Let me start out by saying, the synopsis doesn’t really tell convey what the story is about, yet it serves a purpose Holy Metafiction Batman!
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Let me start out by saying, the synopsis doesn’t really tell convey what the story is about, yet it serves a purpose for a different reason. I enjoy Catriona Ward’s writing style, but sometimes it can be a little bleak. Despite that, I ended up really enjoying the story even if it got confusing at times.
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Looking Glass Sound is heavy on the twists with reveal after reveal. The story kept me guessing at every turn. Because of the nature of the story, I can’t really give a synopsis without spoiling certain aspects of the book. I can tell you though that characters and the supporting cast are explored well where it was hard to dislike most of the characters since they were complex and fleshed out (except for Mr. Cufflinks whose demise was on my wish list).
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The book is split into four different parts where each could be its own novella. Thankfully, the story did not keep jumping between timelines which is always an added bonus for me unless it is done superbly well. Around the half way mark is when the story started to get convoluted and pulled me out of the story because it got too bleak. This was done for a reason though, and the fourth part was great because of the build up from the third part of the book.
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I want to put so much more in the review, but even a basic summary would approach spoiler territory so easily. The story gets quite confusing, but if you stick with the story until the end, it should clear itself up and make a great read. I find myself looking forward to each new release by Catriona Ward because even if the story isn’t pulling me in(which they have so far), I know that the twists will.
This book was great. I love Lisa Gray’s writing style and always enjoy her books. I am giving this book 4 stars.
I will start out with why the 1 star This book was great. I love Lisa Gray’s writing style and always enjoy her books. I am giving this book 4 stars.
I will start out with why the 1 star was deducted. This book is from SIX points of views told in before and after chapters. This is a lot of POVs to keep track of.
Five realtors working for the same company are in stiff competition to sell a $50 million dollar beach front property in Malibu. With the selling agent getting a hefty $1 million dollar payout. What could be the problem there? With dollar signs in each of their eyes, the competition is fierce, and all five realtors will do just about anything to make the sale.
The mystery begins when a dead body is found in the pool at an invite only Broker’s Open House. The book kept me guessing who the victim was as well as who did the murder until the end with several ideas running through my head throughout.
I would definitely recommend this book and when you finish to go read her Jessica Shaw series!
A collection of scary stories in a graphic novel format. Students in Ms. Nomed’s class are asked to present a scary story. Each child shares a short cA collection of scary stories in a graphic novel format. Students in Ms. Nomed’s class are asked to present a scary story. Each child shares a short chiller for the class. In all, five students share their scariest story that they can think of, and each one has a fantastic horror twist at the end.
What I like about this story is that it’s illustrated to capture the horror of the tales. One example is in the first story, The Village That Vanished, an isolated man lives in the only house in the former village of Wattersburg. His ankle is shackled just outside of the house, tethering him to the one location; however, he dismisses it as a precaution to being blown away by the winds. But, what is he really hiding?
This is a must read just in time for Spooky Season. Adults and children will enjoy the stories. This would also be a good read-aloud for bedtime, or stormy weather, since there are many elements within the illustrations and text that could be discussed further. ...more
A plethora of books lie across the top of a shelf just waiting to be read. What do I do? I go and put another hold or two on more books to join my to-A plethora of books lie across the top of a shelf just waiting to be read. What do I do? I go and put another hold or two on more books to join my to-read shelf. I’m not going to lie; the cover and the premise enticed me too much for me to just ignore. I ended up enjoying Ascension even if it was a little different from what I thought it would be.
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I feel like I should also add that the book is constantly shelved as mystery at bookstores, but it really shouldn’t be. This book read like a horror/sci-fi novel with all the tropes it uses.
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Ascension felt like a cross between The Anomaly by Michael Rutger and the movie Prometheus. (view spoiler)[ I would even say it is similar to a certain Indiana Jones film that is least liked by viewers. (hide spoiler)] I am a sucker for these types of books with an interesting sci-fi and horror premise while sporting actual applications of various scientific fields.
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The book was a fun ride where I didn’t take it too seriously (like watching a cheesy horror film). The overarching mystery kept drawing me in, and watching our main character face long buried feelings and trauma was an added bonus.
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Major twists are guessable with hints laid out through the book. (view spoiler)[ The only thing I was really surprised by was the final action a certain mountain climber took. (hide spoiler)] I enjoyed how the theoretical physics, biology and other fields covered was dumbed down enough for the average reader to understand. I also like the implications of the mountain in a historical and mythological context.
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I would have liked for more information on the (view spoiler)[ Leviathans (hide spoiler)] ... native life. The downside of the page count being lower is that certain things aren’t explored as in depth as they could be including character development. On the other side, the lower page count made it a fun and brief read where pages could have made it cluttered instead of insightful.
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Ascension is a book that I would recommend to horror, sci fi fans, or fans who like weird speculative fiction. Find this book and other titles within our catalog....more
Imagine it’s the mid-1800s and you live somewhere in the Caribbean. The temperature has never been lower than about 50F. Then some guys on a boat pullImagine it’s the mid-1800s and you live somewhere in the Caribbean. The temperature has never been lower than about 50F. Then some guys on a boat pull up to the harbor in your town and bring out a solid block of something cold and damp that they call “ice.” It’s frozen water, but you don’t even know what “frozen” is. In your community, it’s a bit of a novelty at first, but what you’ve just been introduced to is about to change the world.
That’s how Amy Brady’s book on the history of ice begins.
For anyone fascinated by the ubiquitous and mundane, this book is right in your lane.
It really is hard to imagine that not too long ago, there were no refrigerators, you couldn’t get a drink on the rocks, and don’t even think about indoor hockey.
The author takes us down the slippery slope that shows how society lived for millennia without harnessing refrigeration to being so dependent on it we’d have a hard time readapting.
And it’s not just keeping our drinks cold. We rely on ice to keep our food from spoiling, and many medicines, like insulin, require refrigeration.
The book is a pretty easy read, but it could have been a bit shorter. There’s a lot of detail about the guy who first tried to ship ice from Boston and sell it to islanders in the Caribbean, and the multiple chapters on winter sports would have worked better as a single chapter.
Regardless, the author takes us on interesting side trips, like how the proliferation of ice being sold at gas stations and convenience stores went hand and mitten with the growth of automobile travel. Not to mention medical benefits of cryogenics or the necessity of keeping dead bodies “fresh.” Fun fact: Early cryogenics research raised the question of why there are so few cancers found below the elbows or knees. Turns out human extremities are exposed to more lower temperatures, and cancers apparently don’t like that.
This book won’t change your life, but it’s worth a look if you just want to chill out and appreciate your A/C and refrigerator.
What if the city manager of your town decided to give himself a huge raise? And the city council wanted in on that, too? And what the heck, the policeWhat if the city manager of your town decided to give himself a huge raise? And the city council wanted in on that, too? And what the heck, the police chief and all the officers want more pay too. And they all looked ahead and decided to jack up the contributions to their pensions and retirement accounts. And to pay for it all, they raised your property taxes to be the highest in the state.
Eventually all those involved were caught and held accountable, but not until a team of investigative journalists starting reporting on it.
But it shouldn’t have gotten that far. This case is often cited as one of the consequences of the gutting of the local newspaper industry over the past 15 years. In this case the local paper had all but shut down, so no one was covering the local government, and with no one watching, greed prevailed. It wasn’t until the nearby Los Angeles Times picked up the story that the graft was revealed.
This book picks up on the aftermath of that eye-opening scandal. The author, long-time Chicago columnist Dave Hoekstra, does what he and other local journalists have been doing forever, telling peoples’ stories.
For this book, he went across the country and talked with some of the people keeping their community papers alive. The pulse continues to be faint, but no one knows better than these folks what happens when no one is watching.
For most of the people Hoekstra talked to, the local paper is in their blood, in a very real sense. Many community papers have been family owned for generations. In one small town in Illinois, Hoekstra talked with the family that owns the local paper. The managing editor married into the family, and Hoekstra starts their story with the line, “Imagine having daily family meetings with your in-laws.”
Throughout the book, you’re reminded how a good storyteller plies his trade, both in the author’s writing and in the work of his subjects.
The author’s journey to tell the stories of the storytellers coincided with the aftermath of the Covid pandemic, which was particularly brutal to the already struggling industry. The staff at the papers are undaunted, but they’re not naïve. They are aware of the technology changes affecting their work, but the economics of sustainable revenue remain elusive.
Through it all, these hearty journalists continue to report on the births, deaths, fires and crimes. They also show up to every boring school board and city council meeting because they know what could happen if they stopped. Their stories are sometimes glum but always hopeful.
It’s easy, and often lazy, to blame “the media” or cry “fake news” about things we don’t like to hear, but all of these local citizens remain on the job to remind us that a free press is guaranteed as a right in the First Amendment of our Constitution.
This book doesn’t dwell on the way things used to be or try to bathe in nostalgia. Nor does it seek answers. What it does is document a truth in readable and relatable way, like good journalism is supposed to.
We all have our own stories. Sometimes we can learn from the stories of others.
Tom Brokaw wrote Never Give Up A Prairie Family’s Story. It’s the storWe all have our own stories. Sometimes we can learn from the stories of others.
Tom Brokaw wrote Never Give Up A Prairie Family’s Story. It’s the story of the Brokaw family and begins with R.P. Brokaw, the great-grandfather of Tom. After the Civil War, land in the great plains of America was either dirt cheap or free, and there was lots of it. R.P. left his home, headed west and opened the family hotel: The Brokaw House in Bristol, South Dakota in 1883.
I was particularly inspired by Antony Orville “Red” Brokaw. Red was the grandson of R.P. the tenth child of William, and the father of Tom. Red had a learning disability and he was born with hearing deficiencies, which also affected his learning skills. He dropped out of school in the second grade. In spite of these obstacles, Red was a man who epitomized hard work and resilience and was just one part of a persevering American family.
Tom weaves America’s history and his family’s history seamlessly together. The book is a fascinating tale of one family’s extraordinary work ethic and what people can achieve if they never give up.
I’m rating this a 4/5. Maybe even a 5, but perfection is pretty hard to come by. I sincerely appreciated this book and here’s why. It got me reading aI’m rating this a 4/5. Maybe even a 5, but perfection is pretty hard to come by. I sincerely appreciated this book and here’s why. It got me reading again! I even stayed up late and woke up early to finish it. I caught myself thinking about what was going to happen next. It’s been a while since I’ve had a book do that.
I’ll admit you might need an affinity for fantasy to enjoy it. This book focuses on faeries. As the reader, you are presented with a tentative exploration of the dark version of faeries and their lore. Absent was over the top world building which requires the reader to study the text. So, I found this novel an ‘easy to fall into’ read.
The plot was twisty and kept me wondering what was next. Fawcett’s roots are in the realm of young adult fiction. You can tell that from this book, but that didn’t detract from it. It’s a worthy read for adults looking for a quick fantasy.
The premise of this novel is an exploration of faeries through the journal of a lone scholar. It was an interesting way to carry the story. The style managed to keep the flow continuous without the stilted “telling” commentary that often accompanies journal entry-type books. I found the prose and vernacular to be amusing and appropriate for the world Fawcett built.
The protagonist, Emily, is an intelligent and devoted academic, who has arrived in a northern land to find the elusive “Hidden Ones.” This is an attempt to further advance her career. Emily finds navigating human interactions more of a distraction than a necessity. But when her usual distanced approach to the community backfires and her research is jeopardized, she finds a friend in someone she didn’t expect. With Wendall's, often unsolicited, help Emily uncovers more than she hoped to about the Fae.
Fawcett’s ability to keep my attention was based partly on references to familiar fairy tales/lore such as the shoemaker elves. It helped me understand the characters and their choices.
One of my favorite memories is from a field trip I took with a college Astronomy class to a mountain-top observatory. Somehow or other the professor hOne of my favorite memories is from a field trip I took with a college Astronomy class to a mountain-top observatory. Somehow or other the professor had been able to arrange for us to get time using one of the older, smaller telescopes, and a group of us stayed awake all night to take advantage of the opportunity. Simultaneously exhausted and exhilarated from the experience, we emerged in the early morning to find the sun rising over a ‘sea’ of white – a layer of clouds briefly transforming the mountain peak into an island. That image, in combination with the metallic domes of the observatory, so unlike typical architecture of everyday life, forever impressed itself in my mind along with the thought, ‘this is probably the closest I will ever come to the experience of standing on another planet.’
Under Alien Skies utilizes an unusual combination of storytelling and nonfiction to create similar moments in the minds of its readers. Beginning on the Moon and progressing further and further through our Solar System and beyond, Dr. Plait leverages current scientific knowledge to draw scenes of what we might experience in visiting each site. As he himself notes at one point, though it applies to the book more generally, “Consider this all an educated guess with a dash of fun thrown in.” He later elaborates, “We may not know precisely what it’s like to fall into a black hole or visit a star as it’s forming, but our understanding of astronomy, physics, mathematics, and more can feed our minds, allowing us to imagine with great accuracy and remarkable detail what it would be like if we were there.”
Dr. Plait is a fantastic science writer (this is his third book after Bad Astronomy: Misconceptions and Misuses Revealed, from Astrology to the Moon Landing "Hoax" and Death from the Skies!: These Are the Ways the World Will End . . .), and in clear language explains not only what things would look like, but why they are the way they are. However, the bits and pieces of 2nd person fiction inserted throughout (e.g. “You’re not exactly comfortable, but it’s not too bad. The guides adjusted everyone’s seats beforehand…”) do not display nearly the same level of polish. That said, it’s not enough to detract from enjoyment of the book, and it is easy to see why these bits are there, so fair enough. I wholeheartedly recommend for anyone who has ever dreamed of standing somewhere – anywhere – that is not on Earth.
Kate Moore tells the story of The Radium Girls in a very personal and heartfelt way. Moore makes you care about these women, feel sympathetic of theirKate Moore tells the story of The Radium Girls in a very personal and heartfelt way. Moore makes you care about these women, feel sympathetic of their plight, and angry at those who caused their suffering. Overall, the young readers edition is appropriately written for a younger audience. The reader isn’t overloaded with scientific information on radium, the medical conditions of the women, or legalese during court proceedings. Moore does a good job discerning various key players throughout the book, as there was a wide list of ‘characters.’
What I enjoyed about The Radium Girls the most was Moore’s discussion on the importance of this story and how these women didn’t suffer in vain. Because of the Radium Girls, we now understand the dangers of radium and other radioactive substances and the long-term health effects being exposed to it causes. Subsequently, the government knew how to take appropriate measures to protect the workers of the Manhattan Project as well as every day citizens as the Cold War arms race began, and nuclear energy became king.
I enjoyed yet another Riley Sager book. The Only One Left definitely had its share of twists and turns to keep me guessing until the final pages. AfteI enjoyed yet another Riley Sager book. The Only One Left definitely had its share of twists and turns to keep me guessing until the final pages. After reading the preface, I will admit that I wanted to continue to assess the characters that were presented.
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One of the main characters, Kit, became one of my favorites in her quest for the truth and her compassion for her client. She becomes a caregiver for a restricted woman that had been speculated to be a murderess of her parents many years prior.
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After the initial draw to read, I was drifting a bit through the first half of the book. I urge you to continue reading until the end as situations become more apparent and jaw-dropping! Once again, Riley did not disappoint a skeptical reader like me....
As a fan of horror books, I always get recommended Grady Hendrix. My first foray into his catalog was The Final Girl Support Group. To be honest, I diAs a fan of horror books, I always get recommended Grady Hendrix. My first foray into his catalog was The Final Girl Support Group. To be honest, I didn’t enjoy that book that much which ended up being my fault for the most part. I was a bit wary to start this book, but I am glad I did. How To Sell a Haunted House had all the things I like in a haunted house story, and I could not put it down.
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The prose appealed to me, and I enjoyed how the title of each part of the book signaled a different stage of grief. The book had broad reveals and an engaging plot. There were a couple of red herrings mixed in too. There were times when it felt like the story was about to resolve itself until I realized I had a lot more pages left to go.
I usually write a synopsis in my reviews, though with this book, I feel like it would give quite a lot of the fun away. It’s essentially a grieving family having to deal with each other and the fallout when the Will is revealed in a house full of dolls and puppets which may or may not be haunted (they are). Since I won’t reveal too much, the only thing I have to say is Kakawewe!
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One of the biggest things I enjoyed about this book is the family dynamic. I loved the characters and their interactions because it felt real. The supporting cast was also great. I loved how it kept slowly unraveling the relationships between all of the characters, and how it was revealed that Louise wasn’t really a reliable narrator.
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How To Sell a Haunted House has all of the horror elements that make a good horror story with a realistic family dynamic. Admittedly, the family tree is a bit off, but that is what makes it so interesting. There really were no downsides to this book for me. I feel that anyone who is a fan of the horror genre would enjoy this book unless you don’t like stories about creepy dolls.
Jeannette Walls lives in rural Virginia and writes of the same in 1920’s Prohibition. The reader visits small, poor Claiborne County, Virginia and is Jeannette Walls lives in rural Virginia and writes of the same in 1920’s Prohibition. The reader visits small, poor Claiborne County, Virginia and is told quite a story from the perspective of Sallie Kincaid, daughter of “The Duke”, a man who orchestrates, maneuvers and positions associations throughout the county.
Sallie is sent away as a young child and returns in her late teens, all for reasons The Duke deems necessary. As she dives into her new life and situation, we are taken on a journey with this young woman. Characters abound and relations and revelations show up at every turn. The protagonist concludes something about family, buttons, and a shirt.
Take a ride with this quick read to find out what she means. 5 stars for me.
The Nightmare Man is not a book for the faint of heart. It is a fast-paced horror mystery novel with a pace that had me gripping the edge of my seat wThe Nightmare Man is not a book for the faint of heart. It is a fast-paced horror mystery novel with a pace that had me gripping the edge of my seat with everything coming at me at once. What really stressed me out though was the character of Mills. The poor man had so many conflicting conditions in his old age that revolved around sleep. He had insomnia, narcolepsy, and sleep paralysis which honestly is the real horror of the book.
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I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. The story would go in different directions that kept changing up the book where there was never a dull moment. The Nightmare Man had twists and turns that were surprisingly unsurprising at times.
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The characters were interesting, and I enjoyed the relationships between all of the characters too. I don’t like it when characters hold secrets from each other and the reader throughout a novel. This story had our characters leave certain things vague on purpose. Some of that was because the chapter would end on a cliffhanger. That of course, sucked me into reading the next chapter. The biggest surprise for me was how quickly some characters would get around to believing farfetched things that other characters experienced.
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I would normally try to give a summary of the story, but I feel like it would give too much away. My bare bones summary is that an author’s books come to life in a small town. Except it’s not just the graphic killings in his book, but other weird mysteries and crimes that have haunted a town for years. Strap in because the ending comes at you in a rush while leaving room to write a sequel. The book played out like a horror movie with its pacing, and I actually think this book would work almost better as a movie.
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Overall, I enjoyed the book and the mysteries it threw at me. The fast pace was nice, but it can be a bit much as well. I would recommend this book for horror fans rather than mystery fans unless you like dark mystery tinged with the supernatural as well. I am definitely looking forward to other books coming under this pseudonym by the author.
I’ve always enjoyed reading books with a bit of humor and wit. This book does not disappoint. Bill Bryson, author of such bestsellers as “The Mother TI’ve always enjoyed reading books with a bit of humor and wit. This book does not disappoint. Bill Bryson, author of such bestsellers as “The Mother Tongue”, “Made in America”, and “A Walk in the Woods”, has given us a wonderful account of Britain with all its quirks and majesty.
After nearly 20 years of living in Britain with his family, Bill feels that it is time to move back to the US, his homeland, being a citizen of the great city of Des Moines, Iowa. Bill wants his family to experience life in his homeland, and there’s a bit of yearning to be back home after being away for so long. Before he leaves, Bill decides to take one last trip around Britain, analyzing what he loved so much about the country, which has so much pageantry and history, coupled with charm and curiosities.
Throughout the pages of this book, Bill embarks on his journey to places both small and large, each with their own idiosyncrasies, and describes them with his characteristic wit and irreverence. In the book he explores the streets of London, marveling on the endless streets with rows of small gray houses and wonders how anyone knows which house is theirs since they all look the same.
He wanders into a restaurant and immediately sees that everyone seems to eat with the fork in their left hand (as he is delighted to learn since Bill is a left-handed). Bill observes that unlike the US, when you order food in a British restaurant, you must go get the food when it’s ready and carry it back to your table. After 20 minutes of waiting for someone to bring it to him, he found that out the hard way. It’s completely the opposite if you go to a tearoom. There, Bill thought he should stand at the counter until the tea was given to him, but in England, you go sit down and they will bring you your drinks.
Throughout this book, you will feel as if you are right there in the middle of merry old England, as Bill explores small towns, great castles, and everything in between. I would highly recommend this book for a light read, fun summer read, or just to get a feel for the people and customs of Britain.
Feeling a little over-critical of this book! I really wanted to love it with the intriguing title and somewhat unsettling cover! But the old adage is Feeling a little over-critical of this book! I really wanted to love it with the intriguing title and somewhat unsettling cover! But the old adage is usually accurate that you can’t judge a book by its cover!
The idea of loving a true-crime podcast so much that you’d drop your life to look for the host when she seemingly disappears at first seems to set the stage for a great reading adventure! But honestly, who in their right mind is that obsessed with someone they’ve never met that they would abandon everything! That seemed like it would have made the better story so it does give the reader the idea that maybe the true mystery will be uncovering the past of Sera who is telling the story.
I had a hard time getting through it and picked it up and set it down dozens of times. I know there is too much reading in the world to feel like you must finish every book you pick up, but there was something about this one that made me want to get to the end to figure out what was the deal with Rachel’s disappearance and Sera’s real story. I definitely give the author credit for that.
I was disappointed that along the way the story offered the opportunity for a number of additional mysteries, but everything came to culmination in just a few last pages and was not the resolution I had hoped for as a reader. In fact, I had to reread a few pages to make sure I didn’t miss something.
The 2021 cover notes indicate this is being developed for television and maybe it will translate well to the small screen. I could definitely see episodes expanding more on the back stories that were teased throughout the story to get all the details I felt were missing. The start of each chapter referred to a podcast that Sera had listened to. That alone would make some good TV.
I definitely wouldn’t discourage this read but go in knowing there is much more to the stories that you won’t garner from this volume. Maybe this was intentional with plans for a prequel!
A House With Good Bones by T. Kingfisher was a good book that I thoroughly enjoyed. She is an author that consistency puts out horror books that I canA House With Good Bones by T. Kingfisher was a good book that I thoroughly enjoyed. She is an author that consistency puts out horror books that I can devour and enjoy. This was a fun shorter novel that really didn’t have a downside for me. I enjoyed all the characters and the mother of our protagonist was a saint.
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Kingfisher is great at bringing out the creepy imagery and atmosphere. She does so here as well. The setting though was more simple and easier to picture compared to her other novels (at least for me). Our main character, Sam, stays at her mother’s home after complications with a dig were uncovered. She discovers her mother acting weirdly just as her brother warned her about. To get to the bottom of this mystery, Sam will be forced to interact with a colorful group of neighbors in a rural suburban community.
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I felt like the characters were fleshed out well and experienced more development compared to characters in her other novels. The story was easy to follow, and I kept wanting to read the next page without stopping. The pacing was nice with a supporting cast of characters that enhanced the story. I also got to learn a plethora of insect and vulture facts.
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Overall, I enjoyed this the book way more than I expected to. Nothing really surprised me, but I didn’t care at all because I had an enjoyable time reading it. I would recommend this story to horror fans regardless of whether you are a hardcore fan of the genre or you have a mild interest in in it.
I have enjoyed reading Nordic authors for many years but this is the first I have read by Yrsa Sirgurdardottir. I know that I will read more.
The storI have enjoyed reading Nordic authors for many years but this is the first I have read by Yrsa Sirgurdardottir. I know that I will read more.
The story takes place in the 1970’s and several decades later. You will learn the connection late in the story and the ending is surprising! Aldis is a worker in a juvenile detention center in Iceland and is treated very badly by the couple who run the home. When she realizes what she needs to do to leave, she is witness to a terrible crime which she carries with her through her life.
Much later a man is researching the detention home, and you will not believe what he discovers.
I liked this book a lot and would recommend to any mystery lover.
What Moves the Dead is an exciting retelling of Edgar Allen Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher.
I must confess though that I didn’t read the originaWhat Moves the Dead is an exciting retelling of Edgar Allen Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher.
I must confess though that I didn’t read the original. I then decided to read the original right before this book since it was short. It might have ruined some key events for me, but it also created an interesting dynamic of being able to compare the two of them them.
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(No, not that Usher!)
I won’t bore you with a summary of the synopsis. Instead, I will bore you with some of the major differences between this book and the original.
For one, the narrator is not a stand in for the reader anymore. The main character has a full background and personality which was needed considering the page count increased by five times the original. Background characters received names and became fleshed out.
The story also did away with the paranormal in favor of a more biological explanation. Kingfisher built on Poe’s fascination with fungus from the original story and developed it into something of her own.
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I must confess that I was worried at first that the story would be just like the original, since the siblings had the same names as the original, but my fears were dismissed right away. The story kept the sense of gloom and doom that Poe had in the original, but it was used in a different way.
The author uses colorful and descriptive language to describe things such as the fauna that elevated the creepiness factor. I actually felt like this adaption was creepier especially with the rabbits and the hair of some characters. Kingfisher described a character’s smile that I pictured as spine-chilling due to having just watched the movie Smile.
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There wasn’t really anything surprising about the story (I mean reading the original already gave the general plot). The most surprising thing about this novel is at how in-depth the author researched fungi.
It was easy to see how the author used fungus, since Poe described them in depth in his original short story. I enjoyed this adaption and how it was developed, so I am looking forward to Mike Flanagan’s upcoming take on The Fall of the House of Usher to see if he has his own spin on the story.
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I ended up enjoying this adaption and all the changes that came with it. I like the changes to the characters, and I was glad that the almost twin, incestuous relationship was thrown out even if it lost the symbolism from the original.
This is a nice short read that I would recommend to horror enthusiasts or even people who enjoy a darker side of normal fiction. I continue to enjoy T. Kingfisher’s horror books and look forward to her ever-increasing catalog!
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Find this book and other titles within our catalog.
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Merged review:
What Moves the Dead is an exciting retelling of Edgar Allen Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher.
I must confess though that I didn’t read the original. I then decided to read the original right before this book since it was short. It might have ruined some key events for me, but it also created an interesting dynamic of being able to compare the two of them them.
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(No, not that Usher!)
I won’t bore you with a summary of the synopsis. Instead, I will bore you with some of the major differences between this book and the original.
For one, the narrator is not a stand in for the reader anymore. The main character has a full background and personality which was needed considering the page count increased by five times the original. Background characters received names and became fleshed out.
The story also did away with the paranormal in favor of a more biological explanation. Kingfisher built on Poe’s fascination with fungus from the original story and developed it into something of her own.
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I must confess that I was worried at first that the story would be just like the original, since the siblings had the same names as the original, but my fears were dismissed right away. The story kept the sense of gloom and doom that Poe had in the original, but it was used in a different way.
The author uses colorful and descriptive language to describe things such as the fauna that elevated the creepiness factor. I actually felt like this adaption was creepier especially with the rabbits and the hair of some characters. Kingfisher described a character’s smile that I pictured as spine-chilling due to having just watched the movie Smile.
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There wasn’t really anything surprising about the story (I mean reading the original already gave the general plot). The most surprising thing about this novel is at how in-depth the author researched fungi.
It was easy to see how the author used fungus, since Poe described them in depth in his original short story. I enjoyed this adaption and how it was developed, so I am looking forward to Mike Flanagan’s upcoming take on The Fall of the House of Usher to see if he has his own spin on the story.
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I ended up enjoying this adaption and all the changes that came with it. I like the changes to the characters, and I was glad that the almost twin, incestuous relationship was thrown out even if it lost the symbolism from the original.
This is a nice short read that I would recommend to horror enthusiasts or even people who enjoy a darker side of normal fiction. I continue to enjoy T. Kingfisher’s horror books and look forward to her ever-increasing catalog!
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I don’t read mysteries… but this book jumped into my bag, and I really enjoyed it! I was lured by the British baking show setting. Each character is mI don’t read mysteries… but this book jumped into my bag, and I really enjoyed it! I was lured by the British baking show setting. Each character is meticulously introduced as the contestants for the show on an eerie island with a run-down mansion. Ratings are dropping for the show’s main chef, so a young attractive male chef is added to spice things up. One by one, the contestants are eliminated, secrets revealed, and murder committed.
This book is written in the point of view of each contestant and the two chefs. I read this book more carefully than I usually do to note clues in each chapter. I even think I know “Who dun it”! But I’m not sure.
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