4/12/26 — Christina Critiques (Indie, Stoker, and International Booker reviews)

MORTY’S HOLIDAY

By: Bryn Grover

Release: 2/27/26

Page count: 93

KU: Yes       Hoopla: No

Synopsis: Morty just wants a vacation. A few days without the burden of killing people for a quota, the bosses breathing down his neck, just sweet, sweet life on the life on high seas.

First line: “Stepping off the ramp of the cruise ship and taking a deep breath, Morty stopped and looked around him.”

Favorite line: “I already had things set up father down the beach for them to fall into a hole filled with spiked poles that some kids put into the sand as part of ‘pretend we’re guerilla fighters’ game.”

Thoughts: God, this shortie is just what I needed. Imagine DALE AND TUCKER but make it reaper filled and his new boss is somehow involved. Creative, funny, and the perfect story to read while relaxing… unless you are Morty.

Rating: 5/5

Find it here: https://a.co/d/00OI610x

RIDER IN THE WIDOW LANDS: A Sword and Sorcery Short Story

By: Coy Hall

Release: 2/8/26

Page count: 26

KU: Yes       Hoopla: No

Synopsis: A hero’s quest, a bag of bones, and a whole lot in between.

First line: “Through a watchful forest where no trail was cut, The Rider traveled on a Friesian of black onyx.”

Favorite line: “A chorus of succubi whispered from quagmires, their song bubbling in the muck, invading The Rider’s mind, beguiling his senses with perfumes, stoking the memories of warmth, urging him off the route.”

Thoughts: Oh, Coy has already dealt with my bitching for more in this universe. Somehow Hall plops the reader into the unknown but still makes it feel familiar. There are even riddles and a much larger vocabulary than many of us are used to - I learned at least five new words myself. Seriously though, it’s short yet descriptively stunning. I need more.

Rating: 10/5

Find it here: https://a.co/d/004MX9kY

STOKER NOMINEE

JUMPSCARE - Issue #1-4

By: Cullen Bunn

Illustrated by: Danny Luckert

Page count: 100

Release: 10/21/25

KU: No          Hoopla: Yes

Synopsis: When her estranged family asks for help finding her sister, Jumpscare is a bit hesitant to help. But oh, what the hell, why not give it a go.

First line: “Empire City. Don’t let the bright  lights and gleaming skyscrapers fool you.”

Favorite line: “This is not how I go out! No way! I’m not getting killed by a ramen-noodle monster.”

Thoughts: Imagine if Harley Quinn didn’t suck mixed with Tank Girl and throw in some Eldritch horror for shit and giggles. Bunn always hits a home run and the illustrations were gory as fuck. Extra credit: Jumpscare’s weapons are from horror movies.

Rating: 5/5

Other recommendations: HARROW COUNTY

Find it here: https://a.co/d/02WQ1g9K

JOHN CARPENTER’S TALES FOR A HALLOWEEN NIGHT: Vol. 11

By: Various

Page count: 204

Release: 10/13/2025

KU: No          Hoopla: Yes

Unfortunately, this collection was a DNF.*

Find it here: https://a.co/d/0hjSVWgm

INTERNATIONAL BOOKER SHORTLIST NOMINEE

THE WITCH

By: Marie Ndiaye

Translated by: Jordan Stump

Page count: 132

Release: 4/7/26

KU: No         Hoopla: No

Synopsis: A generational witch must come to terms with her life not being in her control. A husband that feels invisible, two daughters who feel caged, and parents going in different directions.

First line: “When my daughters turned twelve, I initiated them into the mysterious powers.”

Favorite line: “No offense, Mama, but really, it’s all just so lame,” said Maud, and that was their only comment upon joining the ageless procession of occult-powered women.”

Thoughts: Though short, this novella hurts. As a parent especially. How the mother wants to feel needed is way too personal. She has to watch as her children leave the nest… more than metaphorically. The husband who feels invisible but is less than what he seems. Ndiaye makes the heartbreak so honest and anxiety inducing the whole time, but with such a beauty. This is fancy smancy literature so there’s your warning.

Rating: 5/5

Find it here: https://a.co/d/04XYu67F