Fantasy Buddy Reads discussion

This is a Buddy Read for Strange Practice by Vivian Shaw starting on October 8, 2024.


Happy Reading!

Thanks, Yanique...

Like I said in the other thread, I kinda describe this as a cozy Penny Dreadful... it's easy to forget this seems to be set in the present day, sometimes, with the feeling of the audio, and all the classic horror monsters just trying to eke a life...

Timelord Iain wrote: "Thanks, Yanique...

Like I said in the other thread, I kinda describe this as a cozy Penny Dreadful... it's easy to forget this seems to be set in the present day, sometimes, with the feeling of th..."

Yeah I was expecting this would be a historical and then someone mentioned an airport and I was like Ummm what? I enjoyed it quite a lot, (view spoiler)[I liked how there were so many supernatural creatures and it was just a thing, not a big deal for the main character. It took a bit to get going but once it did I was in for it and it ended up being a quick, enjoyable listen. (hide spoiler)]

What I enjoy most about this book is the mystery element. I think this is my third time reading the book but this time I am also reading Varney the Vampire so it's interesting because I didn't realize he was a main character in an actual book that was published in 1845.

Read a bit of this this morning before jumping to something else, and it’s obvious why it feels Victorian… in the first couple pages and a bit more, it mentions Penny Dreadfuls, a Ripper, the 1700s, etc…

Bitter Waters is $2 today, as Audible's Daily Deal, if anyone needs the novella... I hadn't picked it up yet, and wasn't sure I would, since novella/ebook pricing doesn't tend to be much better than full books... but for $2 I don't feel so bad...

I started this yesterday. About half way and enjoying it.

I picked up that short for $2. Can’t argue with that price!

Coming back to this, after reading a few other things, I'm forging deeper into the re-read, and remembering more... 50% in and the villain has been revealed... (view spoiler)[part flaggelant from DaVinci Code, part immortal entity from Doctor Who... really evokes alot of other sources... (hide spoiler)]

Also, very interested to hear even Varney is an existing supernatural character from the 1800s, Rachel...

There's a novella in this series on the Audible Daily Deal today for $2

Nirkatze wrote: "There's a novella in this series on the Audible Daily Deal today for $2"

JINX ;)

Too slow... I shared that around 12 hours ago :D

Fastitocalon, as a name, just makes me think of Final Fantasy 8 and the fish monsters...

Otherwise, seems to be a Tolkien poem about a sea turtle?...

Timelord Iain wrote: "Nirkatze wrote: "There's a novella in this series on the Audible Daily Deal today for $2"

JINX ;)

Too slow... I shared that around 12 hours ago :D"

LOL I'm too slow on everything these past few months...

Also seriously going crazy... keep finding things I haven't commented on that I swear I commented on... read this last week? Two weeks ago? Really enjoyed it. I was like Ann-Marie though--the cover with the Edward Gorey style drawing totally made me think this was set in the 1800s in the height of gothic monsters... I was also thinking it was starring a medical examiner, not a straight up doctor... so I was pleasantly surprised to find myself wrong on both accounts. I do like seeing the different ways that authors find to put their own twist on traditional creatures. (view spoiler)[I especially liked the family friend's twist on demons & heaven/hell, and all the pop-culture modern references. I also really liked the mystery, starting off kinda Whitechapel and going full cult--also wasn't expecting the Cthulu-y there. I like that Greta is a doctor, and she brings her skill set to the table without having being a damsel in distress or a fighter.

And I also appreciate that at the end, when the family friend offers to bankroll her, she doesn't have any "oh no, I must do this all on my own and suffer" rejection complex. She was just like "yes please I will take your money and use this for good." This felt kinda cozy to me, actually... (hide spoiler)]