Book Review - The Babysitter Lives by Stephen Graham Jones

Title: The Babysitter Lives
Author: Stephen Graham jones
Genre: Horror
Published: 2022
 
Description: When high school senior Charlotte agrees to babysit the Wilbanks twins, she plans to put the six-year-olds to bed early and spend a quiet night studying: the SATs are tomorrow, and checking the Native American/ Alaskan Native box on all the forms won’t help if she chokes on test day. But tomorrow is also Halloween, and the twins are eager to show off their costumes.
 
Charlotte’s last babysitting gig almost ended in tragedy when her young charge sleepwalked unnoticed into the middle of the street, only to be found unharmed by Charlotte’s mother. Charlotte vows to be extra careful this time. But the house is filled with mysterious noises and secrets that only the twins understand, echoes of horror that Charlotte gradually realizes took place in the house eleven years ago. Charlotte has to admit that every babysitter’s worse nightmare has come true: they’re not alone in the house.
 
Review: “The Babysitter Lives” is an atmospheric and psychological horror novella that keeps the reader in a stranglehold from the first page.
 
Charlotte is babysitting the Wilbanks twins and plana on studying for the SATs once the kids are in bed. What was supposed to be a quiet babysitting gig, turns into a claustrophobic nightmare. She discovers that a gruesome murder took place in the house years ago. As the evening progresses, the house literally begins to change and the children are behaving strangely.
 
Author Stephen Graham Jones is known for his ability to delve deep into the human psyche, and in this shorter novel, he uses the well-worn horror cliché of the babysitter in a creepy house to create something very modern and unique. The way the story builds atmosphere is definitely the strongest point. Jones creates a claustrophobic and feverish atmosphere in which the line between reality and paranoia constantly blurs.
 
Although the story excels in suspense and atmosphere, due to the novels length the plot doesn’t always get the space it deserves. As the story approaches its climax, the pace accelerates drastically that the finale feels rushed. And much of the interesting mythology and the background of the supernatural elements remain superficial.  
 
“The Babysitter Lives” is a clever, terrifying ride that ends just a little too soon, but is still worth the time due the original and creepy plot and strong ending.
 
Rating: 3,5/ 5

20s Movie Review - Zootopia 2

Director: Jared Bush, Byron Howard
Genre: Animation/ Family/ Adventure
Runtime: 118 minutes
Year: 2025
Starring: Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Idris Elba, Ke Huy Quan, Fortune Feimster, Andy Samberg, David Strathairn, Shakira, Patrick Warburton, Danny Trejo, Bonnie Hunt

Description: Brave rabbit cop Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) and her friend, the fox Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman), team up again to crack a new case, the most perilous and intricate of their careers.

Review: “Zootopia 2” is a fantastic, fast-paced, and socially relevant sequel that lives up to the high expectations set by the first film.

The detective duo Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde are back. This time, they dive into a mystery that takes them to a whole new part of their city where the reptiles used to live.

Like its predecessor, the film dares to tackle bold social themes. Topics such as gentrification, abuse of power, and historical segregation are cleverly woven into the plot. Despite the heavy themes, the story remains manageable and understandable for the whole family thanks to its humor.

Adults will revel in the countless pop culture reference and clever puns and there are some new characters like Gary De’Snake and Nibbles Maplestick, bringing a fresh, dynamic energy to the film.

The film is an absolute must-see for Disney fans and people who loved the first “Zootopia” film. Rock-solid humor, stunning animations and a layered message.

Rating: 4/ 5

Movie Review - Voicemails for Isabelle

Director: Leah McKendrick
Genre: Drama/ Romance/ Comedy
Runtime: 118 minutes
Year: 2026
Starring: Zoey Deutch, Nick Robinson, Harry Schum Jr. Leah McKednrick, Nick Offerman, Lukas Cage, Ciara Bravo, Gil Bellows, Tanis Dolman, Toby Sandeman
 
Description: Jill (Zoey Deutch) leaves voice messages to her deceased sister telling her about her chaotic life in San Francisco. Unwittingly, a mysterious Austin TX real estate agent (Nick Robinson) begins to receive their confessions..
 
Review: “Voicemails for Isabelle” is a beautiful, bittersweet drama that leaves a deep impression from the very first minute.

To cope with the sudden loss of her younger sister, aspiring pastry chef Jill begins leaving long, hilariously candid voicemails on her late sister’s phone number. Unbeknownst to her, the number has been reassigned to Wes, a real estate agent living across the country. As Wes listens to Jill’s vulnerable, stream-of-consciousness confessions about her grief, her chaotic dating life, and her demanding boss, he slowly starts to fall in love with her voice from afar.

The film excels thanks to its intimate atmosphere and original concept, in which grief and unrequited love ar made tangible through abandoned voicemails. This emotional foundation is supported by rock-solid performances from both Zoey Deutch and Nick Robinson, who deliver authentic portrayals that never feel forced or overly melodramatic.

Romance is not my go-to genre, but I can really fall in love with one if the characters are ones I can relate to and the story has emotional depth. And that is exactly what “Voicemails for Isabelle” has and why I loved it so much.

I will be recommending this movie to everyone, it makes for an absolute must-see.  

Rating: 4,5/ 5

20s Movie Review - The Long Walk

Director: Francis Lawrence
Genre: Horror/ Drama/ Thriller
Runtime: 108 minutes
Year: 2025
Starring: Cooper Hoffman, David Jonnson, Garrett Wareing, Tut Nyuot, Charlie Plummer, Ben Wang, Jordan Gonzalez, Joshua Odjick, Mark Hamill, Judy Greer Josh Hamilton

Description: A group of teenage boys compete in an annual contest known as “The Long Walk”, in which they must maintain a certain walking speed or get shot.

Review: “The Long Walk” is based on the book by Stephen King. Director Francis Lawrence delivers an intense, psychological battle of attrition that keeps the viewer on the edge of their seat from start to finish.

The concept is as simple as it is terrifying. In a totalitarian America, fifty teenage boys compete in an annual, live-broadcast walking race. There’s only one rule: keep walking at a minimum speed of about 5 km per hour. If your pace drops, you’ll receive a warning. After three warnings, the penalty is death. Only one can win. The prize? A massive sum of money and the fulfillment of all your wishes.

The film excels thanks to its raw atmosphere and fantastic acting performances. Cooper Hoffman (son of the late Philip Seymour Hoffman) and David Jonnson, who play Ray and Peter, carry the film with their fragile, soulful performances. Their growing friendship forms the emotional heart of the film.
Although the characters are outdoors, the film feels oppressive, and escape is impossible. Mark Hamill as “The Major” shines as the cold-blooded, terrifying dictator overseeing the race.

The film is fast paces and just under two hours long. I wouldn’t have mind it to be a little longer. Some of the characters fade into the background before you really get to know them.

“The Long Walk” is a brutal, emotional rollercoaster that will stay with you for a long time. It’s one of the best Stephen King adaptations of recent years. An absolute must-see for fans of pitch-black survival thrillers.

Rating: 4/ 5

Book Review - Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke

Title: Yesteryear
Author: Caro Claire Burke
Genre: Fiction/ Historical Fiction
Published: 2026
 
Description: My name was Natalie heller Mills, and I was perfect at being alive.
 
Nathalie lives a traditional lifestyle. Her charming farmhouse is rustic, her husband a handsome cowboy, her six children each more delightful than the last. So what if there are nannies and producers behind the scenes, her kitchen hiding industrial-grade fridges and ovens, her husband the heir to a political dynasty? What Natalie’s followers – all 8 million of them – don’t know won’t hurt them. And the Angry Women? The privileged, Ivy League, coastal elite haters who call her an antifeminist iconoclast? They’re sick with jealousy. Because Natalie isn’t simply living the good life, she’s living the ideal. And just so happens to be building an empire from it.
 
Until one morning she wakes up in a life that isn’t hers. Her home, her husband, her children – they’re all familiar, but something’s off. Her kitchen is warmed by a sputtering fire rather than electricity, her children are dirty and strange, and her soft-handed husband is suddenly a competent farmer. Just yesterday Natalie was curating photos of homemade jam for her Instagram, and snow she’s expected to haul firewood and handwash clothes until her fingers bleed. Has she become the unwitting star of a ruthless reality show? Could it really be time travel? Is she being tested by God? By Satan? When Natalie suffers a brutal injury in the woods, she realizes two things: This is not her beautiful life, and she must escape by any means possible.
 
Review: “Yesteryear” is without a doubt one of the most talked-about books and most fascinating debuts of the year so far. The book takes the popular social media trend of tradwives and brilliantly takes it to the extreme. What begins as sharp social commentary quickly turns into a gripping psychological thriller with elements of social horror.
 
We meet Natalie Heller Mills, a highly successful influencer who, at her Yesteryear Ranch, puts on the perfect Christian pioneer life for her millions of followers. Behind the scenes, however, her reality is a fabrication of nannies, exorbitantly paid producers, a lazy husband, and pure pretense.
 
But then the unthinkable happens: One morning, Nathalie wakes up and suddenly finds herself in the harsh, filthy reality of the actual year 1855. Without ring lights, without modern luxuries, and facing the brutal hardship of the nineteenth century, she must find a wat to survive and figure out whether she has landed in a bizarre reality show, a timeless nightmare, or a test of God.
 
Natalie is calculating, hypocritical, and remarkably lacking in self-awareness, but her razor-sharp, cynical inner voice makes her as intriguing as she is reprehensible. With her she has created a sort of MAGA version of Amy Dunne (“Gone Girl”).
 
The humor in the book is dark. The way Natalie dissects her own marriage and modern culture is, at times, painfully funny. The book tackles deep, timely questions about the gap between online identity and lived reality, the commercialization of motherhood and the dangerous romanticization of a violent past.
 
By shifting between Natalie’s past at Harvard, her life as an influencer and the raw struggle for survival in 1855, the tension remains palpable throughout.
 
The big plot twist is unpredictable and dark, but the end felt a bit rushed. That was my only complaint. Because overall, because it’s a fast-paced book you just can’t put down. “Yesteryear” is definitely worth the hype.
 
Rating: 4,5/ 5

Mid Year Book Freak Out Tag 2026

We are half-way through the year already, time goes by way too fast. And so far, I have finished 27 books (out of the 60 book I try to read in 2026). I’m pretty certain I will meet my goal. But now is the perfect time to see how my reading has been going this year and to look back at the first six months of my reading year, by doing this tag.  I just simply answer some bookish questions about all the books I read in the first half of 2026.
 

Best book you’ve read so far in 2026?

Normally this is a difficult question, but this time I already know. “Remarkably Bright Creatures” by Shelby Van Pelt is my definite favorite. I loved this book so much, that it’s safe to say that this is my new favorite book of all-time. This book is everything to me now and people are actually telling me stop talking about it at this point. And I never will. 
 

Best sequel you've read so far in 2026?
I’m not a big series reader and I only read one sequel so far this year: Parable of the Talents by Octavia E. Butler. I read the first book, “Parable of the Sower”, last year and absolutely loved it. Its sequel was also amazing. This duology is one everyone needs to read, it’s important literature.
 

New release you haven’t read yet, but want to?
I really want to read the newest Abby Jimenez, “The Night We Met”, which is the second book in the “Say You’ll Remember Me” series. Her romance novels are my favorites, because of the emotional load they carry. I’m currently in the middle of “Yesteryear” by Caro Claire Burke, which is all over Bookstagram right now. And “Molka” by Monika Kim is a book I bought earlier this year and I read a lot of great things about it as well.
 

Most anticipated release for the second half of the year?
I haven’t given up on Riley Sager yet, even though I DNF’ed “With a Vengeance” last year and rated “Middle of the Night” 2 stars the year before. In August he will be releasing “The Unknown” and it’s about five woman who disappeared in 1926 from a remote island in Vermont. And now, one hundred years later, its happening again. Sager has written two of my all-time favorite thrillers. I still have faith that this will be another good one.
 

Biggest disappointment?
I was very disappointed in “Penpal” by Dathan Auerbach. I just found it very boring and confusing. The gaps in logic and  fragmented style left me dissatisfied. And “Fantasticland” by Mike Bockoven was a DNF for me, which was also, just like “Penpal”, a book that I had on my TBR for a long time and had high expectations for.
 

Biggest surprise?
I was surprised by how much I loved “Natural Beauty” by Ling Ling Huang. It’s a slow burn, which I usually struggle with, but it worked in its favor for this one. I also really loved “Best Offer Wins” by Marisa Kashino. I picked it up because  people kept recommending it on Instagram. This turned out to be a page turner that I just couldn’t put down.  
 

Favorite new author (debut or new to you)?
Authors I will definitely be reading more from, because I loved the first books I read by them this year: Shelby Van Pelt, Ling Ling Huang, Gerardo Sámano Córdova, Nat Cassidy and Kylie Lee Baker. I would also love to read more from T. Kingfisher, even though “What Moves the Dead” was not a book I loved, but just enjoyed. Her writing has so much potential.
 

Newest favorite character?
Tova and Marcellus from “Remarkably Bright Creatures”, obviously. Their friendship is everything to me. I really liked Jamie from “How to Kill a Guy in Ten Dates”. I related to her movie knowledge a lot.
 

Book that made you cry?
“Monstrilio” by Gerardo Sámano Córdova had me sobbing at the end, that book was really emotional for me. Same goes for “Remarkably Bright Creatures” by Shelby van Pelt, but cried for different reasons.  “Life of Chuck” by Stephen King touched me and “Twee Prinsen” by Splinter Chabot also made me ugly cry.  
 

Book that made you happy?
“Remarkably Bright Creatures” again. That book did a lot with all of my emotions. It’s such a hopeful story, about new beginnings and unlikely friendships. 
 

Favorite book to movie adaptation?
I reread “The Body” by Stephen King this year and the movie “Stand By Me” is based on this novella. It’s a movie that has been in my top 10 for years, and I have rewatched it many times. Since I have seen this movie before and the book was also a reread, I will pick another. I loved the adaptations for “Hamnet” and “The Life of Chuck”, but I will again have to go for “Remarkably Bright Creatures”.  All these movie adaptations got it right and I just loved how they all stayed true to their source material. “Project Hail Mary” I absolutely loved and was better than the book in my opinion. I saw some great movie adaptation this year already.
 

Most beautiful book you’ve bought this year?
I got this really beautiful edition of “Animal Farm” by George Orwell. I have read this book before and I’m really looking forward to reading it again. I could not leave the bookstore without this gorgeous edition.
 

What books do you need to read by the end of the year?
I still need to catch up on the “Thursday Murder Club” series and read last year’s “The Impossible Fortune” by Richard Osman. I want to read the last horror book by Thomas Olde Heuvelt that I haven’t read yet, “Orakel”. And the two Janice Hallet books, “A Box Full of Murders” and “The Killer Question”. I also want to try and read “The Odyssey” before the movie comes out, but that’s a big fat maybe.

20s Movie Review - Shelby Oaks

Director: Chris Stuckmann
Genre: Horror
Runtime: 91 minutes
Year: 2025
Starring: Camille Sullivan, Brendon Sextan III, Michael Beach, Sarah Durn, Keith David

Description: A woman's (Camille Sullivan) obsessive search for her missing sister (Sarah Durn) leads her into a terrifying mystery at the hands of an unknown evil.

Review: “Shelby Oaks” is a solid and atmospheric debut film, in which the well-known YouTube film critic Chris Stuckmann proves he’s more than capable of making the transition from reviewer to filmmaker. The film excels particularly in its intense atmosphere.

The film combines found footage with a traditional mystery thriller. We follow Mia on her obsessive search for her sister Riley. Riley disappeared without a trace twelve years earlier while filming for a paranormal YouTube channel, “Paranormal Paranoids”. When new video footage surfaces, Mia becomes entangled in a dark mystery filled with occult elements.

Stuckmann excels at creating an ominous, oppressive atmosphere. The excellent sound design keeps the viewer constantly on the edge of their seat. With the help of producer Mike Flanaga, the film looks cinematographically impressive despite the modest budget. The mix of grainy faux-documentary footage and sleek Hollywood shots works surprisingly well.

Camille Sullivan carries the film and is completely convincing as the protagonist driven by the grief and despair. She reminded me of Essie Davis in “The Babadook”.

Stuckmann’s love for the genre is palpable, but the film leans just a bit too heavily on its sources of inspiration, such as “The Blair Witch Project” and “Lake Mungo”. And the finale feels rushed, even though I really loved the ending. But it does leave to many questions unanswered.

“Shelby Oaks” is not a revolutionary masterpiece, but it is a very good horror movie. I seriously don’t understand the low rating on IMDb. Stuckmann proves he has an eye for suspense and effective jump scares (not the cheap ones that are often used in modern horror). The film is a must-see for hardcore horror fans.

Rating: 3,5/ 5