Don’t forget to look for my Halloween reading countdown in the coming weeks, marked with Hx/31!
The Week in Books
Five Little Indians by Michelle Good — 3 out of 5 stars
The story of five Indigenous children taken from their families and sent to a church-run residential school, and their lives afterwards dealing with the demons brought on by the horrific abuse by those in charge of the school. Sadly, this sort of thing happened way too often to Native children in both the U.S. and Canada, and today the number of children who never made it out of the schools are just beginning to surface. I feel that this is an important book to read. My three star rating is based solely on my personal dislikes for some of the stereotypical actions and characters (almost like there was a checklist to make sure certain things were present). This is a difficult book to read at times due to the abuse and neglect (among other things) but one I would recommend.
Eleven on Top by Janet Evanovich — 3 out of 5 stars
One of my August TBR selections. The eleventh installment in the long-running series featuring goofy bounty hunter Stephanie Plum offers up the same ol’ stuff as the previous ten books…and I think I’m starting to get a little bored with it. We have the same ol’ love triangle, the same ol’ car bombings, same ol’ bail jumpers who try to outsmart everyone, you get the picture (of course, the comedic relief of sidekicks Lula and Grandma Mazur are always welcome). When I first started the series, I loved the quirkiness. Now, it just seems like cut and paste comedy. I have a few more of the series in my tbr pile, I’m not sure at this point if or when I will ever get to them as I feel they will probably continue to be the same scenarios, just a different day in the burg.
Novellas, Short Stories, and Anthologies
The Hatred by C.A. Gleason — 3.5/4 out of 5 stars
(H1/31) A musician looking to make a few bucks finds an ad in the paper for a housesitter. After being accepted for the job, he arrives, expecting to make an easy $5000. What he doesn’t know is the owner has other plans… A fast read that was the perfect kickoff for my Halloween reading marathon. There was good buildup and lots of creepiness. I would have liked to know a bit more about Abby, I think that would have added another layer of horror.
Claire’s Apocalypse by K.T. Rose — 3.5 out of 5 stars
(H2/31) Claire is the lead scientist behind a top secret government experiment, nine years in the making. After the program is cut, she decides to quit…and take this deadly secret with her, to sell to the highest bidder. What hell will be unleashed if put in the wrong hands? Another solid short story that involves a heavy buildup to the final few terrifying paragraphs. If you’re familiar with any story or movie that involves government experiments you’ll probably guess early on what’s coming. Still, a great read to add to your Halloween short story list.
Stay safe and Happy Reading!