August Reads

Boy howdy, August just ripped right past us, didn’t it? I personally had a lot going on between work at the campground, keeping our little monsters alive, and a couple of signing events I took part in. If you want to hear more about that sort of stuff, sign yourself up for my monthly newsletter. You’ll get updates about what’s going on with me in my personal life, sure, but you’ll also be privy to what’s happening with various projects I have on the go, get news about upcoming and past appearances and events, and receive early access and the occasional special offer.

But you’re here to read about what I read about last month, so let’s get to it.

I somehow managed to get through six books last month. Several of them were audiobooks, which I listened to the bulk of during my trips to and from the events I was taking part in. Up first…

The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James

The Sun Down Motel recounts the tale of a young woman digging into the mystery of her aunt, who disappeared at around the same age many years ago. The book shifts back and forth between the points-of-view (and time periods) of the young woman and her aunt.

Honestly, this book was like Nancy Drew with ghosts. That’s the best thing I can say about it. I don’t want to spend a bunch of time poo-pooing someone else’s work, so I’ll just say this book was not for me. Lots was left unresolved, mysteries were sealed up in the least satisfying ways possible, and the only interesting characters were treated as throwaways. It was a frustrating experience.

Let’s move on from it.

Poirot Investigates by Agatha Christie

I may have said it before, but I love Agatha Christie. I especially have a special place in my heart for the oft-prissy Hercule Poirot. Even though her Poirot stories and books are relatively predictable—at least as far as the story formula goes, if not eventually in how the mysteries are solved—I very much enjoy the banter between Poirot and his loyal assistant Hastings. The latter’s constant amazement at Poirot’s methods of investigation becomes a familiar sort of funny after the first couple of stories, like a loveable uncle who tells the lamest jokes.

Poirot Investigates is a collection of mysteries featuring the titular detective, all narrated by Hastings. The cases presented are generally lighter mysteries, solved almost as quickly as they’re presented. I can’t say any of them really stand out to me, but the book provided a couple of evenings of light-hearted, mystery-solving amusement.

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

This book came highly recommended to me by a couple of bookish friends and relatives, and I’m very happy I took their suggestion. I don’t typically chase after the top “list-making” books. I’m one of those people who is often put off by excessive hype, especially when it comes to general fiction, which I would say this only barely qualifies as.

Station Eleven is one of those absurdly prescient books. Published in 2014, it tells the story of a traveling theatre group in post-apocalyptic North America. What caused the apocalypse? You guessed it: a flu-like illness very much like Covid (or like The Stand’s Captain Trips virus).

This novel jumps back and forth in time, telling stories of before and after the illness claimed the majority of the world’s population. Most of the time, this keeps things pretty interesting; as soon as things get dicey in the post-apocalyptic timeline, we’re given a reflective reprieve with some anecdotes from the pre-apocalyptic times, most of which take place in Toronto, Ontario and focus on an aging film star.

I was kept pretty entertained by most of this book, and found myself reflecting on a number of passages, especially those relating to fatherhood and the balancing of the loves of art and family. As entertaining as most of the book was, I never really felt connected to the characters and it never truly felt like there was any danger. There was danger, and (spoiler) people do die, but I was never taken to the point where I feared for a character or cared when their ticket was punched.

But that’s me being picky. In all, this was a pretty darn good book.

The Mobius Door: A Novel of Supernatural Terror by Andrew Najberg

This is more like it.

Najberg is a fellow indie author out of Tennessee who I heard about through one of the many horror-lovers groups I’m a part of online.

The Mobius Door tells the tale of a small town that becomes the focus of an otherworldly entity trying to break through from the “other side”. The story comes from multiple points-of-view from young kids to seasoned police officers, none of whom are safe from the horror threatening the town.

The terror starts on page one of this book and doesn’t let up throughout. From body-morphing horrors to doorways into a bleak unknown, this is like something dreamt up by John Carpenter, Stephen King, HP Lovecraft, and David Cronenberg.

Andrew’s next book, Gollitok, comes out November 24.

Cackle by Rachel Harrison

I don’t know what it is about Rachel Harrison’s writing that keep drawing me back to her books. This is the third of hers that I’ve read and I am no closer to understanding. Her books often (always?) feature female protagonists going through some sort of existential crisis that invariably leads them to some kind of monster, be they ghosts, werewolves, or—as in Cackle—witches. On top of that, her main characters aren’t particularly likeable.

And still, I’m drawn to them.

There’s nothing bad about her books, and her success can’t be denied. So what bugs me about them? And why do I keep coming back in spite of that apparent ire? Let me state here, in case it needs to be said, that it has nothing to do with the fact that the author and her protagonists are female. Some of my favourite books are written by women and feature women as their main characters, so shut up.

I think it’s probably that I want to not like the books because I don’t really like the main characters. But the fact is that Harrison crafts an entertaining story full of witty prose and has some pretty cool ideas. This book, for example, is full of super cool, if somewhat whimsical, magic.

Cackle tells the story of Annie, a young woman who is mourning the fact that she has just turned thirty and was broken up with by the apparent love of her life weeks before her birthday. She flees to a small town where she meets an exotic older woman who takes an immediate shine to her. It doesn’t take much to figure out right away that the older woman is a witch and soon she is grooming Annie to also be a witch.

There are some pretty cool spooky moments in this, and a lot of neat settings that should appeal to any fan of witchcraft fiction. Nothing about this book really scared me, and I kind of saw where the whole thing was going from early on, so there were no surprises, but the ride was a fun one.

I’ll likely be reading her recently released book Black Sheep before the year is up.

I Found a Circus Tent in the Woods Behind My House by Ben Farthing

Yes, this book is about exactly what the title says. Yes, it is probably as bizarre as you’re thinking. And yes, it scared the hell out of me.

I Found a Circus Tent… is a very short book about a father playing in the woods with his son when they happen upon, you guessed it, a circus tent. The pair wind up becoming trapped in the tent and are then subjected to some of the most nightmarish situations a parent can find themself in with their child.

I tore through this book in a day and have been thinking about it ever since. The boy featured in the book is the same age as our oldest son and it was hard not to picture the two of us going through what the main characters of Farthing’s book are put through.

I Found a Circus Tent in the Woods Behind My House was a tough, rewarding book to read and I can’t wait for the next in the series, titled—I shit you not—I Found Puppets Living in My Apartment Walls.

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So that’s it. All told, some really good books, a couple of okay ones, and one definite stinker.

Have you read any of these? What are your thoughts? Let me know in the comments, or by dropping me a line through the contact page, or by hitting me up on one of the billion social media sites I feel obligated to stay active on. My Facebook and Instagram handle is @authorchristophersweet and, because some sneaky devil out there already snagged that one, my TikTok handle is @christophersweetauthor which definitely never gets confusing.

Anyway, thanks for reading. Hope to hear from you and that you have an awesome September!

-Chris

***PS - Want to sign up for that newsletter I was talking about? Plug your email address in here.

July Reads

Hey! I hope your summer is going well.

My own summer (inadvertent Deftones reference) has been flying past—it was May just yesterday! The campground has been busy and I’ve been hard at work on revisions for my upcoming novel, The Orchid Room, which is slated to be released early in 2024. More info and an actual publication date for that one are on their way. Because I’m some sort of masochist, I also did the first read-through of another novel that I’m hoping to release in 2024, maybe by summer. But I’ve eaten my share of crow in the past.

So for this entry, I present you with four titles subject to my musings, two of which I listened to the audiobook for. Read ‘em and weep.

The Keep by F. Paul Wilson

This book has been on my list for a long time (nine years, according to Goodreads, though I’m pretty sure that’s when I created my account). I became a fan of F. Paul Wilson’s work a decade ago or more, when I started reading his Repairman Jack series. If you haven’t read any of the RJ books, I highly recommend it. I’ll be revisiting them all again soon.

The Keep is the first of seven books in Wilson’s “Adversary Cycle”, which basically tells of the war for our world between two cosmic forces. The books include standalone novels, as well as books in the Repairman Jack series. Trying to understand the timeline and order of these books can be a confusing affair, so from here on out, I’ll try to focus on The Keep.

The book takes place in Romania during the nazi occupation and is set almost entirely in, you guessed it, a keep. The titular structure rests in a nearly sunless valley in a small Romanian village, and is made the operating base for a squad of nazi soldiers. Shortly after the nazis take over the keep, a dark presence begins to hunt them. Searching for answers, the nazis send for history professor Theodore Cuza and his daughter, Magda. Almost immediately, Cuza and his daughter are swept up in the mystery of the dark presence preying on those within the keep.

This entire book was fantastic, old-school horror from start-to-finish. I had some idea of the direction things would go, since the Repairman Jack books take place in more modern times and are tied to the Adversary Cycle, but I found myself wrapped up in the story and wondering how exactly this book would kick off a universe full of some of my most beloved novels.

Even as a standalone book, The Keep is worth checking out, especially for fans of older (80s) horror novels.

The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson

You’ve more than likely heard of this one.

The Devil in the White City was described to me as a narrative telling of the crimes of the notorious serial killer H.H. Holmes. As a fan of horror and as someone who is fascinated by tales of true crime, I was immediately sold on it.

Unfortunately for me, that is not what the book is. The Devil in the White City would probably have interested me more if I was an architect, a gardener, or a city planner. The book primarily tells the story of Daniel Hudson Burnham, director of Chicago’s World’s Fair, with interludes to speculate on the machinations of Dr. Holmes’ mind and movements during his time in Chicago.

As an historical account of one of the biggest / most attended events in US history, this book is fantastic. As the tale of a twisted serial killer, it falls a bit short. The two stories don’t really go together. On one page, Larson lists each item on the menu at a particular event (this happens several times in the book), and on the next, he is musing on the thoughts and intentions of Holmes.

Apparently very little is actually known about the murders committed by H.H. Holmes, though his macabre hotel is fascinating.

It was neat to read about the World’s Fair and I’m glad I learned what I did about it, but the book was a bit of a slog for me overall. That said, it’s very popular and if American history, architecture, or landscaping is your thing, I recommend checking it out.

Head Like a Hole by Andrew Van Wey

This book had been popping up on my feeds for some time now, always with comments about the satisfying 90s nostalgia throughout. Let me tell you, while the 90s vibe is enjoyable, there is so much more to this book.

Head Like a Hole is the tale of Megan Monroe and her group of friends, who are each haunted by a young woman from their shared past. As Megan and friends hunt for answers, it becomes clear that they are targets of a violent, terrifying life form.

This book checked all the right boxes for me: strange creatures, 90s setting, a group of friends solving a mystery that threatens their existence, and so much more. At times, this felt like an X-Files episode, while at others, it resembled something directed by John Carpenter.

If you like horror, add this one to your to-be-read pile.

A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor (The Carls #2) by Hank Green

In June I stumbled across the audiobook for Hank Green’s sci-fi mystery / adventure, An Absolutely Remarkable Thing, and loved it. Not only was the story original, entertaining, and well-written, the performance by Kristen Sieh was fantastic.

When the sequel popped up as a suggestion in my Libby app, I immediately downloaded it. The audiobook is very well performed, though Ms. Sieh does not do the majority of narrating—she shares the task with over half-a-dozen other performers.

A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor takes place something like six months after the events of the first book. It continues the story of April May, her friends, and the Carls.

This novel does a good job of explaining everything that happened in the first book and brings the short saga to a satisfying conclusion. It leans heavily on some pretty extraordinary scientific premises that feel all-too plausible.

While I didn’t love this book as much as the first, it was an entertaining and well-told adventure.

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And that’s a wrap. What’d you think? Have you read any of these? Any suggestions for what I should read next? Drop me a line or leave a comment!

And have a good day.

-Chris

June Reads

It’s still easy to forget how busy summers can get around here. Our campground opened for the season on May 15 and things get busier every week. My days are largely filled with mowing dozens of acres of grass; chopping, storing, and delivering firewood; collecting garbage; slinging beers (bar on-site); and occasionally disposing of the remains of recently-deceased rodents, birds, and small mammals. Oh, and I write when I can find / make the time.

This leaves very little time for reading. Fortunately for me, audiobooks are a thing so I’m able to supplement my eyeball reading with some earhole reading.

I read some pretty good ones this past month, including an anthology, a sci-fi classic, and a newer sci-fi. I want to remind you that my comments on each are not a review! These are just some thoughts I have on each.

K, here we go:

Illusions of Isolation by Brennan LaFaro

This is the book I’ve been looking forward to writing about the most. Brennan reached out for some readers to review his recent collection of short horror stories and was good enough to do a book swap with me. With indie authors (like myself), you never really know what you’re going to get. Fortunately this book was worth the read. I was unfamiliar with Brennan’s work when I reached out to him, but have since added the first book in his Slattery Falls series to my library.

Illusions of Isolation has something for everybody. Seriously. Brennan LaFaro has a real talent for crafting horror using a variety of devices and genres. From hauntings to demonic CEOs to post-apocalyptic wasteland warriors, he’s got you covered.

It’s hard for me to pick a favourite in this collection since each of the stories grabbed me in their own way. Gun to my head, though, I’d have to say The Last Little Piece of Civilization stands out among the rest. It’s a sci-fi / eco-horror that will long live in my memory.

Along with weaving a baker’s dozen of excellent stories, LaFaro does the reader the further consideration of including a brief note on each story on the page immediately following. I love this and plan on usurping the technique for my own anthology (which I hope to officially announce in the next year, but please be patient).

Awesome work, Brennan. Looking forward to Slattery Falls!

An Absolutely Remarkable Thing (The Carls #1) by Hank Green

I discovered this gem of a modern sci-fi entirely by chance, as many great books are discovered. I was looking for an audiobook to listen to while stocking our woodshed with the first of this year’s supply of firewood, and did something in my Libby app that I’d never done before: I sorted by most popular. I was looking for a good sci-fi and a lot of the choices that came up under my preferences were the same books that are always recommended, many of which I’ve read already. I can’t even remember reading the blurb for this one, so I must have downloaded it based on the cover image alone—a faux pas, I know.

The book turned out to be fantastic. And they chose the perfect narrator in Kristen Sieh—something I’m finding is becoming more and more of a rarity in audiobooks.

The book follows twenty-something digital designer April May, who stumbles upon a ten-foot-tall transformer-like figure on the streets of New York. She names it Carl. After uploading a video in front of it, she wakes up to discover not only that her video has gone viral, but that there is a Carl in every major city in the world. And not everyone is happy to see them…

Hank Green launches straight into the action in this book and doesn’t let up. I found myself dying to know what happens next, what such-and-such could possibly mean, and who or what “the Carls” are.

This book is smart, zany, and witty. The protagonist, April May, is immediately likeable and relatable. Her poor friends provide a solid foundation of personality for her to stumble upon time and time again. I’m looking forward to the sequel!

The Donut Legion by Joe R. Lansdale

I’m a big fan of Joe Lansdale’s work. He’s written some of my favourite episodes of Batman: The Animated Series, wrote the novel that inspired the Bruce Campbell film Bubba Ho-Tep, and his novel The Thicket (which I hear is being adapted into a movie starring Peter Dinklage) is a solid western.

I went into The Donut Legion kind of blind, drawn to the UFO on the cover and the seemingly aloof title. It was getting some good buzz so I decided to make it the second audiobook I listened to last month.

The novel is a wacky romp into the world of missing persons and larger-than-life cults. It features an eclectic ensemble of characters as they search for protagonist Charlie Garner’s missing ex-wife, who appears to him in a sort of vision in the early pages. What follows is an insane game of cat-and-mouse between Charlie and his friends, and the sadistic members of the titular cult.

This was a fun, never-too-serious noir / thriller / mystery from the master of many genres. Gotta say, though, the audiobook has quite a bit to be desired, in my humble opinion. I’d recommend the physical book if you have the option.

I, Robot by Isaac Asimov

I’ve been yearning to read something by Asimov for a long time now. Why I haven’t sooner is the same reason I haven’t yet read any of the other hundreds of books in my to-be-read pile: because the stack keeps growing, titles sliding up and down in priority on an almost daily basis. I’m also making a habit of reading more books by indie authors, to support the community I became a tiny part of a couple of years ago. But I digress.

I, Robot is a fascinating conglomeration of anecdotal stories regarding the history of robots as they exist in Asimov’s Robot universe. Throughout the book, Asimov presents his characters with unique problems posed by the robots being used by everyday citizens as well as deep-space explorers. In general, the problems are heavily caused by and solved through Asimov’s Three Laws of Robotics:

1. A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.

2. A robot must obey orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.

3. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.

The laws are hierarchal, in that the First Law supersedes the second, and that both of those are held above the third.

This book could be viewed as a philosophical thought experiment. As each situation is presented, it felt—to me—as if Asimov poked holes in his own laws, or created circumstances to do the same, and then set about solving the situation through sheer logic.

What moved me throughout the book is how often it is discovered that, within an apparently dire situation, the robots are not at fault. Humanity, it would seem, does not deserve robots, at least not those that operate as effectively as Asimov’s. It’s hard to argue this point without spoiling much of the book.

All in all, I loved this book and can’t wait to dive further into Asimov’s work.

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And that’s it for June's reads.

Have you read any of these? What are your thoughts? Let me know in the comments, on social media, or through my contact page.

“If my doctor told me I had only six minutes to live, I wouldn’t brood. I’d type a little faster.”
-Isaac Asimov

May Reads

Another month gone by, another pile of books consumed. May’s books include culinary musings, haunted puppets, a trip to Mars, and mythological embellishment. Read on for my thoughts on what I read this past month.

Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain

This is one book that’s been recommended to me more than almost any other, especially as far as biographies / memoirs are concerned.

As a fan of the gonzo / beat era of literature, I immediately fell in love with Bourdain’s way of storytelling. Kitchen Confidential reads like something Hunter S. Thompson may have written had he spent his years in kitchens as opposed to newsrooms. It’s a wild ride through Bourdain’s upbringing in the often-seedy world of restaurant kitchens and backrooms. As someone who has spent a fair amount of time in such environments (though never, thankfully, in fine dining), I found myself frequently nodding in commiseration as Bourdain describes some of the shenanigans that take place in many a kitchen.

The book is highly regarded and well-written, but if you are easily grossed out and are someone who enjoys eating out, beware. Nothing in these pages really came as a surprise to me, but the uninitiated may not be happy about some of the grosser “practices” that occur in a kitchen, fine dining or otherwise.

Circe by Madeline Miller

This is ostensibly a reimagining of the story of the nymph Circe from Homer’s Odyssey. As a kid, I was obsessed with Greek mythology. When the first God of War game came out in 2005, my passion was rekindled. When, based on numerous recommendations, I got my hands on a copy of Circe, I was hoping for the same thing.

Sadly, I fall into the minority of readers who did not love this book. It starts off strong, introducing us to the precocious titular nymph getting into all sorts of mischief in the courts of Helios. While there are some very cool moments throughout, I found a lot of the story to be meandering. Almost as if a lot of the words were there to increase page-count.

What was cool about this book were the various descriptions of the mythical monsters and creatures, though I don’t think Trygon received nearly enough attention.

Don’t let my disappointment deter you from reading this! It’s a hugely popular book and like 90% of readers love it—and for the most part, there is a lot to love.

Appleseed by Matt Bell

I was not ready for how truly incredible this book is. It’s the second book by Matt Bell that I’ve read, the first being his instructive Refuse to be Done, which has been enormously helpful to my writing process. This cli-fi (I promise that’s the only time I’ll use that term) epic proves his capability as a writer of fiction. Climate-change-sci-fi isn’t something I’ll always to go out of my way to read, as it can get preachy in the wrong hands, but at no point did I feel this novel was berating me for not driving an electric car and living in a geodesic dome.

Told from three perspectives in three very different eras, Appleseed tells the story of our planet’s ecological doom. It’s a bleak tale from the start, but one filled with hope. From the very beginning, it took turns I would never have seen coming. Throughout the book, I found myself left in wonder at the imagination behind it all. There were some things I would love to have had explained a bit better in the end, but ultimately the story had me by the short-and-curlies the entire way.

How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix

I fell in love with Grady Hendrix’s writing a number of years ago when I read his hugely entertaining novel Horrorstör, ostensibly about a haunted Ikea.

How to Sell a Haunted House walks a fine line between being amusing and scary. The title is a bit of a mislead as it is very swiftly revealed that the paranormal happenings are related to haunted puppets. Hendrix does a good job crafting some pretty creepy puppet scenes and ends with a climax straight out of your favourite 80’s horror movies, all while dealing artfully with themes of grief and loss.

It’s not the scariest or the funniest of this author’s books, but I can confidently recommend How to Sell a Haunted House to any and all lovers of horror.

The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris

What is it about Hannibal Lecter that makes him such an intriguing character? Is it his brilliance? His penchant for devouring human flesh? I’d argue it has more to do with the characters the author surrounds him with.

The Silence of the Lambs is one of my favourite movies. The series Hannibal is some of the most riveting and upsetting television I’ve had the pleasure of watching. Red Dragon, the prequel to The Silence of the Lambs was also a fantastic novel. In each of these tales (I haven’t yet had the pleasure of reading the final two Lecter novels) brilliant, strong, loveable, and interesting characters find themselves at the intellectual mercy of Hannibal Lecter. None of them want to deal with Lecter. None of them want to go to him for help. All are powerless—if they want to save lives—to ignore the brilliance dwelling within Lecter’s dark mind. Thus we get to see these characters reflected in the monster’s eyes, picked apart for his amusement, and toyed with as a means of passing the time. These characters, Will Graham in Red Dragon and Clarice Starling in The Silence of the Lambs, are then given the opportunity to grow, become stronger, and ultimately win the day after being confronted with the monster that is Lecter.

If you enjoyed the movie of the same name, check out The Silence of the Lambs. If you’ve never seen the movie, read the book then watch the film. If you have the time or interest for it, start with Red Dragon.

Out of the Silent Planet by C.S. Lewis

This was my second time reading this classic sci-fi and I’m so glad I revisited it. Imaginative and deeply philosophical, this short novel about a man’s unwilling trip to space is one that I think about a lot.

The novel ostensibly follows an academic named Ransom, who is taken prisoner aboard a spaceship headed to another planet. Once landed, he finds himself growing to love the strange planet he finds himself on and is ultimately sent on a quest that could change the course of history for the entire universe. Throughout his adventures, Ransom is forced to question the trajectory of human existence, and to scrutinize our social hierarchies.

It’s a swift read packed with imagination and adventure and sure to leave you thinking. The subsequent novels, Perelandra and That Hideous Strength are also incredible reads.

Stolen Tongues by Felix Blackwell

This one comes highly recommended by many in the online horror community. Often sited as being one of the scariest modern horror novels, it tells the story of a couple’s vacation at a mountain cabin and the trouble they find themselves in when something from the woods follows them home.

The first third or half of this book held me pretty fast. I flew through those initial pages, my curiosity piqued by the very creepy presence Blackwell crafts. However, I soon found myself counting how many pages I had left. Though my interest wained the further I got into the book, I really wanted to find out what happens at the end. Unfortunately, a fair amount was left unexplained or forgotten entirely and the ending felt rushed.

The author does do a pretty good job at painting some very creepy pictures. The thing stalking the main characters is, at times, truly frightening.

Ultimately, Stolen Tongues entertained me but left me wanting more. Blackwell is apparently working on a prequel, which I will absolutely be reading in hopes that some questions are answered.

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And that’s all I’ve got for you this month. Have you read any of these? What are your thoughts? Let me know in the comments or shoot me a message through the contact page.

If you want to hear more from me, or would like news and updates about upcoming work, you can sign up for my newsletter or follow me on Facebook or Instagram: @authorchristophersweet

Thanks for reading. See you next month!

-Chris

April Reads

For the last few months or so, I’ve been trying to stay diligent posting about the books I’ve read in the month previous. It’s not to act as a book reviewer, which I state here that I am absolutely not, but more to inspire and incite discussion.

These posts are necessarily brief. Since I am not posting with the intent to rate any of them, I only provide a very brief, one or two sentence long synopsis, if it can even be called that. But I like talking about books way too much to just leave it at that.

I’ll keep posting those monthly snapshots but I’d also like to go a bit more in depth, which I will do here. Again, I want to be clear, these are not reviews. These are simply my opinions of the books I’ve been reading.

Opening statements over. Commence book discussion.

Big Magic - Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert

This was an inspiring and uplifting read by the author of Eat Pray Love. My sister-in-law recommended I read this one, knowing how important “creative living” is to me. I’m glad she did, as this is not a book I would have picked up on my own. Big Magic is full of encouraging wisdom from the author, complimented by interesting, often charming anecdotes. I wouldn’t say I learned anything new reading this book, but it did affirm much of what I live by and value. It’s the kind of book that I’ll highlight several passages in and will return to frequently, if only to re-read a quote or anecdote.

Sleeping in the Fire - A Collection of 9 Horrifying Tales by John Durgin

The title says it all. Most of these stories are pretty entertaining, if a little campy. There are some great concepts within, from a Flatliners-esque drug, to a carnivorous parasite from outer space, to a Gremlins-esque monster. All but a few of the stories kept me glued to the page. Durgin bravely includes one of his earliest short stories as the last entry in the book, which he states in the introduction is far from his best work. All told, solid anthology and I’m looking forward to reading more by this author!

Upgrade by Blake Crouch

Blake Crouch is one of my favourite cross-genre writers. Author of the Wayward Pines trilogy, Crouch is comfortable blending science fiction with horror, often leaning more into the former. The last book I read by him, Dark Matter, was fantastic. Upgrade had a great, if not entirely original, concept that didn’t really catch fire for me the way the story in Dark Matter did. In a nutshell, the son of a once-renowned and now-disgraced geneticist has his body genetically enhanced, turning him into a sort of superhuman. The near-future America that Crouch paints is disturbingly believable. For me, it was also the most interesting part of the novel. Most of the story was predictable, especially based off of similar entries in the genre. Having read several of Crouch’s other books, it was plain to see what would befall the protagonist, how he would deal with it, what the consequences would be, and what the eventual resolution would be. Don’t get me wrong, this was still a very entertaining, fast-paced sci-fi novel. It just wasn’t my favourite from this particular author.

The Fellowship of the Ring by JRR Tolkien

It’s going to be hard for me not to rant here. We all know what this book is about, that it is one of the most acclaimed pieces of literature in history, that it inspired millions of people like me to run through the woods with a stick, pretending to slay orcs and fend off balrogs.

I’d never read any of Tolkien’s work before this year. Of course I’ve seen the Lord of the Rings movies a dozen times each and The Hobbit films once (which is enough), so I knew roughly what to expect from the books. I decided that this year I would at least start the Lord of the Rings literary journey. I promised myself I’d take it slow and not force my way through the books. I made that commitment to myself because I’ve been warned for much of my reading life about how “dry” and “boring” and “rambling” the books can be. How The Hobbit is a silly kids book and how the subsequent books are 90% self-indulgent historical blathering. It seems like the popular thing to do these days is to hate on Tolkien’s written work. I can count on half of one hand how many people have actually recommended I read the LotR books. I’ll forever be grateful to those two.

In January I read The Hobbit and loved it. I had to temper my enthusiasm for Fellowship after that.

“Sure The Hobbit is okay,” people would say. “But you won’t make it halfway through Fellowship before you get bored. Too many songs. Too much history. Too many…words.”

Am I ever glad I didn’t listen. Of course there’s very good reason why these books are so highly acclaimed. Fellowship of the Ring was fantastic! I’m sort of glad I saw the movies first—the books are like an expansion on a world I already know and love. If I’d read the books earlier in life, I’m sure I would have been miffed at all that had to be cut out and changed to make them into movies (changes that I know were necessary to make these screen-worthy).

To me, the songs and the history were never too much—they added flavour to the magical world Tolkien created. As a lover of poetry, I found the songs to be nice interludes in the prose. And they’re not even that long!

If you’re on the fence about Lord of the Rings in any way, I say take the chance. Embrace them. Try to enjoy them. I think that, too often, we try to find the fault in things, try to look for the cracks. It might be more fun to find beauty in the cracks, take pleasure in the journey, hear the magic in the songs. I dunno. Maybe I’m just a nerd.

Gwendy’s Magic Feather by Richard Chizmar

This is a sequel to the novella co-written by Chizmar and Stephen King, Gwendy’s Button Box. While I loved the initial entry in this trilogy, this book was a little tougher to enjoy. The story is a slow burn, which I normally enjoy. However, it sort of fizzles out instead of ending, especially when compared to Button Box. Whereas the first book was all magic blended with horror, this was a lot of following a congresswoman around in her day-to-day life with a teardrop of that old magic just to make it a tie-in. Very little would have to be lifted from this story to make it an underwhelming mystery. Here’s hoping the final entry, Gwendy’s Final Task, is a little more exciting.

My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones

Stephen Graham Jones is one of my favourite authors these days. The guy wields prose like a bullwhip. His writing is at times manic, and always keenly observant and razor sharp. My Heart is a Chainsaw is his homage to slashers and is delivered with the self-awareness of Scream without being derivative about it. I won’t say anything more about the story to avoid spoiling anything. Suffice it to say this was definitely the best horror I read all month. Apparently it’s the first book of a blossoming trilogy—I’m looking forward to the follow ups!

That’s it for my April reads. My May reading is already off to a fun start and I’m looking forward to discussing it with you.

Have you read any of the books I listed here? What are your thoughts? Let me know in the comments or shoot me a message through the contact page. Or hit me up on social media. I always love talking books!

Til next time.

Top Ten Reads of 2021 (with even longer list of honourable mentions)

John’s Used Books - Miramichi, NB

I hate top tens.

More specifically, I hate making top tens. I loathe to rate anything in my life against other things in the same category. Ask me what my favourite, or top ten, or even top one hundred movies are and I’ll have a panic attack.

The rational part of me knows that it's unreasonable for me to get so anxious over something so trivial. The irrational part of me, which is often the louder of the two, refuses to rank anything ever. There’s some method behind it—I know that my tastes change frequently and that I’m prone to changing interests at a whim. Astrologists would say, “That's a Gemini for you.”

“So what?” you say. “Who gives a shit if you change your mind?”

To which I offer a mild shrug.

I really don’t know. Maybe I’m afraid it’ll make a liar out of me. Maybe I’m afraid of misrepresenting the quality of something. Maybe I don’t want to have to argue over or justify my tastes. Nobody will know, or care, if I change my mind. Nobody except me.

Asking me to rate something also seems to throw me off my game. I’ve often responded to questions about my favourite movie, book, show, band, etc with answers that I later regretted giving. Because I think about these things long after the fact. I once pitched a screenplay to a producer and, around the end of the meeting, he asked me what my favourite movie is.

Crap.

I panicked. Hard. I’m not going to say what my response was, only that I floundered in a most ineloquent manner before spitting out a response that was far from the answer I would normally have given. It was a great movie that I’d named, but it was far from what I wanted to be remembered as my favourite. That meeting was over a year ago and I still think about my response.

Hell of an introduction to what looks suspiciously like a top ten list, right?

I suppose we should get down to it. What follows is a list of ten reads that I absolutely loved in 2021, out of the sixty-plus books that I read. I don’t think any of these were published in 2021, so please don’t mistake this with a list of the best books to come out in 2021. This is just what I read. And it’s not a bloody top ten list, so please stop insinuating as much.

*Books will be listed alphabetically by author’s last name to avoid any scrutiny of the order of books listed.

**Goodread links to books attached to their titles in the list

Still with me? Here goes:

Top Reads of 2021

Between Two Fires by Christopher Buehlman

This book introduced me to Christopher Buehlman as an author. If you scroll down to the runners-up, you’ll find two more of his books in that list as well, both of which I read soon after Between Two Fires, which might give you an idea of how much I loved this book.

It’s sort of a horror/fantasy set in medieval France and follows Thomas, a disgraced knight who finds himself escorting a seemingly miraculous young girl to Avignon, where she says she is destined to confront a terrifying evil. And it is pretty terrifying.

That’s all of the summary you get—click the title to be brought to the Goodreads page where you can ingest a much lengthier summation of the book. But I implore you to take my word for it and buy this one.

This book was exciting, thrilling, upsetting and downright frightening in ways I have seldom experienced in literature. Period pieces, which I suppose this could loosely be defined as, are not normally my thing but this proved to be the overwhelming exception to the rule.

Whether you’re into horror, fantasy, or historical fiction, I highly recommend this book. If you’re not into any of those genres, I suggest you give this one a try anyway.

This Body’s Not Big Enough for Both of Us by Edgar Cantero

Here’s a smidge of the synopsis provided on Goodreads, which captures some of the essence of this book much better than I could hope to do:

In a dingy office in Fisherman's Wharf, the glass panel in the door bears the names of A. Kimrean and Z. Kimrean. Private Eyes. Behind the door there is only one desk, one chair, one scrawny androgynous P.I. in a tank top and skimpy waistcoat. A.Z., as they are collectively known, are twin brother and sister. He's pure misanthropic logic, she's wild hedonistic creativity. A.Z. have been locked in mortal battle since they were in utero...which is tricky because they, very literally, share one single body…Someone is murdering the sons of the ruthless drug cartel boss known as the Lyon in the biggest baddest town in California--San Carnal. The notorious A.Z. Kimrean must go to the sin-soaked, palm-tree-lined streets of San Carnal, infiltrate the Lyon's inner circle

What can I say to follow that?

I was first introduced to Edgar Cantero’s sharp, witty, hilarious, and poignant literary abilities in his novel Meddling Kids (which I also highly recommend—it’s Scooby-Doo meets Lovecraft). His biting, sarcastic, often-meta prose has grabbed me by the septum and yanked me into the story within the first paragraph of everything I’ve read by him (that’s right, see honourable mentions).

TBNBEfBoU is a hilarious and, especially towards the end, moving noire/action novel. A.Z. Kimrean is one of my all-time favourite book characters—and that's coming from a guy who just admitted he hates listing favourites.

If you enjoy crime novels, laughing while you read, or are looking for something truly different and very special, I say give this one a go. At the very least, you have to appreciate Cantero’s writing style and ability. I think I’ve said it before, but I’d buy the novelization of this guy’s grocery list if he decided to publish such a thing.

Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

You may recognize Crouch’s name if you’ve ever watched the series Wayward Pines or if you’ve read the book series of the same name…or if you’ve read any of his other books. Or, perhaps, if you’re Mr. Crouch’s parent or significant other, I suppose it stands to reason you probably know him.

But how do you know that Blake Crouch is the Blake Crouch you know? This question grazes the surface of the premise behind Dark Matter.

This novel was a high-octane, edge-of-your-seat, romp through realities. It centres around Jason Dessen, a physics professor in Chicago, who wakes up in a world that is not his own. Parts of it look like his world and many aspects are indistinguishable from his own. But the people who say they are his friends are not folks he normally speaks to and his wife is, well, not his wife.

Jason fights against all odds to find his way home and, instead, finds himself pulled deeper into the reality-bending maelstrom he’s been caught up in.

I flew through this book. The action never stops. Even conversations about physics, between physicists, held my attention. For those who don’t know, I’m not a physicist.

This is a great book for folks who like their read to be quick and dirty but also fairly intelligent and maybe with a dash of sci-fi. If you were into the 90s series Sliders, you’ll dig this.

Come Closer by Sara Gran

This is one of the best possession novels I’ve ever read. As far as novels go, it’s pretty short but the pages are packed with creepy atmosphere and tension.

From Goodreads:

If everything in Amanda's life is so perfect, then why the mood swings, the obscene thoughts, the urge to harm the people she loves? What are those tapping sounds in the walls? And who's that woman following her? The mystery behind what's happening to Amanda in Come Closer is so frightening that it "ought to carry a warning to...readers."

This is one of those books that has you wondering what exactly is going on right up until the very end. Amanda’s account of what she’s going through makes you not only scared for her, but also scared with her.

Not for the faint of heart!

I highly recommend this for anyone who loves a good, short horror read (a couple of those in this list and in the runners up) and for those who enjoy a good possession story.

The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix

I love Grady Hendrix’s work.

The first novel I read by him, Horrorstor, is one of the most memorable books I’ve read. Mr. Hendrix has the rare ability to align his writing with a certain style that is reflected in everything that he does. Whether or not its his intention, he’s one of the best managers of his own brand that I know of.

But we’re talking about The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires here.

This book was like watching Fright Night (either version) from the perspective of Mrs. Brewster, the mom. It’s an amusing and seriously frightening sendup to the toughness and superhuman capability of the under-appreciated stay-at-home mom / housewife.

The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires was a book I found myself unable to put down and boasts one of the most seriously frightening “hiding from the monster” scenes I’ve ever read.

This book is great for lovers of a good vampire story and those looking for something featuring modest housewives doing badass things and driving a stake through the proverbial, non-reflective glass ceiling.

The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones

This is the first novel I’ve read by Stephen Graham Jones and, since reading it, I’ve added several of his books to my list of books I’d like to read in 2022.

The Only Good Indians tells the story of four American Indian men running, each in their own way, from an event from their past. But that’s not all they’re running from; something is pursuing them, bent on revenge for something they’ve kept hidden about that event.

I can’t begin to praise this book enough. From the terrifying tale Mr. Jones weaves to the razor-sharp edge of his writing, this novel deserves multitudes of awards.

It’s hard to say too much about what goes on in this book without spoiling a certain aspect of it. I went into it without knowing much about it and I suggest you do the same. I hope you know what I’m talking about when the time comes.

This is a great read for anyone into Native American folklore and who also like scary, gory horror. And it is gory. And upsetting. You’ve been warned.

You Should Have Left by Daniel Kehlmann

Here’s another short little read, and a fantastic one at that. I should note this novel was originally written in German and that the translation by Ross Benjamin is expertly done.

This book sort of resembles a Lovecraftian take on The Shining though I use that comparison loosely and only to convey the spirit of the book. It’s at once the tale of a haunting, of worlds beyond our own, of obsession, and of love.

The novel follows a screenwriter and his family on vacation in the mountains of Germany, where he hopes to finish the sequel to the movie that made his career. Things quickly go crazy and the narrator soon begins to question his perception of reality. It’s such a brief novel that much more than that will only spoil a good, quick read.

I’d recommend this to anyone into paranormal / supernatural or cosmic horror but it deals with those themes so delicately that anyone who appreciates a spooky story should enjoy this book. I’m looking forward to reading more by Kehlmann in 2022.

A Stir of Echoes by Richard Matheson

Funny enough, this is the second book in my list to have been adapted into a film starring Kevin Bacon. You Should Have Left is the other. Something to chew on.

Matheson has to be one of the most influential horror writers of his generation, with his work being turned into and inspiring dozens of films, some of which might surprise you. I Am Legend, in its multiple iterations, must be the most famous film inspired by his work but did you know he also wrote What Dreams May Come?

A Stir of Echoes has long been one of my favourite ghost movies. It’s a criminally underrated film, masterfully adapted for the screen by David Koepp, and overshadowed by the culture-smashing Sixth Sense, which came out a month ahead of it. I loved Sixth Sense and will not argue its quality or standing as one of the best ghost movies of all time, but I’ve only watched it once. Since 1999, when both films came out, I think I’ve watched A Stir of Echoes a dozen times at least.

Which is why it’s crazy that it took me until now to read the 1958 novel of the same name.

The book tells the story of Tom Wallace who, after undergoing hypnosis at a party, discovers latent psychic abilities within himself. He learns things about his friends and neighbours he doesn’t want to know and discovers a shocking secret that turns his life upside down.

Creepy and well-written, this is a fantastic read for all lovers of literature. Mystery, ghosts, romance, violence—it has all the juicy elements anyone could want in a good story.

The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton

Here’s another one I think you should go into blind. Maybe I only say that because that’s how I approached it.

There's sort of a funny and somewhat coincidental anecdote behind this one that has nothing to do with the actual book. My mom and one of my brothers like to read almost as much as I do and so books are a pretty frequent source of conversation when we’re together. At some family gathering or another, my mom and dad told me about this book they’d listened to together, recommended by my younger brother. There was some discussion about it, especially around the title (which is inexplicably changed from the original UK title of The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle…go ahead and look into it but be warned: there are no answers, only headaches). When they’d finally settled on what the title of the book actually was, my parents and brother insisted that I get my hands on a copy and read it for myself, which I eventually did. Cut to perhaps six months later and I proudly walk into another family gathering and thank my brother and parents for the recommendation. They all looked at me like a condo had just been erected on my forehead. Nobody could remember talking about the book or recommending it. Furthermore, neither of my parents could even remember reading / listening to it! I tried to jog their memories by recounting the entire story for them without any luck. To this day they have no recollection of the book.

Which isn't to say it’s not an incredible read. Clearly I was in some alternate reality when the book was recommended to me. It happens.

The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is, on its surface, a murder mystery but there are so many more levels to it that it can’t be classified as such. I’ll say nothing more about it, only that it caught me off guard more than once. Fair warning: it’ll leave you wanting more.

The Last Astronaut by David Wellington

I’ve been reading David Wellington for about fifteen years, starting with his Monster trilogy about a zombie apocalypse. This guy has written some of my favourite zombie, vampire, and werewolf novels so it makes sense that he’s also written one of my favourite space horrors.

The Last Astronaut is about Sally Jansen, a disgraced Mission Commander and Earth’s last astronaut. When a huge, unidentified object is discovered to be on a collision course with Earth, Sally is called upon to lead a team into space to investigate.

This book is absolutely laced with creepy, deep-space atmosphere. My heart was racing for most of this book and I think I probably finished it quickly for the sake of my own health. The exploration of the alien object and all the terrifying secrets it holds have stayed with me.

Wellington’s writing moves the story along swiftly and vividly so that it feels like you’re watching a movie instead of reading a book.

Fans of horror, sci-fi, and personal stories will enjoy this book. Those who are easily frightened, and do not enjoy being frightened, will not like it so much. If you liked Ridley Scott’s Alien, you’ll love The Last Astronaut.

Runners Up

That took longer than expected. I'll try to be much briefer with the runners up. Here goes:

Those Across the River and The Lesser Dead by Christopher Buehlman - Both fantastic books featuring werewolves and vampires respectively. I listened to The Lesser Dead narrated by the author himself—he does a fantastic job. If you’re into audiobooks, I highly recommend giving it a shot.

Post Office by Charles Bukowski - My first Bukowski book and I’m hooked. Like if Hunter S. Thompson got a job at the US Postal Service.

Found Audio by NJ Campbell - Very cool, very short book about an audio analyst and historian who comes across three mysterious audio cassette tapes.

The Wise Friend by Ramsey Campbell - Solid cosmic horror.

The Supernatural Enhancements by Edgar Cantero - More fantastic, often hilarious storytelling from the talented Mr. Cantero.

Paradox Bound by Peter Clines - Fun, exciting romp through space and time.

Experimental Film by Gemma Files - A Canadian film critic searches for the source of a strange film with horrifying consequences. Sort of like The Ring but Canadian.

Dune by Frank Herbert - Caveat: I didn't actually love this one but I do respect the hell out of it. Herbert writes way ahead of his time, you wouldn’t know it was written in 1965 if the date wasn’t printed inside the cover. Lots of political speak but also a lot of profound words. And some not so profound.

Bluff by Michael Kardos - Solid, fast-paced heist/noire featuring a disgraced magician. It’s a lot of fun.

Later by Stephen King - The best book I’ve read by King in some time. Love all of his stuff but this one stands out among his modern works.

Inspection by Josh Malerman - I’ve read all but two of Malerman’s novels—working on Malorie right now, as a matter of fact. I think Inspection is one of his earliest novels. It’s highly imaginative with an ending you’ll either love or hate. The journey is a compelling one though.

Bone White by Ronald Malfi - Snowy, Alaskan nightmare fuel.

The Town by Shaun Prescott - The strangest book I read all year. Super cool if you enjoy such things. Fans of Welcome to Nightvale will like this one.

Borne by Jeff VanderMeer - Another weird one, but not as weird as the follow up, Dead Astronauts, which I can not recommend. Jeff VanderMeer is the author of the novel that inspired the film Annihilation. It’s strange, tense, and oddly moving sci-fi.

Okay - that's all I’ve got. I don’t promise that you’ll love all of these but I’m certain you’ll like at least one.

What do you think? Have you read any of these? Do you agree / disagree with what I’ve said? Should I give up all hopes of a career reviewing books? Let me know in the comments or drop me a line.

Thanks so much for reading. Have a happy, safe start to 2022!