gothic

Image of a hand with painted fingernails holding a jar of cream. Blood is dripping from the hand. Cover blurb says: "'This novel is a blood-stained mirror. What truth will it reflect back to you?'-Rachel Harrison, national bestselling author of Black Sheep." Text says "youthjuice a novel e.k. sathue"

youthjuice

YOUTHJUICE rating: 3 stars ⭐⭐⭐. HEBE was supposed to give me the heebie-jeebies, but the novel stole its own thunder almost immediately. A slow horror buildup would have been ideal in the gothic horror novel youthjuice by E.K. Sathue (Penguin Random House, June 4, 2024). Sophia is the new Creative Director for HEBE, a cosmetics […]

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Image of a boy with fangs who appears to be howling inside a wolf who also appears to be howling. Both boy and wolf have red eyes. Text says "THE WEREWOLF AT DUSK AND OTHER STORIES DAVID SMALL AUTHOR OF STITCHES"

David Small, the Master

THE WEREWOLF AT DUSK: AND OTHER STORIES rating: 4 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐. (Every line of every illustration: five stars). David Small is a favorite illustrator of both me and my children, and STITCHES is my favorite graphic novel of all time and one of my favorite memoirs. This graphic novel story collection, THE WEREWOLF AT DUSK

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Text says "Stella Gibbons Cold Comfort Farm Introduction by Lynne Truss." Images of the characters drawn by Truss. Text in the center says "A few of the people you'll meet." Characters are labeled with text: Aunt Ada Doom saw something nasty in the woodshed, Flora Poste (holding a book with text The Higher Common Sense), Elfine a free spirit, Seth a prime specimen of manhood, Reuben a sad sack, Judith Starkadder just leave her in her misery, Adam washes dishes with a twig, Amos Starkadder (labeled with quote text "There'll be no butter in hell!")

Cold Comfort Farm

COLD COMFORT FARM rating: 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐. Last night I dreamt I went to Cold Comfort again. I didn’t see anything nasty in the woodshed, but then I steered well clear of all outbuildings. COLD COMFORT FARM by Stella Gibbons (1932) is 91 years old and one of my favorites. I’ve read it many times.

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Image has cover of starlings, keys, yellow flowers, and keys in a circular flurry. Text says "New York Times Bestselling Author Alix E. Harrow STARLING HOUSE." Text of cover blurb says "'Alix E. Harrow is an exceptional, undeniable talent.'Olivie Blake, New York Times Bestselling Author of THE ATLAS SIX."

Starling House

STARLING HOUSE rating: 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐. Like Alix E. Harrow‘s other heroines, orphan Opal is a savvy, strong-willed girl. She’s a Kentuckian, so she’s also willing to bend (or break) rules or face down any danger in order to fight for her kin. STARLING HOUSE (Tor/Macmillan, October 3, 2023) is a flipped fairy tale like

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