I read Last House on Needless Street this month and thought it was PHENOMENAL. It's funny to go back and watch your review having read the book because I know exactly what you mean about the use of A Certain Trope and that's how I was feeling too. I was ready to be mad, like, okay, I guess we're doing this again, and I had the rug pulled out from under me in the best way possible. Fully agree with your review, fantastic book, so glad I went in knowing roughly nothing!
The Last House on Needless Street is currently my favorite book of the year ! I did manage to figure out what was going on quite early, but the setup of everything is just so perfect. I also love that it's a book that actually answers our questions ! No ambiguous ending.
God, Penpal!! I still get flashbacks to 'Footsteps,' and freak myself out, out of nowhere every once in a while. Reading those stories as they were being published on reddit and then being able to hold the completed product in my hands afterwards was such an amazing experience. I highly recomend Dathan's second book "Bad Man." It is just as eerie, just as unsettling as Penpal, and imho a whole lot more horrifying.
I will have to check that out. Penpal is one of two books that have truly freaked me out and kinda wish I haven't read it because it stays with you but I feel like that's the point.
Dead Silence 10/10 🤟 Love the book content. Someone commented a bookshelf tour video. I'd love to see that as well. I loved your DVD tour you did in a live, reorganizing them.
I had to come back to this after reading The Last House on Needless Street. I'm glad I read it. I didn't really see the ending coming. It was a crazy ride
I feel very special because I was the second ever upvote on the first Penpal installment on r/NoSleep & have followed it ever since! So insanely proud of Dathan ❤️ Edit: grammar
I loved PenPal it scared me so much! As soon as I was done reading it I went & checked on my daughters made sure the windows were locked etc. it made me paranoid and I felt like I was being watched 😰😓. One of my favorite books!
When I heard you talk about switching between POVs I reeeeallly needed to recommend one of my favorite books! It’s called after dark by haruki murakami! It’s not horror or thriller, but it is magical realism and has some honestly really creepy moments. It switches between multiple POVs/storylines and is such beautiful writing. In my top 10 for sure
I read all of Gillian Flynn's books and I found each of her protagonists to be rather abrasive or just not super likable. That said, I did enjoy all the books, probably Gone Girl the most. I liked the book Sharp Objects, but found the limited series dull and missing something. Loved The Outsider, but then, King has been my favorite horror always and I love how immersive his books are, so they can never be too long for me. I did enjoy the limited series for that one and added it to my dvd collection. There are some differences from the book.
i believe king's work is always engaging, even in his lesser work, there's still memorable moments with fleshed out characters, great dialogue, and the stories feel real to me even if it's a bizarre premise. it's not that others can't write a good horror novel, it's that his work is always going to stick with me and leave more of an impact. for example, didn't care too much for gus moreno's book that she mentions. it kinda goes nowhere, and i've forgotten it just a few months after reading it. kinda felt like it was being weird for the sake of being weird.
You have to read dark tower of you're at all a king fan. I'm only halfway through the series and oh my Lord I didn't realize I'd like Stephen king that much until I read it.
I'm so excited to see you talking about PenPal! I remember waiting over a year for the book to come out, and it's been one of my favorites ever since! When reading it I remember one night I walked down my hallway in my house and just got full body shivers because it scared me so bad! I loved it! I read it almost every fall.
I read Penpal on reddit and is the most uncomfortable story I’ve ever read online. Your point about how we know what happened to us in childhood was spot on.
Great to see you talk about the Woman in Black, have loved it since we had to read it for my English class in school! I'd highly recommend seeing it in the theatre, it's much creepier, and would love to see you compare, the book, theatre production and the movie!
I am so happy you’re doing horror book reviews now. I love horror book reviews even more that the movie reviews. My preferences are similar to yours. I don’t like excessive gore and sex scenes in the genre. My favorite horror is supernatural, especially haunted houses. I know it’s been done to death but if it’s done well, I’m gonna like it. By the way, a haunted house in Outer Space sounds awesome. A few of my favorites are…..The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell, The Heart Shaped Box by Joe Hill, The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon and I Remember You by Yrsa Sigurdardottir. Keep reading and telling us about it. Love your reviews.
I LOVE your book reviews and author discussions! I'm a lifeline reader but mainly mystery's and historical fiction. Im just starting to get into Horror and a little lost on where to start.
Oooo I love all your videos but especially the book ones! Last House on Needless Street is phenomenal - definitely check out Catriona’s others. Rawblood and Little Eve are more gothic horror and her newest Sundial is just… a very different kind of horror. Such a talented author. Also recommend Lucie McKnight Hardy’s short story collection ‘Dead Relatives’ and her novel ‘Water shall refuse them’ if you haven’t read them already - very, very dark eerie/macabre folk horror and different to a lot of stuff out there 👍🏻
Last house on Needless street is amazing! It took me a little bit to get into it, and I was tempted to stop after the first couple of chapters but I'm so glad I didn't!
I love your book videos. Penpal really stuck with me. I read it over a year ago and still think about it. I read a lot of horror but no book left me feeling as creeped out as Penpal. Looking forward to your next book video!!
Just read Dark Places when you mentioned it in your previous vid! Was curious to know your thoughts. I totally agree with your feelings on Libby being unlikeable and the best bit being the different perspectives. I enjoyed it!
Oh my, I remember the Pen Pal stories from the podcast and just thinking about them gave me goosebumps. I am so happy to see you back active on Goodreads.
I love the book related videos, especially when it is only a handful of books, but more in depth, like in this video. It helps me to figure out which books I could potentially like. Videos with too many books or movies mentioned tend to overwhelm me, there is just too little time to read or watch them all 😃
Ooh, I just read Dark Places and Last House on Needless St. back to back! Dark Places was great until the end imo, where the final explanation of what happened that night really missed the mark for me. Flynn definitely seems to enjoy writing from the perspective of unlikeable characters, which you’ll see if you read Gone Girl and Sharp Objects (which, btw, I find to be far superior stories than DP). I really enjoy her writing style and voice, but I can see how others wouldn’t get on with it or the protagonist. Needless Street was my favourite of the two. I honestly had to sit and mull it over after finishing to figure out whether I loved or hated the twist! But I think it did really work for me, in the end. The revelation about Dee was perhaps a little too far for me, but I did enjoy everything else where you could look back on parts of the book and realise there were always little signs and clues. Oh, and I loved the fact that we got chapters from the POV of a cat. Those were my favourite parts!
I loved Penpal. it was so creepy and uncomfortable! - definitely read Dear Laura by Gemma Amor. it’s a novella (available on kindle unlimited if you have it) that has similar themes, equally as heart breaking and disturbing!
You made perfect sense in trying to explain The Last House on Needless Street!! I LOVED IT SO MUCH!! Penpal is one of my favorites and it gets even better with a reread so in a year or so give it one 🙂 Definitely gonna order Dead Silence now. I was on the fence but I think we have very similar tastes. So beyond happy that you are doing book videos now☺️☺️☺️☺️
ommgggg!! I love reading books with ambiance in the background too but it takes me so much time finding good ones, you should totally create a playlist with every book you rate to increase the experience ☺. I have felt the same thing with Stephen King, I'm reading Salem's Lot and its taking me WEEKS, same happened with IT, on the contrary I read the troop (you recommended it in one of your videos) and I loved it! Nick Cutter is becoming one of my faves, so I'm reading The Deep next and definitely adding The Last House on Needless Street and Gillian Flynn's books next 👍🏻
Glad that you liked The Last House on Needless Street so much :) I think the perfect tagline for the book is: "it's not what you think". It is indeed an interesting reading experience, one that really hooks you in and keeps you guessing. There's also an emotional depth to it that sets it apart. The Outsider is one of Stephen King's more recent books that I enjoyed but I'd agree it could've done with being shorter. I'm wondering what you'll think when you encounter the central explanation in the book. I guess you'll either find it ingenious or you'll hate it!
Just finished The House on Needless Street just this minute, on your recommendation. Wow. I was correct on many of my suspicions about what was really going on but then it just kept going and getting deeper! Really great read, such a great perspective.
Just purchased The Last House on Needless Street! Will check back in after the read! Comes Saturday :) I’m excited. I really liked this video and these reviews! It was easier for me to choose which book I was going to purchase with this video (I usually always purchase 1 book out of your reviews💕)
If you haven’t read it yet, I highly recommend “house of small shadows” by Adam Nevill. Super underrated and really atmospheric horror that involves a haunted house type situation but goes in a very cool direction. Also filled with really insane imagery. 😎
Yes! Adam Nevill is an incredible writer. The House of Small Shadows reminded me of another unique horror writer who doesn't seem to be talked about much...Thomas Ligotti.
Graham Grasty--From your description of it, House Of Small Shadows sounds right up my alley. I read Adam Nevill's first novel The Ritual years ago when it first came out, & it was one of the scariest books I've ever read, so i really want to read the rest of his work.
Dark places was my first from her as well and I literally stared at my wall for a good 5 minutes when everything came together lol. Def one of my favorites!
OMG i'm so early, Love you so much. My favourite books at the minute are anything Grady Hendrix. I'm also reading How to Kill Your Family by Bella Mackie and I'm into collecting old horror paperbacks by R.L Stein
Sarah we NEED all the information on how to buy your book when you release it!!! I will jump on that train so fast! Also, these books sound amazing. Thanks for sharing per usual. =)
You read PenPal?! I loved his stories and was so excited to be able to help fund this publishing! So many people overlook self published and the fact you read one of my favourite books makes me so happy 🥺
I just love having ambience when I’m reading any genre, but especially for the spooky books because it really can elevate the experience. Thanks for the recommendations! I have a huge TBR, but glad to report it already includes Penpal and The Outsider, but first I want to read the Bill Hodges trilogy and If It Bleeds. Oh, my goodness, how the King creates these layers of storytelling for his constant readers… his mind must be like a brilliant maze!!! 🤩 Needless Street was an entertaining read even though I found the big reveal to have been predictable. The topic was well researched and thoughtfully executed, but it was pretty obvious to me early in the story. The other reveal was more of a surprise, IMO. And finally, since you mentioned enjoying books with multiple perspectives, if you haven’t already read it, I’d like to recommend Nine Lives by Peter Swanson. Apparently many readers did not enjoy the book, in part, because there were so many characters/narrators. I found it invigorating and more interesting than having just a lone voice. It works with what I’ll call a modern retelling of Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None. I zipped through it and thought it was a lot of fun.
Susan Hill is one of my favourite authors. She is an incredible author and her books send shivers down my spine 🥰 add "Mist in the mirror" by her to your TBR list 🖤 she is such an amazing writer xxx
I read and enjoyed Dark Places (I haven't seen the movie, although I intended to) and I'm glad to hear you're going to read Gone Girl (I loved it) and Sharp Objects. I agree with the abrasiveness you mentioned, but it works for me. I've added a few of these books to my Wish List. Thanks for adding to it! Since you are a Stephen King fan (as am I), I'm assuming you've read the Mr. Mercedes books before reading The Outsider? I agree The Outsider was a bit long (that's hard to say because I generally love each word that King writes), but the second half made up for it for me. You've probably read this, but I would recommend The Whisper Man by Alex North. Chills from that one.
Any book video you post, I will watch and love!! I liked Sharp Objects way better than Dark Places. Wasn’t going to read The Last House On Needless Street but after hearing you talk about it, I feel like I need to haha
hahaha, you explaining Needless Street in the vaugest way possible and me just nodding my head in agreement. I love all your book talk and would love to see more videos about the types of books your like, what's on your tbr, any thoughts about the horror book world in general. What are your favorite sub-genres in horror books? Are they the same as your favorite movie sub-genres? Do you watch any horror booktube channels?
I definitely agree with Gillian Flynn’s writing style being blunt but funnily enough that’s why i love it so much! Dark places is my favourite out of them but I love sharp objects so I can’t wait to see your opinion on it because I found that also quite blunt
Okay I need more info on the thing you're obscurely talking about with House on Needless Street lmao the suspense is killing me!!! Also I LOVE reading ambiance videos to have on in the background lmao I thought I was the only one
I know you said you have a big TBR list but I’ll try and get you to add to it anyways 😅 The Devil Crept In by Ania Ahlborn is one of my favorite books I’ve read recently and judging by what you like I think you’d really enjoy it. There’s great children characters, mystery, two different perspectives / stories that eventually enmesh and just super spooky and unsettling. Thanks for the great list, I love these videos as well!
You should do reading vlogs! Agree with what you said about King, I broke away from him recently and it’s been so gratifying to find new authors that I love! I just finished “Come With Me” by Ronald Malfi and it is one of my new favorites. So chilling and emotional.
Excellent video! Loved penpal and Woman in Black. Several others are now on my tbr list, including Last House on Needless Street. Currently reading Sundial - slogging through because I don't like any of the characters but determined to finish. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
I own The Woman In Black so that's definitely on my list, and I'll keep an eye out for a sale on your two favorites you mentioned. Music is my favorite interest, so I read a lot of biographies about bands, and right now I'm reading Cured, a memoir by Lol Tolhurst, co-founder of The Cure. It is SO well done, if you're into their music at all I highly recommend it. I've also gotta mention Wylding Hall by Elizabeth Hand. I've read it twice and I can't wait to read it again. I wouldn't call it horror, but it's a superb ghost story, and I grew up with all the music mentioned in the book. And it's a pretty fast read. Cheers!
Gonna watch the vid tomorrow afternoon. Looking forward to it. One of the previous book videos turned me on to Paul Tremblay and I instantly became a fan and read both A Head Full of Ghosts and Dissapearance at Devils Rock in under two weeks. And overtime I devolved in a very slow reader (meds / concentration problems / chonical diseases). Instantly hooked. (used to read 2-3 a month 15 years ago, now I'm happy if I read 5-6 a year so I already did a great job 😂).
I bought Penpal as you were describing this novel, and I just finished reading it. It is absolutely wonderful and oh so creepy! Loved it! Thank you for always recommending some good reads ^_^
Please read 'Our Wives Under the Sea' - very spooky and atmospheric writing about a woman's wife who returns from a deep sea diving mission and is... not the same. Loving these reviews as I'm trying to read more horror lately too and I appreciate your recs!
Please do a reading vlog! It could just be your process reading one book and giving updates on your thoughts of it so far as well as doing every day life stuff. :) x
Always looking for the superior modern suspense/horror novels, thank you for the recommendations. Will be checking out Dead Silence, though the plot sounds very similar to the movie Event Horizon.
already ordered the Last House on Needless Street! Can't wait to read it. i just finished the Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo and really enjoyed it. it has faults but i recommend it if you're looking for something different.
I read Last House on Needless Street a couple months ago and it immediately became one of my all time favorite books. I made my mom and sister read it after I finished it because I needed people to discuss it with and they also loved it. 😂 I’m also super excited to read Dead Silence. I’ve been on my library’s waitlist for it since it came out so hopefully my turn is soon.
Thanks for the recommendations, dear I’ve been reading books in English to practice the language and I’ve already read 6 different books so far this year! Excited to add some of these on my list ✨🥂✨
i love your book content!! i would love to see a video on books recs based off of your favorite horror movie or popular horror movies. also you should read clown in a cornfield and slewfoot!!
TOTALLY with you on the Stephen King opinion! I’m just finishing up the Mr Mercedes trilogy so I can read The Outsider too, but as you said, he’s just not really doing much for me anymore now that I’ve branched out. Looking forward to hearing your top 5 once you’ve worked through your TBR!
The Last House on Needless Street absolutely blew my mind. I don’t think I could read it again, but I’ve passed it on to several people since I finished it. Catriona Ward’s recent book Sundial is definitely worth checking out too!
Hey! I know this isn’t a book review, but I just HAVE to recommend the original suspiria! The opening scene makes my tummy sink and it’s literally so beautiful. Also, I know you dislike Sleepaway Camp but the sequels are literally such a good time!
Ooh I've been meaning to read Penpal! I read it back when it was a No Sleep story and loved it. I'm really hoping to read some more No Sleep author's books this October. Since you liked Penpal you really gotta read some more No Sleep classics! My all time fave is the Left/Right Game. Needless Street has been on my radar for a while now it sounds so good! Dead Silence sounds SO GOOD!! It's been at the very top of my TBR since I heard about it!
I live that you are posting book content more! Just requested pel pal from my library. Can't wait to read it. Thanks for the recommendation. I'm interested in reading Slewfoot: a Tale of Bewitchery by Broom, Things have gotten worse since weve last spoke and You've lost a lot of blood by Eric Larocca next.
I started The Last House on Needless Street, and ummmmm?? you described it exactly right. I am confused and concerned but cannot stop reading. it's literally so good
Last House on Needless Street I read last month and it was pretty ok, but as I started thinking about it more it made me kind of angry but I’ll most likely read it again. Def love these videos because I don’t know why until last year I never really read horror which made no sense because that’s all I really watch.
I remember when I bought penpal because Dathan (AKA 1000Crows) posted his announcement on r/nosleep like over 7 years ago. Cool seeing it on your list today 🙂
if you haven't seen the HBO adaptation of Sharp Objects yet, I highly recommend watching it before reading the book! this is one of the only times I would ever allow myself to make such a sacrilegious statement 😂... but this is one of those rare cases where I really believe the show is SO much better than the book 👀 in my experience, the twist in the book was extremely obvious from the beginning, whereas the show handled it SO well; and in general, I felt like the show added so much depth to the story and characters. I've read all of Gillian Flynn's books and have realized her writing style just isn't for me, but the show version of Sharp Objects is one of my absolute favorite, most beloved thrillers of all time 😩🖤🙏🏼
I want to highly recommend Our Wives under the Sea by Julia Armfield! it's a gothic horror novel about two wives. one wive went on a deep sea underwater mission in a submarine(you also get flashbacks of it) and when she gets back a lot of things are just not right...that's all I'll say but it's so good !!!
I loved dead silence the ending was kinda a let down to me but the lead up got me super spooked! I like that kinda of claustrophobic horror books like this and the deep are ones that get me out of my slumps!
These are going on my TBR list! The only one I've read is The Outsider, which I won't spoil because you haven't finished it, of course. I'll just say that it's a crazy book. I love Stephen King but agree with you on the fatigue that can happen sometimes if you've read a lot of his work. I have to say that that particular book was starting to lose me until later on, when a surprise supporting character suddenly appears from a familiar King universe that I love and that essentially pulled me back in 😉 Not my favorite book personally, but not bad.
Thank you for mentioning the podcast (No sleep) because I love horror story podcasts. Have you also heard Freaky Folklore and, not as scary but still horror, Redwood Bureau?
I agree about the Stephen King novels. I'm currently reading 'Salem's Lot' and it is a bit too long for me, it could have been shortened. I also dislike the use of many characters, being focused more just on two or three characters would have been fine (Ben, Susan). I know it's a story about *spoiler* how the whole of Salem's lot went through a catastrophe, but I think it was unnecessary to see the point of view of so many different characters. Maybe I'm just bad at remembering them. I had a similar problem with 'IT'. I even thought to take a piece of paper, write each character down with their short descriptions so I could follow properly 😅. I'm definitely going to check out these books you've recomended, especially the shorter ones. Already read around 40 books this year and my goal is to reach a hundred.
A tour of your bookshelf would be fun!! I love watching those🤗
I read Last House on Needless Street this month and thought it was PHENOMENAL. It's funny to go back and watch your review having read the book because I know exactly what you mean about the use of A Certain Trope and that's how I was feeling too. I was ready to be mad, like, okay, I guess we're doing this again, and I had the rug pulled out from under me in the best way possible. Fully agree with your review, fantastic book, so glad I went in knowing roughly nothing!
Omg!! Dark places is a big fave of mine, and I JUST read The Last House on Needless Street! love your videos & I’m excited to see your novel someday!
I couldn't enjoy the book because of a certain part of the book that Sarah hinted at
Yesss those two plus Dead Silence are my favorite ones she’s read. All so good in different ways.
The Last House on Needless Street is currently my favorite book of the year ! I did manage to figure out what was going on quite early, but the setup of everything is just so perfect. I also love that it's a book that actually answers our questions ! No ambiguous ending.
Why have I literally never heard of a reading ambiance before?! Way to really elevate any reading experience!! Thanks!
I LOVED The Last House on Needless Street. It was such a unique reading experience, and it's worth a read if for no other than how different it is.
God, Penpal!! I still get flashbacks to 'Footsteps,' and freak myself out, out of nowhere every once in a while. Reading those stories as they were being published on reddit and then being able to hold the completed product in my hands afterwards was such an amazing experience.
I highly recomend Dathan's second book "Bad Man." It is just as eerie, just as unsettling as Penpal, and imho a whole lot more horrifying.
I will have to check that out. Penpal is one of two books that have truly freaked me out and kinda wish I haven't read it because it stays with you but I feel like that's the point.
Dead Silence 10/10 🤟 Love the book content. Someone commented a bookshelf tour video. I'd love to see that as well. I loved your DVD tour you did in a live, reorganizing them.
I had to come back to this after reading The Last House on Needless Street. I'm glad I read it. I didn't really see the ending coming. It was a crazy ride
Same here! I had to come back and thank her for the recommendation
I feel very special because I was the second ever upvote on the first Penpal installment on r/NoSleep & have followed it ever since! So insanely proud of Dathan ❤️
Edit: grammar
THE VIDEO IVE BEEN WAITING FOR🖤🎉
I feel like I comment on every book review, but keep ‘em coming! I’ve read more this year than I have in the last decade - we have similar taste!
I loved PenPal it scared me so much! As soon as I was done reading it I went & checked on my daughters made sure the windows were locked etc. it made me paranoid and I felt like I was being watched 😰😓. One of my favorite books!
When I heard you talk about switching between POVs I reeeeallly needed to recommend one of my favorite books! It’s called after dark by haruki murakami! It’s not horror or thriller, but it is magical realism and has some honestly really creepy moments. It switches between multiple POVs/storylines and is such beautiful writing. In my top 10 for sure
HORROR BOOK CLUB ROCKS!!!! Thanks for this, I read far more than I watch. Thanks!
I’ll have to get penpal! I’m trying to write a book of short stories as well, so that’s super inspiring for me too 🥰
I read all of Gillian Flynn's books and I found each of her protagonists to be rather abrasive or just not super likable. That said, I did enjoy all the books, probably Gone Girl the most. I liked the book Sharp Objects, but found the limited series dull and missing something. Loved The Outsider, but then, King has been my favorite horror always and I love how immersive his books are, so they can never be too long for me. I did enjoy the limited series for that one and added it to my dvd collection. There are some differences from the book.
i believe king's work is always engaging, even in his lesser work, there's still memorable moments with fleshed out characters, great dialogue, and the stories feel real to me even if it's a bizarre premise.
it's not that others can't write a good horror novel, it's that his work is always going to stick with me and leave more of an impact.
for example, didn't care too much for gus moreno's book that she mentions. it kinda goes nowhere, and i've forgotten it just a few months after reading it. kinda felt like it was being weird for the sake of being weird.
You have to read dark tower of you're at all a king fan. I'm only halfway through the series and oh my Lord I didn't realize I'd like Stephen king that much until I read it.
@@brandon17760 one of the best book series there is, although the final book is kinda weak
I honestly preferred the gone girl film over the film :/
You should definitely read Catriona Ward's new book Sundial, it's so good, I loved it even more than Needless Street and that one was a 5⭐ !!
Doesn’t it have a lot of animal cruelty/abuse?
Reading ambiances! I didn’t even know it was a thing but reading ambiance recommendations for horror, non-horror, etc. Yours are *chef’s kiss*
I look forward to these videos all the time!
I'm so excited to see you talking about PenPal! I remember waiting over a year for the book to come out, and it's been one of my favorites ever since! When reading it I remember one night I walked down my hallway in my house and just got full body shivers because it scared me so bad! I loved it! I read it almost every fall.
I read Penpal on reddit and is the most uncomfortable story I’ve ever read online. Your point about how we know what happened to us in childhood was spot on.
Great to see you talk about the Woman in Black, have loved it since we had to read it for my English class in school! I'd highly recommend seeing it in the theatre, it's much creepier, and would love to see you compare, the book, theatre production and the movie!
I am so happy you’re doing horror book reviews now. I love horror book reviews even more that the movie reviews. My preferences are similar to yours. I don’t like excessive gore and sex scenes in the genre. My favorite horror is supernatural, especially haunted houses. I know it’s been done to death but if it’s done well, I’m gonna like it. By the way, a haunted house in Outer Space sounds awesome. A few of my favorites are…..The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell, The Heart Shaped Box by Joe Hill, The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon and I Remember You by Yrsa Sigurdardottir. Keep reading and telling us about it. Love your reviews.
I LOVE your book reviews and author discussions! I'm a lifeline reader but mainly mystery's and historical fiction. Im just starting to get into Horror and a little lost on where to start.
Oooo I love all your videos but especially the book ones! Last House on Needless Street is phenomenal - definitely check out Catriona’s others. Rawblood and Little Eve are more gothic horror and her newest Sundial is just… a very different kind of horror. Such a talented author. Also recommend Lucie McKnight Hardy’s short story collection ‘Dead Relatives’ and her novel ‘Water shall refuse them’ if you haven’t read them already - very, very dark eerie/macabre folk horror and different to a lot of stuff out there 👍🏻
Last house on Needless street is amazing! It took me a little bit to get into it, and I was tempted to stop after the first couple of chapters but I'm so glad I didn't!
I love your book videos. Penpal really stuck with me. I read it over a year ago and still think about it. I read a lot of horror but no book left me feeling as creeped out as Penpal. Looking forward to your next book video!!
Just read Dark Places when you mentioned it in your previous vid! Was curious to know your thoughts. I totally agree with your feelings on Libby being unlikeable and the best bit being the different perspectives. I enjoyed it!
Oh my, I remember the Pen Pal stories from the podcast and just thinking about them gave me goosebumps. I am so happy to see you back active on Goodreads.
I love the book related videos, especially when it is only a handful of books, but more in depth, like in this video. It helps me to figure out which books I could potentially like. Videos with too many books or movies mentioned tend to overwhelm me, there is just too little time to read or watch them all 😃
Ooh, I just read Dark Places and Last House on Needless St. back to back!
Dark Places was great until the end imo, where the final explanation of what happened that night really missed the mark for me. Flynn definitely seems to enjoy writing from the perspective of unlikeable characters, which you’ll see if you read Gone Girl and Sharp Objects (which, btw, I find to be far superior stories than DP). I really enjoy her writing style and voice, but I can see how others wouldn’t get on with it or the protagonist.
Needless Street was my favourite of the two. I honestly had to sit and mull it over after finishing to figure out whether I loved or hated the twist! But I think it did really work for me, in the end. The revelation about Dee was perhaps a little too far for me, but I did enjoy everything else where you could look back on parts of the book and realise there were always little signs and clues. Oh, and I loved the fact that we got chapters from the POV of a cat. Those were my favourite parts!
I loved Penpal. it was so creepy and uncomfortable! - definitely read Dear Laura by Gemma Amor. it’s a novella (available on kindle unlimited if you have it) that has similar themes, equally as heart breaking and disturbing!
You made perfect sense in trying to explain The Last House on Needless Street!! I LOVED IT SO MUCH!! Penpal is one of my favorites and it gets even better with a reread so in a year or so give it one 🙂 Definitely gonna order Dead Silence now. I was on the fence but I think we have very similar tastes. So beyond happy that you are doing book videos now☺️☺️☺️☺️
ommgggg!! I love reading books with ambiance in the background too but it takes me so much time finding good ones, you should totally create a playlist with every book you rate to increase the experience ☺. I have felt the same thing with Stephen King, I'm reading Salem's Lot and its taking me WEEKS, same happened with IT, on the contrary I read the troop (you recommended it in one of your videos) and I loved it! Nick Cutter is becoming one of my faves, so I'm reading The Deep next and definitely adding The Last House on Needless Street and Gillian Flynn's books next 👍🏻
Glad that you liked The Last House on Needless Street so much :) I think the perfect tagline for the book is: "it's not what you think". It is indeed an interesting reading experience, one that really hooks you in and keeps you guessing. There's also an emotional depth to it that sets it apart. The Outsider is one of Stephen King's more recent books that I enjoyed but I'd agree it could've done with being shorter. I'm wondering what you'll think when you encounter the central explanation in the book. I guess you'll either find it ingenious or you'll hate it!
Just finished The House on Needless Street just this minute, on your recommendation. Wow. I was correct on many of my suspicions about what was really going on but then it just kept going and getting deeper! Really great read, such a great perspective.
Sharp objects the series is e x c e l l e n t
I could not stop watching. I binged it in quarenten (not my best moment), and wooow. Incredible acting
Just purchased The Last House on Needless Street! Will check back in after the read! Comes Saturday :) I’m excited. I really liked this video and these reviews! It was easier for me to choose which book I was going to purchase with this video (I usually always purchase 1 book out of your reviews💕)
If you haven’t read it yet, I highly recommend “house of small shadows” by Adam Nevill. Super underrated and really atmospheric horror that involves a haunted house type situation but goes in a very cool direction. Also filled with really insane imagery. 😎
Yes!
Adam Nevill is an incredible writer.
The House of Small Shadows reminded me of another unique horror writer who doesn't seem to be talked about much...Thomas Ligotti.
Graham Grasty--From your description of it, House Of Small Shadows sounds right up my alley. I read Adam Nevill's first novel The Ritual years ago when it first came out, & it was one of the scariest books I've ever read, so i really want to read the rest of his work.
Dark places was my first from her as well and I literally stared at my wall for a good 5 minutes when everything came together lol. Def one of my favorites!
OMG i'm so early, Love you so much. My favourite books at the minute are anything Grady Hendrix. I'm also reading How to Kill Your Family by Bella Mackie and I'm into collecting old horror paperbacks by R.L Stein
Sarah we NEED all the information on how to buy your book when you release it!!! I will jump on that train so fast! Also, these books sound amazing. Thanks for sharing per usual. =)
You read PenPal?! I loved his stories and was so excited to be able to help fund this publishing! So many people overlook self published and the fact you read one of my favourite books makes me so happy 🥺
Penpal is one of the scariest messed up book I have ever read. It's one I kinda wish I haven't read because the story stays with you.
I just started the Last House on Needless Street yesterday and I’m even more excited to get further in after this video!
Just as I’ve been looking online for good horror books. Thanks!
It's great to see more book reviews 😊. I look forward to reading some of these soon. Great channel
I just love having ambience when I’m reading any genre, but especially for the spooky books because it really can elevate the experience. Thanks for the recommendations!
I have a huge TBR, but glad to report it already includes Penpal and The Outsider, but first I want to read the Bill Hodges trilogy and If It Bleeds. Oh, my goodness, how the King creates these layers of storytelling for his constant readers… his mind must be like a brilliant maze!!! 🤩
Needless Street was an entertaining read even though I found the big reveal to have been predictable. The topic was well researched and thoughtfully executed, but it was pretty obvious to me early in the story. The other reveal was more of a surprise, IMO.
And finally, since you mentioned enjoying books with multiple perspectives, if you haven’t already read it, I’d like to recommend Nine Lives by Peter Swanson. Apparently many readers did not enjoy the book, in part, because there were so many characters/narrators. I found it invigorating and more interesting than having just a lone voice. It works with what I’ll call a modern retelling of Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None. I zipped through it and thought it was a lot of fun.
I love that you talk about books too! I'm into everything TV/movies n books of coursee
Susan Hill is one of my favourite authors. She is an incredible author and her books send shivers down my spine 🥰 add "Mist in the mirror" by her to your TBR list 🖤 she is such an amazing writer xxx
I really like your horror book videos. It’s very refreshing
I read and enjoyed Dark Places (I haven't seen the movie, although I intended to) and I'm glad to hear you're going to read Gone Girl (I loved it) and Sharp Objects. I agree with the abrasiveness you mentioned, but it works for me.
I've added a few of these books to my Wish List. Thanks for adding to it!
Since you are a Stephen King fan (as am I), I'm assuming you've read the Mr. Mercedes books before reading The Outsider? I agree The Outsider was a bit long (that's hard to say because I generally love each word that King writes), but the second half made up for it for me.
You've probably read this, but I would recommend The Whisper Man by Alex North. Chills from that one.
Loooove the book content. Have been following you for forever. Not a big fan of horror movies but adore your book content. Greetings from Germany.
Any book video you post, I will watch and love!! I liked Sharp Objects way better than Dark Places. Wasn’t going to read The Last House On Needless Street but after hearing you talk about it, I feel like I need to haha
Great reviews, your voice is so asmr I could actually listen to a whole novel narated by you. 🍀
hahaha, you explaining Needless Street in the vaugest way possible and me just nodding my head in agreement.
I love all your book talk and would love to see more videos about the types of books your like, what's on your tbr, any thoughts about the horror book world in general. What are your favorite sub-genres in horror books? Are they the same as your favorite movie sub-genres? Do you watch any horror booktube channels?
Awesome! I love horror and thriller books/movies and I will agree horror and thriller books are even less easy to differentiate than movies
I definitely agree with Gillian Flynn’s writing style being blunt but funnily enough that’s why i love it so much! Dark places is my favourite out of them but I love sharp objects so I can’t wait to see your opinion on it because I found that also quite blunt
Okay I need more info on the thing you're obscurely talking about with House on Needless Street lmao the suspense is killing me!!! Also I LOVE reading ambiance videos to have on in the background lmao I thought I was the only one
I will be excited to read anything you publish Sarah, I always like the way you interpret horror films and books.
I know you said you have a big TBR list but I’ll try and get you to add to it anyways 😅 The Devil Crept In by Ania Ahlborn is one of my favorite books I’ve read recently and judging by what you like I think you’d really enjoy it. There’s great children characters, mystery, two different perspectives / stories that eventually enmesh and just super spooky and unsettling. Thanks for the great list, I love these videos as well!
I'd like to see your currently reading list and also books reviews of course.
Im always on the lookout for the next awesome book!! 👍
You should do reading vlogs! Agree with what you said about King, I broke away from him recently and it’s been so gratifying to find new authors that I love! I just finished “Come With Me” by Ronald Malfi and it is one of my new favorites. So chilling and emotional.
Excellent video! Loved penpal and Woman in Black. Several others are now on my tbr list, including Last House on Needless Street. Currently reading Sundial - slogging through because I don't like any of the characters but determined to finish. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
I own The Woman In Black so that's definitely on my list, and I'll keep an eye out for a sale on your two favorites you mentioned. Music is my favorite interest, so I read a lot of biographies about bands, and right now I'm reading Cured, a memoir by Lol Tolhurst, co-founder of The Cure. It is SO well done, if you're into their music at all I highly recommend it. I've also gotta mention Wylding Hall by Elizabeth Hand. I've read it twice and I can't wait to read it again. I wouldn't call it horror, but it's a superb ghost story, and I grew up with all the music mentioned in the book. And it's a pretty fast read. Cheers!
I love the book videos! Thank you for these!
A video about your favourite scary story podcasts would be great! ☺️
That's some good reads, love Dark Places, I have to get Penpal, sounds cool. Great content👍
Gonna watch the vid tomorrow afternoon. Looking forward to it. One of the previous book videos turned me on to Paul Tremblay and I instantly became a fan and read both A Head Full of Ghosts and Dissapearance at Devils Rock in under two weeks. And overtime I devolved in a very slow reader (meds / concentration problems / chonical diseases). Instantly hooked. (used to read 2-3 a month 15 years ago, now I'm happy if I read 5-6 a year so I already did a great job 😂).
I would love more book content. I am an avid reader and I am always looking for the next best horror books to read
I bought Penpal as you were describing this novel, and I just finished reading it. It is absolutely wonderful and oh so creepy! Loved it! Thank you for always recommending some good reads ^_^
Please read 'Our Wives Under the Sea' - very spooky and atmospheric writing about a woman's wife who returns from a deep sea diving mission and is... not the same. Loving these reviews as I'm trying to read more horror lately too and I appreciate your recs!
Please do a reading vlog! It could just be your process reading one book and giving updates on your thoughts of it so far as well as doing every day life stuff. :) x
Always looking for the superior modern suspense/horror novels, thank you for the recommendations. Will be checking out Dead Silence, though the plot sounds very similar to the movie Event Horizon.
already ordered the Last House on Needless Street! Can't wait to read it. i just finished the Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo and really enjoyed it. it has faults but i recommend it if you're looking for something different.
I read Last House on Needless Street a couple months ago and it immediately became one of my all time favorite books. I made my mom and sister read it after I finished it because I needed people to discuss it with and they also loved it. 😂 I’m also super excited to read Dead Silence. I’ve been on my library’s waitlist for it since it came out so hopefully my turn is soon.
Thanks for the recommendations, dear
I’ve been reading books in English to practice the language and I’ve already read 6 different books so far this year! Excited to add some of these on my list ✨🥂✨
i love your book content!! i would love to see a video on books recs based off of your favorite horror movie or popular horror movies. also you should read clown in a cornfield and slewfoot!!
TOTALLY with you on the Stephen King opinion! I’m just finishing up the Mr Mercedes trilogy so I can read The Outsider too, but as you said, he’s just not really doing much for me anymore now that I’ve branched out. Looking forward to hearing your top 5 once you’ve worked through your TBR!
The Last House on Needless Street absolutely blew my mind. I don’t think I could read it again, but I’ve passed it on to several people since I finished it. Catriona Ward’s recent book Sundial is definitely worth checking out too!
Hey! I know this isn’t a book review, but I just HAVE to recommend the original suspiria! The opening scene makes my tummy sink and it’s literally so beautiful. Also, I know you dislike Sleepaway Camp but the sequels are literally such a good time!
Ooh I've been meaning to read Penpal! I read it back when it was a No Sleep story and loved it. I'm really hoping to read some more No Sleep author's books this October. Since you liked Penpal you really gotta read some more No Sleep classics! My all time fave is the Left/Right Game. Needless Street has been on my radar for a while now it sounds so good! Dead Silence sounds SO GOOD!! It's been at the very top of my TBR since I heard about it!
I live that you are posting book content more! Just requested pel pal from my library. Can't wait to read it. Thanks for the recommendation. I'm interested in reading Slewfoot: a Tale of Bewitchery by Broom, Things have gotten worse since weve last spoke and You've lost a lot of blood by Eric Larocca next.
I started The Last House on Needless Street, and ummmmm?? you described it exactly right. I am confused and concerned but cannot stop reading. it's literally so good
Last House on Needless Street I read last month and it was pretty ok, but as I started thinking about it more it made me kind of angry but I’ll most likely read it again. Def love these videos because I don’t know why until last year I never really read horror which made no sense because that’s all I really watch.
I just finished Last House on Needless Street and read Dead Space earlier this year. Great recommendations. Thanks!
I remember when I bought penpal because Dathan (AKA 1000Crows) posted his announcement on r/nosleep like over 7 years ago. Cool seeing it on your list today 🙂
if you haven't seen the HBO adaptation of Sharp Objects yet, I highly recommend watching it before reading the book! this is one of the only times I would ever allow myself to make such a sacrilegious statement 😂... but this is one of those rare cases where I really believe the show is SO much better than the book 👀 in my experience, the twist in the book was extremely obvious from the beginning, whereas the show handled it SO well; and in general, I felt like the show added so much depth to the story and characters. I've read all of Gillian Flynn's books and have realized her writing style just isn't for me, but the show version of Sharp Objects is one of my absolute favorite, most beloved thrillers of all time 😩🖤🙏🏼
I totally agree!
I want to highly recommend Our Wives under the Sea by Julia Armfield! it's a gothic horror novel about two wives. one wive went on a deep sea underwater mission in a submarine(you also get flashbacks of it) and when she gets back a lot of things are just not right...that's all I'll say but it's so good !!!
The audiobook for Gone Girl is pretty fantastic, there is a different narrator for both of the POVs and they're both very well done.
TBRs are great! I’ll watch any book content honestly
I read penpal years ago, I’m honestly don’t remember the details but I remember liking it. I need to pull that one down from my bookshelf for a reread
Yes to all of the bookish videos you mentioned maybe doing! Not sure if it's really your thing anymore but I love reading vlogs.
Sharp objects' ending blew my mind!!! I figured it out, but didn't figure out how without spoilers
I loved dead silence the ending was kinda a let down to me but the lead up got me super spooked! I like that kinda of claustrophobic horror books like this and the deep are ones that get me out of my slumps!
These are going on my TBR list! The only one I've read is The Outsider, which I won't spoil because you haven't finished it, of course. I'll just say that it's a crazy book. I love Stephen King but agree with you on the fatigue that can happen sometimes if you've read a lot of his work. I have to say that that particular book was starting to lose me until later on, when a surprise supporting character suddenly appears from a familiar King universe that I love and that essentially pulled me back in 😉 Not my favorite book personally, but not bad.
I love your book videos!! More please!!
Thank you for mentioning the podcast (No sleep) because I love horror story podcasts. Have you also heard Freaky Folklore and, not as scary but still horror, Redwood Bureau?
I agree about the Stephen King novels. I'm currently reading 'Salem's Lot' and it is a bit too long for me, it could have been shortened. I also dislike the use of many characters, being focused more just on two or three characters would have been fine (Ben, Susan). I know it's a story about *spoiler* how the whole of Salem's lot went through a catastrophe, but I think it was unnecessary to see the point of view of so many different characters. Maybe I'm just bad at remembering them. I had a similar problem with 'IT'. I even thought to take a piece of paper, write each character down with their short descriptions so I could follow properly 😅. I'm definitely going to check out these books you've recomended, especially the shorter ones. Already read around 40 books this year and my goal is to reach a hundred.
I LOVE PENPAL! Ive read it so many times and certain parts still give me chills even tho i know whats going to happen