Review: Final Girls

Final Girls by Riley Sager
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Once I started reading Final Girls I couldn’t stop. I was glued all the to the surprising end.

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Review: Sleeping Beauties

Sleeping Beauties by Stephen King
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I both read and listened to this book. It is enormous but engrossing. It is definitely a book you want to plan the reading of, (I ended up making a daily goal for it). I first attempted listening to it, (the narration was impressive. Seriously, get an Audible copy). Then I was able to get a hard copy from the library and started over, alternating between the two.
The story was extremely interesting for me. My family is from the area where it is set. I wish I could say that some of the setting wasn’t accurate but, with the current drug issues, sadly it was. With a setting I knew and characters I might, I was easily sucked into the story. I really enjoyed it when “ Our Place,” came in to the story. That was interesting and the ending was an incredible ride. The book seems more like drama than horror to me. Though I would be freaked if women were to fall asleep inside cocoons. I will choose to leave it there as I don’t want to spoil the story by mentioning other aspects that freaked me out. There were plenty of moments of horror but mostly I saw the story as drama. It didn’t keep me up, terrified to sleep, like earlier works did. But I was invested early and stayed invested to the end. It is interesting to read of this during a time when men and women are struggling to find balance in this “equality” for all society.
I enjoyed the story. It was fun to read a story written by father and son. I have read, and am a fan of, Joe Hill, (I loved seeing him get a nod). This is my first time reading Owen King. He didn’t disappoint me and I am interested in reading other work by him. It is amazing how much writing talent is in this family, (though somewhat expected given both parents are excellent storytellers). I would recommend the book though I would caution not to expect the horror of previous books like The Shining or It. I think if you go in knowing that, you will be able to enjoy the story more.

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Review: What Of Us Remains?

What Of Us Remains? by Mila A. Ballentine
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

What Of Us Remains starts out a bit choppy but smooths out. I read other books by Ms Ballentine and she is a wonderful writer. The zombie genre, though, is a harsh one. Finding ways to stay true to it while incorporating fresh air is difficult. Ms Ballentine tries hard. The book is short so there really wasn’t the typical character building and scenery that you find in the author’s other books. I had a difficult time relating to the lead character. Some of that may be from the author trying to portray the typical New Yorker and giving her a toughness that makes it difficult to know her. It was interesting having a minority as the main character and having it start off in a big city. I haven’t found either to be in abundance in this genre, (could just be the books I choose as there has been an explosion in this genre). This gave the book a unique story. I would love to see the story fleshed out a bit. Perhaps made longer with the opportunity to get a feel for the characters, the neighborhood in the city and an addition of a few more zombie scenes.

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Review: Holiday Hearts A Sweet and Wholesome Romance Bundle

Holiday Hearts A Sweet and Wholesome Romance Bundle by Josie Riviera
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sweet holiday stories. These are fairly quick reads. My favorite was Candleglow and Mistletoe followed closely by A Snowy White Christmas then A Portuguese Christmas. Though really they each are memorable in their own ways. Ms. Riviera does an excellent job creating a picture of where each story takes place. It is easy to become lost in them and ease the stress of the day. The stories are separate and don’t rely upon each other. This makes it an excellent choice for the busy holiday season. You can choose one in any order, escape in it for a bit and read the others at a different time. Or you can set aside time to read them all at once. With this type of set either way works well. If you are looking for easy stories to ease your stress and take you away, (A Portuguese Christmas is especially great at going away...the author did an amazing job with presenting an accurate Christmas in Portugal), I would definitely recommend this set of holiday books.

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