Showing posts with label Horror. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Horror. Show all posts

Thursday, July 10, 2014

Review: Butcher's Road by Lee Thomas

Butcher's Road is an atmospheric mystery thriller with supernatural elements, set in the violent 1932 gangster-ruled streets of Chicago and the spiritual world of a rainy New Orleans.

The story revolves around Butch Cardinal whose lifetime decisions led him from success on the wrestling mats to working as enforcer and errand boy for a Chicago Irish mobster. Unfortunately for Butch, he is sent to pick up a package from an Impellitari henchman and ends up smack in the middle of a hit. Butch escapes with the package and is framed for the murder, becoming a haunted man and the target of Italian Chicago mob-boss Marco Impellitari, dirty Chicago cops, a psychopath hit man, and the Alchemi, a secret organization of powerful magicians who collect, utilize, and protect arcane artifacts composed of "thinking" steel. With help from friend and ex-coach Rory Sullivan, Butch flees to New Orleans where he discovers that the ugly necklace in the package is an old mythical relic, and unexpectedly finds refuge in the arms of ex-wrestler and club owner Hollis Rossington.

Butcher's Road has been described as a "blend of gangster noir and supernatural horror." I agree. The story is dark. Lee Thomas incorporates the deep sense of hopelessness permeating the 1930's into plot, characterization, and atmosphere. His Chicago gangsters are unsophisticated, non-charismatic and resort to bloody violence without a second thought, and neither gangsters nor cops are glamorized in this novel. This is best exemplified by Thomas's characterization of Detective Curt Conrad whose portrayal as a physically and personally repulsive self-serving man without an iota of scruples symbolizes the police department's corruption in all its glory. Contrasting heavily is Thomas’s subtle characterization of Detective Lennon as an ambivalent man whose bouts of conscience make him a no-less self-serving or corrupt cop.

The supernatural aspects of the story are well established. Serving as an introduction to this theme, Thomas utilizes Butch's search for the truth surrounding the object he unwittingly possesses, leading to the discovery of magical objects and personal mystical powers, while further expanding on this theme with more explicit, if somewhat obscure, revelations through the Alchemi's hot pursuit and eventual contact with Butch.

While the occult plays a key, central role throughout and to end of this thriller, for me, it is Thomas' masterful portrayal of the incremental escalation and eventual loss of control of psychopathic killer Paul Rabin that provides the real horror. Rabin's role begins with a whisper in what seems like an innocuous scene, slowly progressing with coldly executed blood-letting, and escalating until all that is left are the amped-up internal screams of an out-of-control killer and the horror-filled vicious scenes he leaves behind.

Thomas portrays Butch as an honest man who never learns to play the "game" and whose harsh life lessons, beginning with an abusive father and ending with a fixed match that led to his present situation, taught him not to expect a fair fight. The odds are against Butch's survival and he becomes resigned to losing, but what I love most about him is his refusal to go down without a fight. His relationship with Hollis is unexpected, specifically because Butch is initially shocked by proof of Hollis's sexuality and tells him so with frankness. However while hiding at Hollis's home, Butch remembers past experiences that trigger a growing sexual attraction for Hollis, a giving man he already likes and respects. Eventually Butch makes the first move, beginning what becomes a peaceful, joyful period for both men.

Butcher's Road by Lee Thomas has a relentless quick-pace with the few moments of allowed reprieve filled with relevant information used to drive the story forward. It is an exciting thriller -- darkly violent and bloody -- that offers highly effective contrasts between warm and horrifyingly chilling moments and a surprising twist at the end. Highly recommended.

Category: LGBT - Spec Fic/Mystery Thriller
Series: None
Publisher/Release Date: Lethe Press/May 1, 2014 - Kindle Ed.
Grade: A-

Other recommended reads by Lee Thomas:
The German
Torn

Thursday, July 3, 2014

The Girl With All The Gifts by M.R. Carey

"Melanie was new herself, once, but that's hard to remember because it was a long time ago. It was before there were any words; there were just things without names, and things without names don't stay in your mind. They fall out, and then they're gone.

Now she's ten years old, and she has skin like a princess in a fairy tale; skin as white as snow. So she knows that when she grows up she'll be beautiful, with princes falling over themselves to climb her tower and rescue her."
I first read the extended free version sample(10 chapters) of The Girl With All The Gifts by M.R. Carey in May and was absolutely taken in by the author's fresh approach to what are basically the makings of an old horror tale. I had such a positive response to the short version that I actually became anxious to read the entire novel. The novel lived up to my expectations. There are different reasons behind that:

1) The relationship between the two main characters.
The growing attachment between ten-year-old Melanie and her teacher Ms. Justineau is central to the story. Although Melanie is confused as to whom or what she is, her IQ is also off the charts, and she is strong-willed and tenaciously protective of Ms. Justineau, just as Ms. Justineau is protective of Melanie. Yet, I believe that what makes this very tense, fast-paced action, horror thriller a particularly effective read is the heavy contrast between the unexpected poignancy that stems from Melanie's unconditional love for her teacher, and the dangerous situations and dark revelations unfolding around her.

In the beginning, Melanie thinks she's a normal little girl. She lives in a cell, just like the other children, and is only allowed out when Sergeant and his men strap her on a wheelchair and take her to eat or to classes for the day. Her best days are Ms. Justineau days! Until one chaotic day everything changes, and every day is a Ms. Justineau day. Helen Justineau knows what Melanie is and why she's in that cell, and although she's part of a team and understands the dangers that go with her position, she disregards warnings and dangers and comes to see Melanie as 'just a child.’ Protecting Melanie, helping her navigate dangers inside and outside the compound where they both live, becomes her mission.

2) World-building:
The Girl With All the Gifts is a post apocalyptic piece set in the UK, however, it is clear that years earlier the Breakdown was a global event that devastated civilization when the majority humans were infected by the “hungry” pathogen. There are pockets of isolated humans restricted to living in small towns and a few cities such as Beacon, and “Junkers,” gangs of humans who go about freely throughout the countryside and cities looting for hardware and goods in order to survive. But communication is down to the old basics and no one really knows who or what is left out there.

The basis for the world-building may sound familiar, however, Carey’s book strikes me as distinctive in that he doesn’t take unnecessary shortcuts. Carey uses science by incorporating biological details that explain how the hungry pathogen derived from Cordyceps works and evolves, adding scientific methodology used to study mutations, as the logical steps to arrive at the beginning point of the story, and later to its logical conclusion. He does so without sacrificing high level tension by weaving those excellent details with the fast-paced action and horror aspects found in the novel.

3) Secondary Characters:
Speaking of horror, I was more horrified by a human character's actions than the natural reaction of the infected "hungries." The ‘human monster’ is a familiar character whose motivations are usually portrayed as black and white because, no matter the consequences, they are always able to rationalize their actions. Although the ‘moral’ question is sometimes introduced, as was the case here, for the ‘human monster’ the conclusion is almost always the same: the end justifies the means. However, there's also a redemptive quality to another central secondary character that turned out to be an unexpected bonus.

Melanie is a child and as such she dreams of princes rescuing her from her tower. Her little life turns out to be much different from how she imagined it would be once she gets out of her cell and discovers the reality of her world. But like Pandora's box when it is opened, once brilliant, courageous Melanie emerges, good or bad, the world will never be same.

“Growing up and growing old. Playing. Exploring. Like Pooh and Piglet. And then like the Famous Five. And then like Heidi and Anne of Green Gables. And then like Pandora, opening the great big box of the world and not being afraid, not even caring whether what’s inside is good or bad. Because it’s both. Everything is always both.

But you have to open it to find that out.”

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Mini-Impressions: Annihilation (Southern Reach Trilogy #1) by Jeff VanderMeer


Area X has been cut off from the rest of the continent for decades. Nature has reclaimed the last vestiges of human civilization. The first expedition returned with reports of a pristine, Edenic landscape; all the members of the second expedition committed suicide; the third expedition died in a hail of gunfire as its members turned on one another; the members of the eleventh expedition returned as shadows of their former selves, and within months of their return, all had died of aggressive cancer.

This is the twelfth expedition.

Their group is made up of four women: an anthropologist; a surveyor; a psychologist, the de facto leader; and our narrator, a biologist. Their mission is to map the terrain and collect specimens; to record all their observations, scientific and otherwise, of their surroundings and of one another; and, above all, to avoid being contaminated by Area X itself.

They arrive expecting the unexpected, and Area X delivers—they discover a massive topographic anomaly and life forms that surpass understanding—but it’s the surprises that came across the border with them, and the secrets the expedition members are keeping from one another, that change everything.
Science fiction? The "new weird"? Speculative fiction horror twisted into the "new weird"? Whatever the label, Jeff VanderMeer hit the spot with this book. The first book in the Southern Reach Trilogy, Annihilation is a great example of a Lovecratian-based, fungi infected (or is it colonized?) piece. With its distant, disconnected narration, heavy atmosphere, tense horror-filled moments, and excellent prose, it is one of the most memorable books I've read this year so far. Yet, the story is not finished. . . this is just the beginning of what promises to be a fantastic trip (read) when fully realized since obviously the overall story arc has a long way to go. Annihilation leaves the reader, at least it left me, haunted as the progression of events occurring in Area X affect the unnamed biologist and her three companions. Highly recommended.

Trilogy:
Annihilation (Southern Reach #1)
Authority (Southern Reach #2) Releasing May 6, 2014
Acceptance (Southern Reach #3) Releasing September, 2014

Saturday, May 18, 2013

Highlighting: The Resurrectionist: The Lost Work of Doctor Spencer Black by E.B. Hudspeth


Philadelphia. The late 1870s. A city of cobblestone sidewalks and horse-drawn carriages. Home to the famous anatomist and surgeon Dr. Spencer Black. The son of a “resurrectionist” (aka grave robber), Dr. Black studied at Philadelphia’s esteemed Academy of Medicine, where he develops an unconventional hypothesis: What if the world’s most celebrated mythological beasts—mermaids, minotaurs, and satyrs— were in fact the evolutionary ancestors of humankind?

The Resurrectionist offers two extraordinary books in one. The first is a fictional biography of Dr. Spencer Black, from his humble beginnings to the mysterious disappearance at the end of his life. The second book is Black’s magnum opus:
The Codex Extinct Animalia, a Gray’s Anatomy for mythological beasts—dragons, centaurs, Pegasus, Cerberus—all rendered in meticulously detailed black-and-white anatomical illustrations. You need only look at these images to realize they are the work of a madman. The Resurrectionist tells his story.

E. B. HUDSPETH is an artist and author living in New Jersey. This is his first book.
resurrectionist n (14c) 1. an exhumer and stealer of corpses; a resurrection man 2. one who revives or brings to light again [f. RESURRECTION sb. + -IST. Hence F. resurrectionniste.]
The Resurrectionist is such a gorgeous book! When I first received the print copy all I wanted to do was pet it. It is the size of a coffee table book, and an excellent conversation piece as I quickly found out. The fantastic illustrations rendered by the author E.B. Hudspeth, The Codex Extinct Animalia, that make up the second section of this book steal the show. Of course, there is a story to go along with all those gorgeous illustrations and the aesthetically pleasing package.

Set primarily in Philadelphia in the late 1800's, the first section of the story is the fictional biography of Dr. Spencer Black. Although it is written in a biographical style narrative with journal entries by Dr. Spencer Black and occasional entries by his brother Bernard, the story soon takes a twist into dark fantasy as Spencer comes to believe that mythological creatures are the true ancestors of humans. At age twenty-one, Black is known around the world as a medical prodigy, but as his research grows into an obsession that takes him away from his brilliant works as a surgeon working with operable birth defects and into an entirely different direction, his credibility with the medical community is irrevocably damaged and his mental health rapidly deteriorates.

This section of the book is rather short, at times providing gruesome details of Black's experiments, while at others it leaves blank or unknown details up to the reader's imagination. Black's experiments and descent into obsessive darkness fascinated me to no end and left me disturbed. That is until I looked at those gorgeous illustrations again.

The Codex Extinct Animalia, or second section of the book, is dedicated to those fantastic illustrations I mention above. I wish I could show you instead of telling you about it. There is a page describing each mythological creature, another page with Dr. Black's notes about the creature, and a page dedicated to different illustration plates enumerating bones, muscles, internal organs, and the final sample of said creature. My favorites are the amazing illustrations of the Harpy Erinyes. But as beautiful as the illustrations are, they become deeply disturbing when placed in context with the story or Black's obsession. It is through these that the reader comes to realize the depth of the doctor's madness and realizes just how far he goes with his experimentation. A rather macabre thought...

Now, take the disturbing dark fantasy narrated in biographical style and put it together with illustrations that take the story up a notch into the macabre and you have a winning combination. For readers like me who love a taste of the unique and different, the aesthetically beautiful journey into the dark mind of a madman in The Resurrectionist will most certainly do.

Book Dimensions: 7½ x 10½
Also available as an ebook
Publisher: Quirk Books
Release Date: May 21, 2013

Visit the author's website or for more information go here.

Monday, November 12, 2012

October 2012: Monthly Reads Recap

October was a good reading month and pretty well balanced genre-wise. There's a little bit of everything in there: historical romance, romance suspense, young adult fantasy, gay romance, a memoir and contemporary romance.


I enjoyed my reads, but there are always stand outs. For me, the dramatic historical serial The Gin Lovers by Jamie Brenner definitely stood out because of the 1920's atmosphere and New York City setting, the characters, and all the delicious drama. I reviewed the first two episodes, and although a bit behind because real life got in the way, expect reviews for the rest of the episodes.

I already mentioned Occultation and Other Stories and The Light is the Darkness by Laird Barron as great reads in the speculative fiction horror category, as well as Steve Berman's Wilde Stories 2012 Gay Speculative Fiction Anthology, however Immobility by Brian Evenson is another story that stood out and stayed with me for quite a while because of the stark moodiness of the piece.

On the bright side, re-reading the Born In Trilogy by Nora Roberts when hurricane Sandy hit, proved to be the right picks. Talk about comfort reads! That was a treat I haven't allowed myself for a couple of years. It was fun spending a couple of days with Nora's great characters in that small fictional Irish village again.

As to the rest, please click on titles to read reviews or posts.

Total read: 25
New Reads: 22    Re-reads: 3
  Contemporary Romance: 6 (3 romance, 2 romance suspense, 1 erotic romance)
  Historical Romance: 8
  Speculative Fiction/Horror: 3
  Young Adult/Fantasy: 1
  Non-Fiction: 1
  LGBT: 6 (1 spec fic, 5 romance)


That's it for my October reads! I again hit my TBR pile throughout the month and read 11 books from there! I'm really trying to get to a few of the books I've purchased before the end of this year, which is approaching really fast! How was your October? Did you find any great reads you would like to recommend?

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

2012: Xtra Scary Recs + Upcoming Holiday Reads

It's Halloween. For those of you celebrating the day, have a Happy Halloween! I've been reading many a scary book (or short story) these past few months. You can even read my recommendations post here where I chose some of my favorite books. The following three books are the last of my Halloween recommendations and I'm done for the year.


  • The Weird: A Compendium of Strange and Dark Stories edited by Ann and Jeff VanderMeer released on May 8, 2012. I purchased this huge piece for my collection and have been reading stories here and there and believe me, it's no easy task to finish this book! I haven't finished it yet and am taking my time. There are 110 amazing stories, plus the introduction by VanderMeer alone is worth buying this collection. From Lovecraft to Borges, and from Mieville to Murakabi and Gaiman, there is no waste to this book.

  • Occultation and Other Stories by Laird Barron. This collection features the following short stories: The Forest, Occultation, The Lagerstatte, Mysterium Tremendum (original to this collection), Catch Hell, Strappado, and The Broadsword. If you like horror, read this collection! It is definitely on my list of favorite books read this year/ released in a previous year (May 2011).

  • The Light is the Darkness by Laird Barron is a novella that includes everything I expected to find in Barron's full-length novel The Croning, and sadly did not. This novella was released September 2012 by DarkFuse and it is worth reading. Here is the very short description: A man searches for his missing sister, while taking part in brutal modern-day gladiator fights and encountering cosmic horror on a grand scale. No kidding! Creative cosmic horror, grand scale, creepy, and all of it offered in a concise, bare bones writing style.

Now, I'm gearing up for Thanksgiving and Christmas reads! Here are some of the books I already have in my TBR to read and review:

From Kensington Books here are four titles and book descriptions:

  • Together For Christmas by Lisa Plumley (Zebra - Contemporary Romance): In a hilarious and heartwarming novel from USA Today bestselling author Lisa Plumley, a down-home diner owner meets a sexy Scrooge—but will it be a match made in holiday heaven?

  • The Trouble with Cowboys by Melissa Cutler (Zebra - Contemporary Romance): Cowboys have never been good for Amy Sorentino. First her hard-riding father bankrupted the family farm. Then her all-hat-no-cattle boyfriend sold her out on national television, ending her promising career as a chef. Now she and her squabbling sisters have partnered up in a final attempt to save their land by starting an inn and local restaurant. So it figures that with everything on the line, Amy’s key supplier is just the kind of Stetson-tipping heartbreaking bad boy she’s sworn to avoid. But Kellan Reed has a few secrets of his own–and cowboy or not, Amy can’t resist this kind of wild ride…

  • His Mistletoe Bride by Vanessa Kelly (Zebra - Historical Romance): When Major Lucas Stanton inherited his earldom, he never dreamed his property would include the previous earl’s granddaughter. Phoebe Linville is a sparkling American beauty, yes, but with a talent for getting into trouble. Witness the compromising position that forced them into wedlock. Whisked away to Mistletoe Manor, his country estate, it isn’t long before she is challenging his rules—and surprising him in and out of bed. Phoebe has no intention of bowing to Lucas’ stubbornness, even though he offers all that she wants. His kisses and unexpected warmth are enticing, but Phoebe is determined to show the Earl of Merritt what real love is all about. And if that takes twelve nights of delicious seduction by a roaring fire, she’s more than willing to reveal her gifts very slowly…

  • Season For Surrender by Theresa Romain (Zebra - Historical Romance): Alexander Edgeware, Lord Xavier, has quite a reputation—for daring, wagering, and wickedness in all its delightful forms. But the wager before him is hardly his preferred sport: Xavier must persuade a proper young lady to attend his famously naughty Christmas house party—and stay the full, ruinous two weeks. Worse, the lady is Louisa Oliver, a doe-eyed bookworm Xavier finds quite charming. Yet to refuse the challenge is impossible—he will simply have to appoint himself Miss Oliver’s protector… Louisa knows her chance for a husband has passed. But she has no desire to retire into spinsterhood without enjoying a few grand adventures first. When Lord Xavier’s invitation arrives, Louisa is more intrigued than insulted. And once inside the rogues’ gallery, she just may have a thing or two to teach her gentlemen friends about daring…

The Trouble with Cowboys by Melissa Cutler and His Mistletoe Bride by Vanessa Kelly look extra good to me! I think this is a good start, but I do have a few other Christmas books in my list and a couple of Americana historical romances that I want to read for Thanksgiving. How about you? Any holiday books you're looking forward to reading? 


Monday, October 22, 2012

. . . On Immobility by Brian Evenson

Immobility
by Brian Evenson
When you open your eyes things already seem to be happening without you. You don't know who you are and you don't remember where you've been. You know the world has changed, that a catastrophe has destroyed what used to exist before, but you can't remember exactly what did exist before. And you're paralyzed from the waist down apparently, but you don't remember that either.

A man claiming to be your friend tells you your services are required. Something crucial has been stolen, but what he tells you about it doesn't quite add up. You've got to get it back or something bad is going to happen. And you've got to get it back fast, so they can freeze you again before your own time runs out.

Before you know it, you're being carried through a ruined landscape on the backs of two men in hazard suits who don't seem anything like you at all, heading toward something you don't understand that may well end up being the death of you.

Welcome to the life of Josef Horkai….
This novel is divided into short chapters that make for a quick paced, great read. Brian Evenson takes the reader through the devastated aftermath of the Kollaps, or collapse, of civilization by way of a physical journey, a sort of road trip. For most of this journey the author keeps the main character in the dark, along with the reader, about truths and real events with little foreshadowing of what's to come until about three quarters of the story when things begin to gel.

The title "immobility" is representative of more than the fact that the main character is a paraplegic, it also refers to a sort of paralysis that invades him as he has to make choices when events move quickly around him. This paralysis is well translated to the reader. However, there is also a sort of unreal or dreamlike sense to some characters and situations that are introduced by Evenson that are never quite brought to reality for anyone.

Immobility by Brian Evenson is a bleak, stark, dark, post-apocalyptic science fiction book with an edge. It is full of pessimism about humanity, and philosophical and religious undertones specifically focused on manipulations by Mormon-like groups and individuals keeping their flock in the dark for purposes of survival or to maintain a way of life. There's a search for self, knowledge as a purpose, and a pessimistic ending: returning to the known and choosing to forget rather than dealing with reality. With some excellent writing and just the right tone, not too heavy and definitely not too light, this book was the perfect read for me at this time.

Category: Sci-Fi/Fantasy: Post-Apocalyptic
Publisher/Release Date: Tor Books/April 10, 2012 - Kindle Ed.
Grade: B+

Visit Brian Evenson here.


Friday, October 19, 2012

Looking for more by way of Immobility & Boy Kings

I can't seem to shake the mood to pick up books that push those reading comfort zones, clearly searching for a challenge that comes from edgier reads instead of settling for the comfortable and pretty.

Right now I'm reading two books: The Boy Kings of Texas: A Memoir by Domingo Martinez. This book is different from This Is How You Lose Her by Junot Diaz, for one it's a memoir and not literary fiction, but I find it interesting that in this book the author battles with the machista male culture that he has inherited from his Latino father, grandfather and uncles, although this time as perceived from a Mexican-American perspective. There is more there, of course, there's the push and pull of two very different cultures and how this can tear apart, confuse or have an adverse effect in the lives of that first generation born in America. The amazing sub-culture and different world found in a border town -- division of loyalties within communities or from individuals. So far I'm finding this book both amusing and sad, but honest in its rendering, and yes it does push comfort zones although in an entirely different way from Diaz's collection of fictional short stories.

*****
The other book I'm reading is Immobility by Brian Evenson, a post-apocalyptic tale that so far strikes me as a mixture of science fiction and horror. I'm not far into this book, but there's a starkness and darkness to it that grabbed me from the start that makes me want to return to the book again and again.

Here are a couple of excerpts from the beginning:

"A sensation of coming back alive again, only not quite that, half life maybe." [...] "Slow shift to white noise."

***

When they first woke him, he had the impression of the world becoming real again and he himself along with it. He did not remember having been stored. He could remember nothing about what his life had been before the Kollaps, and the days directly before they had stored him were foggy at best, little more than a few frozen images. He remembered tatters of the Kollaps itself, had a fleeting glimpse of himself panting and in flight, riots, gunfire, rubble. He remembered a bright blast, remembered awakening to find himself burned and naked as a newborn -- or perhaps even more naked, since all the hair had been singed from his body or had simply fallen out. He remembered feeling amazed to be alive, but, well, he was alive, it was hard to question that, wasn't it?

And then what? People: he had found them, or they had found him, hard to say which. A few banded together, acting "rationally" instead of "like animals," as one of them must have put it, attempting to found a new society, attempting to start over.

Not having learned better, he thought grimly, the first time.

Was it all coming back to him? He wasn't sure. And how much of what was coming back was real?

What was his name again?

I have Christmas books to read and hmm... not in the mood to read those yet. (grin) Let's see if my reading mood changes soon!

Monday, October 15, 2012

2012 Halloween Reads: Steampunk/PNR/LGBT Spec Fic/Horror

October means Halloween! So it is time vampires, zombies, evil-doers, the strange and the weird to give us chills and thrills. For the past month I've been in the mood for the chills, thrills and the strange, so I've been reading and accumulating recommendations for you -- both recent releases and back list books. Here are some of my favorite reads:

STEAMPUNK & PNR: (Click on titles to read reviews)



Riveted (Iron Seas #3) by Meljean Brook (Steampunk/Adventure/Romance)
If you like romance with great world building and amazing steampunk details that do not get in the way of the story, then Riveted is for you. This third book is the latest release in Meljean Brook's Iron Seas series and it was a favorite for me because of the sweet romance between the main characters, as well as for all those great details I mentioned above. 
New Amsterdam Series by Elizabeth Bear (Fantasy/Mystery/Steampunk)
The New Amsterdam series by Elizabeth Bear is not a new release, as a matter of fact the first book was released in 2007 and the last in the trilogy in 2010. But this wonderful series with its excellent writing, vampire detective and a forensic female sorcerer as central characters, alternate world, unique format, and subtle steampunk details is worth reading. My favorite two pieces of the trilogy were New Amsterdam and The White City, but believe me... Seven For A Secret is no slouch either. A moody, atmospheric and different kind of mystery solving read. 
Hearts of Darkness: A Deadglass Novel by Kira Brady (Paranormal Romance) 
Of the paranormal romances I've read recently, Hearts of Darkness by Kira Brady is the darkest one, and the one I recommend be read during this time of the year. It has vampires, dragons, werewolves and other pretty unique beings, but I think what I loved the most about this novel was the way that Brady fused the dark, moody atmosphere usually found in an urban fantasy book with the romance found in PNR. There's a combination of dark and light that I enjoyed about this book, so yes... I recommend it.

LGBT SPECULATIVE FICTION & HORROR:(Click on titles to read reviews)



Green Thumb by Tom Cardamone (Queer Speculative Fiction) 
When it comes to speculative fiction if you're going to read one book this year, I recommend that you pick up Tom Cardamone's Green Thumb. If you are a spec fic fan, you'll appreciate the amazing characters, the atmosphere and worldbuilding, and most of all the creative twists and turns Cardamone uses to take this story from beautiful beginning to amazing end. 
Wilde Stories 2012: The Best Gay Speculative Fiction edited by Steve Berman (Gay Speculative Fiction
I recommended last year's edition Wilde Stories 2011 because I loved it. This year's edition is also recommended. There are excellent speculative fiction stories and wonderful variety in this anthology with themes to please tastes all around. It's filled with quality stories and excellent writers. Some of my favorite LGBT writers are included, but there are new great writers in there whose stories are not to be missed.
Torn by Lee Thomas (Horror/Speculative Fiction)
I read a few straight up horror books, but of those only one had all the ingredients that worked for me, Torn by Lee Thomas. This novella was relentless in action, kept me at the edge of my seat from beginning to end, and gave me all the chills and thrills that I expect from horror. Lee Thomas' skills are in full display in this novella and I highly recommend it to horror fans.

I didn't list any romance suspense reads or straight mysteries in this list. I just read a wonderful book from my TBR that I really enjoyed, Anne Stuart's 2005 romantic suspense thriller, "Black Ice." Are there any books in those categories that you would recommend? What books have you read lately that you would recommend as a great Halloween/October read?  

Monday, September 3, 2012

August 2012: Reads + Minis

Is the month of August really over? Where did it go? Between my vacation, family events, busy working weeks, and my migraines it seems to have flown. It was a month of slow reading and slow blogging for me. Although I read some great books, the month that was August turned out to be a mixture of ups and downs. Let's take a look.

Total August reads: 12
  Contemporary: 4 (Romance: 2, Erotic Romance: 1, Romance Suspense: 1)
  Historical: 2 (Western Romance: 1 , Historical Fiction: 1)
  Paranormal Romance: 1
  Urban Fantasy: 1
  Spec Fic/Horror: 2
  LGBT: 2 (Humor Essays: 1, Historical Mystery/Rom: 1)

1)   Lucky in Love (Lucky Harbor #4) by Jill Shalvis: C+
2)   Gunmetal Magic (Kate Daniels #5.5) by Ilona Andrews: B
3)   The Chaperone by Laura Moriarty: B-
4)   At Last (Lucky Harbor #5) by Jill Shalvis: C

5)   Arthur Wooten's Shorts: A Stroke Of Luck: a short story & The "Dear Henry" Letters
I really enjoyed A Stroke of Luck: A Short Story, a heartwarming story about a man who after a stroke of bad luck, finds love in the most unexpected of places and with an unlikely man. However, The "Dear Henry" Letters are the stars of this short piece! I couldn't stop laughing while reading most of Arthur Wooten's short essays in letter form. Hilarious!

In 2008, Mr. Wooten was asked by London magazine reFRESH to write a column addressing gay sex, love, dating, and fetishes, sort of an advice/informational type of column. From 2008 through 2010 Mr. Wooten quite creatively addressed all those issues by addressing the column to his fictional lover Henry in The "Dear Henry" Letters.  In the letters he attempts to break up their relationship for all sorts of reasons, mainly indiscretions committed by his fictional lover. Throughout the two years he always finds a reason to go back to Henry, but of course there's also always a reason to break up again.

The letters address all types of issues mentioned above, but because Mr. Wooten is a humorist the result is a hilarious, and at times embarrassing, collection from beginning to end! This short piece is worth buying, reading and re-reading. Thanks to Indigene for the recommendation. Grade: B+
6)   Dirty by Megan Hart: A- 
7)   Wild Texas Rose (Whispering Mountain #6) by Jodi Thomas: C-
8)   Torn by Lee Thomas: A-
9)   Don't Say a Word by Beverly Barton (Upcoming Review) 
10) Hearts of Darkness: A Deadglass Novel by Kira Brady: B

11) The Croning by Laird Barron
I've read and loved Barron's short stories. It is the reason I immediately purchased his full length novel The Croning. I thought The Croning began rather well, with a fairy tale that Barrons turned into a dark horror tale. Unfortunately, the central character is rather uninteresting with a narrative voice that lacks excitement, and that never changes throughout the story. Flashbacks break whatever momentum is gained and foreshadow most of what's to come, so that by the end there are little of those moments filled with real terror left to this horror (or Lovecraftian) tale, although the weird fiction is there, and the ending is ambiguous enough.

The same brilliant qualities that I found in Barron's short stories were only present in a few chapters. The novel is full of unnecessary background detail about the central characters and even characters that are not pertinent to the story. I'm sad to say that I forced myself to finish the book looking for more of those few bright moments along the way. For an excellent example of Barron's works, I recommend reading his collection of short stories in Occultation and Other Stories. I'm almost finished reading it (2 stories to go), and then I will review it. Grade: C-
12)  Only Make Believe (It Takes Two, #2) by Elliott Mackle: (Upcoming Review)

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That's it for August! My top reads of the month were Torn by Lee Thomas, a wonderful speculative fiction horror novella, and my TBR Challenge read, Dirty by Megan Hart! September is already here and yes... I'm reading again. :) How did August turn out for you?

Thursday, August 30, 2012

Review: Torn by Lee Thomas


I've only read one book by Lee Thomas, his novel The German.  Since that turned out to be one of my favorite novels last year, I could not wait to read Torn. I was not disappointed.
"How do you go on when something like that happens to your child?"
That's how Lee Thomas' horror tale Torn begins, and with that one sentence you know it's going to be a chilling tale. What begins with Maggie Mayflower's disappearance and a desperate search through the woods surrounding Luther's Bend by Sheriff Bill Cranston, his men and neighbors, ends in a chilling and unexpected scene when as Maggie is found they realize she has been used as bait, and a horrifying act takes place right in front of the Sheriff and a few of his men. Bill quickly finds Douglas Sykes, the insane man who kidnapped Maggie, and  immediately concludes that Sykes is more than insane and dangerous, he's not quite human, and that having Sykes in Luther's Bend might just destroy the whole town.

In Torn, Thomas weaves a tale of horror with characters that quickly become important to the reader, from Bill and his family to his men, so that from the beginning the reader becomes invested in their well-being. Douglas Sykes' character on the other hand gave me the creeps, and that was his job in this story. His nightmarish singsong, rhyming, creepy dialog alone gave me goosebumps.
I am me. Can’t you see? I am me and he is he. When he is he, I can’t be me."
Oh, lord... [shudder]

However as I found in The German, there's another story being told in this book that is tightly bound to that of the creepy characters and monsters. The title Torn refers to more than the graphic violence you might expect in a story where evil beast meets human. There's a dual meaning to the title, as a matter of fact "duality" is a word that also applies in more ways than one in this short story -- it is apparent in the monster that dwells within Sykes, as well as in the secrets that Bill keeps from the world.

Torn is a fast-paced novella packed with suspense, horror, and bite-your-nails action from beginning to end. I read it in one sitting and was breathless when done. I highly recommend it to lovers of horror or speculative fiction horror. This is another winner by Lee Thomas.

Category: Speculative Fiction Horror
Series: Cemetery Dance Novella Series #23
Publisher/Release Date: Cemetery Dance Productions/March 6, 2012
Grade: A-

Visit Lee Thomas here.

NOTE: I splurged on a signed special edition, hard cover copy of this novella. Even though the cover is really kind of scary, the book is actually beautiful with three illustrations inside the book by Vincent Chong that really capture the scenes described in the story.

Saturday, October 1, 2011

Halloween Reads: Steampunk/PNR/LGBT Spec-Fic

October is here and that means Halloween! From the books I've read lately and some read a while back, I have accumulated a few recommendations of books you might want to read: Paranormal Romance, LGBT Speculative Fiction, Horror, and well... things with fangs, claws or some that go bump in the night.


The Greyfriar (Vampire Empire #1) & The Rift Walker (Vampire #2) by Susan Griffith and Clay Griffith: (Steampunk Adventure/ Romance) See Leslie's review here.
The first book in the Vampire Empire trilogy has some of the scariest vampires I've seen around in a while. I really enjoyed the fact that they are Nosferatu-like vampires, parasitic, violent and portrayed as animalistic and clannish in nature. The humans are also portrayed quite differently in this world, and for the two main characters it's a learning experience as they venture into the world of vampires in the northern lands where they rule. There's a princess, a masked and caped hero, horrifying vampires and violent, often fast-paced battles, plus the beginning of a sweet romance that develops between two very different people. Along with the first book, I will recommend The Rift Walker (Vampire Empire #2), a book that I'm reading at the moment, and where the fun, chilling adventures continue. 
Demon Marked (Guardian Series #7) by Meljean Brook (Paranormal Romance): See review here.
Weather you begin this series from scratch or decide to pick up where you left off doesn't matter. This is a series that I highly recommend and that is appropriate for this month with it's angel-like Guardians and demons, hell hounds, heaven-like Caelum, and vampires. There's a lot to be said about Meljean Brook's world and it's all good... it's complex, tight, and fascinating. The romance and heat are off the charts and I can't recommend it enough. 
Supernatural with Larissa Ione, Alexandra Ivy, Jacquelyn Frank, G.A. Aiken (Paranormal Romance): See review here
And if you want something lighter, Supernatural is a paranormal romance collection of novellas where the writers feature characters set in worlds created for already popular series. A couple of the stories are a bit darker than the others, but all four are on the erotic side of the scale with lots of sexin' going on along with the fangs, claws, darkness, fire and brimstone. 
LGBT Speculative Fiction and Horror:


Wilde Stories 2011: The Years Best Gay Speculative Fiction edited by Steve Berman (Speculative Fiction): See review here
I just reviewed this collection of stories and highly recommend it. All the stories included are excellent: there are vampires, flesh eating zombies, stories about the occult, mermen, a mesmerizing psychic, a clown!, surfer dudes and dudettes, and well... romance and love along with all the hmm... weird fantasy.
Pumpkin Teeth by Tom Cardamone (LGBT Speculative Fiction): See mini here
Oh boy! Did I enjoy this collection by Cardamone or what? This is one fantastic collection of spec-fic stories where Cardamone includes both horror and fantasy. His stories are shocking and nightmarish, and if you love those ambiguous endings that leave you holding your breath at the end you'll love these. I read it last year and will be re-reading some of the stories again this October. :)
The StarCrossed Series by co-authors Reno MacLeod and Jaye Valentine (Speculative Fiction): See reviews here and here
Demon Tailz (Book 1), Opposite Ends of the Spectrum (Book 2), Sangria and Seraphim (Book 2.5), Objects in the Mirror (Book 3), Angel Tears (Book 3.5), In the Blink of an Eye (Book 4)
This is spec-fic of the horror, homo-erotic kind. The best kind. It's exciting and disturbing with demons, vampires, angels and witches equally doing their thing among humans and with each other. MacLeod and Valentine's series escalates and gets better and better as it goes along. But you don't have to believe me (I only wrote an ini-Mini), I've linked you above to Indigene's reviews of this series. She reviewed all four books when the series was first released a few years back and in my opinion, these are still the best reviews about this series out there. This series has had a resurgence in popularity recently after it was re-released by OmniLit.

There are many excellent Speculative Fiction books out there to read! I've slowly become an addict of this sub-genre, horror and fantasy in particular. For LGBT fans, Lethe Press' quarterly magazine, Icarus: The Magazine of Gay Speculative Fiction, is a great way to check out short stories by new or favorite writers, interviews, reviews, news about upcoming releases and of course networking information. So, I usually end up browsing through their book catalogue which has great choices. The upcoming fall issue has an interview with Ginn Hale who has the popular serial The Rifter out now. I've only read and reviewed the first episode from that series and am holding off on the rest. :)

So where do you look for new speculative fiction, horror, fantasy, new writers and upcoming books, LGBT or otherwise? What about books in general? What have you read lately that you would recommend as a great Halloween, October read?

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

August 2010 Reads

August was an average reading month for me -- although I couple of great books there were no big surprises and no deep disappointments. That's good, right?

But wait, that's not quite right! I would like to highlight one short story I thought was excellent -- Here There Be Monsters by Meljean Brook included in the Burning Up Anthology: Grade A-.  That story certainly stands out and now I'm really looking forward to reading The Iron Duke and the whole series. :)

As for the rest of my reads, here's the summary for August:

Total books read: 16
New Reads: 14
Re-reads: 2

Favorite new reads this month:
I loved Cardamone's story "River Boy" in Labonte's Country Boys: Wild Gay Erotica Anthology when I first read it last year, and both the story and characters  (River Boy and Skink) stayed with me. I've been looking for something by this author and was happy when I found Pumpkin Teeth, a collection of his short stories. I was not disappointed.  
Cardamone's writing style is creative and the stories and characters are quite unusual. There's horror and fantasy with the exploration of sexuality as its core, "Tank" & "Suitcase Sam" are already favorites. He finishes some stories and leaves others with ambiguous endings that left this reader thinking and wondering more than once -- I'll definitely be re-reading some of them. Other stories stayed with me for their shocking and nightmarish qualities. I'm not into horror and this collection kept me riveted, that says a lot in my book. Category: LGBTQI Horror Released: October 23, 2009 by Lethe Press Books 

Burning Up by Susan Andersen (Upcoming Review)
One Season of Sunshine by Julia London: B
Not Without Her Family by Beth Andrews: C+
His Secret Agenda by Beth Andrews: C
The Down Home Zombie Blues by Linnea Sinclair: B
The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan (Upcoming Buddy Review)
Lady Isabella's Scandalous Marriage by Jennifer Ashley: C
New Normal by Jeffrey Ricker: B
Burning Up Angela Knight, Nalini Singh, Virginia Kantra, Meljean Brook: B
Love Me If You Dare by Carly Phillips (Upcoming Review)
Corralled by Lorelei James: B-
Demon from the Dark by Kresley Cole: B-
Rising Tides (Quinn Brothers Trilogy, #2) by Nora Roberts (Re-read): B+
Dreaming of You by Lisa Kleypas (Re-read): A

What about you? Did you have a favorite book, a big surprise or disappointment in August?