Book Buzz

Episode 120 - Air date: Sept. 21, 2025

JESSICA:

Hi, this is Jessica Russell. I’m the assistant director of collection services at Sno-Isle Libraries. And welcome to Book Buzz.

Today's two reading recommendations are both chilling tales of family homes that hold more than just memories.

First, we’re going to hear from Rhianna, library associate at the Langley Library, for a story of a couple who buys their dream home, that turns into a nightmare. Over to you, Rhianna.

RHIANNA:

Rhianna here with another spooky tale to share! This time it’s “We Used to Live Here” by Marcus Kliewer.

When a knock at the door signals unexpected visitors, Eve is understandably hesitant to open the door but when she sees a family shivering on her porch, she can’t help but answer. Things become even stranger when the father states, “I used to live here,” meaning the home Eve and her wife just purchased, and he’d like to show his family around his childhood home.

Ever the people pleaser, Eve reluctantly agrees. However, when the family seems hesitant to leave, the youngest child decides to play an impromptu game of hide-and-seek, leaving Eve to discover there’s suddenly a ghostly apparition in the basement. Oh, and on top of that, Eve’s wife seems to have disappeared into thin air from the comfort of their living room. The night dissolves into quicksand-like terror and mind-bending happenings that have Eve questioning reality as she knows it.

This story originally went viral on Reddit’s “No Sleep” forum and film rights were purchased before a full-length novel was ever drafted. With its numerous twists and turns, Marcus Kliewer’s debut novel will have you devouring page after page while also making you never want to open the door to strangers ever again.

JESSICA:

Thanks, Rhianna! That book reminds me that the idea of home can be comforting — or utterly terrifying.

Next, let’s hear about unusual family secrets and rituals, from Nichole, library associate at the Stanwood Library. Take it away, Nichole.

NICHOLE:

“The Bog Wife” by Kay Chronister is a subgenre of ‘Appalachian gothic folklore’ that features themes of isolation, superstition, and the supernatural. The story follows the Haddesley family who live in a crumbling manor and have tended to its accompanying bog for multiple generations.

In each generation, the family sacrifices its patriarch to the bog in order to produce a “bog-wife” to continue the family lineage. This book is as unsettling as it is engaging!

Wenna, who is estranged from the family, returns to attend her father’s burial rite with her siblings. However, the next morning, the bog does not produce a bog-wife for her brother Charlie, who should be the next patriarch. As the five siblings try to figure out what went wrong and what happens next, the reader is invited into a world of family myth and mystery all while featuring the immersive and mysterious setting of the bog.

The best part of this book is the exploration of the relationships between the siblings and how they deal with family expectations and their own desires. It gives the same sort of vibe as watching a documentary about a cult. It’s strange and dark, but you feel compelled to keep going and uncover even more of the secrets involved.

JESSICA:

Thanks, Nichole! It’s eerie to imagine how something as natural as a bog can hold secrets.

Our recommendations this week are: “We Used to Live Here” by Marcus Kliewer and “The Bog Wife” by Kay Chronister.

Join us next time, when we’ll explore more great reading recommendations — interesting books you can find at your favorite local bookstore or at your local library.

Until then, I’m Jessica Russell from Sno-Isle Libraries. Thanks for joining us for Book Buzz on KSER.