Necessary Lies by Diane Chamberlain is a historical fiction novel set in North Carolina in the 1960s. It’s not a feel-good story, and it’s not exactly a feel-bad story either (hey, don’t laugh at me—words are hard), but it’s a little bit of both. The 1960s were a challenging time for women in general. Married women had to get permission from their husbands to be prescribed the newly available birth control pill, effectively placing their ...
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Book Review: In a Dark Place by Ray Garton | Whassamatter with the Snedeker Family?
Whassamatter with the Snedeker fam? Honestly… I can’t say for sure. My initial thought is addiction and mental illness, because the way this family is written in the book is not a great look. But truly, whassamatter with the author for using words like “whassamatter,” “hummum,” and “whum” and pretending they’re real? I hate feeling like a Karen in a book review—I really do. I try not to make things personal.But seriously… whassamatter with all ...
Book Review: The Haunted by Robert Curran | Terror in the Smurl Home
My first impression of this book? Not great. The author understandably uses pseudonyms for people who didn’t want to be revealed, which is fine. But then they admit that one character—Donald Bennett—is completely fictional, and that events were altered to make the story more dramatic. For a book billed as a “true story,” that’s a huge red flag. Because of that, I can’t in good conscience give this more than 2.5 stars. The preface really set ...
Book Review: Haunted Minnesota by Hugh E. Bishop | A Paranormal Road Trip Without Directions
I have to admit, I really didn’t enjoy this book. I recently relocated to the great state of Minnesota, and I was excited to dive into its haunted history and learn about the things that go bump in the night. Unfortunately, Haunted Minnesota didn’t quite deliver the spooky experience I'd hoped for. Structure and Organization: What’s Missing One of my main frustrations with Haunted Minnesota was the lack of organization. There’s no real ...
Book Review: American Spirits by Barb Rosenstock | The Fox Sisters Had Me Spilling 1848’s Juiciest Tea
What I Thought Going In I honestly didn’t know what to expect when I picked up American Spirits by Barb Rosenstock. The book is marketed for teens, and I’m way outside that demographic. Plus, I had mostly convinced myself that the Fox Sisters were complete frauds. Yet Barb Rosenstock pulled me into their world in a way that few authors ever do. The Fox Sisters: Frauds or Human Beings? I have to admit—I hated Leah, the oldest of the ...
