Final Women

 I love winter. I love cold weather, snow, getting cozy by the fireplace, all of that winter stuff. And I really love a good winter-set horror story. So when I saw that Nico Bell had edited a collection of 30 winter horror stories, I was excited. I snatched this book up the day it came out. As with any collection, Shiver is a mixed bag. Not every story is going to be for every person. However, overall I really enjoyed this one. My favorites: "Waiting for Winter" by Nicole M. Wolverton: I love a good slasher, so this tale a group of daughters of former final girls banding together to fight off a mysterious killer sucked me in. My only complaint is that it could have been longer; I could have used more information about our main characters and their mothers' histories. I think more backstory would have been fascinating and would also have given the twists more impact. "The Snow Woman" by Sarah Jane Huntington: A couple vacationing at an isolated cabin in Japan is...

Little Feasts is the perfect title for this collection, because every single story is a delicious bite-sized meal. I couldn't get enough of this book and devoured every dish author Jules Archer served up. This is feminist horror at its finest, and I cannot recommend it enough. I can't pick a favorite story, they're all so wonderful. In "Prettier Things" a woman watches her mysterious neighbor and the blondes who enter his home, but never leave. In "Skillet," the title item makes quick work of awful or abusive partners. "Anne Boleyn Could Drink You Under the Table" features the reincarnated English queen's new life and search for revenge. "Far Away from Everywhere" concerns an apocalypse cult, and in "Garbage Girl," a girl's period serves as a warning. Each story in this collection is delectable, often both bitter and sweet. I'm officially a fan of Archer and will eat up anything she writes.

I admit I've never listened to the Lore podcast. I've heard great things, and I've always meant to get around to it, but I admit podcasts usually aren't my thing. I find I prefer to absorb information through reading rather than hearing. Everyone has their own way of learning. So anyway, I was delighted when I found out Mahnke was coming out with books based on his podcast. I bought the first two right away. But when I tried to read the first book ( Monstrous Creatures),  I just couldn't get into it. Something in Mahnke's writing style just irked me. So I put both books aside for a while. Then while packing my books up for a move, I came across this second one, Wicked Mortals , again and decided to give it ago. And I loved it. Whatever bugged me about Mahnke's writing in the first book did not bother me here. In fact, I thought the whole thing flowed quite well, and I finished it in just a few sittings. As for the topics covered, I admit I found the earlier ...