A Guest in the House by Emily Carroll

A Guest in the House by Emily Carroll was another book that I heard great things about on TikTok. It's a graphic horror novel, two genres that I don't usually read, but I thought I'd give it a chance. Luckily, my library had it, so it was easy to pick it up.

Abby is a quiet young woman with no friends and no family until she marries a recent widow and moves in with him and his young daughter. When the daughter admits that she may be seeing the ghost of her mother, Abby confesses to having seen ghosts herself in the past. This sounded like it was going to be really interesting, but it was so choppy and disconnected that I just didn't get it. Maybe that is because I don't usually read graphic novels or maybe it was an intentional storytelling device, but either way, it just didn't make any sense to me. I kept thinking it would all become clear soon, but for me, it didn't. It is highly rated on Goodreads, so maybe it will resonate more with you. For me, it just didn't work.

 

The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown

 

We all know that books take us on more adventures than we could ever actually experience. We visit different worlds, live through the past and the future, and experience other cultures. It's why we love books. In The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown, Cassie works in a bookstore where she was hired because she was there all the time anyway. When a longtime customer gifts her an unusual book, she can hardly believe where it takes her. Cassie then discovers that her special book is only one in a broad collection of extraordinary books, each with its own peculiar power.

I'd love to tell you more, but I don't want to spoil it for you.

I try not to gush too much in my reviews. And I admit that I have frequently been a little too heavy-handed with my star ratings. And yet, I feel more than comfortable saying that this is the best book I've read so far this year. I love the fantastic characters, even the ones I hate. The concept is most compelling. And the writing is wonderful! Just listen to this sentence:

The basement...was lit by a bare bulb hanging from a wire. The woman pulled the cord to switch it on and the bulb swung gently, the light sloshing back and forth across the floor.

I love the image of light sloshing. Isn't that wonderful?! 

The characters make me wish I could climb into this book and hug them. Well, most of them. There are a couple that I would prefer to strangle, but that's kind of a hug, isn't it? One of my favorite things about this book is the way Brown resolves each of the storylines. It was infinitely satisfying.

I'll resist filling this post with all my favorite bits because you should stop reading my review and just go read the book for yourself. And take a snack. In the words of one character:

"What's better than a good book and a slice of cake?"