What Abigail Did That Summer by Ben Aaronovitch
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It was wonderful to spend some time in one of my favorite fiction universes, and getting to know Abigail better was great. I cannot wait to see what she gets up to as she gets older! The foxes were a delight, too, and I really enjoyed getting a peek into their operations. And I wonder if Nightingale has any clue about her perception of their conversation at the end.

The only criticism I have is what Abigail said to Simon’s mother at the end. I didn’t catch that about Simon at all; I went over a lot of things and tried to make it fit, but I felt like Abigail’s comments about Simon came out of nowhere in a lot of ways. Although in hindsight I could sort of retrofit it, that felt more like a surprise twist than something that was really set up ahead of time. But this was fairly minor overall and didn’t detract from the story–I still loved it as I always do with these stories.

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Harrow Lake by Kat Ellis
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was so good! It was set up like an old horror movie with the eerie atmosphere, and then it unraveled into something much deeper. And the ending was so satisfying! I thought we had a tragedy, but those last pages! I am so happy with where this went. All sorts of unexpected turns but with enough hints in hindsight that nothing seemed like it didn’t belong.

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The Secrets of Mystic Springs by Mona Marple
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was another fun read. I enjoy the town and the characters both human and ghostly. My one wish is that there would be less focus on Connie’s weight (she’s the main character). I don’t feel like we need her to be a large woman who constantly worries about her weight and how she looks and feels (when hugging) to other people, etc. I don’t feel like it adds anything to the stories, and I wish it wasn’t there.

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The Ghosts of Mystic Springs by Mona Marple
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really liked this book! I’m surprised by how much I liked it. I thought it was going to be a bit of a surface glitz sort of book, fun and fast and easy but without much depth. I was wrong. There were depths to the characters and plot bits that surprised me, and it was thoroughly engaging. I’m reading the next in the series right away, and maybe more after that, too. This was a wonderful reading surprise.

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Midnight Movie by J.L. Bryan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was my favorite one by far. I loved the drive-in setting and the fun old Hollywood tidbits. This was a great, fun read.

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Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was so much fun! I loved the concept, and the characters were strange and wonderful. The ending seemed abrupt, which is really the only thing that kept me from giving this five stars. And the scene at the very end? I did not expect that! Now I feel like I don’t know where the next book is going to go, and I’m really excited to find out.

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Better Read Than Dead by Victoria Laurie
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I enjoyed the mystery part, but I really wish these characters seemed more like real people. Too much sudden jumping from one emotion to another that feels artificial. And the tarot reading scene where Abby learns to do the Celtic Cross spread, which is described as the easiest, in only an hour had me rolling my eyes. There were also an awful lot of cliches and stereotypes about mafia families. And the resolutions were too easy and felt contrived. I have an oddly large number of complaints about a book I also managed to enjoy. I’m sure I’ll read more of these, but I’m hoping for more depth.

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Abby Cooper, Psychic Eye by Victoria Laurie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a fun and rompy kind of read. The characters are interesting, the clues to the mystery were just enough to make you think you might figure things out before Abby does. It was a perfect palate cleanser after reading something heavier, too. I think this is definitely going to be a fun bingey kind of series.

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Devolution: A Firsthand Account of the Rainier Sasquatch Massacre by Max Brooks
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a hard book to read. I loved the way we got the story–interviews and excerpts from a few sources plus a diary that’s been left behind. But from the beginning we know the dark outcome for the most part, so the story felt hopeless. We start getting to know these people, and we even have some empathy for them and understand them, and they become real, and we know what’s coming. I had to read this one with breaks to read other, lighter things. Also–that ambiguous ending! I would have at least liked a full wrap-up!

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What’s a Ghoul to Do? by Victoria Laurie
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The premise is fun. I love ghost hunting stories. But I was bothered by the two main characters and their relationship.

Slight spoilers below.

M.J. is supposed to be an independent woman, but she acts completely weird for no reason around Steven. And he is aggressive with his pursuit of her and sudden grabbing her to kiss her to the point of being inappropriate and making it feel like mild sexual assault, except she seems to want to kiss and grope him back. The relationship is like an old romance novel, and this was published in 2007, so I expect better.

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