Dracula by Bram Stoker

Genre: Horror, Gothic Horror, Classic Horror

My Rating: 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

Denn die Todten reiten Schnell.” (“For the dead travel fast.”)

“Omnia Romae venalia sunt-Hell has its price.” – Dr. Seward’s Diary

Have you ever loved a book, eventhough it wasn’t perfect?

** minor spoilers up ahead **

Oh my goodness..I loved this story so much, despite some flaws and trouble with the dialogue. I’m a total amateur when it comes to classics, so I needed the help of Google to help navigate through some of the language.

One of my goals this year is to start reading some classic literature, and this was a good introduction for me.

Since I like to end on a positive note, lets start with:

The Flaws..

– The ending. After such a strong buildup, the ending was very anticlimactic in my opinion. I literally went back and forth between the ebook and the physical copy, to see if I had missed something or if the two copies were different. Nope. They both ended the same way, which was a disappointment.

I was like “Wait. What? That’s it?!!”

–Renefield. I quite enjoyed reading about him, so I was bummed to see his character go nowhere. I kept thinking his parts would lead somewhere, but it never really did. Unless I missed something?

– Count Dracula. I didn’t know what to expect, but I did kinda think his character took a bit of back seat. We spend a lot of time between Dr. Seward, Van Helsing and Mina, but we don’t get to see much of the man himself..mostly just the things he’s is capable of.

Jonathan Harker

– While I enjoyed his account of his stay at the castle with the Count, I wanted to know how he managed to escape. All we know is that he is found at a hospital/chapel, but we don’t know how he got there or why Dracula lets him go.

What I Loved..

–The Characters!

I can’t say there was one character I didn’t like!

Lucy

– I loved her! She’s like that adventurous friend you live vicariously through.

Dracula

– I was surprised by what I learned about him. 1) He has a moustache. I didn’t know that. Did you?

Ok, so truth be told. The mention of his bushy eyebrows, totally made me think of Count Chocula. You know..the chocolatey cereal?! 🤭🤭

2) He’s a shapeshifter! I knew he could turn into a bat, but who knew he could turn into wolf too? Let alone, control them. If I read it correctly, he was also able to turn into mist? Or fog?

So if you read it or know the story, you can see why I was disappointed with the ending.

Van Helsing

– The only Van Helsing I knew of before reading this book, was the one Hugh Jackman played on screen. (I know..I need to get out more.) 😜😄

He surprised me the most. Firstly, I didn’t know this is where he originated from. And secondly, he is so not Hugh Jackman. 🤣

Dr. John Seward

– He seemed like such a good, sweet guy. Picture Ross Gellar, but an actual doctor. 😜

Mina

I loved her sisterhood with Lucy. She was a good friend and in my opinion, a strong woman, given the time period.

Overall, I highly recommend reading this if you enjoy classic fiction or wanna dip your toes into Gothic horror (or both).

Have you read it? Do you like reading classics? Which ones are your fave?

The Bone Garden by Heather Kassner

On this week’s episode of My Burn Book, I present…

Genre: Middle Grade Fiction

My Rating: ⭐⭐ – DNF @ chapter 10

I haven’t read any middle grade horror since I was a kid, so I was really looking forward to reading this with Jonny from Jaunts & Haunts.

It’s always a blast chatting with Jonny, but we both agreed that this book was a dud.

Here’s how our convo went down:

Jonny: So, that book just happened. *cringe* Thanks for chatting it up with me on Insta and making me feel less crazy when I started not liking it. I had to really push to finish this one.

Gigi: Jonny (side note: do you prefer Jonny?), you were way nicer than I was. I’ll be honest, since it was our first time reading together. I was treading lightly at first. But let’s be real. The book was boring! Hats off to you for seeing it through. I only made it to chapter 10 before DNF-ing. Womp womp.

Jonny: Yeah, I go by Jonny. Only my mom calls me Jonathan, and that’s usually when she’s upset with me.

I try to see the best in the books I read, but sometimes even that’s a stretch. This is definitely one of those times.
I can’t agree with you more. Through the whole thing, I never really felt anything. Usually, certain things in a book will move me, will inspire some kind of emotion, but I was just flatlined the whole time. Do not resuscitate! I don’t blame you for DNF’ing, I almost did several times, like where is this all going?

Is there anything that worked for you despite dropping it?

Gigi: Actually, there were a few things I liked a out the book:

– Loved the setting! The cemetery, the skeletons, that’s a winner right there.

-The characters. Irrelle & Miss Vesper were great characters in the making. Just the actual storytelling fell flat.

-The premise. I loved the whole idea of Irrelle being created from bone dust. The synopsis made it sound like Irrelle becomes defiant and destroys Miss Vesper’s new creation on purpose. But that’s not what actually happened. Or did I miss something?

*sigh* this one had so much potential.

Jonny: Good points. I really enjoyed the ambience too. Anything spooky is right up my alley, and the magic aspect was interesting. Bone magic? Very cool! Unfortunately it really didn’t pan out well. Setting and concept can only get you so far if it isn’t cohesive and executed well.
Oh, Irreele kind of ‘tried’ to be defiant, but she was really meek and rarely followed through on her thoughts. While she was abused and that was definitely a deterrent for her to lash out, in much of the book there’s nothing really stopping her from acting out, just her cowardice. I wasn’t buying it.

What character would you say was most believable?

I liked Guy because his personality stood out. He was emotional, didn’t like Miss Vesper, and didn’t hide it in his actions either. I wish Irreele would’ve taken bravery from him as well as Lass and step up for herself.

Gigi: Because I DNF’d, I never really had a chance to meet Guy or Lass. I completely agree on following through on Irreele’s thoughts. I kept wanting her to grow some balls so to speak.

I actually thought Miss Vesper’s character was done very well. For me, she was very believable and a good villain in my opinion.

Jonny: Oh, that’s right. I forgot exactly how slow the beginning was. Goodness!

I agree with you. For the most part, Miss Vesper’s character was stable throughout. Cold, merciless, two-faced. Definitely a good villain, though in spots later she did betray her character a bit (trying to keep it spoiler free is so hard!).

Well, I’m sorry this one didn’t pan out as we’d hoped, but there’s plenty of books out there, and I’m excited about the next ones we’re considering. Thanks so much for being my reading buddy. We have a lot of great stories ahead of us!

Gigi: I know. I had high hopes walking into this one! Too bad it didn’t work out. Oh well… there will be others and I’m looking forward to reading more books with you!! Xo.

NOS4A2 By Joe Hill @WmMorrowBooks

Genre: Horror

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

“HIC LOCUS EST UBI MORS GAUDET SUCCURRERE VITAE.”

– This is the place where death delights to help the living.

I had DNF’d this first time I tried to read it. And it wasn’t because it wasn’t good. At the time, IT was still fresh in my mind, and Maggie’s stuttering reminded me too much of Bill.

I’m so glad I gave this another go, cause it was a fucking wild ride!

I totally geeked out and loved all the nerdy references:

-the Superman earrings
-Wonder Woman shirt
-Horcrux tattoo
-The name of the nurse: Bilbo! Hello LOTR!!
-Tabitha (love that he named an FBI agent after his mom). In fact, this book was dedicated to her! How sweet is that?!!

I also loved the subtle nods to Dad’s work in this one.

My only tiff was that some parts dragged . I felt like 100 pages could easily have been shaved off. And the ending..while it was satisfying, I think it should have been played out differently for an even more dramatic effect.

Overall, a great read if you’re in the mood for horror and a different take on vampires.

I know most hated Charlie Manx & Bing, but I loved them cause they were so vile!

Have you read it? Seen the show?

I haven’t seen the show yet, but I’m going to this week and can’t wait!!

Victoria McQueen has a secret gift for finding things: a misplaced bracelet, a missing photograph, answers to unanswerable questions. On her Raleigh Tuff Burner bike, she makes her way to a rickety covered bridge that, within moments, takes her wherever she needs to go, whether it’s across Massachusetts or across the country.

Charles Talent Manx has a way with children. He likes to take them for rides in his 1938 Rolls-Royce Wraith with the NOS4A2 vanity plate. With his old car, he can slip right out of the everyday world, and onto the hidden roads that transport them to an astonishing – and terrifying – playground of amusements he calls “Christmasland.”

Then, one day, Vic goes looking for trouble—and finds Manx. That was a lifetime ago. Now Vic, the only kid to ever escape Manx’s unmitigated evil, is all grown up and desperate to forget. But Charlie Manx never stopped thinking about Victoria McQueen. He’s on the road again and he’s picked up a new passenger: Vic’s own son.

Survivor Song by Paul Tremblay

On this week’s episode of ‘My Burn Book‘, I present..

Genre: Horror, Thriller

My Rating: DNF (⭐⭐)

“We’ve been quarantined. Nice knowing everybody.”

This sounded so good and was one of my most anticipated reads this summer! But was a complete letdown!

I thought it was slow and read more like a play/script…written by Joey Tribbiani! Remember that episode of Friends where Ross tells Joey to write a play? Well, this is what it reminded me of.

It goes a little something like this:

Natalie said..

Paul says..

Something happens..

The man shouts…

Yeah. Not good! This is my first Tremblay read and a horrible start. I’m hoping his other book, Growing Things and Other Stories is better!

** Thank you Harper Collins Canada for providing me an ARC **

Have you read this one yet? Is it on your TBR? Have you read any of his other books?

In a matter of weeks, Massachusetts has been overrun by an insidious rabies-like virus that is spread by saliva. But unlike rabies, the disease has a terrifyingly short incubation period of an hour or less. Those infected quickly lose their minds and are driven to bite and infect as many others as they can before they inevitably succumb. Hospitals are inundated with the sick and dying, and hysteria has taken hold. To try to limit its spread, the commonwealth is under quarantine and curfew. But society is breaking down and the government’s emergency protocols are faltering.

Dr. Ramola “Rams” Sherman, a soft-spoken pediatrician in her mid-thirties, receives a frantic phone call from Natalie, a friend who is eight months pregnant. Natalie’s husband has been killed—viciously attacked by an infected neighbor—and in a failed attempt to save him, Natalie, too, was bitten. Natalie’s only chance of survival is to get to a hospital as quickly as possible to receive a rabies vaccine. The clock is ticking for her and for her unborn child.

Natalie’s fight for life becomes a desperate odyssey as she and Rams make their way through a hostile landscape filled with dangers beyond their worst nightmares—terrifying, strange, and sometimes deadly challenges that push them to the brink

InvestiGATORS by John Patrick Green @MacKidsBooks @johngreenart

Genre: Middle Grade, Graphic Novel

Munchkin Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I read this with my kids for our usual story time, and my 8 year old son loved it so much, he was hungover.

If you enjoy:

– Captain Underpants & Dogman

– fun & silly puns

MANGO and BRASH are the INVESTIGATORS:
sewer-loving agents of S.U.I.T.* and scourge of supervillains everywhere!

With their Very Exciting Spy Technology and their tried-and-true, toilet-based travel techniques, the InvestiGators are undercover and on the case! And on their first mission together, they have not one but two mysteries to solve! Can Mango and Brash uncover the clues, crack their cases, and corral the crooks—or will the criminals wriggle out of their grasp?

[#BookReview] If It Bleeds by Stephen King

** Minor spoilers up ahead **

Genre: Horror, Occult Fiction, Thriller, Suspense

My Overall Rating: ⭐⭐ 1/2

If it bleeds, it leads. That’s because the stories people are most interested in are bad news stories.

Mr.Harrigan’s Phone

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

I’m so glad I buddy read this one! Otherwise, I would’ve been more disappointed with this story than I was. I kept waiting for ‘the moment’, but there never really was one. Sorry..but the rest of the book doesn’t get any better either!

I did enjoy the relationship between Craig & Mr. Harrigan, along with the creepy texts, which is why I gave this one a 3.

Life With Chuck

Rating: ⭐⭐

The ending of this one was my only favourite part, and wish the story were lead with this idea instead of an apocalyptic one.

It was just weird and didn’t quite mesh well for me.

If It Bleeds

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

I LOVED The Outsider and this was my most anticipated story! Unfortunately, it was mostly underwhelming and slow at first. Very much like the show..slow and boring.

About halfway through it picked up and I was enjoying revisiting the idea of an Outsider.

I liked Holly Gibney more in this story, even though I have a love/hate relationship with her. So if you already don’t like her, you’ll hate this story cause it’s all about Holly here.

Rat

Rating: ⭐⭐1/2

This story had a lot of potential with missed opportunities in my opinion.

I kept thinking it was going to be a pandemic story and trying to see where he was going with the whole flu thing. But it never really went anywhere.

I’m not a fan of rats, so the scritch scratching of a rat at the door in the middle of a stormy night, in a cabin, in the woods was creepy and cringeworthy for me.

There was a small unexpected twist, but that was about as good as the story got.

What I wanted to see was Drew go a little Jack Torrance while he was out in the cabin alone. Instead, not much happened and I just wanted to be done already.

Overall, this was probably my most disappointing King book I’ve read and own so far.

Have you read it? What did you think?

First Line Fridays | #currentlyreading

First Line Fridays is hosted by Hoarding Books where we share the first line or lines of a book we are currently reading or going to start soon.

NURSE THORNTON DROPPED INTO THE LONG-TERM-CARE WARD A little before eight with a hot bag of blood for Charlie Manx.

Are you into horror?

I’m currently buddy reading NOS4A2, which is actually a second go for me. I DNF’d it the first time and wanted to try it again.

Do you ever give books you weren’t feelin the first time around a second chance by reading it again?

What are you reading right now?

Victoria McQueen has a secret gift for finding things: a misplaced bracelet, a missing photograph, answers to unanswerable questions. On her Raleigh Tuff Burner bike, she makes her way to a rickety covered bridge that, within moments, takes her wherever she needs to go, whether it’s across Massachusetts or across the country.

Charles Talent Manx has a way with children. He likes to take them for rides in his 1938 Rolls-Royce Wraith with the NOS4A2 vanity plate. With his old car, he can slip right out of the everyday world, and onto the hidden roads that transport them to an astonishing – and terrifying – playground of amusements he calls “Christmasland.”

Then, one day, Vic goes looking for trouble—and finds Manx. That was a lifetime ago. Now Vic, the only kid to ever escape Manx’s unmitigated evil, is all grown up and desperate to forget. But Charlie Manx never stopped thinking about Victoria McQueen. He’s on the road again and he’s picked up a new passenger: Vic’s own son.

Top Ten Tuesday | Summer TBR

QOTD: What new releases or books are you looking forward to this summer?

Top Ten Tuesday is currently being hosted by That Artsy Girl Reader and this week’s topic is Books On My Summer 2020 TBR

Because I’m such a mood reader and have a hard time sticking to a planned list of reads, I’m just gonna shoot off some new releases I’ve been looking forward to reading but aren’t out yet!!

Survivor Song by Paul Tremblay

Pub Date: July 7, 2020

** Thank you Harper Collins Canada for gifting me an eARC **

I can’t wait to buddy read this one next month with Does The Dog Die In This? Book Club

SYNOPSIS
In a matter of weeks, Massachusetts has been overrun by an insidious rabies-like virus that is spread by saliva. But unlike rabies, the disease has a terrifyingly short incubation period of an hour or less. Those infected quickly lose their minds and are driven to bite and infect as many others as they can before they inevitably succumb. Hospitals are inundated with the sick and dying, and hysteria has taken hold. To try to limit its spread, the commonwealth is under quarantine and curfew. But society is breaking down and the government’s emergency protocols are faltering.
Dr. Ramola “Rams” Sherman, a soft-spoken pediatrician in her mid-thirties, receives a frantic phone call from Natalie, a friend who is eight months pregnant. Natalie’s husband has been killed—viciously attacked by an infected neighbor—and in a failed attempt to save him, Natalie, too, was bitten. Natalie’s only chance of survival is to get to a hospital as quickly as possible to receive a rabies vaccine. The clock is ticking for her and for her unborn child.
Natalie’s fight for life becomes a desperate odyssey as she and Rams make their way through a hostile landscape filled with dangers beyond their worst nightmares—terrifying, strange, and sometimes deadly challenges that push them to the brink.

Midnight Sun by Stephenie Meyer

Pub Date: August 4, 2020

Where are my Twilight fans at??

I was a huuuge fan of Twilight back when it first came out! Vampires? Werewolves? Yes please! Hate all you want, but I loved it and have no shame in admitting it either. I admit. It’s been years since I last read it, so Midnight Sun will be fresh for me, and interesting to see if I still feel the same as I did then.

SYNOPSIS

When Edward Cullen and Bella Swan met in Twilight, an iconic love story was born. But until now, fans have heard only Bella’s side of the story. At last, readers can experience Edward’s version in the long-awaited companion novel, Midnight Sun.

This unforgettable tale as told through Edward’s eyes takes on a new and decidedly dark twist. Meeting Bella is both the most unnerving and intriguing event he has experienced in all his years as a vampire. As we learn more fascinating details about Edward’s past and the complexity of his inner thoughts, we understand why this is the defining struggle of his life. How can he justify following his heart if it means leading Bella into danger?

Blood & Honey by Shelby Mahurin

Pub Date: September 1, 2020

I loved Serpent & Dove! More than I actually thought I would. So I’m really looking forward to seeing what happens in this one 🙂

SYNOPSIS
After narrowly escaping death at the hands of the Dames Blanches, Lou, Reid, Coco, and Ansel are on the run from coven, kingdom, and church—fugitives with nowhere to hide.

To elude the scores of witches and throngs of chasseurs at their heels, Lou and Reid need allies. Strong ones. But protection comes at a price, and the group is forced to embark on separate quests to build their forces. As Lou and Reid try to close the widening rift between them, the dastardly Morgane baits them in a lethal game of cat and mouse that threatens to destroy something worth more than any coven.

What’s on your summer tbr??

[#middlegrademonday] Book Haul

QOTD: Are you into horror? Or like scary stories?

I can’t believe I got mail on a Sunday! It feels likes Christmas in June 😜.

Here’s my latest haul from Book Outlet:

GROWING THINGS & OTHER STORIES by PAUL TREMBLAY

I’ve never read anything by Paul Tremblay, so I’m very excited to read this one & Survivor Song next month.

SYNOPSIS

A chilling anthology featuring nineteen pieces of short fiction from the multiple award-winning author of the national bestseller The Cabin at the End of the World and A Head Full of Ghosts..

In The Teacher, a Bram Stoker Award nominee for best short story, a student is forced to watch a disturbing video that will haunt and torment her and her classmates’ lives.

Four men rob a pawn shop at gunpoint only to vanish, one-by-one, as they speed away from the crime scene in The Getaway.

In Swim Wants to Know If It’s as Bad as Swim Thinks, a meth addict kidnaps her daughter from her estranged mother as their town is terrorized by a giant monster . . . or not.

Joining these haunting works are stories linked to Tremblay’s previous novels. The tour de force metafictional novella Notes from the Dog Walkers deconstructs horror and publishing, possibly bringing in a character from A Head Full of Ghosts, all while serving as a prequel to Disappearance at Devil’s Rock. “The Thirteenth Temple” follows another character from A Head Full of Ghosts—Merry, who has published a tell-all memoir written years after the events of the novel. And the title story, Growing Things, a shivery tale loosely shared between the sisters in A Head Full of Ghosts, is told here in full.

THE BONE GARDEN by HEATHER KASSNER

I’m going to be participating in my first middle grade buddy read with Jaunts & Haunts (Jonathan Pongratz) next month! I can’t wait!!

SYNOPSIS

Remember, my dear, you do not really and truly exist.”

Made of dust and bone and imagination, Irréelle fears she’s not quite real. Only the finest magical thread tethers her to life—and to Miss Vesper. But for all her efforts to please her cruel creator, the thread is unraveling. Irréelle is forgetful as she gathers bone dust. She is slow returning from the dark passages beneath the cemetery. Worst of all, she is unmindful of her crooked bones.

When Irréelle makes one final, unforgivable mistake by destroying a frightful creature just brought to life, Miss Vesper threatens to imagine her away once and for all. Defying her creator for the very first time, Irréelle flees to the underside of the graveyard and embarks on an adventure to unearth the mysterious magic that breathes bones to life, even if it means she will return to dust and be no more.

SMALL SPACES by KATHERINE ARDEN

After suffering a tragic loss, eleven-year-old Ollie only finds solace in books. So when she happens upon a crazed woman at the river threatening to throw a book into the water, Ollie doesn’t think–she just acts, stealing the book and running away. As she begins to read the slender volume, Ollie discovers a chilling story about a girl named Beth, the two brothers who both loved her, and a peculiar deal made with “the smiling man,” a sinister specter who grants your most tightly held wish, but only for the ultimate price.

Ollie is captivated by the tale until her school trip the next day to Smoke Hollow, a local farm with a haunting history all its own. There she stumbles upon the graves of the very people she’s been reading about. Could it be the story about the smiling man is true? Ollie doesn’t have too long to think about the answer to that. On the way home, the school bus breaks down, sending their teacher back to the farm for help. But the strange bus driver has some advice for the kids left behind in his care: “Best get moving. At nightfall they’ll come for the rest of you.” Nightfall is, indeed, fast descending when Ollie’s previously broken digital wristwatch, a keepsake reminder of better times, begins a startling countdown and delivers a terrifying message: RUN.

Only Ollie and two of her classmates heed the bus driver’s warning. As the trio head out into the woods–bordered by a field of scarecrows that seem to be watching them–the bus driver has just one final piece of advice for Ollie and her friends: “Avoid large places. Keep to small.”

And with that, a deliciously creepy and hair-raising adventure begins.

GHOST AND BONE by ANDREW PRENTICE

Oscar Grimstone is a normal kid–aside from his secret Curse. Whenever he touches something living, like a flower or his classroom goldfish, they always seem to die. But then Oscar discovers an even bigger secret: even though he is very much alive, he has the ability to transform into a ghost.

Just when he thinks things can’t get any stranger two ghosts show up at his home in a skeleton carriage and he winds up joining them on a journey beyond the real world to a place he never knew existed–the city of ghosts. There Oscar will discover a place where people go once they die, before they aboard a ship to the The Other Side. But will he find out who he really is?

WATCH HOLLOW by GREGORY FUNARO

Deep within the enchanted woods in the town of Watch Hollow stands the once-grand Blackford House, whose halls hold a magical secret: a giant cuckoo clock that does much more than tell time. But when the clock’s gears cease to turn, an evil presence lurking among the trees begins to come out of the shadows.

When Lucy and Oliver Tinker arrive in Watch Hollow, they have no idea that anything is wrong. A mysterious stranger has made their father an offer that’s too good for him to refuse. All Mr. Tinker needs to do is fix the clock at Blackford House and fistfuls of gold coins are his to keep.

It doesn’t take long, however, for the children to realize that there is more to Blackford House than meets the eye. And before they can entirely understand the strange world they’ve stumbled into, Lucy and Oliver must join forces with a host of magical clock animals to defeat the Garr—a vicious monster that not only wants Blackford House for itself, but also seeks to destroy everything the Tinkers hold dear.

Have you read any of these?

[#BookReview] Crave by Tracy Wolffe

Any fans of Mean Girls??🙋‍♀️ Remember that pink book Regina George had? The Burn Book?

Well, I’m starting my version of the Burn Book here on my blog by roasting books I DNF’d, thought were overhyped and hated.

First up..Crave by Tracy Wolffe

Genre: YA

My Rating: ⭐ – DNF @chapter 7

Vampires are making a comeback this year, and I’ve been in the mood for a good blood-sucking read..

This. Was soo not it!

How bad is it when you’re the one who makes the book selection for a buddy read, and is the first to DNF it??! 🤦‍♀️⁣
⁣
This book was a disaster from the get-go. I’m sorry if you loved it. But I hated it!

I know this is supposed to be YA, but the MC spoke like a 12 year old valley girl. And frankly, it was fucking annoying.

I went from the physical book to audio, thinking it would be better. NOPE. It was worse. And it wasn’t even the narrator’s fault. It was the book. ⁣

⁣Sorry (not sorry)..but this was pure dumpster fire.

Loved the 30 day return/exchange with Amazon, cause that was my favourite part! 😜😆
⁣
Have you read it? Did you love it? Or did you trash it?

My whole world changed when I stepped inside the academy. Nothing is right about this place or the other students in it. Here I am, a mere mortal among gods…or monsters. I still can’t decide which of these warring factions I belong to, if I belong at all. I only know the one thing that unites them is their hatred of me.

Then there’s Jaxon Vega. A vampire with deadly secrets who hasn’t felt anything for a hundred years. But there’s something about him that calls to me, something broken in him that somehow fits with what’s broken in me.

Which could spell death for us all.

Because Jaxon walled himself off for a reason. And now someone wants to wake a sleeping monster, and I’m wondering if I was brought here intentionally—as the bait.