Let the Right Book In

A scouting trip on Falstaff Island goes disastrously wrong following the arrival of an emaciated man, asking for food. This man isn't just hungry, he's sick. Pretty quickly, the young boys are fighting for survival, both against this sickness and each other. "Do you know how hard it is to kill something? Nothing wants to die." Okay, so first of all - when Sadie and the guys at NRB kept pushing me to read this book, telling me I'd love all the horror and gore etc...they did NOT tell me that I'd also FEEL things other than fear and disgust. I teared up numerous times during this book, one part involving a turtle (it'll make sense if you've read this) and then I got emotional about the storyline surrounding the actual boys themselves. I did not sign up for this! But I loved it. Cutter really brought these characters to life and I was there with them every step of the way, through all the horror and terror... Word of warning though - this boo

There's a new breed of rat in London, England, and they're bigger, more intelligent and more vicious than their predecessors. These rats are thirsty for human blood and as they feed, their bloodlust becomes more and more rampant. As the rats wreck havoc on those living in London, the question becomes: how do you eliminate hordes of rats as big as dogs that are capable of chewing through basically anything?! "The rats had had their fill of his body, but were still hungry. So they searched. Searched for more food of the same kind. They had tasted their first human blood." The premise of this novel sounds pretty corny, doesn't it? But if you're after old-school horror that will chill you to the bone, then The Rats will bring it to you in spades. The pace is pretty relentless with the rats getting their teeth and claws stuck into humans right from the beginning. Herbert's descriptions of the mutilations and deaths are BRUTAL and awesome. Befor

Spanning from the formation of Guns N' Roses to their eventual demise and most recent reunion tour, Last of the Giants leaves no stone unturned. Mick Wall tells the true story of "the most dangerous in the world" through interviews with those involved, excerpts from autobiographies and first-hand encounters with the band.  "Axl Rose really is that thing we so desperately want him to be: the last of the truly extraordinary, all-time great, no-apologies, no-explanations, no-quarter-given rock stars. The last of his kind." It's no secret that GnR have been one of my favourite bands ever since I was young - I grew up in a GnR house. So I already know a lot of the stories, a lot of the rumours... and yet this book was still thoroughly enjoyable. I had forgotten so much of the absolutely insane shit Axl Rose and the rest of the band got up to - how are the original members still alive?! Given the number of times Slash was practically on death's

This month's theme for the Nocturnal Reader's Box was Monster Mayhem! So expect the usual suspects like Cthulhu and Frankenstein... We also got possibly the coolest bookmark I've ever seen in my life, as well as the most frickin' insane water bottle!! Let's take a closer look at this month's contents... Look at all the awesome! First, let's start with the books. The new release this month is The Wicked by James Newman, and the synopsis is as follows: "After a fire consumes the Heller Home for Children, the residents of Morganville, North Carolina, thought they knew evil... They were wrong. Unaware of the turmoil in their new hometown, the Littles - David, Kate, and seven-year-old Becca - are moving from New York City to Morganville in hopes of repairing their own lives, which were recently shattered by an act of sexual violence. Before long, David realises that his family's troubles are worse than he could ever have imagined. An ancient

A trio of mismatched mercenaries are hired by Ellen Bellhaven to check in on her nephew, who has been whisked away to join a backwoods settlement in New Mexico called Little Heaven. Ellen joins the mercenaries, Micah, Minerva and Eb, as they venture out on their mission. However, as they get close to the settlement, things start to turn a little.... ominous. Full of downtrodden inhabitants, who appear unhealthy and emaciated, and children who are demonstrating pretty cruel behaviour, Little Heaven tells the story of a settlement that might actually be a little closer to Hell than Heaven... "The black rock stood within itself, brooding and implacable. It waited as it always had. For that wheel to come round again." I finally broke my Nick Cutter virginity and it was everything I thought it would be! My two major takeaways from this book: 1). Nick Cutter is insanely good at character development - almost King-like, one could say. 2). He is very skilled at pr

Abby and Gretchen have been best friends since fifth grade, but things change when they start high school. After getting lost and spending a night in the woods, Gretchen becomes slightly... different. Abby knows that something is wrong, coming to the conclusion that her best friend must be possessed. Nothing will stand in her way as Abby tries to save her friend from the devil, but will their friendship be strong enough to overcome such forces of evil? "She and Gretchen spent hours ranking their friendships, trying to determine who was a best friend and who was an everyday friend, debating whether anyone could have two best friends at the same time." When I started this book, I honestly didn't know what to expect. A throwback to the 80s? A horror spoof? A young adult book disguised as horror? Thankfully, it was a pleasant surprise. Yes, it feels spoofy at times and has its own sense of humour, but overall it's a really wonderfully touching book. I signed

Dr Ethan Lewis is a scientific researcher developing a treatment for anxiety and depression wherein patients are "put under" using a cocktail of drugs and plant extracts, finding their symptoms alleviated upon awakening again. Alongside his lab partner, Kyle, they further explore the possibilities of this treatment, finding that it can be used to allow patients to experience a higher spiritual plane, almost as if they are in Heaven. Their friendship and working relationship is put to the test as they disagree over how best to progress with such a phenomenon, as Dr Lewis is both an atheist and a scientist, therefore he is searching for a logical, biological explanation for these experiences. Things quickly start to unravel as Dr Lewis' dark past is brought to the fore. "Mostly I think of the things he won't be here for." This book felt like it was written for me - Mike even likes to placate me by saying he wrote it with me in mind ;) People often