Social media has become a fundamental part of digital marketing over the last decade or so. Developers behind these platforms have worked to incorporate business tools to assist marketing professionals while also attending to the interests of users. But some of the most effective forms of social media marketing have been driven by content creators rather than professional developers or marketers.
My love for the world’s greatest consulting detective began with BBC’s adaptation of Sherlock, and my life has truly never been the same.
Since that fateful day back in 2010, there has always been a part of my brain living in the fictional world of 221B Baker Street.
I mean, can you blame me?
The show’s cast, production quality, and modern day storytelling had me hooked from the very beginning.
Over Sherlock‘s seven year run, I read every novel and short story in the Sherlock Holmes canon—an easy thing to do while waiting two years between seasons. When I reached the end of Conan Doyle’s original works, I immediately looked for other Holmes inspired stories . . . and I never stopped reading them!
Spoiler alert: there are a lot of retellings to choose from.
Whether you’re a fan of the dynamic duo in their classic Victorian setting or you prefer Holmes and Watson in the modern world, there are plenty of stories to keep fans booked and busy.
Whatever your storytelling preference, the game is on: here are five books to read if you love Sherlock Holmes. While there are many Baker Street inspired tales to be found, these are some of my favorites!
Great for: fans of period pieces, genderbends, slow burn romance
Set in Victorian London, this series puts a feminist twist on the traditional Holmes story. Charlotte Holmes is the “man behind the hat,” using made up character of Sherlock Holmes as a front to allow her access in a male-dominated field. With five books already published and more sequels on the way, there’s lots of great content to sink your teeth into here!
Great for: fans of YA, forensic science, historical fiction
Audrey Rose prefers to spend her days carving up cadavers as a student in her uncle’s forensics classes. When the world’s first (and most infamous) serial killer takes to the streets, she uses early forensic science to find the culprit terrorizing Victorian London. If you watched BBC’s Sherlock and found yourself shipping Sherlolly, you’ll fall head-over-heels for these books.
Great for: fans of YA, modern Sherlock retellings, split narratives
Bringing Holmes and Watson to the next generation, this series follows the teenage descendants of the famed detectives. When Jamie and Charlotte meet for the first time at boarding school, they must learn to navigate their shared family histories along with their personal relationship dynamics… which aren’t exactly the most amicable.
Great for: fans of creative retellings, the Sherlock Holmes canon, short stories
One of the best things about Sherlock Holmes is that there have been so many unique interpretations of him over time. This collection of short stories gathers world-renowned authors and lets them loose on Baker Street, imagining new perspectives and insights to the beloved detective’s adventures. A Study in Sherlock proves a delight for both casual and dedicated Holmes fans.
Great for: fans of historical fiction, traditional Sherlock Holmes stories, famous authors
A “present day” search for Arthur Conan Doyle’s missing diaries leads Harold to an unexpected murder investigation. As his investigation unfolds, the reader is transported back to Victorian London where Arthur Conan Doyle solves a mystery of his very own. The Sherlockian is a love letter to the fans of Baker Street, but you don’t have to know the classic stories to enjoy this fun take on history.
Ready to grab your deerstalker and a magnifying glass? Let me know if you end up reading any of these books! And if your favorite Sherlock Holmes inspired books weren’t listed here, be sure to let me know down in the comments—I’m always looking to add more detective stories to my reading list.
Cheers!
Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo has easily become one of my favorite books. Though I was a bit late to the game, I became completely engrossed by the darkness and magic the story ensued. I find myself eagerly anticipating the sequel.
‘Tis the season of pumpkin spice, candy, and overall spookiness, and I know I’ve been enjoying my fill of all three. I recently binge-watched Mike Flannigan’s newest horror series The Haunting of Bly Manor, and it got me thinking of how haunted house stories are making a comeback, so it only made sense to recommend some of my favorite haunted house books that would be perfect reads for the spooky season!
If you’re going into this book thinking it will be exactly like Mike Flannigan’s Netflix series, you would be wrong because he took some great creative liberties when making the show. But just because the book and tv series differ from each other doesn’t mean the book is any less enjoyable.
Jackson’s novel is often looked at as the haunted house story, and you’re missing out on a lot by not reading it.
The novel follows occult scholar Dr. Montague who is looking for solid evidence of a haunting at the infamous Hill House. In order to run his experiment, he seeks the help of Theodora, a psychic, Eleanor Vance, a lonely and reclusive young woman who was once haunted by poltergeists, and Luke Sanderson, the future heir of Hill House.
At first, their stay seems ordinary for an old and awkwardly built house, but things take a terrifying turn when the house chooses one of its guests to take . . . forever.
If you’re like me and you’ve been bingeing Flannigan’s newest series The Haunting of Bly Manor, why not look at its source material?
While Bly Manor also takes liberties from the original novel by using inspiration from James’s other novellas and short stories, The Turn of the Screw is a classic gothic horror that needs to be on your reading list.
A young woman takes her first job as a governess for two beautiful but strange children. Miles and Flora live in their lonely and haunted estate. Strange figures hide in the tower and windows who linger and come closer and closer to the living members of the house.
As the horrors continue, the governess realizes that slowly the ghosts of the estate want Miles and Flora and are slowly taking possession of their bodies, minds, and eventually their souls. The governess wants to save them, but do the children feel the same?
If you’re looking for a cult classic, House of Leaves is where it’s at.
A postmodern novel and a story within a story, House of Leaves might look intimidating, but it’s worth diving into.
The book follows Johnny Truant who finds a strange manuscript in his dead neighbour Zampano’s apartment. The manuscript seems to be a thesis about a documentary called The Navidson Record. It tells the story of a Pultizer winning photographer, his actress wife, and their children who move into a house and discover it’s bigger on the inside than the outside.
(I know it sounds like the TARDIS, but this house is MUCH MORE TERRIFYING AND NO DOCTORS LIVE INSIDE IT.)
But Johnny soon learns that neither the film nor the people in the film exist, but that doesn’t stop him from reading it.
Made up of The Navidson Record, Johnny Truant’s autobiographical footnotes, interviews, brief notes from the editors and so much more, House of Leaves is an unforgettable and truly haunted book that will stay with you long after you’ve finished it.
If you like you’re looking for an eerie and atmospheric story then The Grip of It is the perfect read for you.
Married couple Julie and James are ready for a fresh start. They move into a house in a small town that sits between the ocean and forest. The couple tries to settle in the house . . . but the house seems to have other plans. It becomes claustrophobic, and hidden rooms appearing within rooms. Strange stains and drawings appearing on the walls. Dark bruises start appearing over Julie’s body and whenever James tries to drink from the tap mold spores appear in the water.
James and Julie must work together and investigate the town they now live in and their strange neighbours to discover what is happening with their house. The Grip of It is full of tension and thrills.
Do you like your horror with a dash of humour? How about less haunted houses and more haunted IKEAs?
Then Horrorstör is the book for you!
Whenever the employees of the Orsk furniture superstore in Cleveland, Ohio come into work they find something interesting. There are some broken Kjering bookshelves, Liripip wardrobes, and shattered Glans water goblets.
Sales have never been worse, and the security footage shows nothing amiss. But, well, we and the characters know better.
With the store managers panicking, three employees volunteer to work a nine-hour dusk-till-dawn shift. They investigate the strange destruction that’s been happening when the store is closed and, well…we’ll leave it at that!
Photo by Sean Hale Photography
Before this week’s episode, we want to thank some lovely Patreon supporters: Kimberly, Teri, Ruth, Maddie, and Ali. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
We’d like to give a big thank you to this week’s sponsor, LoganArch! Check out their Chicago-based shop for all of your geeky and nostalgic needs.
I have the immense pleasure of receiving ARCs from Quirk Books now and then. Quirk has been one of my all time favorite publishers for the last 6 or so years. They put out some really rad and unique titles! This is Not the Jess Show (which I’ll be calling “The Jess Show” from here on out), is no exception.
September is Library Card Signup Month. That makes it a great time to remind everyone of the services that libraries offer. For free. The following are all accessible right from your home, so they’re great for anyone who might be stuck at home and strapped for cash. You just need to have a library card!
Ashley Poston’s Once Upon a Con series has been nothing short of a gift for the nerd community. Her organically crafted characters, wealth of pop culture knowledge, and insider’s understanding of what makes cons click have been a joy to read for the past three years.
The YA genre owes so much to Stephenie Meyer. Most of us will deny this. We’d rather give the credit to Harry Potter which, while building a readership in children in the early 2000s, didn’t touch what Twilight did.
I first read The Ghost Bride by Yangszee Choo a few years ago, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Recently I stumbled upon the fact that it was a series on Netflix. I gladly binged it.
The story takes place in Malacca, Malaysia in 1893. Li Lan is a young woman whose family has fallen on hard economic times. Her father announces that he’s received an offer from a wealthy associate for Li Lan to become a Ghost Bride for their recently deceased son, Tiang Ching: to enter into a symbolic marriage to ensure companionship in the afterlife. He’s reluctant to allow his daughter to spend her entire life as a widow, and Li Lan hadn’t put much thought into her future. That is until the ghost of Tian Ching starts stalking her.
He tries to convince her that the marriage would be a good thing, but Li Lan knows it won’t be. She tries everything she can to keep him at bay, even if she’s not quite sure that she really believes in ghosts. Along the way she meets a mysterious stranger named Er Lang who isn’t quite human. Li Lan can’t be sure whether to trust him or not, but she can’t help being drawn to him.
Li Lan’s soul gets separated from her body, and she finds herself wandering the Plains of the Dead. Er Lang needs her to find out who is causing problems there. When things get bad in the afterlife, it can overflow into the living world and cause disaster. Li Lan knows that Tian Ching has been bribing border officials to haunt her and that his family might be behind the problems. Li Lan and Er Lang search for the evidence to stop them.
The book’s world is so immersive. The images in both the worlds of the living and especially of the dead are so well conjured. On the Plains of the Dead, everything seems a little bit off, all composed of burned offerings from family. The food, the furniture, and animals all have a creepy artificial appearance. Even the servants are mindless puppets. It’s a very easy world to sink into.
I thought the Netflix adaptation was good for the most part. It was originally in Chinese and is dubbed in English. I probably would have preferred subtitles and hearing the tone of the dialogue even if I don’t understand it.
As usual, some things are cut or changed. Li Lan thinks that the Tian Ching in the book is a “buffoon,” but the series makes him a swaggering rock star type. It makes him more interesting especially since he becomes the main villain in the story and not a pawn in others’ schemes. Er Lang’s more acerbic edges are toned down and he and Li Lan get into some classic rom-com arguments.
The best part of the series is the costumes. They’re beautiful. They didn’t stick exactly to period, as some appear more modern than the historical setting but it works.
As usual in adaptations, I missed some of the things in the books. Li Lan’s time on the Plains of the Dead and the ghosts that she meets there could be a series in themselves.
Well, maybe that’s season two!