Only three books this month! That’s pretty measly for me, but I’m still ahead on my Goodreads goal for the year (I’ve read 36 out of my 40!).
The Guncle by Steven Rowley • 🎧 • ★★★★☆
The Guncle was the perfect story with which to wrap up summer reading. In it, Patrick, a former sitcom star living in Palm Springs, gains custody of his niece and nephew for the summer after his best friend-turned-sister-in-law dies.
Patrick doesn’t understand children or how to help them grieve alongside him. He does, understand, though the importance of a good brunch, pool parties and the right ensemble for the day.
It might seem like a schmaltzy or gimmicky plot, but let me assure you, like its protagonist, this book is funny, outlandish and, on occasion, surprisingly sincere.
Read if you like: The House on the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
The House of Last Resort by Christopher Golden • ★★★★☆
Occasionally those news stories pop up where some far-flung place is offering homes for €1. Sounds like a dream, until you realize you’ll have to live in the boonies of Slovenia or Finland.
Well, that’s what happens to the couple, Tommy and Kate, in this novel. They pay the €1 and move to a small town in Sicily. It’s great because the house is huge! It’s near Tommy’s grandparents! It’s Italy!
But sometimes they hear stuff at night. And where are all the rats coming from? What happened with Nonno? He got super weird! Oh, and the house is near some ancient catacombs? SHOULD BE FINE.
I loved how this book kept layering on bits of eeriness until they could no longer be ignored.
Read if you like: Diavola by Jennifer Thorne, The Woman in the Castello by Kelsey James.
The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix • ★★★★☆
This is the fourth Grady Hendrix book I’ve read. While it wasn’t as scary (or silly) as the others, it’s still a great read to kick of Spooky Season (these are my favorite Halloween books, BTW!).
In the forward, Hendrix writes that for this book, he essentially wanted to pit his mom against Dracula and see who would come out on top. How gruesome and delightful! This was a great read for so many reasons, including the early ’90s nostalgia.
Read if you like: Grady Hendrix, My Roommate is a Vampire by Jenna Levine, Dracula by Bram Stoker.
Keep up with what I’ve read over on Goodreads! Also, if you’re an audiobook fan, I encourage you to try Libro.fm—you can support your favorite small bookstore while downloading your next listen.
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