Flame Tree Press Blog Tour - Until Summer Comes Around

When Anne Cater from Random Things Tours reached out to me about this book, I thought it sounded like a perfect read to get ready for summer.  Man, I had no idea how perfect it was!

TITLE: Until Summer Comes Around

AUTHOR: Glenn Rolfe

PUBLISHER: Flame Tree Press

PUBLISHING DATE: May 21, 2020

FROM GOODREADS: 

When fifteen year old Rocky Zukas meets a mysterious dark-haired girl named November, his world is forever changed. The young couple falls under the spell of summer love, but not everyone approves. November's brother, Gabriel, is the keeper of the family's secret, and big brother is always watching, growing more sinister as his bloodlust gets the best of him. Directing his attention to Rocky's family, Gabriel aims to make sure little sister knows who is in charge. 

MY THOUGHTS: Even when I rate a book 5/5, very rarely do I feel it was a perfect book.  And perhaps I just picked this one up at the right time, or perhaps some elements spoke to me more than they would others, but honestly, I feel Until Summer Comes Around is as close to perfect as it gets.

The story takes place in a coastal tourist town, complete with a boardwalk, arcade and carnival rides.  Each summer the town in inundated with visitors and this year, which just happens to be in the early 80's, is no different.  Rocky wants nothing more than to spend the summer getting his driver's permit and hanging out when friends and family.  But then Rocky meets November and his world stops.  Rocky is clearly headed for his first love but will this love end is tragedy?  November is vacationing with her mother and brother, Gabriel and November holds a secret of her own, one that may tear the whole town apart.

As I mentioned, this book takes place in the 80's which just happens to be near and dear to my heart.  It is complete with pop culture references such as Van Hagar (those of you that were there will understand the name) and Europe.  I also happened to love so many of the characters.  Rocky is bordering on becoming an adult but is still in the awkward teen phase.  I loved the family dynamic in the book.  Rocky's mom and dad were protective, but not smothering.  His older sister was sometimes annoying, but also was one of Rocky's closest pals.  Then you had November who wants nothing more than to have a normal summer without Gabriel ruining it for her.  Which brings me to Gabriel.  Gabriel is everything I want a monster to be.  Ugly and ruthless and not afraid to get his hands, or in this case his teeth, dirty.  There's no glamorous side to Gabriel and I'm grateful for that.

So while I kind of want to shy away from the comparison, I am going to go there.  Until Summer Comes Around has a STRONG Lost Boys vibe.  Which in the end, was fine with me.  No the story is not the same, but a lot of similar elements are there.  And for a child of the 80's who absolutely loved The Lost Boys (and yes, Keifer in all his badness was my favorite character), it's easy to see what this novel spoke to me so much.  If you are looking for a great summer horror read, look no further.  And while there is a romantic element between Rocky and November, don't let that scare you away.  It's the sweet first-love, coming-of-age kind of romance and not the insta-love, all in you face type of romance.  I will definitely be reading more from this author in the future.

Also, I have to say that even though it was already a 5/5 read for me, the author gets extra points for having Rocky listen to the Purple Rain soundtrack when his heart was breaking.  Go Prince!

RATING: 5 PAWS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:  Glenn Rolfe is an author/singer/songwriter from the haunted woods of New England. He has studied Creative Writing at Southern New Hampshire University,and continues his education in the world of horror by devouring the novels of Stephen King, Ronald Malfi, Jack Ketchum,and many others. He and his wife, Meghan, have three children, Ruby, Ramona, and Axl. He is grateful to be loved despite his weirdness. He is a Splatterpunk Award nominee and the author of The Window, Becoming, Blood and Rain, The Haunted Halls, Chasing Ghosts, Abram's Bridge, Things We Fear, Boom Town,and the collections, Slush and Land of Bones. He is hard at work on many more. Stay tuned!

Top Ten Tuesday - Books Which Would Make Perfect Summer Reads

The top 10 weekly meme used to be hosted by The Broke and the Bookish they  handed over the reins to ThatArtsyReaderGirl who can be found HERE.  Each week she will focus on lists which cover various topics related to books and reading.

This week I'm sharing with you books I've read which I think would maker perfect summer reads.

UNTIL SUMMER COMES AROUND - This was a very recent read and everything about it screams Summer!

NI JUDGMENTS - This book is set in the middle of a hurricane so yep, it has a summer feel.

CAMPFIRE - I had tons of fun with this book and doesn't every summer needs a slasher/camping tale?

SMOTHERED - This was a Goodreads win and it was such a fun read.  The MC has just graduated college and has to enter the real world.  Nothing like that summer after college for a rude awakening.

ABOUT A DOG - Nothing says summer like romance and dogs.

So I'm leaving it at five this week because honestly, for someone who reads a lot of horror/thrillers, I am finding this kind of difficult.

Have you read any of these books or better yet, can you recommend any great summer horror reads?

May Down For the Count!

For some reason it doesn't feel like I read much in May but I know I read plenty.  I think it's because I had bouts where I read a lot for a few days, then took a few days off, then picked up again.  Guess I was kind of binge reading huh?  So let's see how I REALLY did.

My Lies, Your Lies: Susan Lewis (4/5)

Goldilocks: Laura Lam (5/5)

Soulless: Gail Carriger (4/5)

This Is How I Lied: Heather Gudenkauf (5/5)

Sabrina: Daughter of Chaos (4/5)

Sister Dear: Hannah Mary McKinnon (4/5)

Until Summer Comes Around: Glenn Rolfe (5/5)

(S)Witchboard: Andrew Post (4/5)

And Then There Were None: Agatha Christie (5/5)

The Secret of Bones: Kylie Logan (4/5) - Review pending

Just Friends: Holly McCulloch (4/5) - Review pending

So overall not too shabby.  I have to say that Until Summer Come Around was probably my favorite but I read a heck of a lot of books I enjoyed this month and even roamed out of my comfort zone with a romance and a science fiction title.  

How did you do in May???

Summer of Horror - "We Are the Thing That Others Fear"

 

I am participating in an informal event created by my friend Tammy over at Books, Bones & Buffy and she is doing a book cover love feature. I am so sad that the Summer of Horror is ending.  Of course, I start spooky season reading in September so you will still see some horror here at Booker T's Farm.  Today I am sharing some awesome covers for one of favorite horror creatures - vampires!  I am splitting them into ones I have already read and then ones I have on my TBR.

First up, the ones I've read:

Here are four I read last year.  I really loved all of them except Night Wing, which was a buddy read, and not as good as I wanted it to be. I recommend Suffer the Children to everyone now.

I've read Salem's Lot twice and really enjoyed it although it isn't my favorite King.  Dark Roots is the first in a series I really need to get back to and Until Summer Comes Around has complete Lost Boys vibes.

I had to add Bunnicula because it was one of my first vampire books and I love it to this day.  In the Valley of the Sun has a different edition with an awesome cover but I didn't feature it because this book did not work for me.

Books on my TBR:

Mr. Barb bought me a copy of Carmilla two Christmas' ago and I still haven't picked it up.

I am pretty sure I first saw Vampire Junction on Tammy's blog, and I can't believe I haven't read The Buffalo Hunter Hunter yet, and I even own two copies and an arc

I'm really hate seeing Tammy's special feature end.  I'm so glad I was able to participate some and can't wait for Summer of Horror 2026!

Top Ten Tuesday - 5 Paw Predictions

 

The top 10 weekly meme used to be hosted by The Broke and the Bookish they  handed over the reins to That Artsy Reader Girl who can be found HERE.  Each week she will focus on lists which cover various topics related to books and reading.

This week is a freebie topic so I'm doing something I don't think I've done in the past, five paw predictions.

I loved No Exit and have high hopes for this one, which comes out soon.

Here's another thriller I'm reading in June which I hope is more hit than miss.  I've heard great things about the author so I'm predicting I'll love this one.

As much as I loved Hollow Kingdom, I'd be shocked if this is anything less than a 5 paw read!

I've heard only great things about this read and really need to read the copy I have sitting on my shelf.

You know I love Hunter Shea and this will be a perfect October read this year.

As much as I loved Until Summer Comes Around, this has to be just as great, right?

I'm sure the second book narrated by Gatz the dog will be just as great as the first.

I adore this cozy mystery series which is still going strong.  This is the 12th in the series.

Another cozy series with a librarian witch.  I've been waiting not-so-patiently for this 5 paw prediction to hit the shelves.

I've really been enjoying romance lately so my list wouldn't be complete without at least one cute rom-com.

Have any of these been 5/5 ratings for you?  Let me know where I should start in the comments below.

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!

What's Happening (05-24-20)...

So I'm doing things a tad bit differently this year and will be combining all of my regular weekend posts.  This will enable me to add more content on Fridays and it is just starting to make more sense.  I'll still be linking up with Stacking the Shelves at Tynga's Reviews and Sunday Post at Caffeinated Reviewer.  Both blogs are awesome so make sure you check them out. 

I hate to say this but I feel like all the weeks are running together.  I'm still working part-time and all is fine but I'll admit I'm ready to dive back in. Also, even though we've always pretty much been homebodies, it's sad to see event after event canceled daily.  That doesn't mean I think it's a bad idea, I don't. It's just sad.  I've also had an allergy attack and have an itchy, scratchy throat and runny eyes.  Gee, you'd think with all this isolation that should have skipped me this year.

A lot of time must have been spent in front of Netflix this week when I think back to what I watched.  I finished up Dead to Me and thank heavens it ended strongly.  On another note though, they better freakin' renew it.  I also watched all 10 episodes of a new show called Sweet Magnolias.  It's a tad cheesy and plays like something that should be on Lifetime or Hallmark but on the whole it was entertaining and I enjoyed it.  It's based on a book series by Sherryl Woods if anyone reads them (not something I'd usually pick up though).  However, it actually had THREE cliffhangers when it ended which should be illegal.  If they don't renew it, I might riot just because I need to know.  

I got to participate in a few blog tours this week and now I really want to finish three books before the month is out.  I must stay focused!  I'm about 50% done with The Secret of Bones and would have had it finished if I didn't need to put it down to read other things.  I've barely started Sister Dear or Until Summer Comes Around but I think they will both be strong hits.

I also snagged a few review books which I'm thrilled to read.  Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers!

The House That Fell From the Sky - Patrick Delaney

The Babysitter - Sheryl Brown

The Woods - Vanessa Savage

So I hope you all are doing fine.  Are you watching or reading anything good.  

I Want More! (Gwendy's Button Box Review)

TITLE: Gwendy's Button Box
AUTHOR: Stephen King & Richard Chizmar
PUBLISHER: Cemetery Dance Publications
PUBLISHING DATE: March 16, 2017

FROM GOODREADS: The little town of Castle Rock, Maine has witnessed some strange events and unusual visitors over the years, but there is one story that has never been told... until now.

There are three ways up to Castle View from the town of Castle Rock: Route 117, Pleasant Road, and the Suicide Stairs. Every day in the summer of 1974 twelve-year-old Gwendy Peterson has taken the stairs, which are held by strong (if time-rusted) iron bolts and zig-zag up the cliffside.

At the top of the stairs, Gwendy catches her breath and listens to the shouts of the kids on the playground. From a bit farther away comes the chink of an aluminum bat hitting a baseball as the Senior League kids practice for the Labor Day charity game.

One day, a stranger calls to Gwendy: "Hey, girl. Come on over here for a bit. We ought to palaver, you and me."

On a bench in the shade sits a man in black jeans, a black coat like for a suit, and a white shirt unbuttoned at the top. On his head is a small neat black hat. The time will come when Gwendy has nightmares about that hat...

Journey back to Castle Rock again in this chilling new novella by Stephen King, bestselling author of The Bazaar of Bad Dreams, and Richard Chizmar, award-winning author of A Long December. This book will be a Cemetery Dance Publications exclusive with no other editions currently planned anywhere in the world!

MY THOUGHTS: 
So having just finished this book, and by just I mean within the last hour, I'm kind of going with an impulse rating. Part of me wants to go with 3/5 but then there really isn't anything horribly wrong with it and there are a few things that I really like that to me deserve more than a 3/5, so I'm going a tad higher.

The summer before she starts middle school, Gwendy spends everyday running up the "suicide steps" at her local park. Before school finished, some classmates had taken to calling her "goodyear" because she is somewhat on the chubby side, and Gwendy is determined to have a fresh start. Toward the end of summer, she is approached by a man at the top of the stairs wearing a black suit and hat. Gwendy thinks the man is a creeper, but she talks to him anyway and at the end of the encounter, she is given a box with two levers on the sides and different colored buttons on top. One lever opens a door which produces a tiny chocolate candy which makes her no longer want to overeat and crave food, and the other produces a silver coin, worth quite a bit of money. The buttons are a different story and Gwendy knows that if she chooses to push one, something bad will likely happen. The remainder of the story revolves around Gwendy's care of the box, the decisions she makes and the things that happen to her.

My main issue with "Gwendy's Button Box" is its length. Call me crazy, but I'd rather read one of King's mammoth tomes than a book which has less than 200 pages. I like his character development and how everything from the town to its people weave together and I just believe there was a lot more in this story that could have been fleshed out. Overall it felt kind of rushed. However, in my opinion, the concept is pure King. The book has some cool artwork sporadically throughout and on a side note, my hometown has its own set of suicide stairs which made for a fun extra. The ending of the tale is quite satisfying and I was immediately attached to Gwendy and cared what happened to her.

So basically my opinion is this - if you are a big King fan, you're probably going to read this book. I don't think it's one of his stellar works, but it's a strong read and quite enjoyable. If you're not a collector of his books, grab this one from your library because it was somewhat painful to pay such a high price for this Cemetery Dance hardback release given it is so short. However, I don't regret my decision one bit!

RATING: 4 PAWS

Two Bloggers One Book - We Are Always Watching

Once again, Stormi and I chose another Hunter Shea book for our feature this month - "We Are Always Watching."  I had so much fun reading this one and Stormi and I chatted up a bunch about so many aspects of this book.  I've grown to really look forward to our monthly buddy reads and I know I'm always in for a good time, whether we love or dislike the book.  I think this month we were both very pleased with our choice. Make sure you stop by her blog at Books Movies Reviews, Oh My! to see her thoughts as well.

 
TITLE: We Are Always Watching
AUTHOR: Hunter Shea
PUBLISHER: Sinister Grin Press
PUBLISHING DATE: March 1, 2017

FROM GOODREADS:
They’ve watched over the house for generations…

The move from New York to the decrepit Pennsylvania farmhouse is as bad as West Ridley thought it would be. His father’s crippling vertigo only seems to get worse, and even with his mother working herself to the bone, they’re out of money and options.

Grandpa Abraham is a drunk bastard and the living embodiment of the long neglected farmhouse. He claims the place is haunted. Ghosts roam the hall at night and their muffled cries fill the silence of warm, summer nights.

On the ceiling above West’s bed are the words WE SEE YOU. In a house plagued by death and mysterious visitations, West realizes something beyond the fiction of his favorite horror books has to be faced.

Dark secrets are buried deep, and there are Guardians who want to keep it that way. No matter where they go or what they do, West and his family know one thing… they are always watching.

MY THOUGHTS: Over the past year or so I've become a huge fan of Hunter Shea so when my friend and I were looking for a buddy read, this became the obvious choice. "We Are Always Watching" grabbed me right from the start and didn't let go until the end - and that ending! 14-year-old West and his parents have had to move to Pennsylvania to live with his Grandpa Abraham on a rundown, decrepit farm. West's father suffers from severe vertigo which makes him quite handicapped following a car accident and the family has fallen on hard times. West's father hates returning to his childhood home and his mother is busy working so the family can eventually move out.

Immediately from the start, West senses something is wrong. His Grandfather has hinted that the house is haunted and West and the family starts finding messages left on the inside and the outside of the home. Grandpa finally discloses that the house is being watched by The Guardians, who do not like change and disruption. Things start happening around the home such as messages left on mirrors and finding Grandpa passed out and bound outside, but the more people whom the family tells what is happening, the more that happens.

I loved this entire book! Grandpa is an old crotchety drunk and not an very likable character, but ultimately he is trying to keep his family safe, although he is also hiding a lot of secrets. West's parents are just struggling to get by and not lose hold of their family in the process. However, West if by far the best character. First of all, he loves everything horror, in fact, he is initially intrigued that the house might be haunted. West always has his nose stuck in a horror book and he has posters from famous movies plastered all over his bedroom walls. "We Are Always Watching" took a real turn about halfway through the novel and I have to admit, it wasn't what I expected. Without giving too much away, it's best to go into this book with limited knowledge so the reader feels the shock and terror right along with the family.

This was a fun book to buddy read and I feel like I read enough of Shea's work. He's definitely an auto-buy author for me and I can't wait to see what he comes up with next! 

RATING: 4 PAWS

 

What's Happening...(06/28/19)

So I'm doing things a tad bit differently this year and will be combining all of my regular weekend posts.  This will enable me to add more content on Fridays and it is just starting to make more sense.  I'll still be linking up with Stacking the Shelves at Tynga's Reviews and Sunday Post at Caffeinated Reviewer.  Both blogs are awesome so make sure you check them out.

So as you are reading this I am officially on vacation.  Or should I say stay-cation.  We are planning a low-key one around the house doing a few projects, having friends and family over on the 4th and of course, some reading for me.  

As of now, there are no new additions to the family.  There was a possibility, and maybe still is, that the dogs I spoke about last week may be split.  A family member is very close to the male.  If that would happen, we MIGHT consider the female.  However, honestly, I can say Mr. Barb just isn't ready.  The pain of losing Booker is still too raw for both of us, but for him especially.  If it were up to me, we'd get her - no questions asked.  But I can't force this on him and if he's not ready, it wouldn't be fair to her.  So as it stands right now, we'll go on spoiling Cass and making sure he gets lots of special attention!

There has been a lack of good rentals to stream lately so no real movie news to report.  We are kind of killing time until "Stranger Things" comes back to Netflix.  We do plan on buying "Pet Semetary" while on vacation for a movie-night treat though.  In the meantime we started watching the Kevin Costner series "Yellowstone."  We have all of season 1 to catch up on and while it's decent (kind of a mix-up of Banshee and Longmore IMO) I have to admit Costner's character is a jerk.  And lots of sudden animal deaths - I'm talking horse, dog, steer, coyote, wolf.  What's up with that Kevin?  Really?  We're only on episode 4 so I hope he got it out of his system.

I did some reading this past week and I have a fresh new stack of books to staring at me for this weekend.  "The Last Stage" is for a blog tour in early July and you've seen "The Girl in Red" before.  I also am feeling the need to pick up something on a whim so who knows what else I might read.  I'm thinking Cherie Priest may be in my future! Oh and how could I forget, I need to finish "NOS4A2" still!

So I do have a few review books to share.  The author to "Bred in the Bone" reached out to me a week or so ago.  I featured this book on Books to Bark and Crow About. I will be reading it for Dog Days of Summer in August and the author is going to do a guest post for me.  I forgot to share that I got a copy of "The Furies" through Netgalley as well as "The Grace Year."  I really liked Kim Liggett so I have high hopes for this one.  And finally, "The Retreat" sounded pretty good so I couldn't resist.

So what new books did you add this week?  Watch anything good?  Hope everyone has a wonderful week!