Back to Ghoul: The Adventures of the Bailey School Kids #04: Leprechauns Don't Play Basketball

"Next book's got a maybe leprechaun. Hopefully I don't wait until March next year to get to it."

Well, crap. Timing has gotten me once again. Blame not having an actual blogging schedule and going all by the seat of my pants. And yes, technically I was wrong as the next book in the line is Santa Claus Doesn't Mop Floors, but, being me, I just up and forgot. I promise it won't take until Christmas to get to it, I swear. But seein' as it be St. Patrick's day, what a better way to spend an ol' St. Paddy's than another trip back into the world of Debbie Dadey's "Maybe but probably not a monster" book series? I mean, maybe a lot of other things would be better but dammit, this is what I have planned. So let's read a story about a maybe, but probably not leprechaun as we assume that Leprechauns Don't Play Basketball.

Cover is decent, although I will say the kids on the cover seem less shocked by the hoop game of our maybe-leprechaun O'Grady, but increasingly more of a slack-jawed dulled. I guess four books in and their constant questioning of if some normal person's a monster might finally be getting tiresome. As for O'Grady, I like his design, but I feel like it looks very, I guess, Mickey Rooney-ish? Like if they tried for a live action version in the 90s that's who they would cast. Also, not ruling out an awakening character, but I'd probably say our least likeliest so far. But hey, if you want a supposed leprechaun as a basketball wunderkind, then this is the cover for you.

Point by Numbers: Twisted

Last year we covered R.L. Stine's first horror book Blind Date. And it's certainly a first horror book by someone. A real case of Stine not knowing his structure, albeit knowing exactly what much of the formula for ideas he would have for many books to come. So when it came time for the second book in the Point Horror line, it would be Stine up to bat yet again. Is this a case of a better Bob? Let's see what's up when things get Twisted.

There are two notable covers for this one, but I'll stick to the cover that I think is the better of the two. And I like it. It's a very simple cover, but still has a striking visual. The reflection of a girl holding lipstick looking through a cracked mirror. If the intention of the book is to sell us on a crazed character without going too over the top, then I think it does what it sets out to do. Granted, in the grand scheme, it's probably one of the least memorable covers to come from a Stine book, both in Point and outside of Point, but for what it needs to do and what it needs to sell, it's solid.

The Stinal Countdown: Goosebumps House of Shivers #04: Say My Name! Say My Name!

It's been a long six months, but we're finally back with another edition of House of Shivers. And so far it's been three for three in terms of books I've enjoyed. But I will say adventures of mysterious books, mummy mayhem and goblin goofery at least were stories I could gage from a cursory glance. This one, from a year ago when the first bit of info was released on it, I have no clue what to get from it. Its description sounds bizarre, as does every piece of info I've gained from it. Be it early chapter previews or an audiobook preview. So I'm expecting this to be a classic Stine ride book. Which could be either really good or really bad, or on rare occasions really just okay. What wonders await us in this trip to the woods? Don't tell Destiny's Child, because it's time to Say My Name! Say My Name!

I really love how Robert Ball does covers. And with each new cover, I get more impressed with how he uses color and shadows. That strong pop of brighter neon colors that feel in like with something out of a Jacobus era cover, while also using shadows really well to add ambiguity to our protagonists. This was something I noticed with Scariest Book and it's definitely noticeable here. I love the bright green sky and the twisted looking trees, giving this forest a dreamlike feel. Alien enough to feel like you're in another world. And then there's the giant fish. I love its design. The colors pop off of it, while its intense eyes and sharp teeth work to make it feel like a threat. Which, given I've been burned oh so many times with cover monsters, makes me worry a bit. Even it blowing bubbles comes off as kind of creepy. Might honestly be up there in terms of my favorite covers ever.

NNtG: Shadow Zone: Guess Who's Dating a Werewolf?

It's time for another journey into the Shadow Zone, a place that we still don't really understand, but I guess at this rate "zone that makes scary stuff" is the best descriptor. And we have werewolves this time, and romance, and dating. Look, the last couple Shadow Zone books I've covered have been a bit shaky, but with a title like this, this one had better be a home run, dude. It's time to Guess Who's Dating a Werewolf?

This is the perfect kind of goofy 90s cover. Our protagonists with some shocked and concerned faces as they look at the werewolf on the hill, though they might be looking to the right past him because the perspective is as goofy as the cover. It almost gives off the feeling of our titular werewolf trying to get their attention with his goofy pose, but they're just more interested in whatever's not on the cover. Shadow Zone's covers continue to win for me, and this might be my favorite that I've gotten to talk about. 

The Ten Worst Books I've Read in 2024

In terms of blogs for 2024, it was a mostly in the middle year for stuff. Not too many things annoyed me, most were very "meh". But there were some that absolutely drove me mad. From one of the worst scenes in any book I've read, to a trilogy of books that I have no clue what Stine was thinking to a book that lives up to the disgusting promises of its title, there was still some shit to traverse through in 2024, literally in the case of one book. It's time for ten books I read in 2024 that reached high mark in hellish awfulness. 

The Ten Best Books I've Read in 2024

2024 was intended to be one with more output, but it ultimately petered by the end. Due mainly in part to the Archive hack that took the site down for a month, but also a lack of energy that I had in the last few months. But we got a bunch covered this year and a bunch of books blogged. And of the book bunch blogged, there were some winners. Stuff that I really liked, and stuff that I felt was good enough to be considered for the top ten of stuff covered for 2024. Before 2025 sucks away my will to live, let's get one last look at the stuff that I actually enjoyed from last year.

Camp Crystal Lake: Jason's Curse

It's time to continue our journey into the Friday the 13th novels with another trip to Camp Crystal Lake. This one is a direct continuation of our last book, Mother's Day, which I really enjoyed. Will I enjoy this follow up, or much like Jason's mask, are some things best left buried? We'll see for ourselves with Jason's Curse.

Oh yeah, now we're talkin'! My issue with the previous cover was the lack of really any iconography that could be considered Friday the 13th. That is heavily amended here with our villain in the Jason Mask rising from out of Camp Crystal Lake's waters, all while an unsuspecting pair sit in a canoe. Great stuff. It also gives off very "Fear Street Cover" vibes as well, which I'm sure are intentional. Guessing the same artist for some of those covers did this because it reminds me a lot of the cover for Double Date in particular.