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“Deserter” by Junji Ito

You can always trust that any collection of stories by Junji Ito will be a wonderfully creepy and creative experience. And with this collection of some of his earlier works, The Deserter does not disappoint.

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“The Bees” by Laline Paull

The Bees is a well written and fascinating read, with compelling characters and clearly painstaking research. But while it pulled me in from the first page, I finished the book a little disappointed that it wasn't a little more powerful. 

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“Bone China” by Laura Purcell

Once more, Laura Purcell demonstrates she a master of the Victoria Gothic. With Bone China, she delivers yet another chilling story that creeps up on you, then leaves you wondering what is true and what is madness. 

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“Safe and Sound” by Philippa East

I enjoyed Philippa East’s first novel, but I didn’t love it. But with Safe and Sound she’s taken what she had and built on it, hitting all the points that make it incredibly readable and almost impossible to put down. 

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“The Good Ally” by Nova Reid

“Forget what you think you know” is a well-known adage, but sometimes, if you truly want to improve yourself, it's actually bad advice. Because as Nova Reid's The Good Ally made me understand, sometimes we can't afford to forget what we know. Instead, we need to hold it and focus on how much of it is wrong

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“A House of Ghosts” by W. C. Ryan

I knew nothing about A House of Ghosts or W.C. Ryan when I bought it. It was 100% a spur of the moment whim based on the cover. But boy, am I glad I did. Because while it’s not a book that’s going to change your life, it will nevertheless be an incredibly enjoyable read.

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“Spinning Silver” by Naomi Novik

This was another book that I couldn't really fault. It has an interesting story, and was rooted in a folklore I'm not familiar with. It had a strong sense of heritage and culture outside of my own. Yet, I simply couldn't get lost in it as much as I would have thought I would. 

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