THE AGE OF CALAMITIES By : Senaa Ahmad Release : 1/13/26 Page count : 225 KU : No         Hoopla : No Synopsis : Nine stories that juxtapose historical figures such as Anne B. Henry VIII, Joan of Arc, and Genghis Kahn with haunting lyricism reminiscent of Margaret Atwood’s short story “Happy Endings”. First line : “There was a man, let’s call him Henry VIII.” Favorite lines : “… dread is a fire that starts everywhere at once.” “Change is what’s left when you purge everything

Welcome to Latham's Last Words, where I give you my last words on books I've enjoyed. I celebrate FebruRufty each February so it's fitting to have one of his books as my first review of the month. Escapement is a collection of 3 novellas and would be a great introduction to his work. Excellent! I'm a big fan of Rufty's writing so it's no surprise I loved this collection of novellettes. Each one offered a different brand of horror. Scraps was the most extreme of the three. I

FUNERAL SONG By : Carly Racklin Release : 1/27/26 Page Count : 138 KU : No      Hoopla : No Synopsis : Friede is the local pianist for funerals, even though she’s dead. By her wife. First line : Friede tried to scream, but no sound came out.” Favorite line : “However you cut it, dying was often inconvenient. An interruption. Scheduled had to be amended, arrangements made, and family pulled from their own important business.” Thoughts : THIS? THIS IS THE DEBUT?! Holy shit. Bet

THE NIGHT SHIP By : Alex Woodroe Release : 1/20/26 Page count : 224 KU : No         Hoopla : TBD Synopsis : A woman and her boyfriend set off in a semi-truck for a run of the mill delivery. Oh, but the end of the world gets in the way. First line : “When darkness fell over the world, only Rosi witnessed its arrival.” Favorite lines : “This feels like a strange sort of hell, like they came up with new circles since the last time anyone visited.” “What‘s the sound of being alon

PIG WIFE By : Abbey Luck Release : 1/13/26 Page count : 542 KU : TBD      Hoopla : TBD Synopsis : A young girl goes missing and finds secrets that her stepdad’s aunt has had buried for decades. First line : “Just tell the office I won’t be in all week.” Favorite line:”… Police rabies.” Thoughts : How kidnapping, mental illness, and embezzlement can be funny at times, I will never understand. Luck makes the reader care about the characters (minus two… and I’m side eying them).

Dog Food By: Peter Caffrey The holidays. The most stressful times. Just ask David. He is on his way home with the family in tow. His annoying children and irritable wife aren't making things easier. Don't get him started on the airlines. He thinks it's bad now; wait until the plane lands. What the hell did I read? This was madness, and I loved it. A tale that spirals out of control, leaving you questioning your own sanity. If you haven't read Caffrey yet, you really should. S

Title : THE BLACKCOAT’S DAUGHTER Director : Osgood Perkins Run Time : 1 hour, 33 minutes Rating : R Synopsis : A woman comes back to the school from her childhood after she is released from the psychiatric ward. But things from her past will be hard to change. Pros : The pacing, characters, and the minimalism. Cons : A bit convoluted in places. Thoughts : Overall, I was impressed with 99% of it. There are just some parts that are so confusing but I almost feel it was intended

This is it, kids. The last set of book reviews for the year. I can’t believe we made it through so many pages and books together! Next year, I will writing reviews from Utah! I hope your holidays are amazing (except that one person, you know who you are) and I will see you again in 2026! BOOKS OF BLOOD Vol. 6 By: Clive Barker Release: 2013 Page count : 155 KU : No       Hoopla : No Synopsis : The last five stories in the series of BOOKS OF BLOOD. Exotic land grabs to a magi

Well, well, well. We meet again! It's Friday, and that means another review. Going to revisit an older review of mine. An author I really enjoy, and I think you will too. Donut Quest by Jerry Blaze Mmmmm donuts, who doesn't love a good donut? Just ask David. Meet David, just your average guy enjoying his morning coffee. When he suddenly gets a craving for donuts. This urge propels our hero on a quest to satisfy his craving for that delicious treat, but the world has other pl

Welcome to Latham's Last Words, where I give you my last words on books I've enjoyed. This week's review is being released on November 7th. And will definitely be in my list of top reads for the year. This. Book. Is. So. Good! Norse folk horror combined with mental illness horror. A man who's lost his pet and is battling almost crippling OCD. The God Fenrir and a cult wanting to bring about Ragnarok. This book will not fail to entertain you and touch your heart. I was not pre

PROSPER’S DEMON By : KJ Parker Release : 1/28/20 Page count : 112 KU : No      Hoopla : Synopsis : What do you do when you have a gift so few have? You do demon extraction - but remember there are rules and the same demons over and over. First line : “I have an idea you aren’t going to like me very much.” Favorite line : “Now, conceding that Prospero was at least 40 percent full of stuff that makes roses grow…” “Sometimes I’m so stupid, I’m amazed I manage to breathe.” (Chris

Happy Halloween, everyone! This Halloween, I'm bringing you a story that has my favorite horror trope, the crazy family. I believe my fascination with this trope began when I first saw The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and just grew from there. So now whenever I see a story with a crazy family, it's an instant buy. With that being said, I bring you today's review……. Rest Stop 2: Road to Hell By: Eric Butler Momma and the clan are back and still raising hell. A mother trying to find

Welcome to Latham's Last Words, where I give you my last words on books I've enjoyed. This week's review is another Halloween read, Allhallow's Eve by Richard Laymon. Not my favorite Halloween read, but still enjoyable. I've read several books by Laymon, and I find that the ones that should be more horror focused, are firmly in the Ok range for me. While I did enjoy this book, it kind of fell flat for me, especially the ending. I also would have liked for it to be more Hallow