Matt
I love Stephen King, but this wasn't my favorite of his books. The Colorado Kid, published in the Hard Case Crime series, is somewhat interesting albeit disappointing. The book consists of two old newspaper men telling a story about an unsolved mystery to a young female intern. The mystery is never solved. There was no real resolution, and they simply have to find satisfaction in the unknown. Compared to some of King's other tomes, this volume is rather short- so perhaps he may be forgiven, but I might have enjoyed knowing a bit more of how the Colorado Kid came to be in Maine, and what happened to him. O suppose what I did enjoy was how bold King was in denying me resolution and forcing me to feel what these characters felt. I also appreciated the setting and how King established the island. I guess I enjoyed reading it. 3 stars.
Interesting book. Ultimately no one really knows who Jack the Ripper was, and this book acknowledges that and yet builds a case for an individual the author thinks likely. Maybe yes, maybe no. Ultimately it wasn't really my cup of tea. The only reason I didn't DNF is because I was reading it for a book club. To be fair, I've read very little true crime and may just not be a fan of the genre.
The One by John Marrs is an interesting look at love in the digital age and the power of suggestion. In another sense, it's also about what lengths people will go to in the name of the ends justifying the means, and also profits. The book is told through the story lines of several different characters, most of which never really intersect expect in that they all take place in the same world and revolve around the MatchYourDNA service. Some of the plots were pretty interesting, but overall the book didn't have quite enough special sauce for me. I'm not sure this one is really greater than the sum of its parts. Although the story line and premise is interesting, I feel like being told who to love has been a recurring theme in dystopian fiction. So while the premise is tried and true to the point of questioning why we need another such story, the interesting part about The One is that it's ultimately imposed simply by consumerism and social pressure, there is no totalitarian entity dictating what anyone has to do. The book paints an all too plausible picture of the influence major corporations have on people's lives, and asks the question of what the nature of love is? It also questions the faith many have placed in big business, and forces the reader to consider how technology and systems designed to prefect the human experience, may ultimately hinder it. It was a good read, but not a capital G great one. 3.5/5
Harvest Home is compelling folk horror exploring what happens when a city family moves into a small country town. This work was written in the 70s and depictions of women and “traditional values” are not well aligned with contemporary views of gender, sexuality, and social values. The protagonist can be fairly described as sexist, and this may alienate readers. The book also contains depictions of sexual violence which are disturbing and perhaps never really fully dealt with in the narrative. Despite this, I found the world building in Harvest Home to be fascinating and many sections of the book to be creepy. Although there were some issues with the book, the prose and plot kept me engaged and invested in what was coming next. I also found the ending to be fairly satisfying. Overall I would recommend Harvest Home, simply with the caveat that one may find aspects of the story disturbing and distasteful.
This wasn't the book I was expecting, but it was still a decent read. In comparison to SGJ's other books, especially his recent novel The Only Good Indians, I felt like this novella fell flat- but taken objectively by itself it was still kind of fun. The book is set in a town near to where I grew up, so it was fun to see North Texas represented in horror fiction! SGJ also did a great job of expressing character in his quick paced and sometimes rambling writing style in the voice of a teenage narrator, in someways this book reminded me of his earlier work, Mongrels, but with more of an edge. I also appreciated seeing anxiety and saviorism taken to an extreme in this psychological horror, albeit I felt like the book really stretched my suspension of disbelief to the breaking point several times. I think my expectations for this book were perhaps too high, but I still mostly enjoyed this tale.
The Cipher has an interesting premise, but is marred by an unlikable cast of characters and thousands of words of meandering in search of the plot. I found the book boring. I must confess that although I am generally an audiobook enthusiast I do wonder if I might have enjoyed this book more in in a print or ebook edition. Sadly at the time of writing this review the Kindle edition is noted for containing typos and the book is out of print (although a new printing is scheduled for release soon). I found the conversational prose to be difficult to follow in the audio format. I don't want to give the impression that it was the narrator's fault since I usually have no trouble following Bishop and Skippy (Expeditionary Force as read by the incredible RC Bray) or Atticus and Oberon (Iron Druid Chronicles as read by the marvelous Luke Daniels), but rather because I simply found myself alienated from the book by the complete lack of fcks I had to give about these characters. They're nineties grunge losers who drink and fck and blah blah blah GET ON WITH THE SUPERNATURAL HOLE IN YOUR EFFING BASEMENT ALREADY! New characters were introduced, and I didn't care. Overall this book could have been a novella and I might have found it more enjoyable. The only reason I didn't DNF it was because it seems to have such a following in the horror community and I wanted to understand why. I wish I had DNF'd it though, as I think the mystery and allure of The Cipher might have been greater than that of the fun hole itself, once revealed. Snooze fest. Do not recommend. Personally wondering if it went out of print for a reason.
Once a print edition is out, I might, against my better judgement, pick up a copy to try this book again in a different format. Maybe I'll follow it better and understand all the hullabaloo.
Bird Box is the hit I never saw coming. Even though I didn't go into it blind, having already caught the Bird Box madness when Netflix released their film adaptation, I nevertheless found reading the book to be a worthwhile experience. Malorie proved to be a compelling character who managed to overcome my initial unfavorable impression as the book progressed. There's something frightening about what is unseen and unknown. There's also some frustrating in reading a book about mysterious creatures and having those remain remain unknown and unexplained the whole time. I'm hoping to learn more about the creatures in the sequel. One of my complaints about the film was this lack of clarity about the creatures, and the book did little to clear it up. That's not to say that Malerman's book has no surprises for those who've seen the film, but in this particular respect no additional explanation was offered. I enjoyed the dark tone of the book, and found the idea of what people will do in order to survive to be especially relevant today. Highly recommend. Read the book and watch the movie.
Stephen Graham Jones is an outstanding author everyone who reads horror should know. I enjoyed his book Mongrels and was therefore excited to pick up The Only Good Indians, and it did not disappoint. The Only Good Indians is a thrilling story of the past coming back to haunt you. Jones' is a Blackfoot author and tells the story through the lens of his culture in a way I've never experienced in fiction before. The book is fascinating and horrifying. Highly recommend.
Another great book in the Iron Druid Chronicles. I will freely admit that the plot and construction of the novel did not seem up to the very high standards Kevin Hearne has set with his previous installments, but the characters are so strong and interesting that it was easy to get swept into the story all the same.
The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires is an addition to the world of horror from Grady Hendrix. The author, well known for Horrorstor and Paperbacks from Hell, makes a return to the world of his previous award winning book My Best Friend's Exorcism. Following a family living next door to the Lang family, several years after the conclusion of Exorcism, this book takes on themes of friendship, gender, and race in an older demographic.
This book is at times funny, suspenseful, and creative in the field of vampire stories. My only disappointment was that Hendrix didn't flesh out his vampire lore as much as I would have desired. Fans of Hendrix's other books will likely enjoy this one. Those who didn't dig Horrorstor or Exorcism might find something interesting in this one too.
My Best Friend's Exorcism by Grady Hendrix is a funny, creepy, and also heartwarming take on an exorcism story. When Gretchen begins acting strangely, her best friend Abby is determined to discover the cause. Little does she know it may be more than she imagined. This book has everything. From the expected demonic possession elements to a comedic faith and fitness show to 80s music and more. Hendrix does a great job blending campy comedy with genuinely scary stuff (while still having tenderness and warmth present in the book). Personally I think he does a better job here of blending these elements than in some of his more recent books, but that's just personal taste. The paperback edition has awesome art on the front and back of the book. This book is followed by a spiritual successor, The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires, which is set in the same town years later but focuses on a new cast of characters. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I really enjoyed Scott Carson's The Chill. Although describing this book as horror might leave some readers disappointed, I throughly enjoyed this merging of supernatural and thriller elements. This story seemed both fantastical and plausible, and provided some great character development, especially in the character of Aaron. While Carson could have probably written a shorter book and told the story equally or even more effectively, I throughly enjoyed The Chill.
I received a free copy of this audiobook from its narrator TJ Clark in exchange for an honest review. The Great American Deception is a delightfully caffeinated adventure sure to amuse fans of science fiction and private detective stories. The book is very silly and wonderfully entertaining while still managing to be suspenseful and exciting. The book takes place in the Great American- a strange and secure bastion from the dystopian outside world. Detective Frank Harken is hired to find the missing person Winsome Smiles with the help of his new coffee maker. Over the course of the book many quirky and funny characters are introduced as the remarkable world of the Great American reveals itself as the plot unfolds. My favorite character in the book was RJ- imagine an AI who is the complete opposite of Skippy in Craig Alanson's Expeditionary Force series- who had so many funny lines throughout the book. I found Scott Stein's writing to be reminiscent of authors such as John Scalzi, Daniel Handler (Lemony Snicket), and Scott Meyer while still being unique. I found TJ Clark's narration to be reminiscent of Wil Wheaton and Luke Daniels. I throughly enjoyed this book and hope to enjoy sequels in the future!
Horrorstor, it's the haunted retail store book you didn't know you needed. Grady Hendrix has authored a creative and genuinely creepy book about a group of employees at an IKEA-like store who experience a rapidly escalating night of terrors inside their store. Blending humor and horror in a book designed to look like a furniture catalogue, Horrorstor is probably my favorite book by Hendrix. I highly recommend it. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World is an uplifting apocalyptic novel that was enjoyable, but not overly so. The book was filled with moments of suspense, but unfortunately proved a bore between moments of excitement. The author's frequent use of forwards also proved disconcerting to me. I read this book for a book club, and am ultimately glad I read it, but it took me awhile to get through it and doubt I'd reread it.
According to the author, “poetry is a life long war waged against ineffable beauty” and indeed in the book the reader may catch glimpses of beauty and truth that words cannot describe. The book can seem cliche at times, and it's really very short, but in some lines Atticus reveals truth that speaks volumes. I read it in less than an hour, but I think it's worth revisiting again.
Ararat is a creepy and thrilling novel at the intersection of faith, archeology, and adventure. A new site is discovered in Turkey- could it be Noah's ark? Within it is a strange and ancient corpse...with horns. Is it human, demon, or something else? As evil is uncovered on the ark the explorers must confront darkness both on the mountain, and within themselves. Ararat is suspenseful and keep me interested despite not normally being a huge fan of this kind of horror. I did feel that it dragged a bit, but not so much as to lose me. Additionally some characters felt underdeveloped and at times Ararat felt like a later book in a series, rather than the first. I had a sense that I was missing information, or relationship, with some of the characters. Overall I enjoyed the book and plan to read the next installment in the Ben Walker series, but I'm glad I checked this one out from the library instead of buying it on Audible. I doubt I'll read it again.
The Warehouse is a chilling and thrilling novel about big business and the plight of humanity trying to survive in the consumer age. With clear allusions to real companies this book paints a picture of what America and the world might have to look forward too if consumption remains unchecked. That is, of course, overlooking the fact that some aspects of this book are already reality for workers around the world today. This is one of the most plausible dystopian books I've read, and also one of the most enjoyable. The book is thrilling, filled with suspense and intrigue, and had me reading late into the night. It also left me questioning my purchasing decisions and wondering how I fit into the patterns of production, consumption, and economic injustice described in the book. It left me in a strange place of wanting to change my habits to ensure this nightmare world does not come to pass, but also not wanting to do anything. I found myself strongly identifying with some of the characters in the book as they struggled with some of these same questions. Perhaps more than anything, Rob Hart has offered a glimpse of the experience of being a consumer in the contemporary world. A view that is not a symbolic, but rather is accurate. The conflicting appeal of greed, convenience, morality, and the reasoning we follow in willingly allowing big business to take over more and more of our lives and economy. This is a story of how people live to work, instead of working to live. I don't know how I feel about the ideas contained in this book, but I know it is the most compelling indictment of wealth inequality and unrestrained capitalism I have ever read. It has certainly given me a lot to think about. Overall, I read this book as a work of fiction that examines how present dangers could lead to a world like the one described in this book. A world not very unlike our own. Highly recommend.
I ended up DNFing this book. I might return to it at some point in the future, frankly I don't like abandoning books, but I found the story difficult to follow. Imagine all the politics of Game of Thrones, except much less interesting. Also set in a future dystopia where there are environmental disasters, food shortages, and artificially engineered people. I was listening to the audiobook, but with about 6 hours left I realized I had no idea what was going on and decided not to continue making the effort. There were parts I liked, but overall I felt that plot sometimes felt secondary to world building and detail. With hundreds (ok...maybe even a thousand) books on my TBR, I can't be wasting time on books that bore me, and this one did.
I received a digital ARC of The Between by Tananarive Due from the publisher through NetGalley. I also purchased audio and print editions. The Between is a chilling and esoteric novel from Tananarive Due exploring concept of outliving one's fate. Imagine evading death and awakening in a different reality, perhaps one where you did not die. Hilton walks between the worlds of life and death, one reality and another, and is haunted by dreams. Overall I found the concept of this novel to be really compelling. This new edition of the book begins with a fascinating introduction by Due explaining the origins and history of the novel, and then launches into the narrative. I found many sections of this book to be highly compelling, but overall the pacing felt a bit slow despite the relatively short length of this text. Overall, I didn't like this book as well as The Good House and Ghost Summer Stories. With that said, I still think the concept of the novel is really great and it's definitely worth checking out. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Institute by Stephen King is a great sci-fi horror novel. Children with unusual abilities are brought to a mysterious institute with an unknown agenda. Parts of the book seemed similar in tone and mood to Doctor Sleep, yet the book is distinct and brings many intense and horrifying moments. The mysteries of the institute and these new additions to King's universe are compelling. I didn't love the ending, but overall it's still a great read! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️