Pull up a rocking chair and sit a spell. Soak in these tales of Southern Gothic horror:

Sinister shopkeepers whose goods hold the highest price, a woman’s search for her mother drags her into the binding embrace of a monster, a witchdoctor’s young niece tells him a life-altering secret, an investigator who knows how to keep a 100% confession rate….

These are stories where the setting itself becomes a character—fog laced cemeteries, sulfur rich salt marshes—places housing creatures that defy understanding and where the grotesque and macabre are celebrated. The stories are rich in flavor and clever in metaphor, the horrors completely surreal or—far more unnerving—all too possible. She brings a refreshing perspective to the table that paranormal lovers are sure to enjoy.

—B.D. Bruns, author of The Gothic Shift

***Disclaimer: I received a free copy in exchange for a review.***

I have to agree with the review/blurb above- the stories here are wonderfully atmospheric. A central theme running through them is the climes and cultures of the Deep South rooted in the African diaspora- gullah, geechi, obeah, even Native American, West African and Haitian.

Like all short story collections some will stay with you and some you'll breeze through. The Choking Kind is my favorite- a tale of love gone wrong where a woman in search of her mother's grave discovers she might not be dead after all. Hand of Glory- about a police detective with a perfect case record- was all too short; just when it might be getting interesting it was over. Path of the War Chief- the widow of a warchief proving her worth to lead the tribe into battle- was also pretty good. A little confusing, but good.

One thing I found off-putting was the overabundance of women-against-bad men tales. The first six stories and nine of the twelve are built upon this device- as well as the old seeress who walks with shadows; only one man does any conjuring- which got to be kind of stale and repetitive after a while. One of the stories takes the form of a tone poem that helps change things up.

Spook Lights is one of those books that you want to kick back with on a warm night and let the magic take you away... well, hopefully not. 4.5/5 Stars

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. My stop on the blog tour organized by Diverse Book Tours can be found at Donnie Darko Girl.

I'm a bit ashamed to admit this is my first Sarah Ockler book. I own Twenty Boy Summer but just haven't had a chance to read it yet. I would have written that book off as a fluffy romance had I not read glowing reviews from other bloggers. And I'm so glad found those reviews because if I hadn't, then most likely I would have missed out on The Summer of Chasing Mermaids, and that would have been a travesty.

The cover as well as the author drew me to checking out the synopsis. That cover is so beautiful and fits with the story and atmosphere of the book. Ockler's writing is tremendous and gorgeous and just lyrical. I felt like I was reading a poem at times.

I fell in love with Elyse's character right away. Though she can't speak, she stands out the most in The Summer of Chasing Mermaids. Until meeting Elyse, I never would have thought about how much we allow our voices to define who we are. Though she sees herself as broken having lost her ability to speak, she was able to find out, albeit under tragic circumstances, that she's so much more than her voice. Her voice was just one part of her identity. It's sad when you realize something like that after you've lost something that was precious to you.

But I didn't look at Elyse with pity - I looked at her with pure admiration. So far from home in a world so different from what she's used to, she does her best to survive day to day. She misses home terribly but also needed to get away from there at the same time. And Elyse is another character I'm drawn to because her mother died, too. She never got to know her, but I know the emptiness left behind from the loss all too well.

I also must admit I had some trepidation about Christian because he's described as a "notorious playboy." I worried his character would end up being stereotypical, but he really surprised me in the best of ways, from the moment he said so calmly, "There's a girl writing on my boat." As if that's an everyday occurrence for him! It was then I knew I was going to like him.

Elyse's "cousin" Kirby and "aunt" Lemon were good for Elyse to be around. I liked both of them, and though Kirby is the opposite of Elyse, I think it was good for Elyse to be around someone so positive and bouncy.

The Summer of Chasing Mermaids is a YA contemporary you can't afford to miss. Perfect to read during summer (or any time of year!), if you've been shying away from contemporary novels, you really should read this one. This novel will change your mind about whether or not to read the genre. Definitely a game-changer. An emotional and often humorous read you'll remember for a long, long time.

The Trouble with Playing Cupid is a cute and sweet story that you can read in one sitting. December is a successful singer with a heart of gold. I LOVE December! I found her non-divaness refreshing, and she donates a lot of money to charities. She uses her fame and money to help others, and that endeared her to me for life.

Tom is a British actor and a total heartthrob. I wasn't quite rooting for a romance between the two at first because during the appearance on Trace Randall's show, Tom seemed a little bit like a jerk and too aloof for my liking. Does he not pay attention to who other people are? He didn't even know who December is! I'm pretty sure IRL British actors know American celebrities. They mix. They mingle. I was kind of like, "How dare you, Tom!" See how much I love December??

"When he played the role of a self-indulgent vampire..." = best line ever! I laughed so hard when I read that about Tom! Kind of sounds like a Lestat-type character.

When I realized there's more to Tom than what he shows on camera, I was on board for him to get together with December. I liked the buildup to their romance, and it was very sweet.

The Trouble with Playing Cupid had me laughing, swooning, and cringing - sometimes all three at the same time. I ended up loving the characters, especially December's bodyguard and stylist. There was more telling than showing sometimes, but it's a short read, so I think it was in order to give background on the characters. I thought The Trouble with Playing Cupid was a standalone going in, but once I found out there's a sequel, I'm looking forward to finding out more about December's best friend and agent, Clarissa.

I received a review copy of this book for my stop on the blog tour at Donnie Darko Girl.

I received a review copy of this book for my stop on the blog tour at Donnie Darko Girl.

First of all, I'd just like to say that I'm thrilled to know Niko is the first in a five book series, The Outsider Chronicles. It can be almost painful not knowing if a book I'm reading is going to be a standalone, a trilogy, or a series. Niko offers up a unique look at a post-apocalyptic world with characters who now feel like family to me, and I'm looking forward to continuing this series.

In the beginning, Niko faces loss - she comes home from scavenging to find one brother is dead while the other is missing, and her house is still on fire. She's seventeen and has been taking care of her brothers by herself after her parents died. Everything she's done has been to keep them alive and safe. The way her brother died was brutal. I felt Niko's pain and desperation right through my Kindle.

She's rescued by the Rose Circle, a group of Slither hunters, and they want her to become a member of their group. She agrees only if they help her find her little brother. They say they will, but I had strange feelings about them, wondering if they could really be trusted.

I love Niko - she's everything I could ever want in a female lead character. She's brave and strong but still caring. You don't have to be an uncaring person to be strong - in fact, I think it shows a certain kind of strength to be able to retain characteristics like that under the kind of circumstances she's facing.

I love the fact that Raet has mixed an environmental factor with the acid rain and a supernatural factor with the Slithers to create this post-apocalyptic landscape. People can't trust and even fear water - the most important resource we must have to survive. It has to be treated in order to drink it without it killing you. The Slithers are truly terrifying monsters - they're kind of human but with multicolored eyes and claws. They want to rip your heart out of your chest and eat it. Literally.

I love the Rose Circle - they're like a family and make a great team in hunting down and killing the Slithers. No matter what, Niko is determined to find her brother. She feels lost without him. She's lost her parents and her other brother in death, and now she only has her missing brother to hold on to.

Raet has introduced me to a world I want to know more about and characters with whom I want to spend more time. Niko as a novel is an amazing and compelling story I couldn't put down. I'm looking forward to reading the next installment.