Tag Archives: thrillers

Recommending Your Next Read [Based on Overly Specific Genres] Pt. 1

Welcome back to Finding Delight! I’m here today to give you some options for your next read. I put together a collection of some of the most popular overly specific book genres. Then, I scoured my shelves and the internet to find the perfect books that fit these categories. (If you don’t see a good fit here – do leave a common below with an overly specific book genre you love and I’ll be sure to reply with some choices!)

So, let’s get right into it…

Book set in a creepy house…

My pick: The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware

Others to check out: 

Crooked House by Agatha Christie

The Good House by Tananarive Due

The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton

Magical realism in the American south…

My pick: Sing Unburied Sing by Jesmyn Ward

Others to check out: 

The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead

Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris

Southern Mystical Moments by Patricia H. Graham 

A book that follows a family through different periods of life…

My pick: The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver 

Others to check out…

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

The Dutch House by Ann Patchett

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

Science Fiction featuring characters you can fall in love with…

My pick: The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell

Others to check out…

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle

Kindred by Octavia Butler

Historical Fiction about a female artist…

My pick: The Painter From Shanghai by Jennifer Cody Epstein

Others to check out…

Rodin’s Lover by Heather Webb

Clara and Mr. Tiffany by Susan Vreeland

Isadora by Amelia Gray

A book to help you feel happy…

My pick: The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin

Others to check out…

The Happiness Equation by Neil Pasricha

The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor

You Are a Badass by Jen Sincero

Teens battling it out in a dark game (similar to The Hunger Games)…

My pick: Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin

Others to check out: 

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

The Final Six by Alexandra Monir

Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan

Thriller that tackles social issues…

My pick: When No One is Watching by Alyssa Cole

Others to check out:

The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins

Stillhouse Lake by Rachel Caine

Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke

A Science Fiction with a spreading sickness…

My pick: Blindness by Jose Saramago

Others to check out:

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

The Book of M by Peng Shepherd

Severance by Ling Ma

Book set in the circus…

My pick: Water for Elephants by Sarah Gruen

Others to check out: 

Death of a Circus by Chadra Pasad

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Pantomime by Laura Lam

So there you have it! I hope you found an absolutely perfect book for your next read! If any of these overly specific genres are your fave, do leave me a comment below and let me know if you think these suggestions might work for you.

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3 Spooky Books to Read this Halloween

With Halloween falling on a Saturday this year, it’s a great excuse to curl up with a truly terrifying tale! Grab a PSL, your favorite throw blanket, and a handful of fun size candies and make a whole dang day of it. To set the mood even further, I recommend popping on an Autumn Ambience video.

If you feel like binge reading a scary book this Halloween, here are three I would recommend…

The Girls by Emma Cline

The year is 1969, a cultural revolution is taking place, and sex, drugs and rock n roll are at the forefront. Enter a charismatic man (based on the likes of Charles Manson) who lures in young followers desperate to be a part of something larger than themselves and leads them into a life of deception, abuse and murder.

Evie, now in her 50’s, is looking back at her time in this cult as a teenager and the horrific crimes they committed that forever left an imprint on American history.

This is a perfect pick if you’re not especially fond of thrillers or horrors but still want a spooky read that will totally consume you on Halloween. You’ll fly through this one! And it’s that much scarier knowing the story, although fiction, is inspired by true events.

The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen

Now, if you ARE up for a thriller, this is an excellent one.

Our main character is a woman whose wealthy and hunky husband, Richard, has left her for a younger woman. After their divorce she went from living a life of luxury to sharing an apartment with her aunt and working a retail gig.

She learns of her ex-husband’s plans to remarry and the book takes off from here. However, the back cover copy warns readers to “assume nothing” and this is especially apt. There are so many twists and turns to this one and the less you know going in the better!

The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix

Author Grady Hendrix says in the intro that he wanted write a book that pit Dracula against his mom. Who can resist a premise like that?

If you prefer your scary books to be more on the side of horror and gore…with a pinch of humor thrown in for good measure… I highly recommend picking this one up this Halloween.

A group of southern women, fed up with the stuffy/WASPy book club they’re a part of, branch off and form their own group dedicated to reading true crime novels. Next thing you know a new neighbor is clamoring to join their club and he just so happens to be a vampire. This is a “blood-soaked tale of neighborly kindness gone wrong.”

Which of these would YOU choose? Will you be reading anything spooky this Halloween? Let me know in the comments below.

Enjoy the rest of your week, ghouls and goblins!!! 👻

4 Creepy Movies to Get You Ready for Halloween

As soon as the weather starts to cool off, I LOVE watching scary movies on Friday nights. I don’t know what it is! Maybe purposefully lookin’ to get spooked is more fun when you’re curled up in a blanky (the easier to cover your face during the stressful parts!). Or maybe it’s that Halloween is fast approaching! If you wanna get in the mood and have your own private scarefest, here are a few creepy movies Chet and I have watched recently that I would recommend…

1. I Think We’re Alone Now

Del is alone in the world. After the human race is wiped out, he lives in his small, empty town, content in his solitude and the utopia he’s methodically created for himself — until he is discovered by Grace, an interloper whose history and motives are obscure. And to make matters worse, she wants to stay.

I love any post-apocalyptic film that showcases a realistic look at survival tactics. As soon as the film began with Peter Dinklage in a house scavenging for batteries…I was in. But there’s a looming sense throughout the movie that something isn’t as it seems–even as the quiet scenes and calming natural light settle you in to this simpler way of life.

WATCH THE TRAILER HERE

2. Hereditary

When the matriarch of the Graham family passes away, her daughter and grandchildren begin to unravel cryptic and increasingly terrifying secrets about their ancestry, trying to outrun the sinister fate they have inherited.

This movie will make you think but also provide all the jumps and gasps of a truly frightening horror film. The creepiness is in the details though…so you’ll wanna play close attention during this one. Don’t let all the “Hereditary Explained” articles and YouTube videos discourage you. Just watch and come to your OWN conclusions.

WATCH THE TRAILER HERE

3. Like Me

A reckless loner, desperate for human connection, sets out on a crime spree that she broadcasts on social media. Her reality quickly splinters into a surreal nightmare as her exploits spiral out of control.

I didn’t know much about this movie going in–I just saw the words “indie thriller” and “commentary on YouTube” and was down to press play. This one was aesthetically very creepy, but also stomach churning. If you’re tuning in for Shane Dawson’s Jake Paul series, I have a feeling this might serve as a good complimentary film.

WATCH THE TRAILER HERE

4. Mother!

A couple’s relationship is tested when uninvited guests arrive at their home, disrupting their tranquil existence. From filmmaker Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan, Requiem for a Dream), this riveting psychological thriller is about love, devotion and sacrifice.

I had heard mostly bad things about this film but was willing to give it a shot because I love Black Swan (and JLaw!) so much. And I’m glad I did! It had everything I want in a psychological thriller. Similar to Hereditary, if you go into this film worried less about what things are supposed to  mean and instead draw your own conclusions, you’ll have a creepier more satisfying viewing experience!

WATCH THE TRAILER HERE

Have you watched any creepy movies lately that you would recommend? Do you watch more scary films in the Autumn?

P.S. Need more movie recommendations? RIGHT THIS WAY!
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