Take a Picture

The thing I find so intriguing about Josh Malerman's writing is that you never know where he will take you. I was first an artist and came to writing much later in life, so this story hit home for me. It didn't quite hit it out of the park, like his previous novel did. Hoo boy, that was a fun read. Pictures of You was a little slow in the action, but it is there. Like oil paint, it is rich and layered and takes time to finish. 

Pictures of You is more of a psychological horror. There are no weird monsters (unless you put Helen there) or supernatural entities. There are just two people on vacation in a small lakeside Michigan village who get the attention of the wrong people. A night of fun becomes a night of terror when one wakes up in their hotel room, and the other is gone. The night before is fuzzy, and we are brought along as witnesses for what is next. It is slow and there is little actual violence. It is much more cerebral. Great concept, and I loved the end story. I just wished the writer had pushed this story a little harder. 

⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Pictures of You

by Josh Malerman

Published by Del Rey Books
Sep 08, 2026

ISBN  : ‎ 9780593723159

288 pages

#PicturesofYou #NetGalley

As always. I encourage you to buy from independent bookstores. If you are in the North Florida area, try Happy Medium Books Café or Chamblin Bookmine. If you've never visited Chamblin's, plan to spend some time there. It is the largest bookstore in Florida, with about 60,000 square feet of space housing over 3 million books, both used and new. They have a great Florida author's collection, too.

Amazing Tales

Combat Monsters: Untold Tales of World War II is like most anthologies — some stories are good, and some just didn’t speak to me. That’s not to say that they aren’t good. The stories in this anthology are all well written, but a few didn’t grab me. I listened to the audiobook, and while the various narrators were generally wonderful, I did have trouble understanding a few. The accents were too heavy. That said, I may be the oddball, but I love anthologies. They have introduced me to many fine authors, and Combat Monsters is no exception. 

Now for the stories. Editor Henry Herz assembled a veritable who’s who from today’s speculative fiction all-stars. The stories are as varied as the names in the table of contents, but they all work together quite well. Herz contributes, too, with the entertaining ‘Das Mammut.’ His is one of the short stories and poems. The authors incorporated many battles, some well-known and some downright obscure. I learned a thing or two reading these stories.

The monsters were many. You’ll find the horror staple of werewolves and vampires, but even still, they might not be what you expect. One of my favs was Jonathan Maberry’s ‘A Terrible Aspect.’ In this one, we have a rescue mission with a young(er) Deacon (Mr. Church from the Joe Ledger series.) Lee Murray unleashes a tale of the Nazis Afrika Korps as they tracking down their own giant serpent. “Nachthexen” is Bishop O’Connell’s (no relation that I am aware of) tale of a Russian squadron of witches. Scott Sigler adds an air of cosmic horror and what kind of alternate history anthology would this be if something from the great Harry Turtledove? And boy, is this something! His story, “Gorgopotamos Bridge” has the Germans using a troll to try to hold some strategic ground. If those monsters aren’t enough for you, how about Catherine Stine’s genetically altered attack bears? There’s more. Much more.   

Combat Monsters: Untold Tales of World War II

by Various Authors (Author), 

Henry Herz (Editor)

Published by Blackstone Publishing, Inc.

February 11, 2025

ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8874748432

384 pages

#CombatMonsters #NetGalley

    

This One Put A Scare Into Daddo

A disturbing and terrifying story about Bela and her family and her “Other Mommy.” Other Mommy is her friend and confidant—a lot like Daddo, her father, but Other Mommy, like Bela’s world, has changed. Her friend is no longer satisfied with just being a friend. It wants something from her and is growing increasingly impatient. It, like this story, is relentless. The tale starts out creepy and drags you down rather quickly into this imaginative, little girl’s world. And her world is much more than just a monster-in-the-closet. Those of you who have had small children know how relentless children can be with their questions. We sometimes dismiss what our children tell us—especially when things sound too fantastic. Ignore them at your own peril! 

The story is told from Bela’s perspective so it may seem a little difficult at first, but do stick with it. I found myself reading it in a child’s voice. It totally sucked me in and put a real scare into me. 

The story, and Bela’s voice, haunted me long after I closed the book. 

 

Incidents Around The House

by Josh Malerman

Published by Del Rey Books

June 25, 2024

ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 9780593723128

384 pages