The Smell of Ink/Lukten av Trykksverte

Earlier this year I was fortunate enough to recieve an ARC of the cosy mystery Autumn Alibi (A Wiccan Wheel Mystery #6) by Jennifer David Hesse through Netgalley. I read it shortly afterwards and today I'll post my review. And yes, I am totally aware that this cosy mystery is about Mabon, not Samhain. Description from Goodreads After a hectic year, Edindale, Illinois, attorney Keli Milanni is ready to welcome autumn by counting her many blessings. But a case of murder could cause her to fall behind . . . Keli is hoping that Mabon, the Wiccan Autumn Equinox, will bring balance back into her life. But it’s death that comes calling when she’s asked to consult on an estate case. Recently passed, Elaine Turnbull left everything, including her valuable art and antiques collection, to her granddaughter, Lana. But Lana has been missing for years, ever since a tragedy tore her family apart. Also missing may be Elaine’s most recent will. Then there’s the not-so-small detail that Elaine’...

Earlier this year I was fortunate enough to recieve an ARC of the cosy mystery Fudge Bites (Candy-Coated Mysteries #7) by Nancy CoCo through Netgalley. I read it shortly afterwards and today I'll post my review. Description from Goodreads Halloween on Mackinac Island is a season of fun tricks, but finding a corpse is no treat for fudge shop owner Allie McMurphy . . . NIGHT OF THE REALLY DEAD It's late October, off-season for tourists, but locals are up and lurching for the annual zombie walk charity event. Though everyone's living it up, trouble is a just a few pawprints away. Allie's followed the bloody tracks of her calico cat, Carmella, to a body in the alley behind the Historic McMurphy Hotel and Fudge Shop. Unlike the island's other walking dead, this one's flatlined for good. It seems that someone is using the zombie fest as the perfect backdrop for murder. Now amateur sleuth Allie and dreamboat officer Rex Manning must use every trick in their treat ...

A new Tuesday and time for a new Top Ten Tuesday, courtesy of  That Artsy Reader Girl . This week was a Halloween freebie, so I chose to write a list of horror books to movie/TV adaptions. My picks are; The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson The Shining by Stephen King Carrie by Stephen King The Woman in Black by Susan Hill Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris Frankenstein by Mary Shelley The Turn of the Screw by Henry James Dracula by Bram Stoker

Earlier this year I was fortunate enough to recieve an ARC of the non-fiction book The Horrors of Fox Hollow Farm: Unraveling the History & Hauntings of a Serial Killer's Home by Richard Estep and Robert Graves through Netgalley. I read it shortly afterwards and today I'll post my review. Description from Goodreads Fox Hollow Farm, the infamous Indiana property where Herb Baumeister allegedly murdered at least eleven men, has a grim past and an unsettling present. This riveting book pieces together the story of the tragic case and explores the paranormal encounters that continue to this day, delving into the psyche of a suspected murderer and the terrifying supernatural activity that lingers in the aftermath of such unspeakable evil. The Horrors of Fox Hollow Farm provides detailed insights from the original criminal investigation as well as the perspectives of the man who survived Herb's attempt on his life. This chilling book also features actual supernatural evi...

Earlier this year I recieved an ARC of the novel Blood Born by Renee Lake through Netgalley. I read it shortly afterwards and today I'll post my review. Description from Goodreads Maddie is excited about the new adventures college life will bring. She dreams of rallies, weird roommates and exciting courses of study. She's living with her girlfriend and making new interesting friends while watching out for her terminally ill brother. What she doesn't expect is mystery, tragedy, and heartbreak to befall her within the first semester. Is there a monster preying upon the people at her college? Will she betray her friends and succumb to temptation? Can they band together and fight the darkness? Or is the darkness that surrounds her not the enemy...but her only ally? Trigger Warnings: description of sexual assault, swearing, murder, alcohol, sex, and a professor/student relationship My Thoughts on the Book I really wanted to love this book. An LGBTQIA+ ret...

It's soon time for Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon to start (less than an hour) and I am really looking forward to it. I've lost count how many times I have participated in this readathon, but it is a lot of fun. Today is pretty much a suitable day, considering it's raining outside. Part of the fun is of course reading books (ha, like I need an excuse for that), but also the global community around it. It's also fun to lurk around in the  Facebook group  seeing all the TBR piles and snacks. Anyway, it's time for me to answer the opening survey for this round. 1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today? Bryne, Norway 2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to? It's The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. I've already started a bit on it and considering the size, it might be the only book I'll manage to read during the readathon. 3) Which snack are you most looking forward to? Apart from some cho...

I came across this fun Halloween Tag over at  The Book Dutchesses  and I decided to play along as I have a weak spot for both book tags and Halloween. Favorite Horror Book? I struggle to choose between Bram Stoker's Dracula and Stephen King's The Shining. What is the scariest moment you experienced while reading a book? I might be a boring person in that sense, but I haven't had a scary moment yet. Have you ever dressed up as a book character for Halloween? Not yet, but I would love to do it once. If books were just as cheap as candy, what book would you give kids when they came trick or treating? I would probably go for either Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J. K. Rowling or The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. If you could find something bookish in your Trick or Treat stash, what would you hope for? Probably bookmarks and bookish candles. If you had to choose one author to go Trick or Treating with, who would you choose? ...

It's Friday and time for yet another Book Blogger Hop post, courtesy of  Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer . The question of the week was " What's your favourite horror book-to-movie adaption? ". Those who know me well enough know by now I'm a huge fan of Dracula by Bram Stoker, so there's probably no surprise I'll mention a couple of Dracula adaptions as I can't choose between them. First of is the horror comedy of Dracula - Dead and Loving It, which is the one most loosely based on the classic novel, but it is completely hilarious at times. Next off is Bram Stoker's Dracula, an adaption which I love due to Sir Anthony Hopkins as Prof. Van Helsing (though Mel Brooks does a good job as well in the movie mentioned above). The third I will mention is what I would call a proper classic, which is Dracula from 1931 with Bela Lugosi as Dracula.

As it is October, I couldn't resist reviewing a non-fiction book about ghost stories. Earlier this year I was fortunate enough to recieve an ARC of the book Haunted Rails: Tales of Ghost Trains, Phantom Conductors, and Other Railroad Spirits by Matthew L Swayne through Netgalley. I read it shortly afterwards and today I'll post my review. Description from Goodreads 50 chilling true stories of haunted trains and ghostly workers from the steam locomotive era to the modern day Discover dozens of hauntings on railroads in 19 US states as well as in Canada and the UK, including the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, Atlantic Coast Line, Nickel Plate Road, Pennsylvania Railroad, and many more. Haunted Rails tells the tale of a possessed caboose on the Louisville and Nashville Railroad and a Civil War-era rebel ghost train; museum hauntings at the Georgia State Railroad Museum in Savannah and the Railroaders Memorial Museum in Altoona, Pennsylvania; apparitions at Vancouver's Cana...

Earlier this year I was fortunate enough to recieve an ARC of the cosy mystery The Mint Julep Murders (Southern Ghost Hunter Mysteries #8) by Angie Fox through Netgalley. I read it shortly afterwards and today I'll post my review. Description from Goodreads For Southern girl Verity Long, friendship means sitting down to stories and sweet tea on the front porch. For her gangster ghost housemate, it means dragging Verity out to a remote haunted asylum during a raging thunderstorm to do a favor for a long-dead mob boss. But Verity is always ready to help out a friend, even one as eternally eccentric as Frankie. And in the case of Mint Julep Manor, the stakes are too high to refuse. The criminally insane mob boss holds a secret to Frankie’s past, one that might set Frankie free. Do the favor—survive the favor—and they might change Frankie’s afterlife for good. Fail, and they might never leave the asylum. My Thoughts on the Book Murder, haunted asylums and gangster ghosts was c...

Earlier this year I was fortunate enough to recieve an ARC of the novel Hood Academy by Shelley Wilson through Netgalley. I read it shortly afterwards and today I'll post my review. Description from Goodreads Will she follow the pack…or destroy them? A dead mother. A violent father. A missing brother. When Mia’s father is murdered, it’s her estranged uncle that comes to the rescue, but what he offers her in return for his help could be worse than the life she is leaving behind. Taken to Hood Academy, a unique school deep in the forest, she discovers friendships, love, and the courage to stand on her own. Mia takes the oath that seals her future as a werewolf hunter, but not everyone wants Mia to succeed. Screams in the night. Secret rooms. Hidden letters. Mia becomes an important piece in a game she doesn’t want to play. Loyalty, friendships, and family bonds are tested as Mia discovers her true identity, but will the truth set her free, or will it destroy her? My Thoughts ...

Earlier this year I was fortunate enough to recieve a press copy of the novel The Legend of Decimus Croome: A Halloween Carol by Kevin Purdy through Netgalley. I read it shortly afterwards and today I'll post my review. Description from Goodreads Decimus Croome is a dastardly curmudgeon who hates all holidays but especially despises Halloween. He is content to live in his gloomy old house and avoid all human contact whenever possible. He even shuns his own daughter and grandson. But Croome's life changes one memorable Halloween when four ghastly spirits visit him to reveal the misery he has inflicted upon his friends, neighbors and family members. Based on A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, The Legend of Decimus Croome is bound to become a Halloween classic for readers of all ages. Follow old man Croome as he is visited by the lovely but disturbing spirit of his dearly departed wife. She warns him of three spirits yet to follow. And oh what spirits they are. Each one is...

Earlier this year I was lucky enough to recieve an ARC of the cosy mystery novel Crypt Suzette (A Five-Ingredient Mystery #6) by Maya Corrigan through Netgalley. I read it shortly afterwards and today I'll post my review. Description from Goodreads Val Deniston is catering the debut of Bayport's newest bookstore--but the death of a customer is about to draw her into a real-life murder mystery ... Suzette Cripps has been occupying a spare bedroom at Val's granddad's house while she takes classes in this Maryland Eastern Shore town--but she's always seemed a little secretive and fearful, and any talk about her past is a closed book. After winning the costume contest at the Halloween-themed bookstore party, Suzette is mowed down by a hit-and-run driver--and Val and her grandfather start to wonder whether it was really an accident or if someone was after Suzette. Granddad is a little distracted by his new enterprise as a ghost-buster, but as Val talks to Suzette...

I came across the Hocus Pocus Book Tag over at  Scorpio Book Dreams  (originally made by  Never Not Reading ) and I decided to play along. The Sanderson Sisters - A great trilogy. The Daughter of Smoke and Bone - trilogy by Laini Taylor Winifred Sanderson - A book with a truly evil female villain. How can I NOT answer the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling as there's so many evil female villains in it? Umbridge, LeStrange and the list goes on. Sarah Sanderson - A book that uncannily attracts children. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl. Mary Sanderson - A book that is just plain silly. The Twits by Roald Dahl. Max - A book that is trying really hard to be cool, but doesn’t always succeed. Not quite sure what to answer on this one. Dani - A book that isn’t afraid to tell it like it is. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. Binx - A book series that just won’t die. Am I the only one who's sick and tired of the GoT hype? ...

It's Friday yet again and time for a new Book Blogger Hop post, courtesy of  Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer . The question of the week was " You're spending the night in a haunted house. What book would you bring with you? ". I would probably bring with me The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson, just for the sake of it.

I was fortunate enough to recieve a press copy of Small Spaces by Katherine Arden through Netgalley earlier this year. I read it shortly afterwards and today I'll post my review. Description from Goodreads Bestselling adult author of The Bear and the Nightingale makes her middle grade debut with a creepy, spellbinding ghost story destined to become a classic After suffering a tragic loss, eleven-year-old Ollie only finds solace in books. So when she happens upon a crazed woman at the river threatening to throw a book into the water, Ollie doesn't think--she just acts, stealing the book and running away. As she begins to read the slender volume, Ollie discovers a chilling story about a girl named Beth, the two brothers who both loved her, and a peculiar deal made with "the smiling man," a sinister specter who grants your most tightly held wish, but only for the ultimate price. Ollie is captivated by the tale until her school trip the next day to Smoke Hollow, a lo...

It's Wednesday and time for a new Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge post, courtesy of  Long and Short Reviews . The theme of the week was popular/famous books I don't plan to read. Some of the famous and/or popular books I have no plans on reading includes The Twilight Saga by Stephanie Meyer and The Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy by E. L. James. In my world, vampires don't sparkle and I've read and heard enough of both series/trilogies that there is the question of not-so-nice boyfriends (aka abusive ones in one way or another).

A few months ago I was fortunate enough to recieve an ARC of the novel The Hocus Pocus Magic Shop by Abigail Drake through Netgalley. I read it shortly afterwards and today I'll post my review. Description from Goodreads When chemist Grace O'Leary finds a book of magic spells hidden in her Aunt Lucy's run-down magic shop, the scientist in her itches to try them out. She mixes up a batch of love potions as a joke, and has to face the consequences when they actually seem to work.Her dream of becoming a professor is in peril, and time is running out to finish research for her dissertation. She can't handle any more distractions, but the magic shop is on the verge of closing, her aunt has become forgetful and confused, and a handsome reporter named Dario Fontana keeps sniffing around for a story. The last thing she needs is for him to find out about the love potions and expose her as fraud, but she begins to trust him, and the sizzling chemistry between them is soon to...

As Netflix has made an adaption of the classic horror novel The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson, it was the push I needed to actually read the book. Today I'll post my review. Description from Goodreads The classic supernatural thriller by an author who helped define the genre. First published in 1959, Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House has been hailed as a perfect work of unnerving terror. It is the story of four seekers who arrive at a notoriously unfriendly pile called Hill House: Dr. Montague, an occult scholar looking for solid evidence of a “haunting;' Theodora, his lighthearted assistant; Eleanor, a friendless, fragile young woman well acquainted with poltergeists; and Luke, the future heir of Hill House. At first, their stay seems destined to be merely a spooky encounter with inexplicable phenomena. But Hill House is gathering its powers—and soon it will choose one of them to make its own. My Thoughts on the Book I understand why The Ha...

As I've enjoyed other novels by Neil Gaiman, I ended up reading Coraline recently. Today I'll post my review. Description from Goodreads The day after they moved in, Coraline went exploring.... In Coraline's family's new flat are twenty-one windows and fourteen doors. Thirteen of the doors open and close. The fourteenth is locked, and on the other side is only a brick wall, until the day Coraline unlocks the door to find a passage to another flat in another house just like her own. Only it's different. At first, things seem marvelous in the other flat. The food is better. The toy box is filled with wind-up angels that flutter around the bedroom, books whose pictures writhe and crawl and shimmer, little dinosaur skulls that chatter their teeth. But there's another mother, and another father, and they want Coraline to stay with them and be their little girl. They want to change her and never let her go. Other children are trapped there as well, lost...

I came across the Creatures of the Night tag over at  The Book Dutchesses  and I decided to play along as it looked like a fun tag. Now, let's see who some of my favourite creatures of the night are. Vampire My favourite vampire is obviously Dracula. Those who know me well enough is aware that Bram Stoker's Dracula is a favourite book of mine, so I doubt the answer is a shocker. Werewolf Mia from Hood Academy by Shelley Wilson Zombie Sheri, human turned zombie in The Kill Crew by Joseph D'Lacey Ghost Mrs. Owens from The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman Witch/Magician Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling. Halfgod Aru Shah from Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi Fae Effie of Glen Coe from The Laird of Duncairn by Craig Comer. Angel Akiva from The Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy by Laini Taylor When it comes to aliens, demons and humans with superpowers, I can'...

It's Friday, which means it's time for a new Book Blogger Hop post, courtesy of  Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer . The question of the week was " Name one book that gets you in the mood for Halloween ". As I have a weak spot for spooky books, I could probably mention a bucketload of books, but one book that gets me in the mood for Halloween is The Woman in Black by Susan Hill.

As it is October, I can't NOT write about spooky books. Today I'll review the non-fiction book The Myrtles Plantation by Frances Kermeen. Description from Goodreads Broken clocks tick...beds rise in the air...paintings fly across the room...locked doors fling open...crystal chandeliers shake...heavy footsteps and eerie piano music sound in the dead of night-and that's just for starters. Welcome to the Myrtles Long recognized as America's most haunted house both by parapsychologists and the media, The Myrtles is a twenty-eight-room Louisiana bed-and-breakfast once owned by Frances Kermeen. In this spine-tingling chronicle, Frances tells the story of how she was drawn to this former plantation mansion, its bone-chilling history, and the incredible encounters of the ghostly kind she had that forever changed her beliefs about the supernatural-and just may change yours. Along with the sometimes terrifying, sometimes benevolent hauntings, her years at The Myrtles also b...

I recieved a press copy of the retelling Carmilla by Kim Turrisi on Netgalley I few months ago. I read it shortly afterwards and today I'll post my review. Description from Goodreads An adaptation of Shaftesbury's award-winning, groundbreaking queer vampire web series of the same name, Carmilla mixes the camp of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the snark of Veronica Mars, and the mysterious atmosphere of Welcome to Nightvale. Newly escaped from the stifling boredom of a small town, college freshman Laura is ready to make the most of her first year at Silas University. But when her roommate, Betty, vanishes and a sarcastic, nocturnal philosophy student named Carmilla moves into Betty's side of the room, Laura decides to play detective. Turns out Betty isn't the first girl to go missing ? she's just the first girl not to come back. All over campus, girls have been vanishing, and they are completely changed when (or if) they return. Even more disturbing are the strange...

Earlier this year I was fortunate enough to recieve an ARC of the horror novel His Final Girl by Brooklyn Ann through Netgalley. I read it shortly afterwards and today I'll post my review. Description from Goodreads DON’T GO IN THE WOODS Computer nerd, Wes Carpenter, dreads having to spend ten days at summer camp with the rest of his in-coming high school senior class. But when he meets strong-willed and confident farm girl, Linnea Langenkamp, everything about being away at camp improves immediately. When a malicious prank awakens an ancient evil, turning their summer romance into a bloodbath, Wes and Linnea pray they make it home alive while fighting for the survival of their classmates. With Wes’s ingenuity and Linnea’s knowledge of the forest, together they may be able to stop the killer, save the camp, and maybe even find their happily ever after on the way. My Thoughts on the Book I really enjoyed reading His Final Girl, as it was a homeage to slashers from the 70...

Earlier this year I was fortunate enough to recieve an ARC of the novella The Death Chute by Ambrose Stolliker through Netgalley. I read it shortly afterwards, but I haven't published my review until now as I wanted to focus on horror and paranormal this month. Description from Goodreads When his mother, Sophia, is diagnosed with an aggressive form of dementia, 44-year-old reality television producer Jake Porter is forced leave Hollywood and return to his native Vermont to look after her. His plan is to quickly set her up in a posh new retirement community in the Green Mountains and then head back to Los Angeles to revive his career, which is now in jeopardy after his last few projects bombed in spectacular fashion with TV audiences. But when he learns that the retirement community was once a tuberculosis sanatorium where many patients died of the dreaded disease, Jake is uneasy at the prospect of leaving Sophia on her own. Only the assurances of the community's chief medi...

Earlier this year I was fortunate enough to recieve an ARC of Magickal Mystery Lore by Sharon Pape through Netgalley. I read it shortly afterwards, but I haven't published my review until now. Description from Goodreads This spells trouble . . . The New Camel Day Fair is a fun-filled event for residents of this upstate New York town. Kailyn Wilde, a modern-day witch of ancient lineage, leaves her potion shop, Abracadabra—and her feline familiar, Sashkatu—to attend with her fortune-telling Aunt Tilly. Joining them is legendary wizard Merlin, who’s discovering new pleasures of time-traveling to the modern world, including curly fries and kettle corn—but the appeal of the Tilt-a-Wheel is beyond his mystical imagination. The real wild ride begins later, when neighboring sweet shop owner Lolly rushes into Abracadabra with news about a dead body. The victim has one of Lolly’s fudge knives stuck in her back, but in spite of the sticky evidence, Lolly is only one of several suspects...

I was fortunate enough to recieve a press copy of the book Raven Dock by Sara Caldwell through Netgalley and today I'll post the review. Description from Goodreads Seventeen-year-old Harper Duncan never fit in anywhere her family moved…and they moved a lot. But after her parents and brother die in a tragic accident, she finds out she’s adopted, and her birth mother lives in a remote retreat called Raven Dock. Harper ventures north and discovers a dark family secret: her birth mother is a witch. And she’s one too. As Harper Learns about her own hidden powers, will she choose to embrace her chilling heritage, or return to the safety of the ordinary world? My Thoughts On The Book As I'm into witches and everything paranormal, I found this an entertaining read. I was a bit annoyed over the ending, but hopefully things will change a little bit in the rest of the series.

A while ago I was fortunate enough to recieve an ARC of The Old Man's Request: Book One of the Utgarda Trilogy by Joab Stieglitz through Netgalley. I read it shortly afterwards, but waited until now for posting the review as I wanted to focus on horror and spooky reads this month. Description from Goodreads Fifty years ago, a group of college friends dabbled in the occult and released a malign presence on the world. Now, on his deathbed, the last of the students enlists the aid of three newcomers to banish the thing they summoned. Hampered by the old man's greedy son, the wizened director of the university library, and a private investigator with a troubled past, can Russian anthropologist Anna Rykov, Doctor Harry Lamb, and Father Sean O'Malley gather the knowledge and resources needed to defeat the entity? The Old Man's Request is a pulp adventure set in the 1920s, and the first part of the Utgarda Trilogy. My Thoughts on the Book This was a really fun read...

Last year I read The Shining by Stephen King for the Fall Fright Readathon and today I'll post the review. Description from Goodreads Danny is only five years old but in the words of old Mr Hallorann he is a 'shiner', aglow with psychic voltage. When his father becomes caretaker of the Overlook Hotel his visions grow frighteningly out of control. My Thoughts on the Novel The Shining is certainly creepy, in the sense that one notices the Overlook Hotel influences the characters in one way or another. Stephen King knows a thing or two about writing horror novels and The Shining is a haunting read. Today, an isolated place in the woods/mountains might be an overused trope, but as the novel was originally published in 1977, I will not give the book any crap about it - the trope actually works in this particular storyline. Even though the classic Kubrick movie adaption is a bit different from the novel, it is worth the watch - if only for Jack Nicholson's inte...

A few months ago I was fortunate enough to recieve an ARC of the novel The Seventh Life of Aline Lloyd by Robert Davies through Netgalley. I read it shortly afterwards and today I'll post my review. Description from Goodreads When Evan Morgan’s brother Damon dies suddenly, Evan is stunned to learn his inheritance, including property, has made him instantly wealthy. Traveling to North Wales seems to be a formality: pick up the valuables, sell the house quickly, and leave. But everything changes when he arrives in Denbighshire and meets his neighbor, the alluring and mysterious Aline Lloyd. Evan feels an instant, powerful connection to not only her, but his new home in an ancient place. As the details of Damon’s death become more bizarre, Evan is drawn deeper into the growing mystery surrounding Aline. Consumed by his feelings for her, Evan is determined to learn her secret. Some things are better left unlearned. Something is coming to their quiet valley. And it’s lookin...

As it's the first of October, it's time for a new TBR Mix 'n' Mingle post, courtesy of  The Hungry Bookworm . Here's a few of the books I'm planning to read this month. Scent of Betrayal by Denise Carbo Stillwell by Michael Phillip Cash The Teacher at Donegal Bay by Anne Doughty The Vicarage Murder by Faith Martin Vladimir's Diary by Martin M. McShane Murder in the Corn Maze by G. A. McKevett