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    August - How Many...?

    Completed nine for August:

    How It Happened by Michael Koryta:
    After reading Those Who Wish Me Dead by Michael Koryta I wanted to try something else. The plot of this one. Two murders, an inmate who implicates herself in the murders but tells a story that does not match the known evidence in intrigued me. Add an Audible sale and I am in. While this is an enjoyable story it is not up to the standard set by Those Who Wish Me Dead. There are a few plot twists that are visible long before you reach them but there are also several that really surprised me. Overall a solid story and an author I will go back to again.
    Four Stars

    The Conception of Terror: Tales Inspired by M.R. James – Volume 1 by M.R. James:
    This is a collection of old short stories that have been updated to current times. Each story is a unique ghost story. I would have preferred the original story as I did not need cell phones and other modern elements inserted. The stories remain fantastic!
    Five Stars

    It Burns: The Scandal-Plagued Race to Breed the World’s Hottest Chili by Marc Fennell:
    This was an Audible original that tells the story a couple of people trying to create the world’s hottest chili. There were parts of the story that interested me but overall this one I could have skipped.
    Two Stars

    The Talisman by Stephen King:
    One of three Stephen King novels I have not yet read. I was expecting a Dark Tower related story. What I got was a modern telling of The Wizard of Oz. It was a great experience to be introduced to a classic King tale so many years after it was published. This was a fantastic read!
    Five Stars

    The Road That Takes You There by Jason Sechrest:
    This story packs an emotional punch. Another solid offering from Jason Sechrest via Patreon.
    Four Stars

    Green Eyes by Jason Sechrest:
    The August Patreon offering from Jason Sechrest was the weakest of his stories but still a good read.,
    Three Stars

    The Saturday Night Ghost Club by Craig Davidson:
    This one has been on my TBR for a few months now and I finally jumped in. The story is actually hard to explain. It is a tale of a man remembering the events of one summer of his youth. There is a lot of depth to the story.
    Four Stars

    Brother by Ania Ahlborn:
    I had honestly never heard of either the story of author before Paul Suntup announced the Limited Edition. The synopsis and the many reviews I saw after the announcement intrigued me. The story is a disturbing tale but is more about the people than the horrific acts. This is a fantastic story and I will try this author again.
    Five Stars

    The Thicket by Joe R Lansdale:
    While taking a break from the Hap and Leonard series I decided I wanted some Joe R Lansdale. I had read positive comments about this story so I decided to give it a try. A chapter in I was wondering if I had made a mistake as the story felt dry and slow. A little over two chapters in I was totally hooked. This is a fantastic story.
    Five Stars

    #2
    I certainly agree w/ you on the Ahlborn and Lansdale books...five-star reading, both of 'em. Good to hear THE SATURDAY NIGHT GHOST CLUB is a good one...that's probably the next book I plan to pluck off my TBR pile.
    Twitter: https://twitter.com/ron_clinton

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      #3
      I'm not sure how many I read in August, but I just wanted to say that I FINALLY finished How Long 'til Black Future Month by N.K. Jemisin - a book that I started back in FEBRUARY!

      Struggled with this collection - and usually I'm the biggest fan of collections of this nature. Considering that I enjoyed the hell out of her Broken Earth trilogy, this collection was disappointing.

      Comment


        #4
        Here are my four for the month.

        Paul Tremblay - Swallowing a Donkey's Eye (1/10) Before starting the much-hyped Head Full of Ghosts, I decided to read this earlier novel. Big mistake. According to the blurb this is a satirical dystopian black comedy, but I found it stupid, juvenile and clichéd. If you think random characters walking around in animal costumes and a terrorist group called FART funny, then this is the book for you.

        John Everson - NightWhere (6/10) Combination of erotic horror and torture porn. Good fun for those of us that like their horror at the extreme end, however, the abrupt ending left me a little deflated.

        Bryan Smith - Murder Squad (7/10) Strong characters, an interesting premise and good set-pieces. The only slight downside for me was that I didn't realise the main characters had featured in the author's previous books, so I'd missed out on their back-stories.

        Erskine Caldwell - Pocket Book of Stories (2/10) Depression-era stories dealing with race, religion, poverty & politics in the southern states. These are mostly character studies and the occasional morality tale with barely a plot to be found.

        Comment


          #5
          Originally posted by TacomaDiver View Post
          I'm not sure how many I read in August, but I just wanted to say that I FINALLY finished How Long 'til Black Future Month by N.K. Jemisin - a book that I started back in FEBRUARY!

          Struggled with this collection - and usually I'm the biggest fan of collections of this nature. Considering that I enjoyed the hell out of her Broken Earth trilogy, this collection was disappointing.
          Thanks for your views on How Long 'til Black Future Month. I considered that one and decided it was to heavy in the fantasy realm for me. I probably made the correct choice.

          Comment


            #6
            Originally posted by RonClinton View Post
            I certainly agree w/ you on the Ahlborn and Lansdale books...five-star reading, both of 'em. Good to hear THE SATURDAY NIGHT GHOST CLUB is a good one...that's probably the next book I plan to pluck off my TBR pile.
            I read Saturday Night Ghost Club in July. Loved it.in August I read the following
            Wanderers by Chuck Wendig 4 stars
            Murder Squad by Bryan Smith 4 stars
            Stepford Wives Ira Levin 5 stars
            Let The Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist 4 stars
            Watching Your Theater Jonathan Janz 3 stars.

            Comment


              #7
              Originally posted by bookworm 1 View Post
              I
              Murder Squad by Bryan Smith 4 stars
              Snap! Had you read the other books featuring these characters before? Did it influence your enjoyment of the book?

              Comment


                #8
                Just one here, and I'm not done it yet. I've been really struggling with Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan. I think the major problem I'm having is that I think the single season of the show on Netflix is better than the book. Not to say that the book is bad, but that the show is just that good, and I unfortunately saw the show first. So I'm just kinda struggling to finish the first book of this series. It doesn't really help that the person reading the audio book is kinda dull.
                CD Email: [email protected]

                Non-Work related social media and what not:
                Instagram

                Buy my stuff! - https://www.etsy.com/shop/HockersWoodWorks

                Comment


                  #9
                  Originally posted by Dan Hocker View Post
                  Just one here, and I'm not done it yet. I've been really struggling with Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan. I think the major problem I'm having is that I think the single season of the show on Netflix is better than the book. Not to say that the book is bad, but that the show is just that good, and I unfortunately saw the show first. So I'm just kinda struggling to finish the first book of this series. It doesn't really help that the person reading the audio book is kinda dull.
                  Dan,
                  You are dead to me.....LOL!! I love that Book! And I thought the series was OK HAHHA!
                  Mike

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Originally posted by mhatchett View Post
                    Dan,
                    You are dead to me.....LOL!! I love that Book! And I thought the series was OK HAHHA!
                    Mike
                    It very well could be the guy reading the audio book that's ruining it for me. He's sooo lifeless. Granted the unnecessarily descriptive sex scenes are totally un-needed as well. I mean it's not exactly a grocery store romance novel...
                    CD Email: [email protected]

                    Non-Work related social media and what not:
                    Instagram

                    Buy my stuff! - https://www.etsy.com/shop/HockersWoodWorks

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Originally posted by JasonUK View Post
                      Snap! Had you read the other books featuring these characters before? Did it influence your enjoyment of the book?
                      Yes I have read the other books connected to this one. I’m a huge Bryan Smith fan. Yes I think it helped knowing the back stories of the characters. But if you haven’t read the other books this one might make you want to read them. I think that Bryan Smith is the top modern day noir And pulp horror author around right now.

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Originally posted by bookworm 1 View Post
                        Yes I have read the other books connected to this one. I’m a huge Bryan Smith fan. Yes I think it helped knowing the back stories of the characters. But if you haven’t read the other books this one might make you want to read them. I think that Bryan Smith is the top modern day noir And pulp horror author around right now.
                        I've got to give Bryan Smith another shot. I very much didn't like 68 Kill, but found Blood and Whiskey a lot more enjoyable. He has a tendency--at least in the two books that I've read of his--of having his characters use pop culture references in their dialogue and then he goes on to explain the reference, which just took me right out of the story. I'm got an old paperback of The Killing Kind in the TBR pile so that'll be on one I go next. Unless you have a better suggestion? What would be the Bryan Smith book you'd recommend?

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Originally posted by Sock Monkey View Post
                          I've got to give Bryan Smith another shot. . . . What would be the Bryan Smith book you'd recommend?
                          I read SLOWLY WE ROT, which according to some is his best, and thought it was okay...okay, not great, and not the innovative, fresh take on the zombie theme that I'd been led to believe it was. As such, perhaps my expectations were too high...but I don't think so, I just think it was an okay novel, nothing more, nothing less. It wasn't enough to make me seek out other work by Smith, so have no other recommendations.
                          Twitter: https://twitter.com/ron_clinton

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Originally posted by Sock Monkey View Post
                            I've got to give Bryan Smith another shot. I very much didn't like 68 Kill, but found Blood and Whiskey a lot more enjoyable. He has a tendency--at least in the two books that I've read of his--of having his characters use pop culture references in their dialogue and then he goes on to explain the reference, which just took me right out of the story. I'm got an old paperback of The Killing Kind in the TBR pile so that'll be on one I go next. Unless you have a better suggestion? What would be the Bryan Smith book you'd recommend?
                            The Killing Kind is a great place to start. Or Depraved. Both are pretty good reads. I also like his short story collection Highways to Hell. I know some people don't like his style but for me it's very much that old school pulp feel and I really enjoy that. I'm one of the people who thought Slowly We Rot was a great book. His writing is very much with the exception of Slowly We Rot in line with B movie grindhouse style.

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Originally posted by Dan Hocker View Post
                              Just one here, and I'm not done it yet. I've been really struggling with Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan. I think the major problem I'm having is that I think the single season of the show on Netflix is better than the book. Not to say that the book is bad, but that the show is just that good, and I unfortunately saw the show first. So I'm just kinda struggling to finish the first book of this series. It doesn't really help that the person reading the audio book is kinda dull.
                              This happened to me with (don't laugh now) the first Harry potter Book, Struggled through the first novel and never picked up another. Once I had another persons vision and perspective of the characters and story I just kept imagining scenes from the movie, oh well.

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