Book Slayers

Betty: Don't make me laugh as soon as I'm about to sing.

Weird mood.

Ever notice how horror hits different in May?

Everything outside is bright and beautiful while we're inside reading about ghosts, murder, and trauma.

Honestly, it feels balanced.

So grab your iced coffee and your emotional support bookmark readers.

Let's slay these books.

Bonny: Welcome to Book Slayers, where we put dark fiction books on trial and break down whether they've committed crimes against their readers or if they get a full acquittal.

We are still in our horror era and honestly, the vibes are righteous.

Let's see what books worked, which ones absolutely didn't, and which one scared the bejesus army.

Playing horror catch up has been fun this week.

I got some goodies to talk about.

Betty: I've got some baddies to talk about.

Bonny: Oh no!

Well, I'm gonna start with one I really did enjoy, okay?

So, you made me really jealous because you Haiti...

Haiti.

Hahahaha!

Grady...

Grady Hendrix.

Hahahaha!

Betty: Okay.

Betty: What do you mean?

Heady.

Betty: Go Karate!

Bonny: Oh dear, we can see where this episode's going today, Kurt.

So I did We Sold Our Souls by Grady Hendrix.

I thought about skipping the author's name that time, but I didn't.

And I went for it because it's a supernatural horror and I'm like, yeah, I need some of that shit.

And we both know that Grady writes dark satire.

It's funny.

Betty: Yeah.

Bonny: My dog agrees.

So!

Bonny: Are you done?

Betty: but she waits for you to speak.

Bonny: What a shithead.

So...

I s- I- Can you hear her?

I feel like she's like, cockblocking me here.

Betty: You know what, sometimes when you say it like, don't worry I can't hear but she's loud today.

Bonny: She's loud today, yeah.

Oh, shit.

So I went for this one because I really were drawn into the tropes.

And this was one book I had never read.

So I was like, oh shit, fucking time.

And it was available on Libby right away.

And this book is basically about like the price of fame.

It's got conspiracy, because I was feeling the conspiracy after the Dan Brown book.

Paranoia, Final Girl, Road Trip and Rockstar Revenge.

This book is literally about these people, they were in a band.

Bonny: They wake up, they don't know what happened this one night and they live in their lives, but things are not right.

And they find out that their lead person had sold all their souls to the devil to become rich and famous.

Yeah.

And she's on a fucking, she's like hell have no fury that this fucking check is scorned.

And I loved it.

I loved all the music culture stuff.

Cause it had like this like nostalgic vibe of like, like the rock era and Bonny: The lead chick, Chris, was absolutely phenomenal.

She was so relatable.

She's angry, right?

But it was coming across like, I'm like, that is righteous anger of my friend.

I'm 100 % with you here.

She was just, she was really good.

And I really enjoyed how intense the book was.

Like I felt every single bump.

Like every time Chris encountered something, I was like, oh my, thank God.

And then there'd be the funny moments.

Bonny: Like there was this part where she's like finds tin foil, she's with this guy and she finds tin foil and she's really upset because she's like, great, you're one of those.

And he's like, my head is not a baked potato, that's not what it's for.

And I just was laughing so fucking hard, spat my drink out, it was fucking hilarious.

And I really enjoyed the fact it was like campy.

Like you know, we were talking about that last week about like the campy vibes you get from horror, I really fucking liked that.

Other people didn't, they wanted a more serious horror and I'm like, why are you coming to Grady for that?

Am I getting fucking snatched?

Betty: Yeah, you're awesome.

Bonny: Yeah, that's why he writes, fuck off.

Now, the pacing sucked ball bags.

It was fucking awful.

Yeah, if I wasn't doing the audio, I probably would have switched to audio.

And I wanted to know more about like who he sold the souls to.

Like I had a lot of questions about this shit and it was never explained.

Like it was so minimal in the story and I really felt that was a missed opportunity because that's what I was waiting for.

Betty: Thank Bonny: You know what mean?

I was waiting for this, like, I needed to know all about this, like, how did he do it?

Why did he do it?

Like, I had all these questions, they just weren't answered, and that made me salty.

Like, I was so annoyed by the end of it.

Betty: Is it like you've got to make your own decision?

Was there any sort of option?

So was it literally just not explained that it was like you've just missed a whole bit of the book?

that's shit.

Bonny: It wasn't massively undeveloped.

No, it was underdeveloped.

He just, they just, he just didn't go into that.

It was, I understand what the book was about.

It was about Chris's journey.

wasn't really about anything else, but I just, had questions and I wanted to know and I was finished.

was like, well, I expected to give it four stabbies.

I actually gave it 4.25 because other than the fact that they didn't explain that one part, I actually really enjoyed it.

I did like.

Betty: Mmm, annoying.

Betty: good.

Bonny: pacing aside I actually really enjoyed it was a good book not one of his best but definitely up there Betty: Yeah, that's good.

What would you say is the best Grady Hendrix that you've done?

Bonny: horror store.

100 % on the nail, five fucking stars.

Yeah.

If you Google it, it looks like an Ikea catalog, the cover of the book does.

Betty: Horror store.

Haven't heard it.

Betty: you've said this to me before.

Bonny: So fucking good.

The wayward, the girls wayward one, I can't remember what the fucking call right now, that's a good one too, the witchcraft one.

Betty: Maybe I'll keep.

Betty: Yeah, yeah that's been on my list for ages.

I seriously need to do that.

Bonny: It's not horror-y as such, but it is a good book.

Betty: Yeah, that's all right.

feel like apart from next week's book, which I'm really excited about, which we'll talk about later, I'm done with horror for a while because my books have all been shit.

I've been so annoyed.

I did pick a couple of short books, so I don't know if that's why I don't think I really looked into it very well.

was like, yeah, if that looks okay, I'll just go with it.

And maybe I should have delved a bit deeper.

So my worst book.

Bonny: Yes.

Betty: I audio this, it's Follow Me to the Ground Sue Rainsford.

So we follow Ada and her father.

They aren't human.

They're kind of like magical, they kind of live around like humans with people, they call them cures.

And they all like mixed with stuff, but they're healers, so they heal them.

So it can get a bit like graphic about like how they heal them and how they get.

Betty: put their hands in their bodies and stuff.

It's a bit like, gross, but I wouldn't go like horror gross.

So basically, obviously like they're sort of different from other people, but they kind of accept them because they can heal, right?

So then the story starts building when Ada falls for a guy named Samson.

And I didn't really pick up on it at the time, but they're sort of gonna have a relationship and you kind of forget that she's younger because she's doing all this healing stuff and he's older.

Bonny: Yeah.

Betty: So it actually turns out that he's like a bit of a pedo.

Yeah, and he's got a sister, she's pregnant at the time.

People are, well, her dad's not happy about her relationship with this Samson.

There's things said, it just all gets a bit fucking weird.

And to be honest, I also become very unbothered about what was happening.

Like to the point that when I finished the book, I had to Google what happened.

So was at, and then it...

Betty: Do you know what?

I was so shocked because two people died and I missed it.

Betty: It was at the end, there was another big revelation at the end, which I won't go into, which was probably only slightly good.

But again, I almost missed that because I was just so uninterested.

I found it like just really bizarre, didn't hold my attention.

It was, I mean, they did have like the body horror stuff, like that's one of the tropes and like the forbidden love thing going on.

But yeah, it's really good.

Bonny: Right.

Bonny: Wait, wait, wait, Because she's underage?

Betty: Maybe, yeah, I can't remember how old she is, but when I've looked and read comments after it's like, yeah, and it gets really weird.

talks about like, because she's not human, her father's like grown her from the ground.

So that's also where they put people to heal them sometimes back in the ground.

It's very weird.

But when she's gonna do stuff with this guy, he's like, there's nowhere to put it.

And I'm like, what the fuck is going on in this book?

It's really weird.

So I don't know, yeah, but I didn't get it.

Bonny: Okay.

Bonny: I'm weirdly interested.

Yeah, I don't know why.

Betty: you're interested.

It's very, it's a very short, it's short if you wanted to listen to it.

think I got it off of Libby.

Yeah, I mean, I wouldn't bother it really.

But the thing is, if I'm not fully invested in a book, my mind wanders and then I miss stuff and then I'm not paying attention.

So for me, the biggest thing is not like if it sounds good, go for it.

But that was a one for me.

One stabby, very Bonny: Yeah.

Bonny: Did you- and you finished it!

I thought you didn't give one's to her!

Betty: Well, do know what?

don't feel like I've finished it, because to Google what happened?

Betty: also it was like I mean it must have only been four or five hours so it wasn't very long no but then I double time it I can't remember now I returned that fucker as soon as it was over so I can't have a look but yeah absolute absolute no no from me it's very strange very weird I'd have a read Bonny: I don't know!

Bonny: I love weird.

I love weird though.

I don't know about the Peter Fowl stuff.

I don't know.

I'll think about it.

Betty: You don't, I didn't get that vibe going through it.

But so I either missed something at the beginning or it explained it more at the end, I don't know.

But the dad is very not happy about the relationship.

the thing is, I think this might have been part of it.

So I think she still look like she's still a younger kid, but actually she might be older than all of them because they're not human.

So they've been around for years.

She's like older in mind.

So I don't think it's like complete.

Yeah, I don't know.

Bonny: okay.

Betty: I wouldn't know would I?

missed half of it.

yeah, not a break.

Yep.

Do it.

It wouldn't take you long.

would take you like two hours.

No, I'm literally saying do it and I'm like please don't.

Bonny: I'm weirdly intrigued.

Bonny: your face like god don't me hear about it Bonny: I, like, I, for the most part, my book choices were pretty, really, were decent.

But this one book, I was, anyway, it was The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay.

I love him.

I love his books.

Betty: was going to do this book with you and then I couldn't get the audio.

Bonny: I did the audio.

Yeah.

So I'll tell you all about it.

Listen.

So it's an apocalyptic horror and I'm like, Ooh, bird box was great.

So I was like, Ooh, pump for this.

I like his books.

I have done a few of art books of his.

So I was expecting, you know, good.

I recognize the title of this book.

It's quite popular.

It's all about a home invasion.

I'm like, Ooh, yes, please.

So.

Betty: We'll you Betty: You Bonny: They're out in this cabin in middle of fucking nowhere because they want to decompress this gay couple.

They've got an adoptive daughter.

And these people show up because they're the only ones that can stop the apocalypse.

And the only way they can stop the apocalypse is if one of them kills one of the group.

So their family.

So the two men and the little girl.

Someone has to pick who's going to die and then they have to kill them to stop the apocalypse.

So yeah, sounds fantastic, doesn't it?

Betty: ha!

Bonny: You got the unreliable narrators in there, the good people dilemma, and the book is loaded with paranoia.

Sounds phenomenal, doesn't it?

I love the tension.

It was very, like you could feel it up the back of your neck.

I felt absolutely sick thinking about, like, this could really happen.

Like, someone could break into your home and like hold your hostage in it.

And that would be fucking terrifying.

And I felt the doom.

And I could feel that the family really loved each other.

And it was, it was realistic and lovely and scary as shit.

Bonny: Like, but the doom and the dread was just there.

But that ending was fucking horse shit.

Horse shit, okay?

I was like, maybe I missed something, so I went to Google.

No, I missed fuck all!

That's how it ended, okay?

Betty: no.

Betty: That's even more disappointing.

Bonny: And I had so, no, was horse shit.

And I had so many questions.

Like, know, when you're going through a book and you're like, Oh, I hope they answered that.

And yeah, they answered none of that shit.

Nothing got answered.

I was so fucking, I was like, are you fucking kidding me?

Are you fucking kidding me?

So I even went to Reddit to see what people predicted, you know, what their thoughts were.

Everyone was just sitting there bitching about it.

So I'm like, yeah, fucking right.

It's fucking angry.

And the middle was really like, Betty: Thanks for watching.

Bonny: I don't know what happened.

It's almost like he started the book out and it was great.

And then all of a sudden he was like, gave up for the middle, you know, maybe he had AI write it.

I know he didn't, was joking, but like someone else wrote the book.

Like his kid stepped in and was typing crap.

It was repetitive and I just, yeah, it made no sense.

And then the end was horse shit.

So I was like, fuck me.

I was really disappointed because I'd been really looking forward to reading this book and I was expecting to give it 4.5 stabs.

I gave it three and I think I'd be fucking generous.

Betty: you Betty: you Betty: I think you're being generous from what you've just said.

I'm so glad I can do this one.

Even though actually sometimes me and you, we've said this before, we do sometimes have quite different opinions, but it does sounds shit, like I won't bother now.

Bonny: Yeah, I'm not happy, I'm not happy.

Bonny: Yeah.

Bonny: No, I wouldn't.

really wouldn't.

Now, I don't know if it was the audio book.

Maybe that's why it felt that way.

Maybe I needed to read to be immersed in the book.

But I, yeah, I was finished.

I was mad.

I Googled.

I'm still mad when I read it.

Really mad now.

But I all in all, the story was really great.

The premise was was spectacular.

These people all have the same dream and they find each other on a like a like a chat room.

Bonny: and they all come together to try and stop the apocalypse.

And there's shit happening, like there's a big tsunami, there's an earthquake, and I'm like, ooh, yeah, no.

I felt like a balloon, someone pops it, but it just went, instead of banging, you know what I mean?

And I hate balloons.

But yeah, that was really disappointing.

Betty: Yeah.

Betty: You should have gone on Goodreads and got some one stars.

Bonny: I thought about it, but I was too angry to type his name in.

Betty: I didn't want to see it again.

Dead for me.

Dead.

Bonny: I didn't want to see it.

Dead time.

Betty: Oh dear.

Well, my next one, I read this one.

Again, this was quite a short one.

I think it was like 200 page.

It's The Dollhouse by John Hunt.

I enjoyed this one a bit more.

So story begins with a daughter, Olivia, her dad's Harry.

He's dropping her off at college and she basically like, he leaves her there.

She literally goes out for a walk and she gets abducted literally like last night.

So she's taken by two masked predators.

Betty: And they're only like in the beginning identified by the masks they're wearing, which one's a jackal and one's a gorilla.

Takes her, imprisons her, keeps her locked in a house.

She's there for like five years and the room is like, I think, dull house because the room's all pink.

It's all like a bit girly, bit creepy, I guess.

But basically, yeah, they're...

Betty: they do what you would expect is gonna happen.

But it doesn't, I appreciate it didn't go into like horrible detail about that.

You was just aware that that's what was happening sort of thing, right?

And then after five years, the dad gets a call and it's her.

So at this point, he doesn't know if she's alive or not.

So then we, then it comes in like five years later when she's managed to call him.

So the beginning of it, it's quite like, got your heart going.

Do you know what I mean?

And like, Bonny: It happened.

Betty: I mean, there is some gruesome stuff that happens.

It's quite, it's not just sexual assault.

They are like, she loses some toes and it's like, yeah.

Yeah, but it's horror.

So you'd expect something to be, and I was okay with it.

don't think, I know that sounds bad, but it was, wasn't too over the top.

The middle of the book got a little bit flat, was a little bit like, where's this going?

And then the ending, well, yesterday I finished this last night.

I went up to bed to read it.

I'd like, Bonny: Yeah.

Betty: two hours left, say, I must have nodded off for like 10 minutes and then I woke up and it was only like eight or half eight or something.

I was like, I'll finish it.

I've only got like an hour.

I reached that so fast.

My heart was going.

I felt like I was watching it in a film because it does get really sort of funky at the end.

But then I was fucking wide awake and I couldn't go to sleep.

So now I'm this book piss me off.

I also, I also had the moment.

Bonny: Yeah.

Betty: I heard myself in my head go, I did lock the front door and I did lock the back door.

Because it was that like scary, because I find these sort of things like more horror scary, you know, like screen film vibes.

It gave me that how scared I was when I was 18 and watched that film, because that could really happen.

Like someone could grab like that freaks me out more than probably the supernatural side of things.

So yeah, I did enjoy it.

And I went with Bonny: Yeah.

Betty: four stabbies.

No, I didn't.

went three and a half because it went a bit, a bit dull in the middle.

It went a bit, it went on a bit too long.

Like even for a short book, like the middle could have been a little bit shorter.

Bonny: Woo Bonny: It was a short bit but it was too fucking long.

Betty: Yeah, exactly.

it's joke, but the middle was far too long.

I did...

Betty: I did go and get some one-star Goodreads.

Let me see.

There wasn't loads.

There was one-stars, but they was all really long.

Someone just put, not a thriller, not a horror, not interesting.

Betty: Um, what was on this one?

Oh, meh, Brutus saved this.

What a doggy is.

There is, spoiler, there's a dog in there.

But they just love, they love the dog.

Dog saved this story.

So yeah, was, it was, it was good.

I would say like, read it if you was, you'd do that so quick as well.

But yeah.

Thank God I had one good one that I had this week.

Bonny: Huh?

Bonny: add it to my very long TBR.

Bonny: Well, I had, I was waiting for this book for ages and ages and ages and ages.

I wanted to get, I don't need any more book boxes, but I really wanted to sign up for Aardvark because they had a copy of the Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones in it.

And it was a special edition and I really fucking wanted it, but it sold out in 10 minutes.

my, yeah.

So I had to wait ages for the library because I refused to buy it.

Now that I know there's a special edition out there, I refused to buy the normal version.

Okay.

Betty: wow.

Bonny: This is how extra I've gotten in my old age.

But it was, was, yeah, I didn't know what to expect because I actually didn't know anything about it.

The coverage has got like a buffalo on the front, but it's horror.

It's like historical horror, supernatural horror.

And I'm like, okay, this is covers giving me fuck all, but let's go.

And now the tropes in it were like Undead Avenger.

I hope I say this word right.

Epistolary narrative, meaning it's written like diary entries.

We get the story.

Betty: Wow.

Bonny: from diary entries, kind of like Dracula.

I don't know if you've ever read that.

Epistolary, epistolary, it's epistolary.

Anyway, I probably said it completely wrong.

So was gonna go, you don't say it like that love.

And I'll go.

Betty: Word of the day.

Betty: Did you check Google?

Did you get Google to pronounce it for you before you introduced that?

Bonny: Cup 2.

I did that once with somebody's name and it was wrong.

So no, I don't trust Google anymore.

I'm just going to wing it.

So the author had used colonialism as horror, which I thought was very clever.

And he had this really uncanny ability of taking like Gothic doubles.

So mirroring two themes at the same time.

So gluttony with moral decay.

was literary fiction.

Like I think he wrote the book and it's like a literary fiction horror, which I've never read before.

Bonny: So that was really fucking interesting.

And I actually really enjoyed how it was written.

was, I felt like I was not necessarily in a horror book.

So it wasn't particularly scary, scary.

Although there was some really fucking gory shit in there.

No joke.

Like it was fucking gory.

And he literally took this like vampire law and twisted it.

So when he drinks the blood of whatever he's drinking it off.

So if he's drinking the blood of like animals, he starts to get take on animal.

Betty: Okay.

Bonny: things.

So he starts to grow like hair and move like them.

Now, and then he was like, sucking the blood of this one particular group of people.

think I can't remember what they were now.

think they were like another like band and he was starting to get like the long hair and like the beard and stuff.

It was, was crazy.

It was so crazy, but he's like really, he doesn't want to be this way, but it's too bad.

He's got bit by something.

He calls it a cat man and he is now he's just like that, but he can't go back to his people.

Bonny: but there's a priest that he's telling his story to.

And I really liked it, liked it a lot.

And the author had researched, because he used Blackfeet.

So it was like a indigenous group back in the, because it's historical, it was like a long time ago.

And he did it really well.

Like he kept it very close to the truth.

And I thought that was really, really great.

Now, he's very wordy.

If I was reading it, Betty: Mmm.

Bonny: probably would have been like, I don't know about this.

Like I know literary fiction tends to be that way, but it didn't, it felt a bit much.

could see why some people were complaining about it.

Like that he was like very clunky with his pros.

I didn't necessarily find it was particularly clunky, but yeah, it was, I think he could have toned that motherfucking shit down a little bit.

And there was animal cruelty in there and I didn't dig that at all.

It was necessary for the story because he is a, you know, Betty: Yeah Betty: I Bonny: So he was like ripping animal's throats out.

So I understand that it had to be done, I wish they didn't have to see that.

And the pacing was choppy.

Like sometimes it was really good and sometimes it really wasn't.

But I was expecting to give it a four.

I gave it a 4.5.

I actually really enjoyed it.

Yeah, I did.

I thought it was very good.

Yes.

I had a really good week and I almost finished another one too, but we...

Betty: What?

Betty: my gosh.

Betty: You have had a good week.

Bonny: Didn't need all the books, so.

I was just trying, I was like fucking hoarding.

I'm like, come on, gimme all the horror quick.

Betty: Yeah, I know.

You went like four this week, didn't you?

I went three.

So the last one we both read.

I think we're going to have a very different view.

Bonny: Yeah, probably.

I've read it before.

Sorry, this was a reread.

Yeah.

Betty: So, have you?

I think the fact that I audio'd this book might have ruined it for me.

It's also a bit in the realm of sort of fantasy, which I can deal with in movies, but I don't know.

Again, I feel like I was zoning out and it was losing me.

So I did go and watch the film, which I really enjoyed.

I'm putting this off because I can't remember how to say her fucking name.

Mrs.

Parenk...

Bonny: I read it.

Bonny: No, it's Miss Peregrines.

Betty: Peregrines, I keep saying that, I keep calling her peringrude, peringrude.

I still wish.

Bonny: the Orbis Peregrine's home for peculiar children.

Betty: That's the one.

So I watched the movie after which I know the ending is actually different.

Yeah.

But I enjoyed the film more.

The audio, I was just getting lost in it again.

So for anyone who hasn't read it, follows Jacob who's 16.

He travels to like a Welsh island to investigate his grandfather's mysterious death.

He discovers a time loop from the 1940s, has got, which is where all the children are that have these supernatural powers.

Betty: they are protected by Mrs.

Peregrine.

Fucking stupid.

And then he has to help them with all their troubles.

But yeah, I don't, what did you think?

Cause you liked it.

Bonny: Peregrine.

Peregrine.

Bonny: I got a 4 stabby, but I gave it 4.5 originally so I could I saw the problems this time around Like one of the things I really I didn't notice it the first time I read it, but Jacob and Emma ew You fucking kidding me?

Oh, that's disgusting Yeah, I know it's like Betty: Yeah, gross!

was with his grandad!

Betty: Dirty hoe.

Bonny: Yeah, but I didn't notice it the first time and I'm like, and it- Betty: Oh, I noticed it badly in the book because I think actually in listening to it rather than watching it doesn't make such a big deal of the granddad and Emma's relationship.

But it does in the book.

It's quite prominent in the beginning.

Or I noticed it and was like, eww.

Not that I mean, they're kids.

I don't think they was doing much, but you know what I mean?

It's still weird, isn't it?

Because she like loved him and waited, but she was waiting years.

It is weird.

Gross.

Bonny: Yeah.

Bonny: know but it's weird.

I know but it's weird.

Bonny: So yeah, it put me off a little bit.

then, okay, yeah, it gave me serious ick and I don't usually get ick from books.

And I understood going in that this was a supernatural horror, young adult doc fantasy.

So I was fully prepared to be like icked a bit because whatever that happens.

But yeah, I was not prepared for that.

I'd forgotten.

I had scrubbed it from my brain the first time I was six months like, this is new and disgusting.

Betty: Mm-hmm.

Betty: you Bonny: Like how did I miss that?

Betty: Yeah, weird, weird.

suppose it just depend, I don't know.

Did you read it the first time or did you audio it?

Because I audioed it and it was like...

Bonny: No, I've only ever read it.

I did have the audio book because I wanted to, because I own the book.

I own a copy.

I actually have the whole series here.

But I wanted to hear what Jacob sounded like.

So that when I was reading, had his.

Yeah, but you I don't think I would have enjoyed the audio book.

I don't I don't.

It was a much better read.

Betty: No, I just think I could zone out too easily.

I don't get on too well with fantasy, as I said.

But also saying that, I'm literally going to completely contradict myself now because it was like waiting to see like when he meets the children and stuff.

And I just don't think there was actually enough about their powers and like what they do.

Do you know what mean?

Bonny: But that comes up in later books.

Like you have to keep going to learn.

Yeah.

Betty: Does it?

is it all the other books?

well in this I just felt like it was just like I always met them and then all of a sudden it's the danger and then, you know, some of their powers help with the danger that they're in, including him.

But, yeah, I just wanted a bit more of that first before it went into all the other shit.

Yeah, I know.

I told you I'm a fucking contradiction this week.

Bonny: Yeah.

Bonny: I wanted more the fantasy aspects that I didn't like.

Betty: I just, yeah, I don't know.

Like, and then I start questioning myself.

So I think I say this about audio books a lot.

I'm like, if it's not gripping me, like I'm, I'm gone.

I'm making my shopping list.

I'm doing other things.

And today I've been listening to again, not my normal genre, but I do love Taylor Jenkins read books.

And I've literally nearly done one of her books in a day and I don't miss one bit of her book.

So.

Bonny: No.

Do you ever think that you might be in an era and that's why?

Like I find sometimes it's a genre thing.

I'm in a mood, I need audio books, I need specifics.

Like I tried listening to a book the other day on NetGalley and I'm like, I'm so not in the mood for you.

And my God, fuck, okay.

I got the Shield of Sparrows book, loved it.

The next book, right, whatever it's called, Starling.

Betty: Thank you.

Bonny: And I was listening to the audio book for three hours and I'm like, I don't know what's going on.

I don't remember nothing from book one.

I'm like, fuck.

So I had to send it back to the library like to, cause like to re put another hold on it so I could go back and read book one.

I'm like, fuck.

I remember nothing.

Nothing gone.

Betty: you Betty: Yeah, I mean, maybe it might be that.

Also, I think you've spoke about this before, like expectations when you're going into a book.

I think you might have said, I might have seen this on your list of books to read.

And then it come up on the libraries, I was looking for a horror book and I knew it wasn't going to be like really scary, but because it's young adult, like I wouldn't personally, that wasn't horror to me.

So I think my expectation of it being a scary book and it wasn't a scary book.

I think.

Bonny: you Bonny: Yeah.

Bonny: Yeah, that could be it.

See, I knew it wasn't.

The horror aspects are literally these things, right?

Like these creatures that want to kill them all off or whatever.

And we learned why that happened.

I think she did a, also did a really good job of explaining the situation they were in.

Okay, here.

I'm a hamule.

Oh God, that is on there tight.

Think about.

Betty: It all just was a machine thing.

Betty: Yes.

Betty: You're saying she did a good job of explaining.

I've done that and watched the film and I still don't know what they wanted.

Bonny: They wanted him to hunt down more kids like the special kids because he could see them.

Like he wanted, they wanted help.

They were an experiment went wrong.

That's why they're like that.

Yeah.

See you missed lots of stuff.

No, I don't know if they explain in the film.

It's been a while since I've seen the movie.

and Mike watched it years ago.

But my biggest problem with the book was the big fat fucking plot hole that they stuck right in middle.

And Mike.

Betty: Hell, you didn't even know that from the film.

Betty: Mm.

Bonny: was like, I didn't notice.

And I'm like, well, I fucking did because by their logic, their time travel thing where every day it resets, so history fixes itself, right?

Would mean that their paradox would be every time that resets, there'd be a new fucking loop with a new group of kids, because that's how that works.

So there'd be hundreds of thousands of these little fuckers in different like loops, because that's the way they explain it.

That's what would fucking happen.

And I'm like, maybe I'm out to lunch here.

And I Googled it.

And I'm not wrong.

Betty: Mm-hmm.

Betty: that.

Betty: Well, I was just going to say, think any book or film that tackles the time, like changing time, traveling time, you always come up against these issues because they can never quite make it make sense.

I didn't notice that.

I didn't pick up on that.

I think that's really clever.

Bonny: really fucking irritated me.

I guess I was hoping for more information this time around, because I've read the first three books in the series.

I don't know why I read book four.

Betty: Yes.

Betty: How many books is there?

Bonny: Yeah, I don't know.

don't know why I didn't get to the next one because I think there's five or six in the series and I just stopped.

Betty: how was the other ones?

Bonny: book two's great.

Book two was really good.

Will I complete the series now?

No.

I've got other things to do, right?

But I, for start, this one, like I think it's, even as a standalone book, I think it's pretty good.

Betty: We did.

Betty: Yeah, I, because I just didn't enjoy the audio and I had an awareness.

I was like, I get what's happened, but I didn't have any of the detail.

And so because it wasn't an enjoyable experience, it was a two for me.

But based on the film, I probably would have gone three.

So not much higher.

But still, I liked the end of the film when it got a bit like the action.

Yeah, no, wasn't a win for me.

I was a bit...

Bonny: Yeah.

Bonny: Aww.

Bonny: Yeah.

Betty: I was a bit gutted because it's a well-known kind of film, isn't it?

It's been around for ages, obviously the book.

So I just expected better things.

And it let me down.

What a shit week.

Bonny: Yeah, you did not have it.

Good.

But we are deep diving next week.

Do want to let everyone know what we're deep diving?

Betty: No.

Betty: Yes, because I'm really excited about this one.

So I have never actually read a Stephen King.

So I'm very excited.

So to end horror month, we are going to do Pet Sematary.

Very, very excited.

Would like to know if anyone else has read it and what they think.

But I'm gonna, I'm gonna read this one.

I'm gonna really, I've got lots of time between now and next film and so I'm gonna really enjoy getting into that one.

Fingers crossed.

Bonny: Good.

We had to try and pick one that was scary enough that embodies the real Stephen King's good, deep horror, but wasn't really long.

Betty: So that I don't totally hate you, this horror.

Betty: Yeah, it's still nearly 500 pages though, because I was looking at it today.

Bonny: Yeah, but it is over 1200.

Betty: Shit.

You know what, must have watched that film as a kid, but I cannot remember it.

So it's either been scraped from my brain or I have not watched all of it.

I don't know which, but yeah.

Bonny: Yes.

Bonny: We watched the original when we were kids.

It was just okay.

I don't like clowns.

So I mean No, but I don't like clowns.

There's something about them that is just not natural.

Okay, I Don't like it.

I don't like it one bit and then Trinity made me watch the bloody new X it comes in two bloody parts and she's there going and I'm like Betty: I mean clowns, I'm not scared of clowns.

Betty: That's it.

Betty: Creepy child, creepy child.

Bonny: She is so macabre, it's not even funny, okay?

That kid watched Wednesday when it first came out.

She was four.

She snuck onto my Netflix and was watching Wednesday.

Yeah.

She's seven.

She's creepy.

She loves creepy shit.

She's a weirdo.

Okay?

Betty: Hang on, what should I do if I'm it?

Betty: You let her watch it, that is mental.

Bonny: Are you kidding me?

We used to go steal all the horror movies out of your dad's thingies so he wouldn't know.

And we used to pull the sheets out so he wouldn't know we took them.

Betty: When John was a video man.

Bonny: We were watching horrors at like six, seven, eight years old.

I'm a psycho-off-bing.

Betty: Well, I've erased all of these from my brain.

don't remember.

I remember Freddy Krueger.

I remember watching that and that freaking me out.

Bonny: Yep.

We watched Hellraiser, Mum went behind the couch, around the sofa.

You probably don't remember, but she was like...

Betty: Hang on, I thought it Freddy Krueger where he pulls her into the sofa.

Was that Hellraiser then?

Bonny: Yeah.

Betty: shit, I've always thought that was Freddy Krueger being pulled in.

Bonny: No, Freddy Krueger's the one where he gets them in their dreams.

Or maybe he does pull them for a couch, but that happens in Hellraiser too.

Betty: Well, that affected my life, so one of them scared me.

Bonny: no, ratnophobia.

Because you couldn't Google back then that how spiders and black widows can't have babies.

It doesn't work like that, but I truly believe they could.

And every time I first fucking spider, I'm like, but what if you meted with a black widow?

And I'm still scared of spiders now.

Betty: ooo ooo ooo no Betty: you Betty: You Betty: Yeah, I'm not great with spiders.

I'm not as bad as I was where I am.

We get like quite big, like this size, not exaggerating.

And I don't get them and I'm too scared that they won't get up the Hoover.

So we have to make phone calls for them ones.

I can get the little ones.

The little ones are my bitches.

Bonny: NNNN Bonny: don't like it.

don't like it.

Peanut's weird.

She'll pick stuff up.

She loves stuff like that.

My creepy little weirdo.

I love her, but she's creepy.

Yeah.

Are you expecting to give Pet Sematary what stabby rating?

Let's lock these predictions in.

Betty: weird.

Betty: Do you know what?

I haven't even read like what it's actually about.

I'm assuming there's a pet cemetery.

I actually haven't read.

was just like, sounds good.

So I'm going in completely blind.

I'm going to go 4.5.

Bonny: You.

Bonny: That's what I said too, but I have, I read it a long time ago.

We own a ton of Stephen King books.

Caitlin owns a ton of Stephen King books.

Between us, we do not own one copy of Pet Sematary, but we've got three copies of Misery.

Betty: That's typical.

Bonny: Yeah, fuck it, I'm gonna have to buy a copy, But I'm excited, it's been a long time.

Yes, it'll be great.

Ending Horror Month with a bang.

I love me some Stephen King.

All you guys, Stephen King fans, let us know in the comments which one of Stephen King's books is your favorite.

And you should be definitely joining us for our deep dive next week.

Don't forget to follow us on our Patreon at.

Betty: looking forward to it.

Bonny: book slayers with Betty and Bonnie, like, wanted to say it the other way around.

And I was like, don't do it, don't do it.

And I'm like, almost did it.

Would you follow us on our Facebook page, our Instagram, our TikTok?

You should definitely be sharing this episode with all the people that hate horror, change their minds, make them a believer.

We hope that you have the reading week that you deserve and we will see you next week.

Take care readers.

Betty: Hahaha Betty: See you soon.

Bonny: It's not the same if you don't do it, I'm sorry.

Betty: I know, I'm sorry, it's back.

Book Slayers

Bonny Found AMAZING Horror Books 👀 | Betty Had the WORST Reading Week 😭 | Book Slayers

About This Episode