by Joseph R. Kennedy I looked up from my bowl of smoldering chili and saw a demon coming my way, hailing me with a large clawed hand, in serious need of a manicure. “Ah, Smitty,” he said. “Fine day to see the newly damned welcomed to Hell. Care for any bat? I brought plenty.” He...
Category: Fiction
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Check Out These 25 Must-Read Books From 2020
By Margaret Kingsbury A new year, a new decade, and, best of all, new books! I don’t know about you, but pretty much all of my New Year’s resolutions involve books and reading. I read across multiple genres and found what I think are going to be some of the best books from the first...
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Fiction: I Must Use My Hands by Emily Dorffer
by Emily Dorffer Mother says I must use my hands. My fingers tremble as I lift the spoon to my lips. By the time it reaches its destination, all the milk and Cheerios have tumbled back into the bowl. “Again,” Mother says. Whether it’s because my muscles are weak or because Mother is watching me,...
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Friday’s Forgotten Books: Tribal Screams by Owl Goingback
There are a number of short stories gathered in this horror collection, and they cover a wide range of subject matter. Like the best horror stories, they offer a mix of catalysts, problems and outcomes, and they are all distinct and captivating. Whether you’re reading about a young man who is doing something foolish in...
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Review: Crier’s War by Nina Varela
by Laila Winters Of all the books that were released in 2019, I was most excited for Nina Varela’s debut. Crier’s War is an LGBTQ+ novel that straddles the line between science fiction and fantasy, and it did not disappoint. It tells the story of Ayla, a human servant with the dire need to avenge...
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Friday’s Forgotten Books: Chills by Mary SanGiovanni
Chills is the first book in the Kathy Ryan series by Mary SanGiovanni, and it skips over some of the usual trappings of a debut series novel and gets right down to business. A freak snowstorm is wreaking havoc in late May. The town of Colby may be in Connecticut, but this is still far...
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Review: The Hag Witch of Tripp Creek by Somer Canon
Dawna and John Temple have moved to West Virginia from Pittsburgh to slow the pace of their lives and reclaim John’s health. As they get to know their new home, Dawna finds herself walking down a country road, not far from her house. She sees a sign warning her of a witch on the other...
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Fiction: The Gift by Dawn Vogel
By Dawn Vogel T’was the night before Christmas, and I wasn’t done with my shopping. There was only one person I wanted to buy a gift. I knew she’d understand if I didn’t give her anything, but I wanted to. I needed to see her eyes sparkle with delight. I worked until close, which meant...
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Why We Like the Mandalorian
By Jonathan E. Hernandez A cloaked figure walks towards a small establishment on the horizon. His past is a mystery, and yet this morally ambiguous man-with-no-name seems at once familiar. We can practically piece together his backstory as we watch in anticipation – and that’s long before the almost nostalgic score from composer Ludwig Göransson...
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Fiction: The Koi Empress by Nyla Bright
by Nyla Bright The sight of the two-foot-long golden koi in the grip of a snake was horrifying. Alexandria’s mother had told her some of the fish in her grandmother’s pond were worth as much as a car. “And,” she had said, “there is a goldfish that is priceless. Watch out for that one.” The...