Ali > Recent Status Updates

Right now I have a pretty good idea what plot twists are going to be revealed, but struggle to have slightest grasp on why is anyone acting the way they are. What's the point of running away before anyone says anything useful? And on the other hand: your supposed friend is already is paranoid and confused; and you're entering his home in a treatening manner with weapons ready. Get a grip all of you maybe?

"we leave this life the same way we enter it—totally alone, bereft" <- this book already is testing my hyperliteral mind. I mean: we very much don't enter this world alone, at least at this level of science at least one more person will be present at our birth, so please hold your edgelord side in check, author.

...it's only 100-odd pages, we can do it...

The explanation of the title will stay with me for sure, even if the horror part disapoints me in the end.

Friends. Romans. I am suffering here.
If anything, Morozova's stag's antlers should be a) the easiest way to track the herd; b) the most common amplifier there is! Antlers come off every single year! Make it a yak if you want majestic beasts that won't lose their horns on theur own!

After Words by John Langan
When your couple supposedly in their mid-40s sound like they're way past 60, you should scrape the whole story and start over. Or even better--drop the project and save the time.
Oh, I didn't mention: we're watching this aged-before-their-time couple in bed. We can hear them having sex a couple of times. It's not much fun when you only get the noises. 1.5/5

No Light, No Light by Gemma Files
One to show a geologist in your life, for sure.
Villain protagonists, volcanoes on Iceland and ancient powers lurking beneath are exactly my idea of creepy fun. 5/5

The Lord of Misrule by M. Rickert
Another real-life horror moment: meeting your new partner's child for the first time. It's an experience that can stick with you.
I could perhaps ask for more bloody details, but otherwise 4.5/5

The Visitation by Jeffrey Ford
The author made a grave mistake of putting "Vikings" and "pre-historic" in the same sentence of the introduction. I can't tell you for sure if what came next really was the dryest depiction of a home invasion possible, or I was just that biased against whatever he had to say next. Either way, 2/5, and but for the twist ending is it so high.

Gravé of Small Birds by Kaaron Warren
Midsommar's wintry, British, more fun cousin.
I had a bloody great time reading. Wasn't too scary to me, though. Maybe the reaction depends on: at which age one watched The Birds. 4/5

Cold by Cassandra Khaw
After the Apocalypse, there are still saints to worship and holidays to celebrate.
I loved the writing, I loved how we were told just the bare minimum to feel the world and its atmosphere. However, it stretches the main theme of the collection to its extreme: Imbolc falls on 1st February, nowhere near winter solstice and on the very tail end of Christmas season 4.8/5

Löyly Sow-na by Josh Malerman
A Finnish father sets his future-son-in-law's head straight in sauna.
I kept waiting for the horror to happen, but it was pretty much a normal sauna experience. And from an author whose wife is actually Finnish, I expected something less surface level. He didn't even try to use any supernatural creatures existing in the folklore, just calling them "wood demons". 2.5/5

All the Pretty People by Nadia Bulkin
After ghosting all her friends the entire year, Sam comes to their Festivus party to explain herself.
I liked the idea of an annual party tradition between a group of friends, and the way all its customs would drive the story forward. 4/5

Our Recent Unpleasantness by Stephen Graham Jones
One Winter Solstice, Jenner comes back from walking his dog with a horrible secret to keep.
I liked some of the ideas. The problem is, Jenner was neither sympathetic enough for me to root for him, nor unpleasant enough to cheer for his getting his just desserts. I just followed along, shuddering at certain scenes but mostly unmoved 3/5

The Ghost of Christmases Past by Richard Kadrey
What if all the child-eating monsters roaming around Christmas were real?
An adult survivor of one is a great story concept. It's another one that could have been something more, though.
The Author gets bonus points from me for mentioning religious celebrations in a casual way, which pulls it up to full 4/5

Return to Bear Creek Lodge by Tananarive Due
Johnny's grandmother used to be a movie star, then she was mainly a monster to her family, now she's dying which ruins bot Christmas and Kwanzaa that year.
Author's notes tell me it's a sequel to another short story, and might become a full novel. Which explains why I felt like something was missing. The writing's good but I kept waiting for something more 3.75/5

Last Drinks at Bondi Beach by Garth Nix
What if there's something far, far more ancient than us wsiting for their own Festival?
Delightfully creepy. 4/5

Dry and Ready by Glen Hirschberg
Aaliyah's father was a brilliant sculptor, a mad genius even. Now every Hanukkah it's the duty of his wife, daughter, and granddaughter to deliver blessings to each of his works.
Deep emotions connected to duty and traditions; reading it feels very much like around a cold, wet park, upholding a tradition we don't understand. For better or for worse. 3.5/5

This just hit me: <spoiler>they have a living siren, a dead one, and enough samples for several scientists to share. Why on Earth aren't they at the coasts of the nearest island right now, preparing the fastest route to Hawai'i? Why are they just waiting there for the sirens to come massacre them?</spoiler> This book just stopped making sense!

The Blessing of the Water by Nick Mamatas
Another part of any festive season: visits from long-time-no-see relatives who shouldn't be here, really.
Maybe he is a vampire, Athanasios means immortal!
My favourite one so far. Every part of the story feels so real: the family relations, the dying traditions, even the supernatural element. 6/5

The Mawkin Field by Terry Dowling
When northern hemisphere is looking out for snow, in Australia it's just the right time to put up a new scarecrow.
The recitation of local names for scarecrow builds a nice, creepy atmosphere, but to me it's fallen just short off the line between revealing too much and too little. 3.75/5

The author is trying too hard to sell Thiyo to me. As a result I can't stand him.

His Castle by Alma Katsu
Mari Lwyd (my eternally beloved), highwaymen, gentrification. Saying anything would spoil the story, and it's so worth reading! 5/5

The Ones He Takes by Brian Percy
What happens to the naughty ones.
Might work for Anglo-Saxon cultural circle better than it worked for me. Or maybe it won't? I feel like there's an oversaturation of the Dark Side of Santa stories in every Christmas horror compilation. 2.5/5

The Importance of a Tidy Home by Christopher Golden
Living on the streets of Salzburg in winter comes with a fair share of difficulties, but at least one doesn't have to worry about Schnabelperchten. Or do they?
I appreciated how the author makes us eonder about both the nature of myths and the nature of home. 4.5/5

The trouble with intelligent creatures is that we don’t recognize
borders that seem completely natural to those who act on instinct.
Again: nope. Every single organism is more than happy to cross their natural expansion borders whenever they get a chance. Life would still be in the state of soup if they didn't. No intelligence needed for that.

“You’re assuming a level of intelligence that—”
Let me finish that one for you: a level of intelligence completely standard for every predator that hunts in packs, terrestial or aquatic. This really isn't a far-fetched conclusion, let alone a genius one.

Oh great, a classic "the author can't refuse the siren's call of showing off every area of her research no matter how much it breaks the scene" moment.

loving the mermaids, hating the humans, and not for the reasons Mira Grant had in mind

Thus opens my Second Chance month. It's been howeverlong since I've seen this main character template so I should be fine with her this time, I know more about marine life conservation so I can put my frustrations into words better.
If I don't finish it by the end of the year, I'm dropping it all together.