What are you currently reading?

[Sock Monkey]

Well, DNFd it last night at the halfway point. Got tired of waiting for something to happen. It’s an exhaustively talky (dialogue) book filled with characters that aren’t particularly interesting, and while they talk a lot they don’t actually do a great deal. The mid-apocalyptic(ish) setting is interesting, with light vibes of Blake Crouch’s WAYWARD PINES, but it isn’t explored to any great degree, which seems like a missed opportunity. The town’s rituals and secrets are kept a mystery for far too long, to the point where you increasingly cease to care. I skim read the last twenty or pages to see if it ended the way I would’ve guessed, and it generally did. A stunning disappointment given my love for her previous book, GOOD NEIGHBORS.

That said, if you or anyone else wants still to read it and see if your reaction is different than mine, I’ll sell my signed (at Brian Keene’s store, as noted in the signature) first edition for $20 shipped. Pics here:

https://x.com/ron_clinton/status/178...CUeUjfN8huHsPw

That's a bummer. I was hoping for a winner. Thanks for the offer, but I'm going to hold off for now. I'm feeling really bummed out by disappointment with THE DEAD PENNIES and don't know if I can take another hit in the book-reading morale.

[Sock Monkey]

Just finished reading the Thunderstorm LE of the Golden/Keene edited Drive-in Multiplex Anthology book. I was hoping I would like it more than other reviewers, but this was average at best. While the stories fit within the Drive-In mythos and were decent, the majority of them felt the same, in both content and tone, and none of them ever rose to the level of something truly special. The one exception may be Lansdale's own story from the book, and it's the first one, making the rest of the book feel like even more of a slog. As much as it kills me to write this, I'd recommend readers skip this anthology and just go reread the Drive-In books instead. This book definitely has me worried about the quality of the forthcoming "The Stand" anthology that Keene & Golden are also editing.

Am now reading the Thunderstorm LE of Bryan Smith's "Kill the Hunter". Hope this one is as fun as it sounds as I could use it after the last read!

Unfortunately, your thoughts on MULTIPLEX reflects the growing majority of reviews I've read about it. I honestly struggle with the idea of these riffs on other authors' mythologies. Frankly, the only ones that I enjoy are the Lovecraftian ones and mostly those that push the ideas forward instead of merely attempting to emulate Lovecraft himself. I only bought this one because (a) Lansdale's new story, (b) I like Thunderstorm titles, and (c) with this line-up I figured it had to be a surefire hit. I guess I'll need to crack it open myself to see where I land, but the reviews keep pushing further and further down my TBR list.

[sholloman81]

Yikes, I’m sorry to hear that. I haven’t cracked my copy yet and still plan to, but will go in with expectations firmly tempered (and just hope to be pleasantly surprised).

Hope you like it more than I did! It's not a bad book by any means. Just not what I was hoping for quality wise, especially with this line-up of authors.

[RonClinton]

Just finished reading the Thunderstorm LE of the Golden/Keene edited Drive-in Multiplex Anthology book. I was hoping I would like it more than other reviewers, but this was average at best. While the stories fit within the Drive-In mythos and were decent, the majority of them felt the same, in both content and tone, and none of them ever rose to the level of something truly special. The one exception may be Lansdale's own story from the book, and it's the first one, making the rest of the book feel like even more of a slog. As much as it kills me to write this, I'd recommend readers skip this anthology and just go reread the Drive-In books instead. This book definitely has me worried about the quality of the forthcoming "The Stand" anthology that Keene & Golden are also editing.

Am now reading the Thunderstorm LE of Bryan Smith's "Kill the Hunter". Hope this one is as fun as it sounds as I could use it after the last read!

Yikes, I’m sorry to hear that. I haven’t cracked my copy yet and still plan to, but will go in with expectations firmly tempered (and just hope to be pleasantly surprised).

[sholloman81]

Just finished reading the Thunderstorm LE of the Golden/Keene edited Drive-in Multiplex Anthology book. I was hoping I would like it more than other reviewers, but this was average at best. While the stories fit within the Drive-In mythos and were decent, the majority of them felt the same, in both content and tone, and none of them ever rose to the level of something truly special. The one exception may be Lansdale's own story from the book, and it's the first one, making the rest of the book feel like even more of a slog. As much as it kills me to write this, I'd recommend readers skip this anthology and just go reread the Drive-In books instead. This book definitely has me worried about the quality of the forthcoming "The Stand" anthology that Keene & Golden are also editing.

Am now reading the Thunderstorm LE of Bryan Smith's "Kill the Hunter". Hope this one is as fun as it sounds as I could use it after the last read!

[brlesh]

About half way through Shakespeare Unleashed, an anthology of horror / dark fantasy stories based on the works of William Shakespeare, edited by James Aquilone.

Hit or miss so far, though I feel I would probably have a greater appreciation for some of the stories if I was more familiar with the works of Shakespeare.

B

[RonClinton]

Curious to hear your thoughts. I've heard some good buzz. Interestingly, I recently stumbled across my paperback of THE KEEPER and thought about giving it a re-read. Maybe the universe is pointing me in the direction of reading more Langan?

Well, DNFd it last night at the halfway point. Got tired of waiting for something to happen. It’s an exhaustively talky (dialogue) book filled with characters that aren’t particularly interesting, and while they talk a lot they don’t actually do a great deal. The mid-apocalyptic(ish) setting is interesting, with light vibes of Blake Crouch’s WAYWARD PINES, but it isn’t explored to any great degree, which seems like a missed opportunity. The town’s rituals and secrets are kept a mystery for far too long, to the point where you increasingly cease to care. I skim read the last twenty or pages to see if it ended the way I would’ve guessed, and it generally did. A stunning disappointment given my love for her previous book, GOOD NEIGHBORS.

That said, if you or anyone else wants still to read it and see if your reaction is different than mine, I’ll sell my signed (at Brian Keene’s store, as noted in the signature) first edition for $20 shipped. Pics here:

https://x.com/ron_clinton/status/178...CUeUjfN8huHsPw

[dannyboy121070]

I finished, FINALLY, Josh Malerman's SPIN A BLACK YARN, after two months of slogging through. I should have just given up, but I was supposed to review it, and the fact that it's a collection of novellas made me think "This will probably be over soon, and the next one might be better." It was not over soon, and the next ones were not better.

I couldn't tell you how BIRD BOX ended to save my life, but I can say that Malerman's recent novel INCIDENTS AROUND THE HOUSE, the novellas in this book, and some shorts that I have read lead me to conclude that this man can't finish a story to save his life. INCIDENTS was a phenomenal book, until a big "reveal" at teh end that made me hear crickets chirp. He managed to stick a decent landing, but that misstep took the book from perfection to "It was pretty good."

The novellas in this book all feel like, what I call, "Dreamy stories", the type where they're just so strange that you can kind of tell yourself that it's just a dream or hallucination of the characters, and often have weird or nonsensical endings. They went on FOREVER. I could never bring myself to read more than a short chapter at a time, and each chapter had at least one "WHEN THE FUCK IS THIS GOING TO END???" come out of my mouth. I have a lot of Malerman books on deck, but this has made me put them on the back end of my pile. Even the afterword, a weird love letter to his business partner/best friend, went on for about 10 or 15 pages.....I don't need the bromance, wrap it the fuck up!

I was going to jump into the George Romero/Daniel Kraus PAY THE PIPER, but I really, REALLY needed something that I knew was going to be good, so I started Max Brooks' TIGER CHAIR, which is already giving me existential anxiety.

[TacomaDiver]

Earlier this week I finished a book that my wife recommended to me - I mean, told me to read - Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr.

She said that she always reads what I recommend her but I never read anything she recommends (her genres involve a lot of YA that I have no interest in.)

But this one was really good. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

Then I started Exit Black by Joe Pitkin. Described as Die Hard meets The Martian with a dash of Knives Out. Sounded like a winner, but it's take a bit for me to grow into it. Luckily it's a fairly short book and I'm about 20ish% finished already.

[Boggle Champion]

Finished Out by Natsuo Kirino...absolutely loved it. Excellent crime fiction that went in directions I wasn't expecting at all. Funny and extremely violent at parts. I'll definitely pick up the other translated books by the author.

This weekend I'll be delving into You Like it Darker by King..had to put it on hold to finish Out for a book club, but really looking forward to this one! I love King's short story collections so my hopes are high.

[Sock Monkey]

I haven't read any of her earlier paperback originals (though did just pick up all three via Pango Books, so will read them at some point), but I loved GOOD NEIGHBORS, her first HC, and this new one appears to have that same suburban-horror vibe, so am going in with high expectations. Will be sure to toss my thoughts onto this thread when I'm done with it.

I completely lost track of her after Audrey's Door, so this new book was kind of a surprise to me.

[RonClinton]

Curious to hear your thoughts. I've heard some good buzz. Interestingly, I recently stumbled across my paperback of THE KEEPER and thought about giving it a re-read. Maybe the universe is pointing me in the direction of reading more Langan?

I haven't read any of her earlier paperback originals (though did just pick up all three via Pango Books, so will read them at some point), but I loved GOOD NEIGHBORS, her first HC, and this new one appears to have that same suburban-horror vibe, so am going in with high expectations. Will be sure to toss my thoughts onto this thread when I'm done with it.

[Sock Monkey]

Starting Sarah Langan's new one, A BETTER WORLD...a 1st/1st HC I got signed at Brian Keene's bookstore.

Curious to hear your thoughts. I've heard some good buzz. Interestingly, I recently stumbled across my paperback of THE KEEPER and thought about giving it a re-read. Maybe the universe is pointing me in the direction of reading more Langan?

[RonClinton]

Starting Sarah Langan's new one, A BETTER WORLD...a 1st/1st HC I got signed at Brian Keene's bookstore.

[Sock Monkey]

Man, you're making me feel so much better about having to pass on the Thunderstorm LE when it was offered. I remember having to choose between Dead Pennies and another book and feeling like I'd totally regret it since it was a first-time collab between CD/Thunderstorm which probably meant the story was awesome. I'd still like to read it to judge for myself, but your review has definitely tamped down my expectations.

I was excited for this one as well. It's possible that the book shifts gears later on, and there is a part of me that wishes I had just stuck it out just so I would know for sure (I've since sold the book, so going back is not an option), but parts felt so forced that I just found myself not engaged. I think that you should still give it a shot because it might work for you. And then you can let me know if I missed out on anything!