It started with a New Year's resolution:
1 book a week, 52 books in a year.
I kept reading, and it grew into something much more.

Back in 2011, I was an avid reader who had somehow lost my way with reading. Between working and being a full-time student, reading for pleasure had slowly fallen by the wayside.

I wanted to change that. So I gave myself a New Year's resolution to read one book every week for a year. I started A Book A Week on January 1, 2012 as a way to hold myself accountable and share what I was reading along the way.

I didn't quite reach my goal that first year, but I kept reading. I kept reviewing. And all these years later, I'm still here, looking forward to whatever book comes next. Some years I crush my goals, some years I don't, but my love for a good book has never wavered.

Reader. Blogger.
Book lover.

I'm a lifelong reader with a particular soft spot for mysteries and thrillers. I've always loved the genre, and I credit those stories—the twists, suspense, and need to know what happens next—with keeping me a reader as an adult. My reading has taken me in all kinds of directions since then, but I'll always come back to a good mystery.

I love creepy horror novels. A fascinating work of nonfiction can completely pull me in, too. And I've found plenty of favorites in science fiction, literary fiction, romance, and other genres I might never have picked up when I first started the blog. That's part of the fun. I never quite know what kind of story is going to grab me next.

When I'm not reading or writing reviews, you'll usually find me at home with my husband and our pets. I'm a classically trained musician and composer, an enthusiastic home cook, and a backyard gardener. There's usually a trip to look forward to or some new project that has caught my interest, too.

At the end of the day, I just really love books. There's nothing quite like discovering a story I can't put down or finding an author I can't wait to read again. Even when a book doesn't quite work for me, I still enjoy thinking about why and putting those thoughts into words. That's what keeps me reading, reviewing, and sharing it all here on A Book A Week.

Honest reviews, always.

Some of the books I review are ones I've purchased myself. Others are provided by publishers or authors in exchange for an honest review. Either way, what I write here is always what I really think.

Not every book is going to work for every reader, and that's part of the fun of talking about books. I'll tell you what worked for me, what didn't, and hopefully give you enough to decide whether a book might be right for you.

Good, bad, or somewhere in between, you'll always get my honest take.

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"After a while, you start to realize that your life isn't the thing that happens between the monsters, your life is the monsters."

How do you get out of a reading slump? For the last couple of weeks, I've been really struggling to read anything. While I shelves and piles of books just waiting to be read, I couldn't land on something that I just had to read. Whenever I find myself in this situation, I try to go back to my roots and read a genre or author that never lets me down. Oddly enough, horror has quickly become one of my go-to genres. After days of starting and stopping several other novels, Grady Hendrix's latest The Final Girl Support Group finally captured my attention. This clever page-turner based upon classic slasher tropes was just what I needed to kickstart my reading back into high gear.

Even if you aren't a fan of horror movies, you're probably at least tangentially aware of some of the more famous slasher films of the '70s and '80s. Inspiration from movies like Friday the 13th, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and Nightmare on Elm Street are all present here. At the end of each movie, the main character is left as the "final girl", the one remaining who survived that story's horrors. In this book, Hendrix imagines a world where the horrors of those fictional films occurred in real life. What happens to the final girl after the credits roll?

For Lynette, the horrors she faced twenty years ago have informed how she has lived every moment of her life after. She narrowly escaped the brutal murdering of her boyfriend and family, and the fear, paranoia, and guilt of that trauma permeate her every thought. Lynette is certain that a final girl like herself can never move on to have a normal life. She takes some comfort in the weekly gathering of other women who have faced similar tragedies, a final girl support group. Some of the women actually have been able to get on with their lives, but they still come together to support those like Lynette who are unable to surmount their demons.

The group is puzzled one day when one of its members fails to show up. No one can get a hold of her, and Lynette quickly begins to fear the worst. If you've ever seen a sequel to any of those classic horror movies, you'll know that the bad guy never stays down. In fact, they usually make it their mission to get revenge against the final girl from the previous film. Lynette's suspicion is tragically confirmed when the absent final girl is found murdered. Worse than that, whoever killed her knows about the support group and is methodically working to kill every last member.

I first became aware of Grady Hendrix when everyone I knew seemed to be reading his The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires. I jumped at the offer from his publisher to read The Final Girl Support Group and was happy to find the perfect balance of thriller elements with plenty of callbacks to classic horror lore. Hendrix doesn't shy away from the graphic violence of the genre. If you're even the slightest bit squeamish, this novel probably isn't for you. If you, like me, have a soft spot for these kinds of stories, there's plenty to love in this book. The main character works to battle her internal demons while fighting to keep herself and those she cares about alive. The internal and external battles mirror each other, giving the story a depth of character and reality that balances against the sometimes campy and implausible elements. The ending doesn't quite live up to the build-up that precedes it, but it doesn't detract from the story by any means. In the end, The Final Girl Support Group is a page-turning thrill ride that helped me break free from my reading slump.

For more information visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads.

(2021, 26)

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16 Comments

Comments

SusanAugust 2, 2021 at 3:32 PM
I enjoyed THE SOUTHERN BOOK CLUB'S GUIDE, but it sounds like I might be too squeamish for this one. I'm glad you enjoyed it, though, and that it pulled you out of your slump!
KarenAugust 2, 2021 at 6:33 PM
I'm finally reading on a regular basis again.

I didn't read The Southern Book Club's Guide yet but this sounds good.

I used to read a lot of horror before I started blogging.

Karen @For What It's Worth
Lark August 3, 2021 at 10:17 AM
I thought Hendrix's Horrorstor was a very fun read, and I'm excited to read this one, too. And I love that quote at the top of your post! :D
LuanneAugust 3, 2021 at 2:02 PM
Ah, I've debated back and forth on reading this one Ethan. You've convinced me to add it to my TBR pile. I really enjoyed his earlier book Horrorstör.
Mary KirklandAugust 3, 2021 at 2:48 PM
It's funny I mostly read PNR but if I get in a reading slump I pick up a cowboy romance by Diana Palmer to get me out of it. I don't read a lot of Horror but I started out on that genre.
Tanya @ Girl Plus BooksAugust 4, 2021 at 8:07 AM
Thank goodness for a good thriller to break a reading slump! While slasher films were never a favorite, I remember all the classics from the 80's. :) So I love the premise of this one! Even if the final pay-off wasn't top-notch, it sounds like it was a exciting read.
Rachel @Waves of FictionAugust 5, 2021 at 7:47 PM
This got me out of a book slump, too. I'm a horror flick fan so it was fun ride even if parts where as you said, campy and implausible.
Shooting Stars MagAugust 9, 2021 at 10:28 AM
I have yet to read a book by this author but I WANT to. They all sound great, and this is one in particular I hope to read soon.

-Lauren
www.shootingstarsmag.net

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About Me

It started with a New Year's resolution:
1 book a week, 52 books in a year.
I kept reading, and it grew into something much more.

Reader. Blogger.
Book lover.

Honest reviews, always.

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