Finished 8 in February, with one DNF.
1. Voices in the Darkness was a six story anthology edited by David Niall Wilson. The story by Brian Hopkins, which was the longest piece, making up over half the book’s length, was by far my favorite. The story by Elizabeth was OK. Had no interest in any of the other stories. 2.5 / 5
2. Such a Pretty Smile by Kristi DeMeester - every 15 years there appears a serial murderer who preys on young, troubled girls. I liked SAPS, it had a werewolf vibe to it, though the creature / entity was never explained. An ending that felt rushed & preachy (though that was my male perspective; a female perspective would probably feel otherwise) lowered what was a great read to pretty good read, though I would definitely continue reading if DeMeester continues the story. 4 / 5
3. The Open Door (chapbook) was a classic ghost story written by Margaret Oliphant about a family that moves into a mansion located next to some ancient ruins. I liked it, though I did find the story to be a little too slow paced for my tastes. 3 / 5
4. Zombie was the first novel I’ve read by Joyce Carol Oates, though over the years I’ve read her short fiction in various anthologies. Zombie is about a young man who is a sexual predator (apparently based on Jeffrey Dahmer) who is trying to create a sex slave by performing lobotomies on his victims. This was a dark story and a bit of a surprise as Joyce, who I’ve always considered more of a literary author, doesn’t hold back on any thing. Similar to the recently read Let’s go Play at the Adams’, it’s a hard novel to say you liked, but one that will stick with you for awhile. 4.5 / 5
5. The Dead Hours of Night was a collection by Lisa
Tuttle. I liked this collection, as Tuttle tends to have a very easygoing story telling style, even when dealing with some very dark subject matter. My at favorites were the disturbing ‘Closet Dreams’ about a young girl abducted and held captive, and a reread of ‘Replacements’, about small, needy vampiric creatures that begin to replace men in the lives of women. 4 / 5
6. The Bone Weaver’s Orchard by Sarah Read was a DNF for me. A paint by numbers plot & uninteresting characters couldn’t overcome an WTF, eye rolling scene at the half way point. DNF
7. CJ Tudor has become one my favorite authors in recent years, and her first short story collection, A Sliver of Darkness, only solidifies that perception of her work. Eleven stories & really not a bad one in the collection. Favorites included ‘End of the Liner’ (a never ending post apocalyptic cruise),
1. Voices in the Darkness was a six story anthology edited by David Niall Wilson. The story by Brian Hopkins, which was the longest piece, making up over half the book’s length, was by far my favorite. The story by Elizabeth was OK. Had no interest in any of the other stories. 2.5 / 5
2. Such a Pretty Smile by Kristi DeMeester - every 15 years there appears a serial murderer who preys on young, troubled girls. I liked SAPS, it had a werewolf vibe to it, though the creature / entity was never explained. An ending that felt rushed & preachy (though that was my male perspective; a female perspective would probably feel otherwise) lowered what was a great read to pretty good read, though I would definitely continue reading if DeMeester continues the story. 4 / 5
3. The Open Door (chapbook) was a classic ghost story written by Margaret Oliphant about a family that moves into a mansion located next to some ancient ruins. I liked it, though I did find the story to be a little too slow paced for my tastes. 3 / 5
4. Zombie was the first novel I’ve read by Joyce Carol Oates, though over the years I’ve read her short fiction in various anthologies. Zombie is about a young man who is a sexual predator (apparently based on Jeffrey Dahmer) who is trying to create a sex slave by performing lobotomies on his victims. This was a dark story and a bit of a surprise as Joyce, who I’ve always considered more of a literary author, doesn’t hold back on any thing. Similar to the recently read Let’s go Play at the Adams’, it’s a hard novel to say you liked, but one that will stick with you for awhile. 4.5 / 5
5. The Dead Hours of Night was a collection by Lisa
Tuttle. I liked this collection, as Tuttle tends to have a very easygoing story telling style, even when dealing with some very dark subject matter. My at favorites were the disturbing ‘Closet Dreams’ about a young girl abducted and held captive, and a reread of ‘Replacements’, about small, needy vampiric creatures that begin to replace men in the lives of women. 4 / 5
6. The Bone Weaver’s Orchard by Sarah Read was a DNF for me. A paint by numbers plot & uninteresting characters couldn’t overcome an WTF, eye rolling scene at the half way point. DNF
7. CJ Tudor has become one my favorite authors in recent years, and her first short story collection, A Sliver of Darkness, only solidifies that perception of her work. Eleven stories & really not a bad one in the collection. Favorites included ‘End of the Liner’ (a never ending post apocalyptic cruise),
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