Category: Recommended Read

FILM/TV:
Slumberland was a lovely film, visually stunning with a pleasant story. Nice to see Jason Momoa not taking himself seriously and I’m in love with the pig.

Finished watching Wednesday and liked it, but can’t say we loved it. Preferred it when it was just Wednesday and Thing as opposed to having her family around, but also felt Wednesday should have made a better sleuth and not made so many (sometimes arrogant) mistakes. Would watch another series but a little disappointed. I knew who the monster was from about the second episode in part because they dropped the biggest, most blatant hint ever for the audience that I thought, no, they can’t have just told us.

The Old Man starring Jeff Bridges and John Lithgow is one of the best series I’ve watched in a long time, which makes me interested in reading the novel.

On a sadder note, not only is Henry Cavill not appearing after season three of The Witcher because he doesn’t like the direction they’re taking the series, a decision I hate to support but do if the story becomes far removed from the books, they’re dropped him from Superman because he’s not suitable. They’re saying it’s not an origin story but they’re going backwards in Superman’s timeline so can’t use him, apparently a decision made after the announcement. Sounds like an origin story to me and frankly I’m not interested in watching that, and on principle won’t be. DC has apparently done this with a few actors, so just as we’ve become invested in them (despite less than perfect stories) they’ve gone. Seems like they’re more interested in trying to win a race against Marvel than they are in giving fans what they want.

I seldom watch BBC, but we caught up with Death in Paradise by watching the Christmas special. We had also wanted to watch Detectorists for ages, so with the Christmas special coming up, we sped through the lot and loved it. Excellent gentle comedy.

READING:
I’d Kill for That, Multiple Authors
Published in 2004, this is a multi-authored novel for charity with too many names to mention, but I picked it up because one of those authors is Jennifer Crusie. Apparently not a new idea, but this is the first time I’ve come across a published novel with a different author writing each chapter. Starting with the first and the next author carrying on the story until the last author writes the ending. A murder mystery with little romance. The novel has a lot happening, with a large and entertaining cast, and it all felt a bit of a jumble but was impressive, with many fun sections. Not sure it’s a book I would want to read twice, but it was worth checking out.

An Autumn Crush, Milly Johnson (audio), Read by Colleen Prenderghast
These aren’t the type of books I would usually read in print, but enjoy largely to Colleen Prenderghast’s excellent performance. This story is touching, funny, sad, and the author deals well with the way people get the wrong idea, and jump to conclusions. I wouldn’t usually go for books that head-hop, but part of the delight of this story is knowing immediately that two characters have got what’s happening completely wrong.

Who P-P-P-Plugged Roger Rabbit?, Gary K.Wolf
At the start of this book, I felt I would not enjoy it as much as the first, but as soon as a short relative of Jessica’s was introduced, I laughed all the way to the end. Gary has the witty patter down p-p-p-perfectly. I have such fond memories of the film, but feel as though the rabbit written here is worth loving all over again. I’m also left feeling a mite sorry for him, which only adds to the charm of these stories. Another surprise to enjoy was a whole new take of how Gone With the Wind was cast.

Pan’s Labyrinth, Guillermo Del Toro & Cornelia Funke
If you’ve watched the film, there’s no real reason to read the book, though I wanted to, and the lovely illustrations, and the stories within the story, which aren’t told on screen enhance the experience. The book’s a charming keepsake and complements the film somewhat as it’s always nice to get internalisations which almost no film provides. Also, the book is English, whereas the film is Spanish with English subtitles (not that I find subtitles a problem). Neither the book nor the film is a fairy tale for young children owing to the violence and imagery, but is a wonderful fantasy for some teens and adults alike.

Getting Rid of Bradley, Jennifer Crusie
Another fun little read by this author with a fabulous cast and snappy dialogue, plus lovely dogs and a psychotic cat. I had cause to question Lucy’s decisions, especially when her life’s in danger, but this moves the plot and gives the character plenty of room for change. Light fiction, but enjoyable.

Dragon Tears, Dean Koontz
A re-read for me. This novel’s an interesting concept, one that explains why people often label Koontz a horror writer (when I think of him as a supernatural thriller writer) — a mysterious, changing antagonist who’s seemingly impossible to escape. This is definitely supernatural, regardless of what explanation the reader imagines while speeding through the pages. I have to admit, despite my love of dogs, the author lost me a bit using a dog’s POV, though that’s pivotal to the plot. Using human descriptions like ‘policeman’ which a dog would have no concept of pulled me out of the story, but eventually, I just went along with it and enjoyed it, finding it cute it places. This feels like a book of two halves. The first when we don’t know the cause, the second after we have some inkling and have identified the baddie. Koontz has taken a well-known creation and used it in a modern setting to excellent effect. Perhaps not his best, but certainly imaginative and a reminder of why I loved early Koontz novels. Some of the social problems mentioned in the book seem almost ahead of their time, or perhaps it’s that those problems have worsened and were only beginning then; even so, the author included them, though a few of the societal issues and scenes go on too long and feel overly described. I didn’t enjoy reading the sections from the antagonist’s POV possibly because he’s a little cliched and several of the horror elements weren’t necessary for me to dislike him. Worth a read and even a re-visit many years later.

The Unfortunate Miss Fortunes, Jennifer Crusie, Eileen Dreyer, Anne Stuart
A great example of a collaboration between authors, though more degrees of emotion would have made the book better. In a sense, this is park your brain at the door romance, but there’s not necessarily anything wrong with that, and to give the characters the depth to make this something more would have required a far longer book. Three writers, three central protagonists, three love interests, and three romances with some magic, and a villain woven in. I wanted a light read over Christmas week and this was perfect for that, though with enough threads to keep the story interesting.

Ghost Story, Peter Straub
I want to love this book, but it wasn’t for me. I fully admire the author’s reputation, and this story is imaginative. But I also found this to have too much exposition, meaning the novel flew by in parts and dragged in others. No creep factor and definitely not scary, so if that’s what you’re looking for, this isn’t it. Neither is it a ghost story. I’d suggest reading a sample and other reviews before deciding to spend time with this one.

Last Days, Adam Nevill
Asked to film a documentary about a defunct cult is a job Kyle will come to regret. A bold idea exceedingly well-written. My only negative isn’t that it’s a long book but that it also felt a little overlong. Would take an experienced editor to know what to cut, though, as there’s a lot to take in, but I feel the length diminished the deliciously creepy suspense some. Not enough to affect my enjoyment, but for me the book loses a star because of it… which isn’t drastic criticism by any means. Had I not read the book, I would have missed a wild ride and much scary imagery. Extremely imaginative and well worth spending time with.

Don’t Look Down, Jennifer Crusie & Bob Mayer
A perfect blend of romance novel and action movie with a kid obsessed with Wonder Woman who’s hard not to love. Very snappy lines and thoroughly entertaining with a great cast. I can’t think of anything not to enjoy. This is the first Crusie book I’ve read where the author writes with Bob Mayer, but I will happily read the others.

The Sandman (Volume Three), Neil Gaiman and cast (audio dramatisation)
Not as riveting as the first two volumes, but I can say the same of the graphic novels from which these stories are taken. Still worth it, and expertly performed. I honestly feel I enjoyed these as much as the television series, though nothing will ever diminish the books. For one who loves all things Sandman, they’re a welcome addition.

Piranesi, Susanna Clarke.
A strange book that made me question what in the world I was reading. It’s certainly memorable. Like it or not, this story may well stay with the reader for a long time, if not forever. All the number of day in the month of the albatross in the number of hall got rather monotonous, which made me feel uncertain at first, but the more I read the more engrossed I became. The best thing about this book is the way the author reveals the mystery, and the way she builds Piranesi’s world in the mind. To my mind, this is no Strange and Norrell epic (the first book for which the author’s so well-known), but it’s still impressive, mostly in its construction. On a minor note, though a small volume, the hardback is a lovely-looking book to have on the shelves.

FILM/TV:
We watched The Woman in the House Across the Street From the Girl in the Window on Netflix and while it’s a good parody of many female detective films, it’s blighted by huge plot holes and people doing entirely nonsensical things — because it’s a spoof… yes, I realise that, but I didn’t find it funny enough to fit the category. Fun entertainment as long as you’re not looking for anything special.

I was impressed with The Midnight Club (also Netflix) based on a book by Christopher Pike in which a group of terminally ill youngsters form a storytelling club which meets at midnight in the library at the hospice they all live in. Left enough questions for a second series, if that’s their intention — if not, they can be viewed as plot holes — and I don’t know how relatable the series is to the book, but it dealt well with the subject of death, especially for the young, in a thought-provoking way.

READING:
This being October, I set myself a pile of horror related books to read once I’d finished the last book I had started in September. Didn’t get through as many as I’d hoped and I’m currently reading Ghost Story, which I’ll review next time.

Dark Dawn Over Steep House, M.R.C.Kasasian
A sad book in multiple ways yet fitting for the tone of this series. It’s difficult to say more without giving too much away. The story revolves around many types of loss and deceit. It’s one of the best books in the series. Alas, I have to mark it down slightly as this could have done with a more eagle-eyed editor, one who could pick up on awkward sentences and added a few more dialogue tags to let us know who is saying what to whom, which appears to be a habit with the author. A minor irritation that doesn’t stop me from loving this series.

The Vessel, Adam L.G.Nevill
All the way through this book, I kept thinking this book should be a film, which makes perfect sense once I got to the end and read the author’s notes. The old woman struck me as the harbinger of evil, and there didn’t have to be anything supernatural about her to make me shudder. But this is horror, so nothing is straightforward. Present tense omnipresent isn’t really a style I love, but for this book, it’s perfect. We see the action from a wide camera lens, which does a good job rocketing up tension. I wasn’t terrified, but found this satisfying creepy with a conclusion I adored. A short but entertaining read that’s a perfect example of dark fiction, which I feel has a broader connotation than horror.

The Hideaway, Dean Koontz
A re-read for me. A man resuscitated long after death awakens with a strange connection to a killer. People often criticise Koontz for too often having religious themes in his books and this is certainly one of those, though an earlier and better example. If one is to read a supernatural thriller regardless of faith, then there must be some leeway for this, although any author can use a recurring theme too often at the risk of work sounding stale. Despite rolling my eyes a time or two, especially once toward the end, I’m giving this book a high mark for its tension, and excellently conceived and solid plot. I felt the book was a little overlong, but not to the point of frustration.

A Short Stay in Hell, Steven L.Peck
How does one even describe this novella of only 100 pages? At first I found it somewhat tedious, but that only seems right considering the events in the story. Slowly, I found I couldn’t put it down. As a lover of books, I thought eternity in a library doesn’t sound like such a bad thing… until I learned the truth of those books. Then the truth of love found and lost, which seemed even greater punishment. A truer horror was the inevitability of some human natures. Though a simple idea, here, the author proves hell doesn’t have to contain hellfire to be torturous. A horror novel? No. And certainly not horrific. But insidiously horrifying.

Mexican Gothic, Silvia Moreno-Garcia
An excellent book, surprising because most books I hear a buzz about don’t enthral me as well as this one did. Reviews on the cover include a recommendation to fans of books like Rebecca and that’s accurate. This is definitely gothic rather than visceral horror, though the situation Noemi Taboada finds herself in is horrible and even horrific. One particular kiss in the book will have everyone gagging. There’s an element of women coming under abuse, sexual and otherwise, but such is the truth in fact and fiction and is perfectly authentic to the plot, of which the author perfectly laid the stepping stones. I didn’t guess the family secret because it’s such an unusual dark mystery. I liked Noemi’s rebellious and tenacity; any weaknesses she shows fits in perfectly with the setting. Well-written and atmospheric, I enjoyed this book far more than I expected to. This is the first time I’ve heard of this author, though I see she has more books published, which I may well check out.

Scarlet Widow, Graham Masterton
Not at all what I expect from this author and a story majorly spoilt by a gratuitously graphic scene. For most of the book, this read much like Young Adult owing to the non-graphic nature of the murders — we see only the aftermath, not the murders while they occur. This could have been a good title to introduce a teen to the horror or historical thriller genre, but owing to content towards the end, it’s entirely unsuitable, yet it’s not what I’d class as true horror fiction for adults either. I enjoyed this story, though it’s a bit of a slow burn showing us Beatrice’s life from childhood to a grown woman, her background important. However, I felt let down by this intelligent and often capable woman doing little to protect herself when she should have realised how much danger she was in. I would still have given this 3 out of 5, if not for that unnecessarily abusive sexual scene, which made me want to toss the book across the room. Why, in a book that’s shows no graphic occurrences, are readers confronted with a description of an assault upon a woman? I only carried on because I was close to the end and had invested so much time reading. The assault might not have been entirely irrelevant if the intention was to turn the desire for justice to one of revenge, but I felt she had suffered enough to want vengeance by then without the need to pile on additional sorrow — it’s a fact people can feel more vengeful over what’s happened to loved ones than oneself. A simple fade to black would have been sufficient, and a woman burning for revenge would not have come up with so simple a solution. She would have been out to inflict physical pain and therefore I was expecting a more clever and vengeful conclusion.

A House at the Bottom of a Lake, Josh Malerman
Some books defy definition, and this is one. Some will love this; others loathe it. I honestly don’t know what I just read. I know I enjoyed it, but was it good, or was it bad? There are some creepy moments, in part (I feel) owing to the strange setting. The underlying sense of threat in being able to drown down in the dark is present like a character all its own, but drown in what? In water? In horror? In the hope and hopelessness of love? The book reads like an allegory of love. There is menace here, but those expecting a true horror novel may be disappointed. Those approaching the story with an open mind may be better rewarded.

Television/Film:

Despite reservations, we’ve started watching House of Dragons and are hooked, mostly because Matt Smith steals the show. We’re plodding through Season 9 of The Black List, though I’m happy to say it’s picked up towards the end of the season.

If you want to hear the swear word b**locks said in a Disney film, watch the live action Pinocchio. I actually paused it and said, “Did he (Luke Evans) just say…?” Bit of a letdown. Visually fine. I liked the clocks, especially the Jessica and Roger Rabbit kissing clock. Wish it was real.

Surprisingly, we’ve watched a couple of things on the BBC through iPlayer. Throughly recommend The Outlaws co-written by Steve Marchant. Anything with Christopher Walken is usually good, and it’s got a great cast and a wonderful storyline. Have also watched the first two episodes of Inside Man. Bit daft and unbelievable, but well done. And damn if Hubby didn’t work out what was up with the missing husband case within a minute or two. I thought of the same thing as a possibility, but he was not only convinced he roughly worked out how. Maybe I should pick his brains more often. It’s certainly different enough to be unexpected. Hope it doesn’t fizzle out.

Have started Moon Knight, which has to be my favourite just now, though I love most things in the Marvel universe.

READS:

Way down this month, though there’s a fourth book unlisted as I have yet to finish it.

The Secrets of Gaslight Lane, M.R.C.Kasasian

A still enjoyable series, but this story felt overly long, not helped by a few awkward sentences with questionable meanings. I’ve come across the odd sentence like that throughout the works, but always overlooked them because of enjoying the series so much, but this time the effort to make a clever mystery slowed down the book too much. Still, a good read, for all that, only not as much fun as the first three. Here there’s a surprising outcome. And despite my reservations, it’s a well thought out plot which I not only recommend reading but is an essential part of the series.

The Pallbearers Club, Paul Tremblay

I have to start by saying I like this author’s work and the fact that he comes up with something different each time, but this book was not for me. I hate reviewing books I dislike because of being a writer and because I know it’s all semantics: what doesn’t work for one person will work for another, but since I started reviewing books, I know I have to be honest. There was much here I wanted to like, but I felt I spent too long waiting for a story to begin. Also, the end left me wondering what on Earth I’d just read? It’s not horror, and I didn’t believe any of the supernatural elements, nor experience any suspense. Dark fiction… maybe, but of the angst-ridden and possibly mentally ill variety. There’s something about this that reeks of a coming of age story, but over time the characters are too old to be so categorised. I’m left feeling like I read an experimental book. The end, as written by Mercy, felt like her indulging a friend when there’s no other loving act left. In other words, not factual, but an addendum to what Art wants to believe.

Bet Me, Jennifer Crusie

This fast-paced, hysterical romance has to be one of Crusie’s best books. I’ve always loved her banter, but here almost every line is perfect and funny. A story about a commitment phobe, a woman who has viewed herself through her mother’s eyes for too many years, and a shabby cat that loves Elvis Presley’s music. This might be classed as a big beautiful woman book, though truly Min is a perfectly normal woman. After reading this, many women will want their own ‘donut pusher’. This doesn’t beat my favourite book of hers, but it’s close, winning on the laughs alone.

Crazy for You, Jennifer Crusie
Loved this immediately. Quinn’s fury over the dog is priceless, and understandable to pet owners everywhere. The author well worked the overlapping relationships in this story. Women everywhere will get the issue the women have, and men reading this might become enlightened. Nick and Quinn are excellent characters for a romance. One word of warning: this book could contain triggering issues for abuse victims, though dealt with well toward the end. A few viewpoints may also seem outdated, but then all books are of their time.

Who Censored Roger Rabbit, Gary Wolf
When a book makes you laugh in the first few sentences, it’s a good sign, but I know not everyone feels this way. I suppose it depends how attached to the Disney film you are. The book’s different, written in a more serious tone. I have to say I liked both versions. I found the noir detective feel and ‘heard’ an occasional sentence as spoken by Bob Hoskins. This book isn’t the film. Anyone expecting that is bound to feel disappointed. Roger’s in no way as zany, but I liked the character’s development and grew extremely attached to him, though in a completely different way from the film. I can’t say more without giving away the ending, but it even plucked at the old heartstrings. I own the other three books and will read them.

The Sleeper and the Spindle, Neil Gaiman
A short story of a re-imagined fairy tale from one of my favourite writers brought to life with the meticulously illustrated works of Chris Riddell. I know it’s aimed at children but had to have it as part of my Gaiman collection, and it’s a beautiful book to look at and handle. I would have loved this as a child and still do as an adult.

A Princess of Mars, Edgar Rice Burroughs
I’m one of the minority who enjoyed the John Carter film (although I believe it was better received by the public than the critics), and that made me want to read the book. In some ways, a bit of a boy’s own adventure, but then such was a lot of literature of its day. Didn’t make me dislike Tarzan any less or dislike this. I love Woola, the creature which John Carter affectionately befriends, so want my own Calot. Still, I want to want to read the series, but having heard this is the best of the novels, and with so many other books to read, I know I probably won’t. Still, I’m glad to have spent time with this one, though this type of writing will find a lesser audience in a modern world which no longer takes so kindly to old styles of writing — not a problem for me as I grew up reading classics from childhood. Considering when works such as this were written, it shows the fantastic inspirational imagination of an author ahead of his time.

Cold Fire, Dean Koontz
Cold Fire feels like an unfortunately overlook book, rarely mentioned and possibly not as remembered as many of his other titles. Yet it’s definitely one of his most solidly plotted books. Sure, the novel insists we suspend disbelief, but this is a supernatural thriller, so one should have a problem with that. Koontz gives us a hero who has a power working through him. Our hero calls this power God, but it may not be a benevolent one. May not be good at all. Part of this book works mainly owing to a portion of human nature that knows some humans don’t deserve to be called animals, because animals behave better. Ultimately, it addresses many questions, the two most important being, How damaged can a person be by disaster and grief? And how strong is the healing power of love?

Nothing But Blackened Teeth, Cassandra Khaw
Beautifully written. Seriously, Khaw’s narrative captures the imagination, especially for anyone with a love of true literature. However, this isn’t a novel. It’s a novella at best, so though it’s available in a hardback book, don’t think you’re getting hours of reading material. Not that it isn’t worthwhile. The narrative richly played in my head as though I were watching a film, and I can well imagine this would make an entertaining hour and a half movie. I didn’t find it all that scary, though as a horror fan, I loved what I was reading. Part of the trouble I believe is anyone not versed in Japanese mythology will find the references washing over them unless they take the time to look them up, which breaks into their enjoyment of the story. EG: Kitsune is the Japanese word for fox and references foxes in Japanese folklore which possess paranormal abilities. I honestly think an addendum related to all the various folklore in the book would have helped for trying to translate these appearances to the mind’s eye is difficult, though it’s no fault of the author, and the work still carries an underlying sense of menace and there’s no denying the fabulous elegance of this story, the wonderful choice of each word. As sublime as it is cruel.

Death Descends on Saturn Villa, M.R.C.Kasasian
The longest and most involved book of the series told from both March Middleton’s perspective, and in one section from Sidney Grice. Pleased to say I worked out the culprit, though the plot certainly kept me guessing for a long while. The most engrossing, complex plot yet. Some readers don’t like Sherlockesque ‘personal’ detective, Sidney Grice, but I find his arrogance and unpleasantness hysterical. Contrary, I’ve experienced split emotions regarding March Middleton. For an intelligent woman ahead of her time, the plots tend to rely on her making some questionable choices, forgivable only because of the time in which the author set the books. But in a surprising conclusion, she shows a different side to her nature in this novel, which gives deeper meaning to her character.

Fast Women, Jennifer Crusie
More than one romance wrapped up in a mystery. This was an excellent book with offbeat characters who have married wrongly for the wrong reasons. In that, it’s as though they’ve taken years to grow up enough to recognise true love when it comes along. Nell is an excellent main character, although the relationships circle around three women. I like all the parts of this book, but I didn’t love it as much as I feel I should and find it hard to say why. Maybe because it contains darker themes than some of her other books, and it takes a long time to find an answer to the mystery involving a lot more characters than most of her books contain. Characters from wealthy backgrounds who are terribly conniving, though they’ve met their match when they attempt to manipulate Nell. Or because I sometimes got a little frustrated with Nell and Gabe, which made me wonder if their relationship could ever work, but I liked how Nell changed. It’s still a fabulous book despite my feelings. And Crusie’s dog stars are always good for a laugh.