Hey My Lovelies! I have been remiss lately in my book postings and I’ll tell you why – I’ve been in a bit of a book slump lately. It started last October and since then, I’ve only read two books, not counting half of Fairy Tale by Stephen King – more on that later. I’m hoping that the new releases coming out this month will jump start my reading juices 😁.
And although I read 3 1/2 less books (and 2200 less pages – gotta look at that math 🤔), I still managed a respectable list that I will share with you along with my thoughts! Let’s dive in, shall we?
At first glance, I had to look up at least one book and I couldn’t remember what it was about 😬. It was The Body Lies and while it was an ok story, I don’t think I’ll be reading that author any time soon 🤷♀️. The Family Plot also falls into this category. Also, I figured out the ending about 1/3 of the way in and had to wait for the characters to catch up 😆😆.
I also gave Carol Kepnes’ (of You fame) Providence a go but was not drawn in enough to try another. It left a few too many questions unanswered for me and I am not a fan of that 🙄. Another disappointment was for me was Truly, Madly Deeply. Very Lifetime movie vibe, which is ok for a movie, but lacked (for me) as a book.
However, I did read P. Dejeli Clark’s The Haunting of Tram Car 015 and although the characters were side character from his A Master Of Djinn I quite like his style of writing an look forward to reading more from him.
I was also happy to read Christopher Rice’s new novel Decimate, having discovered him from reading his Burning Girl Series, both of which I recommend. I also found Mr. Tender’s Girl (Carter Wilson) and Book of Night (Holly Black) truly gratifying 😊. Chuck Wendig’s Book of Accidents was a mixed bag, but overall, I enjoyed it.
But let’s talk a moment about some of my favorite new finds this year. First there were the magical realism authors I discovered specifically focused on witches/witchcraft: Erin Stirling (The Ex-Hex, The Kiss Curse), Lana Harper (Paybacks a Witch, From Bad to Cursed technically found end of 2022) and Boss Witch by Ann Aguirre. If this is your genre, give these writers a shot – they are nice quick reads with enjoyable characters.
Also in the magical realism realm is T.L. Huchu’s Library of the Dead series, which was a top pick for me seeing as I read the second one straight after the first 😁. This is more about mediums and spirits so if that’s your preference, give him a read.
Most of the rest of the list are books from series I’ve followed over the years, like Kim Harrison, Patricia Cornwell, Karen White, and Preston & Child. Of course, that’s not the only reason I read said books – I am very loyal to my favorite authors 🥰.
Which brings me to Fairy Tale by Stephen King (my absolutely favorite author). Let me start by saying, I am not a fan of fantasy literature – made up worlds with made up words that you are constantly trying to remember the meaning of. So, when I started Fairy Tale, which begins in the “real world” I really liked it but then it became about the main character and his journey into this fantasy/fairytale world accessed through a portal and I just lost interest. With the exception of The Talisman and its sequel The Black House, I generally stay away from his fantasy books like the Dark Tower Series and Eyes of the Dragon. I hope one day in the near future I will pick this up again and finish the back half, but there are no guarantees on that 😆😆😆.
So that is the round-up of my 2022 reading experiences. I share in hopes of a) inspiring people to read and b) introducing authors you may not have considered before 😊.
📚 Happy reading all! 📚
| Novel | Author |
| The Ex Hex | Erin Sterling |
| The Haunting of Tram Car 015 | P. Djeli Clark |
| Mr. Tender’s Girl | Carter Wilson |
| Diablo Mesa | Preston & Child |
| Gwendy’s Final Task | S King & R Chizmar |
| The Book of Accidents | Chuck Wendig |
| The Shop on Royal Street | Karen White |
| The Library of the Dead | T.L. Huchu |
| Our Lady of Mysterious Ailments | T.L. Huchu |
| The Family Plot | Megan Collins |
| Book of Night | Holly Black |
| Decimate | Christopher Rice |
| Trouble with the Cursed | Kim Harrison |
| From Bad to Cursed | Lana Harper |
| Providence | Caroline Kepnes |
| Truly, Madly, Deadly | Hannah Jayne |
| The Body Lies | Jo Baker |
| Boss Witch | Ann Aguirre |
| The Kiss Curse | Erin Sterling |
| Livid | Patricia Cornwell |
| Fairy Tale (read 275/598 pgs.) | Stephen King |
My Lemons My Lemonade 