Friday Favorites: Horror with a Dash of Humor

For Friday Favorites, I will be sharing some books or authors or genres that I find interesting and enjoy. Please feel free to leave a book/blog related comment.

This week's subject is Horror with a dash of Humor. 

It seems from time to time that many people like to read a little horror while others prefer a steady diet of it. I  like it now and then, but don't read it constantly. And I prefer my horror to come with the occasional comic relief. It breaks some of the tension and sometimes sets you up for the next scare. 

Why do people like to read horror at all? There are many reasons. The one I found most interesting was that it gives people control. If it's getting too scary, you can close the book for a while. You can decide how scary the book you pick is. And sometimes this is the best thing we can do when the world around us is crazy. 

Some of my favorite horror/humor authors are: Lindy Ryan, Maureen Kilmer, Grady Hendrix, and Christopher Moore. Although Christopher Moore's books I think are more humor than horror. And full disclosure I haven't read Slayers of Old by Jim C. Hines yet nor Anima Rising by Christopher Moore. And I have just dipped into the anthology Blood Lite from time to time.

I'm looking forward to Slayers of Old. Here's a quotation I found on Amazon from it. "As a Hunter, my body reacted to the presence of unnatural threats: monsters and demons and people who hung the toilet paper roll "under" instead of "over." My duty was to track down and end these threats." 

Lindy Ryan's stories of the Evans women - Bless Your Heart and Another Fine Mess were joined by Dollface this year in the horror with a dash of humor category. Dollface is not one of the Evans women, but it is a story about a serial killer killing off people in the PTA of an elementary school.

Christopher Moore's book, A Dirty Job, asks the question what would happen if you had to raise a toddler while perhaps being the personification of death. The Stupidest Angel - "a heart warming tale of Christmas terror" cautions be careful what you wish for and combines the undead with the holiday season.

If you haven't already, do also check out Maureen Kilmer and Grady Hendrix. For more on horror and humor suggestions, my post from this past October is still available to read, Spooky Season Recommendations. 

Do you like to read horror with or without humor? What are some of your favorite authors or books? Drop a line in the comments. Happy Reading!

Book Review: Horrorstör by Grady Hendrix

 

Have you ever shopped in Ikea? Did you get lost trying to find the exit or the bathroom or the people you came with? Getting lost like that is horrifying enough. Grady Hendrix  starts with that and runs with it in his low budget knock off of Ikea called Orsk. On top of being difficult to navigate at times, strange things are happening in the store overnight. Things are being broken or otherwise desecrated. As the book goes on, so does the strangeness.

Management is having fits. People from corporate are coming to see the store. 3 employees volunteer to stay overnight and try and puzzle out what's going on. But, will they make it through the night?

My Thoughts: Haunted building stories are interesting. Like a good haunted house story, they can be satisfying and perhaps make you a little more grateful for the mundane homes and businesses. 

The main character of the book is Amy Porter. Her point of view is crucial to the success of the story. The other 2 employees that stayed are Basil (management) and Ruth Anne. In some ways they are stereotypes. Amy is the employee that wants to get by by doing the least she can. Basil wants everyone to toe the line and follow corporate rules. Ruth Anne is that employee who is nice to everyone - customer and fellow employee alike. I wasn't expecting it, but each character reveals more about themselves as the book goes on. They go from stereotypes to real people. And they are not always what you would expect them to be. The other thing that surprised me about some of them was that their characters showed growth and change as the story progressed.

The plot moves along fairly quickly once night has come to this Orsk store. At first everything is pretty normal. Then stuff hits the fan. One event leads to another and it snowballs to the conclusion.

I could suspend my disbelief for most things in the book because I was expecting a haunted building story and it delivered. The only thing that I couldn't quite buy was the very end of the book. It was set up in such a way that the author could have written a sequel if he wanted to do so. Otherwise, I loved the character development, setting, and pace of the novel.

I gave this book 5 out of  5 stars. It has stayed with me even after more than a week's time since my reading it. And I have to admit I am currently a little less likely to go shop in Ikea until this works its way out of my system. If you like a good haunted house story, especially one with a little humor, then this could be a good match for you. I think it's definitely worth a read.

Horrorstör by Grady Hendrix was published September 2014 by Quirk Books. I purchased my review copy.

Teaser Tuesday: Horrorstör by Grady Hendrix

 

Welcome to Teaser Tuesday, the weekly Meme that wants you to add books to your TBR! You can also just share what you are currently reading. We make it very easy to play along. It's as easy as 1, 2, 3! Teaser Tuesday is hosted by Ambrosia at the Purple Booker.

1: Grab your current read. 2: Open to a random page. 3: Share two "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page.

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! Share the title and author so that other people can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teaser!

All at once, Ruth Anne strode past him, approached the bed and raised one end, revealing a man splayed out facedown like a starfish. He burst into motion, scuttling away like a bug after its rock has been lifted.

--page 92

Horrorstör by Grady Hendrix was released September 23, 2014 from Quirk Books. I am on page 92 and it is a quirky read so far. It is scary, but it is also tinged with humor. Puts me in mind of my first trip to an Ikea where I got lost trying to find the bathroom on the market level. Too much fun. The horror was real. 

Are you reading anything spooky? Share something about it in the comments. Happy Reading!

Book Review: Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix

 

From the publisher:

There’s power in a book…

They call them wayward girls. Loose girls. Girls who grew up too fast. And they’re sent to Wellwood House in St. Augustine, Florida, where unwed mothers are hidden by their families to have their babies in secret, to give them up for adoption, and most important of all, to forget any of it ever happened.

Fifteen-year-old Fern arrives at the home in the sweltering summer of 1970, pregnant, terrified and alone. Under the watchful eye of the stern Miss Wellwood, she meets a dozen other girls in the same predicament. There’s Rose, a hippie who insists she’s going to find a way to keep her baby and escape to a commune. And Zinnia, a budding musician who plans to marry her baby’s father. And Holly, a wisp of a girl, barely fourteen, mute and pregnant by no-one-knows-who.

Everything the girls eat, every moment of their waking day, and everything they’re allowed to talk about is strictly controlled by adults who claim they know what’s best for them. Then Fern meets a librarian who gives her an occult book about witchcraft, and power is in the hands of the girls for the first time in their lives. But power can destroy as easily as it creates, and it’s never given freely. There’s always a price to be paid...and it’s usually paid in blood.

In Witchcraft for Wayward Girls, the author of How to Sell a Haunted House and The Final Girl Support Group delivers another searing, completely original novel and further cements his status as a “horror master” (NPR).

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix was published January 21, 2025 by Berkley.

My Thoughts: I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. After reading a few reviews prior to reading the book, I wasn't at all sure that I was going to like this book, but I did. I liked the girls and felt for them. They were united by the way that their families had treated them when they found out they were pregnant. Also living at the home united them. They all had the same experiences and the same close supervision.

The magic system was different. Magic always has a price in order for it to succeed. What the price in this case was, is interesting. I hadn't seen this cost quite this way before. And there were some clever bits related to this. In particular, the girls use the magic against some adults. This held consequences both for the adults and the girls, but afterwards, it was like the adults forgot about what happened.

The book had a slow beginning. This was mostly because of what was needed to set the scene. Still, I would have liked the magic to start sooner. After that. things move faster. And there are twists and surprises. I liked that it was not totally predictable nor was it preachy. I would have preferred a tad more humor as in his other books, But considering everything - the weightiness of the topic, the timeliness, it makes total sense. I also was not a fan of the graphic birthing scenes. 

I would recommend this book to people who have enjoyed Hendrix's other books. And I would also recommend this book for people who enjoy magical realism in a historical setting. 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. This did not affect my opinions nor my review.

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #519: Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix

 

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that had been hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlighted upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. I'm now linking up with Can't Wait Wednesday hosted over at Wishful Endings. 

From the publisher: There’s power in a book…

 
They call them wayward girls. Loose girls. Girls who grew up too fast. And they’re sent to the Wellwood House in St. Augustine, Florida, where unwed mothers are hidden by their families to have their babies in secret, give them up for adoption, and most important of all, to forget any of it ever happened.
 
Fifteen-year-old Fern arrives at the home in the sweltering summer of 1970, pregnant, terrified and alone. Under the watchful eye of the stern Miss Wellwood, she meets a dozen other girls in the same predicament. There’s Rose, a hippie who insists she’s going to find a way to keep her baby and escape to a commune. And Zinnia, a budding musician who plans to marry her baby’s father. And Holly, a wisp of a girl, barely fourteen, mute and pregnant by no-one-knows-who.
 
Everything the girls eat, every moment of their waking day, and everything they’re allowed to talk about is strictly controlled by adults who claim they know what’s best for them. Then Fern meets a librarian who gives her an occult book about witchcraft, and power is in the hands of the girls for the first time in their lives. But power can destroy as easily as it creates, and it’s never given freely. There’s always a price to be paid...and it’s usually paid in blood.

In Witchcraft for Wayward Girls, the author of How to Sell a Haunted House and The Final Girl Support Group delivers another searing, completely original novel and further cements his status as a “horror master” (NPR).

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix is expected out January 14, 2025 from Berkley.

Why I am waiting on this book: I've enjoyed every Grady Hendrix novel I've read so far. Plus it's a witchy story. I like stories about witches. This one sounds good because it's the girls becoming empowered by the magic they are exposed to, even if there is a cost.

What books are you waiting on? Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our TBR lists. Thanks for coming by and Happy Reading!

Teaser Tuesday: My Best Friend's Exorcism by Grady Hendrix

 

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by The Purplebooker.

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read

• Open to a random page

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

• Share the title and author so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

She could decide how she was going to be. She had a choice. Life could be an endless series of joyless chores, or she could get totally pumped and make it fun. There were bad things, and there were good things, but she got to choose which things to focus on. Her mom focused only on the bad things. Abby didn't have to. (10% through on my Kindle)

My Best Friend's Exorcism by Grady Hendrix was published May 17th, 2016 by Quirk Books. It's a good read for this time of year. And it won the Goodreads Choice Award for Horror in 2016.

Would you keep reading? What's your teaser this week? Share it or a link in the comments. Are you enjoying your book? Let us know! Happy Reading!

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #434: How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix

 

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that had been hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlighted upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. I'm now linking up with Can't Wait Wednesday hosted over at Wishful Endings.

From the publisher:

When Louise finds out her parents have died, she dreads going home. She doesn’t want to leave her daughter with her ex and fly to Charleston. She doesn’t want to deal with her family home, stuffed to the rafters with the remnants of her father’s academic career and her mother’s lifelong obsession with puppets and dolls. She doesn’t want to learn how to live without the two people who knew and loved her best in the world.
 
Mostly, she doesn’t want to deal with her brother, Mark, who never left their hometown, gets fired from one job after another, and resents her success. But she’ll need his help to get the house ready for sale because it’ll take more than some new paint on the walls and clearing out a lifetime of memories to get this place on the market.
 
Some houses don’t want to be sold, and their home has other plans for both of them…

How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix is expected out January 17th, 2023 from Berkley.

Why am I waiting on this book? I like  haunted house stories. I like the premise of this one. It sounds like the house will be like a character in the book. And the situation is one that a lot of people can identify with - clearing out a parent's home. The additional tension between her and her brother will no doubt add to the suspense. I wonder if their relationship will change as they deal with the house.

What book are you waiting on this week? Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our TBR lists. Thanks for coming by and Happy Reading!

Book review: The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix

 

Set in the 1990s, this is the story of a group of housewives who create a book club to read true crime books and escape a little from their everyday lives. More particularly, it's the story of Patricia Campbell and her friends and family. Patricia has a workaholic husband, two teenaged children, and is caring for her mother-in-law who is slowly losing her mind.

One night after a book club meeting, Patricia is rather viciously attacked by an elderly neighbor. Later they find out that the woman's nephew has been visiting her. And soon James Harris has wrangled invitations into all of their homes and the book club. He rapidly becomes a part of their community. 

Then children across town start to go missing. Patricia becomes convinced that James Harris has something to do with the disappearances. She's thinking serial killer, but that doesn't exactly describe him.

Billed as Steel Magnolias meets Dracula , the book lives up to its advertising. Patricia comes across as a real, conflicted woman who has unintentionally invited evil into her home and life. The other ladies are also individuals and not just carbon copies of what you would expect to find in their community. 

The monster, James Harris, is monstrous. We see and hear more about his deeds than him for a good part of the book. We see what's going on from Patricia's perspective for the most part. 

The plot moves along at a good pace appropriate for the story. There is a lull at one point, but it's the calm before the storm. And what happens in the lull goes to show just how much influence James Harris has on the community. The ending isn't exactly happily ever after, but it is satisfying.

I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars. I felt like the take on vampires was original. The characters are well written. The pace suits the book. The story is well told. I would recommend this book to people who enjoy horror and vampire or monster stories. 

I'd like to add there are a few things that could be triggering: rape, suicide, graphic violence, gaslighting. 

The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix was published April 7th, 2020 by Quirk Books.

Teaser Tuesday: The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix

 

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by The Purplebooker.

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read

• Open to a random page

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

• Share the title and author so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

The days dawned noonday hot, and gas tanks hissed when you took off their caps. The sunlight fell hard and sharp, and insects roared in the bushes, only taking a break in the dead hour between three and four in the morning. (p.94 on my Kindle)

The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix was published April 7th, 2020 by Quirk Books.

Would you keep reading? What's your teaser this week? Share it or a link in the comments. Are you enjoying your book? Let us know! Happy Reading!

Teaser Tuesday: The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix

 

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by The Purplebooker.

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read

• Open to a random page

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

• Share the title and author so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

 "A reader lives many lives," James Harris said. " The person who doesn't read lives but one. But if you're happy just doing what you're told and reading what other people think you should read then don't let me stop you. I just find it sad. "

(p.77 on my Kindle)

The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix was published April 7th, 2020 by Quirk Books.

Would you keep reading? What's your teaser this week? Share it or a link in the comments. Are you enjoying your book? Let us know! Happy Reading!

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #306: The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event that had been hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlighted upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. I'm now linking up with "Can't-Wait Wednesday" hosted over at Wishful Endings.

From Goodreads:

Fried Green Tomatoes and Steel Magnolias meet Dracula in this Southern-flavored supernatural thriller set in the '90s about a women's book club that must protect its suburban community from a mysterious and handsome stranger who turns out to be a blood-sucking fiend.

Patricia Campbell had always planned for a big life, but after giving up her career as a nurse to marry an ambitious doctor and become a mother, Patricia's life has never felt smaller. The days are long, her kids are ungrateful, her husband is distant, and her to-do list is never really done. The one thing she has to look forward to is her book club, a group of Charleston mothers united only by their love for true-crime and suspenseful fiction. In these meetings, they're more likely to discuss the FBI's recent siege of Waco as much as the ups and downs of marriage and motherhood.

But when an artistic and sensitive stranger moves into the neighborhood, the book club's meetings turn into speculation about the newcomer. Patricia is initially attracted to him, but when some local children go missing, she starts to suspect the newcomer is involved. She begins her own investigation, assuming that he's a Jeffrey Dahmer or Ted Bundy. What she uncovers is far more terrifying, and soon she--and her book club--are the only people standing between the monster they've invited into their homes and their unsuspecting community.

The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix is expected to be published April 7th, 2020 by Quirk Books.

Why am I waiting on this one? The first paragraph of the synopsis sold me. I like the way it sounds - "Fried Green Tomatoes and Steel Magnolias meet Dracula." I enjoy stories set in the South. And I like the cover they're using, even if it's not the final version. 

What book are you waiting on this week? Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our TBR lists. Thanks for coming by and Happy Reading!