Ollie hasn’t been much of a people-person, but since her mother died the only solace she can seem to find is in books. On a bike ride home from school, she comes across a woman sobbing by the lake, trying to talk herself into throwing an old black book into the water. On a whim, Ollie steals the book and discovers within its pages a strange and spooky old story about the Webster family and their tragedy brought on by a sinister “smiling man.” The […]
Getting to Know You, Getting to Know All About You …
If you haven’t read American Psycho yet, you’re in for a real treat. Either that or you will hate me for recommending this book and possibly sue me for damages and mental distress. In any case, Patrick Bateman, the titular American Psycho, has become part of pop culture. Whether you’ve read the book, seen the (excellently adapted) movie, or just know him from this gif: You know that he’s a narcissistic Wall Street trust fund baby with a serious case of bloodlust and unmitigated misogyny. But […]
Dead good
Dead Funny is a compilation of short horror stories written by comedians. With contributions from the likes of Richard Herring, Stewart Lee, Sarah Pascoe, Al Murray and many more, most of the authors are household names here in England, but are probably little known (if at all) State-side. That doesn’t matter though, given the talent on display. As with any bunch of short stories, some are good, some are just OK, and some are fantastic. Surprisingly (to me, anyway), none of my favourites turned out […]
The girl with kaleidoscope eyes
Samanta Schweblin. This is a name I have been hearing for years but for some reason I had never read any of her books before this past December. After three books, she is definitely one of my favorite writers. Well, after one book, really. As soon as I finished her story collection “Siete casas vacías” I knew I was in literary love. For me, Schweblin is Lucy in the Sky with a touch of Kafka. Her stories are surreal and whimsical but with a dangerous […]