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Frightful Friday: Long Lankin by Lindsey Barraclough

Posted on July 13, 2012 by Jenn

Frightful Friday is a weekly meme in which I feature a particularly scary or chilling book that I’ve read that week.

This week’s featured book is Long Lankin by Lindsey Barraclough:

Reading level: Ages 12 and up
Hardcover: 464 pages
Publisher: Candlewick (July 10, 2012)
ISBN-10: 076365808
Source: Publisher (via Netgalley)

Cora and her younger sister Mimi are reluctant to stay with their eccentric Aunt Ida, but their situation at home demands it. Ida doesn’t exactly welcome them with open arms, treating the girls as if they are a burden. She forbids the children from opening any windows or doors; these are to remained locked at all times. Cora believes her aunt to be a little batty. Little do the girls know about the history of the village of Byers Guerdon…

Cora and Mimi soon befriend Roger and Peter, two village boys, neighbors of Aunt Ida. They are granted a bit of freedom outside Ida’s home but they have been warned to stay away from the parish church building. Roger and Peter have heard this warning most of their lives, so what do they do? They head to the church. After multiple visits to the church, Cora uncovers old letters detailing the history of the church, of Byers Guerdon, and the village legend of Long Lankin. She soon realizes she is in over her head, their very presence has awaken an evil that has remained buried for decades, an evil that has tormented her family for generations. Her anxiety is validated when she begins to hear voices, to see images of children in the cemetery. But it’s not she that Long Lankin is after…he is more interested in young Mimi.

Barraclough creates a delightfully chilling story of folklore and family curses in Long Lankin. I knew I was in for a treat after reading the chilling poem in the opening pages:

“Said my lord to my lady, as he mounted his horse,
Beware of Long Lankin that lives in the moss.
Said my lord to my lady, as he rode away
Beware of Long Lankin, that lives in the hay.
Let the doors be all bolted and the windows all pinned,
Except one little window,
where Long Lankin crept in…”

The poem of Long Lankin is a traditional poem based on an actual local legend, adding to the chill factor. Also contributing to this overwhelming feeling of dread is the setting. Ida lives in a village between a small stream that connects to the sea. At times, it is impossible to differentiate between the stream and the sea as they appear to be one. Additionally, Long Lankin is set in the 1950s, when there are no such things as cell phones and limited modes of transportation. The girls are secluded, miles away from any large pocket of civilization. Add a quirky aunt and a desolate landscape and you have the perfect recipe for a delightfully creepy horror story.

The author uses alternating points of view in this novel, allowing the reader to get the perspective of many of the main characters. The story starts from Cora’s perspective, then alternates between her, Roger, and Aunt Ida. This shifting point of view added to the overall dynamics of the novel allowing the reader to see all sides of the story, giving access to motivations and thoughts of each of the characters. I truly appreciated Cora’s perspective. At first, she starts out somewhat naive and a little annoying but is quick to act on her toes when that is demanded of her. Aunt Ida’s character is probably the one that develops the most, starting out with a mean, wicked old woman who slowly transitions into a caring, loving aunt.

I must say, the times when the characters recited the eerie little poem were the most chilling to me. Those of you readers who remember the Nightmare on Elm Street can remember the song children used to sing to warn of that terrifying monster. I felt the same level of fear reading about Long Lankin.

Ultimately, Long Lankin is a novel I believe would be appreciated by teens as well as adults. I only wish they had this sort of book when I was growing up! I think it serves as the perfect crossover from young adult horror to adult. Highly recommended!

More reviews:

A Patchwork of Books
A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy

Posted in Candlewick, Frightful Friday, Horror, Review, YA | Leave a comment

Review: This Dark Earth by John Hornor Jacobs

Posted on July 12, 2012 by Jenn

Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Gallery Books; Original edition (July 3, 2012)
ISBN-10: 1451666667
Source: Publisher

Dr. Lucy Ingersol first notices something is amiss when people walk into her hospital with strange symptoms, including seizures and Tourette-like verbal outbursts. The number of victims with these symptoms dramatically increases within a matter of minutes. Lucy, worried about her son and husband at home opts to leave the hospital after it is overrun with the infected.

As this plague continues to spread, Lucy notices another symptom: the recently dead rise, now crazed flesh-eating monsters. To make matters worse, the government responds by dropping bombs that send out waves of electromagnetic pulses that wipe out all electronics, including vehicles and spreading radiation. On her attempts to reach her home, she is picked up by Jim “Knock-Out” Nickerson, a big teddy bear of a truck driver. It doesn’t take long them to see the devastation surrounding them. After barely surviving a number of attacks, they reach Lucy’s home and find her ten-year-old son, Gus. The trio embark on a mission to seek a safer ground.

Fast forward three years and the trio now lives in Bridge City, potentially one of the few remaining human civilizations. Lucy and Knock-out have gained power in this motley crew of survivor, grooming Gus to become a future leader. Bridge City is a pretty impressive fortress using ingenious means to keep the zombies out, all at the hands of Gus, now a war-hardened young man. Their safety is threatened when they learn of a group of slavers heading that way to take over their civilization. Gus is their only salvation. He must now use the knowledge imparted upon him by his mother and Knock-out to stand up against a completely new form of enemy: the living.

I know I seem to say this a lot lately, but this novel puts a completely unique spin on the typical zombie novel. Yes, the flesh-eating buggers play a pretty key role in this novel but ultimately the real story is that of the survivors. The novel starts out like many other zombie novels but the similarities stop there. Instead, Jacobs uses this novel to reflect and report upon the human condition, how we as individuals with a conscious and morals and laws react when our world is completely turned on end, or in this case, pretty much burned to a crisp.

It is easy for the reader to identify with the main characters as they start of as completely typical, unremarkable individuals. That changes when their lives are put at risk, forced into completely unimaginable situations. This is a novel that makes one think, a completely rewarding cerebral experience. Highly recommended.

Note: violence, sex, violence of a sexual nature. Not for the weak of heart.

Posted in Gallery Books, Horror, Review | Tagged apocalypse, survival, zombies | 2 Comments

Review: Saving Ruth by Zoe Fishman

Posted on July 10, 2012 by Jenn

Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks; Original edition (May 1, 2012)
ISBN-10: 006205984X
Source: Publisher

Ruth Wasserman is a young, curly haired Jewish girl living in a small town in Alabama. All her life, she wanted to be everything she wasn’t: thin, blonde, and popular. Instead, she’s a prisoner to her food obsession and her low self-esteem. Home for the summer after her freshman year of college, Ruth has lost a dramatic amount of weight-35 pounds. She tells her friends and family that she dieted, but in actuality she just didn’t eat. Despite this rapid weight loss, Ruth’s body image is distorted, she still sees layers of fat covering her body.

Her older brother, David, has also come home for the summer. He’s the family’s golden child, always doing what is right and expected of him. He brings home good grades, has played soccer his entire life, even earning scholarships based on his skill. Yet for some reason this year at school was different. He and Ruth didn’t talk like they used to. Only a few years apart, David and Ruth had a great sibling relationship but something has changed. David seems different, separating himself from his friends and family.

When a near-drowning takes place at the small community pool where David and Ruth work as lifeguards, both David and Ruth are forced to confront the skeletons in their closets, issues long ignored within their family and their small town.

Saving Ruth is truly compelling novel that addresses many sensitive subjects including eating disorders, racial tensions, depression and more. Fishman excels at accurately portraying issues that are relevant to every individual at this age, not sugar coating the issues but instead showing them at face value. A truly well-imagined and developed character-driven novel, Saving Ruth introduces readers to a wealth of dynamic characters. Zoe has always been an outcast, never really living up to her parents’ dreams and aspirations. Feeling that she doesn’t have much to live up to, never able to reach the status her older brother has, instead she just gets by. Seeing her “golden child” brother deteriorate, it forces her to take a step back and evaluate what she’s doing to her body and with her life. David, too, witnesses how Ruth has changed and is so shocked that he opts to shed the facade he’s been carrying around all year. The two siblings go through a tremendous period of growth and rediscovery, together.

Saving Ruth is a truly rewarding novel, one that I see being discussed at book clubs due to the sheer volume of discussion-worthy topics. It is a novel I devoured in one sitting, a book that took me back to my youth and all the issues of that age. Highly recommended.

Disclaimer: instances of drugs, sex, language

Posted in General Fiction, Harper Collins Publishers, Review, William Morrow | Tagged Alabama, drugs, eating disorders, racism, sex | 8 Comments

Review: Jack 1939 by Francine Mathews

Posted on July 9, 2012 by Jenn

Hardcover: 368 pages
Publisher: Riverhead Hardcover (July 5, 2012)
ISBN-10: 1594487197
Source: Publisher

The potential for war with Europe is every present. Without an intelligence agency, President Franklin Roosevelt, planning to run for a third term, has no way of predicting the actions of the Nazis. He needs someone to go in as an insider, to track the movements and actions of the country’s political adversaries. Someone he can trust. His choice is not an obvious one, to say the least. Roosevelt calls upon Jack Kennedy, the twenty-two year old son of Joseph Kennedy, the President’s ambassador to Brittan.

Jack is Joe Kennedy’s second son, more of a playboy than anything. Planning to travel through Europe, allegedly to do research for this thesis paper, he is the perfect person to suit Roosevelt’s needs. Roosevelt’s goal: to stop the flow of money coming into the states from Germany, a flow of money hoping to influence the election. Jack readily accepts the request. Always in the shadow of his older brother, this mission will give him a chance to show his worth.

Not surprising to Jack, his father has his own political future in mind and it doesn’t exactly mesh with Roosevelt’s As his mission progresses, however, he learns his father is more involved than he could have ever imagined. Meanwhile, Jack’s life is threatened when he becomes involved in a series of murders indicating Hitler has more of a presence in the states than previously believed. All the while, Jack is self-medicating, inserting a tablet into the muscle of his leg to treat a whole host of undiagnosable medical issues.

Admittedly, when I learned of the premise of this novel I was a little wary. JFK, spy? Any feelings of nervousness were diminished when I read more about the author’s history and experience as a former analyst for the CIA. Mathews intricately weaves a pretty thrilling story with an inside look at one of our nation’s most valuable and well-known families. She blends historical fact with fiction so perfectly that the reader is left questioning the truth and accuracy of every detail.

JFK’s character is an arrogant one. Having survived a multitude of medical issues starting with his childhood, he seems to have a god-complex, unable killed or injured. That said, as more is revealed in his “explorations” throughout Europe, his own mortality, and the mortality of those around him, is recognized.

As with many Americans, I have sort of an idolized memory of JFK, but more as an adult. I was never really familiar with his youth and his young adult years. That said, due to my strong feelings of respect for him as an adult, I found myself distancing myself from his character in this novel at first, almost ignoring the fact he was JFK and instead treating him as a typical, average character. Ultimately, however, the “what if” won out and I was truly taken with the JFK, secret spy character.

If you are looking for a great spy novel to take along with you to the beach, or a means to aid in your Mad Men withdrawals, this is the novel for you. Recommended.

Posted in Review, Riverhead Books, Thriller | Tagged Europe, JFK, pre-WWII, spy fiction | 2 Comments

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading This Week?

Posted on July 9, 2012 by Jenn

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading This Week? This is a weekly event to list the books completed last week, the books currently being read, and the books to be finish this week. It is hosted by Sheila from One Person’s Journey Through a World of Books so stop by and join in!

Books Completed Last Week

The Walking Dead: Rise of the Governor by Robert Kirkman (audio)
Jack 1939 by Francine Mathews
This Dark Earth by John Hornor Jacobs (review)
Playing Dead by Julia Heaberlin (review)
The Gods of Gotham by Lydsay Faye (reread for book club)
Saving Ruth by Zoe Fishman

Currently Reading

Only One Life by Sara Blaedel
172 Hours on the Moon by Johan Harstad

Books to Complete This Week

Long Lankin by Lindsey Barraclough
The Sandcastle Girls by Chris Bohjalian
15 Seconds by Andrew Gross

What are you reading this week?

Posted in It's Monday What Are you Reading This Week | 6 Comments

TSS: Getting Back to Normal

Posted on July 8, 2012 by Jenn

A week ago Friday, the DC area was hit with a horrid thunderstorm with winds of 80+ MPH. Millions were left without power, we were one of them. Luckily, we found a hotel early and didn’t have to suffer in the heat like many others did. Our power was finally restored on Monday afternoon, but there are still thousands without. All of this happened during a record heat wave, temperatures exceeding 100 degrees.

When we finally returned to our home, we had the unpleasant task of cleaning out a fridge full of spoiled food (this equals four giant garbage bags). A week later, we are slowly getting back to normal. I couldn’t face a giant trip to the grocery store (neither could the stores as they were forced to do the same as we were, on a much larger scale. Instead, we’ve been making small trips to the store to restock.

Needless to say, I didn’t have a chance to get a great deal of reading accomplished this week. While my boys enjoyed the mini, unplanned vacation spending their afternoons in the hotel pool, sharing one hotel room with two boys, my husband and our dog did not permit me much reading time.

Thankfully, I’m getting back into my reading grove. Our internet was down for days after our power was restored, so I’m spending this weekend catching up on posts that went unwritten and books left unread.

Lesson learned: if the zombie apocalypse or the end of days as predicted by the Mayans hits the DC area, we are doomed.

To end on a happy note, I do have a pretty awesome giveaway going on now. You really should enter!

Posted in The Sunday Salon | 7 Comments

A Month in Review: June 2012

Posted on July 6, 2012 by Jenn

Books Reviewed

Total books reviewed: 10

*Top picks of the month!

Special Posts

BEA Feature Post: A Behind the Scenes Look at eBooks

Current Giveaways

Due to a mailing error, I actually received two additional copies of one of my top picks of the month, The Far Side of the Sky by Daniel Kalla. I loved this book so much I want to share it with you all. So, to enter the contest, please fill out the form below. The winner will be contacted via email on Friday, July 20th. Good luck!

Posted in Month in Review | 3 Comments

Review: Playing Dead by Julia Heaberlin

Posted on July 5, 2012 by Jenn

Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Ballantine Books; Original edition (May 29, 2012)
ISBN-10: 0345527011
Source: Publisher

Tommie McCloud returns to her small hometown in Texas when her father passes away. Ponder was like many small towns, everyone knew one another’s business, no secrets could be withheld from the prying eyes of neighbors. So Tommie thought, that is. Just days after her father’s passing, she receives a letter from a woman, indicating the family and the past Tommie thought believed was her own was in fact a horrible lie. Tommie’s true name was allegedly Adriana Marchetti, abducted from her parents over twenty years ago. As if this news wasn’t shocking enough, Tommie learns that her biological parents were a former stripper and mob boss, her father currently in jail for murdering an entire family in Chicago.

Meanwhile, Tommie scrambles to hold on to the only family she’s ever known. She and her sister Sadie are dealing with their mother, now suffering from dementia and living in assisted living. Just when she needs her most, needs her honesty and explanation, Tommie is unable to get any information from her. Certain that the letter she received is a hoax, she begins to investigate this alleged kidnapping. As she digs deeper into her family’s past and reveals a great deal of secrets that were long-ago buried, her life, and the lives of those she loves, is at risk.

Without sounding too cliche, Playing Dead is a whirlwind of a story. Tommie, still recovering from the death of her father is dealt a horribly painful blow. Her family has always seemed a little off to her; her mother was frequently depressed frequently fought with their father. Tommie assumed a great deal of the pain her family suffered was due to the loss of her brother on his eighteenth birthday, but the more she digs into her family’s secret past the more questions are raised. The man she thought was her father is not, instead her actual flesh and blood is spending the rest of his life in jail. No one currently living is able to answer the dozens of questions she raises, so she begins to investigate the lives and stories of those now dead and how their demise is tied to her family’s secretive past.

Tommie is an incredibly endearing character. Incredibly strong-willed and minded, she’s always felt as though she was living a life not meant for her. She fled her hometown of Ponder for a reason and is now forced to return and become enveloped in a life, a history, her parents kept from her for decades. Her strong-will does allow a sense of vulnerability to shine through, however. As an adult, she now works with children from difficult and/or abusive homes. It isn’t a stretch to see that she’s hoping to make up for the childhood she experienced.

Playing Dead is a truly monumental debut. Heaberlin sends her readers on a roller-coaster ride of deception and deceit, ending in a truly mind-blowing conclusion. Her novel is one that will force itself into your life, not relenting until you’ve finished it. A truly addictive thriller, one I recommend wholeheartedly.

Thank you to TLC Book Tours for providing me the opportunity to participate in this tour. Be sure to check out the official tour page for other stops along this tour.

Posted in Ballantine Books, Review, Thriller | Tagged Chicago Mob, child abduction | 4 Comments

Love is Murder Blog Tour, Featuring Lee Child!

Posted on July 3, 2012 by Jenn

Hardcover: 608 pages
Publisher: Mira (May 29, 2012)
ISBN-10: 0778313441
Source: Publisher

To celebrate the release of Love Is Murder, an anthology including works by 30 of the hottest authors writing romantic suspense today, featured bloggers will “host” one of the authors on their blog, including a teaser of that author’s short story.

I’m excited to be hosting Lee Child, by far one of my favorite thriller writers of all time! Following is an excerpt of Lee’s contribution to Love Is Murder:

Lee Child – I Heard a Romantic Story

I heard a romantic story. It was while I was waiting to kill a guy. And not just a guy, by the way. They were calling this guy a prince, and I guess he was. A lot of those guys over there are princes. Not just one or two a country. Families have princes. All kinds of families. They have princes of their own. There are hundreds of them. They have so many that some of them are twenty-five-year-old assholes. That kind of prince. And he was the target. This young asshole. He was going to show up in a large Mercedes sedan. He was going to get out of the backseat and walk about ten steps to the porch of the house.

Bio:

Previously a television director, union organizer, theater technician and law student, Lee Child was fired and on the dole when he hatched a harebrained scheme to write a bestselling novel, thus saving his family from ruin. Killing Floor went on to win world-wide acclaim. The hero of his series, Jack Reacher, besides being fictional, is a kindhearted soul who allows Lee lots of spare time for reading, listening to music, the Yankees and Aston Villa. Visit him online at www.leechild.com.

Contributing authors to this anthology include: Lori Armstrong * Jeff Ayers & Jon Land * Beverly Barton * William Bernhardt * Allison Brennan * Robert Browne * Pamela Callow * Lee Child * J.T. Ellison * Bill Floyd * Cindy Gerard * Heather Graham * Laura Griffin * Vicki Hinze * Andrea Kane *Julie Kenner * Sherrilyn Kenyon * Dianna Love * D.P. Lyle * James Macomber * Toni McGee Causey * Carla Neggers * Brenda Novak * Patricia Rosemoor * William Simon * Alexandra Sokoloff * Roxanne St. Claire * Mariah Stewart * Debra Webb

Please be sure to check out my write-up of this title on the SheKnows Book Lounge as well as the other stops in this blog tour.

Posted in Mira Books, Mystery/Suspense, Romance, Thriller | 3 Comments