The Book Blog

Readers come to stories in myriad ways. Friend recommendations. Book clubs. Best-seller lists. Perusing the library shelves. Deep dives into genres. Blogs, like this. For me, every so often, a title alone sinks its hooks into me, and I just have to explore it. I stumbled across one of my favorite books this exact way--through its enigmatic title: My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry by Fredrik Backman.

This Swedish author’s claim to fame is probably his best-selling novel, A Man Called Ove, made into a Swedish film in 2016 and an American adaptation, A Man Called Otto starring Tom Hanks. Incidentally, after working closely with Hanks on the film, Backman gifted him a Swedish typewriter to add to his collection. I digress. Backman has many other titles to his name, and while all have received much acclaim (his latest, My Friends, was chosen for Jimmy Fallon’s Book Club) My Grandmother holds a place in my heart.

Readers immediately fall in love with Elsa, the seven-year-old protagonist. Backman writes in the opening sentence, “Every seven-year-old deserves a superhero. That’s just how it is. Anyone who doesn’t agree needs their head examined.” Elsa is precocious and different and her only friend/superhero is her Granny. When Granny dies, Elsa is left alone to field life in all its weirdness and, per Granny’s request, to deliver a series of apology letters to people Granny has wronged. Despite being sad and angry at losing her Granny, Elsa takes her task seriously and embarks on an adventure meeting the quirky cast of individuals that have populated Granny’s fairy tales. Readers see in Elsa and Granny the complexities of being human and not only navigating a devastating loss but also learning to live. Ultimately, Elsa’s broken heart is mended. We’re all left learning much about family, forgiveness and ultimately embracing individuality. Backman’s storytelling is funny, heartwarming, and poignant, “One day at a time. One dream at a time. And one could say it’s right and one could say it’s wrong. And probably both would be right. Because life is both complicated and simple. Which is why there are cookies.” 

If a quirky title is all it takes to get you to read the rest of the book, check this one out. 

Grady Hendrix is one of my favorite authors, and with Spooky Season coming up, what better time to start talking about some spooky books than now (not that I’ve ever needed an excuse)?

As a disclaimer, this list does not include Hendrix’s self-published novellas, his early short story collection, or his nonfiction works, as these are not as widely accessible and many exist in categories outside the genre of horror. Below, I’ve ranked all seven of Hendrix’s mainstream-published horror novels, as well as the two short stories he’s published in the last few years as part of Amazon’s Creature Feature and The Shivers collections, which feature short horror stories by top authors in the genre like Stephen Graham Jones (The Only Good Indians, I Was a Teenage Slasher, The Buffalo Hunter Hunter) and Joe Hill (20th Century Ghosts, NOS4A2, The Fireman).

9. We Sold Our Souls

Overall Goodreads Rating: 3.71/5 stars

My Goodreads Rating: 2/5 stars

One-sentence summary: Kris, a former heavy metal guitarist, fights back against a former bandmate who once betrayed her and who is now in league with dark supernatural forces.

Relevant subgenres and tropes: Supernatural/paranormal horror, cult horror, vague slasher vibes

The premise was interesting, and it had a lot of potential, but it felt oddly lackluster and disappointing for what it was. The one thing he did successfully in this book is the thing that makes so many of his other books so great: the way he writes friendships between women. There just wasn’t enough of it for me to care about this book, like, at all. I thought the section where Kris and Melanie crossed paths was amazing, but I almost wish that they'd been friends the whole book, or that we'd at least gotten a more satisfactory ending for the two of them. As it was, this book felt underdeveloped, and the relationships between Kris and her bandmates (all men) just felt kind of so-so, while every woman who wasn't Kris or Melanie felt like an extra in a movie who had no personality.

8. How to Sell a Haunted House

Overall Goodreads rating: 3.65/5 stars

My Goodreads rating: 3/5

One-sentence summary: Following the sudden death of her parents, a single middle-aged mother must travel back to her hometown to help settle her parents’ affairs and clean out the house while dealing with her man-child brother (and also some creepy dolls, puppets, and taxidermized woodland creatures).

Relevant subgenres and tropes: Supernatural/paranormal horror, haunted/possessed dolls

This one wasn’t technically bad. I didn’t dislike it. I just got a bit bored with it by the end because there was a mystery, and it didn’t seem like anything was being done “on-screen” to solve that mystery. The dolls and puppets were pretty creepy and weird, and at points a bit upsetting. The squirrels were honestly kind of hilarious. While this one wasn’t my favorite, I’d still recommend it as a fair example of what Hendrix’s work is like—if you’re patient enough to get past some of the boring bits.

7. Horrorstör

Overall Goodreads rating: 3.65/5 stars

My Goodreads rating: 3/5 stars

One-sentence summary: A woman working at an Ikea-knockoff store is voluntold to work overnight while the store is closed to help solve the mystery of whether or not someone has been sneaking into the store at night—but the truth is way weirder.

Relevant subgenres and tropes: Supernatural/paranormal horror

I think the most fun part of this book is that the physical copy is laid out like an Ikea catalog. There are diagrams and store maps in the front matter, and throughout, there are pictures of the furniture described in the book that get more and more unhinged as the story progresses.

Other than that, much like the previous book, this book was just kind of boring. And much like the previous two books, it was lacking in the female friendship department. I wish there’d been more of that, and some more intrigue and more of an explanation of whatever the deal with the restless spirits was.

I did appreciate the retail worker representation, and the night-shift worker representation in this one. A lot of this weirdly felt the same as working nights at Walmart when I was in grad school during the pandemic.

6. My Best Friend’s Exorcism

Overall Goodreads rating: 3.93/5 stars

My Goodreads rating: 4/5 stars

One-sentence summary: A group of girls spend the weekend at a friend’s parents’ lakehouse doing teenager things like swimming in the lake, going for walks outside, and playing with a ouija board; over the next few weeks, one of the girls goes through a rapid decline, and her friend determines she must be possessed by a demon.

Relevant subgenres and tropes: Supernatural/paranormal horror, demonic possession, possession as a metaphor for sexual trauma, period piece (1980s)

This was the second book I read by Hendrix, and I didn’t love it as much as the first one I read, but by this point, I knew what I loved most about his books: the way he writes women’s friendships. For a man, he does this tastefully and with incredible authenticity, which makes me feel like he must have grown up in a predominantly female household, or he was the only boy in his friend group when he was in school.

Regardless, I loved this book right up until the actual exorcism scene, which I thought was really cheesy and embarrassing, though I did understand what he was going for. Up until that point, I loved the various character interactions, and I loved the main character’s commitment to her friend and finding out what was wrong and how hard she fought to help her. There were cringey moments—of course there were! That’s Hendrix’s whole thing—but nothing felt out of place or made me actually roll my eyes until the exorcism happened.

5. The Final Girl Support Group

Overall Goodreads rating: 3.51/5 stars

My Goodreads rating: 4/5 stars (probably closer to 4.5 if I’m being fair, but I don’t like slashers)

One-sentence summary: A member of a support group for real-life “final girls” (the survivors of slasher attacks) realizes someone is killing off the women from her support group and now must battle her own intense PTSD and social awkwardness, as well as the killer, to try to stop him before he kills anyone else.

Relevant subgenres and tropes: Slashers, references to supernatural/paranormal horror and Lovecraftian/Eldritch horror

I initially rated this one 3/5 stars when I first read it, but after reading We Sold Our Souls and really disliking that one, I realized Final Girl Support Group actually wasn’t that bad. In fact, all the action, humor, drama, and gore were there, and there was an excellent mystery plot that was full of twists and turns. I just really don't like slasher movies, so I don’t feel like I probably got as much out of this one as someone who does like those kinds of movies might have. If you love slasher films, this might be an excellent book for you!

4. “Ankle Snatcher” (part of Amazon’s Creature Feature collection)

Overall Goodreads rating: 3.70/5 stars

My Goodreads rating: 4/5 stars

One-sentence summary: Ever since his father suffered a mental break and murdered his mother, Marcus has feared the dark and romantic intimacy; one night, a date sleeps over at his apartment—and makes the mistake of turning off the light.

Relevant subgenres and tropes: Psychological horror, supernatural/paranormal horror, generational trauma

This is Grady Hendrix’s only mainstream-published work told from the perspective of a man, which I find fascinating. He’s very good at telling women’s stories, but I never considered until I read this that he never really writes about men’s thoughts and experiences, so it was interesting to see this shift in perspective.

While this story and The Final Girl Support Group both get four stars, I definitely like this one more because I tend to prefer supernatural or paranormal horror over horror stories featuring humans killing other humans, and I think that’s what Hendrix does best anyway.

Also, shout-out to the Discovery Channel, which was basically a supporting character.

3. The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires

Overall Goodreads rating: 3.79/5 stars

My Goodreads rating: 5/5 stars

One-sentence summary: A bored stay-at-home mom from Charleston, South Carolina, helps the new guy who moved in down the street get settled in after finding out he’s the nephew of the old woman with dementia who attacked her while she was taking out the trash, only to find out later that he’s a vampire who wants to take over the whole community.

Relevant subgenres and tropes: Vampires, monsters, supernatural/paranormal horror, vampirism as a metaphor for sexual violence

This was the first book by Hendrix I read, and even after reading all the rest, it’s still one of my favorites. This one really is Hendrix at his best, and this is probably the book I’d recommend first if someone asked me what a good book by him is, or for a good modern twist on the vampire novel. There are a lot of fun callbacks to other vampire books, films, and TV series, and lots of strong female characters.

2. “The Blanks” (part of Amazon’s The Shivers Collection)

Overall Goodreads rating: 3.95/5 stars

My Goodreads rating: 5/5 stars

One-sentence summary: Wealthy families staying on Jekyll Island live in relative peace and harmony amid the idyllic landscape—there’s just one rule: don’t look at the monsters that call the island home.

Relevant subgenres and tropes: Supernatural/paranormal horror, paranoia

This short story came out earlier this year, and I was really excited about it because I got to read it early, before it was published. Hendrix did not disappoint.

While many of his earlier works have felt very kooky and campy and silly, this felt like a very serious, almost Stephen-King-esque horror story. There was no comedy to break up any of the tension. Hendrix told the story straight, and for the first third or so, it read like a simple summer story about a family on vacation. Then came the first sighting of “The Blanks,” monsters native to the island that are sort of hard to describe. But what they look like doesn’t matter so much as what they do, which the main character doesn’t exactly tell us at first, which adds to the suspense.

 The main character lets her son go ahead of her to the beach to meet his friends, and later, she learns that he saw a Blank attack another person. She asks him if he looked at it, and he swears he didn’t. If he did, it was only for a moment.

But only a moment is enough.

She becomes paranoid and locks her family up in their house, locking and barring the doors, shuttering and boarding up the windows, convinced that because the Blanks saw her son, they will come back for him.

This story was only 35 pages, but it was terrifying. I think he could have stretched it out into a whole novel if he wanted, but I respect the decision to keep it condensed into a short story because this is one of the best things he’s written, and one of the best short horror stories I’ve ever read.

1. Witchcraft for Wayward Girls

Overall Goodreads rating: 3.96/5 stars

My Goodreads rating: 5/5 stars (I’d give it more if I could)

One-sentence summary: An unwed pregnant teen is sent to a home St. Augustine, Florida, against her will by her parents to have her baby and then give it up for adoption; along the way, she befriends the other girls in the house and together they learn the true meaning of friendship, love, and family, and that being a woman means supporting other women.

Relevant subgenres and tropes: Witches and witchcraft, supernatural/paranormal horror, period piece (1970s), fantasy

I struggle to agree with the classification of this as a horror novel. It wasn’t really scary to me (except for the graphic description of the protagonist giving birth, and the sense of discomfort and anxiety I felt throughout every time one of the girls was scared or hurt or sick), but it was an amazing book with some really interesting fantasy elements. I was impressed for a number of reasons, but mostly because this was a book written by a middle-aged man about a bunch of pregnant teenage girls. There was a lot that could have gone wrong simply because he was writing about an experience he has never had and never has to worry about, but in reality, there were only one or two things that made me go, “I… don’t think that’s how that works.” Hendrix did his homework, and he listened to enough stories from people who had been pregnant and given birth before to get those elements as close to accurate as they possibly could have been. Between this and “The Blanks,” I think Grady Hendrix is really coming into his own as a “serious” author.

Copies of many of these works can be found across the three campus libraries.

Kylie Stanley is a part-time library assistant and full-time student on the Palatka Campus.

As a full-time college student, it is often hard to balance a full course load with a part-time workload and still have a social life. Not to mention, somewhere in that mix, I still want to have time to read one book a month. You may say, “Kylie, that’s not possible.” I have even been told by former and current college students that there is just no time to read, but what if I told you there was? No, it’s not using the “time turner” from Harry Potter, though that would be epic (see what I did there?). But in all seriousness, I have found a way that works for me but it’s not perfect. What works for me may not work for you because each person is different, and what works for me doesn’t work during finals time, but it works for the majority of the semester.

One of the first things I would suggest is having your book with you the majority of the time. I usually use my Kindle or my phone, but you can keep a physical book with you majority of the time as well. This is so that during down time or if you have to wait you can fill in the time by reading instead of hoping you have service so that you can scroll on Facebook.

The second way I am able to fit more reading time in is by reading while I’m in bed trying to fall asleep. I also use my Kindle here, but there are book lights you can buy from Amazon so that you can read in the dark.

Lastly, my biggest piece of advice is to not stress if you are behind in your reading goal or if you didn’t finish a book that month. I myself am behind on my reading goal, and I also did not finish a book in April because I was studying so much for finals that by the time I had a chance to read I was so mentally exhausted that I just wanted to shut my brain off.

In the end, this is what works for me, but it may not be what works for you. Finding a balance is hard and there will never be a perfect balance, but don’t be so hard on yourself reading is for enjoyment not a competition on how many books you can read. So, sit back relax and enjoy a book at your own pace.

I have a confession to make… I’ve never been much of a vampire romance reader. Sure, I went through the Twilight phase back in the day and fell in love with True Blood, but I always assumed the genre had moved on or lost its bite (pun intended). That was until a new TV series popped up on my streaming suggestions - sleek, moody, stylish, and called The Black Dagger Brotherhood. I clicked out of curiosity, not knowing it would lead me down a rabbit hole I hadn’t expected.

As it turns out, season one of The Black Dagger Brotherhood is based on the first book, Dark Lover, in the paranormal romance series (with the same title as the show) by J.R. Ward. The series has been around since 2005, and while I’ve definitely seen many books by Ward, I’ve never been inclined to pick one up until now. And after one episode of the TV adaptation, I was hooked - on the show and, more importantly, on the source material.

The book follows Wrath, the last purebred vampire on Earth, and the reluctant king of his race. He’s a warrior - brooding, deadly, scarred by grief and duty. When one of his fighters is killed, Wrath is asked to protect and help transition that man’s half-human daughter, Beth, who is about to go through her first change into a vampire. What follows is a dark, seductive, and surprisingly emotional journey as Wrath and Beth navigate love, loyalty, and the violent threats facing their world.

Dark Lover might sound like another paranormal romance with a tough alpha male and a damsel in distress, but J.R. Ward builds something deeper and more complex. There’s a gritty realism in how she portrays the Brotherhood—these warriors aren’t just muscle-bound protectors; they’re broken, layered, and often haunted. The world-building is rich, blending ancient vampire traditions with a modern, urban edge that feels both immersive and fresh.

Watching the show gave me a taste of this universe, but reading the book brought it fully to life. The TV series does a great job capturing the moody aesthetic and the core plotlines, but there’s something intimate about the way Ward writes - her dialogue is witty, her pacing is sharp, and she’s not afraid to go to dark places emotionally or thematically. I found myself caring not just about Wrath and Beth, but about the other Brothers too—especially Rhage, Tohr, and the tormented Zsadist, whose stories unfold in later books (no, I haven’t started reading them… yet).

I think what impressed me most was how Dark Lover manages to balance intensity with tenderness. Wrath is intimidating and dangerous, but his growth throughout the book is sincere and moving. His romance with Beth feels earned - not just lusty attraction, but genuine connection. (This can be the downfall of many romance novels!) Beth, meanwhile, is no shrinking violet. She’s smart, independent, and determined to make sense of the new world she’s been thrown into.

It’s also worth noting that Ward’s writing has a signature style. It’s unapologetically bold - full of slang and grit - but it works. She creates a tone and rhythm that feels like it belongs uniquely to this world. And once you get into the cadence, it’s impossible not to be swept along.

I’ve always believed that the best adaptations are gateways, not substitutes. A good TV series should make you want to pick up the book, dive deeper, and live in the world a little longer. That’s exactly what happened here. Watching The Black Dagger Brotherhood on screen made me realize that there was a whole world—over twenty books deep—that I had somehow missed. And now, I’m playing catch-up in the best way possible.

I didn’t expect to fall in love with a paranormal romance series in 2025, but here we are. Sometimes, all it takes is the right nudge—a moody trailer, a well-cast actor, a story that catches you off guard—and you’re off, swept into a world full of danger, love, and ancient vampire politics.

So if you’re looking for something dark, sexy, emotional, and wildly addictive, do yourself a favor and pick up Dark Lover. Just don’t be surprised if you find yourself reading into the early hours of the morning, wondering what happens next.

Mythology…Irish style

                              *Hodges  Figgis: Bookselling since 1768                 Photo credit: Dara Giddings    

This week's guest blogger is Sam Ulrich. Sam is a student and long-time member of the St. Augustine Campus Book Club.

 Before reading her blog, get to know a little bit about Sam!

• Genres I like to read: psychological, horror, mystery, fantasy, fiction, young-adult, dystopian, biography, romance, manga
• Favorite books: Lord of the Flies, The Lunar Chronicles, Heart-Shaped Box, I’m Glad My Mom Died, They Both Die at the End, I Fell in Love with Hope
• Least favorite books: The Twisted series, A Magic Steeped in Poison
• Authors I enjoy: Joe Hill and Stephen King
• Where, how, and why I like to read: I enjoy reading in the comfort of my own room, nestled in my beanbag, absorbed in a book for hours. Sometimes my cat will join me, curling in my lap, which makes the experience only a million times better. I enjoy listening to books on Libby or Audible while simultaneously reading the physical copy, and sometimes I will go on walks and listen to the book. The last time I did that was with NOS4A2 by Joe Hill when it was pitch black outside. In my opinion, it made the experience even better. I’ve always enjoyed reading ever since I was a little girl and the bookworm inside seems to grow with me. There's something amazing about connecting with a character, feeling their emotions as if they were your own, or even struggling to understand their perspective. Books take you into a whole other universe, and sometimes that’s something we need when life gets a little hectic. And when you need a break, this best friend will always be there, waiting. That’s my favorite part!

From May 15^th to the 25^th I traveled to Ireland for a study abroad trip with SJR students and had an amazing experience. I wanted to buy a book from there that had a lot to do with Irish culture and history, but at the same time was an interesting read. I visited many bookstores while I was there and one had a section that was meant to be for “gifts.” I saw this section and thought to myself “wow this would be a perfect gift … for me!” At Professor Giddings' suggestion, we traveled to Hodges Figgis Book Store* where I bought Otherworld: Nine Tales of Wonder and Romance from Medieval Ireland by Lisa M. Bitel and took it home with me to be able to share with all of you. 

I’ve always had an interest in mythology, although I never dove deep into the genre. When I was little, I had this huge storybook that my mom would read to me, and my favorite story from it was the one with Hades and Persephone. You could say my reason for liking the story at the time was probably “not for the right reasons” as I would flip back to the picture of Hades with his three-headed dog, Cerebrus, more times than I can remember. Of course I was infatuated by the story, but I also wished I was the one in Persephone’s shoes. 

There are nine stories in this mythological adventure, and the one I want to share is “Tochmarch Étaíne—The Courtship of Étaín.” The story is roughly 50 pages long and has some absurd aspects to it (as all mythology usually does). There are multiple main characters but the two I found most entertaining are Mac Óc and Midir. Midir is a foster parent to many boys, Mac Óc being his favorite. The thing I find most entertaining about Mac Óc is how ridiculous he is to call himself a proud warrior, and at the same time be the biggest crybaby in the world. He makes fun of a guy named Tríath for his race saying, “it galls me that a slave’s son should speak to me,” but the moment Tríath bites back at Mac Óc for not knowing his mother or father, he immediately “went wailing and grieving to Midir.” As if he wasn’t bad enough already, when Mac Óc finds out his biological father is Daga, who is a king, he becomes even more entitled and spoiled throughout the story as he cries to Daga whenever he needs something to be done. It definitely makes for a hilarious read.

Midir, on the other hand, is very cunning. He knows how Mac Óc is and uses it to his advantage, eventually gaining some riches and a beautiful woman, Étaín, from it. Although Midir is supposed to be smart, he brings Étaín back home to his wife, who, driven by jealousy and rage, basically takes her into the back and turns her into a puddle. Which then, somehow, turns Étaín into a worm, and then a beautiful fly. It made me think of the question that is so frequently asked by significant others as a trap, “would you still love me if I was a worm?” And I have a feeling Midir loved her even more, which was a funny thing to think about.

Those were only small parts of the story that I found interesting, but there are so many other things that go on in “Tochmarch Étaíne—The Courtship of Étaín,” that are, yes, ridiculous. But if you are a fan of mythology, I think you will enjoy some of these stories. I know I did.

Abby holding a newly-sheared, adorable sheep   

This week's guest blogger is Abby Flowers. Abby is a student and long-time member of the St. Augustine Campus Book Club.

Before reading her blog, get to know a little bit about Abby!

• Genres I like to read: Romance, Mystery, and Young Adult
• Favorite books: Truly Yours, Bad Summer People, and Crazy Rich Asians series
• Least favorite books: Where the Crawdads Sing
• Authors I enjoy: Hannah Grace and Abby Jimenez
• Where, how, and why I like to read: I like to listen to audiobooks in my car, oftentimes missing exits because I’m caught up in a storyline, at the beach or pool via on my kindle. I got my love for reading from my mom, who is a librarian and kept me surrounded by books.

My first thought when I saw Better Together was “wow, this is over 400 pages” and that’s pretty rare for a fiction book I usually read, but I figured it would be great to take this with me on my trip to Ireland, where I traveled as part of a study abroad for my Irish Literature class at SJRState.  I had a wonderful time spending a couple of weeks touring around Ireland.  Seeing sights from Dublin to West Port, we enjoyed historical sights and a literary pub crawl.  It was truly amazing, and I would encourage anyone who has an opportunity to go on one of the study abroad trips to do so.  A highlight for me was Galway, because it has so many things to do and in the surrounding area we saw the Doolough Valley, where the Irish people walked through during the great famine. We even got to see a sheep farm where we watched the farmer shear the sheep followed up by being able to hold them. That’s me in the picture! Holding the sheep was an absolutely an amazing experience since most of them were just babies and freshly cut. We learned that sheep don't typically get sheared until they're about one year old. Holding the sheep was also one of my favorite memories! Of course, getting around meant a lot of time on the bus, so it was a good thing I had Better Together by Christine Riccio to keep me company. 

When we meet sisters Jamie and Siri, they are living on opposite coasts and struggling in their very different lives.  It would be great if they could lean on each other for support, but Siri doesn’t even realize Jamie exists!  Jamie is struggling with her anxiety while she harnesses her sarcastic personality to become a comedian.  Siri has a quiet discipline that she learned through years of dancing. When life strikes with a string of disasters for both the girls, they decide to head to a retreat in Colorado to help get their lives back on track. 

When fate intervenes, Jamie and Siri discover each other (think Parent Trap-style meeting), and they hatch a plan to take a walk in the other’s shoes, confront their parents, and work through their family trauma.  With the help of a magical glitter box, they swap bodies and embark on a Freaky Friday-style adventure with hilarious moments of growth you’d expect.  These two strong female characters prove that no matter what life throws at you having someone to lean on during rough times makes all the difference. 

This book does feel a little long at times, and yes, this book makes you think of some of those old storylines that I mentioned, but Christine Riccio weaves a yarn that tackles some tough topics like family dynamics, trauma, anxiety, and learning to live on your own terms in a way that is heartfelt and vulnerable, but with plenty of humor to balance it out.