Just a quick post on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Jo is snoozing and Clyde is too. If I don't do this I think I might fall asleep as well. So let's take a look at my latest reviews, etc.
Just Finished
(Nine books / graphic novels finished since my last update. I'm trying to focus a bit more and there were also a few very short ones in the list)
"I decided to try this graphic novel, Steeple by John Allison after I enjoyed The Great British Bump-Off, a fun murder mystery cum baking show. Steeple covers Issues #1 - 5 of the comic series.
Unlike Bump-off, this collection follows a more supernatural bent. The story is set in the small town of Tredregyn, in North Cornwall. There be supernatural things going on in Tredregyn and Reverend Penrose is at the end of his endurance as he fights demons from the sea. But young curate-in-training, Billie Baker has been sent to help the Vicar. Her trip starts off badly as just as she crosses into Cornwall, her car explodes.
She gets a lift from Maggie Warren on her motorbike. It will turn out that Maggie is a member of a Satanist cult in town. There roles will change over the course of the various chapters in this graphic. There are various incidents / episodes. Are the creatures that Rev Penrose fights really that bad? Billie has thoughts. What about the couple that are trying to establish a wind farm in Tredregyn? Do they have ulterior motives? And what about the end of season witches conclave?
Everything is kind of light and fluffy and fun. The artwork is so bright and colorful. The characters are drawn so clearly and with lovely personality. There is darkness but at the same time the light of hope. Don't expect to delve too deeply into the supernatural genre but expect to enjoy the stories and wonderful characters. I've now got Vols 2 and 3 on order. I want to keep having a bit of fun. (3.0 stars)"
(I've recently received the next two books in this graphic novel series)
"I recently finished A Guest in the House, a horror graphic novel, by Canadian author Emily Carroll which I enjoyed very much. Deciding to explore her work more, I found When I Arrived at the Castle a short but powerful gothic horror graphic. It was originally published in 2019 but Silver Sprocket released their version in 2024.
For a short novella, When I Arrived is powerful, erotic, bloody and beautifully drawn and colored. A girl (well, maybe a cat girl) arrives at a castle, ruled by a dangerous Countess with the aim of killing her. And then this gothic horror story begins, a battle between the girl and beautiful Countess. Creepy, sexy, violent, dark colors (blood reds and blacks). She is led to the basement and must try various doors, each with their own story, each a fantasy or truth. It's all a bit overwhelming.
Confusing but it doesn't matter. Just a powerful, gothic novella. Wow. (4.0 stars)"
"(Full Disclosure - One of the authors asked if I would be interested in reading this new book and I said yes because it sounded interesting.)
Odd Jobs: Six Files from the Department of Inhuman Resources is a collection of short stories by six horror authors. The book is edited by T.J. Price and they purport to be a series of files that have been released by an employee of the Dept of Inhuman Resources, a dangerous undertaking that might result in his death... or maybe firing.
The six stories highlight odd jobs, some for the Company, presenting either a dystopic world or strange happenings.
1. Lips Sealed, Steeped in Oil, Pores Opening like Mouths by Ai Jiang
2. Rags to Riches by Ivy Grimes
3. These Little Tyrants by Erik McHatton
4. In the Lights of their Bones by Carson Winter
5. Investigation into a Disappearance by Christi Nogle
6. Future Portraits of the Unhappy Dead by Caleb Stephens
The stories themselves aren't horrifying, rather more creepy and unsettling, each author presenting their story in their own unique style. The only writer of the group who I've tried previously is Ai Jiang, the author of Linghun.
In Lips Sealed, a young lady begins working for the company. She wants to be an environmentalist but decides to work for this 'oil' company first. It's a limited term and it will give her the money to switch to environmentalist issues, so she believes. But the experience will leave her incapable of living in the 'real' world. This oil world seeps into the real world, destroying forests, animals, people. But it also sinks into her very skin, her very pores, her soul.
(Oh yes, at the beginning of each story, a personal or performance report or mental evaluation is provided on the main character. It's a neat touch)
In Rags to Riches, Penny works in the Bookstore, a strange sort of place. She is filled with ambition and wants to rise to the executive level. Each level strikes her as odd and she wants to change things. The Owner is watching her and moves her along quickly. But it's not what Penny expects. (Although quite different, it did make me think of a graphic I'd read about the Albertan oil sands, Ducks0
In These Little Tyrants, the main character is being abused by her boss Michelle, being made to perform the most mundane of tasks. She complains to Bill, a potential boyfriend, who disappears suddenly. However she finds herself being promoted, but not to where she expects. She is moved to production, cleaning pink slime from vats in the basement and sees many strange things... (I'm somewhat reminded of Soylent Green... somewhat)
In the Light of their Bones - A young man begins a new jobs, after a 'pandemic' of sorts. It's not completely explained but it seems a 'light' has done something to the insides of people. Finally allowed outdoors, he joins a clean-up crew. Released from the safe zone each day, they move to empty apartment buildings, homes, cleaning out any bodies, the furniture, sanitizing the homes. But something happens to the young fella.....
In Investigation into a Disappearance, an English professor is interrogated by a.... police officer? about the disappearance of one of her students or a girl she mentored. Only briefly mentioned, the various departments; Fine Arts, History seem to be empty, falling into disrepair. When the investigator doesn't show up one day, the Professor tries to find Debi, this budding author she tried, unsuccessfully to mentor. We now move to Debi's house... (now this had me thinking of House of Leaves, or Doctor Who).. The house is not what it seems from the outside. What had Debi done? (Oh one of the Classic Twilight Zones is about a young boy who has very strong mental powers....)
Finally, there is Future Portraits of the Unhappy Dead where we meet Ronald Hart who works for a telephone / computer repair shop in a small town in Texas. Ronald begins seeing things in the phones / laptops where people are being abused or killed and after not doing anything the first time, he decides he has to stop the perpetrators. He also loves the girl in charge of the shop, but she only has eyes for another fella. (Think the Dead Zone with this one).
Every story is interesting and different. They leave you feeling unsettled at the very least. The endings are always open to your interpretation. A neat concept and an entertaining collection. I think it's worth checking out the individual authors works. (4.0 stars)"
"On a dark, gloomy day it was time to read something light and fun so I dug out Warriors: The Prophecies Begin, the first 2 books in the cat Warriors Young adult graphic novel series by Erin Hunter. It contains the graphic novel adaptation of the first two books, Into the Wild and Fire and Ice.
The story follows housecat Rusty who dreams of living in the wild. He decides to wander into the woods one evening and ends up being attacked and repelling a wild cat and then being invited to live with the Thunderclan of wild cats. Rusty is renamed Firepaw and becomes a trainee warrior of the Thunderclan. There are 3 other clans that live in the forest; the Riverclan, the Shadowclan and the Windclan. Each has their own area of the forest and doesn't hunt in the other clans areas.
But this wouldn't be an adventure story if there wasn't trouble right? The Shadowclan wants more land in which to hunt. They chase away the Windclan and want to gain admission to hunt in the other areas as well. The Riverclan bends to their will but not the leader of the Thunderclan, Bluestar.
So there is your basic adventure. There will be cat fights / battles, traitors within their midst, heroism and adventure. It's a well drawn, entertaining story. Sometimes a bit confusing as the cats do look similar (they are cats after all) and I (due to my increasing older age) have trouble remembering their names.. LOL. But I enjoyed the first two stories. Rusty / Firepaw (who becomes Fireheart when he gains warrior status) is a true hero defending his clan and trying to help instill peace in the forest amongst the clans. And there is a wonderful mix of characters amongst the rest of the clan(s). Most enjoyable, great for middle grades I think. (3.5 stars)"
"I've read about 4 or 5 other books in this entertaining mystery series, featuring Lara McClintoch, antique dealer from Toronto, Canada and archeological 'explorer'... king of like Relic Hunter, if you will. The Xibalba Murders is the first book in the series and is set in Mexico.
From the other books I've read, I've gotten the basics of Lara's back story but now here it is in the very first story. Lara has an antique store in Toronto which she operated with her husband. Now divorced, she has given up the store, her husband has sold it and Lara is somewhat at loose ends, depressed, trying to sort out what to do with her life. She's been trying to upgrade her education, taking university courses when she gets a call from an old friend, another archeologist, from Mexico, Dr. Hernan Castillo.
When Lara arrives in Merida, Mexico, she discovers that Dr. Castillo has gone away and left a message that he will get in touch with her. While waiting, Lara witnesses an armed robbery of an Maya antique in a restaurant. The local police chief feels she may have some involvement and takes her passport. Over the next days, Lara will discover two dead bodies, including that of the good Dr. Castillo. She now tries to discover what it was that Dr. Castillo was looking for and what he wanted to tell Lara. Lara will spend her time avoiding Maj Martinez, the police officer, romancing with a British archaeologist and searching for clues.
All in all, it's an entertaining introduction to the Lara McClintoch Mystery series. It's peopled with interesting and sometimes suspicious characters. The setting is mysterious and exotic. Lara is no shrinking violet when it comes to investigating and finds herself in trouble regularly. I had my suspicions about who might be involved in the crimes, some right, some surprises. All in all, it's an entertaining intro to a solid series. And if your into antiquities, then this provides further interest as you do discover more about the history of the locations and cultures as you follow Lara about. Check it out. (3.5 stars)"
"Death of a Celebrity is the 17th book in the mystery series featuring Hamish Macbeth by British author, M.C. Beaton. While I did read the first 3 books in the series, I've jumped around since then... availability of the books, dontcha know. (MC Beaton also writes the Agatha Raisin mystery series and also some other books)
So Hamish MacBeth is a small town police constable in the highlands of Scotland. His area of responsibility is the town of Lochdubh and surrounding locales. He comes under the Scottish CID located in Strathbane. Hamish is always getting under the skin of the head of CID, but in this case, he has been temporarily replaced by DCI Carson and they develop a not bad relationship. You see, Hamish is considered a bit of a wild card, a loose cannon by Strathbane.
Anyway, let's welcome the titled Celebrity, TV reporter Crystal French. She previously met the head of programming of Strathbane TV and after an overnight fling (he was married of course), she is offered a plum job of trying to improve ratings for the network. This involves stirring up dirt on the locals in Lochdubh and other small towns and crofts, and even including Hamish himself. This does not endear the young lady to the locals and, of course, she is found dead in her car, initially her death is considered a suicide.
Hamish doesn't buy it and after a bit, neither does CID. So we now begin the investigation. Helping Hamish along is a local beauty, and also a bit of a psychic, who writes horoscopes and other articles of local interest for the Highlands weekly paper. Hamish has just discovered that the woman he's set his heart on, has gone and gotten engaged and he finds himself 'off' women, even the lovely Elspeth (as an aside, Hamish is a foolish git)
It's all a neat investigation with lots of suspects and lots of folks trying to keep old secrets. Hamish investigates and must try not to upset his superiors, but also not get booted off the case. It's all very interesting; the locale, the local color / characters, the on / off again possible relationship with Elspeth and also we get to like Hamish's dog, Luggs. The case moves along nicely, the story is well - written and interesting and the conclusion very satisfying. Of the two mystery series, so far I prefer the Hamish MacBeth one but next in line for me is a Agatha Raisin mystery... Onward ho! (4.0 stars)"
"Since about June, I've been exploring science fiction novels from the late '50s through to the end of the '60s. I chose 12 books, all less than 200 pages and I've managed to read and enjoy 7 so far. The Time Hoppers by Robert Silverberg|, originally published in 1967 has been my favorite thus far.
The story is set in Appalachia (it takes up most of the eastern seaboard) in the year 2490. The Story follows Quellen, a level 7 (the population is rated from 1 (the elite and there seems to be only one of those left) down to the lowest levels, the Prolets. So Quellen is fairly high and works for CrimeSec. Quellen is bored with his life, the over-crowding, his work and somehow has managed to cheat the system and acquired himself a property in Africa where he can hide out in peace and solitude. (He travels there by some sort of transfer beam)
Quellen is being blackmailed by one of his staff, a level 8, Brogg, to keep his African hideaway quiet. Brogg is satisfied with a monthly payment as it allows him to satisfy his curiosity of the ancient Romans. CrimeSec is tasked with hunting down the organization that does Time Hopping. People from 2490 are traveling into the past (As Capt. Janeway would say; don't even get me started on temporal paradoxes) Quellen discovers that one citizen is going to hop in two weeks and he passes it up the chain. He worries that if they arrest Mortenson it might impact the future (er, the present... see what I mean about paradoxes!) but he wants the upper levels to make the decision
As well, Quellen's brother-in-law, Norman Pomrath, is frustrated because he can't get a job. He's taking drugs and gets an offer to time hop. His wife, Quellen's sister, asks Quellen to try and stop him.
So we've got various investigations to try and find who is running the Time hopping business and we've got CrimeSec people trying to work things out to their own advantage. I'm probably simplifying this a bit but it's all very fascinating and a neat concept. The future is interesting, the characters are well-defined for a relatively short story and it's all resolved very nicely. I enjoyed this very much. Neat. (4.5 stars)"
"(Full Disclosure: The author asked me if I'd like a copy to read and review and I accepted.)
How America Works... and Why it Doesn't: A Brief Guide to the US Political System by William Cooper is a look at the American political / governing system and providing an overview of how it's supposed to work and why, in the current times, why it isn't. Since the election campaign of Barack Obama, I've found myself more and more interested in what is happening to my neighbour to the south (being a Canadian and all that.. not my spelling of neighbour with the added 'u'... 😊😎). I've found myself falling down many rabbit holes, especially when Donald J. Trump decided to run for president.
This book provides an interesting look at the American political system. I've learned quite a bit, myself over the past few years, but found this 'primer of sorts' a very useful tool to understanding how America works even better.
The first section tries to explain how America actually works, with a brief history of its formation, the Constitution, highlighting both the rough edges and the guiding principles and also the whole governance and electoral system. Cooper tries to cover a big topic in a brief concise manner and it works. At times I felt that some of his comments were glossed over but at some point you've got to decide whether you want the book to be informative and accessible to the average bloke or do you want a weighty tome that only appeals to intellectuals. I think he succeeded with this book in making it accessible and informative.
The second portion highlights who America isn't working and since it's quite current, having been released in 2024, he can cover the issues right up to the present time, including the current threat, that of Donald Trump and his efforts to overthrow a legal, honest election. At times I found myself disagreeing with portions of the problems identified and how he explained them; e.g. the controversial issues of abortion and transgender children covered under 'Hard Questions'. I recognize that my own biases (and Cooper does an interesting analysis of the different types of biases Americans have) lead me in one direction on these issues, but I did think there was a bit of both sidedness in his analysis of these portions. But that's for you to judge.
I found the whole book quite interesting. He highlights issues from gerrymandering to the Electoral College, the frictions between the three levels of federal governing, education, civics, etc. In the final chapter he discusses the future. I can't say he offers a solution to the problems facing the US and Democracy but I felt that he still has faith in the American people to try and right the boat. In his final paragraph he quotes Alexis de Tocqueville, a French political scientist who wrote Democracy in America (ed. note. I took a political philosophy course in university and this was one of the books assigned. If only I'd read it!). This is the quote. His insight was that the 'greatness of America was not in being more enlightened than any other nation, but rather in her ability to repair her faults."
Let's hope. At any rate, it's a book worth trying out. Check it out. (4.0 stars)"
"In the past few years I've enjoyed books featuring werewolves; the Blood books by Tanya Huff, the Women of the Otherworld series by Kelley Armstrong etc. I'm not sure where I heard about this series by Patricia Briggs, that being the Mercy Thompson books. She has made some graphic novel in the series, the one I discovered being Homecoming. Still trying to sort out the books vs graphic novels, etc but this one appears to show when Mercy Thompson arrives at the Tri-Cities in Washington.
So... Mercy (nee Mercedes) Thompson is a skin walker, somewhat different from a were, and she is able to transform into a coyote. She has decided to move to Tri-Cities to try and get a job as a teacher. She doesn't get the job and instead, because her van has been pretty well beat up by a rogue gang of werewolves, gets a job at the local garage as a repairman. The place is run by a young boy (Tad, who is a fae) because his father isn't coping over the death of Tad's mother.
Mercy saves Tad from an unhappy vampire and he hires her (later on she will be fired and rehired by Dad). Mercy's step father is head of the werewolves for the region, he's the Marrok and because of the problems the rogue weres are causing in town he wants her to leave town. Of course Mercy refuses.
There will be a final battle between the rogues and the Marrok's men and Mercy will be involved. The book consists of about 5 individual stories that all tie together. There are werewolves, vampires, fae, all the favorites. The artwork is excellent, definitely fitting the mood. The characters are all interesting and Mercy is a wonderful character. It was a great introduction to the series for me. Now all that I have to do is figure out the remaining books / graphics in the series because I do feel like exploring more. (3.5 stars)"
Currently Reading
"After solving murders in her Cotswold village, pushy retired PR agent Agatha Raisin opens her own agency, but jealous secretary Emma 67 has romantic fantasies that rival her employer's. Posh Catherine Laggat-Brown hires Agatha after death threats against announcing her daughter's engagement at a dance. Only Agatha sees the glint of a gun in an upstairs window - and pulls the three targets into the swimming pool with herself."
"A driving novel of a man on the run for a crime he knows he didn't commit."
"Two reporters looking for a story in the outer reaches of the Solar System come upon a derelict spaceship. Inside, they find the only inhabitant, a beautiful young woman who has been imprisoned for a thousand years in suspended animation, suspended but aware for the whole time. Together they set off on a grand adventure across the vastness of space and time in a search for a race known as the Cosmic Engineers on a mission to save the universe. "
"The #1 bestselling author of World War Z takes on the Bigfoot legend with a tale that blurs the lines between human and beast--and asks what we are capable of in the face of the unimaginable. As the ash and chaos from Mount Rainier's eruption swirled and finally settled, the story of the Greenloop massacre has passed unnoticed, unexamined . . . until now. But the journals of resident Kate Holland, recovered from the town's bloody wreckage, capture a tale too harrowing--and too earth-shattering in its implications--to be forgotten. In these pages, Max Brooks brings Kate's extraordinary account to light for the first time, faithfully reproducing her words alongside his own extensive investigations into the massacre and the legendary beasts behind it. Kate's is a tale of unexpected strength and resilience, of humanity's defiance in the face of a terrible predator's gaze, and inevitably, of savagery and death. Yet it is also far more than that. Because if what Kate Holland saw in those days is real, then we must accept the impossible. We must accept that the creature known as Bigfoot walks among us--and that it is a beast of terrible strength and ferocity. Part survival narrative, part bloody horror tale, part scientific journey into the boundaries between truth and fiction, this is a Bigfoot story as only Max Brooks could chronicle it--and like none you've ever read before."
"Harlem, 1926. Young Black women like Louise Lloyd are ending up dead.
Following a harrowing kidnapping ordeal when she was in her teens, Louise is doing everything she can to maintain a normal life. She’s succeeding, too. She spends her days working at Maggie’s Café and her nights at the Zodiac, Harlem’s hottest speakeasy. Louise’s friends, especially her girlfriend, Rosa Maria Moreno, might say she’s running from her past and the notoriety that still stalks her, but don’t tell her that.When a girl turns up dead in front of the café, Louise is forced to confront something she’s been trying to ignore—two other local Black girls have been murdered in the past few weeks. After an altercation with a police officer gets her arrested, Louise is given an ultimatum: She can either help solve the case or wind up in a jail cell. Louise has no choice but to investigate and soon finds herself toe-to-toe with a murderous mastermind hell-bent on taking more lives, maybe even her own...."
Kiela has always had trouble dealing with people. Thankfully, as a librarian at the Great Library of Alyssium, she and her assistant, Caz—a magically sentient spider plant—have spent the last decade sequestered among the empire’s most precious spell books, preserving their magic for the city’s elite.
When a revolution begins and the library goes up in flames, she and Caz flee with all the spell books they can carry and head to a remote island Kiela never thought she’d see again: her childhood home. Taking refuge there, Kiela discovers, much to her dismay, a nosy—and very handsome—neighbor who can’t take a hint and keeps showing up day after day to make sure she’s fed and to help fix up her new home.
In need of income, Kiela identifies something that even the bakery in town doesn’t have: jam. With the help of an old recipe book her parents left her and a bit of illegal magic, her cottage garden is soon covered in ripe berries.
But magic can do more than make life a little sweeter, so Kiela risks the consequences of using unsanctioned spells and opens the island’s first-ever and much needed secret spellshop."
When Kat Colorado receives a plea for help from a childhood friend she immediately flies out to Nashville. Dakota has been receiving threatening letters, but things are brought to a head, when a look-alike singer is shot dead in the studio where Dakota should have been."
Twins Page and Turner know about the magic a library holds—they’ve been going to their beloved New York City public library for years, especially since their parents are always traveling for work. But a secret mission involving their dad’s rare and valuable edition of Bram Stoker’s Dracula uncovers a world they’ve never known, featuring a mysterious Night Librarian, famous heroes (and villains) that have broken free from classic books, and an epic battle to save the library from total destruction."
Then the Furies struck - monstrous and deadly wasps nearly the size of man.
Their nests sprang up all over the world. They descended and slaughtered humanity at will. Breeding in their nests by the billions, they began enslaving the earth..."
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