John Connolly’s latest story collection is literally a mixed bag. Half the book is made up of nine short stories while the second half of the book conJohn Connolly’s latest story collection is literally a mixed bag. Half the book is made up of nine short stories while the second half of the book contains his Phd thesis written on a film, The Horror Express, that was important to him as a young boy and, perhaps, in his development as writer. Among the stories are two more involving the Caxton Private Lending Library & Book Depository which I enjoy. There is also Abelman’s Line, a sci fi tale that reminded me of Stanislaw Lem’s writing. I enjoyed all of the stories, most featuring gothic or ghostly subjects.
Then on reaching the halfway point, the nature of the writing changes to what Connolly calls his monograph titled The Horror Express. Some of Connolly’s readers will find this an interesting read but others, expecting more of his stories, are apt to be disappointed. Some may well be enthralled. I found myself somewhere in the middle. This section deals with the horror movie which Connolly saw when he was young, with the genre of horror filmmaking especially in Europe in the mid to late 20th century, and some of his favorite actors and personalities involved. There does seem to be a strong relationship between his obvious interest in this movie genre and his chosen subjects for his novels. Personally, I do read and enjoy his Charlie Parker novels but I’m not as fascinated by the details of filmmaking. I did watch my share of creature double features when I was young, so I did appreciate learning how one of these films was actually made.
Rating 3.5* rounded to 3.
Thanks to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for access to an eARC on this book....more
In this story set in midwinter, Merowdis Scot sets forth into the woods with her animals to walk and think for she is dissatisfied with her life. She In this story set in midwinter, Merowdis Scot sets forth into the woods with her animals to walk and think for she is dissatisfied with her life. She does not wish to marry George who has offered and had been told that becoming a nun is not for her. What is her life to be? Surrounded by her dogs, her pig and the trees she loves, a fox and blackbird approach and all talk with her. Ultimately she has a vision of what might…will…happen in her life!
The Wood at Midwinter is a gentle, quiet tale that grows out of the world of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, that “other” England beside the one we may see on a map. The magical other where creatures chat with humans and the course of life may run differently. This is a midwinter tale combining fable, religion and all that comes with the solstice. The illustrations complement the peaceful and gentle nature of the story. Clarke’s end notes also outline the influences on this story from her novels Piranesi and Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell as well as the music of Kate Bush. I believe I must have a listening session very soon! I recommend this as a midwinter gift to yourself.
Thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an eARC of this book....more
The Masquerades of Spring marks a diversion of sorts in the Rivers of London series, away from London, away from England, and away from the 21st centuThe Masquerades of Spring marks a diversion of sorts in the Rivers of London series, away from London, away from England, and away from the 21st century. Here we move to an historical setting, New York City of the 1920s, where one Augustus Berrycloth-Young, Gussie to his friends, has gone on the lam from the Folly hoping they will leave him alone. For now he wants to enjoy the wonders of the world of jazz available to him in Harlem and the love of his guide, Lucien, a reporter who lives in Harlem.
All is going swimmingly until a houseguest arrives from England, his friend, Thomas Nightingale, who has mysterious and magical reasons to be in New York and enlists Gussie’s assistance. This begins a fun outing in a very different setting from what I’m used to in Aaronovitch’s series. The mood is camp and positively Jazz Age, with fabulous clothes, outrageous behavior, hoodlums, and bathtub liquor. Oh, and crime with magic involved.
This is a standalone of sorts within the series and has served to inspire me to get back and pick up those books I have missed. It’s an enjoyable read. You might enjoy this even without knowing the series as all the characters are new except for this young version of Nightingale. But you must accept that there is magic in the world. Recommended.
Thanks to Subterranean Press and NetGalley for an eARC of this book....more
Janet Shore, aka Annapurna, the titled Book Fairy, is a quiet, unassuming person with a wonderful ability, wonderful if one is a lover of books. She hJanet Shore, aka Annapurna, the titled Book Fairy, is a quiet, unassuming person with a wonderful ability, wonderful if one is a lover of books. She has been blessed with the ability to travel to or send others into the world of their favorite books. And when she was young she did this with childhood friends in secret, often deciding for them (if they happened to choose a book that didn't seem quite good enough) on one that would be better. Then she grew up. Her life changed and she left this talent behind until, well, one day, it was awakened.
What a delightful tale this is, a long short story, short novella, full of bookish magic. To say much more would be to tell too much I fear. There is love of books and reading here. Love of the eccentric and humanity and a certain wistfulness.
I recommend this as a fun, magical read for book lovers.
I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Merged review:
Janet Shore, aka Annapurna, the titled Book Fairy, is a quiet, unassuming person with a wonderful ability, wonderful if one is a lover of books. She has been blessed with the ability to travel to or send others into the world of their favorite books. And when she was young she did this with childhood friends in secret, often deciding for them (if they happened to choose a book that didn't seem quite good enough) on one that would be better. Then she grew up. Her life changed and she left this talent behind until, well, one day, it was awakened.
What a delightful tale this is, a long short story, short novella, full of bookish magic. To say much more would be to tell too much I fear. There is love of books and reading here. Love of the eccentric and humanity and a certain wistfulness.
I recommend this as a fun, magical read for book lovers.
I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review....more
I was very pleased to receive an ARC of Angel of Vengeance after reading The Cabinet of Doctor Leng last year. That book ended abruptly, leaving the PI was very pleased to receive an ARC of Angel of Vengeance after reading The Cabinet of Doctor Leng last year. That book ended abruptly, leaving the Pendergast series characters stranded in New York City of 1881 as Constance Green continues her very personal battle against Dr. Leng with Pendergast and D’Agosta joining her fight.
In the Angel of Vengeance, there is intricate planning, vicious fighting, some nifty trickery, and so much evil, more than I’ve seen in these books for a while. But that would be true if Dr. Leng were present, wouldn’t it, as he seems a personification of evil in the series.
Definitely recommended for those who have followed the Pendergast series all these years, with the eerie stories of Constance Green, Dr. Leng’s cabinet of curiosities and his wish to extend life. Everything comes to its boiling point here.
Thanks to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for an eARC of this book....more
Sarah Perry’s Enlightenment is quite a reading experience for a reader such as me, one who glories in language and all it can express, as well as the Sarah Perry’s Enlightenment is quite a reading experience for a reader such as me, one who glories in language and all it can express, as well as the creation of a character, one Thomas Hart, who appears to largely live in order to learn about this amazing universe we live in and write about it in weekly installments in the Essex Chronicle. He is not a scientist; at the outset of this novel he is a middle aged man concerned about his place in the world and his church, the possibility of finding love, the status of the teenage girl he has “adopted” unofficially as a cause, and the monitoring of everything in the heavens, especially comets. Oh, and there may be the spirit of a woman from a century ago living in Thomas’s home but only time will tell.
Life is not simple for Thomas and following his life and the history and science he traces is not always easy for the reader. But I found the payout so worthwhile. Again and again, life is affirmed in many ways. And the often gorgeous phrasing adds to the beauty of the sentiment. Some may find the sections on Hart’s thoughts on science or religion a bit heavy going but I found that they fit with the overall story of a man struggling, obsessed with working out these details of his life and the life of the mysterious Maria of 1889. They are not full of doctrine but full of thought.
This is my first experience reading Sarah Perry and it will not be my last. While I know this book might not be for everyone, I hope that readers of literary and historical fiction will give it a look, knowing that there is a definite presence of magical realism too. Highly recommended.
Rating 4 to 4.5*
Thank you to Mariner Books, NetGalley and the author for the eARC of this book....more
What a fun read! It’s been a while since I have read a book like A Dreadful Splendor. This combination of gothic thriller, mystery, and ghost story wiWhat a fun read! It’s been a while since I have read a book like A Dreadful Splendor. This combination of gothic thriller, mystery, and ghost story with the necessary touch of romance brought me back to memories of earlier reading adventures. Good memories.
Beginning in London with Miss Jenny Timmons, we are admitted to a 19th century world of spiritualism and seances, but with a heroine who knows the truth of her shady side of the trade. Her reputation for skill leads her to Somerset Park, home of Lord Chadwick. Her task: to provide a seance that will give Pemberton, the new Lord, peace after the death in an apparent suicide of his fiancee, Lady Audra, daughter of the last lord. In true Gothic fashion, there are raging thunderstorms, mysterious rooms, so many servants-some of whom become integral in the plot, and many changes of fortune for the young lady from London. Nothing runs smoothly or as expected!
If you have read and enjoyed this genre at other times in your life, I believe A Dreadful Splendor may very well be for you. A nice escape from heavier reading. Recommended....more
The Warm Hands of Ghosts is a novel of World War I unlike any other I have read but it captures the horrors of the trenches, the makeshift hospitals aThe Warm Hands of Ghosts is a novel of World War I unlike any other I have read but it captures the horrors of the trenches, the makeshift hospitals and the general terror of the life of the battlefield as well as any other. It opens in Halifax, Nova Scotia, as Laura Iven, a battle scarred, decorated and honored field nurse is back home, having been sent home to recover after her field station was damaged in a bombing. Not long after she came home, the infamous ship explosion occurred in Halifax harbor which left her without parents. Not long afterwards, she received news that her brother, fighting in Europe is dead.
Conflicting feelings caused by receiving some of Freddie’s effects lead Laura to question if he is actually dead. Or is this her grief directing her. She decides to volunteer to return as a volunteer to Belgium with the hope of learning more of what happened to her brother.
In an alternating narrative, we follow what happened to Freddie in the trenches. And we learn more of the ghosts in the title, for they are not figurative in this novel. They are a presence experienced by so many. The paranormal is a part of this story. If you have limited tolerance for this you might have some problems with this book, but you would be missing a very human, historical fiction novel that also can add to understanding of the time. Katherine Arden provides a very interesting Author’s Note at the end providing historical analysis of social implications of the major changes caused by WWI.
Recommended!
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC of this book. This review is my own....more
The Land of Lost Things by John Connolly is about the power of love and hope and family, the wonders that grow from reading, the enchantments in the wThe Land of Lost Things by John Connolly is about the power of love and hope and family, the wonders that grow from reading, the enchantments in the worlds of books, and the place of fairy or folk tales in our lives. This book builds on Connolly’s The Book of Lost Things but can be read as a standalone, which is what I have done. (I do plan to read the first book soon.)
As the story opens, Ceres, is watching as her young daughter, Phoebe, is being cared for in hospital some time after having been hit by a car driven by a distracted driver. Phoebe has been unconscious, comatose since the accident and Ceres is losing hope. The child’s transfer to a specialty care hospital returns Ceres to her childhood home and she continues regularly visiting her daughter. Ceres brings their favorite book of fairy tales to read to her in the hope she may hear. Ceres was raised by a father steeped in folklore and legends and has shared some of this with Phoebe.
Ceres doesn’t realize that she is days away from entering a different reality, one her father would have recognized, populated by beings not primarily human. There she will experience her own tale all the while worrying about her daughter and remembering all she was taught by her father.
This is a wonderful tribute to the love and power of books and reading as well as the bonds created within families by reading together. It is also a loving tribute to imagination, to the folklore that has been gifted us from the past, and an invitation to be our own writers and readers whenever we choose.
Highly recommended to those who enjoy stories, fantasy, fairytales or, better yet, folklore, or a great read. Connolly is a gifted writer.
Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book. The review is my own....more
Amongst Our Weapons is the ninth of the Rivers of London series from Ben Aaronovitch featuring DC Peter Grant and DCI Thomas Nightingale. They both woAmongst Our Weapons is the ninth of the Rivers of London series from Ben Aaronovitch featuring DC Peter Grant and DCI Thomas Nightingale. They both work in a special London unit to address crimes with magic involved. In this urban fantasy series, Peter is an apprentice wizard and his skills have greatly developed since he was first discovered due to his ability to converse with ghosts. Now there is something very bizarre, and deadly, happening. An apparent “Angel of death” is killing people in the city. Why? And are more at risk? And why is former colleague Lesley showing up in the same locations as these deaths? And on a major personal note, Peter and wife Beverley, of the giant Rivers clan, are expecting twin daughters…very soon.
Action packed and full of descriptions and activities revealing advances made in Peter’s magical education, this was a great way for me to re-enter the series though I see there are past episodes I do want to read. Where did those foxes come from?
I recommend this series to anyone who enjoys a police procedural and would like to try one with a magical bent and a sense of humor. It creates its own reality within London, England, and the world, coexisting with our own. I suggest beginning with the first book if possible to get to know the characters.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an opportunity to read an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review....more
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