Let's Call Her Barbie

Let's Call Her Barbie by Renee Rosen, 432 pages

We all know Barbie, that ubiquitous fashion doll (and movie star) that's been a part of every American girl's toy box or wish list since the 1960s. This book takes readers on a fictionalized history of Barbie's creation at Mattel, including the challenges of creating the doll and her clothes (there's a reason her hands are shaped like that!), of marketing the doll to girls and their mothers, and of the many behind-the-scenes arguments that took place. While some of the real-life characters involved are given a more cursory personality (indeed, it often focuses more on what they did than why), the addition of a fictitious clothing designer made the whole story hit home a little better. No matter what, I'd recommend this to those people who haven't yet tired of the Barbie-mania brought on by the 2023 movie, as that's definitely the audience for this book.

How to Sell a Haunted House

How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix, 413 pages

Tech designer Louise Joyner hasn't lived in Charleston for more than 20 years when she gets the call nobody wants: her parents have both died in a car crash. Louise and her younger brother Mark have never gotten along, and the sudden death of their parents puts even more strain on their relationship, sparking fights over everything from what to do with the house to how to handle the funeral arrangements. Complicating matters further are the creepy vibes of the Joyner homestead, which is filled with their mother's collection of dolls and the puppets she built as a Christian puppeteer. One puppet, Pupkin, is particularly creepy, and after enough odd things happen to Louise, she's convinced that there's more to Pupkin than meets the eye.

I absolutely adore everything Hendrix writes — he's so adept at mixing horror, humor, and humanity — and this book is no exception. He carefully balances Louise's grief, her complicated relationship with her family, and the absolute horror of creepy dolls and puppets (seriously, after demonic possession and eldritch horror and vampires and slashers, Hendrix was due for a haunted toy story). I loved this book and I'll continue to read anything Hendrix publishes.