Do I have some amazing books, short stories, and even a graphic novel for you today!
(Look for more graphic novel and comic reviews from me in the coming weeks.)
Let’s not dilly dally!
TO THE REVIEWS!
DARK COUNTRY
By Philip LoPresti
I have been waiting for this one since March of last year. I’m a patient gal or I try to be and when he had a release date my friend Shannon Bradner set us up with a countdown clock. Why? Because it’s LoPresti and things like knowing how many more minutes of torture we must endure until we can start reading his new work is important.
And friends, DARK COUNTRY more than made the wait worth it.
What do you do when you lose your faith because of something out of your control? When does the “I should have” and “I could have” stop? For Clay, it never will. When he finds time running out, tying up one loose end means saving more than his conscious. Six lives will converge and no one may make it out alive.
Seriously, I could tell you every point in this book and you still wouldn’t get the depth and beauty until you read it yourself. LoPresti writes as though it’s your secrets and your burdens being laid out and that is what makes him so different from every other author out right now. Here are some of my favorite quotes:
“Worry is the interest you pay on trouble before it’s due.”
““A man cannot be washed clean of his past, you’d erase him entirely. A man is his past.”
“The body is comprised mostly of water and little else and what little is left should certainly be more than a man’s failures, heartache, and regret,…”
“Sometimes you just can’t quit a relationship no matter how doomed it is.”
If you aren’t reading Philip, you are missing out on one of the genius authors. And if all of this doesn’t get you to read DARK COUNTRY maybe the phrase Frankensteinian necrophilia will get your attention.
A Top Three for me already this year. The bar is high, friends. A DOUBLE HIGHLY RECOMMEND 10/5.
ORDER HERE:
INSIDE THE INDIE HORROR WORLD
Edited by Kevin J. Kennedy
As a reader (and somewhat of a writer), I was worried this would come across more as a disjointed how to but friends, was I wrong. This is one of the neatest non-fiction books I have read in a while.
INSIDE THE INDIE HORROR WORLD is full of tidbits from some of the greatest authors and publishers available right now. From their personal stories to insider information there is something in here for everyone. And it DEFINITELY should be required reading for those wanting to make a living at the author game.
Some of the memorable chapters are written by Adam Millard (my absolute favorite), Candace Nola, Ash Ericmore, Joe Mynhardt, and Patrick McDonough. But every chapter has something to offer and combined into this book, is 100% brilliance.
Probably my favorite from Kennedy so far. A HIGHLY, HIGHLY RECOMMEND 5/5.
ORDER HERE:
Amazon.com: Inside the Indie Horror World eBook : Kennedy, Kevin J. , Ann Keeran, England, S.E., Clark, Simon, Yardley, Mercedes M., Lukens, Mark , Everson, John , Lutzke, Chad, Deady, Tom , Stred, Steve, Russell, James R, Essig, Robert, Sargent, RE., McDonough, Patrick R., Roberts, Nick, Sinclair, Natasha , Towse, Mark , Gunnells, Mark Allan, McGeorge, Lee, Jennings, Kenzie, Little, John R. , Durgin, John, Boden, John , Mynhardt, Joe, Ody, Jim, Bower, Jay, Greenwood, Gage, Guignard, Eric J. , Bergling, Christina , Nola, Candace , Moreland, Brian, Lafaro, Brennan , Ericmore, Ash, Laybourne, Alex, Millard, Adam, Moody, David: Kindle Store
ZIPPERS
By Candace Nola
How do I even lead in to ZIPPERS? I guess just by jumping into like a warm, cozy pair of pajamas.
Katrina is different. She craves affection but doesn’t really know how to ask for it. Something that seems so small to some of us, means the world to her. So much so that it feels like a tender hug… and that’s what she needs. When her obsession for constant comfort gets to an extreme, will the layers she has built help or make things worse?
Candace has this ability to make the reader laugh and the insanity on page and then all of a sudden the depth of the situation hits you and you get sad. ZIPPERS is no different. While we can laugh at certain things happening because of the absurdity, Nola is building more than the world for us, she’s building pure feelings. And most know I don’t like feelings.
ZIPPERS will stay with you longer than you feel comfortable with but sit with it, embrace it, before Katrina embraces you.
A HIGHLY, HIGHLY RECOMMEND 5/5.
PRE-ORDER HERE:
SUGAR SKULL
By Charles Burns
Let’s get some graphic novels/comics going in my reviews. I love them and horror/bizarro/etc graphic novels are often overlooked and I’m here to fix that.
Charles Burns has a style that is bizarre but so engaging. I read BLACK HOLES (review coming soon) about 14 years ago and have loved his work ever since. The characters are odd and the writing is often disjointed but it you stick with him, you will fall in love with the style.
SUGAR SKULL is a dual story with Johnny and Doug dealing with decisions that will come back to haunt them. (This is the final installment of the series, so take that into consideration.)
It’s classic Burns so you need to like weird but if you can hang with that, you can hang with Johnny and Doug.
A HIGHLY RECOMMEND 5/5.
ORDER HERE:
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