The Year Of Yearning By Jeff Harmsen

Description "Part dreamy time machine, part acid flashback, The Year of Yearning delves into the titillating mishaps of two quirky cousins from Kingston Ontario. While attending their final year of high school in 1978, Miles and Jo Martini succumb to profound infatuation; albeit, from entirely different perspectives.

The well read and romantic cousin attempts to woo a raven haired beauty by slipping his heartfelt poem into her locker. The athletic, somewhat crass cousin pursues a Wiccan Bombshell with nothing more than wishful thinking, held spellbound by her love potions and provocative whimsy.

Shocking, mind boggling complications beset both cousins, including a brutal beating and a humiliation common to guys who fall for hot, promiscuous women. Miles and Jo survive their darkest hours by supporting each other. In the end, they want what most of us want, the warmth of a meaningful relationship, like slipping into a cozy cotton sweater on a frigid night in winter.

Brazenly sexual and uniquely bizarre, this novel is heavy with heartache and great awakenings, heady with love and lust churning, all within The Year of Yearning."

I'm not sure how I would categorize this book if pressed to do so, but I can say it was an enjoyable read. Part thriller, part romance, The Year Of Yearning is a fun coming of age tale that mainly tells of the lives, loves and teen angst of cousins/best pals Miles and Jo, Interspersed with humor, a bit of supernatural, and lots of action.

I received a complimentary copy from the author for review

The Horror Challenge Volume I by J.H. Glaze

"Welcome to J.H. Glaze's unique brand of horror. The first volume of "The Horror Challenge" includes 14 short stories that provide the thrills you seek in a good horror tale. From the sentimental story of haunting, 'Spooky', and comical alien abduction tale, 'Bob Saves the World', to the final story in this collection, you will find yourself wildly entertained with the stories created by the author in response to suggestions from his readers."      

 This book was quite short and I was able to read it in a single day. I would not really call these "short stories" but flash fiction, super short, and to the point. It was a fun read but nothing really frightening or scary about it.                                                                 

Mouthful Of Carrion (Three Days Until Midnight book 1) by Ian Woodhead

From the publisher
'Two decades have passed since that deadly mutagen turned most of our species into the walking dead. Now, millions of blighted corpses migrate across the land, consuming everything in their path.
The few surviving humans live a Nomadic existence, foraging for what little scraps they can find.
In this ravaged world, a lone hunter searches for his human sister, vowing revenge on whoever dared to rip her away from him. She had cared and looked after him, ever since the outbreak, nurturing the hunter, helping him come to grips with his affliction. 
Part human, part zombie, the hunter had relied on her to rein in his base instincts, to stop him from feasting on warm human flesh."



Three Days Until Midnight is a different take on the zombie apocalypse. Not just the usual human against zombie survival story, we also have "hunters" part human part zombie. This is mainly the story of one hunter in particular Colin and how he came to be, and his search for his sister in this new sometimes gut wrenching world.The story begins about 20 years after the virus took hold and we are told in flashbacks how this world came to be. It is definitely not for the faint of heart, it gets quite gruesome and graphic at times. Anyone who enjoys a good zombie story should give this one a read.
I received an advance copy to review.

The Beast Of Barcroft By Bill Schweigart

From the publisher "Ben McKelvie believes he’s moving up in the world when he and his fiancée buy a house in the cushy Washington, D.C., suburb of Barcroft. Instead, he’s moving down—way down—thanks to Madeleine Roux, the crazy neighbor whose vermin-infested property is a permanent eyesore and looming hazard to public health.

First, Ben’s fiancée leaves him; then, his dog dies, apparently killed by a predator drawn into Barcroft by Madeleine’s noxious menagerie. But the worst is yet to come for Ben, for he’s not dealing with any ordinary wild animal. This killer is something much, much worse. Something that couldn’t possibly exist—in this world.

Now, as a devilish creature stalks the locals, Ben resolves to take action. With some grudging assistance from a curator at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and the crackpot theories of a self-styled cryptozoologist, he discovers the sinister truth behind the attacks, but knowing the Beast of Barcroft and stopping it are two different animals"


Excellent!
When I first read the description I thought this just may be a little too crazy... even for me. I mean a zoologist? a cryptozoologist? not my usual cup of tea but the comparison to Bentley Little made it a must read for me and I am so glad that I had the opportunity to read this book. Plus I can totally relate to having horrible neighbors that attract all manner of filth and vermin so I felt bad for Ben straight off before I even realized that my neighbor infesting us with fleas was nothing compared to what's hanging around Ben's neighborhood. I am so looking forward to the sequel "Northwoods" that will be coming out next year.

I received an advance copy for review