Happy summer you beautiful people. Unless you live in a dark cave deep in a mountain, you already know it is fucking hot as balls here in Texas. I don’t know about you, but when it is this freaking hot, I keep my gay ass indoors in the air conditioning. I won’t even get in the pool during the hottest part of the day, so I am constantly trying to find ways to entertain myself indoors.
Y’all know I see a lot of movies and read a lot of books. I binge-watch documentaries, animated series and more TV shows than are healthy for one brain. Plus, I can’t drive more than a mile without an audiobook telling me a story.
So, I thought I would give you a list of what has entertained me recently in hopes that you always have something to occupy your mind — because no one wants to be left with just their own thoughts. That is terrifying.
First, I wanna preach the gospel of some great books. I have recently discovered Karin Slaughter, and — Oh My Gaga! — I am obsessed. A book reviewer I follow on Instagram told me about her book, The Good Daughter. And it sucked me in within a few chapters.
It’s about sisters that go through something horrific as kids and are forced to deal with some shit years later because of another tragedy. It’s very character-driven, and some of the subject matter is hardcore as fuck. All of her books should come with a trigger warning.
Karin Slaughter isn’t considered a horror writer; she falls more into the thriller genre, But biiiitch! Let me tell you! Some of the shit that goes down in her books is more horrific that anything that Steven King has ever written. Truly awful stuff — but it wouldn’t be so bad if she didn’t make you care for the characters so much. She has broken my heart at times, ripped my heart out at times, turned my stomach and made me want to vomit just to turn around and make me want to cheer out loud. I cannot recommend her books enough.
She has a few series of novels, so if you are like me and love a good continuation of a story with characters you feel invested in, you will love her. The North Falls series starts with We Are All Guilty Here. The follow up, The Secrets We Hide, doesn’t come out until Aug. 11 — and I can’t wait!
Right now, I am in the middle of the second book in the Grant County series, Kisscut. There are six books in this series, and I am totally here for it.
Apparently, there are 12 books in the Will Trent series, starting with the book Tryptic. I haven’t started reading this series yet or watching the TV show that’s based on these books, Will Trent on ABC and Hulu. I figure I will eventually start the books before I start the TV series, but I’m excited for both.
If a series of books seems like too much of a commitment for you, then check out Pretty Girls. Lots of good twists and turns; some of them I saw coming, but a few were shockers. And this book has one of the most disturbing, fucked-up scenes I’ve read, and it will stay with you long after you finish the book.
If you want some great straight-up horror, When The Wolf Comes Home by Nat Cassidy is really good. It felt original but also familiar. Heartfelt and creepy with a few “OH SHIT!” moments. And the ending … You see it coming; you know it has to happen. But it is still a gut punch.
One Second After by William R. Forstchen was okay. It’s about a small North Carolina town’s struggle to survive after an electromagnetic pulse cripples the United States. The pulse knocks out every single computer and anything that needs any form of technology to run. It’s like being forced into the Dark Ages, and humanity does not do well at all.
I think the thing that horrified me about this book is that it could totally happen in real life — and if it does, we are fucked.
Victorian Psycho by Victoria Feito was a lot of fun. Winefred Notty gets hired as a nanny for a rich family, and she is full on cray-cray. She might be one of my favorite characters of all time. That bitch is twisted.
David Sodergren’s The Haar and Summer of Monsters are both great stories. His novels tend to be pretty short but highly enjoyable.
If you like audiobooks, I highly recommend the Dungeon Crawler Carl series by Matt Dinniman. They are so much fun, and a big part of that is because of the narration by Jeff Hays. He voices every one of the many different characters in such a different and entertaining way.
The story is so over the top and crazy, but so fucking fun. I am not a gamer, but it is like being sucked into a video game — part Dungeons and Dragons, part Labyrinth, part Star Wars and funny as hell. I promise you will fall in love with Carl and his cunty Persian cat, Princess Donut.
This is one time I’d say definitely do the audiobook. Audiobooks save lives! They keep me calm in bad traffic and help keep my road rage to a minimum.
What has entertained you so far this summer? I wanna know.
Remember to always love more, bitch less and be fabulous! XOXO, Cassie Nova
