Recent Updates and Currently Reading | September 24

Oooh, nooooo. I'm in a reading slump. I'm flat not in the mood to read anything. I just want to do crafts and watch TV. Times like these make me feel like I have no business accepting review copies. Reading them right now would feel like a j-o-b and that's not fair to anyone.

So what am I watching? I'm watching a lot of YouTube as always. I'm also watching Ted Lasso, Ahsoka, and Only Murders in the Building. I finished the live action One Piece! I highly, highly recommend reading the manga before watching One Piece, but I'm so satisfied. They had to rush through a lot because it was 11 volumes of manga into only 8 episodes, but the major points were there and the most important scenes were there and my favorite line was there. I cried several times. There's a lot of manga action going on but it's also very heartwarming and I love it.

Posted Last Week

I posted my Top Ten Tuesday on the Horror Spotlight blog along with the team's picks. You can check that out there - Fall 2023 Releases on Our TBR.

Currently Reading

Black Sheep by Rachel Harrison - I started reading this and not much is happening yet 60+ pages in which did not help the slump. I don't want to put it down (it was my most anticipated book of the year) but I'm also not inspired to pick it back up 😭 I hope it's just me right now.

Hide and Seeker by Daka Hermon - This is a reread, and I'll probably read on this some more today.

That's it for me today! I didn't finish reading anything, and I didn't get anything new, but I'm hoping to get inspired by you all today!

---

This post is being shared as part of The Sunday Salon at Readerbuzz, Book Date’s It's Monday! What Are You Reading? and Caffeinated Book Reviewer's The Sunday Post.

Recent Updates and Currently Reading | September 17

Hello, friends! We are having another wonderful weekend in the Book Den household. It's sport season for my high schooler so every weekend is packed with waking up at 4am and taking trips, but we are enjoying it. We were 90 miles out from home yesterday and realized if we went 20 miles further we could eat at our favorite restaurant. We went shopping and eating at such a beautiful area and enjoyed spending time together. I found a Christmas present for my youngest while we were out and a few embroidery floss colors I've been needing. We crashed when we got home. I watched some baseball, did some cross stitch...

Today I have to clean and grocery shop. Boo.

Posted Last Week

Oops... nothing!

Finished Reading

The Only One Left by Riley Sager ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Well, this was a surprise! It reminded me of Lock Every Door. If you liked that one by Riley Sager, I'm sure you'll love this one.

Currently Reading

Black Sheep by Rachel Harrison - I'm planning to start this today if the chores allow.

Hide and Seeker by Daka Hermon - This is a buddy read with the Horror Spotlight discord group. It's a reread for me, but it's probably my favorite middle grade horror. I highly recommend it.

Added to the TBR

The September House by Carissa Orlando - Berkley sent me out a copy of this, and I cannot wait to read it. Haunted Houses are my favorite, and unique ghost stories are the holy grail for me. I'm looking forward to seeing what's up with this one!

---

This post is being shared as part of The Sunday Salon at Readerbuzz, Book Date’s It's Monday! What Are You Reading? and Caffeinated Book Reviewer's The Sunday Post.

Recent Updates and Currently Reading | September 10

Hi, friends! That project I've been working on for years at work went live this week. It went better than I could have hoped so now I'm just hoping I get half of my brain back. It has really been effecting my reading and reviewing for a while now. I just have nothing left when I get home. But enough about that!

I've been watching and loving the One Piece live action show. I'm thrilled with it, actually! I've only watched 5 out of the 8 episodes because my 10 year old only wants to watch an episode at a time. I'm OK with doing a slow savor, but I also can't wait to watch the rest. I probably would have just binged them!

We also watched You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah. I loved it. I feel like movies about friendships are so rare. Yes, it's an Adam Sandler movie, but he's not in it much. It's about his daughter (played by his real life daughter) and she's great.

Posted Last Week

Review | Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Check out my thoughts on Camp Damascus!

Finished Reading

Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - My review is linked above. This exceeded my expectations in every way.

Currently Reading

The Only One Left by Riley Sager - I'm loving this! I'm so happy.

The Wager by David Grann - Camp Damascus and The Only One Left have been winning out over this one, but I will get back to it!

Added to the TBR

The Stranger Upstairs by Lisa M. Matlin - This was my Book of the Month pick for September. A social media influencer buys a murder house and thrillery things start to occur. This is a debut novel and I'm excited to read it this fall.

The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger - I also picked this up from Book of the Month. I loved Ordinary Grace by Willian Kent Krueger, and I think I will love this standalone novel as well.

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston - I went to Barnes & Noble with a $5 off coupon and the intensions of buying Red, White & Royal Blue. As luck would have it, Red, White & Royal Blue was Buy One, Get One 50% Off so I had some shopping to do and wound up picking up three more in the sale because I couldn't decide.

An Immense World by Ed Yong - My friend Teresa just read this and said it was really interesting. It sounds amazing. I'm looking forward to spending some time with the animal world and their senses.

Better Than the Movies by Lynn Painter - I'm still exploring my taste in romance, and this one is centered around movie quotes (I think) so may be a great fit for me. I've heard such cute things so I'm happy to give it a try.

Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center - I really want to check out Katherine Center's books as well. I know this is much more woman's fiction than romance, but I've heard a lot of great things about this one.

---

This post is being shared as part of The Sunday Salon at Readerbuzz, Book Date’s It's Monday! What Are You Reading? and Caffeinated Book Reviewer's The Sunday Post.

Review | Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle

Source: personal purchase. This is a review of my personal reading experience.

Camp Damascus is a horror novel by Chuck Tingle.

A searing and earnest horror debut about the demons the queer community faces in America, the price of keeping secrets, and finding the courage to burn it all down.

They’ll scare you straight to hell.

Welcome to Neverton, Montana: home to a God-fearing community with a heart of gold.

Nestled high up in the mountains is Camp Damascus, the self-proclaimed “most effective” gay conversion camp in the country. Here, a life free from sin awaits. But the secret behind that success is anything but holy.

I was not planning to get a review out this week because life is peak hectic, but I have got to get my thoughts out about Camp Damascus.

Camp Damascus was not at all what I was expecting. Based on the synopsis and the cover and what I thought I knew about Chuck Tingle's work, I expected something entirely different. I expected the pain I felt in James Newman's Odd Man Out but amplified in this book about a gay conversion camp. I expected it to be violent and gory and it wasn't any of these things.

Camp Damascus subverted a lot of things for me, and I absolutely loved it. I loved the main character. I loved the representation. I loved the way religion was handled. There was humor and it was scary and the pacing was perfect.

I hope we are gifted with more Chuck Tingle horror in the future because I will be first in line to read it.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
5/5 stars

 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jen 📚 Book Den (@bookdenjen)

Recent Updates and Currently Reading | September 3

Hello, friends! I hope you are having a wonderful weekend. It's a long weekend for me, but I'm still trying to wrap up that huge project so will probably work from home some today and tomorrow.

We had a busy but wonderful day out with kids yesterday. I also got to read, work on my puzzle, and watch some baseball so a perfect day.

Here's the progress on the Trick or Treat Hotel puzzle. I'm really enjoying this one. It's a favorite.

Posted Last Week

Book Review | Wild Spaces by S.L. Coney ⭐⭐⭐⭐★

On My Wishlist | Alien Clay by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Finished Reading

One Piece, Volume 12: The Legend Begins by Eiichiro Oda ⭐⭐⭐⭐★ - My goal was to read through volume 12 before the live action Netflix series was released. I made my goal, but it turns out the East Blue arc only goes through volume 11! Oh, well, I'm not sad about reading an extra volume.

Currently Reading

The Wager by David Grann - I'm still reading this. "Enjoying" is a strange word to use for a true story that's this disturbing, but I'm fascinated by it. Dog warning if you are considering reading it.

Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle - I started reading this yesterday, and I'm almost done. I couldn't put it down. It's so good.

Added to the TBR

Assassin's Apprentice, Royal Assassin, Assassin's Quest by Robin Hobb - I think these are the original UK mass market paperbacks. I came across this trilogy with these original covers in a used bookstore yesterday, and they had to come home with me! Maybe this will motivate me to finally read Robin Hobb.

Why can't we just go through life with unlimited reading time?

---

This post is being shared as part of The Sunday Salon at Readerbuzz, Book Date’s It's Monday! What Are You Reading? and Caffeinated Book Reviewer's The Sunday Post.

Wishlist | Alien Clay by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Wednesdays are for wishlists, and this week I'm adding Alien Clay by Adrian Tchaikovsky.

Alien Clay is a thrilling far-future adventure by acclaimed Arthur C. Clarke Award-winning author Adrian Tchaikovsky.

The planet of Kiln is where the tyrannical Mandate keeps its prison colony, and for inmates the journey there is always a one-way trip. One such prisoner is Professor Arton Daghdev, xeno-ecologist and political dissident. Soon after arrival he discovers that Kiln has a secret. Humanity is not the first intelligent life to set foot there.

In the midst a ravenous, chaotic ecosystem are the ruins of a civilization, but who were the vanished builders and where did they go? If he can survive both the harsh rule of the camp commandant and the alien horrors of the world around him, then Arton has a chance at making a discovery that might just transform not only Kiln but distant Earth as well.

I am such a fan of Adrian Tchaikovksy. I was so excited to see the cover reveal for Alien Clay. My favorite thing about alien worlds is discovering what kind of alien life resides there. I love that the book description says "alien horrors". This is a must buy for me.

Review | Wild Spaces by S.L. Coney

Source: review copy provided by publisher. This is a review of my reading experience.

Robert R. McCammon’s Boy’s Life meets H. P. Lovecraft in Wild Spaces, a foreboding, sensual coming-of-age debut in which the corrosive nature of family secrets and toxic relatives assume eldritch proportions.

An eleven-year-old boy lives an idyllic childhood exploring the remote coastal plains and wetlands of South Carolina alongside his parents and his dog Teach. But when the boy’s eerie and estranged grandfather shows up one day with no warning, cracks begin to form as hidden secrets resurface that his parents refuse to explain.

The longer his grandfather outstays his welcome and the greater the tension between the adults grows, the more the boy feels something within him changing —physically—into something his grandfather welcomes and his mother fears. Something abyssal. Something monstrous.

Why did I read Wild Spaces?

The first thing that drew me to Wild Spaces was the cover. Tentacles and a dog? I had to know more! Then the comparisons to Boy's Life by Robert McCammon (and obviously Lovecraft) sealed the deal. Boy's Life is my favorite book of all time. That's a lot of hype to live up to for me, but if a book captures even a sliver of what McCammon captures, I'm a happy reader.

The Strengths

I loved Wild Spaces. It's growing on me even more the longer it sits in my mind. In Wild Spaces, the main character is an 11 year old boy who I don't believe is ever named. His grandfather who has never been around shows up and things aren't right with the grandfather or at home.

The sea is one of my favorite elements in every single genre that I read. Wild Spaces incorporates the sea and it is disturbing! This novella hits hard at times.

The Weaknesses

I told you there was a dog and Wild Spaces is being compared to McCammon. I loved Wild Spaces, and I loved Teach (the dog). I usually blatantly spoil the fate of the dog, but this one is nuanced. The scenes with Teach won't be a hit with everyone that reads this, but the story in its entirety worked for me.

Would I recommend Wild Spaces to others?

Yes, absolutely. If you love horror and novella length works for you, I absolutely recommend Wild Spaces. I think I'd compare it to Chad Lutzke more than I'd compare it to McCammon so hold on to your heart and get ready to be disturbed by family and the sea.

⭐⭐⭐⭐★
4/5 stars

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jen 📚 Book Den (@bookdenjen)

Recent Updates and Currently Reading | August 27

Hello! School has started and cross country season has started and cub scouts is about to begin. I'm wrapping up a two years long project at work, and my brain is just broken. But I'm going to try to do some catch up around here today.

I got to watch both episodes of Ahsoka yesterday. Is anyone watching? I'm loving it except for that one thing that happened in Kenobi that also happened in Ahsoka. If you know, you know.

If you guys are on Bluesky, come find me @bookden.bsky.social.

I started working on a Trick or Treat Hotel puzzle. I'm ready for Fall!

Finished Reading

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card ⭐⭐⭐⭐★ - I read Ender's Game with my 14 year old. It was assigned reading for his freshman English class. I'm so glad to have finally read it. I've avoided it due to not wanting to support Orson Scott Card, but we bought it used and had to read it so here we are!

Hallowe'en Party by Agatha Christie ⭐⭐⭐★★ - This was a lot of fun. I read this with the Horror Spotlight discord group in preparation of the A Haunting in Venice movie.

Looking Glass Sound by Catriona Ward ⭐⭐⭐⭐★ - I love Catriona Ward so much. If all goes well today, I'll have a review for this one out this week.

One Piece, Volume 11: The Meanest Man in the East by Eiichiro Oda ⭐⭐⭐⭐★ - I'm so excited for the live action series that starts this week. I believe season one will be through volume 12 so I'm close to be caught up enough to watch! Each thing that gets released about the show looks better and better! I enjoyed this volume.

Currently Reading

The Wager by David Grann - Whoa, this true story! A British ship was sent out for treasure and everyone assumed the men died when the ship wrecked. 283 days later a boat arrived that had been pieced together from the wreckage holding a group of men from the original ship. They were hailed as heroes until 6 months later another boat arrived holding men that told a completely different story of mutiny, murder and cannibalism. I'm 40% or so in, and I can't wait to finish the whole thing.

Added to the TBR

The Wager by David Grann - I had to have this, and I had to start it immediately.

Black Sheep by Rachel Harrison - Thank you a million times to Berkley for sending this out to me. This is my most anticipated book of the year so I will be diving in soon!

---

This post is being shared as part of The Sunday Salon at Readerbuzz, Book Date’s It's Monday! What Are You Reading? and Caffeinated Book Reviewer's The Sunday Post.

Recent Updates and Currently Reading | August 13

Hello, friends! Are you ending your summer with a really great book? I'd love to hear about it. We are heading back to school, and the reading has been light for me!

Posted Last Week

Backlist Titles We Should Be Talking About

Finished Reading

One Piece, Volume 10: OK, Let's Stand Up! by Eiichiro Oda ⭐⭐⭐★★ - Hopefully I can get caught up through Volume 12 before watching the new Netflix series at the end of the month!

Wild Spaces by S.L. Coney ⭐⭐⭐⭐★ - I loved this. Hopefully I will have a review out in the next couple of days so keep an eye out for that.

Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare ⭐★★★★ - Oof! I may review this one, too. I read this with my 14 year old since he was assigned this as part of his summer homework for his honors English class. His teacher strongly recommends they read the No Fear Shakespeare edition. I clearly didn't understand half of this book when I read it high school. I really, really wish I still didn't understand.

Currently Reading

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card - My son was also assigned Ender's Game. We are loving this one.

Looking Glass Sound by Catriona Ward - I'm almost done with Looking Glass Sound - I simply haven't had time due to reading summer assignments with my son. It's so good, and I'm excited to see how it ends!

Belladonna by Adalyn Grace - This poor book is waiting for me to get back to it!

Added to the TBR

The Narrow by Kate Alice Marshall - Kate Alice Marshall is an autobuy for me. I have no idea what this about, but I'm pretty sure it's another young adult.

---

This post is being shared as part of The Sunday Salon at Readerbuzz, Book Date’s It's Monday! What Are You Reading? and Caffeinated Book Reviewer's The Sunday Post.

Backlist Titles We Should Be Talking About

Today's Top Ten Tuesday topic is backlist titles that need to be talked about more. I loved all of these gems. Go read them and talk about them!

White Smoke by Tiffany D. Jackson

Bad Witch Burning by Jessica Lewis

Day Zero by C. Robert Cargill

The Hollow Places by T. Kingfisher

Thirteens by Kate Alice Marshall

The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson

The Midnight Lullaby by Cheryl Low

The Book of Koli by M.R. Carey

Long Bright River by Liz Moore