Happy Super Bowl Sunday! I still have no idea which team I’m going to go for but it will probably be the losing team so it’s a secret.
But I have AMAZING recommendations for you this week. Miss the holidays? Nathan Ludwig has you covered. Want something weird yet oddly comforting? Jeremy C. Shipp has answered your call. Love ranch dressing? Derek Thomas is about to ruin that for you. Need a cult rec? Tina Horn has your initiation for you.
Let’s get into them!
TINSEL TRAUMA: An Assemblage of Holiday Horror
By: Nathan Ludwig
Release: 12/4/24
Page count: 164
KU: Yes Hoopla: No
Synopsis: Six warm and fuzzy Christmas tales from the completely sane mind of Nathan D (that stands for Dainty) Ludwig. He tickles our holiday rolls with stories featuring: Dwight Eisenhower, Yul Brunner, and a wizard Santa to name a few. Come for the turkey, stay for the laughs.
First line: “Greetings.”
Favorite line: “I was marked as a Kringle-fied chubby chaser for life.”
Thoughts: Classic Ludwig. Not only are the stories brutal and filled with his quick wit and zany humor, but also a bunch of blood and guts. You don’t need tinsel on the trees and snow on the ground to enjoy this collection, just a good ol’ sense of fun… and love of depravity.
And I would be remiss if I didn’t bully you into reading the Foreword. Mike Lombardo did a stellar job. Seriously, it sets the perfect tone for the collection.
Rating: 5/5
Other recommendations: LOVE POTION #666, THE COMFY COZY NIHILIST
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FAMILIAR
By: Jeremy C. Shipp
Release: 12/17/24
Page count: 57
KU: No Hoopla: No
Synopsis: Two sisters, Char and Eva, dream and track down the blurs they see in them. But they have a surprise at home that will keep them safe…. Right?
First Line: “The hostess with the wide set eyes doesn’t ask me where I’d like to be seated.”
Favorite line: “Sometimes I wish Eva would stop seeing hope in every loss and ever broken thing, but then again, if she didn’t, she wouldn’t be Eva.”
Thoughts: Friends, what? What an odd yet intriguing novella. It’s supernatural, revenge driven, familial, possession having, body horror, all in 57 pages! It’s stellar and I can’t explain why and I think I love it even more for that. Only con is I wish we knew more about the Mom and Grandma.
Rating: 4.5/5
Other recommendations: THE ATROCITIES, BEDFELLOW
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RANCHMAN
By: Derek Thomas
Release: 2/9/25
Page count: 116
KU: No Hoopla: No
Synopsis: Bobby has a special ingredient or two that he adds to his ranch. On a mission to teach some respect for the condiment, old flames will burn a little bit brighter in more ways than one.
First line: “AC/DC’s ‘Shoot to Thrill’ blares front the phone lying somewhere among the dirty blankets on Bobby’s full size mattress, which was on the floor of his dilapidated trailer.”
Favorite line: “You killed [character’s name redacted] because we used ranch on our tacos?”
Thoughts: I will NEVER order ranch from a restaurant ever again, so there’s that. Honestly, this story was so much more than I expected and I love that. Thomas has a great way of making us think we are smart for figuring the story out only to do the “you sure about that” face at us in the next chapter. There’s so much insanity but also depth and emotions to sort through but mostly, I hope you enjoy ranch being ruined for you.
Rating: 4.5/5
Other recommendations: BLOOD BRAWL
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DEPROG (Issue 1-4)
Written by: Tina Horn
Illustrator: Lisa Sterle
Release: 9/3/24
Page count: 122
KU: No Hoopla: Yes
Synopsis: A deprogrammer must infiltrate a cult that she has long since tried to forget. When a beauty shows up to save her brother from the cult, how can Tate say no.
First line: “And when did you realize you were in too deep?”
Favorite line: “Stuff it up your root chakra, Lavender.”
Thoughts: An explorations of cults, trauma, kinks, and pasts that refuse to stay dead. The writing and character depth along with quick moving plots and gasp-inducing twists, makes this a must read.
Rating: 5/5
Other recommendations: podcast - “What are people into that?”
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