Mr. Gaiman is one of those adventurous creators who sees no reason why his tales shouldn’t embrace slapstick comedy, mystical musings, and the grimmest collection of serial killers this side of death row.–Clive Barker in the Introduction to The Sandman Vol.2: The Doll’s House Is there a way I can give this 6 stars? Holy guacamole this was a fun book. There was all that stuff and more in these gems. Dream discovers that there are some denizens of his realm that have gone missing […]
Hush
The hundred and ninety-nine steps in the title of this creepily delightful book by Michel Faber are the steps leading up to Whitby Abbey, the gothic ruins that inspired Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Sian, our heroine, is working as an archaeologist at the dig on the site. Previously a conservationist working with documents, she was in need of a change of pace. Ever since she lost her leg in an accident in Bosnia, she has been plagued by nightmares featuring her grisly demise. Most recently, the […]
Sometimes your world must get turned upside down for you to truly see yourself
Thanks to the fine folks at BookBub, I got the Kindle edition of this book for free last spring. Part of my quest with this Cannonball Read was to try out new genres and forms, so this book, the first in the Airship Racing Chronicles, fits the Steampunk bill. And you know, it was kinda fun. As the book opens, Lily Starship and her airship crew are flying over London, racing in the Airship Grand Prix. After a thrilling finish, in which they disappointingly come in second, […]
Jaguars don’t kiss horses
Spanning several decades, the stories in this book show the loosely and serendipitously connected characters that orbit the title characters, Louisa and Bear. Starting with Louisa’s cousin Lizzie, who becomes pregnant after her first and only sexual encounter with the husband of her history professor. Still unsure if she will keep the child, she leaves Yale and moves back in with her father. The pregnancy is difficult and soon her estranged mother moves back into the family home to care for her. The time they […]