Hello fellow readers! If you have been following this blog for a while now, you know I love to share book reviews with you. Traditionally, any 4 or 5 star read I come across I make a post about, giving a full review of everything.

However, today I’m doing something a bit different. In September I read several 4 and 5 star reads but haven’t had a chance to share them with you yet. So, instead of doing several book review posts I’m doing them all in one. Are you ready? Let’s go.

The Staircase in the Woods by Chuck Wendig – Twenty years ago, five high school friends decided to spend a night in the woods and discover a lone staircase in the woods. When one member of the group decides to climb it, he disappears and the four remaining friends are haunted by his disappearance. But when the staircase reappears, the four friends decide to climb it themselves in hopes of finding their lost friend. This new release was a fairly quick read with interesting characters. Also, the concept of the story was compelling and Mr. Wendig executed the plot well. It didn’t receive a full five stars from me as I found the ending to be unfulfilling and made me wonder if this is the first book in a series as that would explain the somewhat abrupt ending.

The September House by Carissa Orlando – Margaret and Hal have always wanted a forever home. A place where they could plant roots and have the stability that was often missing from their childhoods and early adult years. When a gorgeous Victorian home is put on the market at an unbelievable price, Margaret and Hal believe it foolish to not jump on it, even if a couple of untimely deaths occurred at the home. When they move in everything is perfect until some ghostly friends decide to make their presence known. Margaret can handle it but Hal can’t and leaves without any notice. Margaret doesn’t mind, until their daughter Katherine arrives, demanding answers. Can Margaret keep Katherine from finding out about the ghosts that lurk around every corner of the house? And can she keep the evil in the basement at bay or while everything come to a terrifying conclusion?

Despite it’s premise, this is a fun book. Ms. Orlando easily combines horror with comedy for a highly enjoyable ride. I especially loved the dynamic between Margaret and Katherine that, while strained, still shows sign of good humor and love. While there are definitely scary scenes, it is not terribly terrifying that someone who is just beginning in horror should be put off by it. Overall, this was a fun read that I ended up loving more than I expected and that’s why I gave it five stars.

For Your Own Good by Samantha Downing – The final book I have for this post is a dark academia cat and mouse thriller. Set at a prestigious school, we follow a variety of characters but mostly English teacher Teddy who believes all his actions are for the benefit of his ungrateful students, one of them being Zach, who Teddy views as a waste. When a series of murders begin to occur, Teddy and Zach find themselves in the center of it and engaging in a game of wits of which only one of them will come on top.

The book was an easy five star for me with plenty of compelling characters, complex motivations, and many questions being asked and answered only for new ones to emerge. The person behind one murder might not be responsible for the next and that kept me hooked until the very last page. I also loved the cat and mouse game that was played between Teddy and Zach, separating it from other books in the genre.