Book Reviews

[Martin]

Added these three to my TBR list. Thanks Bugen and Martin. One of my favourite things about being on this forum is the constant stream of recommendations I get. It's hard to keep up with but what a great problem to have.

I know I have been introduced to some good reads I would never have considered without the folks here!

[Martin]

The Last Unicorn - Peter S. Beagle

“It’s not enough to be ready to see—you have to be looking all the time.”

Summarizing this book without tarnishing its perfection is impossible, as a plot synopsis consisting of a few sentences can easily lead one to believe it’s standard fantasy fare.

It is not.

The bones of the story may boil down to look routine, but the profundity of the writing, the sledgehammer of wisdom and fancy pounding away at your head and heart makes this one for the ages.

And anything else is a spoiler.

The book must be read.

I did not know that I was so empty, to be so full.

5 stars

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I am not a big fantasy reader but you have me intrigued, great review!

[HumphreyBear]

Added these three to my TBR list. Thanks Bugen and Martin. One of my favourite things about being on this forum is the constant stream of recommendations I get. It's hard to keep up with but what a great problem to have.

[bugen]

The Last Unicorn - Peter S. Beagle

“It’s not enough to be ready to see—you have to be looking all the time.”

Summarizing this book without tarnishing its perfection is impossible, as a plot synopsis consisting of a few sentences can easily lead one to believe it’s standard fantasy fare.

It is not.

The bones of the story may boil down to look routine, but the profundity of the writing, the sledgehammer of wisdom and fancy pounding away at your head and heart makes this one for the ages.

And anything else is a spoiler.

The book must be read.

I did not know that I was so empty, to be so full.

5 stars

The Last Unicorn.jpg

[Martin]

If you haven't ordered Widow's Point by Richard and Billy Chizmar you should order it. If you have it but have not yet read it you should read it.

This is a great read:
Have to be honest, I had reservations when ordering this book. Richard Chizmar's collection A Long December was one of my top reads from last year and I really wanted more from him. However the plot for this one has been done before. Writer stays in haunted location to write a story about it, but things ensue.
Well I am happy to say that this book, while a familiar theme, was a totally unique story. Writer Thomas Livingston moves into a long closed lighthouse that has been the scene of several tragedy's for a three night stay. He takes along provisions for the three days, a video camera and an audio camera. While inside he discovers the diary of a young girl who perished long ago inside the lighthouse. As events unfold you ride along with Mr. Livingston as this adventure moves from a simple research mission to a fight for his life and sanity.

Great read co-written by Richard Chizmar and his Son Billy Chizmar. I have the feeling we will be hearing a lot more from Billy in the future.

[Sock Monkey]

Mystery Road
By Kevin Lucia
Cemetery Dance Publications

Well A Cemetery Dance Grab bag has again introduced me to a new author I will be seeking out going forward.
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Kevin Lucia's Mystery Road is a haunting mystery that left me wanting more. This book will be in the Cemetery Dance Novella series and is only 89 pages long. While riding a familiar path to meet a friend fifteen year old Kevin Ellison spots a road he has never noticed before. Curiosity gets the best of him and he decides to explore this road. He finds a house at the end of the road that is strangely familiar to him. I do not want to give away too much of the story but I highly recommend this one.

Five Star Story

Thanks for the review! This was going to be a "given" as a buy due to being part of the Novella series, but this makes me even more excited for it!

[Brian861]

Really love how CP numbers/letters their stuff!

Good to know, Martin regarding the forthcoming Novella Series story. Looking forward to those new editions once their announced.

[bugen]

I loved this one, too. Fabulous story.

[Martin]

Mystery Road
By Kevin Lucia
Cemetery Dance Publications

Well A Cemetery Dance Grab bag has again introduced me to a new author I will be seeking out going forward.
P1360929.jpg

Kevin Lucia's Mystery Road is a haunting mystery that left me wanting more. This book will be in the Cemetery Dance Novella series and is only 89 pages long. While riding a familiar path to meet a friend fifteen year old Kevin Ellison spots a road he has never noticed before. Curiosity gets the best of him and he decides to explore this road. He finds a house at the end of the road that is strangely familiar to him. I do not want to give away too much of the story but I highly recommend this one.

Five Star Story

[RonClinton]

I always reading and watching Bugen's reviews, and certainly agree with him on the Talbot novel (haven't read the others)...my first read of it was via the Valancourt tpb and I really enjoyed it, so much so that I sprung for the Centipede limited shown above, even though I'd already read it.

[mhatchett]

Excellent!

[bugen]

The Delicate Dependency - Michael Talbot

"You are confronting a reality you do not have the powers of conceptualization to understand."

Dr. Gladstone, a Victorian gentleman heavily engaged in his study of the flu virus after losing his wife to it, discovers a strain that prohibits antigens—a virus which disallows the human body any form of self-defense.

The doctor has two daughters, the youngest of which is severely mentally handicapped except in her recollection of and ability to reproduce music, where she is a savant. When she’s kidnapped by a mysterious young man the doctor has been studying, a man claiming to be vampire and with physical traits to support such claim, the doctor suspends his research to focus on the search for her, a search which leads him to the heart of a worldwide conspiracy.

More mystery than horror, and truncated by necessity for a quickly moving story, within the book lies an alternate history of man. This may be the greatest of all vampire novels, not just in its rendition of the creature, in explaining its purpose and existence, but in the book’s reminder that we comprehend 100% of nothing in a world that's always had deception as a key tapestry.

Richard Matheson, we have ourselves a tie for Greatest Vampire Novel.

All the teeming peoples of the world may prove themselves wretched, but the wonders of their creation will remain.

5 stars

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[Brian861]

Of his full length novel works, I would put them in this order: NOS4A2, HEART-SHAPED BOX, GUNPOWDER (ok, a novella), HORNS, and THE FIREMAN. I've not read his Locke & Key graphic novels.

I think you'd really enjoy Locke & Key, Ron.

[RonClinton]

Of his full length novel works, I would put them in this order: NOS4A2, HEART-SHAPED BOX, GUNPOWDER (ok, a novella), HORNS, and THE FIREMAN. I've not read his Locke & Key graphic novels.

[Brian861]

Locke & Key is my favorite Hill work and Heart Shaped Box is my favorite novel.

Just finished up HSB on audio. I enjoyed it so it's in the top 3 for now. I'm listening to 20th Century Ghost next.