Review: I Know a Place: Rest Stop and Other Dark Detours

I Know a Place: Rest Stop and Other Dark Detours by Nat Cassidy
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I Know A Place: Rest Stop and Other Dark Detours by Nat Cassidy is a collection of 13 wonderfully dark tales. Cassidy brings us along on a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ twisting ride that is at times horrific, uncomfortable and funny but is always an absolute blast!

Some of my favorites from the collection:
REST STOP, the first and longest story in the book, tells the story of Abe in the middle of a long road trip to visit his comatose grandmother before she passes away. It's not a trip he particularly wants to make, as his relationship with his Bobbe has always been strained, at best. Needing to get something to eat and get gas for his car, Abe pulls off the highway into a gas station/convenience store and into an unfolding nightmare.

Nobody takes Santa Claus more seriously than a 6 year-old, and in NICE we learn the lengths to which a young boy will go to help ease the burden of the overworked Elves at Santa's workshop. Who knew being naughty could be so nice?

THE LUNAR ECLIPSE is a tale of long lost young love called to life for a second time under a blushing moon.

LAUGHLINES is a creepy story where finding out you are descended from English nobility might not be as charming as you think

The mind-body connection goes awry in INTO THE LIFE OF THINGS, when a yoga retreat delivers more than anyone bargained for.

Thanks to Shortwave Books and #NetGalley for the eBook review copy of #IKnowAPlace.

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Review: The End of the World As We Know It: New Tales of Stephen King's The Stand

The End of the World As We Know It: New Tales of Stephen King's The Stand by Christopher Golden
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I recently finished THE END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT: NEW TALES OF STEPHEN KING'S THE STAND and have to say that I really enjoyed the anthology. I liked some stories better than others but I wasn't disappointed by any of them. For me it was like sharing memories and stories with people I didn't know, even though they grew up in the same neighborhood I did, or went to the same school as me.

Each author delivers a story that contains familiar elements, but brings a unique perspective to the characters, events and aftermath that King first introduced in The Stand. Co-editors Christopher Golden and Brian Keene did a masterful job of pulling these different voices together to create a compelling collection.

Some of my favorites from the book:
LENORA by Jonathan Janz - a wonderful story of loss, redemption and survival that breaks your heart before healing it.

MOVING DAY by Richard Chizmar - I absolutely LOVED the way he not only crafted a new story but also skillfully wove in details from Stephen King original tale.

MAKE YOUR OWN WAY by Alma Katsu - a tale of loss, discovery, resilience and hope, and is the perfect story to wrap up the first section.

GRAND JUNCTION by Chuck Wendig - a story of choices: love or fear; trust or betrayal; hope or despair.

HE'S A RIGHTEOUS MAN by Ronald Malfi - how do you survive when there seems to be no hope? The residents of one small town think they've found their answer, although not everyone agrees. I did not see the ending coming!

THE MOSQUE AT THE END OF THE WORLD by Usman T. Malik - one of several stories in the collection that doesn't take place in the United States. A fantastic tale of the aftermath of Captain Trips on other parts of the world, where local customs, legends and beliefs have their own power.

ABAGAIL'S GETHSEMANE by Wayne Brady and Maurice Broaddus - tells the story of the youthful Abagail Freemantle growing up in Hemingford Home, Nebraska, intermixed with the tale of her time spent "in the wilderness" of Colorado seeking repentance for her sins of pride and arrogance.

THE DEVIL'S CHILDREN by Sarah Langan - explores whether the superflu survivors have really learned any lessons from the experience, and offers an unexpected glimmer of hope for the world.

THE UNFORTUNATE CONVALESCENCE OF THE SUPERLAWYER by Nat Cassidy - a fun read with references/"Easter eggs" to other works by King (including the short story NIGHT SURF), and a possible explanation for the shelter provided to some of the characters in THE STAND.

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