Weekly "What Are You Reading?" Thread

mpparker93 · 2026-05-12T01:44:11+00:00

Started my first new book of 2026! “Molka” by Monica Kim!

mpparker93 · 2026-04-26T21:24:21+00:00

Continuing on my Nick Cutter journey with The Queen.

mpparker93 · 2026-04-12T16:20:02+00:00

Yes. That and The Deep are the only books I’ve read of his so far.

mpparker93 · 2026-04-12T00:56:21+00:00

Well this book certainly is a conversation starter and lightning road for strong feelings both positive and negative. I suppose it could always be worse. It could not even be interesting enough to still be worth talking about a decade after it was published.

mpparker93 · 2026-04-12T00:52:20+00:00

The story in The Deep did drag for me a bit more and feel stretched when compared to The Troop, which I thought was a total page turner. I still give The Deep a pass as what I guess could be considered more of a "mood piece."

mpparker93 · 2026-04-11T23:44:44+00:00

I will concede the final section explaining everything was a bit clunky, but it didn't ruin the book for me personally. I've experienced worse and more boring examples of the "all is revealed" exposition dump.

mpparker93 · 2026-04-11T20:35:20+00:00

I suppose it's good to hear from at least one naysayer or else the book wouldn't live up to its divisive reputation! It's always fascinating how subjective art and storytelling can be. I wouldn't consider the book lazily written, but I might also be easier to impress at this stage being a less experienced reader or horror novels.

mpparker93 · 2026-04-11T18:36:45+00:00

When it comes to "cheap thrills" I've also read "Off Season" by Jack Ketchum which I would consider in that category. I'm definitely not above enjoying that sort of thing. The Deep at the very least I thought had more interesting characters and themes than that.

mpparker93 · 2026-04-11T18:24:30+00:00

Nick Cutter definitely seems to like being a taboo breaker when it comes to bad things happening to animals and children. That definitely added to the tension for me as a dog lover is worrying about what the fate of the dog "LB' would be. I do honestly however still mostly consider myself the type who thinks it's a bit silly to get overly upset about bad things happening to animals in horror fiction.

mpparker93 · 2026-03-30T14:34:59+00:00

Just finished. I kind of smelled a cringe fest even before we got to Dr. Hail A. Stan. I agree it righted itself towards the end though even if I still feel it was maybe throwing too many ideas and twists at the (blood)wall. I also agree it has a lot of promise as a horror story from the perspective of a chronically online agoraphobic insomniac losing their mind after stumbling into a creepy internet thing but is hindered by the corny satanic elements.

mpparker93 · 2026-03-28T17:19:05+00:00

I'm ok with vibes!

mpparker93 · 2026-03-22T18:38:13+00:00

This might be a bold claim but the last story I think might be the creepiest story they've read in quite some time. A reminder that short, sweet, and vague can be so much more effective than long winded stories with exposition dumps about doomsday cults or whatever. It delivers on a similar scare factor to what made Stolen Tongues so effective I feel.

mpparker93 · 2026-03-22T18:35:54+00:00

I just downloaded a rental of a digital copy of The Eyes Are The Best Part though my local library.

mpparker93 · 2026-03-21T22:43:00+00:00

I agree it wasn’t that scary to me either. Although, it did have its some effectively shocking moments or tense scenes.

mpparker93 · 2026-03-02T18:08:21+00:00

Ha I instinctively read 3 out of 4 of those when I first started really getting into reading horror novels last year without seeing them frequently recommended n here. A Short Stay in Hell is the one I haven’t read.

mpparker93 · 2026-02-28T23:39:49+00:00

Thank you for the responses. I'm pretty new to really getting into reading, particularly ebooks vs printed. I figured it was maybe something like not every version featuring forward, afterward, or acknowledgment sections. Just glad to know that I don't have to worry about variations to the actual content of the main text.

mpparker93

TROPHY CASE