What are you currently reading?

[dannyboy121070]

Thanks for the review on STRANGE STONE because, like sholloman, I've been not too sure if I should pull the trigger or not on it. I like Sangiovanni, Lee not so much, and I feel Lovecraft is hit-or-miss.

How's that GHOST RIDER omnibus? I never read the series when it came out, but I know it was hugely popular. I mean, in the 90s every comic had Wolverine, the Punisher, or Ghost Rider guest-starring in it to boost sales. I read a little of the spin-off series SPIRITS OF VENGEANCE when it came out and it was...fine. I find Howard Mackie's work to be VERY hit-or-miss. When it works, it's so much fun. When it doesn't...well, not so much.

You hit the nail right on the head with "fun". The book is, mainly, a lot of fun. Mackie is NOT a skilled writer, and some of the dialogue, MOST of the dialogue, is cringe-worthy. The stories are so gonzo that you can't help but enjoy them. The book is dragged down by dozens of short stories/arcs from MARVEL COMICS PRESENTS that are all uniformly terrible, so I ended up giving the book a 5 out of 10. I'll probably be back for the second volume, though.

After finishing the GR omnibus, I moved on the the slightly better third volume of the SIMPSONS TREEHOUSE OF HORROR omnibus. Stories by Len Wein & Bernie Wrightson and Marv Wolfman & Gene Colan were a real treat.

[sholloman81]

Just finished reading the Suntup AGE of Richard Matheson's "Hell House". This was my first time reading Hell House and it was everything that I was hoping for and more. Really strong character work, a great setting, and a willingness to push boundaries. I don't traditionally enjoy haunted house books as much as other horror troupes as I don't find them very scary, but this one worked for me big-time. Everything about the Belasco house/haunting was creepy, and the story was so much meaner that I had expected going-in. Overall, an A+ read for me and perhaps my new favorite haunting novel of all-time!

Am now reading the Earthling LE of Jonathan Janz's "Marla". This was a previous entry in Earthling's Halloween Series that I never got around to; so, I figure now's the time!

[dannyboy121070]

Just read Lisa Morton & John Palisano's novella PLACERITA, which concerns lizard men under 1920's L.A. A fun read, but, man....as a proofreader who CD hasn't used in years, I was aghast to see all of spelling and grammar errors that made it into the finished book. I makes CD look amateur-hour. Really disappointing.

[brlesh]

Finished Winterset Hollow by Jonathan Edward Durham, a book which I ultimately liked, though I found the first third of the book to be slow and dry.

After Winterset Hollow, I read Children of the Kingdom, the first novella in TED Klein’s Dark Gods.

COTK was a reread for me, though it’s been a while since I last read it. Forgot what a truly twisted story this was.

Lovecraft must have rolled over in his grave with his Mi-go reimagined as rapists!

Right now I’m about 40 pages into Eynhallow, Tim McGregor’s take on Victor Frankenstein creating a companion for his original creation.

First thing I’ve read by McGregor, and so far really enjoying it.

B

[sholloman81]

Just finished reading the Earthling LE of Jonathan Janz's "Marla". Always enjoy Janz's stuff and this one was no different. Great characters, a great villain, and lots of scary scenes. Truly one of the better entries that I've read in the Earthling Halloween series so far.

Planning to read Kristopher Triana's & Mona Kabbani's "The Dark Embrace" next.

[RonClinton]

I finished Brian Keene’s latest non-fiction collection, LOVE AND HATE IN THE TIME OF COVID, and am just starting Jeff Strand’s new one, CREEP OUT — both Thunderstorm releases. This time around, Keene wrote more about personal issues and COVID-related situations, and less about the publishing industry and writing, so I wasn’t as taken with this one as his previous non-fiction collections, but to be fair the title gave me fair warning that the focus this time around would likely be different.

[brlesh]

Finished Eynhallow by Tim McGregor, which I really liked. Need to read more by McGregor in the future.

Next up was Petey, the second story in TED Klein‘s collection Dark Gods.

This was a reread for me, and similarly to the previous reading, I thought the set was interesting, but I needed a little more explanation at the end.

Just started the novelization of Creature From the Black Lagoon by Vargo Statten. About 30 pages in and having at lot of fun with this one. Been at least 30 years since I’ve seen the movie, so this is bringing back a lot of memories.

B

[sholloman81]

Just finished reading Kristopher Triana's "The Prettiest Girl in the Grave". Really enjoyed the heck out of this one. Plowed through it in one setting. Reminded me very much of a Richard Laymon novel in the best of ways.

Am now reading the Midworld Press LE of Nathan Ballingrud's "The Atlas of Hell" as my Halloween read for this year.

[RonClinton]

Am now reading the Midworld Press LE of Nathan Ballingrud's "The Atlas of Hell" as my Halloween read for this year.

Thanks for the reminder…I still need to pick up a copy of that one.

[sholloman81]

Thanks for the reminder…I still need to pick up a copy of that one.

Glad to assist! Truly hope that it lives up to the hype!