What are you currently reading?

[sholloman81]

Finished up Mystery Walk, which seems to be one of the lesser talked about novels by Robert McCammon.

While not my favorite thing from McCammon, I liked Mystery Walk quite a bit. As usual with McCammon there was great character development and excellent story pacing. Upon completing the book, I’m a little surprised that this is a story that McCammon hasn’t gone back to.

My one complaint about the story is I thought the supernatural elements could have used a bit more exposition.

Up next, probably starting Lost Man’s Lane by Scott Carson.

B

Loved Los Man's Lane! Hope you enjoy it as well!

[dannyboy121070]

I decided to postpone my planned Bernard Taylor, as I was unwilling to stop reading short stories in favor of a novel, so I started Neil Gaiman's TRIGGER WARNING, which I'm enjoying very much.

[brlesh]

Finished up Mystery Walk, which seems to be one of the lesser talked about novels by Robert McCammon.

While not my favorite thing from McCammon, I liked Mystery Walk quite a bit. As usual with McCammon there was great character development and excellent story pacing. Upon completing the book, I’m a little surprised that this is a story that McCammon hasn’t gone back to.

My one complaint about the story is I thought the supernatural elements could have used a bit more exposition.

Up next, probably starting Lost Man’s Lane by Scott Carson.

B

[dannyboy121070]

I do have one. I really enjoyed SWEETHEART, SWEETHEART so don't want to diminish it, but of the Centipede trilogy, I dug THE GODSEND even more, and would recommend that one over SWEETHEART, SWEETHEART. I wasn't really too familiar with Taylor until the Centipede set, and have since collected all his earlier paperback originals, though I've only since read one or two of them, so can't speak very knowledgably about which of those earlier original titles might be better than THE GODSEND, but from my reading thus far I think THE GODSEND is top-tier Taylor. Of the Evil Kid niche, it's way up there, and I'd even put it above William March's seminal THE BAD SEED.

If THE GODSEND is his best work, I'll probably end up saving that for last. Thanks for the input!

[RonClinton]

I knew that YOU, for certain, would have read this book, lol. Thinking about starting Bernard Taylor's SWEETHEART, SWEETHEART next...any opinion on that one, Ron?

I do have one. I really enjoyed SWEETHEART, SWEETHEART so don't want to diminish it, but of the Centipede trilogy, I dug THE GODSEND even more, and would recommend that one over SWEETHEART, SWEETHEART. I wasn't really too familiar with Taylor until the Centipede set, and have since collected all his earlier paperback originals, though I've only since read one or two of them, so can't speak very knowledgably about which of those earlier original titles might be better than THE GODSEND, but from my reading thus far I think THE GODSEND is top-tier Taylor. Of the Evil Kid niche, it's way up there, and I'd even put it above William March's seminal THE BAD SEED.

[dannyboy121070]

Agreed, it's a wonderful collection, one that embraces its macabre leaning with gleeful delight. It's a surprisingly rewarding trade edition from TOR, too, with Wilson's art featured on each individual story. I spotlighted it on X five, six years ago, though was pleased to upgrade recently to a signed copy:

https://x.com/ron_clinton/status/123...648597504?s=20

I knew that YOU, for certain, would have read this book, lol. Thinking about starting Bernard Taylor's SWEETHEART, SWEETHEART next...any opinion on that one, Ron?

[RonClinton]

Just finished Gahan Wilson's THE CLEFT AND OTHER ODD STORIES. Man, I had a blast reading these stories! Probably the most enjoyable single-author collection I've read since R. Chetwynd Hayes' LOOKING FOR SOMETHING TO SUCK. Wilson shares Chetwynd-Hayes' warped sense of humor, and his ability to make the reader feel impending dread. Really bummed that this seems to be the only collection of Wilson's stories available. If you've never read Wilson's work, I can highly recommend giving this book a try.

Agreed, it's a wonderful collection, one that embraces its macabre leaning with gleeful delight. It's a surprisingly rewarding trade edition from TOR, too, with Wilson's art featured on each individual story. I spotlighted it on X five, six years ago, though was pleased to upgrade recently to a signed copy:

https://x.com/ron_clinton/status/123...648597504?s=20

[dannyboy121070]

Just finished Gahan Wilson's THE CLEFT AND OTHER ODD STORIES. Man, I had a blast reading these stories! Probably the most enjoyable single-author collection I've read since R. Chetwynd Hayes' LOOKING FOR SOMETHING TO SUCK. Wilson shares Chetwynd-Hayes' warped sense of humor, and his ability to make the reader feel impending dread. Really bummed that this seems to be the only collection of Wilson's stories available. If you've never read Wilson's work, I can highly recommend giving this book a try.

[brlesh]

Taking a break from American Cannibal. The beginning exceed my expectations, though it has kind of fizzled towards the middle.

Started Mystery Walk by Robert McCammon this morning, and 50 pages in I am fully engrossed in the story.

McCammon is such a great story teller.

B

[Sock Monkey]

Six months after I started it, I finally finished Ellroy's The Black Dahlia today. I started this way back in July of last year. Part of the reason it took me so long to finish it, as I've previously mentioned, was because I paused to join my wife in a read of A Head Full of Ghosts. Another part was school. I think I read something like a dozen books this past semester. I can't complain too much because there was some fantastic reads--Mona Susan Power's The Grass Dancer was my favorite from the semester--but it does cut into recreational reading. All that being said, I wound up liking the book quite a bit. The huge pause in reading really hurt some of payoff in the book because I had forgotten some of the details, but it wraps up well. And, man, Ellroy can write.

Not too sure what I'm going to read next. I don't have any literature classes this next semester, which starts on Tuesday. My overall school reading should be somewhat lessened, at least fiction-wise, so I'm hoping to get more of my own book picks knocked off the list.

[dannyboy121070]

I've been on a short-story kick for a while...I just finished Lisa Morton's NIGHT TERRORS & OTHER TALES, which was really good. Morton is so underrated, especially as a short-story author. I enjoyed every story in this collection.

Started Gahan Wilson's THE CLEFT AND OTHER ODD TALES, which I am enjoying so far.

[Ben Staad]

Book 1 of Dungeon Crawler Carl. It's a fun read for the most part. It's a little hipper than I usually like but I'm finding it a nice reprieve from the heavier stuff I'm into.

What is gnawing at me is the number of books in the series. Does the story ever end? Will I like it enough to keep purchasing these? Does the shtick become redundant?

[brlesh]

Finished up Slaughterhouse Five, which ended up being another 60’s era sci-fi classic that completely fell flat for me.

Next up, American Cannibal edited by Rebecca Rowland.

Finished the first story, Candace Nola’s take on the infamous Roanoke colony mystery, which I liked quite a bit.

B

[brlesh]

Finished The House by Bentley Little.

This was an entertaining enough story filled with a ton of horrific imagery, but a convoluted plot line lessened my enjoyment of the second half.

Up next, starting Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut.

I haven’t read anything by Vonnegut since having to read Cat’s Cradle in my junior year of high school. Slaughterhouse Five seems to be his most well known novel.

B

[dannyboy121070]

If a fire struck my library and I only had time to grab one book from five authors among the thousands of books in it, a book by Charles Beaumont would be in the mix. His work is just outstandingly and timelessly good, one of my all-time favorites. There's a full-length biography upcoming from Centipede Press at some point, and I can't wait to get my hands on it...the rememberances from his friends in the Dark Harvest collection and William F. Nolan's short bio-bibliography are both nice, but Beaumont deserves a full-length exploration of his life and work.

Wow, high praise, indeed! The introduction to this book includes an overview of Beaumont's life, which served to really up my interest in the Centipede biography. Haven't heard any updates on that one in a long while, it seems...