Feelings Detective: Noticing the Clues Our Bodies Send by Dane Furfaro

 

Here is another review for an educational children's book. This book on its own would make a good reed for young elementary school students who like robots and dream of having one as a friend. On top of that it offers readers tips on how to self-regulate when their emotions seem to be getting the better of them. At the end of the book the author also provides a qr code for readers to partake in more activities that are related to emotional regulation. This book would make a good addition to a classroom or personal library. 5 out of 5 stars.

The Night Shift by Alex Finlay

 

On New Year’s Eve of 1999 three murders happen at a Blockbuster. Fifteen years later a similar crime happens at an ice cream shop. Both victims work to find out who was responsible for the murders. The story was very reminiscent to one of the Scream movies, minus the Ghostface costume. The characters are well written and have distinct personalities from each other. The story is well written and keeps moving forward at a decent pace. I did find the book very predictable though, but it was well written and paced that I continued to see if I was right. 3 out of 5 stars.

Malorie by Josh Malerman

 

Several years have passed since the events of Birdbox. The kids are older and so is Malorie. The world has gone on with the creatures still present and as dangerous as ever. While birdbox was a more suspenseful story, Malorie has a more adventure like feel to it. I feel it was not as strong nor did it leave me reading late into the night, it is a solid sequel. There were parts that seem like a cheap work around but it was still a good read. 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Greedy as a Ghoul: Prequel Short Story to Malfus - Necromancer Unchained by Casey Sutton

 

I am not a huge fan of reading fantasy because I have trouble with some of the fantasy terms used that are understood by fans but not really explained to new readers (I get it though it would bog a book down to define each fantasy term). However, the name and description of the book intrigued me enough to want to read an advanced copy of this short story. The action is well written and reminded me of some of the action from the Castlevania Netflix show and the stories of Solomon Kane. The short story did not flesh out the Character Malfus since he had little interaction with other people, so I am unsure if he will be a character I care for or one that I will find annoying after a few chapters. I am adding the full story on my to-read list but not sure if it will jump to the top of the pile. 4 out of 5 stars.

Birdbox by Josh Malerman

 

Birdbox does a lot of things right in the way I love reading stories. The horror in the book that is making people go insane when they view it, the mysterious things are teased but never shown, leaving it up to the reader to imagine what it could be. In this way the reader almost feels like they are blindfold as well to the horror that is in book. The characters in the book, for the most part, are given enough backstory and personality to care about them while a couple were not as fleshed out so I felt no connection to them. There is enough mystery and suspense to keep the readers engaged to continue reading. I’m not a huge fan of books that jump from then and now time periods, but this book does it in a right way that I looked forward to the next time it would shift time periods because I was invested on what happened before and what will happen in the now. 4.5 out of 5 stars

The Nocturnals Explore Unique Adaptations of Nighttime Animals by Tracey Hecht

 

Here is another book aimed at younger readers that I am reviewing. I am thinking of continuing to rate books that parents and teachers can buy for their children and placing their reviews on some weekends separate from my usual reviews. This chapter book is packed full of interesting information that I can see many middle-aged elementary students would enjoy. On top of that the pictures and illustrations of the creatures are a bonus companion to those facts. The book does not try to dumb things down for readers. It would make a good addition to a student’s personal library or an educator’s classroom library. 5 out of 5 stars.

Curse of the Reaper by Brian McAuley

 

The book flap reads that it is like a cross between Scream and The Shinning. I think a better movie to described mixed with the shinning would be Wes Craven's New Nightmare. Howard played The Reaper years ago in a series of films, when studio execs want to reboot it with a new actor playing The Reaper, Howard has to come to terms with it. Trevor, the new actor for The Reaper, also has his personal demons to face while trying to make the part his. What follows is a psychological and supernatural story about passing the torch…or the chains so to speak. It was a little predictable as I said it feels like New Nightmare, but in a good way. I loved the story of New Nightmare with the mythology (I know I am in the minority on this) and Curse of the Reaper scratches the itch for another story like it. 3.5 out of 5 stars.