Wednesday, August 12, 2020

What We're Reading #60

We’re back again with three recently recommended reads! Don’t forget to hit the tag up above to find more excellent books to add to your tbr piles.

Jennifer Strange by Cat Scully

Jennifer Strange by Cat Scully

“JENNIFER STRANGE is a gruesomely fun, demon-infested YA romp in which two teenage sisters learn and ply the family’s secret demon-fighting trade. A promising debut.” -Paul Tremblay, author of A Head Full of Ghosts and Survivor Song

Fifteen-year-old Jennifer Strange is the Sparrow, cursed with the ability to give ghosts and demonic spirits a body—a flesh and blood anchor in the mortal world—with the touch of her hand. When a ghost attacks her high school and awakens her powers, her father dumps her unceremoniously in the care of her estranged older sister Liz, leaving only his journal as an explanation.

Drawn to the power of the Sparrow, the supernatural creatures preying on Savannah, Georgia will do anything to receive Jennifer’s powerful gift. The sisters must learn to trust each other again and uncover the truth about their family history by deciphering their father’s journal…because if they can’t, Jennifer’s uncontrolled power will rip apart the veil that separates the living from the dead.

A fast-paced and splattery romp, fans of Supernatural, Buffy, and Evil Dead will enjoy JENNIFER STRANGE – the first illustrated novel in a trilogy of stylish queer young adult horror books with big scares for readers not quite ready for adult horror.

Goodreads | Amazon

Alex’s Teaser Review

This is a fun YA horror story and I can totally see a series with this! It had all kinds of vibes: spooky, demons, ghosts, ‘magical’ powers, sibling bonds, etc. And what’s even more fun is that this novel has incredible illustrations throughout and even handwritten journal entries.

Read Alex’s entire review at Goodreads.

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • An isolated mansion. A chillingly charismatic aristocrat. And a brave socialite drawn to expose their treacherous secrets. . . .

From the author of Gods of Jade and Shadow comes “a terrifying twist on classic gothic horror” (Kirkus Reviews) set in glamorous 1950s Mexico. “It’s Lovecraft meets the Brontës in Latin America, and after a slow-burn start Mexican Gothic gets seriously weird” (The Guardian).

After receiving a frantic letter from her newlywed cousin begging for someone to save her from a mysterious doom, Noemí Taboada heads to High Place, a distant house in the Mexican countryside. She’s not sure what she will find – her cousin’s husband, a handsome Englishman, is a stranger, and Noemí knows little about the region.

Noemí is also an unlikely rescuer: She’s a glamorous debutante, and her chic gowns and perfect red lipstick are more suited for cocktail parties than amateur sleuthing. But she’s also tough and smart, with an indomitable will, and she is not afraid: not of her cousin’s new husband, who is both menacing and alluring; not of his father, the ancient patriarch who seems to be fascinated by Noemí; and not even of the house itself, which begins to invade Noemi’s dreams with visions of blood and doom.

Her only ally in this inhospitable abode is the family’s youngest son. Shy and gentle, he seems to want to help Noemí but might also be hiding dark knowledge of his family’s past. For there are many secrets behind the walls of High Place. The family’s once colossal wealth and faded mining empire kept them from prying eyes, but as Noemí digs deeper she unearths stories of violence and madness.

And Noemí, mesmerized by the terrifying yet seductive world of High Place, may soon find it impossible to ever leave this enigmatic house behind.

Goodreads | Amazon

Emily’s Teaser Review

Mexican Gothic is the first book I’ve read by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, and I loved it! This book starts out as a slow-burn gothic story, and it was reminiscent of other books I’ve enjoyed like Rebecca, The Yellow Wallpaper, and The Haunting of Hill House (this is a must-read if you enjoy books like this).

Read Emily’s entire review at Goodreads.

Tracy’s Teaser Review

Mexican Gothic commands the feel of the best gothic horror (think Rebecca), develops character and plot, and is one of the biggest events in horror fiction this year.

Read Tracy’s entire review at Scifi and Scary.

An Invitation to Darkness by Hailey Piper

In Invitation To Darkness sea captain Jamie Thames meets wealthy heiress Elizabeth Leavenworth and the two women quickly fall in love. Of course, it’s never that simple in a Gothic story. Leavenworth Manor is haunted, but ghosts are the least of the lovers’ troubles.

Short Sharp Shocks! book.

Goodreads | Amazon

Tracy’s Teaser Review

This is the third book I’ve read by this author and I’ll read anything else she puts out. If you’re looking for a short read, with a shocking premise, this one is for you!

Read Tracy’s entire review at Goodreads.


Thank you for joining us today! We hope you found something to add to your tbr list. Please share your recent reads with us in the comments below.

If you are a LOHF writer and have a book you’d like us to consider for a review please visit our review submission page here.

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