Psycho

It is September, which means it is officially time to start celebrating Halloween. But we don't want to overdo it with the horror just yet. So I figured I'd pick a nice little thriller to ease into it:

You by Caroline Kepnes

You begins when a gorgeous young woman walks into the East Village Bookstore where Joe Goldberg works. Immediately infatuated with her, he googles the name on her credit card and uses the information on her social media profiles to ease himself into her life and make her fall in love with him. 

When I first read the description my initial thought was: "Well this sounds a lot like another series I know and love." Then I looked up more information, and came across the news that a lifetime series starring none other than Penn Badgley – aka Lonely Boy himself – is in the works.  Figuring that it would be rather unlikely that one of the stars of the show would sign up for a Gossip Girl rip-off so shortly after its finale, I decided to give You a chance despite the similarities...and let me just say, I was in for a shock (the best kind).

While the premise is a little reminiscent of Gossip Girl, the writing is definitely not. Told from Joe's point of view, You takes readers on a dark journey into the mind of a completely deranged individual, which is a scary but also very fascinating place to be. In the tradition of great unreliable narrators like Lolita's Humbert, Joe also has a way of making the readers sympathize with him.  Because as insane at he is, he is also extremely intelligent, witty and incredibly charming.  

On top of that You is also a great commentary on social media, and will probably make you rethink the way you use Facebook and Twitter. You never know who might be reading your posts…

For fans of: 

American Psycho, Lolita, R.L. Stine's Eyecandy 

Peace, Love and Lobsters

Laura 

…and Scene

I love a good Hollywood story. It doesn't matter if it's fact or fiction, comedy or tragedy, romance or mystery …as long as it is set against against a Hollywood backdrop I will get excited about it.  So I thought I'd share two of my non-fiction favorites with you:

Brat Pack America by Kevin Smokler

I have read many books about '80s teen movies, but none of those can compare to Smokler's Brat Pack America. He covers a lot, including some movies I had never heard of (something I definitely want to fix),  but instead of focussing on the characters or stories Brat Pack America is a journey through all the real and fictional places that made these movies so great.  

 From the Goonies Day festivities in Astoria, to a Lost Boys tour of Santa Cruz, Smokler goes everywhere, from north to south. But that is not everything, Brat Pack America also includes interviews with actors, writers and directors, and is full of little tidbits and facts. So if you're in the mood for some time traveling and can't get your hands Doc Brown's DeLorean, this book is the next best thing.

The Disaster Artist by Greg Sestero

If you have not read the story behind the greatest bad movie ever made, you are really missing out.  Sestero, who stared as Mark in the Room, tells the story of how he met the mysterious figure that is Tommy Wiseau and how The Room came together.  

I am a fan of The Room. Yet, I do not think that you necessarily have to love the movie – or even be familiar with it – to enjoy the book. The whole tale is so bizarre that it might as well be a fictional story – a well written, interesting, and hilarious story that will have you rolling on the floor.  

The thing that makes The Disaster Artist so great is, however, not the comedy but how honest and heartfelt Sestero's words feel. It would have been so easy to write a tell-all book that makes fun of Wiseau's antics, but at the end of the day The Disaster Artist is a story about one man with a big dream. And soon, you can even see it play out on the big screen. I can't wait!

Peace, Love, and Lobsters 

Laura 

Girl in Snow

When I read the description of Girl in Snow, I figured it was just another small town murder mystery, where the homecoming queen ends up dead in a ditch and we slowly find out that her perfect life was not that perfect after all…

I could not have been more wrong. When a beloved high schooler named Lucinda is found dead with a cracked skull on a carousel (which is much creepier than your average ditch), no one in her sleepy Colorado suburb is untouched. There is Cameron, the boy who was madly in love (or rather obsessed) with her. Jade, the girl who hated her, but also wanted to be her. And Russ, a police officer with a questionable past.

Author Danya Kukafka does an amazing job of going back and forth between the perspectives of these three characters. Switching perspectives can be confusing, but Kukafka does it so seamlessly that it feels completely natural. The three different voices make the story incredibly vivid, and offer a level of insight that would have been lost with a single narrator. In short Girl in Snow is a solid character study that disguises itself as a murder mystery and explores the way death and grief affect a small town.

I won't recommend this if you are looking for a fast paced thriller that you won't be able to put down. But if you are in the mood for something a little deeper, that focusses on characters instead of clues, then give Girl in Snow a chance. You won't regret it.

Girl in Snow hits the shelves on August 1

Peace, Love and Lobsters

Laura

Special thanks to Simon & Schuster for providing me with an advance copy of Girl in Snow

Bayport Noir

Something that a lot of people do not know about me is that I love graphic novels. I was never into comic books as a kid. It wasn't because I didn't like the concept, I just didn't have access to the kind of stories I enjoyed – as the whole superhero thing just wasn't for me. But today, some of my favorite books are in fact of the drawn variety as the graphic novel section in the bookstore is one of the best places to find interesting detective stories – and you all know how much I love detectives stories.

Now imagine my joy when I spotted my favorite teenage detectives on the cover of a new comic book series – The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew have gone noir.

I am a bit of a purist when it comes to the Hardys and Nancy. While I do love the 1970s TV show for all it's campy glory, I could never get into any of the book series that put them together. But I guess there's always an exception, and that exception is:

"Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys: The Big Lie"

    

In true noir fashion, this new series starts on a very dark note when the Hardys find themselves in the middle of a corruption scandal that hits its peak when the boys are accused of murdering their own father. And when the whole town of Bayport turns against them they team up with an old friend to clear their names and find the real culprit.

What I love about this series is that even though it is a very modern and gritty take on the books, the characters are still recognizable and none of the conflicts feel forced. There is for example a rift between Nancy and her father — something that would usually be unimaginable — that is handled really well, and feels completely natural. Writer Anthony Del Col (Assassin’s Creed, Kill Shakespeare) and artist Werther Dell’edera (Batman: Detective Comics, House of Mystery) did not just throw these beloved characters into a noir universe, they found an organic way to make them a part of that universe — and I cannot wait to see more of it!

Get the first 3 issues on Amazon

And grab issue #4 this Wednesday (June 21)

For fans of:

The Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, 

Veronica Mars, Riverdale

…and fans of Stratemeyer's mystery books will also appreciate a couple of fun cameos (those Bobbseys sure like to party). 

Peace, Love, and Lobsters

Laura 

Merry Ex–Mas

There are times when you just finished a great book and just can't figure out what to read next, so you go with the first thing Amazon recommends. In some cases you'll end up with something that makes you question the sanity of those Amazon elves, but in others you want to run to the kitchen, bake a fresh batch of cinnamon buns, and personally deliver them to those elves to thank them.

Kate Brian's Ex-Mas was such a cinnamon bun situation.  If you've been reading this blog for a while you know that romance isn't exactly my thing unless there's a mystery element to it — yet, I finished this book in two nights.  

Ex-Mas 

For 17-year-old Lila Beckwith popularity is everything, but when her plans to throw the biggest party of the season are ruined by her kid brother, Cooper, her revenge backfires in a way that puts more than just her social life into perspective. After Lila shows Cooper an article about global warming, the Christmas-obsessed kid and his best friend Tyler head up North to save Santa and the North Pole – which means they jump on a train to Seattle. And of course, Tyler just happens to be the younger brother of Lila's antisocial ex Beau. And so, the two exes are forced to embark on road trip to bring their brothers home before Lila's parents get back on Christmas Eve. Bah Humbug.  

There are a couple of reasons why I enjoyed this book as much as I did. For once I do love road trip stories, especially holiday road trip stories. And Brian captured that feeling so well that I almost felt like I was in the car with Lila and Beau. Then there was the Santa element with the runaway boys, that gave it that DCOM feel, I adore. And finally, something that would usually be considered a bad thing: the story's predictability.  I knew how this was going to play out after reading the summary, but it still kept my interest. Which also works well with the road trip theme, because sometimes it really is about the journey and not just the destination.  

So no matter if you're looking for something to read in front of the fireplace, or if you need something to get you through a long car or plane ride, Ex-Mas won't disappoint. 

Peace, Love, and Lobsters

Laura 

Into The Woods

Suffering from post Halloween Depression? Then you came to the right place.

There are two types of scary scenarios that can occur in the woods: The first being anything involving witches, trolls, or other fairy tale villains, and the second being chased around by a chainsaw or (or machete) wielding killer. And whichever you prefer (or scares you more) I've got the perfect book for you:

Once Upon a Scream Edited by Dan Shaurette

This fairy tale anthology isn't for kids. Some of the creepy tales are new takes on old favorites (Rumpelstiltskin, Cinderella, Pinocchio, and even the Tooth Fairy) and others are original stories, but all of them are great. Ranging from humorous to downright disturbing, some will make you smirk and others will you shiver, and if you enjoy horror with a fantasy twist then you don't want to miss out on this collection.

SlasherCamp For Nerd Dorks by Christoph Paul

Jason Vorheesberg is your typical young adult  underdog hero: awkward, dorky, bad with girls, and suffering from a crippling case of slasher anxiety …wait what? Slasher Camp for Nerd Dorks is set in a dystopian society where the population is divided into “Slashers” and “Finals”, and Jason–a slasher–needs a little help. So his mom sends him to slasher camp where losers become killers. The book is as ridiculous as it sounds, but it's witty satire at it's best. It might not be for everyone but if you enjoy shows like Scream Queens, or the movie the Final Girls then you will love this clever story.

Peace, Love, and Lobsters 

Laura  

Endless Summer

This may be my final book summer post, but judging by the titles that are hitting the bookshelves this fall we get to hold on to that summer feeling a little longer:

   

The Cabin by Natasha Preston // September 6 

Teens, cabin, murder… yes you probably heard this a 100 times. But there's a reason the trope is so popular: it's fun! The Cabin centers around Mackenzie, a high school senior, who just wants to spend the weekend with her friends in a remote cabin. What could possibly go wrong?  The friends' first night at the cabin ends in tragedy when two of the teens are found dead. And since there are no signs of a forced entry or struggle, suspicion turns to the survivors…  The Cabin is escapist horror fun at it's best: a fast paced, easy read that'll keep you guessing – and sometimes that is all a good book needs to be.

For fans of: Gretchen McNeil's Ten; Fear Street

Pasadena by Sherri L. Smith // September 13

Some call it an accident, others believe it's a suicide, but only Jude knows that there is more to it when her best friend Maggie is found dead in a swimming pool …so she starts digging to get to the truth. But the closer she gets, the more she discovers about herself, as Maggie's friends and family are  not the only ones with buried secrets. The contrast between the sunny and glamorous southern California setting, and the gritty tone and dark nature of the story make it so much more than just another young adult mystery.  Pasadena is a brilliant  homage to the great noir stories of Los Angeles, and an equally stylish, chilling, and honest story that you won't regret picking up.

For fans of: Veronica Mars

The Atlas of Cursed Places: Skeleton Tower by Vanessa Acton // October 1

When Jason's family moves to a historic lighthouse, it doesn't take long until strange things begin to happen. The sudden disappearance of the former caretakers, accidents that might not be so accidental,  and the discovery of a weird diary, all lead to the same conclusion: The lighthouse is cursed! At only a 104 pages, it isn't the most intricate story, but much like The Cabin it's simply fun. There is also a nostalgia factor to it, as the style is quite reminiscent of The Hardy Boys mysteries with some Goosebumps thrown in, and you can't really go wrong with that. 

For fans of: The Hardy Boys; Goosebumps

Peace, Love, and Lobsters

Laura  

Advanced review copies provided by Net Galley

Summer Lovin'

If there's one thing I usually try to avoid it's young adult romance. Maybe I'm simply too old to care about teens falling in love–or maybe I just don't really care for romance in general. There are, however, a few exceptions and most of them come in the form of anthologies. 

I wasn't really familiar with most of the authors featured in Summer Days and Summer Nights, but I am a huge fan of Francesca Lia Block's Weetzie Bat (another exception), and seeing ner name on the cover was enough to make me curious.

Summer Daysand Summer Nights on Amazon

I admit, I read Block's story “Sick Pleasure” first, and it definitely is my favorite out of the twelve short stories featured in the collection. Block's autobiographical account is not a big fairy tale, or a thrilling romance. It is a simple story you probably heard a 100 times already, but her equally sweet and gloomy perspective, and the way she threats Los Angeles as a setting, make it stand out in the best way possible.

Others that stood out to me are “Last Stand at the Cinegore” by Libba Bray and “The Map of Tiny Perfect Things” by Lev Grossman. Bray's “Last Stand at the Cinegore” might not be the best out of the stories, but I am a sucker for campy horror, and this tale of a cursed movie was right up my alley. And “The Map of Tiny Perfect Things”, a clever take on Groundhog Day, is just one of those stories that really makes you stop and reminds you to enjoy the little things that make endless summer days so special.

Overall, I really enjoyed the anthology as a whole. There were two or three stories I just skimmed over, but I think that's going to be the case with any anthology–especially if it combines a wide range of styles. So if you haven't read it yet, check out Summer Days and Summer Nights. It's the perfect book for those last few lazy summer days.

Peace, Love, and Lobsters

Laura