Hello, my friends. I declared review amnesty in 2019 and subsequently had to do the same in 2020. My doctor diagnosed me with anxiety in February, a mere month before my state issued its stay-at-home order, and I’ve been teaching my college classes remotely since March. I have done a LOT of reading, but have had precious little energy to put words together beyond emails to students. Here’s hoping 2021 is better. On a cheerier note, I love the CBR Book Exchange and had to […]
A labyrinth of isolation and connection
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
Piranesi live in the House. The House is expansive and full of many mysteries. Piranesi lives, for all intents and purposes, alone though the House is occupied by one other person, The Other. What mysteries does the House hold? What lessons is the House ready to teach? And that’s all I’ll say about the plot because the less you know going in, the better. When we are all isolating and distancing from others as much as we can (at least, I hope we all are), […]
Bag of Bones
Bag of Bones by Stephen King
Typical Stephen King – slow burner, horror doesn’t really hit until middle to end of book and opens with a tragedy. Mike Noonan is a famous novelist who’s wife dies secondary to a brain aneurysm while leaving the pharmacy with a pregnancy test – yes, she was pregnant. Mike eventually decides to travel to him and his late wife’s summer home – a placed called Sara Laughs. Almost immediately, Mike is having some pretty odd dreams. There’s also some paranormal stuff going on inside his […]
Dark Halls
Dark Halls by Jeff Menapace
Looking for a quick, freaky and fun read? Check out “Dark Halls” by Jeff Menapace. I finished this book in about 4 days – both because I couldn’t put it down and because it was a quick read. Ryan Herb is a teacher still living with his mother. He accepts a job at Pinewood Elementary despite a very odd interview in which he is told about a horrid and sadistic history about the school he is soon to be employed at (previously known as Highland […]
Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance
Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance by Ruth Emmie Lang
If you in the mood for a light-hearted (mostly) and whimsical fantasy novel, “Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance” is worth checking out. It’s got a slightly slow pace to it, growing and expanding with each chapter. It’s got a wonderful love story in it as well. Weylen and Mary meet under no special circumstances. Weylen is maybe not human or maybe he is a man with extraordinary gifts. He can control the weather to some degree. He communes with wolves – in fact, he saves Mary […]