Bittersweet in the Hollow by Kate Pearsall

I. LOVED. This. Book!

I've had this in my to-read pile for quite a while.  I chose it as a Halloween book, but The Historian took a while.  I'm so glad I didn't just return it as not fitting in the season any more!  To be honest, it's actually a summery book.

This is set in a tiny southern town in rural Appalachian West Virginia.  The James women are among the town's oldest families, and rumor has it they have magical abilities.  The run a diner and farm stand (and also a moonshine gig on the side) that are wildly popular.  Every June, on the solstice, the town has a festival with The Moth Man as its namesake.  A local version of BigFoot, Moth Man haunts the forest at the edge of town.  

Many years ago, a young boy drowned or was taken by a wild animal on a fishing trip in the forest with his father and brother.  Our main character Linden was kidnapped, but returned safely, the night of the festival one year ago.  And now a local beauty Queen has been murdered. Crazy theories run rampant, the old families are warring with each other, feuds re-open, and the James family is caught in the middle.

This was a great book I could not put down.  Linden, her sisters, mother, aunt, grandmother, and great-aunt are excellently written characters.  I wanted to find this tiny town on my next racing trip.  Definitely a recommend. 

All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W. and do not reflect those of WHPS or WHHS. 

When Ghosts Call Us Home By Katya de Becerra

I wanted to like this.  I really did.  The premise sounds so awesome and definitely my cup of tea.  In a Blair Witch style documentary, older sister Layla records assorted footage of her younger sister Sophia being creeped out in an old home their parents are renting for the summer.  The movie becomes a cult classic.  And the girls find themselves always fending off would be ghost hunters and obsessed fans.  Layla disappears five years later, leaving Sophia taunted by memories of the house and its resident spirit.

So why could I not finish this? 

The type is unbearably small.  Look, I KNOW my vision isn't that great, but this was ridiculous.  I had to hold this right up to my nose in order to read the teeny tiny font, and it gave me an awful migraine.  I had to stop so many times it was no longer enjoyable to try. 

Unfortunately, until a large print (or normal size font print) version comes out, I'm done.

All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W. and do not reflect those of WHHS or WHPS.