Tag: Paranormal

Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Literary Criticism, Reading

Review: The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon

by The Lit Bitch1 Comment on Review: The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon

This book was going around Bookstagram (aka Instagram), for most of December. There were a couple of IG users that were hosting read alongs and I saw quite a few posts for this book and admittedly became intrigued.

This is an author that I have ever heard of before, which was actually surprising because she has written a number of ghost story thriller books so I am shocked that I haven’t come across her name before.

What ultimately drew me in and made me want to read this one was all the buzz on ‘the gram’ but also the cover. It looked haunting and the stark white contrast and eerie house completely drew me in. Before I knew it, I was desperately searching for a copy at my library that I could read and see what all the fuss was about.  Continue reading “Review: The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon” →

Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Literary Criticism, Reading

Review: The Spectral City (Spectral City #1) by Leanna Renee Hieber

by The Lit Bitch1 Comment on Review: The Spectral City (Spectral City #1) by Leanna Renee Hieber

I discovered Leanna Renee Hieber way back in 2011 when I read one of her early books. I saw it in a local used book store and randomly picked it up. When I got home I started reading and couldn’t put it down.

I loved the romance and the paranormal and her overall storytelling and because of that first book in the Strangely Beautiful series, I fell in love with this author. She writes a spicy romance with great brooding heroes so I was thrilled to read this new book.

Her name is Eve Whitby, gifted medium and spearhead of The Ghost Precinct. When most women are traveling in a gilded society that promises only well-appointed marriage, the confident nineteen-year-old Eve navigates a social circle that carries a different kind of chill.

Working with the diligent but skeptical Lieutenant Horowitz, as well as a group of fellow psychics and wayward ghosts, Eve holds her own against detractors and threats to solve New York’s most disturbing crimes as only a medium of her ability can. Continue reading “Review: The Spectral City (Spectral City #1) by Leanna Renee Hieber” →

Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Literary Criticism, Reading

Review: Murder on Millionaires’ Row by Erin Lindsey

by The Lit Bitch1 Comment on Review: Murder on Millionaires’ Row by Erin Lindsey

As soon as this book arrived at my house, I had to fight off people who wanted to borrow it with a stick. I am not even kidding. It arrived in the afternoon and by the night time, it was MIA.

My mom was watching my kid and she was looking for something to read and found this one  in my sea of books and refused to give it up when I got home. She was hooked on the character and story so I knew I wasn’t getting it back for at least a week.

I finally got it back last week and was able to start reading it. My mom loved it and I was excited to see if it inspired similar feelings for me. When it arrived the first thing that caught my eye was the cover. I absolutely love the purple dress and design of this cover.

It stands out and instantly makes me think of a Maisie Dobbs mystery or other similar historical mysteries…..but theres a paranormal twist in this one and I was eager to see how that played out in this book. Continue reading “Review: Murder on Millionaires’ Row by Erin Lindsey” →

Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Reading

Review: The Witch of Willow Hall by Hester Fox

by The Lit Bitch5 Comments on Review: The Witch of Willow Hall by Hester Fox

This book has been all over my social media this October. With the word ‘witch’ in the title, its hardly a surprise that it would be trending throughout the most ‘haunted’ month of the year.

Sometimes with books that receive so much hype, it’s hard to decide if it’s worth the read or not. I was intrigued by the combination of historical fiction and fantasy/paranormal.

The early nineteenth century isn’t really my favorite period, but I was interested enough in the mixture of genres that I was eager to read this one and find out of the hype was indeed worth it.

New Oldbury, 1821

In the wake of a scandal, the Montrose family and their three daughters—Catherine, Lydia, and Emeline—flee Boston for their new country home, Willow Hall. The estate seems sleepy and idyllic. But a subtle menace creeps into the atmosphere, remnants of a dark history that call to Lydia, and to the youngest, Emeline. Continue reading “Review: The Witch of Willow Hall by Hester Fox” →

Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Literary Criticism, Reading

Review: The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

by The Lit Bitch3 Comments on Review: The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

Right now, The Haunting of Hill House is everywhere thanks to the Netflix mini series. My sister and I do a buddy read for October/Halloween every year and each of us pick a book to read for the month and then we read it together. My pick was Frankenstein and The Haunting of Hill House was her pick.

I wasn’t terribly excited about this book, but I’ve been looking for something similar to Crimson Peak (the movie) and this one sounded like it would be in the same vein—-though a more modern setting.

I also picked up the Penguin Horror edition with an intro by Guillermo del Toro and I was incredibly impressed with his artistic insight into the Gothic and horror genre. I normally skip over the intros by people when reading classics etc, but Guillermo del Toro is one of my favorite directors and I was eager to see what he thought. Plus I LOVE Gothic horror—–more emphasis on Gothic than the horror—-and I was excited to see what his observations were for this book.

The classic supernatural thriller by an author who helped define the genre. First published in 1959, Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House has been hailed as a perfect work of unnerving terror. Continue reading “Review: The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson” →