Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

Summary:

I have a meanness inside me, real as an organ. Libby Day was seven when her mother and two sisters were murdered in “The Satan Sacrifice of Kinnakee, Kansas.” As her family lay dying, little Libby fled their tiny farmhouse into the freezing January snow. She lost some fingers and toes, but she survived–and famously testified that her fifteen-year-old brother, Ben, was the killer. Twenty-five years later, Ben sits in prison, and troubled Libby lives off the dregs of a trust created by well-wishers who’ve long forgotten her. The Kill Club is a macabre secret society obsessed with notorious crimes. When they locate Libby and pump her for details–proof they hope may free Ben–Libby hatches a plan to profit off her tragic history. For a fee, she’ll reconnect with the players from that night and report her findings to the club . . . and maybe she’ll admit her testimony wasn’t so solid after all. As Libby’s search takes her from shabby Missouri strip clubs to abandoned Oklahoma tourist towns, the narrative flashes back to January 2, 1985. The events of that day are relayed through the eyes of Libby’s doomed family members–including Ben, a loner whose rage over his shiftless father and their failing farm have driven him into a disturbing friendship with the new girl in town. Piece by piece, the unimaginable truth emerges, and Libby finds herself right back where she started–on the run from a killer.

My take: 2 stars

I just can't jump on the Gillian Flynn bandwagon, and this book gets me no closer to liking this author. The story is presented from several points of view, and goes back and forth in time in alternating chapters. Flynn's writing is loose and cumbersome, and could have used a little more editing to tighten up the storyline, while adding space for necessary character development. I found that I could skim quite heavily without missing a beat.

The characters were also very flat. Libby is a grown woman now and stunted emotionally by her past. I didn't feel the desperation from Patty as a single mom struggling to make ends meet that I think Flynn intended. While Runner was a rascal, he was almost comical in his singular focus on asking for money - like a caricature. The depictions of the daughters read like an afterthought and lacked the detail and depth that could have garnered sympathy from me. Ben was a compilation of every wayward male teen I've ever seen in the movies.

The climax was completely unbelievable, and the viewpoints of the peripheral characters at the end felt manufactured to facilitate the reader's belief in the wrap-up. The only group that I was interested in as a "real" portrayal was the Kill Club. If the rest of the characters were as real as these members seemed, it would have been a much better book. This is probably my last Flynn novel.

Not recommended.

The Silver Crown by Robert C. O'Brien

Summary:

On her tenth birthday, Ellen wakes up to find a silver crown on her pillow; a few minutes later her house burns up, her parents disappear, and she is launched on an adventure involving a trek through the woods, a castle full of brainwashed captives, and the powerful Hieronymus Machine which wants her crown.

My take: 3 looks

This was a fun, well-written book. Specifically for the younger reader, the book is a page-turner with lots of action and rich characters.

The protagonist, Ellen, finds a fast friend in Otto, as she sets out on an adventure that may or may not end up with her being the queen of ... well, something.

Very entertaining, and a book this size and this pleasant to read is sure to encourage tentative readers to read more.

Recommended.

Author Spotlight: Linda Olsson

When I first picked up Linda Olsson's novel Astrid & Veronika, I was drawn to the cover. The simplicity of the photograph, along with the simplicity of the title. And yet, there were so many layers to these two things.

The cover of the book is a pair of hands holding picked fruit. The colors are stunning. Creamy white hands and blood red berries. Light blue at the top of the photo, and black at the bottom.

And the title: the names of two women. Not only names, but unusual and old-fashioned names, at least by today's standards in the United States.

The book promised so much, just in the cover visual. I was not disappointed. I read this book and fell in love with the author.

When Linda Olsson was invited to speak about this book, this is what she posted on her webpage:

There is the landscape, the seasons, the land. My native Sweden. In a sense perhaps the book is a love letter to the country where I was born. Perhaps it is a letter of farewell. But, more importantly, I think it is a book about friendship. The novel tells a story of an unusual and unexpected friendship. It describes the strength that is to be found in friendship, the comfort and perhaps the love. It describes how a deep friendship can be found and developed anywhere, anytime, at any stage in our lives and between persons who may superficially seem to have very little in common.

Because of the simple manner in which she writes, her stories are personal, completely relatable, and poignant. When I say "simple", I mean that Ms. Olsson does not rely on archaic words and seldom-used phrases that put some authors out of reach. Her words are charged with visions, emotions, and longings. Her descriptions enable you see clearly in your mind's eye where the characters reside, make your mouth water when they prepare meals, and tug at your heart when there are joys or conflicts.

Only a few authors are able to reach me in this way, and I have added each of her published novels to my collection. As a matter of fact, when I see one available, I purchase it to give away. I want everyone to find what I have in her works.

I hope you will seek out Linda Olsson and add her to your reading list.

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

Summary:

THE OCEAN AT THE END OF THE LANE is a fable that reshapes modern fantasy: moving, terrifying and elegiac - as pure as a dream, as delicate as a butterfly's wing, as dangerous as a knife in the dark, from storytelling genius Neil Gaiman. It began for our narrator forty years ago when the family lodger stole their car and committed suicide in it, stirring up ancient powers best left undisturbed. Dark creatures from beyond the world are on the loose, and it will take everything our narrator has just to stay alive: there is primal horror here, and menace unleashed - within his family and from the forces that have gathered to destroy it. His only defense is three women, on a farm at the end of the lane. The youngest of them claims that her duckpond is ocean. The oldest can remember the Big Bang.

My take: 5 looks

A fairy tale for adults - perfection!

As a 7-year-old boy, the narrator experiences situations, people, and creatures he had only ever read of. A malevolent spirit is awakened in the forest, and makes a way to follow him home, inserting herself in his world as her new playground. When Lettie, his new friend from down the lane realizes that she had a hand in this creature's presence, she determines to send it home.

And it goes from there. A novella written with several layers of meaning, I found what I think is the heart of the story on page 112:

"I'm going to tell you something important. Grown-ups don't look like grown-ups on the inside either. Outside, they're big and thoughtless and they always know what they're doing. Inside, they look just like they always have. Like they did when they were your age. The truth is, there aren't any grown-ups. Not one, in the while wide world."

And there-in lies my love for this book. Gaiman hits it right on the head. Grown-ups need fairy tales, too, and here he delivers a grand one!

Highly recommended.

77 Shadow Street by Dean Koontz

Summary:

Enter the world of the Pendleton: The original owner became a recluse - and was rumored to be more than half mad - after his wife and two children disappeared in 1897 and were never found. The second owner suffered a worse tragedy in 1935, when his house manager murdered him, his family, and the entire live-in staff....
Craftsmen and laborers working on renovations disappear or go mad....
For years, the Pendleton is a happy place, until a bad turn comes again....
Voices in unknown languages are heard in deserted rooms, everywhere and nowhere....
Disturbing shadows move along walls but have no source....
Images on security monitors show strange places that exist nowhere in the building or its grounds....
A young boy talks of an imaginary playmate - who turns out to be terrifyingly real....
A figure like a man but clearly inhuman is glimpsed in the courtyard gardens at night and in other locales, perhaps a hoaxer of some kind, seemingly oblivious of those who see it - until it suddenly takes an interest in one of them....

My take: 2 looks

To end my October Scary Reads, I chose a book by Dean Koontz, usually a master of suspense and horror. Unfortunately, I didn't choose wisely.

While this looks great on the summary-level, the story is extremely cumbersome and in need of editing. Koontz overuses terms that are so unique that they should be use sparingly, like "they are legion". Well into the second half of the book, he continues to introduce new characters, while seemingly casting what were major players to the side.

In the end, when the reader finds out exactly what is happening, why it is happening, and when it is happening, it elicits less of an eye-popping and more of an eye-rolling reaction. With so many other quality horror novels out there, this one is...

Not recommended.

Fury by Salman Rushdie

Summary:

Malik Solanka, historian of ideas and world-famous dollmaker, steps out of his life one day, abandons his family in London without a word of explanation, and flees for New York. There's a fury within him, and he fears he has become dangerous to those he loves. He arrives in New York at a time of unprecedented plenty, in the highest hour of America's wealth and power, seeking to "erase" himself. But fury is all around him. Fury is a work of explosive energy, at once a pitiless and pitch-black comedy, a profoundly disturbing inquiry into the darkest side of human nature, and a love story of mesmerizing force. It is also an astonishing portrait of New York. Not since the Bombay of Midnight's Children have a time and place been so intensely and accurately captured in a novel.

My take: Not finished

I am putting this one down. I have vacillated between finishing/not finishing long enough, and reached my decision this morning.

Why put it down? Because it's an exhausting read. It's the non-stop self-pitying rant of an extremely wealthy man who can't find happiness. A man who abandons his wife and son (after thinking seriously of murdering the former) in London for the fury of New York. In a nutshell, he wants the fury of New York to overpower the fury he feels within himself.

What I suspect is a thinly veiled autobiography (and you know how I hate those, Holden Caulfield), Fury is full of beautiful writing and wonderful quotes for publishers about the excess of America. However, it descends quickly into whining. Beautifully written, irrepressible whining.

It is not very popular to dislike Rushdie's writing. People think of him as so esoteric, on a different plane, writing at a higher level than most. Perhaps his vocabulary is larger than the average fiction reader, but that only serves to give his writing a sense of arrogance. I can imagine him writing and thinking, "No one understands me. No one will "get" this."

This was the first Rushdie book I have tried, and I will more than likely try another one. After all, perhaps some of his earlier writing, before he was jaded by wealth and beautiful women half his age, will prove to be a bit more accessible for us common folk.

Not recommended.

House by Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker

Summary:

 Enter House - where you'll find yourself thrown into a killer's deadly game in which the only way to win is to lose...and the only way out is in. The stakes of the game become clear when a tin can is tossed into the house with rules scrawled on it. Rules that only a madman - or worse - could have written. Rules that make no sense yet must be followed. One game. Seven players. Three rules. Game ends at dawn.

My take: 3 looks

***SPOILERS***

Entertaining and fast read of yet another "game" in a creepy house with strangers brought together under suspicious circumstances.

The difference with this one is that it's Christian fiction, which gives it a bit of a different flavor and none of the gore, sex, or language that you'd find in a Clive Barker, Joe Hill, or Stephen King book.

With an interesting twist that the horrors in the house are of the guests' own making, with sin directly from their own souls, this delivers frights of the supernatural kind. Angels? Check. Demons? Check. Good vs Evil? Check.

However, it wouldn't be Christian fiction without a salvation message. Of course, in the course of the game, two players see their need for Jesus and it ends well for them. The others? Not so much. What happens to the house? Well, I guess you'll have to read it to find out.

It's a very quick and easy read. It probably won't change your life, but it's a recommended read for Halloween month.

Oh! And there is also a movie! Released in 2008, you can watch the trailer here.

Now active on TWO book sites

I have long fought duplicating my reading/reviewing efforts on more than one book site, but, ALAS, I now find it necessary to do just that.

Shelfari is my site of choice. I have spent more time there, and find it much less cluttered than goodreads . Unfortunately for me, goodreads seems to have more author activity and traffic. I have also noticed that book bloggers and reviewers seem to prefer goodreads .

With that in mind, I am in NO WAY abandoning my Shelfari. I am sure I will always prefer it because it was my "first love", but I will now post book reviews and ratings in both places.

My Shelfari Profile

My goodreads Profile

I have spend a few days copying reviews from Shelfari to goodreads, and have done all of my titles A-L. I will work to get the rest on there, and then will continue to maintain both sites.

Time and Again by Jack Finney

Summary:

"Sleep. And when you awake everything you know of the twentieth century will be gone from your mind. Tonight is January 21, 1882. There are no such things as automobiles, no planes, computers, television. 'Nuclear' appears in no dictionary. You have never heard the name Richard Nixon." Did illustrator Si Morley really step out of his twentieth-century apartment one night -- right into the winter of 1882? The U.S. Government believed it, especially when Si returned with a portfolio of brand-new sketches and tintype photos of a world that no longer existed -- or did it?

My take: 2 looks

My goodness. I'm glad that's over. Not that this is a bad book ... or badly written. It is neither. Maybe it just wasn't my cup of tea. First of all, I am a very literal thinker, and to suspend belief that self-hypnosis will actually and literally place you in the past was something I could never quite attain. If I am reading about vampires, I know that they don't exist, so there is really no suspension of belief needed. There was never any belief to begin with. With this one, though ...

Si is a likable character, as is Julia. Rube and Dr. Danziger are likable enough on the periphery. Kate played a big role in the beginning and then just disappeared. I never felt any compassion or affinity for any of the characters. I was never invested in whether or not the project continued, whether or not Julia married Jake, or whether or not Si ever accomplished his goals. The twist at the end left me neither hot nor cold.

I can't say that I don't recommend the book, but there are so many other books out there with time travel which I found to be more engaging. I would recommend those, instead. I will not be reading any further in this series.

The Passenger by Lisa Lutz

Summary:
Forty-eight hours after leaving her husband’s body at the base of the stairs, Tanya Dubois cashes in her credit cards, dyes her hair brown, demands a new name from a shadowy voice over the phone, and flees town. It’s not the first time. She meets Blue, a female bartender who recognizes the hunted look in a fugitive’s eyes and offers her a place to stay. With dwindling choices, Tanya-now-Amelia accepts. An uneasy―and dangerous―alliance is born. It’s almost impossible to live off the grid today, but Amelia-now-Debra and Blue have the courage, the ingenuity, and the desperation, to try. Hopscotching from city to city, Debra especially is chased by a very dark secret…can she outrun her past?

My take: 5 looks

One of my favorite authors, Lisa Lutz has ventured out of the realm of the Spellman family and tried her hand at an honest-to-goodness thriller/mystery. And she succeeds.

At first, the reader has no idea who this woman is, what her role will be in the book, and whether she truly is innocent of anything. One thing is for sure, Tanya Dubois seems to know how to run, how to change her looks, and how to use her wits to survive. Enter Ryan, who seems to be a love interest from the past. Enter Blue, who seems to be much more than a barkeep. Enter Oliver, who seems to be a very bad guy somehow connected to Tanya's mother.

The story is propelled forward by Tanya's running from relentless pursuers. She manages to stay one step ahead of them by using her skills at identity theft and knowing just how long she can impersonate someone. Blue turns out to be more than a secondary character, and I fluctuated almost the entire book on whether or not to trust her. Turns out, I still don't know.

What we have here is very good, very tight writing. The story was wound up nicely, but with long threads left loose, perhaps for a sequel. I can only hope.

Highly recommended when published March, 2016.

Many thanks to NetGalley for this Advance Reader Copy in exchange for my honest review.

Out on the Wire by Jessica Abel

Summary:

Go behind the scenes of seven of today’s most popular narrative radio shows and podcasts, including This American Life and RadioLab, in graphic narrative. Every week, millions of devoted fans tune in to or download This American Life, The Moth, Radiolab, Planet Money, Snap Judgment, Serial, Invisibilia and other narrative radio shows. Using personal stories to breathe life into complex ideas and issues, these beloved programs help us to understand ourselves and our world a little bit better. Each has a distinct style, but every one delivers stories that are brilliantly told and produced.

 Out on the Wire offers an unexpected window into this new kind of storytelling—one that literally illustrates the making of a purely auditory medium. With the help of This American Life 's Ira Glass, Jessica Abel, a cartoonist and devotee of narrative radio, uncovers just how radio producers construct narrative, spilling some juicy insider details.

My take: 3 looks

Podcasts and narrative radio are genres that are changing the way listeners get information. A wide variety of topics, appealing to a vast audience doesn't just happen, but is born of much work and preparation.

Jessica Abel's graphic book is a great format for a book on how visual radio is, and how much work goes into a story. Wow! I had no idea that there were so many components to work out before going on the air, from the story pitch to the timing of the pieces, to the music used to support the tone. The nuances like segues from story to story are something that I have forever taken for granted. Now I know how many people it takes to make these shows work.

But that is not all. Abel uses a wonderfully visual format to get all of the information to the reader. Laid out like how I imagine storyboards are prepared, I almost felt like a voyeur in a graphic world. A topic introduced in one chapter shows up again in another chapter, as that story goes through the entire process of conception to presentation. The personal reflections of those intimately involved in this genre add to the down-home feel of the book.

The only drawback I had in reading this is that I felt that it was a little long. In the effort to bring it from informational only to something understandable to the lay-reader, I got a little bogged down more than once. I don't fault Abel with this, however. She has taken a very intricate subject, laden with components and options that would otherwise make my head spin, and placed it within my grasp.

If you love listening to these shows and podcasts, this is a book that you must add to you shelf.

Many thanks to BloggingForBooks.com for this copy in exchange for my honest review.

Bookish Amusement Parks

From sea to shining sea, there have been (at one time for another) a number of book-themed parks. Interestingly enough, most were called a variation of "Storybook Land". Here are a few.

This handsome fella is in the Land of Oz, located in Storybook Land, Aberdeen, SD. This park is over 200 acres and is open during the warmer months. Dorothy and her friends greet you at the entrance to the Land of Oz, where you follow a yellow brick road to the rest of the park. You can live through a simulated tornado experience, See where Dorothy was raised, and take a ride on a Wizard balloon. Elsewhere in the park, Captain Hook's boat, Old McDonald, and Goldilocks await you.

Back in the day near Mt. Vernon, VA, Story Book Land was a nice day trip for kids to see Mother Goose brought to life. There was a crooked man who lived in a crooked house, Little Red Riding Hood at her grandmother's house, Little Bo Peep walking her sheep, and Humpty Dumpty before his tragic fall. However, this park has fallen into disrepair since closing in the early 1980s.

Storybook Land in Egg Harbor Township, NJ, however, is alive and well! Greeted at the entrance by Mother Goose, with directions to other classic stories, this park has been in service since 1955. Catering to young children and families, there are holiday-themed events, lots of rides for the kids, and a pretty conservative list of policies to ensure a good, clean time for all.

Right down the road in Hope township, NJ, is the Land of Make Believe, which caters to children ages 8 and under. There is a pirate ship, a civil war train, a pint-sized roller coaster, and a petting zoo.

Oakland, CA boasts Children's Fairyland, with close to 60 storybook sets on 10 acres. There is a puppet theater with daily shows, a Jack and Jill hill for sliding, and a huge gaping mouth of Willy the Whale.

Of course, a special shout-out to all things Harry Potter at Universal Orlando. At a cost of over $200M, this is a crazy-over-the-top book experience

Wednesday Word: Enmity

Enmity
noun en·mi·ty \ˈen-mə-tē\

1 : positive, active, and typically mutual hatred or ill will

Origin of ENMITY

Middle English enmite, from Anglo-French enemité, enemisté, from enemi enemy

First Known Use: 13th century

This word is used in the Bible, and I came across it in my studies the other day. To be at enmity with someone is to be at odds with them. The use of the word "hatred" in the Merriam-Webster definition above would seem to be a bit harsher than I would normally attribute to this word.

Another definition would be: the state or feeling of being actively opposed or hostile to someone or something.

That is more in line with what I intend when I use this word.

The Good Girl by Mary Kubica

Summary:

"I've been following her for the past few days.  I know where she buys her groceries, where she  works. I don't know the color of her eyes or  what they look like when she's scared. But I will." 

One night, Mia Dennett enters a bar to meet her on-again, off-again boyfriend. But when he doesn't show, she unwisely leaves with an enigmatic stranger. At first Colin Thatcher seems like a safe one-night stand. But following Colin home will turn out to be the worst mistake of Mia's life. 

When Colin decides to hide Mia in a secluded cabin in rural Minnesota instead of delivering her to his employers, Mia's mother, Eve, and detective Gabe Hoffman will stop at nothing to find them. But no one could have predicted the emotional entanglements that eventually cause this family's world to shatter.  

My take: 4 looks

The story is all about Mia and Eve, Colin and Gabe. Mia is on the verge of her 25th birthday and, unlike her sister Grace, has eschewed the powers and comforts that come with being in the family of a powerful and influential judge. Eve is a British expat who has left behind her culture, her family, and her backbone in order to become the perfect wife to a judge.

On the other hand, Colin is a likable criminal, doing what he feels he needs to do to survive, including kidnapping Mia to hand over to a very bad guy. Gabe is the detective making it his life's mission to find Colin and put him behind bars, returning Mia to what seems to be an idyllic life.

Written in first-person narrative, both before and after the "event", the reader is privy to the internal thoughts, struggles, and backgrounds of each of these characters, culminating in a climax, which is then surpassed by a twist guaranteed to set your mind spinning.

Highly recommended.

18 Horror Novels Every True Fan Should Read Before Watching The Movie Version

Thanks to BuzzFeed Books for this incredible list!

1. Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris (1988)

Because fans of Hannibal Lecter will enjoy how the story dives deeper into his character.

 

2. The Shining by Stephen King (1977)

It offers more backstory than the movie, and it’s guaranteed to leave you tense with suspenseful anxiety.

 

3. Rosemary’s Baby by Ira Levin (1967)

Because the story offers details the movie left behind all while building creepy, intense anticipation.

 

4. The Amityville Horror by Jay Anson (1977)

Because the descriptive imagery of this story will give you even *more* chills than the movie.

 

5. Psycho by Robert Bloch (1959)

The details within the pages provide insight that will make the movie a more chilling experience.

 

6. The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty (1971)

The story offers a deeper sense of the characters and successfully capitalizes on these terrifying events.

 

7. It by Stephen King (1986)

Aside from King being a profound storyteller, you’ll quickly become invested in the haunting, unputdownable plotline of this novel.

 

8. Dracula by Bram Stoker (1879)

Because it’s a classic, but also because you experience this well-known story through intriguing letters and journal entries.

 

9. (The) Ring by Koji Suzuki (1991)

The story is even more unsettling than the movie. Plus it’s also a trilogy… so the horror doesn’t have to end with the first book.

 

10. The Girl Next Door by Jack Ketchum (1989)

As a fictional story based on true events, it provides an even more disturbing look into the minds of twisted sociopaths.

 

11. House by Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker (2006)

You quickly become invested in the characters, and the unexpected twists will have you tearing through the pages.

 

12. The Woman in Black by Susan Hill (1983)

Because the writing is gorgeous, atmospheric, and the intensity of the plot will keep your heart racing.

 

13. Ghost Story by Peter Straub (1979)

You’re able to learn more about these characters and experience classic, bone-chilling horror writing at its finest.

 

14. Carrie by Stephen King (1974)

Because you’re able to gain a deeper understanding of these well-known characters while immersing yourself in brilliantly creepy writing.

 

15. Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice (1976)

Because Rice’s writing is rich and intriguing, and you’re able to indulge more fully into this world.

 

16. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (1818)

Because the story takes a better look at creation and humanization, and it’s easy to become invested in Shelley’s characters.

 

17. 30 Days of Night by Steve Niles (2001)

This graphic novel is visually gorgeous with a tense, suspenseful storyline

 

18. American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis (1991)

Because you get a closer, even more disturbing look inside the mind of America’s most famous psychopath.