nostalgic reads

Review: Nightmare on Nightmare Street by R.L. Stine

~ megs14malloy

Nightmare on Nightmare StreetNightmare on Nightmare Street by R.L. Stine
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

I found Nightmare on Nightmare Street to be such a joy to read. It’s like Stine took all of his favorite tropes from the Goosebumps series and mixed them all together into one Spooky story that’s perfect for a young audience.

Stine pulled every weapon out of his bag of tricks for this one, but instead of feeling like a big ole’ mess, it actually felt well-constructed, engaging and like a true nightmare come to life for these kid characters.

The audiobook had fabulous narration. It made the story extra engaging. Great work by Dan Bittner, and I enjoyed the Foreward by James Murray as well.

In the story, we follow two separate sibling duos, Joe and Sadie, and Sean and Addie. I had the most fun with Sean’s perspective. Some of the things he experienced, I could see how that would super freak you out as a kid.

Actually, even thinking about some of it as an Adult freaked me out a little bit, NGL.

There’s one school day in particular, that Sean had, each new event got more startling and honestly, by the time he reached home at the end of the day, I did actually have goosebumps. That was a super fun section.

Overall, this is a strong showing for Stine, IMO. It’s perfect for kids who love a bit of spookiness in their lives. I’d highly recommend this for the young readers in your life, or for yourself, if you’re like me and love staying young at heart through spooky-ooky reads!

Thank you to the publisher, Blackstone Publishing, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This was cute and fun. I’m glad I picked it up!

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Review: Nobody Panic! by C.J. Vick

~ megs14malloy

Nobody Panic!Nobody Panic! by C.J. Vick
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

In the Summer of 1986, moths inundated the town of Somerville, and Janet was strong-armed by her BFF Maggie into joining the PTA. Two wild occurrences.

Janet has an overriding misfit reputation that’s plagued her since high school, but Maggie’s support and good humor is enough to drag her out of the house for one night. With her slightly melted deviled eggs in tow, the ladies make their way to the meeting.

Unfortunately, most of the other members are just as awful as Janet remembers, and she clearly sticks out like a sore thumb. What’s also noticeable is the absence of Sue, the best bundt cake maker known to man.

The next day, Sue’s body is discovered, the first in what becomes a series of missing housewives. The official story isn’t adding up. Janet’s encyclopedic knowledge of true crime assures her of that.

When Maggie is the next to go missing, Janet is convinced something malevolent is sweeping through Somerville.

Pairing up with two other misfit moms, and the coroner’s apprentice, who had a big ole’ crush on Janet in high school, Janet starts investigating and what she uncovers goes way deeper than Sue’s murder, and a few missing PTA members.

It appears Somerville has been harboring a dark secret spanning back generations. In order to stop this plague on the town, it appears that Janet will need to confront the demons in her own home first. If she fails, she risks losing herself and all she loves forever to the darkness.

After reading the synopsis for Nobody Panic!, I knew this was a story I wanted to pick up right away. It sounded pure 80s, like one of the fun chaotic and campy Horror stories that I was raised on, and it didn’t disappoint.

This is such a fun read. It’s campy in all the right ways. It’s almost innocent in a way, Janet’s personality and the way the drama unfolds, it so pure and good.

The plot was dripping with 80s-nostalgia and Satanic Panic. Vick definitely delivered all the vibes I was hoping for when I went into it.

The only very slight critique I would give is that in the later half, when action really began to pick up, it was hard for me to stay focused, or really picture in my mind, all of what was going on. It had moments where it was almost too chaotic, if that makes sense.

However, this is probably more of a me problem than the book. I mention it only because it did have a slight effect on my experience, as I had to read certain sections a couple of times in order to track what was going on.

Focusing on the numerous positives though, Vick knocked the tone and humor of 80s-Horror out of the park. The chapters were also each titled after 80s-songs, which was so fun. I would love a complete playlist. It would be amazing.

I would definitely recommend this to people who love campy Horror, or books with heavy 80s vibes. Also, definitely recommend for fans of The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires. The two could be cousins.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Sourcebooks Landmark, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I know this doesn’t release for a long time yet, but I couldn’t resist picking it up to kick off my Spooky Season.

Also, if this is a debut from C.J. Vick, I think we’re going to have a long and beautiful relationship. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next!!!

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Review: Be Right Back (Let’s Split Up #2) by Bill Wood

~ megs14malloy

Be Right Back (Let's Split Up, #2)Be Right Back by Bill Wood
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Be Right Back is the sequel to Bill Wood’s 2025-release, Let’s Split Up. These are YA Horror books that follow a group of friends in the small town of Sanera, California.

These novels are multi-perspective and channel all the fun spooky vibes of 80s and 90s Horror Fiction. There’s something about these books that feels nostalgic to me. I think it’s Bill Wood’s set-up and delivery. They’re very fun.

This sequel is set a year after the events of Let’s Split Up. Our friends, Amber, Buffy, Jonesy and Cam, have all now graduated high school, and moved on to their next steps as young adults. They’ve all left town, attending different colleges, except for Cam, who has stuck around and is currently an assistant coach at their old high school.

The start of this novel finds Amber, Buffy and Jonesy all returning home to attend the Sanera Halloween Festival. It’s the first time they’ve reunited, and it feels so good.

That is until the murders start. The gang, now known as the Sanera Four, is thrust into a grisly mystery as the Halloween Festival descends into chaos. It seems someone is using local legends as inspirations to commit their heinous crimes.

It’s clear the killer wants to get the attention of the Sanera Four, as the legends they’re choosing seem to specifically target the myths they once debunked. With the gang drawing unwanted attention, they must solve the mystery and catch the killer before they have a chance to strike again.

It didn’t take me long to remember why I liked Let’s Split Up so much. I was so happy and excited to be back with this great cast of characters that Wood has created. The Sanera Four are all well-developed, and I love getting each of their perspectives over the course of the book.

Another aspect I adore is the heavy Scooby-Doo vibes, which if you’ve read the Author’s Note of the 1st-book, you realize is intentional. But it’s not just Scooby-Doo. They’re pretty trope heavy, so feel nostaglic in that way, which I enjoy.

For example, this one was giving me sort of combined I Still Know What You Did Last Summer with Urban Legends; both popular Teen Screams of 1998. When I’m reminded of Horror media of the past that I’ve loved through a story, without it feeling copy-catty, I’m happy.

Bill Wood makes me happy.

I also respect how these books don’t take themselves too seriously. They’re pure entertainment, so if you’re looking for an entertaining and nostalgic feeling YA Horror series, I would absolutely recommend these books.

There’s already been a 3rd-book announced, One Last Scare, which is slated to release in October of 2026. I’m planning to be first in line for that. I cannot wait.

Thank you to the publisher, Scholastic, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m not sure how many books are going to end up being in this series, but either way, I have a feeling Bill Wood and I are going to have a long and beautiful friendship!

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Review: Death on the Lanai (Golden Girls Cozy Mystery #2) by Rachel Ekstrom Courage

~ megs14malloy

Death on the Lanai: A Golden Girls Cozy Mystery (Golden Girls Cozy Mystery Series)Death on the Lanai: A Golden Girls Cozy Mystery by Rachel Ekstrom Courage
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Death on the Lanai is the latest installment to the Golden Girls Cozy Mystery series from Rachel Ekstrom Courage.

I had a lot of fun reading the 1st-book, Murder by Cheesecake, so had been highly anticipating this release. I’m happy to report, I enjoyed this one even more!

In this installment, REC brings a classic murder mystery set-up to the page for our GGs. The ladies receive a mysterious invitation to attend a dinner party at a remote island estate. Even though they have no clue who the invitation is from, there could be single men there, so they’re definitely going to attend.

Dressed to the nines, the ladies climb aboard a water taxi to be ferried out to the island prepared for a glamorous night. The possibilities are endless of what the evening could hold, but they couldn’t imagine what would actually go down.

Once they’ve arrived, the ladies are introduced to their mystery host and owner of the estate, Declan, a famous artist known as El Toro. Quickly, memories of her time as a NYC Rockette come flooding back to Blanche.

Declan was Blanche’s beau during her short time in NYC, before she was swept back to Georgia by her family. She’s had no contact with him for years. How did he possibly find her, and what is the intent of this unexpected reunion?

The dinner guest list is small, and as the evening progresses the ladies get to know each of the other attendees and their basic connection to Declan. The majority of them are closely tied to his career as an artist, and as it turns out, even Blanche has a connection she never knew about.

As is expected in situations like this, a ferocious storm ends up battering the island, knocking out the power and stranding the guests there overnight.

The next morning, Declan is found dead in his studio and all eyes are on Blanche. The ladies know that Blanche is innocent, meaning someone else on that island is a killer, and they’re trapped there with them. It’s up to the ladies to suss out the real killer before they’re able to kill again.

This was so cute. I loved the classic set-up for the mystery and laughed so many times as the ladies tried to solve the whodunit. I love them all so much.

I feel like Rachel Ekstrom Courage is really settling into writing their personalities and bringing them to life. She’s honed in on their dynamic so well and it definitely translated better onto the page this time. Their vibe felt much more natural than it did in the 1st-book.

The mystery was also more intriguing to me, and I loved having this set cast of possible killers. There were red herrings, and at times, it was a real head-scratcher.

I’m so in love with this series at this point. I’m really hoping we get more. Miami is a busy place, and our girls are good at getting themselves into, and then out of, sticky situations.

As I said with the 1st-book, I would recommend it to any Golden Girls fan. The GGs were handled with grace, and I think it’s quite nostalgic for any long-term fan of the television show.

Personally, I don’t think it would hit quite the same for people who haven’t watched the show, but I could be wrong. As a Cozy Mystery, it’s still solid, regardless of who the characters are.

Thank you to the publisher, Hyperion Avenue, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m so invested in this series now, I’m already anxious to hear news of what’s next!

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Review: Dead Fake (Bleak Haven #1) by Vincent Ralph

~ megs14malloy

Dead Fake (Bleak Haven, #1)Dead Fake by Vincent Ralph
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Dead Fake is the 1st-book in an all-new YA Horror series from beloved YA Horror author, Vincent Ralph. I have read previously from this author and had fun with his stories, so I’ve been looking forward to this.

This Bleak Haven series had the first 2-books release this January, and books 3 and 4 are set to release in the Fall. If I’m understanding it correctly, these books are like Fear Street in that they’re all set in the same fictional town, where curious and horrible things frequently happen, but each book follows separate characters.

I’m assuming there will be some overlap of characters, but I’m not sure how much since I haven’t read them all yet. This one did set-up nicely the idea that this town is cursed, and it also referenced some previous atrocities that would lead residents to believe that.

This story in particular follows Ava Wilson, whose Uncle Miles is an infamous Bleak Haven murderer. Ava attends the local high school and it’s there that the action kicks off. Flyers are posted around the school asking students if they would Swipe to Die?

The flyers have a QR code that lead to a mysterious website where students can view their own ‘death’. These deaths take the form of AI-generated Slasher Movie moments, putting the students in the final death scenes. These videos are then made public for all to see.

Ava is a hard pass on this disturbing new trend, but many students, including her friends, can’t resist trying it out. Curiosity killed the cat, and all that.

When some of her classmates deepfakes are replicated in real life, Ava can’t help but notice unsettling details that prompt her to believe these deaths may be connected to the past. Unable to leave it alone, Ava digs in, determined to find the killer before they take out anyone else she loves.

Dead Fake is a lot of fun to read. It’s engaging and well-written, with a solid intensity and well-developed characters. IMO, it’s a great start to a YA Horror series. It felt nostalgic for me, channeling the Point Horror, or Christopher Pike/R.L. Stine reads of my youth.

I really enjoyed Ava as the protagonist. I thought she felt very natural and the backstory of everything involving her Uncle added substance to the story. There was a lot of complicated emotions her family was dealing with in the aftermath of all that, and I enjoyed that exploration.

I also loved the build-up, with the flyers and the videos dropping, and then finally with the bodies dropping. There were some good twists as well once Ava starts looking into who is possibly behind the website and the murders.

I’m really excited to continue on with these books. I’m looking forward to seeing what the content of the other books is going to be. I’m not sure if they’re all set in the same time period or not, or if some of them will maybe feature some of the previous bad things that have happened in the town that were referenced in this book.

I would definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys YA Horror, or even Adult Horror Readers who are looking for something fun and potentially nostalgic ((if you’re of a certain age, like me)). You can tell by this phenomenal cover exactly the vibes you’re getting in this story too. I love it.

Thank you, Wednesday Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m super excited to start the next book. I have no doubt it will be as much fun as this one!

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Review: Let’s Split Up (Let’s Split Up #1) by Bill Wood

~ megs14malloy

Let's Split Up (Let's Split Up, #1)Let’s Split Up by Bill Wood
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Let’s Split Up is an entertaining YA Horror novel that made me nostalgic for the scary stories of my youth. This is a multi-perspective story that follows a group of teens in the small town of Sanera, California.

Amber, Jonesy and Cam have been best friends for years, and when new girl, Buffy, arrives, led by Amber, they quickly envelop her into their crew.

Prior to meeting our group though, we get a Prologue, where two of their popular classmates, Brad and Shelley, exploring an abandoned estate, Carrington Manor, end up getting brutally murdered.

That’s how this book kicks off, and it definitely sets the stage for what’s to come. The deaths of the two students rocks their local high school, and our main cast is caught up in the consequences of all of that.

Rumors fly around the small town that the Carrington ghoul is responsible for Brad and Shelley’s deaths, but could that really be true? A paranormal entity is hard to fathom.

When they don’t trust the local authorities to figure out what happened to their classmates, Cam, Jonesy, Amber and Buffy decide to investigate themselves, heading to Carrington Manor to dig around.

When things take a turn, and they find themselves in danger, they decide to split up in hopes of getting answers faster, thus breaking a widely recognized rule in Horror.

From there it’s balls to wall craziness as these kids just try to survive their town day-to-day. No matter the danger, they’re determined to crack this case.

Let’s Split Up was a lot of fun. The author mentioned in his acknowledgements at the end that he had wanted to explore what it would be like if Scooby-Doo was scarier, and I think he definitely succeeded.

This gave me all the Scooby-Doo vibes, with a touch of Scream mixed in, making it a truly entertaining YA Horror story. I love that there’s already a 2nd-book set to release in the Spring. I’ll definitely be reading it.

This is super trope-filled though, I do want to caution you, in case you don’t enjoy books like that, but for me, I thought that aspect was so fun.

Personally, specifically in YA Horror, I love to see all the tropes. It makes it feel more nostalgic for me, bringing me back to the stories I enjoyed as a youngster, when I first fell in love with my most favorite genre.

It’s pure entertainment. The characters were fun and I enjoyed their relationships a lot. I think it will be fun to follow them again on different cases. They have so much room to grow, and I wanna be there for it.

Initially, I wasn’t crazy about getting three different perspectives — Jonesy, Amber and Cam — but I did come to really enjoy that aspect. I think as the story continued it started to make more sense for it to be told that way.

Overall, I think this was a really enjoyable read. It’s not perfect by any stretch, but I like how it didn’t take itself too seriously. It was revisiting some of the best tropes in Horror, and I adored the added Scooby-Doo vibes. As mentioned above, I’m looking forward to the 2nd-book.

Thank you so much to Scholastic for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m looking forward to reading more from Bill Wood!

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Review: The Curse of the Mummy’s Tomb (Goosebumps #5) by R.L. Stine

~ megs14malloy

The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb (Goosebumps)The Curse of the Mummy’s Tomb by R.L. Stine
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

While on holiday in Egypt, Gabe’s parents get called away, leaving him in the care of his Uncle, who happens to be an archaeologist working in the area.

This also means he’ll be spending a lot more time with his cousin, Sari, who admittedly, drives Gabe nuts. She can such a know-it-all and is always teasing and pranking him.

On an excursion to his Uncle’s worksite, Gabe begins exploring the tunnels of the ancient pyramid. It makes him feel strange being in there, like he’s not alone. It’s so eerie, and then he gets lost!

Will Gabe ever find his way out, or will he be just another victim of the Curse of the Mummy’s Tomb!?

The Curse of the Mummy’s Tomb was Book #5 in the original Goosebumps series, and as you would imagine, it does feel like one of the classics.

It’s full of jokes and pranks. As any fan of the series can attest, Stine loves a jokester. It’s one of the true staples of his stories. He’s always peppering them in every way he can.

Overall, this is a fun story. There’s quite a bit of action I wasn’t expecting and I enjoyed the Egyptian setting. It’s exactly what I was in the mood for going in. There’s something to be said for Stine’s formula. Sure, it’s predictable, but you always know what you’re getting!

I would recommend this to fans of the Goosebumps franchise. If you’re new to them though, I wouldn’t start here. You have better options for a first go at it.

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Review: Murder by Cheesecake: A Golden Girls Cozy Mystery by Rachel Ekstrom Courage

~ megs14malloy

Murder by Cheesecake: A Golden Girls Cozy MysteryMurder by Cheesecake: A Golden Girls Cozy Mystery by Rachel Ekstrom Courage
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

My initial thoughts upon first hearing the concept for this book were as follows:

I cannot even believe this is a thing. It’s like all my dreams have come true. No one is a bigger GG-fan than me!! To have the Girls all together to solve a Cozy Mystery?!

What the heck could be better!?

I put off reading it for as long as I could, wanting to read it just prior to the publication date, April 15, 2025. In my eyes, it couldn’t come soon enough.

And I’ll tell you what, I did really enjoy it. Was it perfect? No, but it didn’t need to be. I feel like a lot of Cozy Mystery series get better as they go, as they find their rhythm and as Readers become more attached to the characters.

While I don’t think it’s possible for me to be more attached to Sophia, Blanche, Dorothy and Rose than I already am, I do think if the series continues, I will grow to love the format and mystery of the novels more and more.

In this story, we have two things happening. Rose is preparing to host a wedding for her cousin, Nettie, and her beau, Jason, wherein an inheritance clause makes it necessary for the wedding to contain many St. Olafian traditions, so that is a focus of a lot of the action.

Additionally, we have a dead body found on the premises where the wedding is to take place, and due to circumstances I won’t get into, Dorothy is considered a lead suspect.

Because of all of this, the Girls are trying to clear Dorothy’s name, while also giving Nettie the wedding of her dreams. It’s a lot for a weekend!

By the end of the 1st-chapter, I was already impressed by the way the author captured each of the Girls’ personalities and mannerisms; minus Sophia using a cane, which I am still scratching my head about.

It was so easy for me to read, picturing all of their intonations and comedic deliveries. It was just incredibly enjoyable for me as a super fan.

Overall, I found it to be a super cute, very fun, and nostalgic read for me. I felt like all four women, Dorothy, Rose, Sophia and Blanche, were executed with grace, and in a way that would make any fan of the show happy.

At times I would have preferred the mystery to be a bit more front-and-center, in comparison to the drama circling Nettie’s wedding. Nevertheless, it was still a great read!

I’m actually not sure if this is slated to be a series, or not, but I’m really hoping for more. There’s so many more opportunities for mysteries. Miami is a busy place and these Girls are always getting into some sort of sticky situation.

I would recommend this to any Golden Girls fan. I don’t think it would hit the same for people who haven’t watched the show, but I could be wrong. As a Cozy Mystery, it was still solid, regardless of who the characters are.

Thank you so much for the ARC, Hyperion Avenue. This was a hugely-anticipated release for me, and I’m honored to have received a copy early.

Thank you, thank you!

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Review: The Hollow (Hercule Poirot #26) by Agatha Christie

~ megs14malloy

The Hollow (Hercule Poirot, #26)The Hollow by Agatha Christie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Hollow is the 26th-book in Agatha Christie’s iconic Hercule Poirot series.

I’ll be honest, I hadn’t heard of this one when I discovered it while browsing the shelves at B&N a couple weeks ago. It actually caught my eye because I had never heard of it.

I plucked it off the shelf to find out and immediately fell in love with this cover. I had to have it. A few hours later, I cracked it open on my 2.5-hour ferry ride home.

I was immediately pulled into the story, which follows a colorful cast of characters that Lucy Angkatell, the quirkiest amongst them, has invited to her country house for a holiday weekend.

As it happens, Hercule Poirot is one of the Angkatell’s neighbors, in that he has a country house nearly abutting their property.

Knowing the infamous detective is due to be at his house that weekend, Lucy invites him to dine with them all. His presence should be quite entertaining.

Unfortunately, just as Poirot is arriving for lunch at the Angkatell estate at the appointed time, one of the other guests is discovered shot dead by the pool.

At first, Poirot suspects it is some sort of cruel joke intended for him. He believes they’re acting, but those suspicions are quickly put to rest upon closer examination of the body with copious amount of blood dripping into the pool.

The corpse’s spouse is standing there, holding a revolver, but it can’t be that simple, can it?

Thus, an investigation begins, involving both Poirot and local law officer. This was a fun closed-circle mystery that kept me guessing. It also made me quite sad at the end.

What’s that all about, Agatha?!

I enjoyed that we had a full, unlikable cast of characters to choose from as suspects and each one of them had motive. That’s always the best kind, isn’t it?

And of course we have Poirot there, just slaying, as usual. He’s so beyond other’s deductive skills, but never rubs that in their faces. We love a confident, yet humble man.

I’m surprised, upon reflection, that I’ve never heard of this one. It was so good. I would definitely recommend this to all Christie fans, if you, like me, never had this on your radar. It’s well worth the read.

It had been a while since I had picked up a Christie, a few months at least, and this has reinvigorated my love for her works. I ordered two more today, in fact. I can’t wait to get to them!

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Re-Reading a Classic: The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

~ megs14malloy

The HobbitThe Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

❤️💙❤️💙❤️💙❤️💙❤️💙❤️

We sang a lot of songs and spun many a riddle. Alas, another adventure through Middle Earth comes to an end.

Picking this up, I couldn’t recall 100% if I had read it before. After reading the first two chapters though, I definitely believe I have; most likely as a tween.

I had fun revisiting Bilbo’s life and adventures. Some of the aspects were very familiar, while others, not so much. I’m happy I reread it via audio, because the narration by Rob Inglis was so perfect for this story.

He has such a classic storyteller voice. It was easy to get swept up and away into everything that was going on, and there is A LOT going on.

The assignment of Bilbo as a burglar was funny, because that was definitely not a position he ever saw himself falling into. He had certainly never had an adventure like this before and I liked watching him grow and change during his time with the Dwarves and Gandalf.

I will say, for me personally, this doesn’t hit quite like the main LOTR trilogy. This one is a bit choppy, and my word, the songs. Why must we have so many songs?

Actually, the audiobook, the songs were so off-key it was absolutely hilarious. I did feel bad for my dog though, who was forced to listen to this on a 5-hour road trip. He must have been thinking, what the fluff are we listening too?

The story itself, after the opening bits, which I thought were grand, does get a little clunky as our traveling group is going about their mission.

It also felt like a lot of the major events were just sort of glossed over. Nevertheless, it’s a classic for a reason. It’s a wonderful story and a great intro to this world. I’m looking forward to rereading the full LOTR trilogy this year!

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