JANELLE’S HORROR
BOOK OF THE WEEK
Hi, I’m Janelle, the human behind @shereadswithcats
Welcome to my little corner of the Night Worms blog! As always, I am in awe of Sadie and Ashley’s brilliance, putting this whole horror platform and horror subscription service together. I thank them both for this opportunity. Okay, enough gushing.
I’m a prolific reader. For example, in the past week I’ve read seven and a half books (unfortunately, I had to DNF that last one). So now, and going forward, I will give you my favorite horror novel of the week.
But first, in honor of my inaugural post, I want to tell you about the last horror novel I read in 2020 that blew me away. That honor goes to WORMWOOD by Chad Lutzke and Tim Meyer!
Boy oh boy, did these authors do a phenomenal job writing this book. Lutzke and Meyer write seamlessly together in this unique coming-of-age story. Honestly, it’s an extraordinary collaboration between these two talented writers and ultimately showcases a new voice in the horror genre.
Baker makes a new best pal, Seb. Like most young teens, the two are impressionable and don’t have much experience with girls. An older teen, Cass, starts hanging around and begins to lead them down a darker path than they ever imagined. She is experienced, toxic, and introduces Baker and Seb to things that upend their lives. I felt for both of them so much.
I immediately and without question gave this story five stars! But I’m not surprised because Lutzke and Meyer are both world class horror writers. I’ve never read a bad book from either, but this collaboration is remarkable. And may I just mention that our very own Mother Horror, aka Sadie Hartmann, wrote the foreword, which is awesome. I am now the proud owner of three editions, including the limited hardcover from Thunderstorm books. GO READ IT.
Now, who’s ready for my favorite horror read from the first week of January, 2021?!! It’s none other than FAIREST FLESH by K. P. Kulksi. Full disclosure: I am a hardcore Night Worms subscriber so I might be biased, but THEY ARE KILLING IT. I would have never known about this book if it wasn’t included in their latest package. I had already read the other two books in the package months ago (Sara Tantlinger’s NOT ALL MONSTERS and CRADLELAND OF PARASITES), but now I wholeheartedly recommend all three.
One of my favorite mixed genres is the blend of historical fiction and horror. This story combines the two together perfectly with elements of bloody good folklore and fairytales. I’m a sucker for a great debut, but this one exceeded all of my expectations. It’s superb.
Set in 16th Century Hungary, and told over many decades, Countess Elizabeth Báthory shows us what power, witchcraft, and bloodshed can do. Complete with the perils of addiction, the balance of beauty and tragedy, and with vanity gone awry, you won’t be able to put this story down until the last page. If you presume to already know the story of Elizabeth Báthory, you are mistaken, unless you read this book! I was immersed into this dark story and mesmerized by all the bloodshed. Kulski is a writer to watch. A phenomenal debut.
All the best,
Janelle
