The premise: a spaceship AI realizes its humans have all been killed by Dracula, so it teams up with the Med Bay AI, a werewolf, and a variety of other monsters to stop him.

Yes, really.

This is one of those books that sounds like it would be just a goofy premise stretched too far but it works. It switches between multiple perspectives and can feel chaotic. The perspective shifts propel you along the ride and, along the way, you’ll realize these are genuine characters. There are emotional beats that are well earned and hit hard.

Somehow, this mashup of classic horror and sci-fi and humor comes together with a sincerity that moves past the gonzo sales pitch.

Recommended for fans of Martha Wells, Becky Chambers, Grady Hendrix, Chuck Wendig, Red Dwarf, and the Welcome to Night Vale podcast. It’s a fantastic fun October read.

Pat Conroy is a master at tugging at the heart strings and making you laugh. Two books from him so far both 5/5 for me. Trauma, fleeting time, forgiveness, life. What a beautiful book about what it means to love and love life again. Books like these always have a profound effect on me but this author tops most of them.

Finding forgiveness to move forward and redemption of the spirit , man. Another book like his lords of discipline that deeply impacted me.

"Time passing,” Jordan said, his eyes casting upward toward the stars. “It’s the big surprise in life. It might be the only one."

“Except for memory, time would have no meaning at all”

"No story is a straight line. The geometry of a human life is too imperfect and complex, too distorted by the laughter of time and the bewildering intricacies of fate to admit the straight line into its system of laws."

I got an advance copy of this and just finished it, it’s really great. The story follows an Irish family across a span of about 50 years as they grow up, move across the globe to America, and become adults with families of their own. The family consists of a mother and father and eleven brothers, the main character being the second oldest brother Mac.

The jacket description makes it almost sound like a mystery to find a missing brother, but I don’t think that does the book justice. It’s more about the ties that bind family together, even when you haven’t seen someone for decades, or maybe never even met. It’s beautifully written, emotional, cozy, and very readable. 4.5/5 stars.

I tore through this series (technically one long book) this week and I liked it so much that it's infected my dreams! Blackwater is the tale of the Caskey family, wealthy millowners in the little Alabama town of Perdido. The saga tracks them over three generations and shows how the family develops alongside the growth of their home and businesses. At the center of it all is the mysterious Elinor, who only son Oscar Caskey discovers sitting patiently in a flooded hotel in 1919.

To me, Blackwater shares some DNA with The Shadow over Innsmouth, but is more insular and slowly paced. It could be described very comfortably as a southern gothic. I'm not the biggest fan of the gothic genre myself, so the fact that it kept me deeply engrossed is a testament to the writing. The moments of horror are pretty sparse, though McDowell's command of horror atmosphere is impressive when it does show up. What it really excels in is the family dynamics, especially as they relate to the culture. You could not change the setting and have the same characters or story, it's firmly rooted in place.

Even though it's historical fiction written in the 1980s, McDowell manages to write some fantastic female characters. There are certainly some dated aspects, especially how the Strickland family is eventually handled, but his work is pretty refreshing to me, especially compared to other writers of his time. Even the 'underclass' of black characters have their role to play, and the story examines the dynamics between the serving staff and the rich family in a way that's historically accurate but not always too difficult to read about. All of his characters get dignity and respect, even if they come to horrific and tragic ends.

I would say the first three books are much stronger than the last three, though there were a lot of moments in 4 and 5 that I adored. I just wish the finale concentrated more on the lore and emotions built up throughout the series than on the logistics of the youngest generation's marriages. Still, it was a very fitting ending, and I loved my time with the whole saga so much regardless. It's a very slow burn so I can't recommend it to everyone, but I'd certainly recommend it if you like southern gothic stories that build and build.

It's a very short novella but i loved it, it was like watching a short film as at the end it was sad but good.

The FMC was too quick to decided that MMC was cheating and took drastic measures to get revenge.

It is the first book of Alibis collection so cant wait to finish them all this week and i hope all the others in the collection are good.