{Review} There's Something Horrible for Everyone in SLASHER GIRLS & MONSTER BOYS by @apriltucholke

Title: Slasher Girls & Monster Boys
Author: Stories selected by April Genevieve Tucholke
Narrator(s): Robbie Daymond, Emma Bering, Nora Hunter, Jorjeana Marie, Julia Whelan & MacLeod Andrews
Series: n/a, horror anthology
Length: 13 hrs 12 mins
Publisher: Listening Library
Publication Date: August 18, 2015
Source: borrowed audio from library
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible

For fans of Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, Lois Duncan, and Daphne Du Maurier comes a powerhouse anthology featuring some of the best writers of YA thrillers and horror.

A host of the smartest young adult authors come together in this collection of scary stories and psychological thrillers curated by Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea’s April Genevieve Tucholke.

Each story draws from a classic tale or two—sometimes of the horror genre, sometimes not—to inspire something new and fresh and terrifying. There are no superficial scares here; these are stories that will make you think even as they keep you on the edge of your seat. From bloody horror to supernatural creatures to unsettling, all-too-possible realism, this collection has something for any reader looking for a thrill.

Fans of TV’s The Walking Dead, True Blood, and American Horror Story will tear through tales by these talented authors:

Stefan Bachmann
Leigh Bardugo
Kendare Blake
A. G. Howard
Jay Kristoff
Marie Lu
Jonathan Maberry
Danielle Paige
Carrie Ryan
Megan Shepherd
Nova Ren Suma
McCormick Templeman
April Genevieve Tucholke
Cat Winters

I find it really interesting to listen to anthologies these days. I still want a physical copy of this book for my shelves so I can leaf through it and re-read my favorite stories when I'm in the mood for a little horror or need to share a good scary story. But there's just something about hearing these creepy tales from some of my favorite authors…and having some of my favorite narrators give voice to the things that go bump in the night...

The Birds of Azalea Street by Nova Ren Suma - 3.5 stars
I think using this story to kick off the anthology was a brilliant idea. Nova's writing style is always eerily beautiful. It's not gory but still just creepy enough in the most human way. I don't know if it would have had the same impact if I'd read it after some of the others in this collection.

In the Forest Dark and Deep by Carrie Ryan - 5 stars
This story was inspired by Alice in Wonderland and it was epically epic in its creepiness. It seems like one thing and then morphs into something else, and I kind of loved it. The use of flashbacks only served to make the story seem even more otherworldly. Dat white rabbit, tho!

Emmeline by Cat Winters - 3.5 stars
I liked the writing style in this one, but I just found it too predictable. I just didn't connect with it, though the French accent the narrator used was lovely. I'm also not all that familiar with the stories that served as the inspiration for this piece, so that could have been responsible for some of the disconnect.

Verse Chorus Verse by Leigh Bardugo - 2.5 stars
I thought for sure this would be one of my favorites of the collection because of who the author is, but I was underwhelmed. It was eerie to an extent, but it never gave me chills or anything like so many of the other stories did, and I know that Bardugo can write such darkness into her story if she deigns to. Maybe it was because she was tackling a contemporary setting instead of her usual fantasy? Whatever the case, this story left me feeling very meh.

Hide and Seek by Megan Shepherd - 4 stars
I have a thing for Death personified. Or harbingers of Death. Really, anything where Death or the Afterlife is involved. And games of chance. This story was kind of fun, all things considered, but it was also dark, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

The Dark, Scary Parts and All by Danielle Paige - 4 stars
I didn't know what to expect from this story because I read the prequel novella to Dorothy Must Die and I enjoyed it so little that I didn't continue the series. But I actually found that I enjoyed this addition to the anthology, despite the fact that I figured out the twist pretty early on. But I do tend to connect to characters who embrace both the light and dark within. ;0)

The Flicker, the Fingers, the Beat, the Sigh by April Genevieve Tucholke - 4.5 stars
Tucholke really knows how to build up to the creepy after just a hint of it in the very beginning of the story, especially with all the talk of "best scary movies", etc., between the characters throughout. That only adds to the atmosphere and sense of foreboding. And the not knowing...eeek!

Fat Girl With a Knife by Jonathan Maberry - 3 stars
Typical zombie story. I haven't read anything by this author previously, but I'm interested...mostly because of the character development. Dahlia was fierce but compassionate in spite of all of the bullying she'd succumbed to, and she makes a frighteningly good zombie killer.

Sleepless by Jay Kristoff - 5 stars
Dude. It's scary to get inside the head of a killer. Even scarier that Kristoff does it so well. Though, he did have a hand in creating the homicidal AI in Illuminae, so it shouldn't come as a surprise. I liked the inspiration for this one, as well, though I was also reminded of that Supernatural episode Houses of the Holy with the supposed avenging angel.

M by Stefan Bachmann - 3.5 stars
M is for murder. Mwahaha. I didn't get any creepy vibes from this story...just an urgent need to help Mischa discover the murderer's identity before it was too late. The story felt very much on the surface, like I could have read an entire book based on this premise and still never connected with it more than I did in this short story. It was rather bland to me.

The Girl Without a Face by Marie Lu - 3 stars
I love stories that totally lead me astray in the beginning, only to throw the shocking truth at me later. I also like stories where characters get their comeuppance. Marie Lu has proven to me time and again that she can write characters who are unaware of what they are, who struggle with right and wrong. But I most enjoy the characters who leave me on the fence, deserving of my contempt but also strangely deserving of my appreciation.

A Girl Who Dreamed of Snow by McCormick Templeman - 3.5 stars
Short, sweet and to the point. There are those who think that one sacrifice is worthier than another, and this story serves to highlight that fact. Magic, sacrifice, hunters...I can't pinpoint what exactly helped me to connect to this story more than others in the collection. I just know that I did.

Stitches by A.G. Howard - 4.5 stars
Most Frankenstein retellings I've encountered -- and I haven't read all that many -- focus on the brothers' relationship to validate the need to revive a person using some crazy science and medicine. This Frankenstein story, however, stems from a family's need to survive a tremendous loss that leaves them broken beyond repair and another family's need for redemption. Equal parts tragic and eerie, this story reminded me of why I like Howard's writing so much. She touches on many of the same themes as the original tale, from inconsolable grief to what makes a person human.

On the I-5 by Kendare Blake - 2.5 stars
I just did not connect with the voice in this story. Not as the main character described the monsters and not when it became apparent that she was a monster herself. I expected the anthology to end with a bang of a story, but it sort of just fizzled. Maybe I'm biased, though, because hitch-hiking seriously weirds me out. :P

I am sososo glad I listened this anthology. I may never look at some of the narrators the same again, but that just means they did their job thoroughly. ;0) I mean, obviously it appealed to every little evil bone in my body, but it's just such a good collection of stories. There's really, truly, honestly something for everyone in this anthology. And now I reeeeeally can't wait for April's new book in 2016 -- Wink Poppy Midnight -- because she makes reading creepy, abhorrent things such a delightful experience.

GIF it to me straight:

About the author:

April Genevieve Tucholke is a full-time writer who digs classic movies, redheaded villains, big kitchens, and discussing murder at the dinner table. She and her husband—a librarian, former rare-book dealer, and journalist—live in Oregon. Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea is her first novel.

Find April:

Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Instagram

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Labels: anthology, april genevieve tucholke, favorite authors, favorites, halloween, horror, must-read, penguin, scary reads

{Review} My NIGHTFALL Reading Experience - In Which I Use As Many Supernatural GIFs As Possible

I've been looking forward to reading Nightfall ever since it landed in my mailbox, along with all of the creeptastic paraphernalia you see pictured above. This book demands a certain type of reading experience. It's not the kind of story where you can read a few pages here and there because then you won't get the full effect. You can't read it while sitting on the bleachers at your kiddo's soccer practice. And you can't read it with all of the lights on, though you might be tempted once the eeriness really sets in.

At first, I tried reading while Supernatural was on in the background, but it's hard to ignore the Winchester brothers for very long. I thought it would add to the atmosphere of Nightfall, but it was distracting.

So, then I switched to the Supernatural soundtrack on Spotify, and that was actually working pretty well, until it just made me want to go back to watching Supernatural. :P What are you gonna do, am I right?

The next time I sat down to read, it started raining, the wind gusting hard against the windows, and the ominous weather lent itself perfectly to the weather turning colder in the story, knowing that the characters were about to embark on a journey with 14 years of night ahead of them.

And then the kids get left behind. And knowing what the Day inhabitants of the island have to do to prepare for Night, well...

Much of the book is terrifying.

And some of it is just flat-out surprising.

But on the whole, this story was completely engrossing and totally...

You can check out my full review below, and you can also check out a Top Ten Favorites List from the authors, as well as enter to win your own copy of Nightfall.


Title: Nightfall
Author: Jake Halpern & Peter Kujawinski
Series: n/a
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: September 22, 2015
Source: ARC provided by publisher
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible

The dark will bring your worst nightmares to light, in this gripping and eerie survival story, perfect for fans of James Dashner and Neil Gaiman.

On Marin’s island, sunrise doesn’t come every twenty-four hours—it comes every twenty-eight years. Now the sun is just a sliver of light on the horizon. The weather is turning cold and the shadows are growing long.

Because sunset triggers the tide to roll out hundreds of miles, the islanders are frantically preparing to sail south, where they will wait out the long Night.

Marin and her twin brother, Kana, help their anxious parents ready the house for departure. Locks must be taken off doors. Furniture must be arranged. Tables must be set. The rituals are puzzling—bizarre, even—but none of the adults in town will discuss why it has to be done this way.

Just as the ships are about to sail, a teenage boy goes missing—the twins’ friend Line. Marin and Kana are the only ones who know the truth about where Line’s gone, and the only way to rescue him is by doing it themselves. But Night is falling. Their island is changing.

And it may already be too late.

As I mentioned, I was pretty excited to read Nightfall. I've long been a fan of horror and stories of things that go bump in the night, and Nightfall epitomizes the type of scary book that will keep me up all hours of the night reading. Even if it terrified me to do so at times.

Because it wasn't necessarily what was happening in the story that was always scary. Nightfall is just so atmospherically creepy. It was impossible not to put myself in the character's position, with Night falling fast, the chaos of preparing for the trip, and the cold, bleak winter that was upon them.

The creepy factor itself was upped a few degrees simply through fear of the unknown, not knowing what to expect from Night since none of the elders were talking. And then to get left behind? The fear of being left alone on the island -- with who knows what nightmarish creatures lurking in the forest -- was an almost palpable thing.

The characters were a little younger than I expected going into this book, but that makes their story no less interesting. I think the fact that they are only around fourteen and the fact that the focus is on their attempt to get to the boats -- and not necessarily on a romance -- made the horror of their predicament much easier to get invested in. The narrative is split between the three teens, and although it felt a little Marin-centric at times, I think I enjoyed Kana's perspective a bit more than the others.

If you're looking for a creepy read to add to your Fall/Halloween TBR, look no further. Nightfall is a very atmospheric read and is high on suspense. I'll likely need a re-read, since I sped through it the first time around, ready to see those kids make it. :)

GIF it to me straight:

About the authors:

Jake Halpern is an author, journalist, and radio producer. His first book, Braving Home (2003), was a main selection for the Book of the Month Club by Bill Bryson and was one of Library Journal's “Best Books of the Year.” His next book, Fame Junkies (2007), was the basis for an original series on NPR's All Things Considered and portions of the book were published in both the New Yorker and in Entertainment Weekly. Jake’s most recent nonfiction book, Bad Paper (FSG), was excerpted as the New York Times Magazine and it was chosen as an Amazon "Book of the Year." Jake’s debut work of fiction, a young adult trilogy, Dormia, has been hailed by the American Library Association's Booklist as a worthy heir to the Harry Potter series. In September of 2014, Jake signed a two book deal with Putnam / Penguin for two more young adult novels. As a journalist, Jake has written for The New York Times Magazine, The New Yorker, The Atlantic Monthly, The Wall Street Journal, GQ, Sports Illustrated, The New Republic, Slate, Smithsonian, Entertainment Weekly, Outside, New York Magazine, and other publications. In the realm of radio, Jake is a contributor to NPR's All Things Considered and This American Life. Jake's hour-long radio story, "Switched at Birth," is on This American Life's "short list" as one of its top eight shows of all time. One of Jake's stories is the basis for a new movie being produced by 20th Century Fox and Heyday Films (which made the Harry Potter movies). Last, but not least, Jake is a fellow of Morse College at Yale University, where he teaches a class on journalism. He recently returned from India where he was visiting as a Fulbright Scholar.

Find Jake:

Website | Goodreads | Instagram

Peter Kujawinski is an author and diplomat born in Chicago. His first fictional work, Dormia, was co-written with noted journalist Jake Halpern. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in 2009, Dormia was hailed by the American Library Association's Booklist as the next Harry Potter. The second book in the series, World's End, was released by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in 2010. The third book in the Dormia series is tentatively titled The Shadow Tree. He also works for the State Department as a Foreign Service Officer. His assignments as a diplomat include US Embassies in Tel Aviv, Paris, the UN Security Council in New York City, and Port-au-Prince, Haiti. In addition to his fiction, his nonfiction commentaries have been published in the international edition of the New York Times.

Find Peter:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Instagram

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Labels: horror, jake halpern, nightfall, penguin, peter kujawinski, review in a giffy, reviews

{Blog Tour} Nightfall by Jake Halpern & Peter Kujawinski - Top Ten & Giveaway

Today on the blog, I'm hosting a stop on the Nightfall Blog Tour, brought to you by Penguin Teen. For today's stop, the authors have each contributed a list of their top ten favorite things they can't live without. First, though, here's a little more about the book, which releases on Tuesday:


Title: Nightfall
Author: Jake Halpern & Peter Kujawinski
Series: n/a
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: September 22, 2015
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible

The dark will bring your worst nightmares to light, in this gripping and eerie survival story, perfect for fans of James Dashner and Neil Gaiman.

On Marin’s island, sunrise doesn’t come every twenty-four hours—it comes every twenty-eight years. Now the sun is just a sliver of light on the horizon. The weather is turning cold and the shadows are growing long.

Because sunset triggers the tide to roll out hundreds of miles, the islanders are frantically preparing to sail south, where they will wait out the long Night.

Marin and her twin brother, Kana, help their anxious parents ready the house for departure. Locks must be taken off doors. Furniture must be arranged. Tables must be set. The rituals are puzzling—bizarre, even—but none of the adults in town will discuss why it has to be done this way.

Just as the ships are about to sail, a teenage boy goes missing—the twins’ friend Line. Marin and Kana are the only ones who know the truth about where Line’s gone, and the only way to rescue him is by doing it themselves. But Night is falling. Their island is changing.

And it may already be too late.

Top Ten Favorites
by Peter Kujawinski & Jake Halpern

Peter Kujawinski’s Top 10 – but in no particular order!

1. Snow – I’ve gotta have a little cold in my year. I’m notorious in my family for suggesting cold weather vacations during the winter, when everyone wants to go south!
2. Coffee – I guess this is relatively obvious, but it’s a crutch, an excuse, a well of creativity, and the sometimes the only thing that keeps me going with a full working day and three kids under the age of 5! Happily consuming since the age of 17.
3. My NYTimes.com subscription – When I was in high school, I’d go home and first thing I’d do is read the newspaper. I’m an omnivorous news junkie – local, international, style, politics, sports, everything and anything – I’ll probably want to read about it.
4. Storytime with my children – it’s the distillation of everything I love most about having children. They’re inquisitive, totally mesmerized, even if it’s an alphabet book with a very meager plot. It’s also a nice reminder that even the children of our ultra-wired generation cannot escape the lure of a good book.
5. Chicago Cubs – my hometown team. During all these years without a World Series, I can’t shake this tightly wound allegiance. It’s worse now, of course, given that they’re in playoff contention. Hope springs eternal – especially with my Cubbies.
6. Camping/canoeing/hiking – Sure, these are all slightly different, but it’s all part of the same idea. Being outside and experiencing nature in all its glory. From when I was a kid to now, going outside frequently is the surest way to keep myself on track. There is no substitute for experiencing the world they way our ancestors did many generations ago.
7. Biking – This is a more recent “can’t live without.” I completed my first triathlon about a year ago, and in preparation for that, I bought my first ever road bike. Compared to knockabout bike from years past, it was like going from crawling to sprinting. Euphoria is a word I use a lot when it comes to bike riding.
8. Writing – It’s not only what I do for a living – it helps me live. A day without writing is much, much worse than a day without a shower. If I’m writing, the rest of my life always seems to snap into place. I’m a better husband, better father, and nicer to strangers!
9. Jake Halpern – my creative partner’s infectious energy and love of life have inspired me over so many years. A day without talking to him – either about a plot point in Nightfall or what we did the night before – is a sad day indeed.
10. Ice Cream – Ask my mom about this. She claims ice cream has had profound, happiness-inducing effects on me over my entire life. I don’t know about that, but it’s true that for a 4th grade project, I did a mash-up of ice cream and cartography to produce a map of Ice Cream Land:

Jake Halpern's Top 10

1. Lifting weights. I go to this amazing Crossfit gym, which is basically in an old warehouse. I go here three times a week, sweat, grunt, gasp for air, and high-five a gang of other men and women who have become my pals.
2. Coffee. I have to down my coffee each morning. My favorite place is Manjares in New Haven.
   
   
   
   
   
3. Running. I run this rock twice a week and and love it.
   
   
   
   
   
4. Skiing at Butter Nut resort in Western Mass with my kids
   
   
   
   
   
5. New Haven pizza at “Bar.”
   
   
   
   
   
6. Exploring the old historical buildings in my hometown of Buffalo
   
   
   
   
   
7. Watching Game of Thrones
   
   
   
   
   
8. Playing Legos with my kids
   
   
   
   
   
9. My buddy and coauthor Peter, AKA KUJO. This is him as a kid:
   
   
   
   
   
10. Listening to the audio version of books by Nicholas Guy Smith, who reads Nightfall 
    
    
    

I love seeing what's most important to authors, what they can't live without. And I love that the authors each made each other's list, as did coffee! :D

About the authors:

Jake Halpern is an author, journalist, and radio producer. His first book, Braving Home (2003), was a main selection for the Book of the Month Club by Bill Bryson and was one of Library Journal's “Best Books of the Year.” His next book, Fame Junkies (2007), was the basis for an original series on NPR's All Things Considered and portions of the book were published in both the New Yorker and in Entertainment Weekly. Jake’s most recent nonfiction book, Bad Paper (FSG), was excerpted as the New York Times Magazine and it was chosen as an Amazon "Book of the Year." Jake’s debut work of fiction, a young adult trilogy, Dormia, has been hailed by the American Library Association's Booklist as a worthy heir to the Harry Potter series. In September of 2014, Jake signed a two book deal with Putnam / Penguin for two more young adult novels. As a journalist, Jake has written for The New York Times Magazine, The New Yorker, The Atlantic Monthly, The Wall Street Journal, GQ, Sports Illustrated, The New Republic, Slate, Smithsonian, Entertainment Weekly, Outside, New York Magazine, and other publications. In the realm of radio, Jake is a contributor to NPR's All Things Considered and This American Life. Jake's hour-long radio story, "Switched at Birth," is on This American Life's "short list" as one of its top eight shows of all time. One of Jake's stories is the basis for a new movie being produced by 20th Century Fox and Heyday Films (which made the Harry Potter movies). Last, but not least, Jake is a fellow of Morse College at Yale University, where he teaches a class on journalism. He recently returned from India where he was visiting as a Fulbright Scholar.

Find Jake:

Website | Goodreads | Instagram

Peter Kujawinski is an author and diplomat born in Chicago. His first fictional work, Dormia, was co-written with noted journalist Jake Halpern. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in 2009, Dormia was hailed by the American Library Association's Booklist as the next Harry Potter. The second book in the series, World's End, was released by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in 2010. The third book in the Dormia series is tentatively titled The Shadow Tree. He also works for the State Department as a Foreign Service Officer. His assignments as a diplomat include US Embassies in Tel Aviv, Paris, the UN Security Council in New York City, and Port-au-Prince, Haiti. In addition to his fiction, his nonfiction commentaries have been published in the international edition of the New York Times.

Find Peter:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Instagram

Thanks to Penguin Teen, we've got a hardcover of Nightfall to give away to one lucky winner! Open to U.S. residents only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Two Chicks on Books – Interview - 9/14
In Wonderland – Would You Rather? - 9/15
Forever Young Adult – Guest Post - 9/17
The Starry-Eyed Revue – Top 10 list - 9/18 - YOU ARE HERE! :)
The Social Potato – Guest Post - 9/21
Once Upon a Twilight – Book Playlist #1 - 9/22
The Passionate Bookworms – 25 Random Things - 9/23
Lili’s Reflections – Interview - 9/24
The Young Folks – Review & Giveaway – 9/25
Readers in Wonderland – Book Playlist #2 - 9/28
The Book Cellar – Interview - 9/29
Winterhaven Books – Interview - 10/1
A Reader Under the Sea – Review & Giveaway – 10/2

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Labels: blog tour, giveaways, guest post, horror, jake halpern, nightfall, penguin, peter kujawinski, top ten

Judging a Book By Its Cover: The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black

We so borrowed this idea from Sara at Forever 17 Books, who got the idea from an article on Babble called Judging a Book by Its Cover: A 6-year-old Guesses What Classic Novels Are All About. Basically, it's about getting a child's perspective on the story inside the book based on just the cover art. It can be hilarious, but it can also be enlightening.

Okay, I totally missed doing these posts with Katie, and it looks like it's been right at a year since our last one. While cleaning recently, I found the folder that I kept her previous iterations in -- all 33 of them! -- so I begged April to see if Aubrey would be up to contributing, too. Lucky for me, she was! =)






This week, the girls are working on the following book:

Title: The Coldest Girl in Coldtown
Author: Holly Black
Series: n/a
Publisher: Little, Brown BFYR
Publication Date: September 3, 2013
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible

Tana lives in a world where walled cities called Coldtowns exist. In them, quarantined monsters and humans mingle in a decadently bloody mix of predator and prey. The only problem is, once you pass through Coldtown’s gates, you can never leave.

One morning, after a perfectly ordinary party, Tana wakes up surrounded by corpses. The only other survivors of this massacre are her exasperatingly endearing ex-boyfriend, infected and on the edge, and a mysterious boy burdened with a terrible secret. Shaken and determined, Tana enters a race against the clock to save the three of them the only way she knows how: by going straight to the wicked, opulent heart of Coldtown itself.

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown is a wholly original story of rage and revenge, of guilt and horror, and of love and loathing from bestselling and acclaimed author Holly Black.

Behold, the girls' attempts at recreating The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black...

Aubrey's masterpiece & guess:

Aubrey says:

"Her hand is really cold because she's living in a cold cold COLD town."

lol, I wish you all could have seen her face when she told me this. I love how she did this cover. She insisted that I lay my hand down on the paper so she could trace it. I'm currently listening to this book and omg I love it so freaking much. It will go down as a favorite of mine, I can already tell. :)



Katie's artwork & thoughts:

Katie says:

"She's really cold and maybe if she touches someone, she might make them really cold, too."

I love it! And Katie's not that far off. I think the people in this book have more to worry about from bites than touches, though, lol. I've listened to the audio for this book several times now, and I think I love it more each time. Hands down, my favorite Holly Black book yet, and it's the perfect read -- or listen -- for this time of year!


Have you read this book or do you plan to? What do you think of the girls' artwork and their thoughts on the story's premise?

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Labels: aubrey, cover art, hachette, holly black, horror, judging a book by its cover, katiebug, the coldest girl in coldtown, vampires