We Sold Our Souls

A “let’s get the band back together” like you’ve never f****** seen. 

In the 1990s, heavy metal band Dürt Würk was poised for breakout success—but then lead singer Terry Hunt embarked on a solo career and rocketed to stardom as Koffin, leaving his fellow bandmates to rot in obscurity. Two decades later, former guitarist Kris Pulaski works as the night manager of a Best Western—she’s tired, broke, and unhappy. Everything changes when a shocking act of violence turns her life upside down, and she begins to suspect that Terry  sabotaged more than just the band. We Sold Our Souls is an epic journey into the heart of a conspiracy-crazed, pill-popping, paranoid country that seems to have lost its very soul…where only a lone girl with a guitar can save us all.

As a fan of metal culture I was incredibly hyped when I found out the synopsis and I am elated to say I was not left disappointed (also for the record nothing by Grady has ever disappointed me). I will say it does rely a little less of the unconventional comedy of Grady’s previous works; instead we get harsher imagery and dialogue; which compliments the subject matter pretty effortlessly. Personally speaking: the small soundbites of shock-jocks commentary/radio interviews were my favorite aspects. He does a great job of interpreting metal philosophy (yes it’s a thing, be nice) in a way that’s respectful to the culture and to readers who only know the rock-on gesture; an emoji that we all have used. You’ll also learn a bevy of new metal sayings, so you can impress your friends at parties. A little disjointed at times, regarding characters shifts, it definitely all comes together for an ending you’re not prepared for.

My Best Friend’s Exorcism

They say in heaven, friends die first.

The year is 1988. High school sophomores Abby and Gretchen have been best friends since fourth grade. But after an evening of skinny-dipping goes disastrously wrong, Gretchen begins to act…different. She’s moody. She’s irritable. And bizarre incidents keep happening whenever she’s nearby. Abby’s investigation leads her to some startling discoveries—and by the time their story reaches its terrifying conclusion, the fate of Abby and Gretchen will be determined by a single question: Is their friendship powerful enough to beat the devil?

Before anyone laments about the obscene overuse of an 80’s aesthetic; LOOK. AT. THAT. COVER. What you are seeing is the 1980’s done right. A group of diverse girlfriends, epic hair, neon everything, and an unintentional summoning of ancient evil….there’s very little to dislike about this story. It definitely never takes itself too seriously, although when the moments of horror are taking place they are literally gut-wrenching. While the title seemingly conveys a light-hearted comparison to “My Best Friend’s Wedding”, when broken down it becomes the narrative device that makes this journey uniquely distressing. Best friends know how to hurt you more than anyone else; have it take place in a cloistered environment like a catholic academy and bi-proxy get a refresher on socioeconomics in the 80’s and how they shaped the youth culture at the time. Just you know…with demons and stuff. Insightful, still relatable, and a little wacky, this is a deeply engaging novel. So never change, and have a great summer.

Paperbacks From Hell

The twisted history of 70’s and 80’s horror fiction.

Take a tour through the horror paperback novels of two iconic decades . . . if you dare. Page through dozens and dozens of amazing book covers featuring well-dressed skeletons, evil dolls, and knife-wielding killer crabs! Read shocking plot summaries that invoke devil worship, satanic children, and haunted real estate! Horror author and vintage paperback book collector Grady Hendrix offers killer commentary and witty insight on these trashy thrillers that tried so hard to be the next Exorcist or Rosemary’s Baby.

This was definitely a deviation from the fiction I was use to from Grady’s previous releases. This is a book I don’t think anyone could pass up casually perusing. As a vintage horror paperback junkie (yes, we are legion) this was a dream come true. Let horror be horror, but no matter how meta we get there’s always going to be stereotypes or taboos expressed through symbols and imagery. Whether the imagery was unintentional, one-sided, or “banned”  it’s place in the culture is important and this kind of release addresses that amicably. Simply put, this is the horror coffee table book of my generation, and we couldn’t be prouder. Study on.

Horrorstör

There’s no such thing as ghösts. 

Something strange is happening at the Orsk furniture superstore in Cleveland, Ohio. Every morning, employees arrive to find broken Kjerring bookshelves, shattered Glans water goblets, and smashed Liripip wardrobes. Sales are down, security cameras reveal nothing, and store managers are panicking.
To unravel the mystery, three employees volunteer to work a nine-hour dusk-till-dawn shift. In the dead of the night, they’ll patrol the empty showroom floor, investigate strange sights and sounds, and encounter horrors that defy the imagination.

Feel free to roast me wildly, but in my opinion this is the Alien of modern horror fiction, allow me to explain. Our protagonist is a blue-collar female that questions authority when flustered and doesn’t possess any qualities that are inherent to a leader. The setting: large and scarcely populated, eventually becomes a conduit for the threat that steadily evolves.  This was the first of Grady’s novels that I read, and then subsequently read 3 -5 times. This is an perfectly executed, truly original,  minimal love-letter to Shirley Jackson. BUY. IT. NOW.