex-fiancé, though, Sadie’s new housekeeping position and free room at L’Arpin Hotel are the best she can manage. 

On her first night, Sadie runs to help a guest struggling in the hotel’s pool only to find the water calm and empty when she gets there, leaving her with a lingering unease. When a guest then goes missing and her manager insists they simply left without checking out, Sadie suspects he’s covering up darker goings-on in the hotel. 

After her ex, Sadie won't let anyone convince her that what she’s experiencing isn’t real again. So, she keeps digging, quickly uncovering suspicious interactions with the staff, mysteriously vanishing security cameras, more missing guests, and things that go bump in the night...and drip in the walls, slither in the tub, and squirm in the halls. Everything isn't as it seems within the dim hallways of L’Arpin. Sadie has nowhere to go and nowhere to hide; she'll need to keep her wits about her to survive and keep her toddler and unborn child safe from whatever lurks nearby.

MY THOUGHTS: Let's get this out of the way before I say more.  This book is what I would call a creature-feature, one of my favorite horror sub-genres.  But the creatures in this book are GREEN people!  Did this cover designer even read the book?  Moving on.

Sadie and her three-year-old daughter, Izzy, are running away from Sadie's abusive fiancé and land in a small town on Lake Erie, Ohio.  Sadie interviews and get a job at a historic hotel, L'Arpin, which works out well because the manager/owner allows Sadie to live there as well. Soon after her arrival she begins to hear strange water sounds coming from the hallways and a trail of water left behind.  In addition, people are coming up missing and no one at the hotel seems to care.  The man who runs the power plant next door keeps accusing the hotel employees of sabotaging his building and the old lady, Gertie, who has lived at the hotel for what seems like forever keeps finding more and more reasons to be around Izzy.

This book started out kind of slow.  I was about 40% in when it eventually picked up.  It wasn't that I ever thought about DNF'ing, but I just found myself putting it aside and not in any real hurry to pick it back up.  However, once I reached the last 30%, I couldn't put the book down.  I also found the setting and some of the characters pretty creepy, even though Sadie was annoying most of the time.  That being said, it is also clear she is a victim of domestic violence, and the past abuse was the root of many of her actions and poor decisions, so I completely get it. I found the ending somewhat over-the-top but it was dramatic and fit the creature-feature Modis Operandi.

Overall, The Cut was exactly what I expected, except for the red creatures.  It wasn't perfect but it ended up being fun and sometimes that's all you need from your horror. If you are even slightly curious about this one, I recommend you give it a try. 

MY RATING: 4 Paws

Farm News - March 15, 2025

  Hope everyone is doing well this weekend.  I know some areas have had some crazy weather.  It has been pretty warm here, was even 80 on Friday, but a cool down to more March-like temps is headed our way next week.  The boys have enjoyed the sun and the warmer temps this week though.  

Speaking of, I've been promising some followers updated pics of the pups.  Apollo is so patient with Zekey.  Ever since he was small, Zekey loved to "dog pile" on Apollo.  This has not changed as he has gotten older which is evident with these pics.  The top left one was taken just this past Friday.  We have an older chair which is hard to get rid of because the boys love it.  As you can see, they get good use of it while Mom is working during the day.  You can also see how the boys are almost marked identically.  People who meet them in person are shocked that Zekey isn't Apollo's pup.  

Here is a favorite I recently took of Apollo enjoying a peaceful moment by himself.  I have no idea where his brother was, but I am sure he was nearby.  

It's been a very horror-filled book haul the past two weeks.  I'm excited to see what these titles bring when I dive into them.  Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers. 

Ten Sleep: Nicholas Belardes

Death in the Dark: Bryce Moore

Burial Tide: Neil Sharpson

Grin: D.W. Gillespie

The Summer I Ate the Rich: Maika Moulite

The Dead Husband Cookbook: Danielle Valentine

So, there you have it.  Not a lot to report from The Farm but at least you got new books and cute pups!

Thanks for visiting Booker T's Farm!