What are you currently reading?

[Sock Monkey]

I started reading the new edition of Centipede's 'SALEM'S LOT: STUDIES IN THE HORROR FILM. I think I'll start a new thread called "What book are you currently reading that you're afraid to touch?", lol.

LOL. This cracked me up. That should absolutely be a new thread!

[dannyboy121070]

I started reading the new edition of Centipede's 'SALEM'S LOT: STUDIES IN THE HORROR FILM. I think I'll start a new thread called "What book are you currently reading that you're afraid to touch?", lol.

[brlesh]

Finished up Patreon Stories by Philip Fracassi, which I liked a lot.

Next up, finished a short novella by Sara Tantlinger, To Be Devoured, which was a very dark & twisted read. Still trying to process this one.

Up next, will probably start a reread of The House by Bentley Little.

It’s probably been 20 to 25 years since I first read The House, though I do remember liking it at the time. As I recall, it’s one of his less formulaic novels.

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[sholloman81]

Just finished reading the Thunderstorm LE of John Baltisberger's "No Guilt of Bloodshed", a part of the splatter western series. This was my second Baltisberger read and I liked it a lot. It was fun to see him mix Jewish mysticism with the West/Splatter side of things. Didn't really enjoy the main character as he's pretty unlikeable, but he did grow on me by the end of the book, and boy what a neat ending! It hints at a very cool crossover book with another author that I would definitely be down to read if it happens! Overall, glad to have read this book and added it to my collection.

Am now reading the Thunderstorm LE of Chad Lutzke's "Bruises on A Butterfly". Have never read this story but have high hopes as Lutzke's stuff has really grown on me over the last year.

[brlesh]

Williams is on my ever-expanding list of authors that just don't work for me, unfortunately. I haven't read anything by him that hasn't bored me and left me scratching my head.

The first thing I remember reading by Williams was The Unblemished, which I think was an early Halloween book from Earthling, so this would have been around 20 years ago. I really like The Unblemished (though at this point I don’t remember anything about that book).

But everything I’ve read after The Unblemished has either just bored me to tears or been WTF did I just read.

Honestly, I gave Remnant a chance just because the synopsis sounded interesting (I’m a sucker for arctic horror stories) but I think this will be the last I read by Williams.

Somewhere on the shelf I have an anthology of western stories that he edited. I may give that a try one day, though lord knows I certainly have more anthologies laying around than I‘ll ever read, so who knows at this point.

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[dannyboy121070]

Finished up Remnant by Conrad Williams, which was an interesting story that ultimately left me feeling, as most of Williams’ work does, WTF did I just read.



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Williams is on my ever-expanding list of authors that just don't work for me, unfortunately. I haven't read anything by him that hasn't bored me and left me scratching my head.

[brlesh]

Good to know. I wasn't too taken with his novel DEVIL'S CREEK, but considered giving THE SUNDOWNER'S DANCE a try as the plot sounded intriguing. But it sounds like whatever didn't click with me in DEVIL'S CREEK likely carries over to this new one.

Yeah, actually thought The Sundowner’s Dance was a step down from Devil’s Creek.

I liked Devil’s Creek, but at 500+ pages, I thought he could have cut 100 pages and told the same story with a lot better flow to it.

My problems with TSD was more of a plot line issue. The first half was more of a mystery. About mid way through the mystery is explained and the second half consists of the good guys trying to thwart the evil machinations of the bad guys, and it just didn’t work for me. Plus having a mainly senior citizen cast of characters come of as acting like teenagers just came off as too cringy.

I’m about at the point with Keisling that I think he’s just better adapted as a writer of shorter length works. I really liked his collection Cold, Black and Infinite, and his novella Scanlines was really good. Neither of the novels I’ve read from him have really worked for me.

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[brlesh]

Finished up Remnant by Conrad Williams, which was an interesting story that ultimately left me feeling, as most of Williams’ work does, WTF did I just read.

After Remnant, I read the chapbook Death Bus by our own Jeff Terry.

Honestly, I went into this not expecting much, and have to say I was pleasantly surprised. Had kind of a Quantum Leap (the 90’s TV show) in hell vibe to it.

Up next, Patreon Stories by Philip Fracassi.

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[dannyboy121070]

Just finished THE MAMMOTH BOOK OF MONSTERS, which was, overall, a good read. Worth it just to rediscover Clive Barker's RAWHEAD REX, which has to be one of the best monster stories, maybe one of the best short Horror stories, that I've ever read. This would make one hell of a movie, if done right. (Yes, I know it was already adapted to film, and it is certainly a guilty pleasure, but, still...). A lot here that I had read before, some recently, so I skipped those stories, and a few that I just didn't enjoy (Not a Ramsey Campbell fan, and there was an endless Basil Copper Sci-Fi story that I just could not bring myself to finish. Highlights were the Barker story and the one by R. Chetwynd-Hayes, whose work I adore. There was also a Sci-Fi tale by Robert Silverberg that Michael Crichton totally plagiarized for JURASSIC PARK.

[RonClinton]

Finished up The Sundowner’s Dance by Todd Keisling, which ended up being a major disappointment.

I thought the first half was interesting, but the second half just didn’t work for me at all.


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Good to know. I wasn't too taken with his novel DEVIL'S CREEK, but considered giving THE SUNDOWNER'S DANCE a try as the plot sounded intriguing. But it sounds like whatever didn't click with me in DEVIL'S CREEK likely carries over to this new one.

[brlesh]

Finished up The Sundowner’s Dance by Todd Keisling, which ended up being a major disappointment.

I thought the first half was interesting, but the second half just didn’t work for me at all.

Next up, Remnant by Conrad Williams.

It’s been awhile since I’ve read anything by Williams, as I’ve found him to be more miss than hit for me over the years, but the premise for this short novel (novella?) sounded too good to pass up.

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[sholloman81]

Just finished reading the PS LE of Stephen King's "Firestarter"! It's been forever since I've read this book and I feel like it held up really well, even if there are parts that are very dated. It still surprises me that King never revisited the shop in another novel (that I can recall) as it feels like there is so much there to explore and they work really well as villains. The PS production values are in line with the other books in their King series, but if I am being honest, the artwork for this one, both the slipcase and interior, might be my least favorite of the series so far. Nothing wrong with it, I just think less abstract artwork would have worked better IMO. Still glad to have added the book and kept my PS series going!

Am now reading the Thunderstorm LE of John Baltisberger's "No Guilt of Bloodshed", a part of the splatter western series. Have only ready one book by this author previously. Hopefully, this one will live up to previous books in the splatter western line!

[Ben Staad]

Escape Velocities by Brian Hopkins.

I very good collection of Sci-Fi shorts. Some decently meaty reads for a collection. I liked it overall.

[brlesh]

Finished up October Shadows, which was a very good anthology of classic ghost stories.

It was also a very nice looking book. Abbeville Press really hit it out of the park with this production.

Up next, The Sundowner’s Dance by Todd Keisling.

I’ve pretty much liked everything I’ve read by Keisling, so have high hopes for this one.

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[brlesh]

Finished up Christmas at Wheeldale Inn by Gemma Amor, which I liked a lot.

A traditional, Victorian style Christmas story, this was the second piece I’ve read by Amor, and I‘ve liked them both.

Looking forward to her new novel in January.

Up next, keeping with ghost story theme for Christmas is October Shadows, an anthology of classic ghost stories selected and illustrated by John Rice.

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