Reading a Folio Society collection of Daphne du Maurier's complete (?) short fiction. Very early into it with only halfway in the first story -- the titular "Don't Look Now" -- and finding it a bit distant in its characterizations and awfully redundant in its plot exposition, but am enjoying the quiet, mannered style and her skill at atmosphere so will continue on. My assumption is that as with any collection it's going to be a mixed bag, so not going to judge it on the very first tale.
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Just finished reading the Thunderstorm Neon Recluse LE of Somer Canon's "Picking You Out of My Teeth". Had never read anything by this author previously to this book but will definitely be doing so in the future. This collection of short stories was really good, especially the novella at the end, "Earthly Treasures" which was a devastating read. Haven't been able to stop thinking about it all morning. Overall, I would definitely recommend this collection and am glad to have this book in my Thunderstorm collection.
Am now reading the Thunderstorm LE of Mike Lombardo's "Please Don't Tap on the Glass & Other Stories". Have never read anything by this author but have high hopes given the intros in the book from Brian Keene & Ed Lee.Comment
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Just finished reading the Thunderstorm LE of Mike Lombardo's "Please Don't Tap on the Glass & Other Stories". Had never read anything by this author beforehand but will definitely being do so going forward as this collection of stories was fantastic. While it had one or two that I might consider filler, the rest were knock your socks off good. I especially loved "Dead Format" & I'm Dreaming of a White Doomsday". Don't think those two will be leaving my noggin for a while! Overall, I can't recommend this collection enough and am glad to have added it to my Thunderstorm collection.
Am now reading the Thunderstorm LE of Brennan LaFaro's "I Will Always Find You: The Complete Slattery Falls". This will be another first-time author for me.Comment
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As always, curious to hear your thoughts about the LaFaro book. I was tempted to pick it up upon announcement--omnibus love and all that--but ultimately held off.Originally posted by sholloman81 View PostComment
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I finished ANNO DRACULA (Mostly...still working through the backmatter...annotations, afterword, deleted scenes, bonus story), and WOW. The book is a slow burn, but the ending just knocked me on my ass. I spent the bulk of the book thinking we WOULDN'T see what we see at the end, and then Newman hits you over the head with it. Amazing. I used a Father's Day B&N gift card to nab the rest of the books in the series. I'll also say that after reading this book, and knowing it came out before Alan Moore's LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN really gives that book, and Moore himself, a black eye. I feel like LOEG and FROM HELL were both greatly influenced by Newman's work.Comment
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I've never read nor heard of ANNO DRACULA before and your post sent me on an Amazon search. I'm not a huge vampire fan, but this sounds really interesting. And there's SIX books in the series? How did I miss these?Originally posted by dannyboy121070 View PostComment
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I "discovered" Kim Newman in THE MAMMOTH BOOK OF FOLK-HORROR, and his story there was good enough to send me on a search for everything that he's written. ANNO DRACULA takes place in a London where Van Helsing and company failed, and Dracula weds Queen Victoria, becoming Prince Consort and spreading a wave of vampirism across England. I enjoyed how it wasn't a "Vampires run wild" book....Newman explores how society would be effected by the various classes in Victorian England willingly choosing to embrace vampirism, from the slums of Whitechapel to the inner workings of government. If you choose to get in on the series, see if you can find a copy of the handsome 30th anniversary hardcover from Titan Books....the annotations are worth the price of admission by themselves. Newman packs the book with characters from Victorian fiction and real life, and his insights are a lot of fun.Originally posted by Sock Monkey View PostComment
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Finished up American Gods by Neil Gaiman.
At times a frustrating read, but overall a satisfying read.
Then onto With Teeth by Brian Keene, a novella and two short stories all revolving around vampires.
Keene doesn’t break any new ground here, but these stories were a lot of fun. Good old fashioned horror stories.
Also finished up Miscreations: Gods, Monstrosities, and Other Horrors, an anthology about monsters.
Might have been better if some of the stories had actually had monsters in them!
Currently about 80 pages into Where They Wait by Scott Carson.
So far really enjoying this fast paced techno-thriller (??).
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Currently reading Savages by Don Winslow, based on a recommendation from this thread. About halfway through so far and really enjoying it, much more than Winslow's "City" trilogy. Thank you for the recommend!
Also starting Horror Movie by Paul Tremblay, reading the b&n edition with the red sprayed edges. Only about 20 pages in, but I like the setup so far. I'm going to Tremblay's event at Vortex Books this weekend, so I'm hoping to get through the book by then!Comment
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Glad to hear that about the Tremblay book. I've been holding off on the Tremblay hoping a LE version will be announced. If that doesn't happen soon, I may break down and buy a trade copy. The story sounds great.Originally posted by Boggle Champion View PostComment
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I bought the first volume of PS Publishing's SOLAR PONS OMNIBUS series on a whim, and I'm cracking that open this morning. My first exposure to Basil Copper. I wanted to dig into this fast before I committed to the other two volumes.Comment
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Finished Savages by Don Winslow, loved the book. Already checked out the prequel The Kings of Cool from the library, looking forward to starting it. Has anyone who read Savages read that one as well?
Also finished Horror Movie by Paul Tremblay...unfortunately, I didn't really care for it. I liked the premise, but the pacing was too slow and the 'Horror Movie' itself was uninteresting to me. At one point, a character who read the screenplay comments that it doesn't sound like a movie they'd like to see, and I agree! (Unless I'm misremembering and that didn't happen in the book...now I'm doubting myself. Tremblay ambiguity!) This was only my second Tremblay book, and I do like his writing style so I'll pick up more in the future.
Just getting started onThe Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History by Elizabeth Kolbert for a book club. A different type of horror book!Comment
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I'm not a big non-fiction fan, but this sounds interesting...and frightening.Originally posted by Boggle Champion View PostComment
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Just finished reading the Thunderstorm LE of Brennan LaFaro's "I Will Always Find You: The Complete Slattery Falls". This was another first-time author for me. Based on these stories, I will definitely be reading more LaFaro in the future as I was completely blown away by how good each of these novellas were and the progression of the story and characters from book to book. LaFaro's definitely got a gift for characterization. I know this is a bit cliched, but reading these novellas reminded me a bit of reading 80's Stephen King, strong characters mixed with an everyman's voice for the storytelling that seems to make pages fly by. The author also left enough room to continue the story if he chooses, and personally, I wouldn't mind another trip to Slattery Falls at all! Overall, these stories are very recommended and I'm beyond happy to have added this to my Thunderstorm collection.
Am now reading the SST LE of Joe Lansdale's "The Donut Legion". I've seen mixed reviews online for this one, but I'm a huge Lansdale fan; so, my fingers are crossed!Comment
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