In The Solarium

4.5/5 ⭐ Haunted motels, serial killers, and missing people. A good selection for a horror novel. And a great selection for this novel by Simone St. James. This horror plot follows both Viv and Carly in two very different journeys involving the Sun Down Motel in Fell, New York. Viv, a young women working the night shift at the hotel with dreams of New York City in 1982. And Carly, Viv’s niece, desperate to learn what happened to her Aunt all those years ago on the night she disappeared. I’ll admit, from the description and setting St. James created from page one, it was clear that this was going to be a spooky horror story. But I think that was part of the build up. And the description alone gave me chills. I am not usually a fan of the back and forth POV shifts, nor am I a fan of first person but I found that neither bothered me her as they have in the past. I liked seeing what was happening in the past that Carly was trying to uncover in the present. It built the suspense as we got cl

5 /5 ⭐ This collection of short stories from Hiromi Kawakami takes the reader through the streets and peeks into the lives of the people from the neighborhood. The grumpy chicken farmer, a school principle who trains dogs, and a delinquent for a best friend. In between the mundane happenings of these people Kawakami creates a universe filled with mystery and occasional mayhem. Drastic transformations of people and places, reverting back by the end of these bite sized tales. 3-4 page stories, packed with a satisfying story from start to finish. Learning little bits and pieces of characters that have been expertly woven throughout the pages. This collection was my first short story collection in years and the first one of 2022. I’ve read other works by Kawakami, and I was so excited to see this collection. The eye catching pink cover with little figurines depicting Japanese styled houses was the first thing that caught my eye. It was cute and interesting. I ended up reading the entire co

4/5 ⭐ A serial killer only known as The Cur, comes out at night and hunts down, mutilating young girls that aren’t “good girls”. Those who fight back and use their voice to stand up for themselves. This is absolutely a feminist horror novel that explores dark themes of sexism and societal expectations of gender norms. Told in duel timelines, we follow Lila, a 13-yr old, and her mother Caroline in their town as a young girl’s body was just discovered after having gone missing a few days before. And then jumping back to when Caroline was younger and we start to see parallels between then and now. Both are unreliable narrators, but don’t fall into the category of the reader being frustrated with their every decision. Tension builds slow but steady until you’re on the edge of your seat, devouring what happens. Recommended for horror fans that like a bit of social commentary and feminist elements. CW: Some graphic imagery\description referencing to assault\mutilation of younger teen victims

5/5 ⭐ Not very often am I struck with the urge to go and read more of the same books from a series as fast as I was for Laura Child’s Tea Shop Mysteries. Luckily, one of my libraries had a copy of the first story available. I ended up reading it all in just about two days. One thing that struck me right away was how well balanced it was with introducing the characters and setting while also introducing the mystery elements. It never felt like an information dump or that the mystery was pushed to the side. Which is often the case for setting up a cozy mystery series. The information we need was carefully dotted throughout the novel, explained exactly when we needed it. As for the characters, they were to be expected for a cozy mystery. An amateur sleuth thrust into an investigation after suspicion falls on them. Desperate to prove themselves innocent and find the guilty party they drag their coworkers and friends into their shenanigans. Different from most though, Theodosia (this series

5/5 ⭐ Haunted houses, tea, and murder. The perfect pairing for a cozy mystery. I had heard plenty about Laura Childs mysteries before. But before now, never had the notion to try one myself. It just never seemed to work out. But I finally did and am I glad I did. This is the 22nd book in the series and while my first, I didn’t find that I was missing any important information that I could have learned from the first ones. I enjoyed getting lost in their day-to-day business of making and serving tea and other tasty treats. Sometimes it felt like more of the story went to these tasks rather than the actual mystery but I still enjoyed them. As a tea lover, it sparked an urge to not only brew a cup but also try some of the blends they talked about as well. As for the characters, they were so colorful and vibrant I couldn’t help but fall in love with them and their antics. Yes, sometimes it feels overdramatic. But this is the south we are talking about so it doesn’t feel out of place in the