Phil recommends "Nightmare on Nightmare Street"

 

R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps series became a global phenomenon right about the time I was entering my college years and thought that I was too old and cool to be reading spooky stuff for kids.  I’m old enough now that I don’t care what age a book is “supposed” to be written for.  When my wife picked up a copy of R.L. Stine’s 2026 release Nightmare on Nightmare Street, I wanted to be one of the cool kids reading this just in time for Halloween. 

The author himself describes this as the “everything bagel” of scary books and I agree!  The story’s dual protagonists Joe and Shawn, both new in town, encounter unexplained noises, haunted houses, basement burial grounds, ghosts, werewolves, creepy dolls, creepier school teachers, ventriloquist dummies, and even a little time travel as they try to figure out exactly what is causing these strange occurrences.  Is it all real?  Is it a bad dream?  Either way, moving to a creaky old house on a road called Nightmare Street is starting to seem like a big mistake!

The story is fast paced and told with enough humor and suspense to be enjoyed by a variety of ages depending on your tolerance for spooky themes. 

Alyssa recommends "Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs?"

Over time, public perceptions of death in the United States have changed. The shift from viewings being held in the family home to funeral homes handling nearly every aspect of the process has contributed to a growing discomfort with the concept of death. Mortician and death-positive advocate Caitlin Doughty has built her reputation around de-stigmatizing death. Through her YouTube channel, her work with The Order of the Good Death, and her books, she works to debunk myths surrounding death in hopes of normalizing conversations about our end-of-life wishes and relieving our loved ones of the burden of making those decisions for us.

Doughty’s book Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs? addresses common questions asked by children, resulting in a book that is entertaining and informative for readers of all ages. Some chapters tackle questions we’ve all heard, such as “Will I poop when I die?” while others explore more unusual queries, like “What happens if someone eats a whole bag of popcorn before cremation?” Doughty takes some of the gore often associated with death and replaces it with humor, science, and straightforward explanations.

Labels: All Ages

 

Phil recommends "Dungeon Crawler Carl"

During the pandemic, self-published author Matt Dinniman found himself out of work and with plenty of time to write his web novel Dungeon Crawler Carl, now a massively popular series of books .  This wonderfully imaginative LitRPG sci-fi novel is about an ordinary guy named Carl and his ex-girlfriend’s sassy diva of a cat, Princess Donut, as they discover that aliens have transformed Earth into a massive, televised dungeon crawling real-life video game.  Don’t you hate it when that happens?

The enemies they encounter are many, varied, and completely bizarre and they have to continually come up with creative and entertaining ways of dispatching them in order to gain viewers as they work their way down to each level of the dungeon.  Because the story is told in the manner of a roleplaying game there is a lot of minutiae about stats, armor, weapon choices, loot, etc.  However, the quick pacing, sharp humor, and creative world building make it an easy read where you want to know what completely bonkers situation Carl and Donut will encounter next.  It’s very addictive. 

If you enjoy Dungeon Crawler Carl, there is plenty more where that came from – there are eight books in the series so far with two more on the way.  Also, producer Seth MacFarlane has purchased the rights to the series and is making it into a live-action TV show.

 

 

Kayla recommends "Hungerstone"

Hungerstone - Kat Dunn - Adult

Hungerstone retells the story of Carmilla, the book that inspired Dracula. Despite its seemingly slower start, I really enjoyed the pacing of this one! I've yet to read a story so immersed in its setting; Nethershaw is described as such a beautifully decrepit place, reflecting its inhabitants perfectly--particularly Lenore. Her journey of self-discovery is one that I truly resonated with.

Natalie recommends "Lilo and Stitch and Spirited Away"

It's with a heavy heart that I am sharing that Daveigh Chase, known for her roles as Lilo (Lilo and Stitch) and Chihiro (Spirited Away), as well as Samara (the Ring) and Samantha Darko (Donny Darko and S. Darko), passed away on June 16th.  

In honor of her memory, I wanted to do a staff recommendation for the two movies of hers that resonated with me the most: Lilo and Stitch and Spirited Away.

Lilo and Stitch was a favorite in my house, being my sisters favorite Disney movie.  So much so, that I could, and still can to a degree, quote the whole movie.  It is one of my all time favorite Disney movies as well.  It's a heartfelt movie that looking back does a good job of tackling the issues within it.  As well as having a good dose of humor and action.

As for Spirited Away, this is one of the more well known and beloved Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli movies and won an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2003.  This coming of age story is beautifully animated with wonderful music and a fun cast of characters.  For me it was the first Studio Ghibli film I had seen, which lead to it becoming my favorite from the studio with Princess Mononoke and Howl's Moving Castle not too far behind. I would definitely say that Spirited Away is a must see.  

My condolences goes out to Daviegh Chase's family, friends, and boyfriend.  As well as fans of her work.  She will be missed.

Meghan recommends "You & Me and You & Me and You & Me"

 

 

Adam and Jules have been married over twenty years. They love each other, but they also feel pulled in different directions and they blame each other life’s disappoints. One night after a fight, Adam retreats to his shed to cool off. He pulls out some old mixtapes (yes, actual cassettes!) that he’d made for Jules earlier in their relationship. When he plays one of these old cassettes he’s transported back in time, into his younger self, with all the feelings he had for Jules on the day he gave her the tape.

He’s astounded, of course! He shares his experience with Jules and they take turns revisiting the past. They discover they can influence their past selves and each makes small and then larger “tweaks” to try to fix their current problems. Will they “fix” their relationship, or rupture their connection forever?

This was a fast-paced and sweet read about the twists and turns life takes, and how to hold on to what matters to you. The musical references will delight Gen X and elder millennial readers! Recommended to fans of Rainbow Rowell’s Landline or What Might Have Been by Holly Miller.

Kayla recommends "The Starving Saints"

The Starving Saints - Caitlin Starling - Adult

I started reading this blind, with absolutely no idea what I was getting myself into. It was such a treat to be taken through the reality-bending, medieval world inside of Aymar castle, and to experience the journey through the perspective of three fantastically-written characters. If you're a fan of medieval horror or dark fantasy, give this one a try!