Summer 2016
Original post: GregorXane.booklikes.com/post/1392599/cover-reveal-taboogasm
The Hanover Block is available now (and for another 24 hours or so) for only 99¢ (down from the regular digital list price of $3.99).
If you've been wondering what the hell that thing on the cover is, now might be the time to find out.
What it's about:
Living in the long shadow of a tragic accident, Marion struggles through his solitary suburban life. He's resigned himself to a static existence, to living and dying in a world where every house looks exactly the same. Then he notices changes in his neighborhood. Tool sheds and playhouses are cropping up all over, hastily constructed and set at odd angles. The nutjob down the road builds an outhouse in the middle of his front yard, and the guy right next door is erecting two geodesic climbing domes, one nested inside the other.
People are doing strange things on their lawns.
(Click the cover to read a sample.)
Grab The Hanover Block at the Amazon US site for only $0.99!
Snag The Hanover Block at the Amazon UK site for just £0.99!
Original post: GregorXane.booklikes.com/post/1388300/the-hanover-block-for-99-kindle-countdown-deal
I only finished reading three books in March. Pretty lame.
Here's what I got through:
The Bazaar of Bad Dreams, by Stephen King - The publisher did this collection a disservice by marketing this has a horror collection. It's not. You'll likely enjoy what's inside if you know going in that it's a mixed bag of story stuff. My favorites were "Ur" and "Herman Wouk Is Still Alive."
Fig, by Sarah Elizabeth Schantz - The writing in this book was excellent, engaging, layered and enviable for the first 75% of its length. Then it dipped down to just being okay for the last 25%. I'd still recommend it to those not turned off by a harrowing tale of a young girl growing up with a schizophrenic mother.
Bloodeye, by Craig Saunders - Another fine novella from Mr. Saunders. Again, I was impressed with the stripped-down, poetic prose. This one also had some very cool concepts and wicked imagery.
My March pick for Book-of-the-Month? I'm going to have to go with Bloodeye for the tight writing, vivid visuals, and the story that performed from beginning to end.
Original post: GregorXane.booklikes.com/post/1369621/march-reading-wrap-up-book-of-the-month-selection
Hey, here's what I read in February, folks:
The Thicket, by Joe R. Lansdale - I listened to the audiobook edition of this novel and loved every minute of it. This book seemed custom built for my enjoyment and instantly achieved 'all-time favorites' status.
The Chemickal Marriage, by Gordon Dahlquist - This is the third and final book in a series that started with the fantastic The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters. Was it, too, fantastic? No. But it was a hell of a lot better than the structurally flawed second book in the series, The Dark Volume. For those who like steampunk, I highly recommend The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters. It can be read as a standalone, too, if anything I've written here has put you off.
Sunglasses After Dark, by Nancy A. Collins - I've had this book waiting in the wings for a while now, and when I saw that someone had declared February Women in Horror Month, I decided to give this one a go. And it was pretty damn good. This has to be one of the primordial works of the wildly popular Urban Fantasy genre (kick-ass female characters beating the shit out of supernatural creatures). I looked it up, and it predates Laurel K. Hamilton's Guilty Pleasures by about four years. Sunglasses After Dark is a much better book. It is heavier on the horror than Hamilton's first Anita Blake book AND it's not dull. If you like Urban Fantasy, give it a go.
(Note: The Kindle Edition published by Open Road Media is pretty shitty. It's an OCR conversion nightmare with what amounts to at least one error on every page. This isn't the first Open Road book I've read with this problem. They seem to have a serious quality control issue on their hands.)
Margins & Burrito, by E. Lorn - (Full Disclosure: I beta-read these two shorts for my pal, E.) I'd recommend these to those fans of Edward Lorn the book reviewer and blogger guy who may not be fans of the horror genre.
The Ballad of Black Tom, by Victor LaValle - A great novella from one of my favorite authors. Mr. LaValle, who happens to be a gentleman of color, has a love/hate relationship with H.P. Lovecraft, but instead of wholly dismissing Lovecraft over his well-known racist beliefs, LaValle decided to play in the old racist bastard's sandbox and make it his own. Highly recommended.
In the Broken Birdcage of Kathleen Fair, by Cate Gardner - This surreal novella has some cool imagery and neat ideas, but a lot of the humor fell flat for me, and the surreal geography wasn't explained clearly enough to keep me from scratching my head from time to time. I'd read another by this author. She's got a novella about Mr. Punch I'd like to get my hands on.
The Return, by Bentley Little - This is the second book I've read by Mr. Little, and I must say I like his style. His treatment of the supernatural invasion is grotesque and surreal and often downright silly. I'm glad that I've got a bunch more of his queued up on the old Kindle.
What is my pick for February Book-of-the Month? Hands down, The Thicket. I can't recall the last time I was so thoroughly enchanted and entertained by a work of fiction. Highest possible recommendation. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Joe R. Lansdale is a national treasure!
Original post: GregorXane.booklikes.com/post/1352735/february-reading-wrap-up-book-of-the-month-selection
The Horror Writers Association has revealed the final ballot for the 2015 Bram Stoker Awards.
Congratulations to all the nominees!
Original post: GregorXane.booklikes.com/post/1348651/bram-stoker-awards-2015-final-ballot-revealed
I'm reading the Bram Stoker Award-winning Sunglasses After Dark, by Nancy A. Collins, to celebrate the 7th Annual Women in Horror Month. If anyone would care to join me in reading this novel, which is considered a modern classic of the vampire genre, you can grab it on Amazon in Kindle format for just $1.99.
If you're all set for reading this month, you should still check out what Women in Horror Month is all about. There are tons of events tied to the celebration and a massive blood drive.
See what Women in Horror Month is all about!
Grab Sunglasses After Dark for $1.99!
Original post: GregorXane.booklikes.com/post/1340797/celebrating-women-in-horror-month
