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Category: Book Reviews

Book Review: The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix

May 22, 2020 Taylor Leave a comment

Grady Hendrix’s new book, The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires, has gotten a TON of buzz on Bookstagram.…

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Posted in: Book Recommendations, Book Reviews

About Me

Hi, I’m Taylor!

I’m from Seattle, but recently moved to Austin, TX. (Bring on the taco trucks & sunshine!)

I’ve been part of the Bookstagram community for 3+ years now (previously known as SilverFire Books), and I’ve loved every minute of it!

When I’m not working, you can usually find me curled up with a book and a cup of iced coffee. I’m also a big fan of dogs, chocolate, and ridiculous dance moves.

Want a free printable bookish crossword puzzle? Join my email list below!

Recent Posts

  • Summer Reading List 2020: Exciting New Releases
  • Book Review: The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix
  • The Best Books of Spring 2020
  • 8 Reasons You Need to Join Goodreads
  • 20 Great Fiction Books to Give as Gifts

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Black lives matter ❤️ #amplifymelanatedvoices Black lives matter ❤️ #amplifymelanatedvoices #blackouttuesday
👉 I don’t know why it took me so long to real 👉 I don’t know why it took me so long to realize, but I REALLY need to diversify my reading more. . It’s so important that we listen to, learn from, and support #ownvoices stories. One of my goals in the coming months (and years - because the learning should never stop) is to read more books written by BIPOC authors. . In addition to the books pictured, I’ve either read or heard incredible things about: -The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett (releases tomorrow!) -The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas -Between the World & Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates -Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi -The Girl With The Louding Voice by Abi Daré . If you have any other recommendations, feel free to share!
📚 MAY WRAP-UP . What was your favorite book thi 📚 MAY WRAP-UP . What was your favorite book this month? . I finished 5 books in May - not my best, not my worst. 🤷‍♀️ But definitely a mix of genres! . 5⭐️ The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix . 4.5⭐️ Beach Read by Emily Henry . 4⭐️ Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith . 3.5⭐️ Afterland by Lauren Beukes (not pictured - read on Kindle) . 2.5⭐️ Inkheart by Cornelia Funke . . . Sending you love today and always ❤️ . . . . . #bookstack #booksonbooks #bookstagrammer #lovebooks #whatiread #alwaysreading #readeveryday #lovereading #stackofbooks #onmyshelf #sundaystack #monthlywrapup #bookwrapup #bookishphoto #bookpics
I went from reading Southern horror to contemporar I went from reading Southern horror to contemporary romance and didn’t even bat an eye 😂 . I just finished Beach Read, and while I don’t often read romance-heavy books, I reallllly liked this one! (This was a #bookstagrammademedoit and I‘m not mad about it 🙌). . Quick synopsis: A jaded romance author and a literary writer with writer’s block challenge each other over the summer to write in the other’s preferred genre – and hopefully pen their next great novels. . It was funny and fresh, light without being too “fluffy”, and I love me a good novel about authors/writing. . There were a few parts that felt a little TOO perfect, but I let it slide because I loved the characters. 😉 Overall, a fabulous summer read! . 4.5⭐️ . Have you read this one yet?? . . . . . #beachread #beachreads #summerreads #emilyhenry #poolsidereading #readinginthesun #alwaysreading #goodbooks #goodreads #readeveryday #coverlove #bookcover #bookrecommendations #bookrecs #bookreview #bookreviews #bookaholic #bookstagrammer #booksofinstagram #readingiscool #readingspot
Today’s #bookmail 🙌 . [Thank you @atriabooks Today’s #bookmail 🙌 . [Thank you @atriabooks for the gifted ARCs!] . ANXIOUS PEOPLE by Fredrik Backman 👉 I loved Backman’s novel Beartown, so I can’t wait to read this one! (Pub date: Sep 8th) . BEHIND THE RED DOOR by Megan Collins 👉 I haven’t read anything by this author yet, but I’ve heard good things about her first novel, The Winter Sister! (Pub date: Aug 4th) . What are you reading this week?? I’m finishing up Beach Read by Emily Henry, and I’m partway through Afterland by Lauren Beukes. (Really enjoying both so far!) . . . . . #allthebooks #booksonbooks #newbooks #bookstagrammer #alwaysreading #prettybooks #bookspines #toberead #wanttoread #readmore #readeveryday #fredrikbackman #megancollins #bibliophilelife
THIS BOOK. . It’s everywhere, and for good reaso THIS BOOK. . It’s everywhere, and for good reason! . A quick synopsis: a group of Southern, true-crime-loving housewives go up against Dracula (but set in the 1990s). . If you’re wondering, this is NOT ‘just another vampire story’. . One of the coolest things about it: I think it could appeal to horror lovers and non-horror lovers alike. Sure, it’s technically about an alleged vampire, but it’s also about so much more: identity, power, race, societal roles, class disparities, culture, and family. . There’s more than one “force of evil” here, and it’s not all supernatural. I wanted to slap a few characters in the face on SEVERAL occasions (and I’m not just talking about the titular villain of the story). But that’s true with many great stories. It makes you root for the protagonist that much harder. . The good: -ATMOSPHERE. This books practically oozes Southern charm. (Though I could do without the marsh rats 😬) -The protagonist, Patricia, was relatable and easy to root for. -Thrills on thrills on thrills. I could not stop reading! -It doesn’t stay on the surface level - it delves into deeper issues (like racial, gender, and class disparities). . The not-as-good: -A few of the characters felt a little stereotypical . Overall, this was SUCH an enthralling read. I recommend it to anyone who can handle a bit of a scare - even if you don’t normally read horror! . (One caveat: a few parts of this book are uncomfortable/difficult to read. If you’re concerned, I recommend looking up the trigger warnings before reading.) . RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ . Have you read this one, or do you plan to?? . . . . . #thesouthernbookclubsguidetoslayingvampires #gradyhendrix #quirkbooks #bookrecommendations #bookrecs #bookreview #bookreviews #reviewsneedlovetoo #bookishpost #alwaysreading #readersofinstagram #bookstagrammer #bookblog #bestbooks #justread #bookblogger #ilovebooks #goodreads #readthis #readthisbook
**CLOSED. Congrats to the winners: @cyntaxreads & **CLOSED. Congrats to the winners: @cyntaxreads & @bookclubbonnie !** It’s time for another Surprise Book Mail giveaway! 🌟📚 This was so much fun last time, so I thought I’d bring it back 🙌 . Here’s the deal: I have a ton of books sitting on my shelves that I’ve already read, and I want them to go to good homes. So I’ll be sending TWO winners a stack of books, based on their Goodreads TBR list! 📦 . If you win, I’ll take a look at your Goodreads account and mail you a few books I think you’ll like ☺️ (Please keep in mind that almost all the books I have are fiction). . . TO ENTER: -FOLLOW me (@reader.haven) -LIKE this post -COMMENT below with a book you’ve read recently and loved! 📖 . BONUS entries: ⚡️TAG 2 friends (equal to 1 extra entry, can be done up to 3 times) ⚡️SHARE this photo in your story & tag me (otherwise I won’t see it!) (equal to 5 extra entries) . . Rules: 1. U.S. entrants only 2. Please don't follow to unfollow (I’m fun, I promise 😉) 3. Must be 18+ or have permission to provide shipping address 4. No promotional or giveaway accounts . . Ends Monday, May 25th at 11:59 PST. The winners will be announced shortly after. This giveaway is in no way affiliated with Instagram. Good luck! 😊 . . . . . #lovereading #bookgiveaway #booksbooksbooks #booksofinstagram #booksarelife #bookrecommendation #bookhoarder #bookrecommendations #goodreads #goodbooks #greatbooks #readmore #readmorebooks #bookblog #bibliophile #bookworm #ilovebooks #readersofinstagram #readersofig #whattoread #bookhaul #readerlife #currentlyreading #bookstagrammer #bookcollector #bookstack #blinddatewithabook
🏕 I don’t know what it is about books set in 🏕 I don’t know what it is about books set in the wilderness, but I am OBSESSED. . Give me survivalist, desert island, lost-in-the-woods fiction allll day long, and I’ll be a happy camper. 😏🙌 . If you’re a fan, too: here are some books set in nature/the outdoors that I enjoyed! 🌲 WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING by Delia Owens 🌲THE NATURALIST by Andrew Mayne 🌲THE DRY by Jane Harper 🌲THE LAST ONE by Alexandra Oliva 🌲ON THE ISLAND by Tracy Garvis Graves 🌲THE GREAT ALONE by Kristin Hannah . And of course, I’m hoping to read The Child Finder soon! . Got any other recs for me? I’d love to hear them! 🤗 . . . . . #bookrecommendations #bookrecs #readallday #booksonbooks #booksarecool #ilovereading #alwaysreading #allthebooks #bestbooks #bookstoread #fictionlover #fictionbooks #fictionmatters #booksandcoffee #booksandbeans #bookcovers #coverlove
Unpopular opinion alert 😬 . I was so excited ab Unpopular opinion alert 😬 . I was so excited about Inkheart: the premise had me intrigued, and I’m a sucker for books about books. . Unfortunately, this one fell flat for me. I still enjoyed parts of it, but I had a LOT of mixed feelings. . THE GOOD: -The descriptions of books. I love that this book is an ode to readers everywhere. -The unique magic (being able to read characters out of stories is such a cool concept!) -The Italian countryside setting . THE NOT-SO-GOOD: -It was much too long, without a whole lot happening. It felt repetitive and seemed to drag on, and I had to push myself to finish it. -Many of the characters were very cardboard-y. The villain especially seemed to have nothing really driving him, other than to just BE evil. . I may continue with the series at some point, but sadly, this one just wasn’t a favorite of mine. . Rating: wavering between 2.5 and 3 ⭐️ . Have you read Inkheart? What did you think?? . . . . . #bookreview #booksandcookies #bookishpics #alwaysreading #readoutside #readingspot #booksarecool #readeveryday #booklover #booksofinstagram #readerlife #readersgonnaread
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