mstrust-Books & Tiki #2

Hi, I'm Jennifer in Phoenix. I'm sharing my love for tiki. Tiki cocktails, tiki mugs, tiki bars, tiki music and tiki decor. I don't know if this theme will continue all year, but for now, let's have fun with it. I collect mugs, visit tiki bars and attend a yearly tiki convention. The above pic is of our regular Vegas spot, Frankie's Tiki Room.


March marked my 16th Thingaversary. Wow, it's actually gone by fast!
I spend most of my time writing and researching my Substack, Autumn Lives Here. It's free every other Tuesday, and only for paid members the other Tuesdays. I have short stories, true crime, book reviews, scary movie discussions, cocktail recipes and Autumn baking year round. I'm happy to say that I have over 30 LTers among my weekly readers, and a few LTers among my paid creeps. You're welcome to drop by for a scare. https://jennifermorrow.substack.com/
I've hosted a few months at ScaredyKit and MysteryKit. I'm hosting Contemporary Horror in October at ScaredyKit.
I do read a lot of horror and true crime, so things might be heavy on that end, but I also read cookbooks, travel, gardening and fiction in general.
I hope you'll come by often and say hi.

2024 Reads

1. Muckross Abbey and Other Stories- 4.5
2. My Year of Rest and Relaxation- 4.5
3. Killer Plants-3.5
4. The Greatest Thing Since Sliced Bread- 3.5
5. The Seventh Bride- 4
6. The Dinner-4.5
7. Phoenix Noir- 3
8. Recipes from the World of H.P. Lovecraft- 4.5
9. Living Like A Runaway- 3.5
10. Joe Gould's Teeth- 4
11. The Mysteries- 3
12. Starter Villain- 4
13. The Bookshop-4
14. Murder in Hollywood- 3.5
15. The Christmas Guest: A Novella- 4.5
16. I Must Be Dreaming-3
17. Death in the Sunshine- 3.5
18. The Eyeball Collector-4
19. Vexed To Nightmare- 3.5
20. The Devil's Rooming House- 4
21. H.P. Lovecraft: Great Tales of Horror- 4
22. Don't Point That Thing At Me-4
23. Lost Hills-4
24. Edible Houseplants-4
25. Little, Crazy Children-4
26. Nightbitch-3
27. Cut & Thirst-3
28. Dearly Devoted Dexter-4.5
29. Last Night at the Lobster-3.5
30. A Certain Hunger-4.5
31. Famous Writers School: A Novel-4.5
32. The Rising of the Moon-3.5
33. Homesick For Another World-4
34. A Skeleton at the Helm- 5
35. Throttle-4
36. Wild- 4
37. The Pallbearers Club- 2.5
38. Juke Joints, Jazz Clubs & Juice- 5
39. The Gutter and the Grave- 4
40. Fancy AF Cocktails-4
41. The Black Slide- 2.5
42. Mod Cocktails- 4
43. Art Hiding in New York-4
44. Kiss Me, Kill Me-4
45. The Last Kids on Earth: Zombie Parade-3.5
46. The Nightmare House-3
47. The House on the Borderland-4
48. The Troop- 4.5
49. Cold in July- 4
50. A Treasury of Great Recipes- 5
51. Hell- 3
52. Guest: A Changeling Tale- 2.5
53. The Sugar Season- 3
54. The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches-4
55. The Best Halloween Ever- 4
56. Off Season- 4
57. Nowhere, USA-3
58. If It Bleeds- 4
59. The Inheritor's Powder-3
60. Dark Harvest- 4.5
61. The Spite House- 4.5
62. Monster Blood- 3.5
63. Before You Sleep-4.5
64. The Woman in the Library-3.5
65. Diary of an Oxygen Thief- 4
66. Back from the dead: and 350 Other Stories of Amazing Luck-3
67. Haunted Hotels-3.5
68. Nightmare in Pink- 3.5
69. George Jones: Why Baby Why- 3.5
70. Halloween Treats-3.5
71. Schott's Food & Drink Miscellany-3.5
72. Lenny Among Ghosts-3.5
73. The Fran Lebowitz Reader- 2.5
74. Death by Darjeeling-3.5
75. I Will Judge You By Your Bookshelf- 3.5
76. There Is No Ethan-3
77. Winnebago Graveyard-3.5
78. Norwich-3.5

Welcome!

You know, I actually forgot about my 16th Thingaversary last week, but I bought books anyway. Whoopeee!

Happy new thread Jennifer!

Happy new thread, Jennifer! Happy Thingaversary as well :)

>4 Owltherian: Thank you!

>5 alcottacre: Thanks and thanks! How could I have forgotten? My new books are a happy accident.

>6 mstrust: You're very welcome, its always a fun time with new threads.

Happy new thread, Jennifer.

Happy new thread, and happy belated Thingaversary!

Happy New Thread!!

>7 Owltherian: It is.
>8 BLBera: Thanks, Beth.
>9 foggidawn: Thank you, thank you!
>10 hredwards: Thanks, Harold!

To anyone interested, Substack has started a new thing where free subscribers can read one of the locked posts, like this week's Autumn Lives Here. I don't know if it let's you read just the one or if you get to have a field day for a single day or what, but if you're curious, you definitely get at least one.

Happy new thread Jennifer!

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread!

>12 quondame: Thanks, Susan!
>13 cbl_tn: Good to see you, Carrie!
>14 figsfromthistle: Thanks, Figs!
I know you all live far, far away, so help yourself to the pina colada cookies.


Tiki Oasis put out a list of the performers that will be at our Oasis and The Martini Kings are playing!
Here they are at the recent opening of the artist Shag's gallery: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpS8ba0RgdM

>15 mstrust: Yum!

You said it!

25. Little, Crazy Children by James Renner

In 1990, sixteen year old Lisa Pruitt was found murdered in her affluent neighborhood of Shaker Heights, a suburb of Cleveland. She had snuck out of her house after midnight and was stabbed just a few yards from her boyfriend's home, a boy who had invited her. He had been released from a psychiatric hospital just that day and they had been apart for several weeks.

The police investigation focused on a schoolmate who had long been known as am angry weirdo, and the police may have seen him as their only suspect due to a group of high-achieving school mates who pointed the finger at him. He was put on trial, his life ruined, but was he the murderer?
Renner's account of the murder, the trial, and the lives of this group of wealthy, nerdy kids is fascinating. The problems I had with the book are when the author injects his own opinions, swearing to let us know he believes something was unfair, or contriving to tell a backstory of one of the players in order to inject his own politics. Even stranger, he includes a text he received from another reporter telling him that his previous work has been irresponsible. When he sticks to reporting the facts of the case, he does so in a riveting style, but sometimes he goes off on a tangent about himself. 4

Weird little trivia: Molly Shannon had been a babysitter to the young man who stood trial for the murders.

Happy new one, Jennifer.

Happy new thread and Happy Thingaversary, Jennifer!
It's still early in the morning here, but the pina colada cookies are whetting my appetite...

Happy new thread, Jennifer, and belated happy Thingaversary!
We joined LT in the same month.

>15 mstrust: The pina colado cookies look delicious.

>19 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul!
>20 SirThomas: Thanks, Thomas, glad you're here!
There's a reason why pina coladas remain a cocktail staple, they're just so good.
>21 FAMeulstee: Thanks, Anita!
We must have both gotten some booky shakes during March and wanted to talk about it. I know that I was searching for book sites when I came upon LT way back when.

😂 - Welcome to the club!

;-D I think the lack of proper punctuation just adds something to it.

Happy new one!! And LOL to >23 mstrust:. : )

Thanks, Kim, glad you're here!

It's a free week at Autumn Lives Here! I've got Netflix scares, a pear cocktail, and the story of Madalynne Obenchain, a lady with too many boyfriends.
https://jennifermorrow.substack.com/

26. Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder

Told from the pov of 'The Mother', this is the story of a woman who hates motherhood, most likely due to severe post-partum depression. She has a son who is around two years old, and a husband who travels for business, making him a visitor who arrives for 48 hours, barely interacting, and dismissing her need for help. The mother tells him she thinks she is turning into a dog, growing fur and sharp teeth, but no one else sees it. Her progression, or her belief that she's becoming a feral canine, leads to some disturbing and brutal behavior.
The story is part surrealism that addresses a woman who feels she has lost her own self in motherhood. While she loves her child, she deeply resents that she is the primary caregiver, and the book is told from the perspective of a wildly angry woman who does some incredibly violent things. I can't say that I liked this book, it's too one-note, all rage. If you love cats, you might want to avoid it. 3

>29 mstrust: Mmmmmm. I think I'm gonna pass on this one, but I'll take a pear cocktail please!

That cocktail recipe is drool-worthy. I made myself a Transfusion last night, the cocktail from last week's ALH.

>29 mstrust: I can sympathize, but no.

Pretty much my feeling. About a third of the way in I began thinking, "I don't like this." But I kept going out of worry about the boy.

27. Cut & Thirst by Margaret Atwood

A short story about three older women who have been harboring anger for years on behalf of a fourth friend. They finally decide it's time to exact revenge on the group of men responsible for ruining Fern's career.
A humorous story about friendship and dialing down your fantasies. 3

For your listening pleasure, Martin Denny's "Quiet Village":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exwknWjpCUk

Autumn Lives Here is covering the best true crime on regular ol' cable this week. Plus, the ancient backstory of The Wicker Man, and a mapley breakfast.
https://jennifermorrow.substack.com/

I also got to write a guest post for the popular booky Substack called SoNovelicious. My essay, "The Darkest Corners of the Library", posted today. i dig into how I started reading horror and true crime as a kid. Drop by:
https://substack.com/inbox/post/143357741

>37 mstrust: I bought the boxed set of those not long ago in a sales bin at the local Walmart. As a folklore collector, I can’t pass up good lore with suitably creepy illustrations….

It's true, the illustrations are surprisingly scary!

So many parents complained about this series back in the day. Then it was Goosebumps and Fear Street. I’m sure there are now other young peoples’ horror series that are being targeted today—if they’re not too busy targeting books on racial and LGBTQ+ issues.

Sure, there have always been books that make one group of people uncomfortable. It changes every few years.

28. Dearly Devoted Dexter by Jeff Lindsay

The second in the Dexter series, this time the Miami PD and Dexter, our charming psychopath serial killer, are trying to find "Dr. Danco", a nickname that refers to his method of turning ex-Special Ops into vegetables. Sergeant Doakes, the man who hates Dexter the most but can't figure out why, has a history with Dr. Danco and may be on the list of men being hunted. That leaves him with no choice but to work with Dexter.
It seems implausible to say these are fun reads, but Dexter is such a witty guy that they are fun. 4.5

>42 mstrust: You’ve enticed me with with your review of the second Dexter book, to go read the first one. Thanks (I think)!

Karen O

You're very welcome, maybe! The books do feature highly creative and gruesome deaths, but Dexter himself is a hoot.

29. Last Night at the Lobster by Stewart O' Nan

While a blizzard rages outside, Manny, the manager of a Red Lobster restaurant, conscientiously goes through all the hassles and policies as if it's a normal day, but it isn't. Just days before Christmas, this is the last day of operation for this location, a place Manny has worked for years. Though he's been placed elsewhere by the corporation, he believes he will never again see Jacqui, the server he loves.
Told from hardworking Manny's POV, it's the story of a man who knows the most joy he's found is in the past, so he tries to keep his mind on his work. 3.5

This week at Autumn Lives Here: food horror, the inspiration for Arsenic and Old Lace, and digging into all The Walking Dead spin-offs. Plus a cocktail!
https://jennifermorrow.substack.com/

Howdy Jennifer and happy belated thread!

Congrats on the essay! Nice photos!!

Hi, Lynda! Thanks a lot, and for reading my essay. Gayla asked if I needed any changes and I asked her to do something about my movie screen-sized forehead, but she couldn't. Anyway, I'm happy with how things turned out.

This weekend is Tiki Oasis! We're going to a tropical tasting seminar tomorrow, and seeing what we find at the marketplace, where they sell artwork, mugs and everything else.
On Sunday, we'll be at "Arizonaland", the show from Charles Phoenix.
The tastings always have new cocktails, and the Valley Ho Hotel always features a new signature cocktail for the event, so maybe I'll get some recipes.
Here's one from last year:


The Don Juan

1 3/4 oz Remy Martin
1 oz Licor 43
1/2 oz whole milk
1 oz orange juice
1/2 c cream or half & half

Shake all with ice. Strain into a martini glass or coupe. Garnish with an orange twist.

This sounds like fun - have a wonderful weekend!

Thanks, Thomas, and I hope you have a great one too!

>49 mstrust: This does sound fun.
I like reading Charles Phoenix also.
Have a great weekend!

Thanks, Harold, and you have a great weekend too! I'm really looking forward to the Arizonaland slide show, it should be funny. But I want my cocktails too!

Enjoy the weekend!

You too!

>29 mstrust: wow, this one looks brutal.

I recently read a Margaret Atwood true-crime-ish one, Alias Grace. However I did not know it was based on a real story until the end, and by that time I was over the slow pace of the unfolding of what little story there seemed to be. I wonder if I might have enjoyed it more had I known the basic facts prior?

Can’t wait to hear a report from the weekend. Sounds like a blast!

One Don Juan please.
Hope you're having a fun Tiki weekend!

My dog is digging the jungle sounds in Quiet Village!

>56 LovingLit: With almost no effort, I found another that is even more brutal. It's up next.
I read Alias Grace maybe ten years ago and really enjoyed it, and then The Blind Assassin. Those long, slow-building stories are definitely not everyone's cup of tea, and might not be mine either at another time.
You might have liked it more knowing that it was inspired by real lives, but maybe the pace was too slow for you anyway.

>57 drneutron: >58 PaperbackPirate: I had a very good weekend! We went to the Tropical Tasting on Saturday, which is a group of liquor reps talking briefly about their company and how the product is made, and you're tasting little cups of the liquor straight. Then they open the floor and you can visit each booth and they hand out cups of ready-made cocktails. So we had pina coladas, and some cocktails that were made just for the event. I really liked both the mango and the passion fruit liqueurs from a new company called Chinola. They tasted like mildly spiked fruit nectars and I sucked down three little cups of the straight liqueurs and a cocktail of it. The tastings also give bars of Hawaiian Kona coffee bars from Hawaii, which are delicious, but this year they cut the bars in half. Half a bar!
We had lunch at the hotel restaurant, where I had a Quartermaster cocktail that I think was named because the glass had just a quarter depth of liquid, the rest taken up by a massive ice cube. We also shared a cappuccino tart.
In the marketplace, we bought two carvings for the backyard and an ice cream banana plant, which I was thrilled it. The business, Tiki Yard, is a tropical garden center about 45 minutes from us and they come up in my IG often. The bananas most of us have in our grocery stores, the Cavendish, are more disease resistant and good travelers. I'd read about the ice cream banana, and the woman there said it tastes like vanilla ice cream! I'm transplanting it tomorrow.
On Sunday we were at the "Arizonaland" show by Charles Phoenix. If you don't know who he is, look him up, go to his IG reels, he's a character and it was a fun show. And they had $5 Bloody Marys that were delicious.
We bought my sister a mug for her birthday next month, and we bought three bottles of small batch cocktail syrups in strawberry (for my nephew), prickly pear (to make prickly pear margaritas this summer), and orgeat.
We also had the event's signature cocktails. I had the pineapple-gin punch and Mike had the Stardust Nectar, which is Irish gin, pineapple, grenadine...I'll try to find recipes.
So, a fun weekend.

30. A Certain Hunger by Chelsea G. Summers

The story of Dorothy, a psychopath who indulges in her lack of empathy. Coming from a moderately wealthy family and left an inheritance, Dorothy becomes an exceptionally well-traveled, well-read food critic. She knows the best restaurants and enjoys cooking, describing the both the exotic and traditional dishes she eats, especially in Italy, her adopted second home.
She also relishes finding new lovers, especially if her research on the person turns up something Dorothy can use as leverage in the future. That she can destroy them is always in the back of her mind. As she matures, Dorothy's pleasure in the forbidden includes murder and cannibalism.

It would be too easy to say that Dorothy is a monster and her story is one of vulgar brutality, but that would ignore the times when she discusses the beauty of Italy and the care that goes into the cuisine, or the magazine trade of the 90s, the art of Ivan Albright, how Kosher meat is processed and how the USDA works. All these asides of a page or two combine to show how intelligent and curious Dorothy is about the world. The brutality is mixed with her version of sensuousness, which can be gross, but Summers is a superb writer who has created a fascinating character. 4.5

This week's Autumn Lives Here has workplace horrors, a well-preserved English gent, and a dee-licious Walker cocktail.
https://jennifermorrow.substack.com/

31. Famous Writers School: A Novel by Steven Carter

Wendell Newton advertises his writing course in the back of a literary magazine, stating that he will help aspiring writers through his structured lessons. He begins working with a small collection of writers, sending out assignments that are explained through personal stories, such as the time when he was a young soldier working as a secretary to a general and was able to blackmail his superior into giving him a European vacation. In turn, his students send him whatever writing they want to, such as the ex-model and stripper who writes about the people who become obsessed with her, which quickly includes Wendell. Or Linda, who sends Wendell essays about stalking him and breaking into his house. The only student who is actually writing fiction, a tense crime novel that he sends in chapters, is the one who receives Wendell's strangest replies. Over weeks of correspondence, we find Wendell to be shadier than his early professionalism let on.

A satire of the snail mail writing schools of the past, the reader is plunged into slice-of-life stories from each character that may last a few paragraphs or ten pages. It may be a kidnapping, a romance, or a snotty reply from Wendell. Expertly woven together, it's both fun and remarkably well-written. I've never heard of this book or the author. I think I picked this up at the giant booksale one year. 4.5

>62 mstrust: Ooh, Famous Writers School sounds good—off to track down a copy…

Have a great weekend!

Karen O

I hope you find a copy, it's worth the hunt.
Thanks, you have a good weekend too!

It's a free week at Autumn Lives Here. We're making a gingersnap crisp and talking about crazy Lifetime movies. Drop in!
https://jennifermorrow.substack.com/

32. The Rising of the Moon by Gladys Mitchell

Young brothers Simon and Keith live with their older brother Jack and his wife June, a couple who are barely staying together. Their village is shocked when a performer in a traveling circus is murdered, quickly followed by another dead woman and another. The brothers begin their own investigation into these Ripper murders because much of the evidence points to Jack, but Scotland Yard sends a detective, Mrs. Bradley, who is surprised to find two young boys who can be so helpful to the investigation.

This is my first finished Mitchell, as I attempted Death at the Opera first but didn't make it past the first chapter. Going into this one, I assumed that it being a British mystery published in 1945, taking place in a village with an elderly female detective, that it would have a passing resemblance to an Agatha Christie. It really doesn't, as this village is peopled with characters who are far more broken than what you'd find in Christie. Jack and June are constantly barking at each other, miserable but unable to part. Jack, Simon and Keith are all in love with their pretty lodger Christina, who is portrayed as both intelligent and kind, yet wrestles around on her bed with the two young boys and allows them to grope and kiss her. Keith is just eleven. Mitchell's village is populated with people who are sometimes sad, angry, or jealous, so this sets it apart from the polite mysteries usually found in this era. 3.5

For your weekend:

Mai tai! Great drinks!

I picked up Sarah Gailey’s latest (I think), Just Like Home. Pretty horrifical.

The blurb for that one sounds intense!
I bought Ring yesterday, the book the movie was based on, so I guess I'll see if that scares me too.

This week's Autumn Lives Here, we're making blood orange cocktails on our Picnic at Hanging Rock. Expect to get dirty.
https://jennifermorrow.substack.com/

>70 mstrust: That was some movie!

The headmistress' hair alone was quite startling!

Delurking -- Hi!

Hi!

33. Homesick For Another World by Ottessa Moshfegh

A collection of short stories that focuses on strange people, or people who have lived safe lives but suddenly do something totally out of character. There are a few stories about widowers who are discovering that they had spent years living in their wife's shadow, while 'An Honest Woman' is about an older man who turns predatory when a young woman moves next door. 'The Weirdos' is hilariously told by a woman who is likely a sociopath, but a lazy unambitious one, and 'Slumming' is the story of a high school teacher who buys a summer cottage in a low-income river town that has been hit hard by the drug crisis. While describing the locals with disgust, she's unaware that she's quickly turning into one of them.
I've read My Year of Rest and Relaxation from the author and enjoy her strange plots, the characters who do the oddest things without a thought, but I have learned that Moshfegh clearly revels in writing absolutely disgusting passages meant to make the reader cringe. There are just a couple of stories here that don't have that trademark, but most do, and I don't know what to make of it, but to say that she's an excellent writer despite it. 4 stars

Hi there! It's busy season in northern Ohio and I've been working outside quite a lot which leaves little time for visiting.
The cocktail weekend and Charlie Phoenix sound fun but I've not heard of C Phoenix so I'll google.
>75 mstrust: I've been wanting to read that for a long time. Looking forward to your thoughts.oops, I see you've just posted your review....4 stars is good enough for me.

Hi Lynda! I know what you mean. I've been in the backyard alot, moving my container garden around since we're hitting 100s now but tomatoes and peppers still need some sun.
I'm happy to introduce you to Charles Phoenix, his books and Instagram are fun. You might recognize him from his appearances on the Food Network, years ago.
Moshfegh comes up with really unique characters, people you'd read about but wouldn't want to meet.

I just purchased Lapvona which I've heard is rather disturbing. Hehe, considering your thread,maybe you might like it ;0)

I've passed that one up because I really, really don't like the cover, and being aware that Moshfegh likes to be disturbing, you're in for a ride, no doubt. I look forward to seeing what you think of it.

This week at Autumn Lives Here, we're making zombie head chocolates and pretending summer doesn't exist. Also, let's buy everything from Vincent Price. He was so great at moving stock.
https://jennifermorrow.substack.com/

34. A Skeleton at the Helm edited by John Richard Stephens

A collection of short stories and poems that marry tales of the sea with the spooky and deadly. The editor has an extensive introduction that explains piracy, phantom ships, funerals at sea, sea monsters and just about anything dangerous or disturbing that is rumored to happen at sea. It's a very interesting discussion on its own, but then the reader then gets the spooky sea stories of Edgar Allan Poe, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, F. Marion Crawford, Bram Stoker and many others, but best of all, several from William Hope Hodgson. His stories are 'The Voice in the Night', 'The Thing in the Weeds' (in my Top Ten for story titles), and 'The Derelict', a story first published in 1912 that must have been read by the screenwriters of The Blob because the creature found aboard the seemingly abandoned ship is so similar.
This book has a fabric cover with an inset showing a skeleton pirate, which you'll find plenty of in the stories. The paper is thick with an aged appearance and there are some illustration and woodcuts throughout. Highly recommended if the subject interests you. 5 stars

This is the newest release from Tiki Farm. Called "The Gravekeeper", it's an homage to the ghoulish surf band The Ghastly Ones.

>81 mstrust: Now that one sounds interesting!!

I really liked it, and appreciate the care that went into the book's appearance.

And I'll mention that I'm starting my stack of Hot Weather Reads, which will fill my category of the same name.

>82 mstrust: Gonna have to give The Ghastly Ones a try - looks like they’re on Spotify!

I've featured them on my threads a few times and think they're really great. I always play them on the jukebox at our tiki bar.

35. Throttle by Joe Hill and Stephen King

This novella/long short story was inspired by Richard Matheson's Duel. Here, King and Hill have a biker gang called The Tribe who have just committed a double homicide over drug money. Led by Vince and made up of Vietnam vets, including Lemmy from Motorhead recreated here as an American, The Tribe has never gotten into murder or meth, but Vince was persuaded by his son, the newest member of the gang. Now they are riding the backroads of Arizona trying to put distance between themselves and the crime scene, but the semi barreling down the highway with them is the more immediate problem.4 stars
This is available on Kindle.

It was a good read for me too - your link leads to interesting places...
Have a good start into the week, Jennifer!

Fixed it. Yeah, a Charlie's Angels movie doesn't really overlap with this particular story.
Long time, no see, Thomas! Have a great week.

Thank you, Jennifer - I visited, but as the great philosopher M. Jackson said - I'm a reader, not a writer - or something like that...

Well, nice that you de-lurked!

This week at Autumn Lives Here, I have a whole buncha little known horror gems, and the pointless murder of Dr. Bartels.
https://jennifermorrow.substack.com/

36. Wild by Cheryl Strayed

A memoir of Strayed's largely solo hike along California's Pacific Crest Trail, which she began in the Mojave Desert, skipped the unpassable snow in the High Sierras, picking it up north of the mountains and continuing to the edge of Washington. Along the way, she met fellow hikers that she traveled and camped with for short periods, gaining much needed knowledge about how to survive this hike that she was unprepared for, having bought boots that were too small and destroyed her feet, and packing so much that she carried a pack that was too heavy.
Throughout the thousands of miles, she recalls memories of her abusive childhood, her recently ended marriage and her ex-husband, the death of her mother, her drug use, and if that isn't hard enough, a horrifying couple of pages that cover the family's neglect of their horses, which resulted in the ham-fisted euthanizing of one. I admit she lost my sympathy for her thirst and torn-up feet. I continued reading because it's an interesting, well written first-hand account of the hike, the people, and the hardships. 4 stars

>93 mstrust: That was a good one indeed! Happy June!

Thanks, Kim, and right back atcha!
I know I'm way behind everyone on reading this one. I think The Gilmore Girls even did an episode about Lorelei hiking the PCT because of the book.

>36 mstrust: I liked Wild too! I got to go backpacking without carrying the pack. LOL!

Mike and I used to hike a lot. We'd hike around Prescott Lake or around Cottonwood, and we used to hike around North Mountain often, but I never enjoyed that. All that shifting gravel always made me feel like I was going to break an ankle.
To be honest, reading about all the toenails falling off and the rubbed off skin from the backpack, I kept telling her, "Just quit. I would." :-D

Howdy! Hope your weekend was good. Glad to see another person with interest in cocktails - I don't make them as much as I used to (nor do I drink them - the taste of alcohol hasn't grown on me yet) but rum cocktails are a standard when I'm tending bar at home. What are your favourite recipes, tiki or otherwise?

Also, what were your thoughts on Starter Villain? I've read Old Man's War by Scalzi, but haven't picked any of his other books up yet, though I've been considering both Starter Villain and Redshirts.

>60 mstrust: >75 mstrust: some appealing reads there! I am drawn to them both!

We are thinking of taking our 'boozy bike-rides' into the realm of cocktails. We have previously joined a couple of mates on a Tour de Stout and a Tour de Pinot ride, and my suggestion was to tackle a Tour de Negroni... we'll see.

>98 VerixSilvercrow: Hello, welcome to a new member!
I like to mix things up, whether cocktails or in baking, I like the 'some of this, some of that' aspect to creating. Some of my cocktail favorites are the classic G&T, tiki cocktails called the Sea Hag, Three Dots and A Dash, and if the mood is right, a Bloody Mary. But one of the easiest is to just throw a big scoop of whatever jam you have into a shaker with ice, add your favorite alcohol and shake it.
I liked Starter Villain, it was fun with a little tension. I might have liked Redshirts a little more, but those are the only two I've read from Scalzi.

>99 LovingLit: Those are good ones!
Your biking/drinking trips would be the only way I'd do a bike trip :-D Do tell, where does the Negroni trip take place, and is it a day, weekend? It sounds like fun and a good way to fall off a bike.

Just a heads up to my Autumn Lives Here readers, you may not see the new post for several days as my drafts are disappearing from Substack. Poof, gone like the wind when I try to post them!
I have a tech guy that I'm trying to get hold of, but since I'm leaving for Vegas very soon, it may be days before I can address this.

After fighting with it all day, the new Autumn Lives Here is up! It's my 2nd anniversary.
https://jennifermorrow.substack.com/

Happy anniversary, Jennifer - and many thanks for the many inspirations!

Thank you, and thanks for being an ALH reader! 👻

>102 mstrust: Happy anniversary, and a hearty “good job!” on Autumn Lives Here.

Karen O

Happy Anniversary!!!

>105 klobrien2: Thanks so much! I have fun writing it.
>106 hredwards: Thank you!!!

I have some original short stories coming up in the next few weeks, along with some really fascinating a creepy subjects.

I'm back from our family get-together in Vegas. I've brought home four bottles of wine, a bottle of Navy Grog rum in a beautiful package, a tiki mug candle scented to a Painkiller cocktail, peaches delivered from a farm in Georgia, and some books. We also went to our favorite Mexican restaurant, then to the Golden Tiki bar, where we each ordered a different cocktail and tasted everything. Oh yeah, and we spent a little time in the casinos.
My haul:
Goosebumps: Monster Blood Collection
Daisy Jones & The Six
Denton Little's Deathdate
So Many Books. So Little Time
The Fran Lebowitz Reader
The Headless Cupid
Diary of an Oxygen Thief
Ham On Rye
The Best Halloween Ever
Back from the Dead: And 350 Other Stories of Amazing Luck
Halloween Treats
A Treasury of Great Recipes- the Vincent & Mary Price book!

Glad you had a good time in Vegas. I heard that it's been extremely hot over there.
Nice book haul. I've only read Daisy Jones. Enjoyable and I'm sure you'll see a connection to a similar band from the 70's.
Happy second anniversary to ALH!

Hi, Lynda!
Vegas was almost the same temp as Phoenix while we were there. I think the hottest day was 108-109. Phoenix was 111F during those days. Blech!
I'm looking forward to Daisy Jones, and also the Fran Lebowitz because I enjoyed her Netflix "Pretend It's A City" so much.
Thanks for the good wishes! I have a lot of fun putting ALH together!

This is the Painkiller scented candle/tiki mug my sister gave me for my birthday. It's by Fury Bros. and they have a couple of different scents.

37. The Pallbearers Club by Paul Tremblay

Art comes up with the Pallbearers Club in high school as a way for him, an introvert with scoliosis, to pad his college applications. Through their weekly visits to the funeral home to witness services, he meets Mercy, a woman who introduces Art to punk music. Little by little, Art builds up the idea that Mercy is a vampire. Or a long-dead witch. Or it maybe it's all the meds he's on because of his back pain.
The plot sounds like a horror and I believe it's listed as one. Look at that creepy cover. But this is actually a coming of age memoir with brief creepy interludes. You'll find a lot more talk about the local music scene and scoliosis, Art's school years and his severe acne. The dialogue is sometimes so clunky that it's remarkably unrealistic and it seems like the author was working through an 'obscure word of the day' calendar. It's less than 300 pages but took me so long to get through because it repeatedly bored me to sleep after a few pages.
I've read several works by Tremblay now and he's 50/50 for me, with his earlier stuff being more to my taste. 2.5

The Spite House arrived.

38. Juke Joints, Jazz Clubs & Juice by Toni Tipton-Martin

If you watch Cook's Country on PBS, you're familiar with Tipton-Martin's spots on food history. Here, she relays the history of alcoholic libations in the African-American community, providing the background and recipes for varieties of alcohol and the cocktails that have long ties to the community, such as homemade ginger beer and sorrel, and the use of ingredients such as coconut and hibiscus. You'll find classic recipes here, but the author often provides a second recipe, like making a non-alcoholic version or a fruity version.
Throughout the book, the author discusses the history of African-American bartenders and African-American cookbooks.
This is a beautifully done book on heavy paper with full page photos. It's a good choice as a bartender's guide because of it's mix of classic and lesser known cocktails, with the history behind them. 5 stars

All the best to you on this special day, Jennifer!

>113 mstrust: Sounds intriguing. I'll be waiting to read your thoughts on it.

>115 SirThomas: Thank you very much, Thomas! Today's my birthday, so I'll count that as both ALH wishes and birthday wishes, ;-D
>116 Carmenere: It does look good and has won a few awards. Seemed like a sure thing.

Happy Birthday, Jennifer!

Yikes! I didn't know it was your birthday! May your day be filled with cocktails, tikis and everything else that brings you happiness!

Happy Birthday!

Happy belated birthday!

>118 quondame: Thank you!
>119 Carmenere: :-D Thank you! It was a good day. We had celebrated and gone to dinner and opened presents with my sister in Vegas as our birthdays are just ten days apart. Mike and I went to breakfast yesterday, then bought a new tv for the den. After he set up all our streaming services, he bought me a year of Shudder and set that up too. Oh, and I got a foot rub!
>120 PaperbackPirate: Thanks!
>121 VerixSilvercrow: Thank you!

39. The Gutter and the Grave by Ed McBain

Matt Cordell is a Bowery drunk sitting in the park when an old friend finds him and begs for help. Until a few years ago, Cordell had been a good private detective, but then he lost his wife and his license and is spending his life in a stupor until the old friend drags him to his tailoring shop and they discover the business partner dead. All the evidence is pointing to the man Cordell was trying to shake off. Because Cordell is involved in a murder now, he has to prove that the evidence is a red herring.
First published in 1958, this is a pulpy gumshoe detective story, and a good one. There's jazz music, snarling police and every woman Cordell meets throws herself at him. 4 stars

I read this for this month's MysteryKit.

40. Fancy AF Cocktails by Ariana Madix and Tom Sandoval

It wasn't until I started reading the cocktail backstories that I learned that the authors are from the Vanderpump Rules show, which I've never seen so their names meant nothing to me. But this is a fun cocktail book full of original recipes and a few classics. The most unusual ones are definitely in the "Trashy" section, because they cocktails call for things like packets of McDonald's bbq sauce or a Bloody Mary that uses fast food ketchup packets. All the cocktails are beautifully photographed, many pics are pretty funny, and most of the recipes look like something I'd try. 4 stars

Carrot Mule Variation

2 oz vodka
3/4 oz carrot juice
1/2 oz lemon juice
1/2 c ginger beer

In a copper mug, add the vodka and juices and stir. Fill the mug with crushed or pebble ice, then add the ginger beer. Garnish with a baby carrot.

Autumn Lives Here is back from break with the story of RadiThor, the energy drink that contained real radium!
https://jennifermorrow.substack.com/

>123 mstrust: I love those Hard Case Crime Books.
Happy late Birthday!!!

Happy birthday month! May it be filled with cocktails, books and Tiki candles!! And hints of Autumn!

>126 hredwards: They revive some great ones! And thank you!
>127 Berly: Thanks, I do enjoy stretching it out! In fact, I have one more present coming. And the Autumn is covered because one of Mike's presents was a year of Shudder.

I feel like I've seen this book on your thread, but I couldn't find it. If you haven't read this, I think you would enjoy it. The September House by Carissa Orlando.
I stumbled across it at the library and enjoyed it.

The September House? No, never heard of it, but thanks for the rec as I do like haunted house stories.

Speaking of a haunted house, I had an AC guy over yesterday to do a maintenance check on our two units. He's a customer of Mike's, so not a complete stranger, though Mike warned me that he's a little strange. That checked out. Non-stop talker. Usually these checks would take 30-45 minutes. After four and a half hours, both Mike and I were telling him to wrap it up. Besides Coral being a nervous dog who refused to relieve herself while he was there, I couldn't even get on the computer because throughout the day he kept requiring me. It was a long day.
My MIL sent over my last birthday presents last night and Mike brought a pizza for dinner. It stopped my grumbling, somewhat.

41. The Black Slide by J.W. Ocker

Ten year-old Griffin and his classmates are surprised when the plastic slide on the playground is suddenly replaced by a black slide that looks like it's made of leather. No one will use it, but Griffin is forced to by the class bully, and comes out with a broken arm and lacerations and the trauma of the bizarre ride. After that, Griffin's classmates seem hypnotized by the slide, but when they go down, they never come out. When his best friend begins to descend into the black slide, Griffin goes with her and they discover the horrible world all the kids are being held in and used as experiments.

Ocker is one of my favorites, but this book, targeted at 8-12 year-olds, is way too violent for children. Griffin is physically abused by his father and the school bully, where significant damage is done, then he enters an underworld that is all about physical pain being inflicted on children. The descriptions are graphic. I can't imagine what child would want to finish a book about another child suffering so unrelentingly. 2.5

42. Mod Cocktails by Natalie Jacob

Nice photography in this book of revisions of classic cocktails from decades past, including tiki drinks. Many of these variations involve ingredients that have become more popular recently, such as ginger syrup. I made the "Army & Navy" recipe from this book and it was very good. This would be a good addition to a bar library as the ingredients lists don't get too long or complicated. 4 stars

Army & Navy

2 oz gin
3/4 oz lemon juice
3/4 oz Orgeat
2 dashes Angostura bitters
Luxardo cherries

Put the first three ingredients in an ice-filled shaker and shake vigorously. Strain into a coupe glass and drop one cherry in. Float the bitters on top.

>131 mstrust: Huh. I like his stuff usually, but that doesn't sound appealing at all.

Anxious to see what what you think of September House.

His books have always been winners for me, but this one...it's just strange that a children's book was so violent.

43. Art Hiding in New York by Lori Zimmer, illustrated by Maria Krasinski

An exploration of all the secret or overlooked artwork in NYC, along with a few very famous works that can be viewed for free because they are technically public art. In this category, you'll find Maxfield Parrish's "Old King Cole" artwork at the St. Regis. A lesser known art installation is found at the 34th Street subway station, a row of sensors that play musical instruments, or the sound of rain and birds when you stand in front of them.
Famous art locations are included, such as all the addresses of Andy Warhol's Factories. or Diane Arbus' apartment, but most of the artworks included can be sought out on the streets, in subway stations and hotel lobbies. It's a thick book, so not handy for carrying, but it does point out that art is everywhere in NYC, you just have to pay attention. Each entry has the backstory and an illustration. 4

44. Kiss Me, Kill Me by Ann Rule

An anthology of her Crime Files, Rule recounts many true crime stories she wrote up over the years, some solved and some not. She discusses the detectives who worked each case. This one runs to nearly 400 pages and includes a section of photos. These tend to be forgotten or lesser-known cases from decades past. My one gripe is that she has changed the names of so many people involved, including some of the convicted murderers. Why? 4

This week at Autumn Lives Here is free. It's "Teen Idol", a short story that asks the question: how bad is bad enough?
https://jennifermorrow.substack.com/

Thank you for the great story, Jennifer.
Happy midweek!

Thanks for coming over, Thomas, and I'm glad you liked it!
You have a great week. I've got a lot of editing to do today, and poor Coral had a vet visit early this morning.

45. The Last Kids on Earth: Zombie Parade by Max Brallier

Pre-teen Jack was left behind by his foster family when Earth's atmosphere was ripped open and all the monsters of space fell through. Now Jack lives in the family's huge treehouse, along with three other kids, the only humans that may be left. Not only do they have to fight to survive the monsters, but all the people who died are now flesh-eating zombies.
In this volume of the series, the kids find a monster named Thrull who is willing to help them out. They also discover what is shrieking all through the night, a piercing sound that creates the zombie parade. 3.5

Time for a new tiki recipe!

The Ghost (from Mod Cocktails)

1/2 oz fresh lime juice
3 strawberries
1 oz coconut cream
2 oz reposado tequila
1/4 oz rose water
nutmeg

Add the lime juice and strawberries to a cocktail shaker and muddle. Add the coconut cream, tequila and ice and shake. Strain into a double rocks glass filled with ice and float the rose water on top. Garnish with nutmeg and a strawberry slice.

This week's Autumn Lives Here: You're never too old to be terrifying.
https://jennifermorrow.substack.com/

46. The Nightmare House by Sarah Allen

Ten year old Penny is living in terror, hearing and seeing The Fear Maker everywhere. Her grandmother was always the one who could calm her, when she lived at home with Penny and her parents, but she had to move into a care home because of health problems. Penny believes The Fear Maker is coming for her.
This is the second recently published children's book I've read in a few weeks in which the main character, a young child, is put in situations that seem way too intense for the age group the book is intended for. In The Black Slide (>60 mstrust: mstrust:), it was non-stop physical pain, and here, Penny's constant terror of everything around her is present from the first page to the last. It actually comes off as mental illness, as if she's deep in schizophrenia. To have a child this frightened is oppressively bleak, and I have to wonder if any child would want to read this. Perhaps if the character's age was bumped up to the teens, an age that could handle the intensity. 3 stars

47. The House on the Borderland by William Hope Hodgson

Two buddies go on a fishing trip in a fairly isolated location in Ireland. They find the village locals a little odd but friendly, but both men can't shake a sense of something strange about the area. While exploring an old ruin, they find a diary, which becomes the majority of the story, as they read the words of the resident of the house. He recorded the terror of a passageway in the Earth opening up at the base of his house, allowing vicious creatures to invade our world.
The story delivers on chills, as the pig creatures are truly horrifying, but it's also likely that this book is the first instance of "cosmic horror" involving the planets and solar system and a millennium passing in the blink of an eye. It gets pretty deep. 4 stars

>144 mstrust: Oh, yeah, gonna check that out! Earlier horror writers have that vibe of psychological horror—those are the ones that get to me! And it’s public domain which means free copies!

Yes, it was published in 1908, so free domain!
It's an unusual story, especially for his time, and especially the last third or so. Trippy horror, ha!

The newest Autumn Lives Here happens to dig into W.H. Hodgson and his very active life. We're also making a pumpkin pie cocktail and going over upcoming book releases.
https://jennifermorrow.substack.com/

I’m listening to The Boats of “Glen Carrig” by Hodgson and so far I’ve learned that you should never trust trees that look like they have human faces, never hunt crabs that are bigger than you, and never trust an island covered with giant fungus. Truly, the man had some important life lessons to pass along….

I don't believe I've read that one yet, but I know that he went further with creepy creatures than just about anyone in his era. Had a thing for fungus too.

This week at Autumn Lives Here, we're looking into a long-forgotten theater disaster, and checking into a year-round Halloween suite. Plus, let's talk about Dexter.
https://jennifermorrow.substack.com/

48. The Troop by Nick Cutter

A small boy scout troop of fourteen year-olds, led by their longtime Scoutmaster, take their yearly excursion to isolated Falstaff Island, off the coast of Prince Edward. A few days of hiking and boating turns into a nightmare as a starving stranger arrives, and he is both aggressive and sick. Scoutmaster Tim does his best to help the man, but it's soon clear that this illness is highly contagious.
A story about gain-of-function research in the hands of a psychopath and the people who have to deal with the results. This is both a gripping read and a shockingly brutal one. It's more disturbing that what I usually read, but the writing is strong. 4.5 stars

Looks like a good one!

And another BB - sigh.
Have a wonderful weekend, Jennifer.

>152 drneutron: If you're looking for an intense read, this is a good choice!
The author also wrote The Saturday Night Ghost Club, which is much less intense.
>153 SirThomas: I know, I just keep hitting you ;-D
Have a great weekend, Thomas!

This week at Autumn Lives Here, it's a new short story about a job interview that goes well, and then bad. Really, really bad.
https://jennifermorrow.substack.com/

Hot enough to melt your face?

We're talking about gross Summer this week at Autumn Lives Here. Also, the deadliest game of catch ever.
https://jennifermorrow.substack.com/

>156 mstrust: That's exactly how I felt in Florida last week. No joke it was most certainly 1000f. My breath was hot, sweat (& I don't usually sweat, I glow) poured down my face.

Anyway, the reason I stopped in was to tell you I picked up Chris Stein's memoir at the library this morning. I remember, as a Blondie fan, you might be interested or maybe you've already read it.

>156 mstrust: Hot enough to melt your face? Yes. Then the mosquitoes move in for the kill. Sadly, this July has been cooler than the past few as we’ve only hit the 90s today (don’t ask about the heat index). So ready for October….

>157 Carmenere: I spent a week in Florida in June once. My hair curled up as tight as can be against my head, and being a redhead, I looked like Napoleon Dynamite. I spent the week wearing a bucket hat.

>158 Carmenere: I haven't read that yet, but I'm sure I will. Thanks for reminding me!

>159 CassieBash: I hear ya, sister. Three minutes outside and I'm dripping sweat. Actually, just bringing in groceries and putting them away has me sweating. When I was a kid, 110F was dry here in Phoenix, you didn't sweat, but all the pools and lawns have ruined that.
I'm ready for October too.

49. Cold in July by Joe R. Lansdale

Richard Dane wakes in the middle of the night and confronts a burglar in his home. Dane kills the man, who is known to the police as a career criminal, and Dane's already traumatic event gets worse when he's told that the burglar's father has just been released after 20 years in prison. Now, Dane and his family are targets for a man who has nothing to lose.
This being a Lansdale crime novel, there is humor and twists you don't see coming, but also the crimes committed get really dark. 4 stars

50. A Treasury of Great Recipes by Mary and Vincent Price

Vincent Price was a famous gourmand, and with his first wife Mary, he traveled the world eating at the best restaurants and begging recipes off the chefs. He managed to get a surprising number of recipes for signature dishes, and they are in this thick coffee table book, along with many photos of the Prices and their friends gathered round the table.
Published in 1965 and now a collectible, this book contains recipes from the highest-brow restaurants of France, Italy, Holland, Mexico, Scandinavia, England, Spain and the U.S. It's a time capsule of both the delicacies of the period, and world travel, as the Prices include introductions to each country and nearly every recipe. 5 stars

This week at Autumn Lives Here, I've got the new candy for Halloween and the cursed backstory of The Omen. It's a free-for-all week!
https://jennifermorrow.substack.com/

I quickly glanced at "Autumn live here" and quickly wrote down the bourbon n maple syrup milkshake. Chef kiss worthy.
Thanks for the candy update. I'll be searching for them.

As long as you were quick about it, thanks for having a look! 🫣👻

>165 mstrust: hahaha I see what you did there 🙄😂

😁

51. Hell by Kathryn Davis

The lives of three families at three different time periods in the same house. One family lives during the Civil War, the wife being a famous home economist, the eldest daughter is bed-ridden and being starved. The second family is here during the 1950s, an unhappy family with marital strife and unhappy daughters, the third family being the inhabitants of a dollhouse that has been passed down for generations and is now relegated to the basement. This family is also unhappy and aware that they are dolls who can be placed anywhere and forgotten.

This is a strange one, listed by some as experimental. Though a lot of it is really interesting, especially the doll family, it can be difficult to figure out which of the three mothers, two fathers, or many daughters are speaking. The reader also has to dig through some densely written sentences to parcel out what information is given, making the book swing between being fun and being a slog. 3

This week at Autumn Lives Here, it's Shaun of the Dead's 20th anniversary!
https://jennifermorrow.substack.com/

52. Guest: A Changeling Tale by Mary Downing Hahn

I don't think the main character's age is ever mentioned, but I'd place her as 10-12 years old. After she accidentally calls the attention of the evil Kinde Folke to her beautiful baby brother, he's stolen and replaced with their ugly, bad-tempered changeling, which causes her family to fall apart. After a year, Mollie sees it as her responsibility to go to the Dark Lands and get her brother back while leaving the changeling behind.
It dragged in parts and isn't the best from Hahn. 2.5

It's a free week at Autumn Lives Here!
This week is a new short story, a foray into Western horror titled "Call Me Tex". Drop in for a good scare.
https://jennifermorrow.substack.com/

53. The Sugar Season: A Year in the Life of Maple Syrup and One Family's Quest for the Sweetest Harvest by Douglas Whynott

The title gives the impression of a small family maple business, something that involves buckets and kids. The real story is about the big business of supplying the world with syrup, the business of sap boils and selling tubing (the modern way of gathering sap), and keeping thousands of gallons in reserve. The kids are involved, but they are adults who are in charge of important branches of the business.
The author shadowed the owners of Bascom's in Vermont, one of the largest syrup buyers in the country, and he also visited with Butternut Mountain, the other high-volume syrup buyer and Bascom's competitor.
A lot of this book would be interesting only to people in the business. The talk of evaporators and tubing wouldn't hold most readers, but the inside look at the big business of maple syrup is interesting, and the family dynamics of the Bascom family is too.
3 stars

This week at Autumn Lives Here, we're looking at horror books and movies of the 1920s. Also, actor/writer/producer/scary guy Larry Fessenden.
https://jennifermorrow.substack.com/

54. The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches by Alan Bradley

Just before her twelfth birthday, Flavia's long missing mother, Harriet, is found frozen on the mountain she had been climbing. The British government sends the body home to Buckshaw with much fanfare, and she's even accompanied by Winston Churchill. It's clear to child genius Flavia that her mother was much more than just an adventurer.
Determined to have a better idea of who her mother was, Flavia makes a plan to raise her mother from the dead. She also needs to unravel why it seems that her parents, and practically every adult she knows, are involved in espionage.
This is the sixth book in the series, and we see that Flavia is maturing. While she's still full of outlandish "science will solve everything" ideas, she shows empathy where she hadn't before. 4 stars

55. The Best Halloween Ever by Barbara Robinson

The six Herdmans are the local family of kids that are just set loose like wild dogs, and every year they find a way to ruin Halloween for everyone. To combat this, the school decides to prohibit Halloween during school hours and have a parent-organized event that night in the hopes that the Herdmans will stay away.
Featuring the build up to Halloween and the excitement and disappointment of that one night, this is a fun story. 4

It's a free week at Autumn Lives Here! I've got scary stuff for kids and teens, and my September to-do list.

56. Off Season by Jack Ketchum

Three couple go to a rental cabin in Maine for sexy time, unaware that they are being stalked by a family of cannibals. When the attack comes, the people in the cabin can only fight with makeshift weapons, but they are outnumbered by the inbred clan where even the children are homicidal.
This story was based on the Sawney Bean clan, and it's bloody and brutal. Don't read at night. 4 stars

>175 mstrust: If you want more Herdmans, there’s The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by the same author. It was even made into a movie.

Thanks! I'll look for that.

57. Nowhere, USA by Ninie Hammon

In a small mountain town in Kentucky, citizens find themselves landing at the old bus stop in the center of town, either vomiting their guts out or bleeding from the nose and ears. Enough people materialize at the bus stop that they begin helping each other, trying to piece together what happened, and they realize that people are ending up at the bus stop when they try to leave town.

A good dark mystery when it sticks to the storyline of the town being cut-off from the outside, but the whole angle with one of the locals going nuts and taking a hostage was an eyeroll. 3 stars

This week at Autumn Lives Here is for The Creep Club! We're delving into horror from the 1930s with the many monsters who became popular in this era. Plus, we're looking at the apple varieties being developed right now. You'll find them in the stores in a few years and some of them will really surprise you.
Fall and Halloween are going on here and you can read any post for free by just adding your email.
https://jennifermorrow.substack.com/

>151 mstrust: Thank you for an intense reading adventure, Jennifer.
All the best for the rest of the week.

If you wanted scary, you picked a good one. Thanks for stopping by!

I'm hosting October's ScaredyKit!
https://www.librarything.com/topic/363364

It's a free week at Autumn Lives Here, and have I got a creepy story for you.
https://jennifermorrow.substack.com/

58. If It Bleeds by Stephen King

A 2020 collection of short stories, the best known being "Mr. Harrigan's Phone", which was quickly turned into a Netflix movie. Other stories are "Rat", with King returning to the "struggling writer in a cabin in the woods" trope, this time, a writer who has caught a vicious virus while a terrible storm is coming. He makes things worse by saving an injured rat.
In the title story, Holly Gibney and the crew from Finders Keepers have plenty of cases, but she becomes intrigued by a local tv reporter who seems to always be first at disasters. This one dragged a bit and could have been shorter. The reader should also have read the previous works of Holly, as they are referred to quite a bit.
"The Life of Chuck" is told backwards and in three parts, and I liked this strange story of a world that is reverting back to pre-cell, pre-internet and tv days, all because of regular ol' Chuck.
Has King always made his characters spew his political views? He's really turned into an angry old man in the last few years and I think his politics showed up in each of these stories, wedged in because he can't help himself. Otherwise, an enjoyable collection of stories. 4 stars

>186 mstrust: I've been a fan of ole Uncle Stevie for years, despite not seeing eye to eye with him politically. I've been wanting to read this one, but have avoided his political opinion pieces. You've given me pause on rather I really want to read this or not.
I don't want to start a political discussion, but I hate it when people we hire (basically) to entertain us think we should be subjected to their political views all the time.
Anyway, just my humble opinion.

I don't want to dissuade you from reading it, the political messages are one or two sentences long, but they are in probably three of the four stories. I've actually run into the same problem with a much younger horror author, Paul Tremblay. The early books were really good, but the later ones, after he gained fame, have little pellets of his ideology scattered in them.
... I hate it when people we hire (basically) to entertain us think we should be subjected to their political views... I agree. When I come across political comments that are so out of place, I always feel like the author/actor/comedian is auditioning for something in which self-absorption is a pre-requisite.

>188 mstrust: I'll probably read it anyway, I just love the way he does characters, at least in most of his books.

:-D There's a reason why he's been at the top for decades.

59. The Inheritor's Powder: A Cautionary Tale of Poison, Betrayal and Greed by Sandra Hempel

This is the story of the infancy of forensic science in England during the first half of the 19th Century. Within this research is the true crime story of three generations of farmers, a family where the men were at odds with one another. Older, hardworking George became violently ill and died, while his son-in-law and grandson, both shady beneficiaries, became suspects.

There's so much interesting information here about where both medicine and police work were in 1833, at the time of the crime, and who was instrumental in advancing the sciences. However, the writing style keeps this from being a page-turner. The author goes down so many winding diversions, and much of these were unnecessary. I think it would have been a better read to give us the account of George Bodle's horrible family and his death, then launch into the wider world of science and police work. 3 stars

This week at Autumn Lives Here, The Creep Club is joining me for a who's who through The Haunted Mansion, then we watch one of the most infamous mockumentaries ever. I have lots of ghosts.
https://jennifermorrow.substack.com/

60. Dark Harvest by Norman Partridge

Set at Halloween 1963, in a small town with a strange ritual. For five days, parents lock their teenage sons up and starve them so that when they are let out Halloween night, the boys are so hungry that they'll hunt down the candy-filled October Boy. The one who kills him is the winner, the only person allowed to leave town. 4.5 stars

>193 mstrust: Oh No, another BB!
Tomorrow is October, my public library has it available.
I think I know what I will do...
Have a wonderful start into the week, Jennifer.

Uh-oh, got you again, Thomas! My creepiness is just normal behavior in October.
Have a great week, and I hope you're enjoying Autumn weather.

I have book 60 in my Audible library. 4.5 stars? It may be time to download and listen to that one….

I hope you like it as much as I did. Very Halloweenie.

Drop in at Autumn Lives Here this week for my October To Do list, pumpkin spice rolls and the true story of a trunk murderess.
https://jennifermorrow.substack.com/

This week, Autumn Lives Here is getting super Halloweenie with morgue movies and reads. Also, new and upcoming book releases and "Dear ALH" is back with life advice.
https://jennifermorrow.substack.com/

I am so far behind here that it is not even funny. I hope all is well with you, Jennifer!

>195 mstrust: I really enjoy the weather - it is raining - reading time!
And Dark Harvest was a fantastic book!
Thank you again for the BB.

>200 alcottacre: I understand, glad you were able to stop by, Stacia!
Things are going terribly, thanks for asking!

>201 SirThomas: Nice! We're still around 105-108F. It's usually about ten to twelve degrees cooler by now.
I'm so glad you liked Dark Harvest! You might want to see the movie, which came out last year.

61. The Spite House by Johnny Compton
A mystery within a mystery, this is the story of dad Eric and his two daughters. We know they've been driving around the country, living in motels for over a year. With money running low, Eric answers an ad for someone to live in a haunted house in Texas. The Spite House has an extensive reputation for paranormal happenings, but now the elderly owner wants more concrete proof, and it seems that she doesn't care if her tenants are in danger.
This is a haunted house story, and it also looks into family histories, race and economic status. 4.5

Looking for a scare? "There's Something in the Basement" is a free read this week.
https://jennifermorrow.substack.com/

62. Monster Blood by R.L. Stine

Evan has been dumped on a very elderly, deaf great-aunt whom he doesn't know while his parents house hunt in a new city. That she's mean, doesn't have a tv and doesn't like Evan's dog sends him outdoors looking for something to do, where he meets a new friend and the neighborhood bullies. He also buys a can of something labeled "monster blood", which is a bad decision.3.5

Ushers: A Short Story by Joe Hill

Martin has a series of interviews with Detectives Duvall and Oates concerning the fact that Martin had a ticket for a train that crashed, killing many passengers. Martin had refused to board, just like he had gone home sick on the day of a massacre at his high school. The police think that's too much of a coincidence.
A Kindle exclusive. 4

63. Before You Sleep: Three Horrors by Adam L.G. Nevill
Each of these stories has a house at the center. In one, three schoolboys think they'll gain reputations as tough guys if they break into the notoriously haunted local house. In another, a Japanese family settle into a house so the father, who seems to be having a nervous breakdown, can relax. The little girl quickly makes friends with all the toys left behind by previous children.
The last story involves a young man who has bought his first home. The interior had never been updated past the 1970s, and he quickly finds himself putting off the renovation and becoming comfortable in the old lady vibe.
These are spooky, atmospheric stories from the author whose work inspired the movies "The Ritual" and "No One Gets Out Alive". 4.5

This week, The Creep Club at Autumn Lives Here is digging into the Bloody Mary myth, and we're looking into a very, very cold case that was recently solved.
https://jennifermorrow.substack.com/

>207 mstrust: Just reviewed Cunning Folk by Mr. Nevill on my 75. If you haven’t read it, I strongly recommend it to you.

Thanks for the rec, I hadn't heard of that one!

It's Halloween week and Autumn Lives Here is celebrating hard!
https://jennifermorrow.substack.com/

I see you're in full spookiness here! Glad things haven't changed.

Hi, Lynda! I've barely hung on LT because I've had so few visitors this year. But my Substack is super Halloweenie, and my LT friends have been a good chunk of my visitors.
I hope you've had a good October!

Tell me about it! I've contemplated dropping LT next year because, face it, I'm not a social butterfly and weeks can go by before I visit other 75ers. So I get little traffic on my thread too.
More than likely, I'll probably return just to keep up with the few I follow..There's just a huge amount of things I need to do around the house that are time drains. Hope you stick around too.

>207 mstrust: unfortunately this is not available for me, but I am currently reading another book by the author - Appartment 16.
All the best for tomorrow and I hope you stay with us - not only the day after tomorrow...

>214 Carmenere: >215 SirThomas: I won't be leaving LT, I just meant that I rarely have a reason to check in since my threads are so quiet this year. But I can see how you thought I was throwing in the towel :-D
Even with my shunning, LT is a great place to keep track of my reading and get recs.
>214 Carmenere: I hear you, I've had some really busy days, especially the last few, due to the temps finally falling under 100. We're decorating for Halloween, voted early, and I'm able to get back to baking and gardening. I have little arugula, tomatoes and flowers sprouting, and a bean plant that is a foot tall already! I also have two projects in the making.
>215 SirThomas: I read it on Kindle! I hope that's not the only form it's available in, but it's a slim book so it may be only e-books. I want to read more from him.

I'm here lurking in the shadows, just seems like i don't have much time to comment on people's threads these days, but I do check them at least once a day to see what's going on.

Same here -- much more of a lurker than a commenter.

Here's a Halloween story from Autumn Lives Here, "Ashley's Spooktacular Party". Ashley throws a Halloween party for her coworkers and everything will be great! Right?
https://jennifermorrow.substack.com/

>217 hredwards: >218 foggidawn: Ha, good to know that I have ghosts! Throughout the year I've thought that my little threads have gone into the ether.

64. The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill.
Four strangers, two men and two women, are sharing a table in the reading room of the Boston Public Library when a scream rings out. The body of a murdered woman is found in an adjacent room, and this experience, and the ensuing theories each shares, bonds the four. They become joined at the hips as they think about the murder, but the more they learn about each other, the more they question each other's motives for being in the library.
The reader is actually reading chapters written by a famous Australian mystery writer who has enlisted a fan from Boston to help with getting the details of the city correct, a fan who feels that he and the author have a deep connection.

I liked the first half of the book, which centered on the original murder, more than the second, which was so bogged down by the two women, Freddie and Marigold, having fallen in love with the two men to the point that they are willing to risk their lives to prove their devotion. But overall, a not-too-scary mystery set in Boston that travels all over the city. 3.5

65. Diary of An Oxygen Thief by Anonymous

A loutish Irishman recalls his life in London, when he was an alcoholic in his twenties who truly enjoyed crushing the happiness of women.
He discovers AA and becomes sober with equal enthusiasm, building a career and ending up in Minnesota. That job takes him on a business trip to Manhattan, where he meets a woman from his hometown, someone who is just as adept of destroying happiness as he used to be.
Funny and infuriating, these are the memories of an unnamed self-centered, but honest, narrator. 4 stars

I lurk as well but I like to think I’m less like a ghost, more like a cat. A black one, blending into the shadows, hiding under the bed, eyes glowing green. A black cat ready to either attack you or protect you from the things that go bump in the night—whichever I find most appealing at the time. :D

Two ghosts
One devious cat
I'm doing okay!

Autumn Lives Here is for my Creep Club this week. We're going over some "horror-lite" movies, and finding out about a doctor who was allowed to poison dozens of people.
https://jennifermorrow.substack.com/

>224 mstrust: I'm the ghost that wanders around trying to figure out what I'm still doing here. :)

Not meaning your threads, but the earthly plain in general.

There's nothing like being a ghost to make one ponder the meaning of life.

66. Back From the Dead: And 350 Other Stories of Amazing Luck by Steve Moore

The title says it all. This British book collects incredible tales of survival against the odds. Babies that fall from apartment windows to have their falls broken by clotheslines, people who feel the urge to walk out of the house seconds before it collapses, and people who have been shot in the head with little damage afterwards. Almost every story here has a happy ending. 3

>229 mstrust: Was Phineas Gage in there?

He was not, but if these were fictional survivals, he'd be a big part of the book.

>229 mstrust: That looks interesting.

>231 mstrust: Phineas Gage did exist. As a morbid child, I was fascinated by the trajectory of the rod and images of his skull; should I ever find myself in Boston, I probably should go to the Warren Anatomical Museum to see it. Whether his personality changed as much as anecdotally is said has recently come under speculation, but regardless he did physically survive some massive brain trauma. Were all the stories in the book from the UK?

And, of course, whether he could be counted "lucky"--that may be another philosophical debate.

>232 hredwards: One of those strange little books that I picked up at the huge fairground book sale earlier this year.

>233 CassieBash: I got him mixed up with Phileas Fogg! I'd been thumbing through my lovely copies of Jules Verne yesterday, so that's probably why I got confused, because I was totally thinking of the escapes in Around the World in Eighty Days! I do know the horrible story of Gage. Fascinating! But he wasn't in the book for some reason.
The stories are from around the world, but the book was published in 1999 or 2000, and they run from a paragraph long to one page.

>234 mstrust: Ha ha, that explains it! I would have been very surprised if you didn’t know about Gage!

67. Haunted Hotels: Eerie Inns, Ghoulish Guests and Creepy Caretakers by Tom Ogden

Divided by regions, you'll find the most infamously haunted hotels in America here. The stories include the hotel's history and amenities, along with a rundown of otherworldly guests and employees who never clock out. The reader gets a lot of ghosts who loom over beds in the middle of the night and old men who bring the scent of cigars when they appear, but there are some who like to get their hands on people, such as the spirit at the Chateau Bourbon Hotel in New Orleans who slaps men, or one at the Hotel Colorado who kept pulling off the new wallpaper until a pattern was offered that the spirit approved of.

I bought this book at the Cracker Barrel a few months ago when they had all their Halloween stuff in. It could have used a closer proofreading as there are dropped words here and there, and a couple of pages are almost too faded to read. Otherwise, a fun book of ghostly travels. 3.5

Note to self—when living in a haunted house, bring home samples of paint colors or wallpaper patterns for supernatural approval….

No kidding! The ghost there was even rolling the wallpaper up after stripping it. Or an employee was messing with them 😏

It's a free week at Autumn Lives Here! Come over and grab a fantastic apple brownie recipe, and stay to meet one of the most infamous doctors ever. He really didn't help.

Checking in on you as it has been a while, Jennifer. I hope things have improved for you?

Thanks for dropping in!
No, nothing about our various problems have improved, but at least we now have the hope that they will. I'm trying to get over my bitterness ;-D
My dog had cancerous tumors removed, then part of our roof was torn up in a microburst. After these, we couldn't afford to attend my only niece's wedding in September, and also couldn't go see Mom in October. We're waiting to get our lives back.
How are you?

68. Nightmare in Pink by John D. Macdonald

The second in the Travis McGee series, this sees Trav going to NYC as a favor to his best friend. Blind and damaged, Mike is worried about his younger sister, whose fiancée has recently died and left her with a ten thousand dollar payout. Nina is young, talented and sure that there was more to her fiancée's death than an accident. When Trav investigates, just to ease her mind, he becomes suspicious too.

I didn't like this one quite as much as I liked The Deep Blue Good-Bye, but you still get snappy dialogue, cougars, and those so-vague-but-you-still-get-the-picture 60s sex scenes. 3.5

>241 mstrust: This is not really good news.
I hope your hopes will be fulfilled and you can announce good news soon again.

:-D You're right, it isn't good. I hope for a reprieve in the new year. Thanks, Thomas, and for taking the time to reply.

69. George Jones: Why Baby Why by Jim Brown

A bio about the country music legend that draws on many previously published and filmed sources, including Jones' autobiography.
It covers his whole complicated life, up to its 2001 publication, which includes the combative marriage to Tammy Wynette and Jones' years of addiction.
I bought this, I believe, at the Summerlin, NV library, two or three years ago. Jones was my dad's favorite, and we often teased him that George Jones was his hero. I was very surprised when I finally pulled this from the shelf a few days ago and saw that it had been signed by Jones. 3.5

>245 mstrust: Talk about a scary read!!! Just kidding...

;-D Not on the surface, but actually, Jones led a tremendously difficult life. An abusive childhood, multiple serious car accidents, coma, drug and alcohol addiction and at one point, a thuggish manager who cut Jones off from everyone else, surrounding him with people who were basically keeping their thumb on him so he couldn't get away.
He even started a fistfight with Waylon Jennings, an insane thing to do.

Here's one I forgot about:
70. Halloween Treats: Recipes and Crafts for the Whole Family by Donata Maggipinto

A hardcover book of recipes and unusual crafting ideas, such as making decorated masks, lantern attachments for flashlights and flying ghosts. Their are both alcoholic and virgin cocktails and a how-to section for pumpkin or squash carving. 3.5

This week's Autumn Lives Here includes low-budget horror and a truly horrible tale from the bakery.
https://jennifermorrow.substack.com/

71. Schott's Food & Drink Miscellany by Ben Schott

A book of facts and trivia, with lots of stuff most of us wouldn't know: the wages of household servants in the Victorian era, the ingredients of various sauces every French chef would know, George Washington's rules for civility at the table, and the meaning of unusual pub names in the U.K. It's the little bits of info that you've gotten by without, but I love this type of trivia. 3.5

72. Lenny Among Ghosts by Frank Maria Reifenberg, translated from German

His distracted parents quickly enroll Lenny at a new school on their way to a scientific expedition, dropping him off one night at the castle he'll live and attend school in until they're finished with their discoveries. Somehow, they put Lenny in a school that only exists at night, and where he is the only living student, something that scandalizes the teachers.
Not only does Lenny have to prove that he can make it in ghost school, he has to fight for the castle to remain standing after a new property owner decides to bulldoze everything, which would leave the ghosts homeless.

It's a fun story, mixing Lenny with ghosts from the Dark Ages and Victorian era, with a snarling butler who is described as looking like Riff Raff from The Rocky Horror Picture Show. 3.5

It's a new short story at Autumn Lives Here this week, "Zoms Invade!" Well, they wanted to meet us.
https://jennifermorrow.substack.com/

And since I have a couple dozen LTers visiting every week (thanks!), do me a solid and subscribe to Autumn Lives Here. It's free and you're just adding your e-mail to my specific Substack. Your email isn't used elsewhere, it just sends you that week's post.

>241 mstrust: I understand about waiting to get your life book. It seems like mine is on hold right now too - kitchen renovation.

I am glad to hear that you have some hope right now about your various problems improving.

Have a terrific Tuesday, Jennifer!

I keep my fingers crossed, it keeps me from being able to flip the bird.
We've started Christmas shopping and I don't have to make Thanksgiving, so there are some good things, :-D
You have a great week, thanks for coming by!

>156 mstrust: woah! That is dramatic! :0

>245 mstrust: I do love a secretly signed book. One from my recent book haul was signed by the author, and it thrilled me

Luckily he recovered and went on to do very well!
I can't remember if I even flipped through the book and saw the signature before I bought it, but I don't think I did. This one is being passed on to Mom, who loves bios about country music.

I'm stretching my hand out to make my 75 this year, the slowest progress I've had in years!

You're so close! Keep going!

😀 Thanks! I'm determined to make it!

Happy Thanksgiving to all American LTers, and Happy Thursday to everyone else!

73. The Fran Lebowitz Reader

I've wanted to read Lebowitz's work for a few years since seeing the Netflix doc series about her, Pretend It's A City, which is so funny that I watched it twice. She's quick-witted and curmudgeonly, yet so active with friends and speaking engagements. This is a collection of published columns from Lebowitz's early career, spanning her twenties and thirties. The publications run from 1974 to 1994, the year this collection came out.
I suppose the writing is of the style of newspaper columnists of that period. What we would likely call "wordy" and "esoteric", as much of her observations are specific the NYC and she was writing for the Manhattanites who saw themselves in her complaints about people. She's funny and willing to call out annoying people, though there are some columns that I'm surprised were included here as they represent a very different time.
Anyway, I think I prefer listening to her grumpiness than reading it. 2.5

>260 mstrust: The Fran Lebowitz Reader looks like something that I would like, but I will have to think about it a little, with that 2.5 rating. Great review, however!

Karen O

I suspect that a New Yorker who was there in this time period would enjoy them more, but I'd read her more recent writing. She seems like someone who is always aware of what's current.

>236 mstrust: Dropped words? Faded pages? Sounds like the ghosts had their hands in this one.
Any pictures?

Unfortunately, there are just stock photos of spooky interiors at the head of a few chapters.
Sounds like the ghosts had their hands in this one. Now that I think about it, yeah, maybe the ghosts didn't want us to know their business. I'll bet there's something shifty going on.

I've started on my Christmas cookies. So far, cherry vanilla cookies and cinnamon apple bars.
We dropped in a very old used bookstore downtown on Saturday, the only bookstore I've come across that smells like pizza (from the open air restaurant two doors down) and I picked up Bookman's Bedlam, which I'd been wanting to read for about 10 years but it's kind of rare. This seems to be a first edition.

My garden is growing fast, with Championship radishes, Red Russian kale and Black Strawberry tomatoes standing tall. I sowed all of them in late October. The garlic, broccoli, marigolds and zinnia are almost keeping up. I have various pepper varieties and they are super slow to come up. So are the herbs, aside from the basil. I also sowed a few sunflower seeds in the yard a few days ago, so we'll see.
And I finished going through the 531 page Baker Creek rare seed catalog last night. That took me a week to go through and I've marked it all up with the seeds I want for Spring.

>265 mstrust: The last couple of years I've done all of my cookie-baking in one big blowout session on a Saturday. Taking it at a more reasonable pace would probably be the sensible move. Yours sound delicious!

Every year I fill cookie containers for my husband's employees and business contacts. I believe I'm filling 15 this year, so I make cookies for a few weeks.
I know I'll be making chocolate crinkles, orange cranberry, and five or six others.

This week, Autumn Lives Here is visiting the infamous Stanley Hotel, meeting a woman who we will Not accept drinks from, and talking about one of Ray Bradbury's scariest books.
https://jennifermorrow.substack.com/

74. Death by Darjeeling by Laura Childs

The first in the Tea Shop Mysteries series, this introduces Theodosia Browning, owner of the Indigo Tea Shop in old Charleston. She has a thriving business with locals and tourists, and a staff of loyal employees. With her tea blends included in "The Lamplighter Tour", a historical event, the tea shop can expect even more sales, but a hated land developer attends and is found dead with one of Theodosia's tea cups in his hand. With the news that his tea was poisoned getting out, Theodosia begins investigating herself in order to save her business.
In this murder mystery you get a hefty amount of Charleston's layout and architectural history, and lots of tea talk. It can be silly at times, but it's mostly a complete look at Theodosia's life, from trying to clear her professional name from suspicion to employee issues and trying to build a brand. 3.5

Come by Autumn Lives Here this week and meet "Shelly the Belly".
https://jennifermorrow.substack.com/

75. I Will Judge You By Your Bookshelf by Grant Snider

A hardcover of book related comics by Snider, such as the many reasons for reader's block, or writer's block, the guilt of leaving a book unfinished, and the ways to procrastinate in your own writing.
This had been on my WL for a long time and I happened to come across it at the library. 3.5

Congrats on hitting the goal!

>271 mstrust: Congratulations!!!

>272 drneutron: >273 hredwards: Thank you very much! Just made it!

>271 mstrust: YAY you did it!
Congratulations on reaching the magic goal, Jennifer.

Thank you! I really dragged it out to the last minute, didn't I? ;-D

76. There Is No Ethan by Anna Akbari

The true story of multiple catfishing by a man who never existed. The author spent months in an online relationship with Ethan Schuman, an intense, quick-witted guy who worked long hours for Morgan Stanley. Over the months, they made many plans to meet for dinner, an airport pick-up, a vacation, even just coffee, but Ethan always broke their plans at the last minute. He refused to Skype or speak on the phone. Meanwhile, he had an amazing ability to keep Akbari hooked, one of them revealing that he had cancer and couldn't speak or travel.
When she finally had enough, she began researching the names of past girlfriends he had sprinkled in their communications. Not only did she find other women that felt manipulated by Ethan, together they were able to root out the person behind 'Ethan', and it turned out to be the most unlikely catfisher. 3

77. Winnebago Graveyard by Steve Niles

Newly married Dan and Chrissie, with Chrissie's thirteen year old son, stop at a little desert carnival for an hour or two but find that their Winnebago has been stolen from the lot. Getting no help from the carnies or the local police, they take a room at a hotel, making it easy for the local Satanists to find them.
Written by the guy who wrote 30 Days of Night and artwork by Alison Sampson. 3.5

>278 mstrust: Always watch out for those local Satanists! You make the book seem a little campy—or is it serious? Or is it serious but comes across as a bit campy despite the author’s intent? I like both approaches in horror (a horror that’s a bit silly can be every bit as much fun as the darker stuff), but I do like to know going in.

Hmmm...I would say that there are plot aspects that you can see coming a mile away, but overall it leans towards realism when it's with the family and monster horror when it follows the Satanists. Perhaps because the artist is female, it's refreshing that Chrissie and the other female characters aren't sexy.
Included in the back of the book are several essays about Satanism in America, if that's the type of scares you're looking for.

I'm in the first of my two gardening seasons, Oct-Jan, and I'm gathering lettuce, kale, mizuna, nasturtium and radishes nearly every day. I just added more worms to my soil today and hope to get some tomatoes, marigolds and carrots before it gets really cold. We're getting some 80 degree days this week but it gets down to the 30s at night in January.

>281 mstrust: That sounds so lovely. I miss my garden.

I'll have another pause in gardening in a month, then I'll get to go from about late February to June.

>281 mstrust: Three of my favourites - kale, radishes and carrots! When I relocate I also want to get me a small garden and grow some of my own vegetables and herbs.

Woo hoo! Congrats on exceeding your goal! I’m about 2 books away from 75 and I should be reading but well I’m easily distracted.

>284 PaulCranswick: I started a few years ago because we eat so many salads and there are lots of pesticides used in commercial lettuce. I trying to coax some beans too. I had one single burgundy bean that produced last year so I'm going for two.
>285 Carmenere: Thanks! I certainly understand distractions. I really had to push myself to reach that goal. Good luck!

This week's Autumn Lives Here is a free-for-all for Christmas! I've got book reviews and one infamously clumsy Victorian murder.
https://jennifermorrow.substack.com/

78. Norwich by Karen Crouse

The story of Norwich, Vermont, a town of about 3000 residents that has been extremely prolific in producing Olympians. They've had at least one athlete in the Winter Olympics for over 30 years, mostly in skiing, though some athletes have dual sports.
The author was able to interview many of the Olympians and their parents, coaches and schoolmates. While some of the athletes are the Type-A personalities that pushed themselves, most came from families that participated in the sport because they enjoyed it.
Then there is the sad story of the Snite sisters, Sunny and Betsy, who were pushed mercilessly to become Olympic skiers by their father in the 50s.
I really have no interest in sports and I've never skied, but a town this small that has produced so many world-class athletes is something unusual. 3.5

Merry Christmas!!!

Thanks, Harold, and Merry Christmas to you! 🎅

Thinking of you at this time, Jennifer. x

Merry Christmas!

>291 PaulCranswick: >292 PaperbackPirate: Thank you, and Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas, everyone! I'm in Vegas!
🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎰

I'm kinda lonely over here... Come join me!

https://www.librarything.com/ngroups/24622/75-Books-Challenge-for-2025

Brought home:
Bullyville
Haunted Houses of California
Tagged for Death
Make Your Backyard Bloom
Food To Die For

We got back last night. I'll be putting my 75 Challenge together.