Later

 

Later by Stephen King                 Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

(from Amazon)  SOMETIMES GROWING UP MEANS FACING YOUR DEMONS.  The son of a struggling single mother, Jamie Conklin just wants an ordinary childhood. But Jamie is no ordinary child. Born with an unnatural ability his mom urges him to keep secret, Jamie can see what no one else can see and learn what no one else can learn. But the cost of using this ability is higher than Jamie can imagine – as he discovers when an NYPD detective draws him into the pursuit of a killer who has threatened to strike from beyond the grave. 

(My Review) 

This book reminded me of the movie The Sixth Sense.    King takes a kid with that same ability and expands the possibilities.  This poor kid is being manipulated, and used by others for their own gains.  It's a short, but chilling read.  

Meddling Kids

 

Meddling Kids by Edgar Cantero     Horror Fiction/Humorous

(from Amazon) With raucous humor and brilliantly orchestrated mayhem, Meddling Kids subverts teen detective archetypes like the Hardy Boys, the Famous Five, and Scooby-Doo and delivers an exuberant and wickedly entertaining celebration of horror, love, friendship, and many-tentacled, interdimensional demon spawn.  Summer 1977. The Blyton Summer Detective Club (of Blyton Hills, a small mining town in Oregon's Zoinx River Valley) solved their final mystery and unmasked the elusive Sleepy Lake monster - another low-life fortune hunter trying to get his dirty hands on the legendary riches hidden in Deboën Mansion. And he would have gotten away with it, too, if it weren't for those meddling kids.  In 1990, the former detectives have grown up and apart, each haunted by disturbing memories of their final night in the old haunted house. There are too many strange, half-remembered encounters and events that cannot be dismissed or explained away by a guy in a mask. And Andy, the once intrepid tomboy now wanted in two states, is tired of running from her demons. She needs answers. To find them she will need Kerri, the onetime kid genius and budding biologist, now drinking her ghosts away in New York with Tim, an excitable Weimaraner descended from the original canine member of the club. They will also have to get Nate, the horror nerd currently residing in an asylum in Arkham, Massachusetts. Luckily Nate has not lost contact with Peter, the handsome jock turned movie star who was once their team leader...which is remarkable, considering Peter has been dead for years.  The time has come to get the team back together, face their fears, and find out what actually happened all those years ago at Sleepy Lake. It's their only chance to end the nightmares and, perhaps, save the world.

(My Review)  

This was a fun read.  A group of adults get together to investigate an incident they experience when they were kids.  This story gives vibes of Stranger Things, Stephen King's It, Scooby Doo, I mean it was a really fun, fast-paced story.  

Spy x Family series 1-7

 Spy x Family series (Books 1-7) by Tatsuya Endo   Book 8 comes out Sept. 20!      Manga  

(from Amazon) Not one to depend on others, Twilight has his work cut out for him procuring both a wife and a child for his mission to infiltrate an elite private school. What he doesn't know is that the wife he's chosen is an assassin and the child he's adopted is a telepath!

(My Review)

This was my first experience with manga, and it did not disappoint.  It is such an engaging series about a spy who has to create a family in order to infiltrate a school, and in doing so he just so happens to choose a wife who is an assassin and adopts a child who is a telepath, but he has no idea (nor do they know what he is - well...telepath knows).  This created family becomes a real family, and they are so cute, but underneath that, there is a real mystery that they are dealing with which is very interesting.  The story also touches on bullying of different kinds.  I highly recommend this series, and definitely plan on reading more manga.

Heartstopper series 1-4

Heartstopper series (Books 1-4) by Alice Oseman  Teen & YA/LGBTQ+/Graphic Novel

(from Amazon) Shy and softhearted Charlie Spring sits next to rugby player Nick Nelson in class one morning. A warm and intimate friendship follows, and that soon develops into something more for Charlie, who doesn't think he has a chance.  But Nick is struggling with feelings of his own, and as the two grow closer and take on the ups and downs of high school, they come to understand the surprising and delightful ways in which love works.

(My Review)

I cannot say enough great things about this series.  I laughed, I cried - and I am an adult.  This is such a wholesome story of two sweet young men.  It covers some tough topics, but its done in a respectful way.  The graphics are magical and just help to make you feel the story so much more.  And to add even more magic, Netflix has made this into a series, which has somehow captured some of the magic of the graphic novel.  How many times can I say magic???  Please read this series!

City of Ghosts

 

City of Ghosts  Book 1 of 3:  City of Ghosts  by V.E. Schwab  Children's Fantasy & Supernatural

(from Amazon)  Ever since Cass almost drowned (okay, she did drown, but she doesn't like to think about it), she can pull back the Veil that separates the living from the dead . . . and enter the world of spirits. Her best friend is even a ghost.So things are already pretty strange. But they're about to get much stranger.When Cass's parents start hosting a TV show about the world's most haunted places, the family heads off to Edinburgh, Scotland. Here, graveyards, castles, and secret passageways teem with restless phantoms. And when Cass meets a girl who shares her "gift," she realizes how much she still has to learn about the Veil -- and herself.And she'll have to learn fast. The city of ghosts is more dangerous than she ever imagined.#1 NYT bestselling author Victoria Schwab delivers a thrillingly spooky and action-packed tale of hauntings, history, mystery, and the bond between friends (even if that friend is a ghost . . .)

(My Review)

This book was sooooo good!  Cassidy can see ghosts.  So when her parents (ghost hunters) get a job to film a ghost hunting show in Edinburgh, Scotland, off she goes (along with her ghost friend, Jacob).  She finds Edinburgh a literal "city of ghosts", and gets herself into trouble.  I can't wait to read more of this series!

The Atlas Six

 

The Atlas Six  by Olivie Blake    Science Fiction and Fantasy

(from Amazon)  Each decade, only the six most uniquely talented magicians are selected to earn a place in the Alexandrian Society, the foremost secret society in the world. The chosen will secure a life of power and prestige beyond their wildest dreams.  But at what cost?  Each of the six newest recruits has their reasons for accepting the Society’s elusive invitation. Even if it means growing closer than they could have imagined to their most dangerous enemies― or risking unforgivable betrayal from their most trusted allies― they will fight tooth and nail for the right to join the ranks of the Alexandrians.  Even if it means they won’t all survive the year.

(My Review)

This book spent so much time in each character's head, that I felt that it failed to really accomplish much.  I felt like like there was so much potential.  The premise was amazing, there were great characters, but it just....didn't seem to go anywhere until the end, where it left you on a bit of a cliffhanger.  But, overall, I did enjoy the dark academia vibe of the book.

The Book of Cold Cases

 

The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James    Supernatural Thriller

(from Amazon)

In 1977, Claire Lake, Oregon, was shaken by the Lady Killer Murders: Two men, seemingly randomly, were murdered with the same gun, with strange notes left behind. Beth Greer was the perfect suspect - a rich, eccentric 23-year-old woman, seen fleeing one of the crimes. But she was acquitted, and she retreated to the isolation of her mansion.  Oregon, 2017. Shea Collins is a receptionist, but by night, she runs a true crime website, the Book of Cold Cases - a passion fueled by the attempted abduction she escaped as a child. When she meets Beth by chance, Shea asks her for an interview. To Shea’s surprise, Beth says yes.  They meet regularly at Beth’s mansion, though Shea is never comfortable there. Items move when she’s not looking, and she could swear she’s seen a girl outside the window. The allure of learning the truth about the case from the smart, charming Beth is too much to resist, but even as they grow closer, Shea senses something isn’t right. Is she making friends with a manipulative murderer, or are there other dangers lurking in the darkness of the Greer house?

(My Review)

Have you ever felt someone was behind you???  This book is a mystery in a mystery in a mystery, with a spooky undertone.  Simone St. James is so good at writing this kind of book.  I really enjoyed her last book, The Sun Down Motel (which I thought was slightly better), but I still enjoyed this one.  I love the idea of someone (Shea) who is into true-crimes, and it leads her to investigate Beth Greer.  There are so many mysteries in this book, but they are not overwhelming.  I thought this book was a fun read.