2 Bloggers 1 Series - Track of the Cat

 

When I saw USA Network was making a series based on the Anna Pigeon mysteries by Nevada Barr, I know I at least wanted to read a book or two before watching.  So, I convinced Stormi to pick up a new series read and give this one a try.  Not sure either of us got what we expected, and it might be a while before we pick up the next one, but I do think we will continue eventually.  

TITLE: Track of the Cat (Anna Pigeon #1)

AUTHOR: Nevada Barr

PUBLISHER: Avon

PUBLISHING DATE: January 1, 1993

PAGES: 218   

SOURCE: Own

FROM GOODREADS:

Anna Pigeon has fled New York and her memories to find work as a ranger in the country’s national parks. In the remote backcountry of West Texas, however, she discovers murder and violence. Fellow park ranger Sheila Drury is mysteriously killed, presumably by a mountain lion. But the deep claw marks Anna finds across Drury’s throat and the paw prints surrounding the body are too perfect to be real.

MY THOUGHTS: This book, which I understand is the first in a very long series, is basically a mystery which in my opinion is used to basically introduce us to a wide cast of characters, especially Anna.  

One the park rangers has been found by Anna while she is out in the backcountry of Texas tracking mountain lions.  Everyone believes Sheila was killed by one of the lions, but things don't add up for Anna.  Also, this gives the county an excuse to track down the mountain lion and kill it which angers Anna more than anything.  Anna starts investigating, more people start dying, and in the end, the reader learns what has been going on and who is responsible. 

This book features a lot of wildlife mentions and references which I assume is a reoccurring theme in upcoming books because Anna is a park ranger. I could have done without the snake chapter but that's just me and I have to admit, it added a lot to the plot.  I'm not sure I am extremely fond of Anna as I believe she is a bit odd, which might be a factor as I continue the series, but we will see. I thought the mystery was solid and really enjoyed the setting so I will at least try book two at some point.

While the first part of the book was a tad slow, the second half really ramped up and saved the overall rating.  I'm curious if anyone has read any of this series and if you have, should I make continuing it a priority? 

MY RATING: 3 PAWS

 

2 Bloggers 1 Book - Swamp Monster Massacre

 

This month Stormi and I decided to venture into one of Hunter Shea's backlist books for our buddy reads.  We have always enjoyed this author, and she received this book as a birthday gift from a friend, and I was able to access it on Kindle Unlimited, add in Summer of Horror and it made perfect sense. So read on for my thoughts and then hop over to Stormi's to see hers. 

TITLE: Swamp Monster Massacre

AUTHOR: Hunter Shea

PUBLISHER: Severed Press

PUBLISHING DATE: October 2, 2012

PAGES: 149   

SOURCE: KU

FROM GOODREADS: The swamp belongs to them. Humans are only prey. 

Deep in the overgrown swamps of Florida, where humans rarely dare to enter, lives a race of creatures long thought to be only the stuff of legend. They walk upright but are stronger, taller and more brutal than any man. And when a small boat of tourists, held captive by a fleeing criminal, accidentally kills one of the swamp dwellers’ young, the creatures are filled with a terrifyingly human emotion—a merciless lust for vengeance that will paint the trees red with blood.

MY THOUGHTS: Was this a great book?  No.  It doesn't even land on my favorite books by this author.  However, it was entertaining, action-packed and a quick read and sometimes that is all you need.  

Rooster is a career criminal.  At the beginning, he gets a little greedy and ends up killing the son of a gang member and stealing a bunch of guns and money.  He then has some drinks, does some drugs and passes out.  When he awakens, the father's goons are pounding in his door, so he ends up running off, with them close behind, and hopping on a tour boat headed for the Everglades. 

Rooster soon demands control of the boat and ends up driving the motley crew taking the tour deep into the Everglades.  Several people end up hurt when a storm brews up and the boat is run ashore and smack dab into the tree.  But in its path is a hairy monkey which is brutally splattered all about by the boat and everyone starts to wonder, why is there a monkey in the middle of the Everglades?

Soon the crew is being chased by Swamp Apes (aka Bigfeet? Bigfoots? what is the plural here?). The death of their big little one has angered the momma and before you know it, the group is fighting for their lives in the middle of a swamp.  

Like I mentioned, this book was okay.  There was A LOT of dismemberment and horrific deaths and I actually started liking Rooster as the end so I guess you could say there was some character development.  However, there was also a lot of stereotypical good-looking girl talk and some perversion but again, kind of expected for the type of book this is.  I do have to say that there is a scene thrown into the end that the book definitely didn't need and actually brought the rating down a bit for me.  

I don't regret reading this one and I will still pick up future Shea creature-feature books.  Unless you have a real reason to seek this one out, there are many other books by this author I would recommend first.

MY RATING: 3 PAWS

2 Bloggers 1 Book - Night of the Crabs

 

Stormi was hosting a Red, White and Retro Readathon on her YouTube channel this month so we decided to do an older horror buddy read which would work for her and also fulfill my participation in Summer of Horror. Our choice this month is basically a creature-feature novel, and I have to admit I had a lot of fun with it, and it was a pretty quick read.  So read on for my thoughts and then hop over to Storm Reads to see Stormi's.

TITLE: NIght of the Crabs (Crabs #1)

AUTHOR: Guy N. Smith

PUBLISHER: Black Hill Books

PUBLISHING DATE: January 1, 1976

PAGES: 187   

SOURCE: Own

FROM GOODREADS: Professor Cliff Davenport's nephew disappears with his girlfriend while swimming off the Welsh Coast. Davenport discovers that a colony of giant crabs is responsible and resolves to track down and destroy them. Will he succeed before the monstrous crabs devour entire human populations? Full of action, suspense and gore, this is classic 1970s animal attack horror by bestselling British author Guy N. Smith (1939-2020).

MY THOUGHTS: This book was a lot of fun.  Was it perfect? No.  But it was a summer creature feature I thoroughly enjoyed and was a nice change of pace for some of the more slasher/psychological horror I have found on my shelves lately.  

Professor Davenport's nephew and his girlfiend, also Davenport's assistant, go missing while on vacation.  While it is being reported the allegedly drowned, their bodies have not been recovered and he questions what really happened because he knows they were both well-established swimmers.  He decides to travel to the Welsh Coast himself and after a bit of investigation, he finds out what really happened.  Davenport runs across a group of giant crabs, led by King Crab himself who actually seems to be a thinking, intelligent entity out to cause murder and mayhem.  

Davenport uses his connections to engage the military to stop the crabs while a town still exists.  He also ends up meeting a newly divorced woman named Pat who is staying at the same end that wants to help him.  Can they stop the crabs in time to save the town, and how many will die in the process?

As I said, this was a lot of fun.  It was action-packed and on the shorter side.  Davenport was an interesting character and if you've ever read "Rats" which I have, it reminds me of it in a lot of ways.  However, it also had a few flaws.  You will notice one of the questions I didn't ask above is where did these giant crabs come from?  Well, they didn't ask it either and I just couldn't let it go.  They all wanted to kill them and save the world, but no one questioned how they got here in the first place.  Also, I really don't need insta-love and a marriage proposal in a under 200 pages horror book but apparently the author did.

Overall, I am glad I picked this one up.  It's nice to read older books sometimes.  Also, this is apparently an 8-book series and while I might be interested enough to pick up the second one someday, I can't ever see me reading all eight!

MY RATING: 4 PAWS (more like 3.5 but will round up for Goodreads).

2 Bloggers 1 Book - Stage Fright

My friend Stormi always participates in Middle Grade May, so I had her pick a MG "horror" book for us to buddy read and this is what she came up with. It was a cute, quick read which I ended up enjoying quite a bit.  So read on for my thoughts and then hop over to Storm Reads to see what Stormi thought.

 

TITLE: Stage Fright

AUTHOR: Wendy Parris

PUBLISHER: Delacourt Press

PUBLISHING DATE: September 27, 2024

PAGES:    

SOURCE: Library

FROM GOODREADS: When Avery returns to her hometown after moving away a year earlier, she is hoping to jump back into her friend group as if nothing’s changed. Unfortunately, new interests, secret crushes, and changing dynamics get in her way. To reunite her BFFs, she suggests they host a séance at an abandoned theater that was the site of a horrible tragedy. What starts as a fun outing, soon becomes a fight for survival after the group gets locked in…and discovers they’re not alone.

MY THOUGHTS: My friend Stormi always participates in Middle Grade May, so I had her pick a MG "horror" book for us to buddy read and this is what she came up with. It was a cute, quick read which I ended up enjoying quite a bit.  

Avery is returning to her hometown to spend a few weeks with her friends.  She desperately missed them the past school year and can't wait to catch up.  However, when she arrives, she learns that even though they missed her to, they have all seemed to move on and Avery feels left behind.  All the activities she looked forward to they seem to have outgrown.  As a nod to a mystery game they used to play, Avery suggests they go to the abandoned theatre in town and have a seance to summon the ghost of a young girl who died there who allegedly still haunts the place. They end up getting trapped and soon learn they might not be alone.  Things get pretty intense for these preteens, and they start to wonder if they will all get out alive.

It was cool to see how the author managed to make this book spooky enough for the target population and also address some heavier topics the friend encountered growing up and moving on.  In the end, they realized how much they have grown, but how much they still need each other, and I think a lot of kids who enjoy spookier tales would really love this.  There weren't a lot of books like this when I was young, probably why I started reading Stephen King at age ten, so sometimes it is fun to go back and pick one up. 

MY RATING: 3 PAWS

2 Bloggers 1 Book - Bats

 

 In April, my pal Stormi was participating in a readathon, Old School April, and had pulled some retro reads.  I decided to join her and read a backlist horror novel we had been interested in for a while.  So read on for my thoughts and then hop over to Storm Reads for hers. 

TITLE: Bats

AUTHOR: William W. Johnstone

PUBLISHER: Kensington/Lyrical PRess

PUBLISHING DATE: January 1, 1993

PAGES: 316   

SOURCE: Own Library

FROM GOODREADS: Wings of Death They’d flown north from Central and South America, appearing one day in the southern wetlands of the U.S. like ominous ink stains in the twilight sky. With each sunset, more appeared, first hundreds then thousands. Massing into a great black cloud of terror, the vampire bats were beating their wings in time with the panicked heartbeats in the towns below. No one knew how to stop them as they fell onto their prey like dark, deadly shadows. But someone had to find a way. Because somewhere in the night, they had become a threat to more than wild animals and livestock. Somewhere in the night madness took hold as these vampire bats developed a taste for human blood. And the feasting had only just begun.

MY THOUGHTS: I do love a good creature feature and this book lived up to all my expectations and more.  I was a tad worried due to it being a bit older, but honestly, this book made me want to ready more backlist horror from this author.

Johnny is ex-military living a quiet, but secure life in Louisiana.  Johnny had some pretty high clearance and was involved in some pretty secretive miliary activities, so he has a lot of knowledge and even more common sense. Late one night his two dogs start acting strangely and he hears some strange noises.  The next day some farm animals are found massacred, and Johhny starts to become suspicious.  He soon learns that for some reason, the area is being overrun by giant bats.  

Soon scientists and local law enforcement gather and try to figure out what is going on and what can be done to stop them because these bats are out to kill everything and everyone in their path.  Also, Johnny, soon realizes the government may have more to do with this than nature actually does so throw in some bureaucratic shenanigans as well. Johnny also starts working closely with a local veterinarian Blair, who is using her expertise to help battle the bats and save lives and they hit it off well so you can guess where that heads.  

First, I have to point out how much I love Johnny mainly because the first thing he does is assure his dogs safety.  He bat-proofs his entire residence and surrounding land, including encasing a run for his dogs when they are outside, so they don't get hurt. Next, Johnny and some of the law enforcement officers are on the same page and are presenting a united front rather than butting heads which was nice as sometimes in books like these, that is where the adversarial relationships start popping up.

As I mentioned, overall, this was a really enjoyable read.  I have already researched some of the authors other backlist horror titles (he primarily writes old school westerns I believe) and hope to read another one soon.  If you like creature books, this is one I would definitely recommend.

MY RATING: 4 PAWS

2 Bloggers 1 Book - Watchers

 

Stormi reached out to me at the end of September and asked if I would be interested in doing a buddy read with her in October of Watchers by Dean Koontz.  I used to read a lot of Koontz but haven't in years so of course I said yes. I was also pretty sure I had read Watchers when I was a teen but now that I have finished it, I don't think I ever did.  Maybe I was afraid the dog died and I had to confirm he didn't before I picked it up this time around.  So read on for my thoughts and then hop over to Stormi's for hers. 

 

TITLE: Watchers

AUTHOR: Dean Loontz

PUBLISHER: Berkley

PUBLISHING DATE: January 1, 1987

PAGES: 401   

SOURCE: Own library

FROM GOODREADS: A twisted, tangled story about workplace love-affairs, and plants with a taste for human flesh.  

On his thirty-sixth birthday, Travis Cornell hikes into the foothills of the Santa Ana Mountains. But his path is soon blocked by a bedraggled Golden Retriever who will let him go no further into the dark woods. That morning, Travis had been desperate to find some happiness in his lonely, seemingly cursed life. What he finds is a dog of alarming intelligence that soon leads him into a relentless storm of mankind’s darkest creation...

MY THOUGHTS: I have to admit I believe this book started out a bit slow but perhaps because there was so much going on with different characters who had yet to meet and I was getting to know what all was really going on.  However, once it picked up, I adored it and couldn't get enough.  And I will also admit that while I thoroughly enjoyed all aspects of this book, there is no way Einstein would EVER get less that a 5-paw review from me.

Travis is hiking in the woods reminiscing about his early years and all the tragedy he has experienced when he runs into a Golden Retriever.  This dog is terrified of something and seems to be trying to keep Travis safe as well.  Travis and the dog escape the unknown creature in the woods and Travis takes him home with him.  It doesn't take him long to discover the dog isn't your average pooch.  He initially names the dog Einstein and the adventure begins. 

Einstein is the result of a DNA military experience.  A hired killer is methodically silencing everyone who was involved. However, it wasn't just Einstein that escaped.  So did The Other.  Einstein was the success story and The Other, a monstrous creation, was not.  He is not hunting Einstein because he resents him and he doesn't care who he has to kill in the process.

There is so much going on in the book, and I really can't go into it all.  All I can say is read it - go ahead, you know you are curious.  Travis and Einstein meet Nora, who needs rescuing of her own, and together Nora and Travis vow to keep Einstein safe. Luckily, they run into some sympathetic people along the way to help them.  

Finally, there is Einstein - the bestest boy ever!  Einstein is beyond smart and Travis and Nora develop a way to communicate with him.  Let me say, Einstein is smarted than most people in this book.  Einstein wants to remain with his family but knows the law and The Other are hunting him. Also, Einstein's journey is not always a safe one and this book REALLY gave me some anxiety about the last 1/3 of it.  The ending is happy, sad and every emotion in between.  I even found some sympathy for The Other, which I didn't expect.

I hope to go back and read some more Koontz sooner rather than later.  There was a time in my life where he was my second favorite author right behind King. Reading tastes change but reading Watchers reminded me how much I enjoyed Koontz. Now to figure out where to start.

MY RATING: 5 PAWS 

2 Bloggers 1 Book - Nightwing

 

Last month Stormi was participating in an Old School April Readathon on Booktube.  She asked if I would be interested in reading an older horror classic with her.  I agreed right away and thought it was a creature feature.  It wasn't quite what I expected though.  So read on for my thoughts and then hop over to Stormi's @ StormReads and see what she thought. 

 

TITLE: Nightwing

AUTHOR: Martin Cruz Smith

PUBLISHER: Simon and Schuster

PUBLISHING DATE: January 1, 1977

PAGES: 257   

SOURCE: Own

FROM GOODREADS: As darkness gathers, the sky is filled with frantic motion and maddening murmurs. In an effort to end the world, an unhappy, aging Native American shaman invokes the Hopi god of death. Those around him remain skeptical, dismissing him as crazy old man. Then they discover his mutilated, bloody body and soon other similarly disfigured bodies begin to appear. Horses, sheep, cattle—no living thing is safe. But what is causing the horrible deaths? Deputy Sheriff Duran is called back to the reservation to investigate. Immediately, Duran recognizes the significance of the shaman’s spell and, with the help of two scientists, he works to combat the supernatural scourge—before there’s nothing left to save.

MY THOUGHTS: I went into this book thinking horror and I am sure that kind of set my expectations up to high.  Sure, there are some gruesome scenes but there is just as much, if not more, reservation politics between the Hopi and the Navajo with a side of revenge thrown in.

Youngman Duran is the MC of the book. He was in the service for a while and then returned to the reservation.  He now works in law enforcement and is not sure exactly where he fits in.  He is semi-dating a humanitarian nurse who has been there for two years to help improve the medical services the natives are able to access.  One day Duran's good friend, 90 some year-old Abner, creates a mysterious ritual and is found dead the next day, appearing to be savaged by some animal.  You also have Chee, who wants the Hopi land to make it "whiter" and mine the minerals located beneath the land. And finally, you have Paine, a scientist.  His father was killed in a cave while trying to exterminate some bats and since he has become a loner obsessed with eradicating them.  And then finally, last (and actually least) you have the bats themselves.

This book didn't actually create a reading slump, but it did contribute to me starting four other books.  I think I was doing what I could to avoid finishing it. The few scenes which featured the bats were very gruesome, but there weren't enough of them for my tastes.  I did enjoy reading a lot about the indigenous customs and history, but the writing style was very heavy-handed, if that makes sense.

I finally forced myself to finish this book on Saturday and was I ever glad to be done.  It wasn't a total bust, but if you ever decide to pick it up for whatever reason, just know it's more of a suspense thriller than an actual horror or creature feature.

MY RATING: 3 PAWS

Ewwww!!!! 🐀🐀🐀

 

Stormi reached out to meet late last night and asked if I wanted to join her for a couple of horror reads in April.  She is participating in the Old School April over on Booktube and I'll use any excuse to read more horror books.  So, she picked this one and another one for later in the month.  Read on for my thoughts and then hop over to Storm Reads to hear her take on it.

TITLE: The Rats

AUTHOR: James Herbert

PUBLISHER: Pan Publishing

PUBLISHING DATE: January 1, 1974

PAGES: 212   

SOURCE: Own

FROM GOODREADS: For millions of years man and rats had been natural enemies. But now for the first time - suddenly, shockingly, horribly - the balance of power had shifted and the rats began to prey on the human population.

MY THOUGHTS: Not much of a synopsis huh?  Well, even though there is a plot, the book is a lot of rats mutilating and scaring people and animals so if creature features aren't your thing, then you might want to pass this one up.  

This book takes place in 1974 London.  A giant mutant rat has been spotted and right off the bat, we have human, baby and dog death.  However, I was warned so I was prepared and let's be honest, I rarely care what happens to human beings in horror.  The MC, Harris, is pretty much a teacher who has returned to his hometown with his girlfriend, grasping for something from his past but I'm really not sure what. He came from the poorer part of town and is bent on saving other kids facing similar situations.  However, when one of his students gets attacked, Harris finds himself right in the middle of a mass rat invasion and an intense extermination mission.

This book is short and fast.  There were some chapters which seemed like their own short story, yet the author did manage to make them all tie in and add relevance to the plot.  This book came close to being a 4/5 but there was one scene where SPOLIER ALERT puppies were used as bait.  I would have rather seen them sacrifice humans - mean I know but I make no apologies.  I am glad to finally read some classic horror and might even consider reading the next two books in the trilogy.  If you like action-packed blood and gore, then give this one a go.

MY RATING: 3 Paws

2 Bloggers 1 Book - It by Stephen King

 

So, I take total responsibility for this one as it was my idea for Stormi and I to buddy read it.  I remember reading the book when I was a teen and loving it. I figured it was time for a reread so I could see if I still felt the same way - spoiler, I do not.  So read on for all my snarky thoughts and then hop over to Stormi's @ StormReads and see what she thought. 

 

TITLE: It

AUTHOR: Stephen King

PUBLISHER: Viking

PUBLISHING DATE: September 15, 1986

PAGES: 1142 (too many)   

SOURCE: Own

FROM GOODREADS: It began for the Losers on a day in June of 1958, the day school let out for the summer. That was the day Henry Bowers carved the first letter of his name on Ben Hanscom's belly and chased him into the Barrens, the day Henry and his Neanderthal friends beat up on Stuttering Bill Denbrough and Eddie Kaspbrak, the day Stuttering Bill had to save Eddie from his worst asthma attack ever by riding his bike to beat the devil. It ended in August, with seven desperate children in search of a creature of unspeakable evil in the drains beneath Derry. In search of It. And somehow it ended. 

Or so they thought. Then. 

On a spring night in 1985 Mike Hanlon, once one of those children, makes six calls. Stan Uris, accountant. Richie "Records" Tozier, L.A. disc jockey. Ben Hanscom, renowned architect. Beverly Rogan, dress designer. Eddie Kaspbrak, owner of a successful New York limousine company. And Bill Denbrough, bestselling writer of horror novels, Bill Denbrough who now only stutters in his dreams. 

These six men and one woman have forgotten their childhoods,have forgotten the time when they were Losers...but an unremembered promise draws them back, the present begins to rhyme dreadfully with the past, and when the Losers reunite, the wheels of fate lock together and roll them towards the ultimate terror. 

MY THOUGHTS: So let me provide you with a little backstory which will explain why I might have such fond memories of this book.  Because after reading it this time around, and suffering through it for three months, it is no longer a fave.

This book was published when I was a sophomore in high school.  I remember my Mom and Dad going out of town one weekend, and I desperately wanted to go.  However, it was a parent's trip and I later learned they were trying to save their marriage (which worked for a while I guess).  I was a "Daddy's Girl" so while he was out of town, he went and purchased a new book by my favorite author which had just been released - It.  I also wish I still had that copy because it was a first edition but unfortunately, boxer #3 ate it one day while I was at work.  Hope he liked it more than I did this time around.

So, I won't rehash the story of It.  I figure anyone who is interested has either read the tome or else have seen the old/new movies.  A group of kids battling the evil lurking in their hometown when they were kids, and again, 27 years later as adults.  I feel like I know more about these kids than I do some of my family members and about 600 pages in, Pennywise the Clown couldn't die soon enough.  I had a few favorite characters but by the end, I didn't care what happened to any of them.  And the ending, SPOILER ALERT: Aliens?  I know a lot of people criticize King for his endings but I'm starting to think whenever he had no idea how to wrap things up, he pulls an alien out of his hat.  

So needless to say, this book did not stand up for me.  My rating is heavily bolstered by my sentimental feelings and reminders of my father, who is the basis for my love of horror.  If you are interested in the book and haven't read it yet, go watch the movie.  The remake was done really well and even the original stands the test of time in my opinion.  Basically, I'm just relieved I finished this time around.

MY RATING: 3 GENEROUS PAWS

2 Bloggers 1 Book - The Housemaid

 

At the beginning of the year, Stormi stated she wanted to read more thrillers in 2023 and asked if I was game for some additional buddy reads.  I'm always up to reading more with Stormi but lately we've felt like this little endeavor was a complete bomb.  I am happy to say this saved our negative streak a tad.  So read on for my thoughts and then hop over to Stormi's to see what she thought as well.

TITLE: The Housemaid

AUTHOR: Freida McFadden

PUBLISHER: Bookouture

PUBLISHING DATE: April 26, 2022

PAGES: 329   

SOURCE: Kindle Unlimited

FROM GOODREADS: 

“Welcome to the family,” Nina Winchester says as I shake her elegant, manicured hand. I smile politely, gazing around the marble hallway. Working here is my last chance to start fresh. I can pretend to be whoever I like. But I’ll soon learn that the Winchesters’ secrets are far more dangerous than my own… 

Every day I clean the Winchesters’ beautiful house top to bottom. I collect their daughter from school. And I cook a delicious meal for the whole family before heading up to eat alone in my tiny room on the top floor. 

I try to ignore how Nina makes a mess just to watch me clean it up. How she tells strange lies about her own daughter. And how her husband Andrew seems more broken every day. But as I look into Andrew’s handsome brown eyes, so full of pain, it’s hard not to imagine what it would be like to live Nina’s life. The walk-in closet, the fancy car, the perfect husband. 

I only try on one of Nina’s pristine white dresses once. Just to see what it’s like. But she soon finds out… and by the time I realize my attic bedroom door only locks from the outside, it’s far too late. 

But I reassure myself: the Winchesters don’t know who I really am. 

They don’t know what I’m capable of…

MY THOUGHTS: This thriller was a fast-paced fun read and I will definitely be grabbing the sequel.  Especially since it's on Kindle Umlimited and I'm trying my best to justify that monthly expense.  

Mia recently lost her job a the local bar and is living in her car when she goes to interview for a housekeeping job in a ritzy neighborhood.  She would love to get it because it is a live-in position, but she fears once a background check is done, she doesn't stand a chance.  Mia is on probation and has a questionable past.  However, she soon gets the job and that's when Mia's problems REALLY begin.

This book is told in 2 parts and I really can't discuss it a lot or else it will give a lot away.  Let's just say they are terrible, twisty people doing terrible twisty things. I will add that this is also a terrible twisty child thrown in for good measure as well.  This is a good example of where I didn't really like any of the characters but I loved the book anyway.  The author had just enough twists and turns to keep me on my feet and even after learning the major plot twist, I was still quite invested in what might happen at the end.

I believe this book has gotten both positive and negative hype but I am pleased to say it really worked for me. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a fun summer read.

RATING: 4 PAWS

An Action-Packed Romp... with Rats!

 

Stormi and I knew we had to buddy read this when we saw it was being released.  Shea is a favorite author for both of us and I'm proud to report this book didn't disappoint.  So read on to see my thoughts and then hop over to Stormi's at Storm Reads to see hers.

TITLE: Manrattan

AUTHOR: Hunter Shea

PUBLISHER: Severed Press

PUBLISHING DATE: July 11, 2023

PAGES: 160   

SOURCE:Own Library

FROM GOODREADS: 

New York city is on the brink of destruction. 

First, millions of rats crazed from consuming an enhanced poison, Degenesis, devoured citizens too slow to escape their frenzy, and chased off the rest. Next came the pandemic, shutting the metropolis down just as it started to recover. 

Man always has a plan. But nature, and science gone awry, are one step ahead. 

Husband and wife exterminators, Chris and Benita Jackson, thought their nightmare was over. The scars of their narrow escape run deep, and fear is their constant companion. 

The rats are back. Only this time, there are no hordes of hairy, whip-tailed vermin barreling down the streets. The next generation is bigger, stronger, more unstoppable than ever. And they are about to go up top! 

Tapped by the military to help control the rising tide of death and destruction, Chris and Benita end up fleeing for their lives in the city that never sleep’s deadliest night. From Times Square to the Statue of Liberty, no one is safe from the feral evil determined to conquer the big, rotten apple. 

New York, New York. It’s a hell of a town.

MY THOUGHTS: First things first - this novel is a follow-up to Shea's Rattus New Yorkus, which was part of a collection of creature novellas released in 2018.  To be honest, you can probably read this book without having read that one but come on, why wouldn't you read that one first?

So Chris and Benita Jackson were major players in cleaning up a New York overcome with rats in 2018.  Since then, the exterminators have sworn off dealing with the pesky rodents.  A friend of theirs contacts them one day and asks for help roping up a capybara running lose in the basement of a rundown apartment complex.  Since Benita wants to see the cute little critter, they decide to help.  Little do they know their friend has actually come across a giant rat who is hellbent on feeding on human flesh.

I don't want to give much more away but let's just say that what ensues in a fast-paced, action-filled tale filled with giant rats, bird ladies, the military, the mafia and pizza.  This book is worth reading alone just to see how these giant rats were created which is a definite testament to what I would say is Shea's twisted sense of humor.  I loved the interaction between Chris and Benita and their fun banter and sarcasm only added to the enjoyment I felt reading this.  

I never knew I'd have so much fun reading about flesh-eating, pizza-eating giant rodents.  Shea is one of my favorite go-to authors for what I can consider creature-feature books and I had definitely went too long without my "fix."  If you looking for lots of carnage, look no further!

RATING: 5 PAWS

Cute capybara - NOT a flesh-eating giant rat!

2 Bloggers 1 Book - The Only Survivors

 

When Stormi said she planned on reading more thrillers this year and asked if I wanted to buddy read some with her, I didn't hesitate.  I usually love thrillers, and this gave me an excuse to read some more.  However, I think before the end of the year is out both Stormi and I might regret this decision.  So read on to see my thoughts on our latest endeavor and then check out Stormi's over at Storm Reads.

TITLE: The Only Survivors

AUTHOR: Megan Miranda

PUBLISHER: Quercus

PUBLISHING DATE: April 11, 2023

PAGES: 339

SOURCE: Library

FROM GOODREADS: A mystery about a group of former classmates who reunite to mark the tenth anniversary of a tragic accident—only to have one of the survivors disappear, casting fear and suspicion on the original tragedy.

MY THOUGHTS:  So a group of kids in high school experience a traumatic event their senior year and every year, the survivors gather together to get through the anniversary together.  That alone is concerning enough because it's evident that this incident is the only thing they all still have in common so why they force themselves to spend a week together was one of my first questions going in to this. 

But anyway, this year they are missing a person because he couldn't take it anymore and overdosed and his best friend of the whole group doesn't find out until 3 months later so there is a bigger cloud than normal hanging over everyone's heads on this year's anniversary.  Slowly the trip starts to unravel and I won't spoil anything else in case my review makes you want to run out and grab a copy - I'm betting it doesn't.

I have to say this was one of the most unthrilling thrillers I've read in a while.  I think most of the "twists" if you want to even call them than, were predictable and the end was just "meh."  I didn't like any of these people and as I've said, I don't feel like I have to like the characters to like the book but I didn't even hate these ones enough to make reading it fun.  This is my second Miranda book and I'm beginning to think she isn't the author for me.  It will have to be a pretty good premise for me to pick up another one.  

RATING: 2 stars (and that feels generous)

2 Bloggers 1 Book - Daisy Darker

 

So Stormi has made it one of her goals to read more thrillers this year so she is including me in on the ones I am interested in.  So January started out with a bang in that I don't remember the last time I actively despised a book so bad.  So read on for my thoughts and then hop over to Stormi's at Storm Reads to see her's.

TITLE: Daisy Darker

AUTHOR: ALice Feeney

PUBLISHER: Flatiron Books

PUBLISHING DATE: August 30, 2022

PAGES: 352

SOURCE: Library

FROM GOODREADS: After years of avoiding each other, Daisy Darker’s entire family is assembling for Nana’s 80th birthday party in Nana’s crumbling gothic house on a tiny tidal island. Finally back together one last time, when the tide comes in, they will be cut off from the rest of the world for eight hours.

The family arrives, each of them harboring secrets.  Then at the stroke of midnight, as a storm rages, Nana is found dead.  And an hour later, the next family member follows...

Trapped on an island where someone is killing them one by one, the Darkers must reckon with their present mystery as well as their past secrets, before the tide comes in and all is revealed.

MY THOUGHTS: I went into Daisy Darker expecting to enjoy myself.  I read Rock, Paper, Scissors last year and loved it.  Let's just say, now I'm gonna have to pick up a third by this author so I can figure out which read was the fluke.

This novel starts out as a very eclectic, very estranged and very odd family gathers on the island home of their Nana to celebrate her birthday.  Years ago, Nana had been told she would not live past 80 so she believes this birthday may very well be her last.  Early on we learn that most of the family is angry at Daisy for some reason, and as the book unfolds, we learn what happened years ago which led to this family being rather dysfunctional.  Suddenly the family members begin to drop like flies and the remaining members are trying to determine who is out to get them.

I only found one likeable character in this whole novel, and it was the dog!  While I don't have to like any of the characters in order to enjoy a book, in this case, it might have helped to have someone to connect to because as it was, they couldn't die fast enough for me.  I get that Daisy had a rough childhood, but she was so depressing and self-deprecating that I really couldn't take much more.  And the rest of her family and friends?  They were just as bad.  I did kind of like Nana but as the synopsis indicates, she isn't around for long.  If I was her, I'd have been grateful to be the first to go as well.  The reader gets the impression early on that she wasn't a big fan of her family members and Feeney does a good job to make the reader understand why.

And finally, the ending.  I will not add any spoilers but if you have read this book, if you know, you know.  I feel the ending was a complete copout and it had me so angry that I wanted to throw the book in the road and pray someone rolled over it repeatedly.  

I believe this is a book you will read and either love or hate.  I doubt there is much middle ground.  While I cannot recommend it, I also won't discourage anyone to check it out for themselves.  I'm giving this author one more chance but that's it.

RATING: 2 PAWS