nonfiction

Review: Monsters in the Archives: My Year of Fear with Stephen King by Caroline Bicks

~ megs14malloy

Monsters in the Archives: My Year of Fear with Stephen KingMonsters in the Archives: My Year of Fear with Stephen King by Caroline Bicks
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Monsters in the Archives: My Year of Fear with Stephen King is an absolute MUST for Constant Readers everywhere.

You know who you are.

When I first heard about this project, first of all, I was insanely jealous of Caroline Bicks, and then I was just overjoyed that I would get to nerd out about my favorite author of all time, Stephen King.

I wanted new insights and observations, and Bicks certainly delivered that and more. Happily, this turned out to be everything I hoped it would be. I cannot wait to get a hard copy of this book. It’s going to stand proudly on my shelves alongside my vast Stephen King collection.

While I say this is for Constant Readers, which it is, I would caution newer fans to Stephen King that this does spoil the entire plot of every book Bicks explores. Why this seems obvious, she is deep diving into the details of each one, I think it’s worth mentioning nonetheless.

The novels explored are: Pet Sematary, The Shining, Salem’s Lot, Night Shift and Carrie. For Constant Readers, I feel like these are staples, but if there are any that you haven’t read, you may want to pick them up first before reading this.

I thought I knew a lot about King, his life and inspirations, but I learned a lot of new details throughout the course of this book. My favorite aspects were the notes showing thoughts during the editorial process, as well as any scenes that were removed from the final published works. Those I found to be particularly enlightening.

I would absolutely recommend this to anyone who loves Stephen King. In my eyes, he’s an icon. He’s brought such joy to my life over the course of the 37-years that I’ve been reading his books. I never expect a time when I will stop relishing every word he puts on a page.

Caroline Bicks did an incredible job conveying, not just her personal experiences diving into the archives and speaking with King about her discoveries, but also in bringing new and interesting points to light.

Thank you to the publisher, Hogarth, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This was a delight to read and I can’t wait to read it again someday!

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Review: This House of Grief: A Story of a Murder Trial by Helen Garner

~ megs14malloy

This House of Grief: The Story of a Murder TrialThis House of Grief: The Story of a Murder Trial by Helen Garner
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This House of Grief: The Story of Murder Trial is a True Crime novel penned by acclaimed Australian author, Helen Garner. This is the first I have read from this author, but I can easily see why her work is so beloved and respected.

This was gripping, without feeling like she was sensationalizing tragedy. It was just a frank depiction of her day-t0-day experience attending this murder trial, with the details of the event in question layered throughout.

Specifically, this book details the trial of Robert Farquharson. On Father’s Day in 2005, Mr. Farquharson, separated from his wife, was driving their three sons back to their mother’s house after a scheduled visit. On a lonely country road, his car exited the road and plunged into a dam.

Though Robert escaped, all three children drowned. After the accident Robert’s odd behavior led many to wonder, was this a tragic accident, or an act of revenge against his estranged-wife, who had moved on with another man?

Garner takes us through it all, including her own mixed thoughts and opinions on Robert, and the car crash, that she had while attending each day of the trial.

This was really very good. I enjoyed the way Garner framed this book around her experience in the courtroom following this emotionally-charged case, versus writing it like a typical True Crime book where we would mainly follow the details of the perpetrator, their life and crime(s).

I knew nothing about this case going in and I’m impressed with how concise Garner kept the details. I was easily able to grasp the ins-and-outs of the case, as well as the major players in no time at all. She also filled the pages with a raw humanity, that I always appreciate in a True Crime novel. It felt thoughtful and respectful to all involved.

Thank you to the publisher, Pantheon, for providing me with a copy. I definitely plan to seek out more of Helen Garner’s work. She’s clearly a very talented writer.

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Review: Leg: The Story of a Limb and the Boy Who Grew From It by Greg Marshall

~ megs14malloy

Leg: The Story of a Limb and the Boy Who Grew from ItLeg: The Story of a Limb and the Boy Who Grew from It by Greg Marshall
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

I listened to this entire book while on a solo road trip home from holiday. It’s read by the author and I was captivated by his unique life, and frank storytelling style.

Initially, I wasn’t comfortable giving this poignant Memoir a star-rating, so just shouted out how I really, really, really enjoyed it. Since that initial impulse, I’ve changed my mind and decided that 4.5-stars seems quite fair.

I had never heard of this book prior to picking it up. I just stumbled upon it while browsing Libby prior to my trip. I was wanting to pick something up for Disability Pride month in July, and I knew I wanted it to be nonfiction.

The first thing that drew me to this was the pretty pink cover, and once I read the synopsis, I knew I wanted to give it a shot. It sounded unique, and well worth the listen. Both of which it definitely ended up being.

Greg Marshall does the narration and it made it feel so personal, hearing his story in his own way, the way he would want it to be told. He was frank with the details, but peppered everything with the right amount of humor to keep the Reader engaged. It felt like having a personal conversation; learning about a new friend.

Marshall is open and honest about living with cerebral palsy, something his family never seemed to name or acknowledge. We learn a lot about his parents and their quirky, yet loving, parenting style, as well as his siblings.

Especially impactful for me was Marshall’s descriptions of losing his father to ALS, as I have lost two members of my own family to that tragic disease, and know how helpless and devastating an experience that is.

I was moved by the way Marshall laid everything out. In his vulnerability, I think one can find great strength and inspiration. I also loved how he used humor to bring a relatable sense of humanity to his entire story. I thought it was incredibly well done and am so glad I picked it up!

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Review: Horror for Weenies: Everything You Need to Know About the Movies You’re Too Scared to Watch by Emily C. Hughes

~ megs14malloy

Horror for Weenies: Everything You Need to Know about the Films You're Too Scared to WatchHorror for Weenies: Everything You Need to Know about the Films You’re Too Scared to Watch by Emily C. Hughes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a ton of fun. I highly recommend it for anyone interested in the Horror genre. Whether you’re a long-time fan, or someone just dipping your toes into the Horror pool, there’s so much to learn and enjoy here.

It does spoil every movie it discusses by telling you exactly what happens, but that’s the point. The premise behind the book is that it’s written for people who are too scared to watch Horror movies, but don’t want to miss out on all the great cultural significance happening in those works.

I had watched all the movies discussed, so it wasn’t an issue for me, but I felt it was worth mentioning. Also, I feel like it’s formatted in such a way that if it gets to a movie you don’t want spoiled for you, you can easily skip that chapter and return to it after you’ve watched.

Horror is my favorite genre and I do enjoy checking out nonfiction on the topic of its creation, history and nuances. I appreciated the humor the author had with this. It made it so engaging and quick to get through.

I also loved how each chapter covered an influential movie, and at the end of that chapter, the author would give a few book recs for people who either enjoyed the movie, or enjoy the types of themes and tropes explored within the movie.

Overall, this is a great reference guide and resource for people who want to know more about the complex and oft misunderstood genre of Horror.

Thank you to the publisher, Tantor Audio, for providing me a copy to read and review. The audio narration was fantastic and made me feel like I was sitting with narrator having a chat. A fun way to pass the weekend for Horror junkies!

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Review: Swamp Kings: The Murdaugh Family of South Carolina and a Century of Backwoods Power

~ megs14malloy

Swamp Kings: The Murdaugh Family of South Carolina and a Century of Backwoods PowerSwamp Kings: The Murdaugh Family of South Carolina and a Century of Backwoods Power by Jason Ryan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Swamp Kings: The Murdaugh Family of South Carolina and a Century of Backwoods Power is a nonfiction book that explores the history of the Murdaugh family of Hampton County, South Carolina.

Many may be familiar with the Murdaugh name following Alex Murdaugh’s trial and conviction for the killing of his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul, in June of 2021. Several documentaries, podcasts and other media have been created examining this case and crimes.

This book differs in that it’s not solely focused on the recent murders, nor the boating accident in February of 2019 that resulted in the tragic death of Mallory Beach.

In Swamp Kings, the author, Jason Ryan, digs much deeper into the roots of the Murdaugh family’s power and legacy in Hampton County. I enjoyed learning about the family and their deep hold in the area. It also had a bit of history of the Lowcountry, which I found enlightening.

I think if you go into this just expecting a True Crime novel focused on the murders of Maggie and Paul, you may be disappointed, but if you are here more for the history and a better understanding of this family’s position within the community, you should be satisfied.

I hesitate to say enjoy, because of the content, but you should walk away having learned some new things in regards to the family.

I come away with what I believe to be a better understanding of the events and environment that shaped Alex, and even Paul, into the men they became. It certainly doesn’t solve anything, or explain anything, but perhaps puts a little more context to these brutal crimes.

I feel the author did a solid job researching and pulling together all this information in a fast-paced and engaging way. I certainly was never bored while listening to the audio. In fact, it kept me wanting to go back to it.

My one critique would be that I wasn’t crazy about the way the book was constructed, or laid out. I’m not sure how to explain it. The order in which the information was presented, I guess, would be fair to say.

For example, it’s going over things that happened in Paul’s life, Alex’s life, Alex’s father’s life and Alex’s father’s father’s life. The men’s names are all very similar and it would jump around in time, often feeling muddled.

Like we’d be at the boating accident, and then without any preamble, or title head, jump back to the 1960s, but there would be a Buster here and a Buster there. I always had to pay attention to dates mentioned to figure out exactly who we were talking about.

I think I would have preferred a more linear layout, maybe with it broken into Parts, starting with the great-grandfather of Paul and then moving forward through time to the present day.

With this being said though, that’s purely personal taste and I support the author’s freedom to choose how he thinks best to present his research. I would recommend this to anyone who is interested in the case, or maybe to people who want to know more about the Murdaugh family in general, or the history of the Lowcountry of South Carolina.

Thank you, Spotify Audiobooks, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m glad that I picked this up.

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Review: Behind the Door: The Dark Truths and Untold Stories of the Cecil Hotel by Amy Price

~ megs14malloy

Behind the Door: The Dark Truths and Untold Stories of the Cecil HotelBehind the Door: The Dark Truths and Untold Stories of the Cecil Hotel by Amy Price
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Behind the Door: The Dark Truths and Untold Stories of the Cecil Hotel is a Memoir written by Amy Price, who was the manager of the Cecil for a decade.

I really enjoyed this. As memoirs go, I feel it was quite interesting and it kept me engaged. I completely understand why Amy felt compelled to share her story.

I’m sure many of you are familiar with this historic L.A. property. While I knew that the hotel was considered a haunted place, steeped in dark history, including as the place the Night Stalker was staying during the time of his killings, I really knew nothing else about it.

I learned so much and have a new appreciation for the complicated purpose and history of this hotel.

If you arrive with this book in your hand and you are expecting a strict True Crime story, maybe focusing on the infamous case of Elisa Lam, you may be disappointed, because that is not what this book is.

Amy was the manager of the hotel during Elisa’s stay, and she does discuss it, but it is by no means the focus of this books. It is one amongst many tragic stories that Amy watched first hand play out and relays here.

As mentioned above, I completely understand why Amy would want to tell this story. Particularly after the Netflix documentary on the Lam case released. I think it was easy for people to sort of vilify Amy as the person in charge, and say she should have done more when Elisa was exhibiting unusual behavior.

But I feel like when you hear the greater context of the hotel, its function, it’s location, the types of things that happened there on an all too regular basis, you’ll come to maybe understand that Elisa’s behavior really wasn’t that unusual at the Cecil. It was just another day.

I wasn’t reading this for the Lam case, so I didn’t mind that it wasn’t focused on. I was reading it more for the history of the hotel and what it would be like to work there.

Amy delivered those things to me very well. I walk away with a better understanding of this property that has become as infamous as The Overlook in pop culture.

Thank you to the publisher, William Morrow, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This was a quick read, and a fascinating glimpse into a place I will most likely never see first hand.

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Review: The Forever Witness: How Genetic Genealogy Solved a Cold Case Double Murder by Edward Humes

~ megs14malloy

The Forever Witness: How Genetic Genealogy Solved a Cold Case Double MurderThe Forever Witness: How Genetic Genealogy Solved a Cold Case Double Murder by Edward Humes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

At first glance, The Forever Witness: How Genetic Genealogy Solved a Cold Case Double Murder may look like your typical True Crime story, but it’s more than that.

This nonfiction account is actually an examination of the history and use of the science of DNA evidence in criminal investigation. More specifically, this story explores the changes that occurred once consumer DNA services hit the market with great gusto in 2007.

DNA evidence was of course used prior to that time, but it was much more limited in reach. In the early-90s the FBI developed their CODIS system as a pilot program and by the end of the decade it was the go-to source for criminal investigators.

However, for countless cases this system was unhelpful, as the perpetrators of the crimes in question were never in a situation where their DNA would have been collected and added to the system.

Regardless of that fact, biological samples from crime scenes were meticulously collected and stored over the years, mostly in the hopes that technology would advance to the point that it would one day prove helpful.

That’s exactly what happened in the case that this book recounts. In the 1980s, Tanya Van Cuylenborg and Jay Cook were brutally murdered during a trip to Seattle.

The young couple, loved by many and known to be very reliable, were reported missing by their families when they were unreachable after the time they were expected to return home from their trip.

Tanya and Jay’s bodies, as well as the van they were traveling in, are all eventually discovered, although in three separate locations. It was clear that Tanya had been raped. Physical and biological evidence was painstakingly collected, but turned up no viable leads. The case went cold and remained so for many years.

Regardless of how much time passed, however, lead Detective Jim Scharf never forgot Tanya or Jay. Little did he know, that decades later after consumer DNA testing services like 23andMe, and shows like Finding Your Roots would shoot through the roof in popularity, he would be able to ride that wave all the way to answers.

This is such an incredibly well-written book. Humes did an great job of presenting not only the history behind the use of DNA technology in criminal investigation, but also in recounting the case of Tanya and Jay with the care and grace that they deserve.

The author showed so much consideration when recounting not just what happened to them on that fateful day, but also in exposing the life-long repercussions that crime had on all who loved them, including Detective Scharf.

This did explore some interesting ethical issues arising from the use of Genetic Genealogy by Criminal Investigators as well; particularly towards the end of the book. It did provide plenty of food for thought and is a topic that definitely doesn’t get enough discussion or consideration in mainstream media.

I would absolutely recommend this to anyone, particularly those who are interested in criminal investigations and the American criminal justice system in general.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Dutton, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I would love to read more from Edward Humes. I was truly impressed with how he presented this entire story. Well done!

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Review: The Black Guy Dies First: Black Horror Cinema from Fodder to Oscar by Robin R. Means Coleman, Ph.D. and Mark H. Harris

~ megs14malloy

The Black Guy Dies First: Black Horror Cinema from Fodder to OscarThe Black Guy Dies First: Black Horror Cinema from Fodder to Oscar by Robin R. Means Coleman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up**

The Black Guy Dies First: Black Horror Cinema from Fodder to Oscar is exactly what the title describes, an examination of the role of Black actors and characters in Horror cinema, from the dawn of cinema through the present day.

Upon starting this book I was immediately taken with the humor of the authors. While the topic they are tackling is important and worth examination, they present it in a way that makes it fun and engaging. You’re learning so much, but it doesn’t feel like a chore. Win!

It was so interesting to tackle each section that the authors covered. It really took you through every aspect of Black Horror. They also included so many examples of the films that they felt exemplified the different topics/influences/aspects they were discussing.

It would be interesting to rewatch some of the films mentioned keeping in mind things that I learned from this book. I wish there were a complete list of every title they mentioned. I would love to watch them all.

Overall, I think this is an informative, fun and engaging piece of nonfiction. I loved the way the authors chose to present the information by using humor, honesty and a conversational narrative style. I feel like it makes it so much more appealing to a larger audience that way.

I would definitely recommend this one to any fan of Horror, or the history of Horror cinema in particular.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Gallery / Saga Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I was fascinated by this and am so glad that I picked it up!

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Review: The Fire This Time: A New Generation Speaks about Race, Edited by Jesmyn Ward

~ megs14malloy

The Fire This Time: A New Generation Speaks about RaceThe Fire This Time: A New Generation Speaks about Race by Jesmyn Ward
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Powerful, powerful, powerful!!!

This is an incredibly moving collection of essays speaking to race, humanity, human rights, family, identity and the Black experience in America, both historical and present-day.

Easily, one of the best collections of this type that I have ever read; each author/artist/thinker wrote with such strength and grace. I could not put this down once I started.

Each of these essays/stories/poems are thought-provoking, heart-felt, captivating, well-written, distinct and incredibly important. I highly recommend picking this one up. The audiobook is fantastic as well!!

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Review: Stamped: Racism, Antiracism and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi

~ megs14malloy

Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and YouStamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Ibram X. Kendi’s book Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America was first released in 2016.

Kendi, a Boston University Professor and founder of the BU Center for Antiracist Research, was awarded the National Book Award in nonfiction for the title. It’s also close to 600-pages by a man who can certainly run intellectual circles around me. For that fact alone, I find it intimidating.

Luckily for me and the rest of the world, Kendi decided he wanted to find someone who could take his ideas and write it in a way that would be more agreeable to a younger audience. Hence, Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You was born.

It sounds like it took a little cajoling, but eventually Reynolds, a well-loved author of Children’s and Young Adult fiction, agreed to take on the project.

I chose to listen to the audiobook because I knew that it was narrated by Reynolds. I’m so happy that I did. I would have enjoyed it had I read a hard copy, but hearing it from him, in the way he felt it should be read, was a really special experience.

This book offers a concise history of racism, and the racist ideas that have been used to justify slavery and oppression of black people in the United States, from the time of the first slaves arrival to the country, up through the creation of the Black Lives Matter movement.

It’s framed through three separate schools of thought: segregationists, assimilationists and antiracists. It explains how racist ideologies were constructed in a way to gain and keep power; how they led to the systemic issues prevalent today.

Reynolds states numerous times that this is not a history book, and you know what, it doesn’t feel like one. The way this is presented makes it feel like you are talking with a friend. It’s engaging, it’s forthright and it’s a must read.

The entire way through I was jotting down ideas, people and events that I want to learn more about. After reading this, I am no longer intimidated by Kendi’s original work. I want to read it and plan to by the end of the year!

I cannot recommend this enough. Particularly the audiobook. If you haven’t read this one yet, you absolutely should.

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