Sometimes it's a little overwhelming, looking so far ahead as I order new books for the library. (I'm already beginning to order titles for the beginning of 2019, to give you an idea.) But sometimes, like a heat wave at the end of August, it's nice to be able to look ahead and know that with great new September fiction will also, hopefully, come cooler temperatures!
The Forbidden Place, by Susanne Jansson. For fans of Gillian Flynn and Paula Hawkins, this chilling debut novel should be on your reading list. Biologist Nathalie grew up near the peat bogs in Mossmarken, Sweden--centuries ago, humans were sacrificed to the gods along the edge of the mire. Now returning after years away, Nathalie has two tasks ahead of her: research the mire, and also put to rest the trauma from her childhood. Then a man's unconscious body is found on the bog's edge, like a sacrifice of old. It's only a matter of time before secrets rise to the surface, for Nathalie, the village and the bog itself.
The Lost Letters of William Woolf, by Helen Cullen. In Cullen's intriguing debut, lost letters wind up in the Dead Letters Depot. Here, letter detectives survey missing zip codes, smudgy ink, terrible handwriting, and other postal mysteries in an effort to get these letters to their intended recipients. One detective becomes enthralled with the circumstances surrounding correspondence addressed only to "My Greatest Love". I'm recommending this to readers who liked Nina George's The Little Paris Bookshop or Sarah Blake's The Postmistress. Also, this could make for an excellent book club read!
The Boy at the Keyhole, by Stephen Giles. I love neogothic novels, things that hearken back to authors like Daphne Du Maurier and Shirley Jackson. Lately I've been obsessed with Carol Goodman's work. And I think The Boy at the Keyhole will join these ranks in short order. In the old house, this cast of two features housekeeper Ruth and young Samuel, whose father has passed away leaving the family steel business floundering. His much-adored mother has gone to America, seeking investors. At least, that is the story Ruth has told Samuel, though his mother never said goodbye and has yet to write any letters. As time wears on without word from America, Samuel begins to concoct scenarios in which the deeply unpleasant Ruth has murdered his mother, and he begins his detective work to finally uncover the truth...whatever that may be. If you like your horror subtle and full of haunting dread, this should be on your reading list this fall--perfect for a stormy autumn evening!
Leave No Trace, by Mindy Mejia. From the author of Everything You Want Me to Be (2017). Following personal tragedy that led to a bad decision and some serious repercussions, twenty-three year-old Maya Stark is a newly minted speech therapist who has straightened herself out and knows just how lucky she is to have come so far. Working for a psychiatric hospital in Minnesota, she becomes acquainted with new patient Lucas who, at nineteen, has been missing for ten years after disappearing into the woods with his father. Her first encounter results in one of Lucas's escape attempts, but as he's non-verbal and unresponsive to most people, Maya agrees to take him on as a patient. Lucas's story slowly comes out as he and Maya form a bond...and Maya's own story eventually surfaces as well. For those who love their psychological fiction with well-drawn characters, this is a natural choice.
Enjoy the holiday weekend! I'll be back next week to share what I've been reading in August.
Showing posts with label haunting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label haunting. Show all posts
Thursday, August 30, 2018
Thursday, February 1, 2018
What I've been reading: January 2018
Sometimes, as readers, we find ourselves with a lack of books we are enthusiastic about. Sometimes it's because what we just finished reading was so good that it's as if we're still living in that world, unable to launch fully into something new. Sometimes, however, there are so many good books to read, it feels like an embarrassment of riches. And that's the category I've been in lately!
Heading Out to Wonderful, by Robert Goolrick. This was my book club's pick for our January meeting, and it produced some excellent discussion! It's 1948 when Charlie Beale arrives in Brownsburg, Virginia, looking for someplace to put down roots. His suitcase of money buys him land, his skill as a butcher finds him a job, and his charisma earns him a place in the community. But it's the one thing that he cannot buy or earn or find that eludes him, and it's what he wants most: the love of the most fascinating woman he's ever set eyes on. The problem, of course, is that she is married to another man, a marriage of arrangement that would cripple her family should she leave him. Longing turns the good Charlie has going for him sour, bit by bit--their star-crossed match is doomed from the beginning. Bittersweet and compelling.
Fangirl, by Rainbow Rowell. Cath and her twin sister Wren grew up with a single dad and immersed themselves in the fandom of the Simon Snow books and movies. They had Simon and they had their dad and they always have each other. Until they start to grow up, and apart. It has never been more stark for Cath how different they've become until they go to college, and suddenly, Wren is elsewhere, choosing to room with a stranger, leaving Cath to do the same. Wren is a natural extrovert, making friends and attending parties. Cath, however, is painfully shy, writing Simon Snow fanfiction to ease her anxiety, even as she worries about how their dad is getting along by himself. Can Cath do this? Can she navigate the world without Wren there to hold her hand? Can she forge her own life, write her own stories? For everyone who has ever felt like the odd person out. It's billed as young adult fiction, but I found it deeply touching and relatable. I adore Rowell's work.
The Woman in the Window, by A.J. Finn. If you find yourself in need of a twisty psychological thriller that you won't be able to put down, this is my recommendation right now. Anna Fox lives alone in New York City, unable to leave her home. She drinks wine, she watches classic movies, she spies on the neighbors across the way, and this has been her life for the last ten months. Only slowly do we learn how she has found herself in this situation. And only slowly do we learn the darker truths, both about Anna herself and about the neighbors across the way, and what Anna sees may force her to get out...if only to save herself. Absolutely gripping, I read it in two days.
The Late Show, by Michael Connelly. Renee Ballard works the overnight shift in Hollywood, known as the late show. She and her partner catch many cases, but rarely have the opportunity to follow through, instead forced to turn their cases over to the morning shift. The shift is frustrating, and it's considered punishment after Ballard filed a complaint against her previous supervisor. And yet, one night Ballard catches two cases and she cannot bear to leave either of them. One is a prostitute, battered and left for dead, the crime showing signs of premeditation. Ballard is sure the unsub will strike again, and she can't let that happen. The other case is a nightclub shooting where Ballard watches a victim breathe her last. Ballard chooses to continue to work both cases by day, even as she works the late show shifts and battles her own demons. This is a new series for Connelly, and I've got to say I found Renee Ballard a great breath of fresh air in the genre.
Dark in Death, by J.D. Robb. When a young woman is murdered during the screening of a classic Hitchcock film, Lieutenant Eve Dallas and her partner, Detective Delia Peabody, are called to the scene. By the next morning, they're only beginning their investigation when a lead comes in--an author has recognized the crime...from one of her own novels. In fact, she has details about the crime that the police haven't released to the public yet. It's the second in a series, and the killer has plenty of material to work with. So now it's up to Dallas to outwit, out-think and out-read the killer, to anticipate the next crime and save the potential next victim. A solid entry into Robb's (aka Nora Roberts) long-running series.
The Widow's House, by Carol Goodman. This incredible new novel (I listened to the audiobook, and I've bought a replacement hardcover for the library's collection) by the author of The Lake of Dead Languages, etc. is a gripping psychological thriller with gothic overtones (think Daphne Du Maurier's Rebecca). Clare and Jess Martin met in college, married, moved to Brooklyn. Jess's first novel was a huge success. They were on top of the world. That was a decade ago. Jess's second novel has been a struggle, and he's still not done. They decide to go back to their old college town. Perhaps it will inspire Jess to write. Perhaps Clare will write again. But when Clare's past comes back to haunt her, she finds herself losing her grip on reality. Or is she? A completely fascinating story, I loved it!
Heading Out to Wonderful, by Robert Goolrick. This was my book club's pick for our January meeting, and it produced some excellent discussion! It's 1948 when Charlie Beale arrives in Brownsburg, Virginia, looking for someplace to put down roots. His suitcase of money buys him land, his skill as a butcher finds him a job, and his charisma earns him a place in the community. But it's the one thing that he cannot buy or earn or find that eludes him, and it's what he wants most: the love of the most fascinating woman he's ever set eyes on. The problem, of course, is that she is married to another man, a marriage of arrangement that would cripple her family should she leave him. Longing turns the good Charlie has going for him sour, bit by bit--their star-crossed match is doomed from the beginning. Bittersweet and compelling.
Fangirl, by Rainbow Rowell. Cath and her twin sister Wren grew up with a single dad and immersed themselves in the fandom of the Simon Snow books and movies. They had Simon and they had their dad and they always have each other. Until they start to grow up, and apart. It has never been more stark for Cath how different they've become until they go to college, and suddenly, Wren is elsewhere, choosing to room with a stranger, leaving Cath to do the same. Wren is a natural extrovert, making friends and attending parties. Cath, however, is painfully shy, writing Simon Snow fanfiction to ease her anxiety, even as she worries about how their dad is getting along by himself. Can Cath do this? Can she navigate the world without Wren there to hold her hand? Can she forge her own life, write her own stories? For everyone who has ever felt like the odd person out. It's billed as young adult fiction, but I found it deeply touching and relatable. I adore Rowell's work.
The Woman in the Window, by A.J. Finn. If you find yourself in need of a twisty psychological thriller that you won't be able to put down, this is my recommendation right now. Anna Fox lives alone in New York City, unable to leave her home. She drinks wine, she watches classic movies, she spies on the neighbors across the way, and this has been her life for the last ten months. Only slowly do we learn how she has found herself in this situation. And only slowly do we learn the darker truths, both about Anna herself and about the neighbors across the way, and what Anna sees may force her to get out...if only to save herself. Absolutely gripping, I read it in two days.
The Late Show, by Michael Connelly. Renee Ballard works the overnight shift in Hollywood, known as the late show. She and her partner catch many cases, but rarely have the opportunity to follow through, instead forced to turn their cases over to the morning shift. The shift is frustrating, and it's considered punishment after Ballard filed a complaint against her previous supervisor. And yet, one night Ballard catches two cases and she cannot bear to leave either of them. One is a prostitute, battered and left for dead, the crime showing signs of premeditation. Ballard is sure the unsub will strike again, and she can't let that happen. The other case is a nightclub shooting where Ballard watches a victim breathe her last. Ballard chooses to continue to work both cases by day, even as she works the late show shifts and battles her own demons. This is a new series for Connelly, and I've got to say I found Renee Ballard a great breath of fresh air in the genre.
Dark in Death, by J.D. Robb. When a young woman is murdered during the screening of a classic Hitchcock film, Lieutenant Eve Dallas and her partner, Detective Delia Peabody, are called to the scene. By the next morning, they're only beginning their investigation when a lead comes in--an author has recognized the crime...from one of her own novels. In fact, she has details about the crime that the police haven't released to the public yet. It's the second in a series, and the killer has plenty of material to work with. So now it's up to Dallas to outwit, out-think and out-read the killer, to anticipate the next crime and save the potential next victim. A solid entry into Robb's (aka Nora Roberts) long-running series.
The Widow's House, by Carol Goodman. This incredible new novel (I listened to the audiobook, and I've bought a replacement hardcover for the library's collection) by the author of The Lake of Dead Languages, etc. is a gripping psychological thriller with gothic overtones (think Daphne Du Maurier's Rebecca). Clare and Jess Martin met in college, married, moved to Brooklyn. Jess's first novel was a huge success. They were on top of the world. That was a decade ago. Jess's second novel has been a struggle, and he's still not done. They decide to go back to their old college town. Perhaps it will inspire Jess to write. Perhaps Clare will write again. But when Clare's past comes back to haunt her, she finds herself losing her grip on reality. Or is she? A completely fascinating story, I loved it!
Thursday, August 31, 2017
What I've Been Reading: August 2017
My reading material this past month has been all over the map, as usual. Suspense novels and thrillers, a funny and touching memoir, a re-read for my bookclub, and some fiction that is both familiar and innovative. Curious? Read on.
Two Nights, by Kathy Reichs. Reichs is best known for her long-running Temperance Brennan series, the basis for the TV show Bones. What she's not known for is stand-alone novel, which is what her most recent work is, though it sets itself up nicely to kick off a possible sequel or series. Sunday Night is a woman with a dark past, full of secrets. Perhaps that's why she's so good at uncovering the secrets of others. In this case, it's a missing girl who is the sole presumed survivor of a terrorist attack which made her an orphan, a girl who vanished without a trace. Sunday, patient and ruthless, must backtrack the cold case only to find herself racing against the clock when the terrorist cell activates once more. This was a fast read but densely packed--skimming forward resulted in my paging back looking for clues I'd inadvertently skimmed over. I definitely hope for at least a sequel, though, as Sunday has more secrets of her own yet to be revealed.
Sworn to Silence & Pray for Silence, by Linda Castillo. These are the first and second entries in Castillo's Kate Burkholder series. Police chief Kate Burkholder works in Painter's Mill, Pennsylvania, a small community that relies heavily on tourist trade, owing mainly to its Amish community. And murder is bad for business. In the series opener, Chief Burkholder and her small but capable department find themselves racing against the clock when a single murder soon becomes part of a series, the murderer escalating quickly. In the follow-up, nearly a year later, the department works to solve a mass murder on an Amish farm. When a suspect's suicide yields a note confessing everything, the case should be closed, but the Chief is convinced the man wasn't working alone and must lay a trap to lure the accomplice out of hiding. These are excellent thrillers and I'm looking forward to picking up the next in the series.
Theft by Finding: diaries (1977-2002), by David Sedaris. Humorous essayist, playwright and memoirist Sedaris (Me Talk Pretty One Day, etc.) has kept diaries for decades, meticulously recording the interesting bits of his life each day. Here is the first half of his culled entries, ranging from his early twenties when he was perpetually broke, picking fruit and doing odd jobs, to his early years of success as a writer and playwright. Searingly funny and thoughtful, I loved every bit. The audiobook, read by the author, is an absolute winner.
Meddling Kids, by Edgar Cantero. For those of us who grew up on Saturday morning cartoons with Scooby-Doo and the gang, this second English language novel from Barcelona native Cantero scratches a particular nostalgic itch. In 1977, the Blyton Summer Detective Club (of Blyton Hills, a small mining town in Oregon's Zoinx River Valley) unmasked a the villain in their final case: a low-life fortune-hunter who was pretending to haunt an abandoned mansion and mine in order to get his hands on the riches supposedly hidden in the depths of the mansion. And he would have gotten away with it, too, if it hadn't been for those meddling kids. But did they catch the real culprit after all? Fast-forward thirteen years, however, and that final case is still haunting the remaining members of the Club, who have grown up and apart. At long last, the group decides that they need to return to the scene and put their ghosts to rest, once and for all. This was such a fun read! Funny, spooky, a little zany and totally endearing. I'd love to see a sequel.
The Good Daughter, by Karin Slaughter. This stand-alone thriller from best-selling Slaughter (Cop Town, etc.) During a home invasion, two sisters are forced out into the woods at gunpoint. One runs for her life. The other is left behind. In the aftermath of tragedy, the Quinn family and their happy, small-town existence is broken beyond repair. Twenty-eight years later, younger sister Charlotte is a lawyer, having followed in the footsteps of her father. But the ideal life she should be living is crumbling, even before violence revisits their small town of Pikeville, causing severe flashbacks for Charlie and her family. Shocking twists and relentless pacing in this story left me absolutely breathless, as secrets find the light of day and what has been hidden so long is at last revealed. I've read all of Slaughter's work and I think this just might be her best to date. Highly recommended.
Crimson Shore, by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child. I'm nearly caught up with the Agent Pendergast series! This, the thirteenth in the series, finds Agent Pendergast and his ward, Constance Greene, on a case which takes them to the quaint seaside village of Exmouth, Massachusetts. Initially, they are there to investigate the theft of an artist's priceless wine collection. When the wine-cellar reveals a hidden chamber where the skeleton of a man was once housed, the case takes a decidedly darker turn. A Grey Reaper walks the salt marshes, bodies marked with occult symbols wash ashore, screams rend the silent nights. Is there validity to the old tale that when the trials began in Salem in 1692 that the real witches fled to hide in Exmouth? This was a somewhat slow start for the series, but when it picked up, it churned along at a breakneck pace. Thoroughly enjoyable.
A Sudden Light, by Garth Stein. This is a reread for me--my bookclub is reading it for our September meeting. You can read my original review here.
Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore, by Robin Sloan. Clay Jannon has gone from San Francisco web-designer to unemployed in the Great Recession, and within the first few days working at Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore, Clay finds that the place is stranger than either its name or its rather gnome-like owner. In fact, none of the patrons ever seem to purchase anything. Rather, they "check out" large volumes from strange nooks and crannies in the store. Clay, with the help of a few friends, begins to catalog and analyze the customers behavior, but when the findings are brought to the owner, Clay discovers that the bookstore's secrets go far deeper than he could have ever imagined. Incredibly inventive, entertaining and captivating, I never wanted it to end!
Two Nights, by Kathy Reichs. Reichs is best known for her long-running Temperance Brennan series, the basis for the TV show Bones. What she's not known for is stand-alone novel, which is what her most recent work is, though it sets itself up nicely to kick off a possible sequel or series. Sunday Night is a woman with a dark past, full of secrets. Perhaps that's why she's so good at uncovering the secrets of others. In this case, it's a missing girl who is the sole presumed survivor of a terrorist attack which made her an orphan, a girl who vanished without a trace. Sunday, patient and ruthless, must backtrack the cold case only to find herself racing against the clock when the terrorist cell activates once more. This was a fast read but densely packed--skimming forward resulted in my paging back looking for clues I'd inadvertently skimmed over. I definitely hope for at least a sequel, though, as Sunday has more secrets of her own yet to be revealed.
Sworn to Silence & Pray for Silence, by Linda Castillo. These are the first and second entries in Castillo's Kate Burkholder series. Police chief Kate Burkholder works in Painter's Mill, Pennsylvania, a small community that relies heavily on tourist trade, owing mainly to its Amish community. And murder is bad for business. In the series opener, Chief Burkholder and her small but capable department find themselves racing against the clock when a single murder soon becomes part of a series, the murderer escalating quickly. In the follow-up, nearly a year later, the department works to solve a mass murder on an Amish farm. When a suspect's suicide yields a note confessing everything, the case should be closed, but the Chief is convinced the man wasn't working alone and must lay a trap to lure the accomplice out of hiding. These are excellent thrillers and I'm looking forward to picking up the next in the series.
Theft by Finding: diaries (1977-2002), by David Sedaris. Humorous essayist, playwright and memoirist Sedaris (Me Talk Pretty One Day, etc.) has kept diaries for decades, meticulously recording the interesting bits of his life each day. Here is the first half of his culled entries, ranging from his early twenties when he was perpetually broke, picking fruit and doing odd jobs, to his early years of success as a writer and playwright. Searingly funny and thoughtful, I loved every bit. The audiobook, read by the author, is an absolute winner.
Meddling Kids, by Edgar Cantero. For those of us who grew up on Saturday morning cartoons with Scooby-Doo and the gang, this second English language novel from Barcelona native Cantero scratches a particular nostalgic itch. In 1977, the Blyton Summer Detective Club (of Blyton Hills, a small mining town in Oregon's Zoinx River Valley) unmasked a the villain in their final case: a low-life fortune-hunter who was pretending to haunt an abandoned mansion and mine in order to get his hands on the riches supposedly hidden in the depths of the mansion. And he would have gotten away with it, too, if it hadn't been for those meddling kids. But did they catch the real culprit after all? Fast-forward thirteen years, however, and that final case is still haunting the remaining members of the Club, who have grown up and apart. At long last, the group decides that they need to return to the scene and put their ghosts to rest, once and for all. This was such a fun read! Funny, spooky, a little zany and totally endearing. I'd love to see a sequel.
The Good Daughter, by Karin Slaughter. This stand-alone thriller from best-selling Slaughter (Cop Town, etc.) During a home invasion, two sisters are forced out into the woods at gunpoint. One runs for her life. The other is left behind. In the aftermath of tragedy, the Quinn family and their happy, small-town existence is broken beyond repair. Twenty-eight years later, younger sister Charlotte is a lawyer, having followed in the footsteps of her father. But the ideal life she should be living is crumbling, even before violence revisits their small town of Pikeville, causing severe flashbacks for Charlie and her family. Shocking twists and relentless pacing in this story left me absolutely breathless, as secrets find the light of day and what has been hidden so long is at last revealed. I've read all of Slaughter's work and I think this just might be her best to date. Highly recommended.
Crimson Shore, by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child. I'm nearly caught up with the Agent Pendergast series! This, the thirteenth in the series, finds Agent Pendergast and his ward, Constance Greene, on a case which takes them to the quaint seaside village of Exmouth, Massachusetts. Initially, they are there to investigate the theft of an artist's priceless wine collection. When the wine-cellar reveals a hidden chamber where the skeleton of a man was once housed, the case takes a decidedly darker turn. A Grey Reaper walks the salt marshes, bodies marked with occult symbols wash ashore, screams rend the silent nights. Is there validity to the old tale that when the trials began in Salem in 1692 that the real witches fled to hide in Exmouth? This was a somewhat slow start for the series, but when it picked up, it churned along at a breakneck pace. Thoroughly enjoyable.
A Sudden Light, by Garth Stein. This is a reread for me--my bookclub is reading it for our September meeting. You can read my original review here.
Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore, by Robin Sloan. Clay Jannon has gone from San Francisco web-designer to unemployed in the Great Recession, and within the first few days working at Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore, Clay finds that the place is stranger than either its name or its rather gnome-like owner. In fact, none of the patrons ever seem to purchase anything. Rather, they "check out" large volumes from strange nooks and crannies in the store. Clay, with the help of a few friends, begins to catalog and analyze the customers behavior, but when the findings are brought to the owner, Clay discovers that the bookstore's secrets go far deeper than he could have ever imagined. Incredibly inventive, entertaining and captivating, I never wanted it to end!
Tuesday, February 23, 2016
Can't Keep It To Myself: Day Four, by Sarah Lotz
I realize I haven't done one of these posts in awhile. I read a fair amount, a book or two per week, but often I'll go a long stretch before I stumble upon something that I feel must be shared immediately. And Day Four is one of those books. Now, what I didn't know when I picked this up is that it's actually the second book in a slated trilogy. I'm remedying that now, reading book 1 The Three. The beauty of Day Four, however, was that I had no inkling that it was a sequel until I looked up the author to see if she'd written anything else. To my mind, that is no easy feat to write a trilogy and have each book stand up well independently, without losing something if you haven't read from the beginning.
Cruise liner The Beautiful Dreamer is beginning its journey back to Miami from its Caribbean voyage with hundreds of vacationers aboard when disaster strikes, predictably, on day four, leaving the ship stranded in the Gulf of Mexico. A case of the norovirus begins to run rampant among passengers, supplies begin to run low, and unrest among both passengers and crew begins to simmer. But that's just the beginning. There are rumors running rampant on the ship: there might be a murderer on board, and the lower decks might be haunted. Five days adrift is a long time... I'd recommend this, and its prequel, to fans of The X-Files and of authors like Mark Z Danielewski, Brian Freemantle, or Justin Cronin.
Cruise liner The Beautiful Dreamer is beginning its journey back to Miami from its Caribbean voyage with hundreds of vacationers aboard when disaster strikes, predictably, on day four, leaving the ship stranded in the Gulf of Mexico. A case of the norovirus begins to run rampant among passengers, supplies begin to run low, and unrest among both passengers and crew begins to simmer. But that's just the beginning. There are rumors running rampant on the ship: there might be a murderer on board, and the lower decks might be haunted. Five days adrift is a long time... I'd recommend this, and its prequel, to fans of The X-Files and of authors like Mark Z Danielewski, Brian Freemantle, or Justin Cronin.
Thursday, February 5, 2015
Throwback Thursday: What I Was Reading in January, 2015
Nothing like a few snow storms to really shake up a librarian's work schedule! The good news, if there is any, is that snowy days off make for great days to curl up with a good book, and that's just what I've been doing! Apologies for the delay, but here's what I've been reading lately.
A Sudden Light, by Garth Stein. Stein's name should be familiar, as he made a huge impact on readers with his 2008 debut, The Art of Racing in the Rain. He's returned here with some more fiction outside the normal fare, a story of a family full of murderous secrets in a decaying house brimming with ghosts and the truths that must be told. Trevor is 14 in 1990 when he moves with his father back to the family estate, Riddell House, overlooking the Puget Sound--a place his father left decades earlier, intending never to return. It is here that Trevor meets his bewitching aunt Serena and his addled grandfather Samuel, only to watch Serena and his father try to maneuver a resistant Samuel into signing over the rights to the estate grounds to land developers and Samuel himself into an assisted living facility. Everything starts to fall apart, however, as the wishes of long-dead family members are asserted in the unlikeliest of ways. I found this absolutely captivating, equal parts family saga and ghost story. Very highly recommended.
The Husband's Secret, by Liane Moriarty. Moriarty has become a very popular favorite of readers in recent years, and as I really have enjoyed some of her other work (The Hypnotist's Love Story, Big Little Lies), I had to try this one, too. When one woman stumbles across a letter written by her husband, intended to be opened in the event of his death, the secrets it contains shatter not only her own family, but those of two other women in the same small community. Definitely very compelling and readable, but not my favorite--that would be Big Little Lies. But fans should most certainly check it out.
The Rosie Effect, by Graeme Simsion. In this sequel to Simsion's very funny and popular 2013 debut, The Rosie Project, readers rejoin Don and Rosie, now married and living in New York City. However, a new challenge faces them: Rosie is pregnant. Well, this is one of a number of challenges, including an abrupt need to move out of their apartment, trouble with new neighbors, trouble with the law, and a not-very-welcome houseguest. The result for me, unfortunately, was that Rosie as a character gets pretty much lost in the midst of the very fast-paced action. There is very little of the sweetly awkward relationship between Rosie and Don present here, which was much of what I loved about the first book, and I have to say I actually didn't finish the second book.
The Likeness, by Tana French. In keeping with my new-found appreciation of French's work, I picked up the second in the Dublin Murder Squad series, set approximately six months after the end of In the Woods. We find Detective Cassie Maddox still trying to recover, having transferred out of the Murder Squad and in a relationship with fellow Detective Sam O'Neill. It seems she might have been able to move on, except for a call to a crime scene featuring a dead girl who not only looks just like Cassie, but also has a school ID bearing the name Lexie Madison...the name that Cassie used when working undercover years ago. Tensely, brilliantly plotted, I loved every page.
The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak. This is my book club's pick for our February discussion, and I am really looking forward to seeing what the rest of the group has to say about this one. While it is technically classified as a young adult novel, this has lots of appeal for readers of any age. The story is narrated by Death as he struggles to make sense of the horrors he encountered during World War II. He lights on the story of a young orphan girl in Germany, Liesl, whose abilities to steal books and tell stories help her foster family, the Jewish man they are hiding in their basement, and their neighbors through the war. Sweetly sad, beautiful, deeply moving, startlingly perceptive. This is a book that will stick with me for the rest of my life.
The Girl on the Train, by Paula Hawkins. If you're wondering what everyone else in town is reading right now, this is it. Billed as this year's Gone Girl, this novel follows Rachel, a most unreliable narrator, as she tries to reconstruct a night she blacked out due to drink. She's certain, however, that the night in question, something terrible happened. Reporting what she thinks she can remember to the police, however, only seems to cause more harm than good, both for her and everyone else involved. I found myself holding my breath at points, waiting to see what would happen next. Readers who liked Gone Girl should definitely add this to their reading list.
Die Again, by Tess Gerritsen. Eleventh in the Rizzoli & Isles crime thriller series, this novel is just as fresh and entertaining as those that came before. Told in alternating narrative between Millie, London bookseller on African safari holiday slowly going terribly wrong, and Boston homicide detective Jane Rizzoli six years later as she and Medical Examiner Dr. Maura Isles investigate several grisly homicides which take them into the world of big cats and game hunting. Gripping and fascinating, I could hardly stand to put this down for a minute.
This year, I'm not setting a reading goal. I'm just going to keep a running tally and see what I come up with. Seven so far!
A Sudden Light, by Garth Stein. Stein's name should be familiar, as he made a huge impact on readers with his 2008 debut, The Art of Racing in the Rain. He's returned here with some more fiction outside the normal fare, a story of a family full of murderous secrets in a decaying house brimming with ghosts and the truths that must be told. Trevor is 14 in 1990 when he moves with his father back to the family estate, Riddell House, overlooking the Puget Sound--a place his father left decades earlier, intending never to return. It is here that Trevor meets his bewitching aunt Serena and his addled grandfather Samuel, only to watch Serena and his father try to maneuver a resistant Samuel into signing over the rights to the estate grounds to land developers and Samuel himself into an assisted living facility. Everything starts to fall apart, however, as the wishes of long-dead family members are asserted in the unlikeliest of ways. I found this absolutely captivating, equal parts family saga and ghost story. Very highly recommended.
The Husband's Secret, by Liane Moriarty. Moriarty has become a very popular favorite of readers in recent years, and as I really have enjoyed some of her other work (The Hypnotist's Love Story, Big Little Lies), I had to try this one, too. When one woman stumbles across a letter written by her husband, intended to be opened in the event of his death, the secrets it contains shatter not only her own family, but those of two other women in the same small community. Definitely very compelling and readable, but not my favorite--that would be Big Little Lies. But fans should most certainly check it out.
The Rosie Effect, by Graeme Simsion. In this sequel to Simsion's very funny and popular 2013 debut, The Rosie Project, readers rejoin Don and Rosie, now married and living in New York City. However, a new challenge faces them: Rosie is pregnant. Well, this is one of a number of challenges, including an abrupt need to move out of their apartment, trouble with new neighbors, trouble with the law, and a not-very-welcome houseguest. The result for me, unfortunately, was that Rosie as a character gets pretty much lost in the midst of the very fast-paced action. There is very little of the sweetly awkward relationship between Rosie and Don present here, which was much of what I loved about the first book, and I have to say I actually didn't finish the second book.
The Likeness, by Tana French. In keeping with my new-found appreciation of French's work, I picked up the second in the Dublin Murder Squad series, set approximately six months after the end of In the Woods. We find Detective Cassie Maddox still trying to recover, having transferred out of the Murder Squad and in a relationship with fellow Detective Sam O'Neill. It seems she might have been able to move on, except for a call to a crime scene featuring a dead girl who not only looks just like Cassie, but also has a school ID bearing the name Lexie Madison...the name that Cassie used when working undercover years ago. Tensely, brilliantly plotted, I loved every page.
The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak. This is my book club's pick for our February discussion, and I am really looking forward to seeing what the rest of the group has to say about this one. While it is technically classified as a young adult novel, this has lots of appeal for readers of any age. The story is narrated by Death as he struggles to make sense of the horrors he encountered during World War II. He lights on the story of a young orphan girl in Germany, Liesl, whose abilities to steal books and tell stories help her foster family, the Jewish man they are hiding in their basement, and their neighbors through the war. Sweetly sad, beautiful, deeply moving, startlingly perceptive. This is a book that will stick with me for the rest of my life.
The Girl on the Train, by Paula Hawkins. If you're wondering what everyone else in town is reading right now, this is it. Billed as this year's Gone Girl, this novel follows Rachel, a most unreliable narrator, as she tries to reconstruct a night she blacked out due to drink. She's certain, however, that the night in question, something terrible happened. Reporting what she thinks she can remember to the police, however, only seems to cause more harm than good, both for her and everyone else involved. I found myself holding my breath at points, waiting to see what would happen next. Readers who liked Gone Girl should definitely add this to their reading list.
Die Again, by Tess Gerritsen. Eleventh in the Rizzoli & Isles crime thriller series, this novel is just as fresh and entertaining as those that came before. Told in alternating narrative between Millie, London bookseller on African safari holiday slowly going terribly wrong, and Boston homicide detective Jane Rizzoli six years later as she and Medical Examiner Dr. Maura Isles investigate several grisly homicides which take them into the world of big cats and game hunting. Gripping and fascinating, I could hardly stand to put this down for a minute.
This year, I'm not setting a reading goal. I'm just going to keep a running tally and see what I come up with. Seven so far!
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
Top 10 on Tuesday: Oh, the horror!
This time of year, there's nothing like a good scare. Monster movie marathons abound on television. Hollywood waits until October to release its biggest scary blockbusters. Stores are full of costumes and spooky decorations (scariest part? I saw Christmas decorations in the stores last week. I almost ran screaming from the building.) So why should reading or the library be any different? To this librarian, there's nothing better than a good old-fashioned scare on a dark and stormy October evening.
I'll admit that I'm a bit of a horror genre junkie, and I've written a lot about it over the years. From vampires to monsters to creepy gothic novels to some of the classics, I've talked about the spectrum. But the good news is that there are always more books to talk about, and so I've got some of my all-time favorites to share with you today, across a broad spectrum of the genre, from those that leave you uneasy to those that just might keep you up at night.
1. The Exorcist, by William Peter Blatty. The film adaptation of this scared me so much as a kid, I think I slept with the lights on for a month. It was only in my twenties that I actually went back and read it in an attempt to finally put my fears to rest. It worked, sort of. It's still one of the scariest stories I've ever encountered, both raw and profane. The 11-year-old daughter of a movie actress in 1970's Washington, D.C. becomes possessed by an ancient demon, and it is left to her mother, an elderly exorcist, and a young priest who has lost his faith, to rescue Regan from a fate worse than death after all scientific explanations have been exhausted. This is the ultimate good vs. evil, not for the faint of heart.
2. American Psycho, by Bret Easton Ellis. In this black satire of the materialistic eighties, a Wall Street yuppie can't get enough of anything, including murder. The book, which was also turned into a cult classic of a film, is a mad slasher of a tale, full of narcissism, greed and violence as educated and successful Patrick Bateman moves in the society of the young and trendy like a shark, hunting his next victim. Scariest perhaps for the paper-thin veneer of civility that covers Bateman's true murderous tendencies, this novel sends readers down the rabbit-hole into chaos and madness.
3. The Ruins, by Scott Smith. Two American couples, just out of college, enjoy a lazy beach holiday together in Mexico. On an impulse, they go off with newfound friends in search of one of their group--the young German who headed off for the archaeological dig in some remote Mayan ruins in pursuit of a girl. Then the searchers, as they move deeper into the jungle, begin to suspect that there is an "other" among them.
4. John Dies at the End, by David Wong. Part dark comedy, part Lovecraft-ian terror, this might be the story of two Midwestern friends who drink beer and think something horrific is going on in their small town. Or it could be aliens. Or it could be a drug-induced hallucinations. In any case, the narrator claims no responsibility. For those who like a little hilarity to break up their scares.
5. The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood. This dystopian novel, often billed as science fiction, is the scary near-future tale of a world in which a totalitarian Christian theocracy has overthrown the United States government and the first order of business was to remove all women's rights. In this society, almost all women are forbidden to read. The story is presented from the point of view of a woman called Offred, one of a class of individuals kept as concubines ("handmaids") for reproductive purposes by the ruling class in an era of declining births due to sterility from pollution and sexually transmitted diseases. This is guaranteed to make even the most jaded reader uneasy.
6. The Passage, by Justin Cronin. Imagine vampirism as a virus, which infects millions of Americans. States secede and set up giant walls. The outside world cuts off the North American continent. What would human civilization look like after 100 years in a camp of survivors abandoned by the Army? This is a huge book at nearly 800 pages, but I promise that it is not a slow read by any means. I highly recommend this for fans of Walking Dead-like dystopian stories with a broad cast of characters. Bonus points, this is the first in a trilogy, with the third installment tentatively due out next year.
7. We Need to Talk About Kevin, by Lionel Shriver. This is often described as a psychological study of a novel, but I found it deeply unsettling and nightmarish. Told in a series of missives by Eva to her estranged husband in the wake of the incarceration of their 17-year-old son, Kevin, after Kevin's murderous rampage in school, the novel explores Eva's own feelings about motherhood as well as her observations of her difficult first child over the years. Raw and brutally honest and extremely unnerving.
8. World War Z, by Max Brooks. If you like your horror with a heaping helping of zombies, this is a must-read (especially if you liked the movie, which I thought was pretty good). An account of the decade-long conflict between humankind and hordes of the predatory undead is told from the perspective of dozens of survivors who describe in their own words the epic human battle for survival.
9. Misery, by Stephen King. One of the scariest King novels, in my opinion. Rescued after a car crash by his "Number One Fan", author Paul Sheldon is held captive by and forced to rewrite his most recent novel, yet to be published, to the specifications of crazed fan Annie Wilkes. But even as he mends and writes and plots his escape, Paul has to tread very carefully to try and stay alive, because Annie is lunatic who isn't afraid to hurt the one she loves. If you think you know the whole story because you've seen the movie, you don't know the half of it.
10. The Woman in Black, by Susan Hill. This classic ghost story was unfortunately not particularly well done in its film release, but the novel itself is excellent--a chilling tale of a small English town haunted by a menacing specter. Guaranteed to make you jump at every noise in the night.
Want more recommendations? Stop by the library and check out this week's display of horror novels on the main floor, across from the circulation desk!
I'll admit that I'm a bit of a horror genre junkie, and I've written a lot about it over the years. From vampires to monsters to creepy gothic novels to some of the classics, I've talked about the spectrum. But the good news is that there are always more books to talk about, and so I've got some of my all-time favorites to share with you today, across a broad spectrum of the genre, from those that leave you uneasy to those that just might keep you up at night.
1. The Exorcist, by William Peter Blatty. The film adaptation of this scared me so much as a kid, I think I slept with the lights on for a month. It was only in my twenties that I actually went back and read it in an attempt to finally put my fears to rest. It worked, sort of. It's still one of the scariest stories I've ever encountered, both raw and profane. The 11-year-old daughter of a movie actress in 1970's Washington, D.C. becomes possessed by an ancient demon, and it is left to her mother, an elderly exorcist, and a young priest who has lost his faith, to rescue Regan from a fate worse than death after all scientific explanations have been exhausted. This is the ultimate good vs. evil, not for the faint of heart.
2. American Psycho, by Bret Easton Ellis. In this black satire of the materialistic eighties, a Wall Street yuppie can't get enough of anything, including murder. The book, which was also turned into a cult classic of a film, is a mad slasher of a tale, full of narcissism, greed and violence as educated and successful Patrick Bateman moves in the society of the young and trendy like a shark, hunting his next victim. Scariest perhaps for the paper-thin veneer of civility that covers Bateman's true murderous tendencies, this novel sends readers down the rabbit-hole into chaos and madness.
3. The Ruins, by Scott Smith. Two American couples, just out of college, enjoy a lazy beach holiday together in Mexico. On an impulse, they go off with newfound friends in search of one of their group--the young German who headed off for the archaeological dig in some remote Mayan ruins in pursuit of a girl. Then the searchers, as they move deeper into the jungle, begin to suspect that there is an "other" among them.
4. John Dies at the End, by David Wong. Part dark comedy, part Lovecraft-ian terror, this might be the story of two Midwestern friends who drink beer and think something horrific is going on in their small town. Or it could be aliens. Or it could be a drug-induced hallucinations. In any case, the narrator claims no responsibility. For those who like a little hilarity to break up their scares.
5. The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood. This dystopian novel, often billed as science fiction, is the scary near-future tale of a world in which a totalitarian Christian theocracy has overthrown the United States government and the first order of business was to remove all women's rights. In this society, almost all women are forbidden to read. The story is presented from the point of view of a woman called Offred, one of a class of individuals kept as concubines ("handmaids") for reproductive purposes by the ruling class in an era of declining births due to sterility from pollution and sexually transmitted diseases. This is guaranteed to make even the most jaded reader uneasy.
6. The Passage, by Justin Cronin. Imagine vampirism as a virus, which infects millions of Americans. States secede and set up giant walls. The outside world cuts off the North American continent. What would human civilization look like after 100 years in a camp of survivors abandoned by the Army? This is a huge book at nearly 800 pages, but I promise that it is not a slow read by any means. I highly recommend this for fans of Walking Dead-like dystopian stories with a broad cast of characters. Bonus points, this is the first in a trilogy, with the third installment tentatively due out next year.
7. We Need to Talk About Kevin, by Lionel Shriver. This is often described as a psychological study of a novel, but I found it deeply unsettling and nightmarish. Told in a series of missives by Eva to her estranged husband in the wake of the incarceration of their 17-year-old son, Kevin, after Kevin's murderous rampage in school, the novel explores Eva's own feelings about motherhood as well as her observations of her difficult first child over the years. Raw and brutally honest and extremely unnerving.
8. World War Z, by Max Brooks. If you like your horror with a heaping helping of zombies, this is a must-read (especially if you liked the movie, which I thought was pretty good). An account of the decade-long conflict between humankind and hordes of the predatory undead is told from the perspective of dozens of survivors who describe in their own words the epic human battle for survival.
9. Misery, by Stephen King. One of the scariest King novels, in my opinion. Rescued after a car crash by his "Number One Fan", author Paul Sheldon is held captive by and forced to rewrite his most recent novel, yet to be published, to the specifications of crazed fan Annie Wilkes. But even as he mends and writes and plots his escape, Paul has to tread very carefully to try and stay alive, because Annie is lunatic who isn't afraid to hurt the one she loves. If you think you know the whole story because you've seen the movie, you don't know the half of it.
10. The Woman in Black, by Susan Hill. This classic ghost story was unfortunately not particularly well done in its film release, but the novel itself is excellent--a chilling tale of a small English town haunted by a menacing specter. Guaranteed to make you jump at every noise in the night.
Want more recommendations? Stop by the library and check out this week's display of horror novels on the main floor, across from the circulation desk!
Thursday, October 10, 2013
Reading Ahead: November 2013, part 3
Historical fiction is one of my (many) favorite genres to read. Fact blended with a great story--who could ask for more? I hope you're with me on this, because November has several great selections to choose from!
Stella Bain, by Anita Shreve. A story of an amnesiac American WWI nurse, found on a French battlefield and unable to remember anything of the last four months of her life, and the surgeon who takes her in. From London to America and back again, this is a story of love and the meaning of memory. I cannot wait.
Bellman & Black, by Diane Setterfield. A little ghost story, a little historical, and entirely Setterfield, author of 2006's The Thirteenth Tale. (FYI, I adored her first novel. You can read my review here.) As a youth, William Bellman gets caught up in a moment of boyish competition and commits an act of cruelty. As he grows up, however, this memory fades until is completely forgotten. Someone else, however, has remembered all these years, and William is about to get his comeuppance. This is bound to be spooky and delicious.
The Valley of Amazement, by Amy Tan. Tan, author of The Joy Luck Club (among others), is finally back from a long break after 2005's Saving Fish From Drowning. Spanning forty years and two continents, Tan's story takes readers from Chinese villages in remote, mist-shrouded mountains to lavish Shanghai parlors, across the crumbling of the Last Dynasty and the rise of the Republic. Tan does what she does best--explores the relationships of mothers and daughters, complicated by culture, location and generation gaps. I am awaiting this with baited breath--Tan is a quiet powerhouse.
Looking for a mystery to sink your teeth into next month? I've got you covered in next Tuesday's post. In the meantime, happy reading!
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Seasonal reading
Busy days here at the Trumbull Library. It seems that as the days get shorter, they're packed fuller and fuller. And yet, there are some moments of downtime, even just a few, when we get to relish the change in the seasons. Autumn is my favorite season. I love the cool evenings and brisk mornings, the vibrant foliage, trips to the orchard, Halloween and those perfectly clear days where the sky seems impossibly blue. In celebration of these changes, here are a few books to help you pause during these busy days and savor the season.
With Halloween just around the corner, it's not too late to add some easy, festive decorations. Check out Artful Halloween by Susan Wasinger for fast and easy crafts, from super-creepy disembodied hands to DIY garlands with a literary touch, to a variety of ways to spruce up your average pumpkin. (Also, for year-round crafts that are eco-friendly, try Wasinger's Eco-craft: recycle, recraft, restyle, too.) Feel like you could use a little inspiration for your jack-o-lantern this year? The library can help! For kid-friendly guides, try J. Angelique Johnson's Making a Jack-o'-lantern, step by step or Sarah Schuette's How To Carve Freakishly Cool Pumpkins. But who says that pumpkin carving is just for kids? If you're really looking for something out of the ordinary, take a browse through Tom Nardone's Extreme Pumpkins II. Trust me: Tom Nardone knows extreme pumpkin carving.
What would Halloween be without parties and costumes? Get great ideas for grownup get-togethers with Adult Halloween Parties by Mary T. McCarthy, with tips for themes, costumes, food and beverages or the Better Homes and Gardens compilation of the Best of Halloween Tricks & Treats. And for the kids, have a monstrously good time with the help of Chris Kullstroem's Making a Monstrous Halloween and Monster Parties & Games, the latter being particularly useful if you wanted to do a monster-movie tie-in.
Lastly, with pumpkin insinuating itself into all of your daily foods and beverages, why not embrace the season with some comfort cooking and baking. The Seasonal Baker, by John Barricelli will help you use all those fresh-picked apples from the orchard, and make the most of the plentiful pumpkin with recipes for cakes, pies, quick-breads, tarts and crisps. Think that your food allergy or sensitivity means that you can't enjoy the bounty of the season? Think again! Colette Martin's new book, Learning to Bake Allergen-Free, has recipes to accommodate every dietary need. Finally, if you're looking for something to warm you up on a chilly day, I have to recommend Rick Rodgers' Autumn Gatherings and Comfort Food. I love his recipes, and use his Thanksgiving 101 faithfully to help me out every year. These two seasonal selections provide detailed instructions, thoughtful commentary and a nostalgic feel for simpler times.
Now get out there and enjoy the season! I'll be back next week with a little monster mash-up guaranteed to put you in a ghoulish mood!
With Halloween just around the corner, it's not too late to add some easy, festive decorations. Check out Artful Halloween by Susan Wasinger for fast and easy crafts, from super-creepy disembodied hands to DIY garlands with a literary touch, to a variety of ways to spruce up your average pumpkin. (Also, for year-round crafts that are eco-friendly, try Wasinger's Eco-craft: recycle, recraft, restyle, too.) Feel like you could use a little inspiration for your jack-o-lantern this year? The library can help! For kid-friendly guides, try J. Angelique Johnson's Making a Jack-o'-lantern, step by step or Sarah Schuette's How To Carve Freakishly Cool Pumpkins. But who says that pumpkin carving is just for kids? If you're really looking for something out of the ordinary, take a browse through Tom Nardone's Extreme Pumpkins II. Trust me: Tom Nardone knows extreme pumpkin carving.
What would Halloween be without parties and costumes? Get great ideas for grownup get-togethers with Adult Halloween Parties by Mary T. McCarthy, with tips for themes, costumes, food and beverages or the Better Homes and Gardens compilation of the Best of Halloween Tricks & Treats. And for the kids, have a monstrously good time with the help of Chris Kullstroem's Making a Monstrous Halloween and Monster Parties & Games, the latter being particularly useful if you wanted to do a monster-movie tie-in.
Lastly, with pumpkin insinuating itself into all of your daily foods and beverages, why not embrace the season with some comfort cooking and baking. The Seasonal Baker, by John Barricelli will help you use all those fresh-picked apples from the orchard, and make the most of the plentiful pumpkin with recipes for cakes, pies, quick-breads, tarts and crisps. Think that your food allergy or sensitivity means that you can't enjoy the bounty of the season? Think again! Colette Martin's new book, Learning to Bake Allergen-Free, has recipes to accommodate every dietary need. Finally, if you're looking for something to warm you up on a chilly day, I have to recommend Rick Rodgers' Autumn Gatherings and Comfort Food. I love his recipes, and use his Thanksgiving 101 faithfully to help me out every year. These two seasonal selections provide detailed instructions, thoughtful commentary and a nostalgic feel for simpler times.
Now get out there and enjoy the season! I'll be back next week with a little monster mash-up guaranteed to put you in a ghoulish mood!
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Hauntings and Houses
While we've touched on hauntings in other posts this month, I'd like to take a moment to talk about my absolute favorites when it comes to fiction about hauntings and haunted buildings. As I've mentioned, I adore Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House (really, you owe it to yourself to take the time to read this) and Stephen King's Bag of Bones (creepy, but with a love story that never fails to move me). As always, though, there is always more to read, and what a great problem to have! So, if Ghosthunters or Paranormal Activity are a few of the things that give you goosebumps, here are a few novels right up your alley.
Heart Shaped Box, by Joe Hill. With a fast-paced plot and surprises at every turn, Hill's debut was a memorable ghost story. Aging rock star Judas Coyne has a growing collection of curios and oddities, so when the opportunity arises to purchase a suit supposedly haunted by its former owner, he's eager to buy. When the spirit attached to the clothing turns out to be the father of one of Coyne's former groupies, once discarded and then dead by her own hand, who seems to be bent on avenging his daughter's suicide. Hill, however, writes with such nuance that just when you think you have everything figured out, he turns the whole story on its ear. One of those great stories that you just can't seem to read fast enough, because you can't wait to find out what happens next. Go get it!
The Woman in Black, by Susan Hill. This is atmospheric, gothic horror at its finest. Set on an isolated English moor, the story of young solicitor Arthur Kipps starts innocently enough, as he comes north to attend the funeral and settle the estate of a client. Upon his arrival at the old manor house, however, what started as an ordinary business trip becomes increasingly more disturbing as sinister forces within the house manifest. If you are in the mood for a traditional chiller, you cannot go wrong here. ps--Daniel Radcliffe is starring in the movie, which will be released in early 2012.
Ghosts: The Story of a Reunion, by Adrian Plass. As much a tale of loss as it is a chilling story of a haunting, Plass's ghosts are people, too. David Herrick suffers from nightmares when he tries to sleep, and from raw grief while he's awake, following the death of his wife, Jessica. When Jessica's best friend, Angela, contacts David, it's to let him know that she possesses one final thing left for him by Jessica. The stipulation, however, is that he travel to Angela's home, reported to be haunted, in order to claim it. Ghosts take many forms and play many roles in this story, from scary to sympathetic. Definitely not a ghost story soon forgotten.
I'm back next week with a new Top 10 on Tuesday, and an homage to the King of Horror. See you then!
Heart Shaped Box, by Joe Hill. With a fast-paced plot and surprises at every turn, Hill's debut was a memorable ghost story. Aging rock star Judas Coyne has a growing collection of curios and oddities, so when the opportunity arises to purchase a suit supposedly haunted by its former owner, he's eager to buy. When the spirit attached to the clothing turns out to be the father of one of Coyne's former groupies, once discarded and then dead by her own hand, who seems to be bent on avenging his daughter's suicide. Hill, however, writes with such nuance that just when you think you have everything figured out, he turns the whole story on its ear. One of those great stories that you just can't seem to read fast enough, because you can't wait to find out what happens next. Go get it!
The Woman in Black, by Susan Hill. This is atmospheric, gothic horror at its finest. Set on an isolated English moor, the story of young solicitor Arthur Kipps starts innocently enough, as he comes north to attend the funeral and settle the estate of a client. Upon his arrival at the old manor house, however, what started as an ordinary business trip becomes increasingly more disturbing as sinister forces within the house manifest. If you are in the mood for a traditional chiller, you cannot go wrong here. ps--Daniel Radcliffe is starring in the movie, which will be released in early 2012.
Ghosts: The Story of a Reunion, by Adrian Plass. As much a tale of loss as it is a chilling story of a haunting, Plass's ghosts are people, too. David Herrick suffers from nightmares when he tries to sleep, and from raw grief while he's awake, following the death of his wife, Jessica. When Jessica's best friend, Angela, contacts David, it's to let him know that she possesses one final thing left for him by Jessica. The stipulation, however, is that he travel to Angela's home, reported to be haunted, in order to claim it. Ghosts take many forms and play many roles in this story, from scary to sympathetic. Definitely not a ghost story soon forgotten.
I'm back next week with a new Top 10 on Tuesday, and an homage to the King of Horror. See you then!
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