Before I Forget by Tory Henwood Hoen is one of those quiet, emotional stories that sneaks up on you.
It follows Cricket, a young woman who leaves the city and moves back home to care for her father, who has Alzheimer’s, giving her sister Nina the chance to chase the life she wants. And right away, you feel how out of place Cricket is—back in her childhood home, surrounded by memories she’s clearly been avoiding.
What surprised me is how the story balances grief with humor. Her dad starts predicting things that somehow keep coming true, turning him into a small-town oracle. It’s funny, a little strange, and oddly tender as it brings closure or comfort for those that speak to him. The town loves it. Nina… absolutely does not.
At its core, this book is about healing damaged relationships—between parent and child, one’s self, and healing emotional scars. Cricket grows and finally faces her past, but that growth comes at a cost, as her father’s health continues to decline.
It’s emotional without being heavy-handed, funny in unexpected moments, and deeply human. If you like stories about family, loss, and the messy process of becoming who you are, Before I Forget is worth your time. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I give this book an A.
Sleepaway Camp, a 2025 novelization of the 1983 horror film, was written by B.R. Flynn. This novelization was published by Encyclopocalypse Publications, August 2025.
SUMMARY
A little boy, his sister, and their father were involved in a tragic accident on the lake near Camp Arawak, leaving only one survivor. One of the kids, Angela, would be adopted by her Aunt Martha. When Angela had gotten old enough, Martha sent her son Ricky and Angela to sleepaway camp – Camp Arawak.
Angela was different, strange and quiet. Her behavior made her an easy target for bullies. During the season, kids and staff started dying. While some thought the deaths were merely accidental, something far more sinister was creeping around the camp… could it be the legend of the Horned Serpent? Some at Camp Arawak might think so!
OVERALL THOUGHTS
I am pleasantly surprised by this novelization. It’s fast paced and yes, it’s creepy. The author does an excellent job expanding the events of the film, adding the perfect amount of extra material.
Getting inside Angela’s head was fantastic. Some mysteries from the film are more transparent in the novelization. I was surprised by what would be considered spoilers in the film, were all mentioned right up front. What becomes the great reveal at the end of the movie, is explained in detail in the beginning of the book! In the film, it was an excellent plot twist. I thought while reading… how in the world could the end of this book live up to that wild ending in the film? Oh boy, it most certainly does!
The author did a good job capturing the weirdness of Aunt Martha. What could be viewed as really bad acting in the film, is explained perfectly in the book. She is a sick and twisted woman! The Author did such a good job with all the characters, they were written so very well. I’ve gotta say it… this story overall… perverted.
Sleepaway Camp… from 80’s cult classic film to slasher novel of the century!
There are some fantastic changes in the novelization which I say make the book far superior than the film. I was really surprised by the differences and just how perfect they were. When camp gets started on day one, the campers are gathered around a fire as one of the camp councilors tells a scary story about a creature that comes up from the lake, a monster, a shape shifter called the Horned Serpent, that changes into a girl before killing its prey.
Mass Market Paperback Cover
I’m a big fan of novelizations, I’ve read a lot of them. This one is right up there with the best I’ve read. It’s not the best story at all, but what the novelization does is just… fire.
RATING
While I think this story is gross and believe that all the characters are screwed up in so many ways, I’ve got to give this novelization an A+. It does everything a novelization should do.
Conan Songs of the Slain was written by Tim Lebbon. This book is published by Titan books, and will be available July 8, 2025.
SUMMARY
Conan lay dying on the battlefield when two opponents find him, impressed by his physique, they drag him off the field to sell him as a slave to the salt mines. On the road, Conan is nurtured back to health by fellow captive named Tann. Conan and Tann work in the mines until Conan is healed from his deadly wounds.
Conan asks Tann for his meal and water to build up his energy and strength to pull of their escape, saying he’ll repay Tann upon their escape. The two are successful, and part ways when they reach safety.
Years pass, Tann and his family and friends fall victim to a group of thugs. Tann then seeks out Conan to request his favor be issued.
The main villain of the story is pure evil. He’s captured some folks including Tann’s family. 10 manages to escape and now is going to seek out Conan to repay the favor that is owed.
Conan doesn’t hesitate to help out an old friend or brother in slavery however, you wanna say it. Conan goes on a quest and is reminded of his younger days. He will faced many trials in this perilous adventure.
OVERALL THOUGHTS
All right, so this is my first Conan book. I’m honestly very surprised of how good it is especially coming from Tim Lebanon, which I know he wrote a Star Wars book that I did not like a long time ago. I’m very pleased with this book. The only thing that I knew about Conan was fantasy . I was unsure about going into this book because I know that there’s a lot of different books out there turns out you don’t need to know anything about those books for this story, which is great.
Tim Lebanon did an awesome job with these characters. Each one is unique. The story just keeps getting crazier and more intense as we move through the pages. The book is loaded with intense battles that are gory, gruesome, and dark. There are a lot of things in this book that are also pretty creepy when we get into a certain side characters and their personal quests in life. Some get into their past with demons witchcraft there are many times in this book that I got chills. I’m very impressed with the writing style.
The story delivers on fantasy, violence, honor, and sacrifice. I absolutely enjoyed this story and the grand adventure that an old king seeks adventure to pay off an old debt. He didn’t have to go on such a quest, but honor and loyalty actually mean something to Conan.
So do I recommend that you read Conan Song’s of the Slain? Yes it’s an excellent fantasy story that requires no previous book knowledge a great one shot story.
RATING
I will give Conan: Songs of the Slain, an A+. I just couldn’t put this book down.
Dead Space: Martyer, was written by B. K. Evenson. The book was originally published in 2010 and was republished in April 2025.
SUMMARY
This is a sequel to the video Game – Dead space. Some unusual activity in the Chicxulub Crater grabs the attention of geophysicist Michael Altman. Altman joins a team to find the source of a strange signal. What they discover is a strange artifact which they dub, “The Black Marker.” This “Black Marker” is turned into an idle. People are unaware that this artifact is driving people to insanity, turning them into vicious killers.
OVERALL THOUGHTS
Evenson did a fine job writing the characters for this book. There was no lacking descriptive details for both the emotional side of a character as well as the physical things that happen. Characters are placed in vulnerable situations, some cave in to their weaker will while others remain strong.
I enjoyed the mystery of the story, it took it’s time while also feeling fast paced due to short chapters, most of the time. This book can make one feel claustrophobic, which is great since it is a horror.
I like a good creepy book, however this book goes far beyond that, serving brutal gore at times. The story is also a tragic one. If you like gross horror, especially if it ties in to other media like video games and even comics, this is a book you’ll appreciate.
While I thought the author did an excellent job with this tale, I don’t think I’ll be reading the next book in the timeline. It’s just not my cup of tea.
Jaws was written by Peter Benchley in 1974. This terrifying novel was later turned into a film, becoming the first major blockbuster!
SUMMARY
We all know the premise of Jaws. Well… most people know it. Just in case, here is a very brief summary. Amity Island is terrorized by a great white shark – attacking, killing, and eating swimmers! Police Chief Brody wants to shut the beaches down until the shark is gone, but authorities with higher power… won’t let that happen. Amity depends on tourism, ans the season is upon them. If they shut the beaches down… the residents will surely suffer.
OVERALL THOUGHTS
The movie was great, one of the first, if not, THE first blockbuster films. I’m so glad I decided to finally read this book! I thought it was brilliant.
Oh my goodness I almost passed out reading this book in the first chapter! The first shark attack is so nasty and graphic. After that scene though, the graphic descriptions tone down quite a bit.
There are for sure some similarities to the film, but there are also some pretty drastic differences. The way it was altered for cinema, I thought was great, I think if it followed too closely to the book, the film wouldn’t have been as good. What I’m really referring to, are the characters. I found myself routing against a few.
Martin Brody, the police chief of Amity Island, had so much pressure on him. He wanted to keep the beaches closed after a few shark attacks left swimmers in pieces… dead. Yet, the powers that be forced his hand from doing so. Brody seems to be a simple man who does his job well. The tension at home with his wife thickens when marine biologist Matt Hooper shows up.
The build up to the end was fantastic. I loved the build up to the end. I thought all of the shark stuff was really good, but the stuff with all the characters and their drama was written really… really good! The plot and subplot mingled together so well. The character of Quint, the fisherman that owned the boat ORCA, was written perfectly. His flaw was his pride.
I don’t have anything negative to say about the book. Actions were taken by characters that pissed me off, and the language was a bit rough… but the story and the writing style was most excellent. As far as the ending is concerned, it works how it is in the book, but I preferred the film ending.
Do I recommend you read Jaws? Yes. Especially if you plan on having a beach trip. Read it before dipping your toes in the water.
