Reminiscent of 1950's Horror movies

Review:




Some people think that Fierce, Obnoxious, Odoriferous Furballs are fictional creatures. That is too bad for them because it means that they will not be prepared in case of an actual Foof attack. I do not have that problem. I have bunions. In case you do not know what bunions are, I will tell you. Bunions are what you get when you cross bunnies with onions. That is a lie, but it does not matter. What matters is that I have many people who know all about Foofs and who will help me if when they attack.
- from Acknowledgments by Andrea Beaty

Author: Andrea Beaty

Pages: 183

Genre: Cheesy Horror/Sci fi

Fluffy Bunnies series - Book 2

My Rating: 3 / 5

Remember the horror movies from the 1950's, like The Thing or The Blob or Attack of the 50 ft Woman? Right, well I don't either. But you can easily look them up on the internet. They are tongue-in-cheek horror. Cheesy and not really scary at all, but mostly funny. That perfectly describes Attack of the Fluffy Bunnies and this book, Fluffy Bunnies 2: The Schnoz of Doom.

There are giant bunny aliens who smell terrible and have swirling eyes that can hypnotize people, butterfly farts that destroy planets, oh and did I mention, the giant bunnies want to take over the world? Throughout the book, Andrea Beaty talks directly to the reader and says some pretty funny things. There are several times when she talks about reading and then says "this message was paid for by a bribe from your English teacher".

The main characters, Joules & Kevin are twins and previously met some "scary" bunnies in the first book called Fierce, Large, Ugly and Ferocious Furballs (FLUFFs). In this book, they battle the Fierce, Obnoxious, Odoriferous Furballs (FOOFs) from the planet Stenchopia. Both books are have short chapters, move quickly and are easy to read.

Recommended to:
Grades 3-5, reluctant readers and anyone who enjoys cheesy horror. :)


Original post: jadedog13.booklikes.com/post/1163832/reminiscent-of-1950-s-horror-movies

Pines - review

Review:

It was easier to accept what could not be changed than to risk everything and seek out the unknown.
-Chapter 9

Author: Blake Crouch

Pages: 309

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Wayward Pines series - Book 1

My Rating: 5 / 5

Wow. This book. It was like Stephen King, Shirley Jackson and the Twilight Zone all wrapped into one gorgeous package. I saw a couple of reviews on Booklikes and I knew there was a tv series coming, so I figured I had better get moving and read these books. Am I ever glad I did!!

I don't want to give anything away. I'll just say that this is an amazing psychological thriller that you cannot miss. I loved every minute of it. It kept me guessing right up to the end. Read it before you watch. The books are almost always better, in my humble opinion.

I'm already well into Book 2 - Wayward and I'm loving it too.

Recommended to:
Anyone who likes Stephen King or psychological thrillers or...  reading. ;)

--I was able to read this through Kindle Unlimited, but I think I want this book on my shelf.

Original post: jadedog13.booklikes.com/post/1163782/wayward-pines-review

Deck Z

Another example of modern man overcoming superstition. We have entered an age in which men of science and industry can bend the world to their will.
-Mr. Ismay

"Duty comes before my safety or yours. You're givin' into fear," Smith said firmly. "Don't be afraid of the fire, Thomas. Otherwise you'll miss the chance to be forged in it."
-Captain Smith

Author: Chris Pauls & Matt Solomon

Pages: 215

Genre: Horror/Historical Fiction

Stand Alone

My Rating: 4 / 5

Dr. Weiss is sent to Manchuria to investigate the outbreak of a new plague. The plague travels to the patient's brain and eats away at it, causing a violent madness. Dr. Weiss is desperate to find a cure for the plague. The Germans want to use the plague as a weapon. After isolating the "Toxic", Dr. Weiss realizes that his goals and the goals of the German Army are not the same. Dr. Weiss is determined to keep this plague from the Germans and tries to escape on the Titanic.

This book convincingly brings together the doomed voyage of the Titanic and zombies. The conceit of scientists and governments trying to control a plague and use it for their own goals is very believable. The authors obviously put some effort into making the Titanic and its voyage as realistic as possible. They used historical facts, background details, and actual people involved. There was Captain Edward Joseph Smith, J. Bruce Ismay (managing director of the White Star Line), Thomas Andrews (architect of the Titanic), and even the band that continued to play as the Titanic sank. I've come across these details before in other books about Titanic and that made the story seem more real, or at least more believable.

As for the zombie part, the plague spreading in a contained environment, fighting zombies in tight, enclosed spaces and the desperate need to contain the plague all had me on the edge of my seat. I was cringing in the right places, creeped out in the right places and cheering in the right places.

Recommended to:
This is a fantastic book. If you like zombie stories, give it a try. If you like your historical fiction with a big twist, give it a chance. You won't be disappointed.

The Wicked Girls

That's it, that's us: not 'the suspects', not 'the children in custody'. We're The Girls Who Killed Chloe. We are the Devil now.
-Prologue

She knows enough about self-esteem to know that people without it invite trouble into their lives without even realizing they're doing so.
-Chapter 24

Let's face it: society doesn't really care who it blames, as long as it blames someone.
-Chapter 46

Author: Alex Marwood

Pages: 378

Genre: Thriller

Stand Alone

My Rating: 4 / 5

At the start of the book, it is 1986 and we meet two young girls who have been convicted of murdering another girl. In Chapter One, we fast forward to 2011, where we meet a stalker, a newspaper reporter and a cleaning woman who works in an amusement park. The cleaning woman has just discovered a dead body. The book continues to move back and forth in time and we gradually piece together the story of what happened the day the little girl died.

This book is deliciously creepy and keeps you on the edge of your seat. The girls are all grown up. Is there a chance for redemption? Or are the mistakes of the past going to follow them forever? And what are they willing to do to keep their secrets?

Recommended to:
I highly recommend this book. If you like thrillers, this is a great one. I'm looking forward to reading her next book (not a sequel) called The Killer Next Door.

Mr. Mercedes

Author: Stephen King

Pages: 436

Genre: Horror/Thriller

Stand Alone

My Rating:  5 / 5

A retired detective plays a cat & mouse game with a deranged killer and with the help of an unlikely group of friends, tries to catch him before he kills again. 

I am a huge Stephen King fan. He wrote my favorite book of all time, The Stand. So, I read everything he writes and tend to enjoy all of his books. This book was no different.  It kept me up a few nights and the 436 pages just flew by. The entire time I was reading, I was on the edge of my seat. I wasn't sure who would die and who would survive. No one was guaranteed to be safe in this book. 

Here's the Story:

In the opening of the book, a line of people is forming to wait for a job fair. People are waiting all night to be among the first to apply for the jobs. Times are difficult and they know there will be more people than jobs. As dawn arrives, a Mercedes speeds out of the fog and into the line, killing 8 people and injuring 15 others. The killer escapes.

Detective William Hodges was one of the officers investigating the case. He is now retired and feels like his life has no purpose. Then, he receives a letter from the Mercedes Killer. In the letter, the killer taunts Hodges, trying to push him into committing suicide. But, the letter gives Hodges a purpose, a reason to live. He is determined to catch the Mercedes Killer.

The Mercedes Killer, Brady Hartsfield (not a spoiler btw, this is revealed early in the novel) is clever and he is able to hide in plain sight. In order to keep an eye on Hodges, he drives an ice cream truck that can go almost anywhere without arising suspicion. He is determined to cause Hodges as much pain as possible and keeps an eye on everyone Hodges associates with.

How will this cat & mouse game end? And how many people will die in the process?

Characters:

Retired Detective Bill Hodges: A troubled retired detective who feels he has nothing to live for. His life is given new meaning when the Mercedes Killer taunts him with a letter. He wants to catch the one who got away.

Pete Huntley: Hodges old partner; he is still working.

Brady Hartsfield: The Mercedes Killer. He stole a Mercedes and drove it into a line of innocent people. He is taunting Detective Hodges and trying to make him commit suicide.

Deborah Ann Hartsfield: Brady's mother, a controlling alcoholic.  They have an unusual relationship.

Olivia Trelawney: The owner of the Mercedes that Brady stole to drive into the line of people at the job fair.

Janelle (Janey) Patterson: Olivia's sister, she helps Bill Hodges with trying to track down the Mercedes Killer.

Jerome Robinson: A friend of Bill Hodges, he takes care of Bill's lawn and computer issues. He helps Bill with trying to track down the Mercedes Killer.

My Thoughts:

This book had me on the edge of my seat. There were parts that were a little gross and some that were a little creepy. But what else would you expect from a Stephen King novel. I like that no one was completely safe. I knew people were going to die, but I wasn't sure who and I wasn't even sure the main character was safe. I felt connected to the characters and I was rooting for Hodges to succeed. Brady wasn't likable, but I could see where his life circumstances didn't give him much chance to be "normal". The characters had a very realistic feel and there were a lot of twists and turns in the story. If you enjoy Stephen King or crime thrillers, I think this is a good book for you. An interesting note for Stephen King fans, Christine & It were both referenced in the book. Could this book be the beginning of a series? I hope so, I would like to see more from these characters.