fantasy – The Fireside Chats

“The Complete Horowitz Horror” by Anthony Horowitz

Posted on September 14, 2020 by The Fireside Chats

I finished reading this last night. This book is actually a collection of short stories that are meant to be on the scary side (you can see a list below of the stories contained in this book along with a synopsis). I thought this was a good book. There were some mixed reviews of this online, some people thought that the stories contained within weren’t all that scary while other people said they enjoyed the book. I think this book is geared towards the young adult crowd so if you are an adult reading this book, you’ll have to take that into consideration when reading this. This would be a good book to get you in the mood for Halloween coming up.

Synopsis: New York Times Bestseller Anthony Horowitz’s horror collections, now in one volume! Welcome to a world where everything seems normal. At least, at first. But the sinister and truly terrifying lurk just beneath the surface. Like a bathtub with a history so haunted, no one dares get in it…or an ordinary-looking camera that does unspeakable things to its subjects…or an elevator filled with cannibals just waiting for their next victim to walk in. This wicked collection of eighteen macabre tales combining both Horowitz Horror and More Horowitz Horror will send shivers up your spine.

This edition includes…
1. Bath Night
2. Killer Camera
3. Light Moves
4. The Night Bus
5. Harriet’s Horrible Dream
6. Scared
7. A Career in Computer Games
8. The Man with the Yellow Face
9. The Monkey’s Ear
10. The Hitchhiker
11. The Sound of Murder
12. Burned
13. Flight 715
14. Howard’s End
15. The Elevator
16. The Phone Goes Dead
17. Twist Cottage
18. The Shortest Horror Story Ever Written

horror, Literature, mystery, young adult

“The Stone House” by A. K. Benedict

Posted on September 1, 2020 by The Fireside Chats

I finished reading this book this morning. This book didn’t turn out to be what I thought it was, however, it still ended up being a good book. I especially liked the way it ended. It’s hard describing this novel without giving away too much and ruining it for someone else that wants to read it. Basically, you think this is about a haunted house but it ends up having some unusual and surprising guests that you will end up rooting for by the end of the book.

Synopsis: There’s an old stone house near Coal Hill School. Most people hurry past it. They’ve heard the stories. But, if you stop, and look up, you’ll see the face of a girl, pressed up against a window. Screaming.

Tanya finds herself drawn to the stone house. There’s a mystery there, and she’s going to solve it. But the more she investigates, the more she realizes that there’s a presence in the house. One that wants her.

Something is waiting for Tanya in the stone house. Something that has been trapping others in its web over the years. Something that is far worse than any ghost.

Literature, Uncategorized

“Lucy Crisp and the Vanishing House” by Janet Hill

Posted on August 18, 2020 by The Fireside Chats

I finished reading this last night and I thought it was a fun read. It kind of has this whimsical vibe to it (I’m sure that this is something meant for younger audiences so that might have something to do with it). But if you want something light to read or something quick to read (by yourself or with your kids) then this would be a good book to choose for that. This may be a good pick for people who like the Harry Potter series (mostly resembles the first few books in the series).

Synopsis: It has been a year since Lucy Crisp graduated from high school and she still hasn’t found her calling. That is, until she discovers an exclusive arts college called Ladywyck Lodge. On a whim, she applies and is thrilled to be accepted into their program. Lucy moves to Esther Wren, the charming little town where it’s based, and stays in the house her father buys as an investment: a magnificent building built by a sea captain in 1876. The house has history and personality –perhaps too much personality. . .

Strange things start happening: Lucy hears voices and footsteps in empty rooms. She sees people and things that should not be there. Furniture disappears and elaborate desserts appear. What’s worse is that the strange events are not restricted to her house. Lucy begins to understand that the town and its inhabitants are hiding many secrets, and Ladywyck is at the heart. As the eerie happenings escalate, Lucy fears she is being threatened — but she is determined not to let fairy potions, spells and talk of witchcraft scare her away.

Janet Hill’s enchanting debut novel is part mystery, part supernatural thriller and all fun.

horror, Literature, thriller/suspense, young adult

“Campfire” by Shawn Sarles

Posted on August 11, 2020 by The Fireside Chats

I finished reading this today. This was a little different than I thought it was going to be but it was still a good book. It’s perfect for reading when you want a spooky read, especially during a thunderstorm. There were a few times that a thunderstorm came along while I was reading this book and I thought it helped create the perfect atmosphere. I even finished reading this during a thunderstorm today. The book might seem a little slow in the beginning but it gets good once you get past the first few chapters.

Synopsis: While camping in a remote location, Maddie Davenport gathers around the fire with her friends and family to tell scary stories. Caleb, the handsome young guide, shares the local legend of the ferocious Mountain Men who hunt unsuspecting campers and leave their mark by carving grisly antlers into their victims’ foreheads.

The next day, the story comes true. Now Maddie and her family are lost in the deep woods — with no way out — being stalked by their worst nightmares. Because there were other, more horrifying stories told that night — and Maddie’s about to find out just how they end . . .

Literature

“The Haunting of Gillespie House” by Darcy Coates

Posted on July 24, 2020 by The Fireside Chats

I’ve been reading this on my Kindle Fire and I was able to finish it last night. I didn’t realize it was going to be such a quick read but it was still a pretty good read despite that. This isn’t the first thing I’ve read by Darcy Coates (I’ve also read “The Haunting of Ashburn House” and “The House Next Door”, which are both on my Kindle) so that’s what kind of got me reading this book in the first place. I like reading things from this particular author but I am also a fan of horror. If you want to read something scary but you also want a quick read, this would be a good book to pick up.

Synopsis: Elle can’t believe her luck; she’s spending a month house-sitting the beautiful Gillespie property. Hidden near the edge of the woods and an hour’s drive from the nearest town, its dark rooms and rich furniture entice her to explore its secrets. There’s even a graveyard hidden behind the house, filled with tombstones that bear an identical year of death.

If only the scratching in the walls would be quiet…

The house’s dark and deadly history quickly becomes tangled with Elle’s life. At the center of it is Jonathan Gillespie, the tyrannical cult leader and original owner of the house. As Elle soon learns — just because he’s dead, doesn’t mean he’s gone.

Fun

Explore Science Fiction & Fantasy Week!

Posted on July 14, 2020 by The Fireside Chats

At Goodreads, they’re celebrating science fiction & fantasy week. One thing they’ve done is listed the 100 most popular science fiction books on Goodreads, the 100 most popular fantasy books on Goodreads and more (you can view it all at the link below). What are some of your favorite science fiction and fantasy novels? Which do you like more…..science fiction or fantasy? How much time do you spend reading each? What are you doing to celebrate science fiction/fantasy week?

https://www.goodreads.com/blog/show/1890-explore-science-fiction-fantasy-week

fantasy, Literature

Is Winter Coming?

Posted on June 25, 2020 by The Fireside Chats

I just found out that we may be finally getting the sixth book in George R. R. Martin’s “A Song of Ice and Fire” series. “The Winds of Winter”, the sixth book, is supposedly going to be released some time in 2021 for those of you that are fans of the series. For more info, you can read the article here…

https://blog.booksamillion.com/just-in/news-just-in/2020/06/is-winter-coming-a-new-game-of-thrones/?oxid=1329&oxname=newsblog&oxpage=home&oxpos=450.4&oxdate=062320&_ga=2.76043357.975697517.1593094263-1532050793.1577055498

Will you be getting the next book as soon as it comes out? Will you pre-order the book or just purchase it when it comes out? How long do you think it will take you to read the book when you get it? What are your hopes for this novel?

Answer a question

Summer Reading

Posted on June 9, 2020 by The Fireside Chats

How many of you will be engaged in a bit of reading this summer? How much reading do you think you’ll get done over the summer? Will your children be reading over the summer as well? Do you and your child/children read together or do you each do you own reading separately?

My summer reading usually goes the same as it does the rest of the year. I don’t normally go by any list made by any of the “experts” (although some of the stuff I’ve read has ended up on some of these lists without my knowing until after I looked at them). I usually just pick my books at random based on what I am interested in and what I feel like reading at the moment (I tend to move around a few different genre’s, it keeps me from getting bored with the same thing over and over again).

Please, feel free to share any reading you’ll be doing this summer in the comments section. I do take suggestions from friends, even if I don’t necessarily follow what the experts say about a particular book.

fantasy, Literature, romance, young adult

Picked this up over the weekend…

Posted on May 25, 2020 by The Fireside Chats

I’ve picked this book up over the weekend. The synopsis sounded good so I thought it would be a good read for the summer. Plus, I found out when I got home that Universal Studios has picked up the film rights for this book so I may be watching the movie adaptation of this book at some point in the future. I also found out that this is the first book in a trilogy and the next book, Crush, will be released on September 29th of this year.

Synopsis: 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.

TV (based on literature)

Creepshow

Posted on May 5, 2020June 15, 2020 by The Fireside Chats

There was an episode of this tv show that aired last night and I got to watch it after a long day at work. There are some authors that were suppose to be apart of this, like Stephen King and Joe Hill. I thought this was a new show when it aired last night but apparently this is the second season that started airing. Now I’m going to have to go back and watch the episodes from the first season.

Anyway, Creepshow is a comic book series that tells a series of tales that are suppose to be scary. It sounds kind of like the Tales from the Crypt in a way. I enjoyed last nights episode and I’m going to have to catch up on the first season at some point. Is there anyone else out there that has been watching this show? If so, what are your thoughts on it?