Sorry all, I had to do some self-care starting this Friday through the weekend. Still feeling kind of out of sorts, but wanted to jump back in here. Talking to all of you and having fun things to look forward to is helping. That and sending out the bingo prizes!

 

-Blue

 

My first horror book monster that I fell in love with was definitely vampires. I remember when Christopher Pike was writing his teen horror books I read "The Last Vampire" in one sitting. Then of course there were the sequels all over the place too. 

 

 

And who can forget R.L. Stine's vampire books as part of the Fear Street Series. 

 

 

I then fell in love with Lestat in "Interview With a Vampire" finished that series to date as much as I could along with reading and finishing the Twilight series when I was overseas. I think there is something that had me going that it's so romantic to have an immortal being that would want to be with me forever so much that they would turn me into a vampire so we could be together always.  

 

I eventually grew up (literature wise) and realized that I tend to really only like Stephen King's views of vampires and that they are evil. Even though I wasn't down for everything in Salem's Lot, I appreciated what King was doing. He revisits vampires in his Dark Tower series as well as his short stories such as "One for the Road" (sequel to Salem's Lot), "The Night Flier", and "Popsy." Other vampires stories I have enjoyed are "Let the Right One In" and "I am Legend". 

 

I never really got into werewolves that much and I realized I didn't read a lot of werewolf books growing up beyond watching movies like Teen Wolf and Silver Bullet. And even though I grew up near Pittsburgh, I never got into zombies as a kid/teen/early adult. I think I only started really reading them after "The Walking Dead" got so popular. 

 

An excellent collection of short stories. Some - "Border", "Equinox" and "Majken" were so good that I plan to take Susan Hill's advice and read them again, slowly and methodically, to understand WHY they worked as well as they did.

 

I've made a start with Border, but got distracted by other books, so a full review should follow soon. In the meantime - 

 

Re-reading “Border” line by line is a revelation. I thought I’d share what I gained from the experience of reading ten pages in this way. It is powerful.

First the opening line -

As soon as the man appeared, Tina knew he had something to hide.

Appeared, knew, hide – these words evoke mystery, magic and suspense. Let’s look at each in turn.

Appeared – it’s a mysterious and magical verb, don’t you think? Arrived might have been a more natural choice, perhaps, but appeared, as if from nowhere, gives the story a fairy tale feel.

Knew – Tina doesn’t suspect, she knows. How does she know? Who is Tina and why does she have the power to know the man has something to hide? Who is the man? Where are they?

Hide – another word full of mystery and hints of conflict. The first line sets Tina up as protagonist and this man as antagonist. It introduces us to theme, character and suspense.

A few lines later we get this -

The man heaved a small case up onto the counter.

The juxtaposition of heaved with small opens up a myriad of questions for the reader. Why is the small case heavy? Or is the man weak or sick? Is he struggling the the weight of his guilty secret rather than the case itself?

We are now aware of the surroundings of these two characters. The are at a border control and Tina is a customs officer. As he heaves the case she presses a silent alarm, and guards gather to watch. She wonders whether the man is armed.

We still don’t have a physical description of Tina (and I wonder whether this would bother me if I hadn’t watched the film first and knew about the physical similarities between Tina and the man). We do, however, have a clear image of the man.

[A]ngular face, low forehead. Small, deep-set eyes beneath bushy eyebrows. A beard and medium-length hair. He could have played a Russian hit man in an action movie.

Hyper-masculinity with a threat of violence. A low forehead frequently represents low intelligence. He seems shadowy and villainous. Unattractive. We have a perfect portrait in under 30 words.

 

What Tina finds in his case is a metal box with a dial and wires. We witness the man’s calm amusement in contrast to Tina’s knowledge that he has something to hide. All of this tension has been built in less than two pages before we suddenly zoom out and are told about Tina’s wider life and job.

The following two pages show examples of Tina knowing when people are hiding things and becoming somewhat famous for her talent, in demand. It also places her firmly in the Swedish port in which this story is set.

Before we return to the villainous, shadowy man, the box, and Tina’s unshakable conviction that he’s hiding something. They search him and find nothing. The man remains calm and polite throughout. There is an odd conversation in which it is revealed that the stranger somehow understands Tina. We still don’t know they look the same, but we get the strong suggestion that these people are the same on some deep level. The beginnings of a love story seem to unfold.

“My apologies for the inconvenience.”

Tina uses a standard line as armour, hiding her interest behind a coolly professional dismissal. The man’s reaction is surprising.

“Perhaps we’ll meet again.”

Then he kisses her. His reaction is the antithesis of her professionalism.

“What the hell do you think you are doing!”

Tina’s shock makes her defensive as she tries to return to normal social interactions. The man raises his hands to show he isn’t a threat and says excuse me in German. So much has happened and we have only reached p.6. I love this way of reading. Thank you Susan Hill.

In the next scene Tina returns home. She leaves the work environment that she controls (to such an extent that the interaction with the man shocks her) and goes home to a place that is shown as unsafe and chaotic with fighting dogs that hate her and a “partner” who is shown as emotionally distant but preferable to being alone.

A flash back to her last day at school and a boy that tells her -

“I wish I could meet someone who’s exactly like you, but who doesn’t look like you.”

Flash forward to looks of revulsion on the faces of people who meet Tina for the first time. At last we have some sort of physical description for Tina. She’s so ugly that her body is her prison and she’ll accept and want the company of anyone who shows interested however ill suited.

The man – the kiss – a love story! We the readers want this!

This brings us to the end of p.10. Whatever happens after this point (I know what happens as this is my second read through) we are already invested in Tina’s happiness. Tina represents our own loneliness and pain, the unrequited loves, the rejections. She’s the monster we catch sight of in our own reflections. The fact that we still have no physical description of Tina beyond “ugly” means we can wrap ourselves in the blank canvas of her flesh and become her. Just ten pages and already I’m a lonely, ugly woman who knows when people are trying to hide. That’s powerful writing.

 

 

Originally published at midureads.wordpress.com on March 6, 2018.

 

2015

 

 

Magno Girl by Joe Canzano

An old review:

 

What I Thought:

 

the book was about a female superhero…but the book was not from the superhero’s POV but the guy dating her!

 

some of the jokes and situations were too funny and silly — I loved them! — but the jokes did get tiring at the end

 

I enjoyed every conversation that Magno Girl had with her mother. They were all laugh out loud funny! It also made sense that Sandra would use the issues that Magno Girl had as a curse.

 

All kinds of discrimination were made fun of and I liked how the author made us see the silliness when it comes to advertising, pregnancy etc. but the MCs continuously joked about the short stature of one of the villains.

 

The character of the teenage girl who became increasingly vapid was fun to read about but her curse was made into such a big deal and then it was solved just like that!

Legalman was my favorite character — he would find a reason to sue you even if it killed him you!

 

I do not know what it was but I kept wanting to put the book away and could not gobble it in one go. I kept wanting to enjoy it and get hooked but that didn’t happen. That is why, I am rating it 2.5 rather than 3 stars. However, if you want to try something unusual and funny, Magno Girl is a good idea!

 

2014

 

 

Botanicaust by Tam Linsey

 

Another old review:

 

What I liked:

 

the concept this story was based on was really interesting and it didn’t disappoint, as I read ahead

the cover--suited!

all three races, if they can be called that, were as different as day and night but the most advanced ones-I forget what they’re called- were the scariest!

the author did research and it showed-I loved the part about telomerase and the chloroplasts, as well as the part about Ripening.

the ending wasn’t impractical-it was quite realistic

I sort of threw a tantrum when one of the little girls was taken by the cannibals-I’m pretty sure we’ll see her again, if there’s going to be a sequel but still!

 

What I didn’t like:

 

the whole people turning into cannibals part wasn’t too well-thought. If plants will grow in one place, surely people will work to grow them elsewhere.

 

If you want to read about photosynthesizing people, cannibals and an apocalyptic world, give this one a try-it doesn’t disappoint!

 

2013

 

 

Eona by Alison Goodman

 

Epic YA fantasy that is fun, not just about winning the boy, and about an imperfect protag. She also happens to have powers that have been denied to women of that world ever since the beginning of time. This series broke tradition in another way i.e. by not being a trilogy but was instead a duology! I devoured it and then reached for the second one. Recommending it recently to a friend made me realize that its magic remained in place!

 

 

 

World War Z by Max Brooks

 

Huh, so I did write a review for this one back when I read it:

 

This book is all kinds of good. I love the scope of the book since it gives you a global perspective of a zombie apocalypse. It also follows the progression of the zombie infection as it spread universally. Moreover, it sketches a situation that has its roots based on reality, when talking about the aftermath of the infection.

 

An addendum:

Looking at the world today, I think it wouldn’t be remiss if I objected that the two countries to start a nuclear war would be Pakistan and India. The rest of the world presents us with more likely candidates!

 

2012

 

 

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

 

People have called it verbose and boring. But I found the writing lyrical and the magic of love…well magical! The book made quite an impression on me.

 

 

 

Zombie Nights by Tom Lichtenberg

 

An old review:

 

This is a highly entertaining short story and instantly made me want to start reading other books by the same author. The author didn’t waste time in describing things that weren’t important to the story and I loved how he was able to let us feel how dangerous the bad guys/bullies were, even while laughing at them. All I’m saying is I want more!

 

 

 

Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist

 

Another one:

 

Okay, so I want to rate this book 4 stars but what stopped me was my pet peeve-unnecessary details involving characters who weren’t important to the story. Other than that, the book is amazing for several reasons:

the vampire is a little girl (almost)-who wouldn’t want to read about that, right?
the vampire kills and there’s no covering that up-no sexy smooth talking vegetarians here.

you connect with both the kids intensely-when Oskar gets bullied, I wanted to go save him.

the violence and the sadness and the loneliness just gets to you..chokes you up and keeps you reading.

be warned, you WILL need Teddy Bears if you want to get through this book with the least bit of depression

the ending..well it takes the cake!

 

I haven’t seen the movie yet (any version)and will add to my review once I do.

 

 

 

Halfway to the Grave by Jeaniene Frost

 

This one too:

 

Loved this book!!

The story opened in the perfect way.

I loved every bit of the action and of course, it had one of my most favorite things in it-a kick ass, smart-mouthed heroine.

I did not like Bones right away. But gradually, he became awesomer and more awesome.
Another thing which always tips the scales for me is good humor and this book had that down pat.

I also loved Spades and would want to read more about him and meet Ian.

There was no one big bad wolf until the very end and I liked that–it made the story more interesting.

Oh and I hated the mom’s guts like I was supposed to.

It was only the too-typical ending that kept me from rating this book 4 stars.

 

Onward to the next one!

After seeing the recent adaptation of Stephen King's It, I was inspired to delve into a big, fat horror novel (I already read It a few summers ago); plus, 'tis the season. John Ajvide Lindqvist has been referred to as Sweden's Stephen King, and I can see why. What I like most about King's writing is his characterization: characters feel like real people, no matter how fantastical, or evil. Little Star is my second Lindqvist novel, and he has a similar gift for creating engaging characters.

 

In some ways, though, I find his horror even more frightening than King's. He has a way of providing the details that are often skipped over in horror movies, such as the way the human body reacts to terror. Acts of violence are shockingly brutal (early in the novel a husband savagely breaks his wife's kneecap). He also appears to be interested in children as protagonists, especially girls. Little Star, like Let the Right One In, the other Lindqvist novel I read, features two children as the characters who drive the narrative. One (Theres) does not seem to be quite human (like the vampire in the latter novel), while the other (Theresa) is a human who is an outcast (like the boy who befriends the vampire). Each one's story is told separately at first, including their parents' points of view, until they meet--virtually and then in person. At this point we know the two will be frightening together.

 

Much of this novel details the angst and alienation of young girls, which can be painful to read if you're a woman who felt like an outsider at some point during your childhood. That alienation is weaponized; it's a freight train whose collision you can't stop but also can't look away from. It reminded me of Dietland, which I read a while ago and is not a horror novel, or even Kill the Boy Band and The Girls. I suppose I'm drawn to stories where patriarchal suppression erupts in violence.

 

I was left with a question or two, including Theres's origins (she's left to die as an infant in a forest before being discovered) and the red smoke she and the girls feed on. I also wanted a bit more of Theres's adoptive mother's perspective at the beginning.

 

Despite these questions, this novel shocked, disturbed, and awed me. I tore through it. AND I learned about several Swedish pop stars!

Huh...

I've wanted to read this book for a few years until, finally, desperate for horror I own and haven't read yet, I remembered I had bought the Kindle edition of this about a year ago and forgotten about it. I'm glad I waited to read it, though, because I don't think I would have liked it as much if I hadn't been in just the right mood.

This kind of reminded me of the Vampire Chronicles books, just a little. Like, if Anne Rice and Stieg Larsson (no, not because he and Lindqvist are both Swedish, it's something about the tone or style, idk) had teamed up to write a vampire novel, with a little input from...someone else...Neil Gaiman, maybe...this is what the result would be. I'm impressed with the intricacies and spiderweb links between all the characters, and how developed they were, especially considering how many characters there were to keep track of.

I love the take on vampires for this book. I haven't encountered anything exactly like it before, and I like it. The shape changing, the teeth, the way the infection is spread, everything. It was very well done and managed to remind me of plenty of other vampire stories while remaining unique.

I really liked Eli and a few other characters, but I wasn't a big fan of Oskar's, to be honest. My heart broke for Eli, and Virginia, Lacke, and Gösta. Speaking of Gösta, if I'd known about the part with the cats, I might not have read this. Anything bad happening to an animal, even in a book or movie, really gets to me. I mean, I can handle a brief mention, like saying a pet has died, but any further details sometimes get to me so bad I have to put down the book (or stop the movie, etc.) because I can't deal with it. Probably others, but it's all kind of a blur right now. There were a lot of characters, which is something I'm normally not fond of, but I liked it in this case. Maybe because each character stood out so much. And, while I hated Håkan for what he was, I think I might have hated Jonny, Jimmy, and Staffan more. Staffan, for some reason, made me really uneasy and I hated him from the start. I got the feeling that it wouldn't take much for him to snap and turn abusive, and his over-inflated sense of power bothered me a lot. He really seemed to get off on it, and how he could use his police uniform to scare Tommy or something. Plus the just-below-the-surface threat of violence toward's Tommy's mother after he burned himself making tea. Ugh. I was honestly kind of hoping he would go downstairs and Håkan would rip him apart or something. But Jimmy and Jonny enraged me. I went to school with people like both of them. I've seen kids do shit like what Jonny and his gang did to Oskar and I was pleased with how things turned out for them.

I feel like the ending wasn't totally satisfying, but I like that for some reason. I like that it's kind of...open, or something. I kind of wish this was part of a duology.