Cozy Mysteries for this Spooky Season

With the season changing, I feel that my reading mood changes as well. While I'm always wanting to read anything (mood reader who always has at least five books in progress), my stats for mystery, thriller, and horror reading spikes during the fall and winter seasons. Maybe it's the chill in the air that makes me want to cozy up with my blanket and grab a nice book during my free time.

Cozy mysteries are one of my favorites to read during the months of October and November. Most are short and fast-paced, although not quite popcorn reads. If they are part of a series, even better! I can read three or five books from a specific series over a couple weeks if I'm hooked on it, and the best part is that they usually don't have to be read in order (in case you happen to have a random book in the series but not the first one).

The recommendations that I'm giving here vary from books that I have read and love, to books that I haven't read but hope to read before the end of the year. They all have spooky, witchy, and halloween vibes that fit right into the season.

If you have read any of these books, I'd love to hear what you thought about them!

First, we have Blackwork, by one my favorite writers... Monica Ferris! If I remember correctly, this was the second book that I read from this series during an afternoon that I spend inside sewing a new dress for myself. I was measuring and cutting when I had to take some breaks, scissors in hand and kneeling on the floor, because I was enthralled by the plot in the audiobook. I may have gasped a couple times when the twists were revealed. It's the 13th book in a 19 book series, and I'm committed to read them all; I'm about to start number 9 soon.

Blurb: There's a witch running loose in the town of Excelsiors, Minnesota, and her brew is ... beer. Actually, Leona Cunningham, co-owner of the Barleywine, is a practitioner of Wicca, the nature-based religion that many mistakenly believe to be sorcery or black magic. But that doesn't bother the thirsty crowds--or the Halloween Committee members who have fallen under the spell of Leona's tasty ales.

Except for local alcohol aficionado Ryan McMurphy, who, after one too many pints, accuses Leona of being a witch, blaming her for the series of accidents that have happened around town. When Ryan ends up dead without a mark on his body, Leona becomes the target of a witch hunt.

With Betsy on the case, the murderer doesn't have a ghost of a chance of getting away with it.

On the topic of witchy cozies, there is also Witch Way to Murder, by Shirley Damsgaard. This one has been in my TBR for a loooong time, but I think this month I finally will read it because it sounds fun.

Blurb: Olivia Jensen wishes she was just your typical, thirty-something librarian. Unfortunately, she's been burdened with psychic powers--an unwanted "gift" she considers inconvenient at best and at worst downright dangerous. Her kindly old grandmother Abby, however, has no compunction about the paranormal, being a practicing witch with unique abilities of her own.

And sometimes the otherworldly arts do come in handy--like when the arrival of a mysterious, good-looking stranger to their normally tranquil corner of Iowa seems to trigger an epidemic of catastrophes, from the theft of bomb-making materials to a murdered corpse dumped in Abby's backyard.

Luckily Ophelia and Abby are on the case and determined to make things right. But it'll take more than magick to get out of the boiling cauldron of lethal trouble they're about to land themselves in.

If you have psychic abilities, you knew what I'd recommend next. Another psychic witchy cozy! This is a book that was recommended to me recently and I found a copy at the thrift store for ~$1. Tails, You Lose by Carol J. Perry. I absolutely love the tagline in the back: "Minding her business has never been so deadly."

Blurb: After losing her job as a TV psychic, Lee Barrett has decided to volunteer her talent as an instructor at the Tabitha Trumbull Academy of the Arts--known as "The Tabby"-- in her hometown of Salem, Massachusetts. But when the local handyman turns up dead under seemingly inexplicable circumstances on Christmas night, Lee's clairvoyant capabilities begin bubbling to the surface once again.

The Tabby is housed in the long-vacant Trumbull's Department Store. As Lee and her intrepid students begin on a documentary charting the store's history, they unravel a century of family secrets, death-bed whispers--and a mysterious labyrinth of tunnels hidden right below the streets of Salem. Even the witches in town are spooked, and when Lee begins seeing visions in the large black patent leather pump in her classroom, she's certain something evil is afoot. But ghosts in the store's attic are the least of her worries with a killer on the loose...

Since we start seeing Halloween decorations like pumpkins, witches, and skeletons, I think this book is a fun addition to the list. A Skeleton in the Family by Leigh Perry is the first book in a series. The cover does not look spooky (it actually got a laugh out of me when I first saw it) but a talking skeleton hanging out in your house? That's a bit scary.

Blurb: Moving back into her parent's house with her teenage daughter had not been Georgia Thackery's Plan A. But when she got a job at the local college, it seemed the sensible thing to do. So she settled in and began reconnecting with old friends.

Including Sid. Sid is the Thackery family's skeleton. He's lived in the house as long as Georgia can remember, although no one, including Sid, knows exactly where he came from and how he came to be a skeleton.

Sid walks, he talks, he makes bad jokes, he tries to keep Georgia's dog from considering him a snack. And he manages to persuade Georgia to let him leave the house. But when she takes him to an anime convention--disguised as a skeleton, of course--he sees a woman who triggers memories of his past. 

Now, he's determined to find out how he died--with Georgia's help. But their investigation may uncover a killer who's still alive and well and bad to the bone...

These next two are the first couple books in a series that I can't wait to read. The first book is Ghostly Paws and then the second book is A Spirited Fall, both by Leighann Dobbs. Despite being an older Gen-Z, I love cozies with middle aged women as protagonists. Yes, give me a book about a forty-year-old divorced lady raising a teenager, trying to rebuild her life, making friends and riding out her hot flashes. Young protagonists are fun, but seasoned protagonists are even more fun and usually have less drama (to me, obviously).

Blurb: The series follows Wilhelmina Chance, who after a near-fatal accident can now see ghosts. After a messy divorce, she moves back to her hometown in New Hampshire, only to face a ghost librarian who wants her to solve her murder. She reconnects with old friends, and befriends people from the small town. When things begin to look better for her as she gets close to solving the case, some friends make the jump into the suspects list.

Last, but not least, the second book in the Tower District Mystery Series by Lorie Lewis Ham. One of You takes place in Fresno, California, specifically in the Tower District neighborhood. I enjoyed reading this book because I could identify a lot of the places mentioned, and I imagined myself at the locations.

Blurb: With her life on the California Coast behind her, Roxi Carlucci is beginning to feel at home in the Tower District--the cultural oasis of Fresno CA--where she now lives with her cousin P.I Stephen Carlucci, her pet ran Merlin, a Pit Bull named Watson, and a black cat named Dan. She has a new entertainment podcast, works as a part-time P.I., and is helping local bookstore owner Clark Halliwell put on the first-ever Tower Halloween Mysteryfest! The brutal summer heat is gone and has been replaced by the dense tule fog--perfect for Halloween!

She just wishes everyone would stop calling her the "Jessica Fletcher" of the Tower District simply she found a dead body when she first arrived. But when one of the Mysteryfest authors is found dead, she fears she jinxed herself! The Carlucci's are hired to find the killer before they strike again. Will Mysteryfest turn into a murder fest? How is the local gossip website back, and what does it know about the death of Roxi's parents?

These are all the cozy mystery recommendations I have for you this spooky season. If you find yourself inspired to read one of these, let me know and tag me on Instagram @brisas_bookcorner

Until next time!

Horrors and Thrillers for Spooky Season

During this time of the year, besides reading a good cozy mystery, I also enjoy having the blankets all the way to my neck as I'm hypnotized by a thriller book. I love that until my partner opens on the door, making me jump in fright.

Spooky season is the perfect time to read horror and thriller books, as well as their subgenres. That's why today I bring you some ideas of thrillers and horror books to read this month.

Phantom of Glencourt, by Clarissa Ross is a gothic romance-horror from the 1970s. 

Blurb: The Glencourt theater was a shell of the magnificent building which had once crowned Broadway. In its day it had known all the famous stars and most of the great productions that made that street in New York famous as the theatrical center of America. But the theater was old now, its builder decades dead... and even its most flamboyant manager was now gone. In his place was his granddaughter, Jane Glen, who found her inheritance a failing proposition, with but one chance to save it from the wreckers. But there were dark forces arrayed against her... forces from beyond life itself.

It wouldn't be Halloween season without Goosebumps by R. L. Stine, would it? In this post I think that the best book form that series to recommend is The Scarecrow Walks at Midnight. They might be middle grade horror books, but they can scare you if you focus on the storyline rather than only in the ages of the protagonists.

Blurb: Jodie loves visiting her grandparents' farm. Okay, so it's not the most exciting place in the world. Still grandpa tells great scary stories. And grandma's chocolate chip pancakes are the best. But this summer the farm has really changed. The cornfields are sparse. Grandma and grandpa seem worn out. And the single scarecrow has been replaced by twelve evil-looking ones. Then one night Jodie sees something really odd. The scarecrows seem to be moving. Twitching on their stakes. Coming alive...

Next we have Lunacy, by author Jennifer Blackstream. Do me a favor and go look up the cover for this book. Go ahead, I'll wait here. I fell in love with this cover. It gave me memories of early 2010s horror, but with the art style of the contemporary times. The colors, the shading, the details in the wolves faces. 10/10 cover in the eye-catching category.

Blurb: Witch PI Shade Renard and werewolf Detective Sergeant Liam Osbourne have come a long way since their hostile first attempt to work together. But even in her wildest dreams, Shade never dared he would ask not only for her supernatural help on a case--but for her to take the lead in the investigation itself.

There's been a murder on the doorsteps of New Moon, the shifter rehabilitation center ran by Liam, as Alpha of the local werewolf pack. The number one suspect has killed before and gotten away with it. If she's proven guilty this time--of a murder committed while she was in Liam's charge--it could be the leverage a rival alpha needs to outs Liam form New Moon, or worse, seize control of the Rocky River Pack itself.

Now, a book that scared me to the point that it gave me nightmares. Let me be clear, I wasn't scared while I read, but the reality of this thriller left a bad taste on my mouth. It is The Whisper Man by Alex North.

Blurb: After the sudden death of his wife, Tom Kennedy believes a fresh start will help him and his young son Jake heal. A new beginning, a new house, a new town. Featherbank.

But the town has a dark past. Twenty years ago, a serial killer abducted and murdered five residents. Until Frank Carter was finally caught, he was nicknamed "The Whisper Man," for he would lure his victims out by whispering at their windows at night.

Just as Tom and Jake settle into their new home, a young boy vanishes. His disappearance bears an unnerving resemblance to Frank Carter's crimes, reigniting old rumors that he preyed with an accomplice. Now, detectives Amanda Beck and Pete Willis must find the boy before it is too late, even if that means Pete has to revisit his great foe in prison: The Whisper Man.

And then Jake begins acting strangely. He hears a whispering at his window...

If you are in the mood for a mix of thriller, mystery, and literary fiction, then you might want to pick up Ghostwalk by Rebecca Stott. With a mix of text and images that aid in moving the story forward, this piece gives the term "Dark Academia" a run for its money.

Blurb: A Cambridge historian, Elizabeth Vogelsang, is found drowned, clutching a glass prism in her hand. The book she was writing about Isaac Newton’s involvement with alchemy—the culmination of her lifelong obsession with the seventeenth century—remains unfinished. When her son, Cameron, asks his former lover, Lydia Brooke, to ghostwrite the missing final chapters of his mother’s book, Lydia agrees and moves into Elizabeth’s house—a studio in an orchard where the light moves restlessly across the walls. Soon Lydia discovers that the shadow of violence that has fallen across present-day Cambridge, which escalates to a series of murders, may have its origins in the troubling evidence that Elizabeth’s research has unearthed. As Lydia becomes ensnared in a dangerous conspiracy that reawakens ghosts of the past, the seventeenth century slowly seeps into the twenty-first, with the city of Cambridge the bridge between them.

And if you want some more Dark Academia, then check out The Demonologist by Andrew Pyper. This one sounds terrifying yet intellectually challenging. It's sitting on my shelf and I hope to read it soon.

Blurb:Professor David Ullman is among the world’s leading authorities on demonic literature, with special expertise in Milton’s Paradise Lost. Not that David is a believer—he sees what he teaches as a branch of the imagination and nothing more. So when the mysterious Thin Woman arrives at his office and invites him to travel to Venice and witness a “phenomenon,” he turns her down. She leaves plane tickets and an address on his desk, advising David that her employer is not often disappointed.

That evening, David’s wife announces she is leaving him. With his life suddenly in shambles, he impulsively whisks his beloved twelve-year-old daughter, Tess, off to Venice after all. The girl has recently been stricken by the same melancholy moods David knows so well, and he hopes to cheer her up and distract them both from the troubles at home.

But what happens in Venice will change everything.

First, in a tiny attic room at the address provided by the Thin Woman, David sees a man restrained in a chair, muttering, clearly insane . . . but could he truly be possessed? Then the man speaks clearly, in the voice of David’s dead father, repeating the last words he ever spoke to his son. Words that have left scars—and a mystery—behind.

When David rushes back to the hotel, he discovers Tess perched on the roof’s edge, high above the waters of the Grand Canal. Before she falls, she manages to utter a final plea: Find me.

What follows is an unimaginable journey for David Ullman from skeptic to true believer. In a terrifying quest guided by symbols and riddles from the pages of Paradise Lost, David must track the demon that has captured his daughter and discover its name. If he fails, he will lose Tess forever.

This last one was written by an author whom I had the pleasure of meeting recently at the Heart of California Book Faire. Watcher is the first book in Roh Morgon's series The Chosen. Super cool cover, also gave me vibes of 2010s horror. And if you want another reason to convince you to read it, I saw some reviews online that have called it "the best vampire book" just saying.

Blurb: The words echo in Sunny Martin’s head each time she looks in the mirror. Since the night she was torn from her car and drained of her blood, Sunny’s fear of the hungry beast within her is rivaled only by the fear of exposure.

Her lonely struggle to survive on the edge of the human world leads Sunny to the mountain peaks of Colorado where she meets Nicolas, the enigmatic leader of a hidden society.

Their passion, tainted by betrayal, violence, and murder, reveals a shocking truth behind Sunny's savage nature and drives her toward an agonizing Choice between her heart and the last remnant of her human soul.

Overall, I think any horror and thriller books fit this October and November season. A chill in the air, the sun disappearing earlier, the crunching of leaves, all reasons to rush home and cuddle up with a good horror book. If you read, or have read any of these, I'd love to hear what you thought!

Some Romance Couples Aren't Forever

 As it's known in the reader popular culture, at least for regular romance readers, a novel is categorized as romance when the characters have a happy ending. If there's no happy ending but there's romance as part of the plot, even if the book isn't tragic, then I believe it's categorized as simply fiction.

I've been reading romance for a while now, and I have noticed that while some romances can be sweet and entertaining, some main characters absolutely do not belong together. Whether it is due to personalities or to outside situations, these couples in romance books are not shelved in the "happy ever after." For some, I think that their story shouldn't have developed at all in the way that it did, or I think that they broke up soon after the book ended. 

There will be spoilers, obviously. Read carefully if you see a book that you have in your TBR.

The couple from The Unhoneymooners absolutely did not last. I really hope that the FMC had more brains to realize that she deserved better than a man-child who was willing to cover up shady behavior by his male peers. They should've enjoyed hooking up in Hawaii and gone back to normal; not every one-night-stand is meant to stay in your life. I enjoyed reading the book, it was fun and refreshing, but do I support this couple? Nope. She deserved so much better.

This book was HOT, as in, insanely HOT. But the protagonists really have nothing to carry their relationship besides a desire the horniness of a phone call. Yes, it started over a phone call (that I'm sure was against policy or something). I get it, it's fiction, but they never got to know each other well enough to decide if they're right for each other. I'm sure that once they moved forward, they'd figure out that a relationship goes beyond dirty talk with a stranger. This is another one that could've been a one-night-stand and be done with it.

I can't believe I'm having this book here. Actually, I can. The couples in Emily Henry books are fun to read about (like Christina Lauren's books) but I know that this couple specifically will not last. A relationship formed out of spite and confusion? That's not healthy nor is it a strong foundation. The protagonists were not bad people, but they both needed someone who fit with them, not just a random person who also got dumped. Funny Story feels more like a rebound story than a HEA romance.

Angelika Frankenstein did not make her match. I'm sorry, but I won't elaborate beyond this: she should've let him go. Love is patient, love is kind, love is not holding your partner in a painful situation because you have abandonment and superiority issues. Every time I remember this book I want to scream.

Another relationship founded on lies, degradation, and being condescending. Delusional is one way to describe it, although I feel like it could've been worse. Overall, I enjoyed the book, despite not enjoying the relationship. A person who makes fun of your interests, no matter how temporary they might be, is not a good romantic partner. This gave me strong vibes of men who make fun of women for being interested in Astrology, but are obsessed with their own thing and don't you dare say anything about it.

I like to think that after the novelty of getting two dicks at once, the FMC realized that these guys are TOXIC and that the situation was never going to end well. The deceit, the continuous lying, the half-assed apologies and the pity party. A cute book cover, not a fun relationship to support. Fun for a fling, but the lies snowballed until the point of no return. She should've taken the L and moved on.

This woman was being stalked not only by the creepy unknown person, but also by the romance interest. He installed cameras "for her protection" but was using them to spy on her and on her child, under the excuse that since he paid for the cameras, he could watch them anytime he wanted. This woman was escaping abuse, new in a strange town, stressed out from being a single mother, the last thing she needed was a creepy cowboy throwing himself against her until she said yes. Is it consent if they've drilled the "yes" out of a person? Unapologetically, I can say that these two people do not belong together.

Lastly, I'm not sure if the characters in this manga series actually ended up together or not. I hope they didn't, because if one of the people in a relationship is just unable to express their feelings and communicate what's bothering them, it's not the other person's responsibility to beg for communication. "What's wrong? what's wrong? what's wrong? why is this relationship feeling so forced? I'm ignoring the red flags, shouldn't it work itself out?" Red flags (or club lights, since the characters spent a lot of nights clubbing) were set up all around them, but the characters were wearing pink shades.

I don't know. I'm a salty bitch today. I just know that some stories with alleged HEA can cloud impressionable readers' perception into accepting toxic situations. Sometimes I prefer to read about a fun, sexy adventure with a third-act breakup, than to finish a book and have a nasty taste in my mouth because of how the couple ended up together.

I'd love to hear what you think. Are there any book couples that you think should not have ended up together?

What you should read this October

 I woke up this morning to a chilly wind coming in through the window that I had left open. First, I noticed that I had no extra blankets so I might as well get up and start my day. Second, that officially marked the beginning of Fall, therefore, I feel that it is now appropriate to recommend Spooky books. 

This type of weather is lovely; fresh air rustling the browning leaves as I walk home, a cup of coffee while I work from my office, looking out the window into the early sunset. And what better time to look at the section of my bookshelf that houses my favorite books to read this time of the year.

Before we begin, I'd like to mention that while some of these books are not my favorites, I know that reviews are subjective. If you see something that catches your eye, I encourage you to check out that book and give it a try.

First, I'd like to recommend Breathe in Bleed Out, by Brian McAuley. It is a slasher that follows a woman who has been having nightmares that make her re-live a trip gone wrong. When she takes up her friend's offer to go out into the desert for a wellness retreat, things take a turn for the worst. Check the CW/TW for this one.

Next, I think this book by Johanna van Veen deserves more attention. It is Blood on Her Tongue, a gothic horror novel that follows the tensions of two identical twins whose lives couldn't be more different. When one becomes obsessed, and maybe possessed by something from the swamplands, they must decide who is trustworthy and who is a foe if they want to survive and save each other.  Check the CW/TW for this one.

This one is a very short story that was a little challenging but I read it because I'd heard wonders about it. "A Rose for Emily" by William Faulkner. A woman's husband disappears from the eye of society, only for his wife to become a recluse and an enigma for their neighbors. What goes on behind the closed doors of their home?

Some people hate Riley Sager's writing, some people love it. Me? I think I fall in between. I don't hate it, I couldn't. He knows how to tell a story that keeps me at the edge of my seat and flipping those pages. I think that his novel, Middle of the Night is a good fit to October, even though it takes place during the summertime. The darkness of the books fits the darkening days of Fall best, in my opinion.

If you like visceral horror, with splatter and strong yuck factors, you might enjoy A Lonely Broadcast and the rest of the books in the series, by Kel Byron. It takes place in an isolated town by the woods, where a radio station must play 24/7 as protection otherwise... the creatures that hunt in the forest come out with a thirst for blood. Absolutely check the TW for this one! 

The book There's Someone Inside Your House, by Stephanie Perkins kept me up all night reading. And funnily enough, it takes place around the Halloween season! What could hunt high schoolers in a sleepy small town? The worst part is that they were supposed to be safe at their own homes. This one was not my cup of tea, but if you enjoy slashers, high school settings, and Halloween fun, try this one out.

If you enjoy reading graphic novels, I think that Fly by Night by Sarah O'Connor is the perfect fit for October. It's also set in a sleepy town, where a teenage girl returns to find out what has happened to her sister. Everyone seems to be hiding something, if only she could find out before she becomes the next target.

With a mix of spookiness and a bit of spice, I have A Grave so Cold by C.M. Tillman in my list of recommendations. During a Halloween hangout with other teens from her school, the protagonist is taken into what seems like another dimension. There, she becomes aware of her origins, and realizes that the life she had been living may have been a lie.

Lastly, I'd like to recommend a cozy mystery for fans of witchy characters and cozy town settings. Blackwork by Monica Ferris is part of the Needlework Mysteries, that follows Betsy, an amateur sleuth who owns a crafting shop. In this book, some rumors begin to spread about a woman being a witch and she's at the verge of being framed for a crime, as if it were the 1700s. Trying to restore the peace and help out her friend, Betsy hops in to discover what is actually going on, sure she'll unmask more than a superficial plot of witch craft.

That's it! These are the books that I recommend this month, hopefully you get to read at least one while drinking a warm beverage and relaxing at a cozy spot. If you have read any of these books, let me know!