Tag: horror

Posted in Moments and Musings

Is Your TV Haunted?

Posted on by Vikki Lynn Sorensen

Anyone who knows me knows I love this time of year. I love the crisp chill in the air, the smell of burning firewood and cinnamon-flavored everything. (I say cinnamon because pumpkin is way overrated and I want to bring cinnamon back. I said what I said!) 

Halloween is big around here. We even have a black cat, which the dog thanks us for on a daily basis. (Maybe!) My apartment is all decked out with ceramic ghosts, jack-o-lanterns and black cats all over. There’s pumpkins everywhere!! We even have a small Halloween tree. Pretty much anything Hobby Lobby and Wal-Mart have to offer in the way of decorating is in my home. (Yes, I’m a Wal-Mart girl!) 

So, in the spirit of the season, I thought I’d share a few of my favorite Halloween movies/series sure to put the ghost in your TV and make you sleep with the lights on a night or two. Don’t worry – I’ll help you choose ones to watch with the family and which ones to wait until the kiddos are in bed. (These are in no particular order)

  1. It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown – Definitely fun to watch with the kids. No jump scares. Just a boy with his blanket in a pumpkin patch. I’ve loved this movie since I was a child and, at 55 years old, I still watch it each year. I believe in the Great Pumpkin.
  2. The Haunted Mansion (circa Eddie Murphy) – Another one that’s fun for the whole family. Gather on the couch with the biggest bowl of popcorn you can and enjoy! Only one jump scare and lots of laughs. 
  3. The Haunted Mansion (circa Rosario Dawson) – I’ve only seen this one once so I can’t remember if there’s any jump scares. It may be too intense for the super younger crowd. Strong themes of grief and loss but much closer to the actual Disney World ride. Very enjoyable. 
  4. The Craft – Not recommended for tweenagers or younger, in my opinion due to some very intense scenes. Witchcraft is a major theme in this story but this is a cult classic that cannot be ignored at this time of year. 
  5. Poltergeist – Not recommended at all for kids as there are a few jump scares and scary scenes. Also, the subject matter is way over their head. However, it is excellent to watch with all the lights off at night. Go ahead, I dare you!
  6. The Haunting of Hill House – This is a Netflix miniseries. I wouldn’t recommend it for tweens and younger. Some teens may be able to handle but there are strong themes of addiction and suicide. There are ghosts EVERYWHERE, lots of jump scares and it’s an incredible story. Keep a box of Kleenex available for the last episode. 
  7. The Haunting of Bly Manor – Another Netflix miniseries again not for the kiddos. Themes include LGBTQ+ among others. Several jump scares but the backstory is my favorite part of this whole series. Every good ghost story starts with a good story of something tragic that happened in the past. This delivers that history quite well!
  8. Crimson Peak – Now, as a story, this isn’t high up on my list. However, if you’re looking for gothic romance/horror, this delivers. It’s a visually beautiful film with a little ghost story sewn in. Some minor gore. There’s also some nudity and a quick sex scene so not for the younger crowd at all. But – Tom Hiddleston. Need I say more? 
  9. Twitches 1 and 2 – Let’s get back to stuff the kids can watch. These two cheese-soaked Disney movies are super campy but loads of fun. Strong family themes and excellent for post trick-or-treating on Halloween night. You know, after the costumes are all put away for another year and the candy has been thoroughly checked. Safety first! 
  10. Hocus Pocus 1 and 2 – More fun for the family. I honestly was skeptical about Hocus Pocus 2 but it was absolutely adorable! There’s even a black cat that talks. If that’s not fun, I don’t know what is! 

Of course there are others that I didn’t include but are just as worthy, like the entire Harry Potter series but these are really my top ten watches. (Harry Potter is something I watch year round.) Not a Halloween goes by that I don’t curl up on my chair, with my fluffy, fleece tie blanket and a mug of tea and tuck into these movies. 

Happy Haunting! 

BTW – This idea was shamelessly stolen from my sweet sister, Liz, over at http://dippedinsparkles.blog/

Posted in Bookish and Bingeable

The Drowning Kind

Posted on by Vikki Lynn Sorensen

By: Jennifer McMahon

I live by a small lake. I’ve never feared it until I read this book. The idea now is to stay away from the water. 

Jennifer McMahon does it again with The Drowning Kind. Such a wonderfully magical, haunting story full of intrigue and suspense. I read this in under 24 hours and I’m not even upset about any sleep I lost. 

Jax is a young woman mourning the loss of her estranged sister, who struggled with mental health issues. This loss leads her to her grandmother’s home, a place Jax and Lexie grew up in. The house is situated next to a pool believed to have magical powers. Family history is explored as Jax discovered the pool’s relationship with her family going back to her great grandparents who made a wish to the pool in exchange for a child. Jax finds out what Lexie did just before her death – the pool gives and takes in equal measure. 

What I loved about this book: 

  1. The story felt original and well plotted. The pace was excellent. Dual timelines told in perfect timing (no pun intended) left me with a complete picture as the past and present converged by the end of the book – a technique I particularly enjoy. 
  2. Inanimate objects given a life of their own. Another favorite of mine. The pool as well as the house and the land, even the hills behind the house (Lord’s Hill and The Devil’s Hill) were allowed names and personalities all their own. It was flawlessly done. 
  3. THE ENDING!!!! Chilling, shocking and so sad. And yet, it worked with the story. I think I would have been disappointed any other way. 

What I didn’t like about this book: 

  1. It’s made me think twice about those walks around the lake next to where I live. 
  2. I’ll miss going swimming. 

If you’re looking for a book to provide a good amount of creep-factor, read this! Then go read everything else by Jennifer McMahon. 

My rating: :star: :star: :star: :star: :star:

Posted in Bookish and Bingeable

Ghosts of the Forbidden

Posted on by Vikki Lynn Sorensen

By: Leanna Renee Hieber

NOTE – Special thanks to NetGalley and Castle Bridge Media for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was…..disappointing.

I’ve read a lot of what Leanna Renee Hieber has to offer and have loved her previous work. I found her writing to be atmospheric, emotional, ethereal and haunting. She seems to be born to write gothic horror stories.

But this book wasn’t like that. It felt flat, rushed, preachy and weak.

What I enjoyed:

  1. The initial ghostly story line was lovely. A rich heritage with a good background to it.
  2. The settings. The Glacier and Denny mansions had character all their own and breathed along with the people inhabiting them. Glacier Mansion especially seemed to be waiting and expectant, wanting to be released from whatever hold the Denny Mansion had on it. The surrounding village being affected with winding streets held its own within the confines of the surrounding trees and rocks. It was very atmospheric and set the tone well for a good ghost story.
  3. The pacing of the story was at a good clip. No lagging or waiting around much for a conclusion.

What I didn’t enjoy:

  1. Flat characters and very little emotional depth. I’m not used to that from this author. I’m used to having an emotional attachment to the folks in Hieber’s books and I didn’t get any of that. Honestly, I couldn’t have cared less about Lillian or Camile or Nathaniel or William. Bethany and Carmen seemed to be just there but they also had no real substance.
  2. Character relationships. I sorta could buy the instant relationship between Lillian and Nathaniel because of William and Camille although the whole idea of the latter reliving their lives through the former was a bit unbelievable. But anything else felt contrived and forced.
  3. I’m not a fan of being preached at. I certainly don’t mind when a book includes LGBTQ+ characters when it feels natural and it makes sense to the story. This did not. The characters representing were preachy to the point of distraction. It felt more like the author was making a statement that felt forced instead of part of the story. Not a fan at all.

All in all, this was a good effort but I expected much more from this author based on past work. This didn’t cut it for me and I was left disappointed.

My rating: :star: :star:

Posted in Bookish and Bingeable

Shadow Sister

Posted on by Vikki Lynn Sorensen

By: Linday Marcott

NOTE – Special thanks to NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Haunted, haunted and more haunted. Deliciously so.

Ava and James grow up in a haunted house. It’s cool…until it’s not. Until it takes their mother and part of her childhood and somehow dumps a weird sister-in-law on her doorstep. Then, it’s just frightening.

I really enjoyed Lindsay Marcott’s last book, Mrs. Rochester’s Ghost. Her name is what drew me to reading this book. Then I read the synopsis and well, I’m a sucker for a good ghost story. This didn’t disappoint.

Shadow Sister has all the gothic horror feels. Creepy mansion with a dark history. Some strange characters, like Ava’s father and sister-in-law. Blackwood Mansion is written very much like a character on its own in this story. It lives and breathes and seems to move with the story with as much flesh and blood as the human people (and just as strange).

What worked well for me:

  • Gothic ghost story
  • Great atmosphere. Spooky and dark. It was hard to imagine the sun shining on this mansion at all. It always felt stormy.
  • Good backstory for the characters. Nice bit of growth for Ava and James.
  • Decent ending and nice wrap up.
  • Loved the multiple points of view. It was woven nicely so I didn’t feel lost at all.

What didn’t work for me:

  • It was a little predictable. I knew who “dun it” pretty quickly.
  • The history of the mansion didn’t seem to really play into the events that happened in Ava’s family.

Overall, this was a nice read. It’s a fast read so the pace is really good and you’re not left lingering too long in one place which it good. If you like gothic ghost stories, I would recommend this one!

My rating: :star: :star: :star: :star:

Posted in Bookish and Bingeable

Small Favors

Posted on by Vikki Lynn Sorensen

By: Erin Craig

Ellerie Downing lives in the quiet town of Amity Falls in the Blackspire Mountain range–five narrow peaks stretching into the sky like a grasping hand, bordered by a nearly impenetrable forest from which the early townsfolk fought off the devils in the woods. To this day, visitors are few and rare. But when a supply party goes missing, some worry that the monsters that once stalked the region have returned.

As fall turns to winter, more strange activities plague the town. They point to a tribe of devilish and mystical creatures who promise to fulfill the residents’ deepest desires, however grand and impossible, for just a small favor. But their true intentions are much more sinister, and Ellerie finds herself in a race against time before all of Amity Falls, her family, and the boy she loves go up in flames.

NOTE: MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS

The Village meets Bigfoot!

Small Favors by Erin Craig serves up in no small way. This book is thoroughly enjoyable. Full of folklore and just the right amount of creepiness to keep you going until the very end.

Initially, this book gave me The Village vibes. Amity Falls is a small village seemingly cut off from the rest of the world. The people in it are self-reliant to some degree but have knowledge and  need of the outside world.

We meet Ellerie, a young girl who lives in the village with her family. Her family are beekeepers and they provide honey for the town and beyond. As strange events start to unfold, beginning with several men going missing in the woods as they go on a run for supplies. Her father and brother go out looking for them and both come back unsure of what they witnessed in the woods. As weird things start to happen, the village begins to implode violently until it’s beyond recognition.

Ellerie is a typical heroine. Spunky, smart and strong. We see her grow from a somewhat little girl at the beginning of the story to a woman, fully capable of defending and saving her family via any means possible. She risks herself in the end as she comes face to face with the cause of the mayhem in the village. She makes a bold choice and lets it play out. We see a nice development of her character throughout this story.

Honestly – I didn’t find a character that didn’t develop. For better or worse, everyone in the story was affected adversely by what happened in the village and the surrounding areas. And while this story is a Rumpelstiltskin retelling, the central character is fear and how fear plays on the minds of desperate people (much like today). We see a few villagers react to fear with kindness, attempting to draw everyone close together towards a common resolution. Unfortunately, most dig into their selfishness using fear to exact a measure of violence on each other until village life ceases to exist. We see this as a graduate, snowball effect.

I know some didn’t care for the ending however, I thought it was effective for the story. Not every monster is always destroyed. Some simply move on and continue their ridiculousness elsewhere. Key characters were released from their grasp which I was happy to see.

Over all, this didn’t feel like almost 500 pages. It’s a very fast read that keeps you guessing and keeps you in its grips until it’s done with you. Afterwards, I was exhausted.

This was my second Erin Craig book and like The House of Salt and Sorrow, I absolutely loved this one.

My rating: :star: :star: :star: :star: :star: