What are you currently reading?

[Ben Staad]

I have always struggled with his work. Let us know if you were able to breakthrough on this one.

I'm currently reading Goblin by Malerman. It's okay, not his best, and I've started to skim through parts.

Am about halfway through Bentley Little's BEHIND, and it's been a struggle. Thus far there's been two storylines that he keeps trying to merge, but if feels like two magnets that are pushing apart...maybe things come together better in the second half. The first few pages were a oddly shoehorned and embarrassingly shallow sociopolitical diatribe *and* the entire novel revolves around the Covid era, so it all feels a bit stale in a way that already feels dated. I'll give this one a few more dozen pages, and if things don't improve will skim the rest and call it a day, and instead look forward to his next/new one, CITY HALL.

[RonClinton]

Am about halfway through Bentley Little's BEHIND, and it's been a struggle. Thus far there's been two storylines that he keeps trying to merge, but if feels like two magnets that are pushing apart...maybe things come together better in the second half. The first few pages were a oddly shoehorned and embarrassingly shallow sociopolitical diatribe *and* the entire novel revolves around the Covid era, so it all feels a bit stale in a way that already feels dated. I'll give this one a few more dozen pages, and if things don't improve will skim the rest and call it a day, and instead look forward to his next/new one, CITY HALL.

[sholloman81]

Just finished reading the Thunderstorm Screaming Cacti LE of Christine Morgan's "Homebody". This was a blind read and fell completely flat for me. The writing was solid, but beyond that, I disliked pretty much everything else, from the whinny and dislikeable characters whose actions made no sense, to the plot that really never went anywhere, and to the supernatural elements that were nonsensical and felt shoehorned into the story. I also hated the ending. I've read other books by this author and enjoyed them, but this was just not the book for me! I hope others out there get more milage from it than I did because I truly hate leaving negative reviews!

Am now reading the Thunderstorm LE of Nick Robert's "Anathema Legacy", a first time read for me. I enjoyed the first book and am hoping the sequel lives up to it!

[RonClinton]

Currently reading a Jonathan Carroll novel from couple years ago, MR. BREAKFAST. It has a classic Twilight Zone setup, with a man being able to see the three different lives he could have led and has to choose. These kind of books always appeal to me in a big way (but rarely deliver), so I hope it lives up to my expectations.

[brlesh]

Finished up The House on the Borderland, the weird fiction classic by William Hope Hodgson, which quite frankly, I ended up hating.

Moving on.

Next up, starting The Long Walk by Stephen King.

Want to get a reread in before the movie opens.

It’s been probably 30+ years since I’ve read this one, but I remember it as being the best in the Bachman Books collection.

B

[brlesh]

Took a break from a couple of short story collections to start The House on the Borderland by William Hope Hodgson.

Halfway through and so far it’s an interesting read.

I’ve only read a couple of stories by Hodgson, and these have all been nautical in nature (and very good), so THOTB is a completely different vibe. Terrestrial setting, swine people, and astral projections to another dimension / galaxy.

It will be interesting to see how the second half plays out.

B

[dannyboy121070]

Am now reading the Thunderstorm LE Screaming Cacti of Christine Morgan's "Homebody". Going into this one completely blind!

Curious to hear your thoughts...I got HOMEBODY in one of their grab-bags a few years back, and it's still sitting on my shelf, waiting....A good review could get me to finally crack it open.

[sholloman81]

Just finished reading the Thunderstorm LE of Jushua Chaplinsky's "Letters to the Purple Satin Killer, a first time read and author for me. Enjoyed this one a bunch. The format of the story (epistolary) worked perfectly for this tale. Loved how you never hear from the killer himself, and yet in a way you do via the letters that are sent to him. So many potential plot points are between the lines of what's being said in the letters and how the killer may have responded (assuming you trust the letter writer). Also, because most of the letters are no more than a few pages, they almost force you to keep reading. Some of the letters were funny, some gross, some sad, and many completely messed up. May be a while before I reread this, but I am glad to have added it to my collection!

Am now reading the Thunderstorm LE Screaming Cacti of Christine Morgan's "Homebody". Going into this one completely blind!

[brlesh]

Finished up Memorials by Richard Chizmar, which I found to be a mixed bag.

The first 2/3 read like a mystery / thriller. The last third went full on satanic panic (the story is set in 1983), and was rather chaotic and disjointed, and (I think), unintentionally humorous at times.

After Memorials, I finished up A Little Blue Book of Civil War Horrors by Ambrose Bierce. Bierce’s fiction tends to be dark and at times unrelenting, and the stories in this short collection didn’t disappoint.

After the Bierce collection I read ‘Fitted Sheet’, a chapbook by Ian Rogers. Liked this short story a lot. It had a very strong Bradbury-esque feel to it.

B

[Sock Monkey]

Am about 100 pages in and it's been better than I was expecting so far. I wasn't sure about the epistolary format going into it, but it has really worked for this particular story. Also, because the letters aren't too long, there's almost a compulsion to keep reading on. I hope the rest of the book maintains this pace and will be interested to see where the plot ends up!

Thanks for the update! I'm a big fan of the epistolary format when done well, so this book is definitely checking multiple boxes for me. I'm still slowly working my way through The Black Dahlia (summer school was a beast and now the fall semester has started up, so personal reading has been scattershot at best), but Letters is moving its way up the TBR list.

[sholloman81]

I’ll be looking forward to your thoughts on LETTERS TO THE PURPLE SATIN KILLER. Ive had the pb in my TBR for 9-10 months now and have been meaning to pick it up, especially since Thunderstorm did a limited.

Am about 100 pages in and it's been better than I was expecting so far. I wasn't sure about the epistolary format going into it, but it has really worked for this particular story. Also, because the letters aren't too long, there's almost a compulsion to keep reading on. I hope the rest of the book maintains this pace and will be interested to see where the plot ends up!

[Sock Monkey]

Just finished reading the Thunderstorm LE of Kristopher Rufty's "The Devoured and the Dead", A splatter western and first time read for me. This one was a blast! Exactly what I hope for when reading a splatter western. Loads of good characters, vile villains, a compelling plot, an authenticity to the period, and of course a good dose of splatter. I have read some of Rufty's stuff before, but this one might be my favorite so far! Glad to have added this to my collection.

Am now reading the Thunderstorm LE of Jushua Chaplinsky's "Letters to the Purple Satin Killer, a first time read and author for me.

I’ll be looking forward to your thoughts on LETTERS TO THE PURPLE SATIN KILLER. Ive had the pb in my TBR for 9-10 months now and have been meaning to pick it up, especially since Thunderstorm did a limited.

[sholloman81]

Just finished reading the Thunderstorm LE of Kristopher Rufty's "The Devoured and the Dead", A splatter western and first time read for me. This one was a blast! Exactly what I hope for when reading a splatter western. Loads of good characters, vile villains, a compelling plot, an authenticity to the period, and of course a good dose of splatter. I have read some of Rufty's stuff before, but this one might be my favorite so far! Glad to have added this to my collection.

Am now reading the Thunderstorm LE of Jushua Chaplinsky's "Letters to the Purple Satin Killer, a first time read and author for me.

[sholloman81]

Just finished reading the Thunderstorm LE of Nick Roberts' "Anathema", a first-time author and read for me. Really enjoyed this one! Every time I thought I knew where the author was going to go with the plot, he managed to veer off to somewhere else and surprise me. Also enjoyed the characters in this one including the very creepy antagonist. My only complaints with the book are that there were a few plot elements I would have liked explained a bit more and there were also a few times that a character's actions didn't feel like how a real person would act in the situation. Once you get past those few small issues, the book reads extremely well. Overall, am glad to have finally read something by this author and will be reading the sequel to this book sometime soon!

Am now reading the Thunderstorm LE of Kristopher Rufty's "The Devoured and the Dead", A splatter western and first time read for me.

[brlesh]

Finished up The Stand last weekend. This was the second time for the uncut version and the fifth read overall.

I enjoyed the second reading of the uncut version much more than the first reading. I knew what I was getting into this time, versus the first time when my expectations were too high.

Overall, I really enjoyed this reread. I took my time with it (I initially figured on 3 weeks; it took me a month and a few days). I haven’t read The Stand since ‘07 or ‘08, so it’s been 17 or 18 years. Kind of felt like visiting old friends. There were parts of it (a lot of it, actually), they seemed like I had just read them yesterday, and then other parts were I was like “oh shit, I completely forgot about that!”

Maybe had I read the uncut version first it would be my favorite today, but I still think the originally published version is the best. Better flow to the story while retaining all the key plot points.

After The Stand, I read about half of the stories in A Little Blue Book of Civli War Horrors by Ambrose Bierce. For the most part very dark and very good.

Took a break from the Bierce collection to start Memorials by Richard Chizmar. 300 pages in & liking it a lot. It reads more like a suspense thriller than a horror novel. I had some trouble with the characters in the beginning (more why they were together than the characterizations themselves), though the story kind of smoothed over my initial doubts. I have an idea on where the storyline is going, but will see how the last third plays out.

B