Tuesday 31 March 2020

My March 2020 Reading Summary

I'm taking a break from my normal threads and instead will focus on my Monthly Reading Summary. Tomorrow I'll get back to my reading updates, new books and the Science Fiction novel threads, as applicable.

Not much happened today, no trips outside other than dog walks and doing a bit of spring yard work. I've got until 30 April until the sprinkler guys show up to turn on the system so I can work an hour a day and maybe be close to ready.. It was a very nice day today but I'm now stiff and sore and my hands are all chapped.. *sigh*

So with that minor complaint out of the way, on to my March summary.

Mar 2020
General Info               Mar               Total (Including my current read)
Books Read -                12                     33
Pages Read -               3300                9220 (Avg per book - 280)

Pages Breakdown
    < 250                          6                      15       
250 - 350                        3                      10
351 - 450                        2                        7
   > 450                           1                        1

Ratings
5 - star                                                      3
4 - star                            8                      16
3 - star                            3                      13
2 - star
No Rating (NR)             1                        1                       

Gender
Female                           3                      15
Male                              9                      18

Genres
Horror                                                     1
Fiction                           6                      10
Mystery                         6                      20
SciFi                                                        1
Non-Fic                       
Classics                                        
Young Adult                                            1

Top 3 Books

1. T is for Trespass by Sue Grafton (4.5 stars)
2. The Silent World of Nicholas Quinn by Colin Dexter (4.5 stars)
3. The Black Curtain by Cornell Woolrich (4 stars)

Reading Challenges
12 + 4 (Finish off Some Series) (completed 4)
1. Summertime, The Cats are Bored by Philippe Georget (4 stars)

Individual Challenge - First Book in Series (completed 4)
1. The Forgotten Legion by Ben Kane (3.5 stars)

Individual Challenge - Next Book in Series (completed 8)
1. The Silent World of Nicholas Quinn by Colin Dexter (4.5 stars)
2. T is for Trespass by Sue Grafton (4.5 stars)

Individual Challenge - Non Series (completed 8)
1. The Meaning of Night by Michael Cox (Did Not Finish) (NR - no rating)
2. The Girls in 3-B by Valerie Taylor (4 stars)
3. Inspector Imanishi Investigates by Seicho Matsumoto (4 stars)
4. Voyage to the Dark by Jean Rhys (3.5 stars)
5. The Black Curtain by Cornell Woolrich (4 stars) 

Monthly Challenge - January (CanCon) (completed 1)
Monthly Challenge - February (Margaret Millar) (completed 4)

Monthly Challenge - March (C.S. Forester) (completed 3)
1. Death to the French (3 stars)
2. The Pursued (4 stars)
3. The Captain from Connecticut (4 stars)

Currently Reading

1. 12 + 4 Challenge - Open Secret by Deryn Collier
2. First in Series - The Devil You Know by Mike Carey (Felix Castor #1)
3. Next in Series - The Anodyne Necklace by Martha Grimes (Inspector Jury #3)
4. Non-Series - Return to Lesbos by Valerie Taylor (1963)
5. April Challenge (Minette Walters) - The Sculptress (1993)

Next In Line (Possibles)


1. 12 + 4 Challenge - Fly Away, Jill by Max Byrd (Mike Haller #2)
2. First in Series - Satan's Lambs by Lyn Hightower (Lena Padget #1)
3. Next in Series - The Con Man by Ed McBain (87th Precinct #4)
4. Non-Series - Women's Barracks by Tereska Torres (1950)
5. April Challenge  (Minette Walters) - The Echo (1997)

So there you go. I'm fairly satisfied with my month. Looking forward to April. 

Monday 30 March 2020

Dreams and the Science Fiction Novel. Oh and a Reading Update too.

Tell me about your dreams!
Over the last couple of nights I've had so many strange dreams. I can't remember them all (thank heavens, you say!), but they still remain quite clear for the most part. Let's see. Two nights ago, my wife hired out our family room (maybe the whole house) for a wedding. All these people were in our family room. Of course they liked it... but still. I had another dream; my dad was in it and it was set in our current neighborhood, but that's all I remember about that particular one. Last night. First dream featured my Meema, my dad's mom. Once again, lots of people in the dream, but I just remember there saying something like, 'Find Zem'.... I don't know. I woke up, fell back asleep, then on to the next dream. Much lengthier. I'm at work in Wing Operations. I'm trying to answer questions about end year procurement. (Yup!) I explain that if the bedroom set that the boss ordered (I think it was a bedroom set) doesn't arrive before end of the fiscal year that it will be charged to the new year. Of course if the contract indicated FOB (Freight - on - board) Factory, then it would be paid for as soon as it was loaded on the truck. OK, then the scene shifts to our house (Jo's and mine) although it look amazingly like the first house my parents owned in North Bay. We're there and so are Barack and Michelle Obama. She gives me a peck on the forehead. Barack is sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall and I'm telling him about my day at work; the whole procurement thing. He's casual, listening, maybe talking as well. Then a bunch of people arrive; I think they are gathering up the Obama's to go to a New Year's party. Of course a rain or hail storm erupts. I have to give some of them a drive home to Evashen Drive (something like that)..... Then I wake up... I think I'll take the dogs out then go for a walk.. Enough dreaming. What do you think? 😔

So after all that, this morning I finished a book and will start another for an April Challenge. I'll also continue with my look at the Sci-Fi novel.

Just Finished

1. The Black Curtain by Cornell Woolrich (1941). Excellent author, one I've just begun to explore, even if he did write in the '40s  and '50s mainly.










"The Black Curtain by Cornell Woolrich is my second attempt at his writing. I had previously read a collection of his short stories. This was just as good.

The story starts off quickly and just keeps on going. Frank Townsend is hit on the head by falling plaster. Not seriously injured he returns home but finds that his wife no longer lives at their address. He discovers that she has moved to a new address and goes there (confused of course). He discovers that he has been away for 3 years. He has no recollection of that period between his last departure for work 3 years previously and his return home. 

Frank begins to try and get his life back to normal. His company hires him back and he starts working again. However he has no recollection of the last three years. One day someone stops on the street and stares at him. Frank begins to feel discomfort about this and tries to evade the man; who has a gun.
 
Thus begins Franks 'adventure' as he tries to discover what happened during that three years. He will meet Ruth and put both of them in danger as he further explores his past. It's not a perfect story by any means; a bit too much self-examination at times and at times some of the actions Frank will take struck me as odd. But for all that, it's a fascinating story, with a great concept and lots of action.
 
I readily admit that I had some difficulty understanding parts of the ending, but that was from a technical stand point. The book was a page-turner, tense, exciting and overall satisfying. I will continue to explore Woolrich's writing. The Bride Wore Black is currently on my book shelf. (4 stars)"

Currently Reading

1. Return to Lesbos by Valerie Taylor (1963). This will satisfy an April challenge in another Book Group.










"This treasure from the golden age of lesbian pulp fiction picks up where Stranger on Lesbos left off. Deserted by her butch lover, Frances struggles to re-integrate into conventional married life. But no amount of resolve can keep her away from a new lover, the boyish Erika who lures her back into the melodrama of lesbian life."

The Science Fiction Novel - Robert Kirkman

Robert Kirkman
Robert Kirkman is an American comic book writer born in Lexington, Kentucky in 1978. He's best known for co-creating The Walking Dead, amongst a variety of other series. He is one of five partners of Image Comics, the only non-original partner of the five. He began The Walking Dead series in 2003 and also began producing the TV series in in 2010. For those who have never seen or heard of the comics (or book adaptations) or the TV series, it is about a dystopic future in which mankind is trying to survive a zombie epidemic. The TV series also spawned Fear the Walking Dead which starts off before the events of The Walking Dead. In 2011, Kirkman began a series of non-graphic Walking Dead books. I've read the first and have the 2nd on my bookshelf. So far, he has written 8 books.

a. The Walking Dead: Rise of the Governor (2011).











Synopsis - "In the Walking Dead universe, there is no greater villain than The Governor. The despot who runs the walled-off town of Woodbury, he has his own sick sense of justice: whether it's forcing prisoners to battle zombies in an arena for the townspeople's amusement, or chopping off the appendages of those who cross him. The Governor was voted "Villain of the Year" by Wizard magazine the year he debuted, and his story arc was the most controversial in the history of the Walking Dead comic book series. Now, for the first time, fans of The Walking Dead will discover how The Governor became the man he is, and what drove him to such extremes"

My Review - "This is the story of the Governor and how he came to his position. The story follows Phillip Blake, his brother Brian Blake, two friends and Phillip's daughter Penny as they try to find a safe harbor in the initial stages of the zombie apocalypse. They travel through Georgia, fighting zombies, meeting new people, the family of musicians in the apartment block in Atlanta, where they stay for a short period. Phillip leads the group. He is a strong man, but suffering from the loss of his wife a few year's back. His last hope is to keep Penny alive; she is his light and beacon. Brian is the weaker brother, tagging along, uncomfortable killing zombies, a shadow of his stronger brother. The story is well-written, portrays the world of the zombie apocalypse as well as the TV series and it moves nicely. Interesting to see how it comes out in print, versus on the TV screen. (3 stars)"

2. The Walking Dead: The Road to Woodbury (2012).

"The zombie plague unleashes its horrors on the suburbs of Atlanta without warning, pitting the living against the dead. Caught in the mass exodus, Lilly Caul struggles to survive in a series of ragtag encampments and improvised shelters. But the Walkers are multiplying. Dogged by their feral hunger for flesh and crippled by fear, Lilly relies on the protection of good Samaritans by seeking refuge in a walled-in town once known as Woodbury, Georgia.

At first, Woodbury seems like a perfect sanctuary. Squatters barter services for food, people have roofs over their heads, and the barricade expands, growing stronger every day. Best of all, a mysterious self-proclaimed leader named Philip Blake keeps the citizens in line. But Lilly begins to suspect that all is not as it seems. . . . Blake, who has recently begun to call himself The Governor, has disturbing ideas about law and order.

Ultimately, Lilly and a band of rebels open up a Pandora's box of mayhem and destruction when they challenge The Governor's reign . . . and the road to Woodbury becomes the highway to hell."
The complete listing of Robert Kirkman's books can be found at this link.

Have a great week!

Sunday 29 March 2020

A Musical Interlude and the Science Fiction Novel - Douglas Coupland

It's a lovely Sunday and I think that once I finish this post I'm going to do a bit of yard work. I was only going to do my Sci-Fi novel thread but when I took the dogs out for their lunch time walk, I noticed a new book in my little free library and I am interested in that author. As well, I did my weekend shop and while I was driving to the bakery, three songs popped up on my USB and, while in respect to genres of music they don't necessarily jive together, they flowed so nicely one into the other, I'm going to provide a musical interlude as well. Of course I will also continue with my Sci-Fi thread. This will be a short one as I'm not totally sure where to classify this author. You judge. So let's start with my new book.

Oh yes. One of the moderators in one of my Goodreads' book groups let us know that she has tested positive for the coronavirus. She says the conditions are mild but she is in hospital. I think she currently resides in Singapore. My heart goes out to her and to everyone affected by this virus. I also wish good health and strength to everyone that is working so hard to keep us safe and fed and working in hospitals and as first responders. I know I'm leaving people out in this but just stay safe everyone, please.

New Book

1. Cemetery Road by Greg Iles (2019). I've read one of Iles' books, Natchez Burning. This is his latest book.

"Marshall McEwan is one of the most successful journalists in Washington, D.C. But as he sees more and more acclaim in print and on television, Marshall discovers that his father is terminally ill, and he must go back to his childhood home—a place he vowed he would never return.

Bienville, Mississippi, is no longer the city Marshall remembers. His family’s 150-year-old newspaper is failing, and Jet, the love of his youth, has married into the family of Max Matheson, one of a dozen powerful patriarchs who rule the town through the exclusive Bienville Poker Club. To Marshall’s surprise, the Poker Club has offered economic salvation to this community, in the form of a billion-dollar Chinese paper mill. But on the verge of the deal’s consummation, two deaths rock Bienville to its core, threatening far more than the city’s future.

Joining forces with his former lover, Marshall begins digging for the truth. But he and Jet soon discover that the soil of Mississippi is a minefield where explosive secrets can be far more destructive than injustice."

Musical Interlude
For pretty well every Friday in 2020 I've been providing a musical 3-pack on my Facebook page. Here is a Sunday one for you. They made my drive out today for some groceries much more enjoyable.

1. Leftwing : Kody - I Feel Like It.

2. Tiffany - Radio Romance.

3. Bronski Beat - It Ain't Necessarily So.

I hope you enjoy the selections. Now on to my final topic.

The Science Fiction Novel - Douglas Coupland

Douglas Coupland
Douglas Coupland is a Canadian author born at CFB Baden - Sollingen, West Germany in 1961. As a side note that was one of 3 Canadian Air Bases in West Germany when my father was stationed in Germany from 1967 - 1971. We were at the other two, although 4 Wing was just down the road. Since 1991 he has published thirteen novels, two collections of short stories and seven non-fiction books. The novel that I have read, Player One, was constructed from a series of lectures he gave at Massey Hall in 2010. I have to say it was a fascinating novel. I'll provide the synopsis and my review and if you get a chance to read it let me know what genre it fits in for you.

1. Player One: What Is To Become of Us - A Novel in Five Hours (2010).

Synopsis: "International bestselling author Douglas Coupland delivers a real-time, five-hour story set in an airport cocktail lounge during a global disaster. Five disparate people are trapped inside: Karen, a single mother waiting for her online date; Rick, the down-on-his-luck airport lounge bartender; Luke, a pastor on the run; Rachel, a cool Hitchcock blonde incapable of true human contact; and finally a mysterious voice known as Player One. Slowly, each reveals the truth about themselves while the world as they know it comes to an end.

In the tradition of Kurt Vonnegut and J. G. Ballard, Coupland explores the modern crises of time, human identity, society, religion, and the afterlife. The book asks as many questions as it answers, and readers will leave the story with no doubt that we are in a new phase of existence as a species — and that there is no turning back."

My Review (there is repetition from the synopses, my apologies). "The synopsis of this book compares the style to Kurt Vonnegut and J.G. Ballard. I can see that somewhat, especially JG Ballard, especially the situation. However, I find the characters more sympathetic and easy to relate to than those in the Ballard books I've read up to now. I also can compare the story and feeling somewhat to Emily St Mandel's Station Eleven, without the scope of her story. 

In Player One, you have basically 4 people, Rick, Karen, Rachel and Luke and also the narrator, a computer game voice of Player One, all trapped in an airport cocktail lounge by a world-wide crisis. This crisis involves the sudden drastic increase in the price of oil and a series of explosions, etc. The four are in the cocktail lounge for various reasons; Rick as the bartender, Karen, having just flown in to meet an internet companion to see if they can strike up a relationship, Rachel, trying to meet a man to make her feel human and Luke, a parish priest on the run. Player One is the unseen voice, elaborating on the events of the previous hour and expounding on what will happen in the next. 

The story is set over 5 hours and in each hour, the four humans and Player One tell what they are thinking and what is occurring. It's an interesting concept and each person is well-crafted for such a short timeframe and the story is engrossing and draws you in. I could easily have given this a 5-star rating, but I think a solid 4 is fair. I enjoyed this story very much and found myself being drawn back to it to see how it would all resolve. Excellent and surprisingly good. (4 stars)"

So there you go. Enjoy your Sunday and remember stay safe. 

Friday 27 March 2020

A Reading Update, Some New Books... Oh heck, the Whole Kit and Kaboodle

Eddie Glaude Jr.
So I'll run the gamut of topics today; new books, completed books, my look at the Science Fiction genre, etc. I have been enjoying watching MSNBC's Deadline White House, mainly because Nicolle Wallace (@NicolleDWallace) is a great moderator but also because now that most everyone is visiting from their homes, I can see a bit of how they live; especially if they sit in front of bookshelves. Eddie Glaude Jr. (@esglaude), one of Nicolle's regular guests, was on today. He chairs the Department of African American studies at Princeton University and is such an intelligent, well-spoken man. Anyway, he had so many books behind him and I recognized one of them; Paris 1919 by Margaret MacMillan, great book. I have it too. (he says gloatingly).

Anyway, on to my normal topic. Yesterday I received a few books from Russell Books in Victoria. I haven't been able to visit for almost two years and I did want to give them a bit of business. (I'll update those shortly). Ed. Note. I just took out the dogs and another book arrived from The Book Depository. I completed a book this morning, the last in my March Author Focus challenge, the author being C.S. Forester. I could read one more of his books this month but I've decided to focus on the other books I'm currently reading. Next month my focus author will be Minette Walters. I'll also continue to wind down my thread on the Sci-Fi novel. So, on that note....

New Books

1. Unicorn Point by Piers Anthony (Apprentice Adept #6). I have #' 5 and 6 now sitting on my bookshelves. Looking forward to reconnecting with this series.









"The combined magic and technology between the parallel worlds of Phaze and Proton is not enough to save the planets from a conquering invasion. Only Mach and Bane - robot and wizard, linked between worlds - have any chance of stopping this threat."

2. Farewell My Lovely by Raymond Chandler (Philip Marlowe #2). I've been enjoying getting into the noir genre / hard boiled fiction genre more recently, books by Ross MacDonald, Cornell Woolrich, etc. I've read a couple Chandler's books so far and enjoyed very much.

"Marlowe's about to give up on a completely routine case when he finds himself in the wrong place at the right time to get caught up in a murder that leads to a ring of jewel thieves, another murder, a fortune-teller, a couple more murders, and more corruption than your average graveyard."

3. Mona Lisa Overdrive by William Gibson (Sprawl #3). I enjoy Gibson's take on the future and I've read the first two books in the Sprawl trilogy already. 









"Enter Gibson's unique world - lyric and mechanical, erotic and violent, sobering and exciting - where multinational corporations and high tech outlaws vie for power, traveling into the computer-generated universe known as cyberspace. Into this world comes Mona, a young girl with a murky past and an uncertain future whose life is on a collision course with internationally famous Sense/Net star Angie Mitchell. Since childhood, Angie has been able to tap into cyberspace "without" a computer.

Now, from inside cyberspace, a kidnapping plot is masterminded by a phantom entity who has plans for Mona, Angie, and all humanity, plans that cannot be controlled... or even known. And behind the intrigue lurks the shadowy Yakuza, the powerful Japanese underworld, whose leaders ruthlessly manipulate people and events to suit their own purposes... or so they think..."


4. Madam President by Nicolle Wallace (Charlotte Kramer #3). I enjoyed the first two books in this trilogy and I'm sort of looking forward to finishing off the series. Maybe Ms. Wallace will grace us with another book someday.

"With Madam President, current co-host of The View  (Ed. Note. Not anymore, now host of Deadline White House) and former White House Communications Director Nicolle Wallace returns with an electrifying portrait of three powerful women on a day that will change the country forever.

Charlotte Kramer, the forty-fifth President of the United States, has done the unprecedented in allowing a network news team to document a day in her life—and that of her most senior staff. But while twenty news cameras are embedded with the president, the unthinkable happens: five major attacks are leveled on US soil. Her secretary of defense, Melanie, and her press secretary, Dale, must instantly jump to action in supporting the president and reassuring the country that the safety they treasure is in capable hands.

But secrets have always thrived in President Kramer’s White House. With all eyes on them and America’s stability on the line, all three women are hiding personal and professional secrets that could rock the West Wing to its very foundations…and change the lives of the people they love most.

With an insider’s sharp eye and her trademark winning prose, Nicolle Wallace delivers a timely novel of domestic and political intrigue that is impossible to put down.
" (Like many people, I kind of wish that Charlotte Kramer was actually the 45th Pres....)


5. The G-String Murders by Gypsy Rose Lee (1941). A new author for me, I'm looking forward to seeing if Gypsy can turn a phrase and write an interesting story.









"A mystery set in the underworld of burlesque theater, The G-String Murders was penned in 1941 by the legendary queen of the stripteasers—the witty and wisecracking Gypsy Rose Lee. Narrating a twisted tale of a backstage double murder, Lee provides a fascinating look behind the scenes of burlesque, richly populated by the likes of strippers Lolita LaVerne and Gee Gee Graham, comic Biff Brannigan and Siggy the g-string salesman. This is a world where women struggle to earn a living performing bumps and grinds, have gangster boyfriends, sip beer between acts and pay their own way at dinner."

Just Finished

1. The Captain from Connecticut by C.S. Forester (1941). This is my 3rd Forester book this month. I've enjoyed them all.








"The Captain from Connecticut is an entertaining, action-filled story set during the Revolutionary War. It's quite similar to Forester's Horatio Hornblower series of books, except in this case, the ship's Captain, one Capt Peabody, is an American navy officer in charge of the Delaware. The US fleet for the most part is stuck in American harbors which are blockaded by the British fleet.

Peabody's first mission is to get his ship to open sea and he must do so during a horrendous storm to avoid the watchful eyes of the British. His aim, if he can accomplish this feat is to sail to the Caribbean and when there to disrupt the British cargo convoys and make the British pay a price for their war against America.

That is the gist of this excellent Forester story. Peabody is an excellent character, confident, competent, a skilled sailor and ship's officer. His ship is crewed by an excellent cast. Because of the blockade, he has been able to get experienced, talented officers and crew. The only hitch in this is her younger brother John, who Peabody brings on as a junior officer to get him away from his family. Unfortunately, John doesn't want to be at sea and is a regular thorn in Capt Peabody's side.

It's a fascinating story, the action is well-described. There is also a budding romance when Peabody and his ship run down a French ship. All in all, like most of Forester's sea-going adventures, well-crafted, a page turner and an all-round excellent tale. (4 stars)"


Just Starting
In April along with my normal 2020 challenges, I'll be focusing on the mysteries of one of my favorite authors, Minette Walters. The first book I'll be reading is -

1. The Sculptress (1993). This was Walters' second published novel. I've seen the TV movie based on it but that was many years ago.







"A WOMAN IMPRISONED FOR HIDEOUS SLAUGHTER. A WRITER TRAPPED IN A TRAGIC PAST. ONE HIDES THE TRUTH THE OTHER NEEDS.

In prison, they call her the Sculptress for the strange figurines she carves - symbols of the day she hacked her mother and sister to pieces and reassembled them in a blood-drenched jigsaw. Sullen, menacing, grotesquely fat, Olive Martin is burned-out journalist Rosalind Leigh's only hope of getting a new book published.

But as she interviews Olive, in her cell, Roz finds flaws in the Sculptress's confession. Is she really guilty as she insists? Drawn into Olive's world of obsessional lies and love, nothing can stop Roz's pursuit of the chilling, convoluted truth. Not the tidy suburbanites who'd rather forget the murders, not a volatile ex-policeman and her own erotic response to him, not an attack on her life.

Not even the thought of what might happen if the Sculptress went free..."


The Science Fiction Novel - Justin Cronin

Justin Cronin
Justin Cronin was born 1962 in New England. Like some of my most recently highlighted authors, his trilogy features vampires in a dystopic future. I think I may have to check out my previous threads to see how many of these authors feature vampiric themes. Cronin wrote his Passage trilogy from 2010 - 2016. I bought the first book a few years back and have to admit that I was kind of intimidated by its length. But finally late last year I read it and now I'm looking forward to trying the next.

a. The Passage (2010).











"The Passage by Justin Cronin is the first book in his 'Passage' fantasy / horror series. It came out in 2012 and I've had it on my bookshelf for 5+ years. I readily admit to being intimidated by its size, almost 900 pages. But I'm glad to have finally taken it off of my shelf and dusted it off. It's not a perfect story but in its scope and content, it is still an excellent story. In many ways it reminded me of Stephen King's The Stand.

So how to provide a 'brief' outline of the story, which encompasses 100 years or so... OK, here goes.

Current day - Two ex FBI agents travel to various maximum control penitentiaries throughout the US picking up prisoners on death row and having them sent to a secretive military compound in the mountains of Colorado. Some types of experiments are being conducted. There is a maximum number of these prisoners. The same to agents are also sent to a nunnery in the Eastern US to pick up a young girl, Amy (6 years old). It seems this girl has some 'powers'. A nun from Africa recognizes something in the girl but the two still catch her. One of the agents, Wolgast, comes to some sort of revelation and tries to save the girl, but she is still brought to Colorado. Something happens and the prisoners escape, a virus is let loose and America is on the road to destruction. Wolgast escapes and takes Amy to the mountains of Oregon to hide out from what is happening.

The Future (100ish years later) - The US is basically destroyed, overrun by Smokes (AKA vampires). A community survives in California, behind a walled fortress. They live under strict rules. Their power is supplied by an old power station miles away. The walls are guarded constantly, at night, powerful lights shine out keeping the Smokes away. Events begin to happen that will disrupt their lives. There is a critical evening when a young girl, a Walker (someone who hasn't succumbed to the virus) shows up at the gate to the town and at the same time it is attacked by vampires. Can you guess who this young girl might be?

These events will disrupt everything that has been built in the community, resulting in a journey by a small group of the community and the young girl, trying to get to the source of everything that has occurred. It's a journey of often terrifying events that will try all of them.

So there you go, The Passage. It's a fascinating story. It takes a long while to develop but in the long run, your efforts to work through it will be worth it. I will warn you, however, that this is the first book of a trilogy, so everything might not be resolved quite to your satisfaction. And in the same vein of George RR Martin's Game of Thrones series, you might be careful about getting to invested in some characters. Because there are some really well - developed personalities in this story and because the story is so long you will get to know and like them. I 'enjoyed' The Passage very much. Now to find the next book.. Dare I? (4 stars)"


The other two books in the trilogy are -
a. The Twelve (2012)
b. The City of Mirrors (2016)

So there you go, a rather lengthy post I'm afraid. I hope you enjoy and maybe get some reading ideas. Have a great weekend and stay safe.
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