teaandtales1's reviews
917 reviews

In this re-release, Coates mentions that she went back and decided to keep almost everything in her first book as it was originally published. That's fine, and there were some good ideas, but as someone that has read a handful of her books it is clear she has made a lot of progress since writing this, and it probably wouldn't have hurt to change a few things.

I figured out the "big reveal" within 30 pages and confirmed with a friend. I was like - please tell me there's more to this book than this not-too-mysterious mystery and she was like, nah, that's pretty much it.

This is my second horror anthology I've read from Titan, and sadly to say, also the second I've been massively disappointed by. Like Isolation, the other collection I read, I was immediately grabbed by the premise and was looking for some great stories about cursed books. 

I love a good cursed book story, so I requested this advance copy from NetGalley as soon as I could. There were authors I knew and liked, as well as a number I hadn't read before. Unfortunately I felt like I slogged through, with only a few highlights that encouraged me to keep reading. 

While I actively disliked most of the stories, I did enjoy these:

"From the Sea" by Charlie Higson - This story opens the book and I was so excited. It involves a horror movie props designer that gains access to a cursed book he uses for inspiration, but leads to a terrible descent into madness.

"Choose Your Own Adventure" by Nadia Bulkin - A newlywed couple come across a spiritual shop with a book that will tell your future. The new bride takes it seriously and returns multiple times hoping to change the ending.

"Broken Back Man" by Lucie McKnight Hardy - A bartender has been haunted by a recurring dream that he detailed in his diary that has gone missing.

"Beneath the Diaphragm, the Gut Itself" by Robert Sherman - This was genuinely one of the weirder tales I've read, but I was engaged and couldn't put the book down. It takes place in a world where everyone "births" a book that had been written in a different (our?), alternate world.

Thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for an advance ebook copy in exchange for an honest review.

Six very striking, yet easy quilt patterns for less than the price of a single pattern. Win win. 

As someone who reads a LOT of horror, I have finally found the line. While I've never intentionally delved into extreme horror or body horror, I certainly unintentionally came across it with this book. 

This is the 2nd Sodergren book I've read, and the first one was gross but also kind of charming and funny in the way that 80s slasher movies can be. This one was just GROSS and had so many things that I felt were unnecessary to the story. 

Which brings me to the story - it's actually fine. There's a college film crew that decides to break the rules and continue filming in a mansion after the time where they've been told repeatedly to leave. And apparently after said time, the monsters of the place wake up and eat people. This *should* make for a fun popcorn slasher, but there was just too much in there. Having purposely stayed away from films like Deliverance and Hostel, I feel like I stumbled on the book equivalent.

Literally all the trigger warnings (except animal death, so I guess there's that...). I need to go read a cozy fantasy story now to get rid of the ick.