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From #1 New York Times bestselling author Neil Gaiman, a novel of bold creativity and narrative genius that brings to life a world most people could never even dream of―one of ten classic Gaiman works repackaged with elegant original watercolor art by acclaimed artist Henry Sene Yee

First published in 1997, Neil Gaiman’s darkly hypnotic first novel, Neverwhere, heralded the arrival of a major talent and became a touchstone of urban fantasy.

It is the story of Richard Mayhew, a young London businessman with a good heart and an ordinary life, which is changed forever when he discovers a girl bleeding on the sidewalk. He stops to help her—an act of kindness that plunges him into a world he never dreamed existed. Slipping through the cracks of reality, Richard lands in Neverwhere—a London of shadows and darkness, monsters and saints, murderers and angels that exists entirely in a subterranean labyrinth. Neverwhere is home to Door, the mysterious girl Richard helped in the London Above. Here in Neverwhere, Door is a powerful noblewoman who has vowed to find the evil agent of her family’s slaughter and thwart the destruction of this strange underworld kingdom. If Richard is ever to return to his former life and home, he must join Lady Door’s quest to save her world—and may well die trying.

I tried reading American Gods awhile back, and just couldn’t get into it. So when this book was recommended I was somewhat hesitant to pick it up. But I’d watched the two seasons of Good Omens, so thought I’d give it a try. I’m so very glad I did.

I loved all the characters. Especially Richard, Door, and the Marquis. They’re rather quirky, yet so likable. And while the book’s focus is more on Richard, the reader gets enough of the other two to be totally enchanted by them. Their quest is not an easy one, yet neither Door nor the Marquis ever lose heart. They will do what they need to do, no matter how difficult. That is the world as they have always known it.

Richard, on the other hand, must make the leap from his world, the London Above that is safe, mundane, and known, to that of London Below, where there are talking rats and evil men are out to destroy Richard and his companions.

Once I finished the book I immediately started on How the Marquis Got his Coat Back, which is at the back of the book and a lovely little addition. There’s supposed to be a sequel in progress, but, given the allegations against Gaiman and the cancellation of practically anything he’s touched, I’m not holding my breath.

( Mount TBR 2026 Book Links 1-15 )

16. The Girl in the Green Glass Mirror by Elizabeth McGregor
17. Helen's Judgement (House of Atreus 2) by Susan C. Wilson
18. The Great Contradiction: The Tragic Side of the American Founding by Joseph J. Ellis
19. The Hungry Moon by Ramsey Campbell
20. Neverwhere (London Below #1) by Neil Gaiman

Thanks to

severina2001 for recommending this book.

I haven't been watching as many movies, mainly I think because my husband stopped working. But the two weeks I spent in Phoenix with my sister more than made up for it. She just loves watching movies!

MOVIES WATCHED IN JANUARY

Jan 24 - The Rip (2026)
A group of Miami cops discovers a stash of millions in cash, leading to distrust as outsiders learn about the huge seizure, making them question who to rely on.
Director: Joe Carnahan
Stars: Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Steven Yeun

Not bad. I probably enjoyed it more than I normally do these types of movies. For some reason I like seeing Ben Affleck.

Jan 31 - In Bruges (2008)
After a job gone wrong, hitman Ray and his partner await orders from their ruthless boss in Bruges, Belgium, the last place in the world Ray wants to be.
Director: Martin McDonagh
Stars: Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Ciarán Hinds, Ralph Fiennes

Very strange movie. I was pretty disappointed, as I’ve come to expect more from the Gleeson/Farrell match-up.

MOVIES WATCHED IN FEBRUARY

Feb 7 - As Good As it Gets (1997)
A single mother and waitress, a misanthropic author, and a gay artist form an unlikely friendship after the artist is assaulted in a robbery.
Director: James L. Brooks
Stars: Jack Nicholson, Helen Hunt, Greg Kinnear, Cuba Gooding Jr., Shirley Knight, Jill the Dog

And oldie but goodie I enjoyed watching. A great movie with an excellent cast. Certainly better than Titanic to which it lost Best Picture.

Feb 21 - Life of Chuck (2024)
A life-affirming, genre-bending story about three chapters in the life of an ordinary man named Charles Krantz.
Director: Mike Flanagan
Stars: Tom Hiddleston, Jacob Tremblay, Benjamin Pajak, Mark Hamill

Loved this movie. I didn’t remember the story, it’s been so long since I read it, but I was not disappointed with the movie. Hiddleston is always great.

MOVIES WATCHED IN MARCH

Mar 17 - The Dresser (1983)
Personal assistant Norman struggles to get deteriorating veteran actor, known to others as Sir, through a difficult performance of King Lear.
Director: Peter Yates
Stars: Albert Finney, Tom Courtenay, Edward Fox

Now this was a really strange movie. Though nominally about the dresser, Albert Finney as “Sir” steals the show.

Mar 17 - Sleepless In Seattle (1993)
A recently widowed man's son calls a radio talk-show in an attempt to find his father a partner.
Director: Nora Ephron
Stars: Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, Ross Malinger, Bill Pulman, David Hyde Pierce, Rosie O’Donnell, Rób Reiner, Rita Wilson, Victor Garber

Another movie I’ve watched several times over the years and enjoyed every time.

Mar 19 - Hoppers (2026)
A 19-year-old animal lover uses technology that places her consciousness into a robotic beaver to uncover mysteries within the animal world beyond her imagination.
Director: Daniel Chong
Stars (voices): Piper Curda, Bobby Moynihan, Jon Hamm, Meryl Streep

Very pleasantly surprised by this one. I didn’t expect to enjoy it as much as I did. Cute, but with a message.

Mar 21, 22 - The Count of Monte Cristo (2024)
Edmond Dantes, a sailor falsely accused of treason, is imprisoned in the Château d'If off Marseille. After escaping, and adopting the identity of the Count of Monte Cristo, he plans revenge against those who wrongly accused him.
Stars: Sam Claflin, Mikkel Boe Følsgaard, Ana Girardot, Jeremy Irons

I’ve never read the book, so I’m not sure how close this adaption followed it. The ending was different from the 1975 version, but I still enjoyed it. Apparently the book is so long that it would be almost impossible to film the entire thing.

Mar 22 - Cadillac Records (2008)
Chronicles the rise of Chess Records and its recording artists.
Director: Darnell Martin
Stars: Adrien Brody, Jeffrey Wright, Beyoncé

I’d never heard of this record company, but it sounds something like a forerunner to Motown. An interesting movie.

Mar 23 - EPIC: Elvis Presley in Concert (2025)
Follows Elvis Presley, featuring never-before-seen footage and recordings.
Director: Baz Luhrmann
Stars: Elvis Presley, James Burton, Glen D. Hardin

I liked that there was quite a bit of footage of Elvis on a personal level, so that the viewer gets a more complete picture of him, not just as a performer.

Mar 24 - Nuremberg (2025)
A WWII psychiatrist evaluates Nazi leaders before the Nuremberg trials, growing increasingly obsessed with understanding evil as he forms a disturbing bond with Hermann Göring.
Director: James Vanderbilt
Stars: Rami Malek, Russell Crowe, Michael Shannon, Colin Hanks

I didn’t know about this side of the trials. It’s a long movie, but well worth watching. Malek and Crowe are exceptional.

Mar 24 - Stronger (2017)
Stronger is the inspiring real life story of Jeff Bauman, an ordinary man who captured the hearts of his city and the world to become a symbol of hope after surviving the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing.
Director: David Gordon Green
Stars: Jake Gyllenhaal, Tatiana Maslany, Miranda Richardson

An interesting biopic. I don’t remember hearing anything about Bauman before, though. It being a Gyllenhaal movie, my sister insisted on watching it…again.

Mar 24 - Spotlight (2025)
The true story of how the Boston Globe uncovered the massive scandal of child molestation and cover-up within the local Catholic Archdiocese, shaking the entire Catholic Church to its core.
Director: Tom McCarthy
Stars: Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, John Slattery, Stanley Tucci, Liev Schreiber

One of my favorite movies. Great story with a truly excellent cast.

Mar 25 - Hamnet (2025)
In late 16th-century England, Agnes, a healer sensitive to the world around her, builds a home with William, a local tutor and aspiring playwright. As their lives fracture, they are tested by distance, silence, and grief.
Director: Chloé Zhao
Stars: Jessie Buckley, Paul Mescal, Zac Wishart

I’d read the book so really wanted to see the movie. It’s truly excellent how the characters and their grief are portrayed.

Mar 25 - Coco, (2017)
Aspiring musician Miguel, confronted with his family's ancestral ban on music, enters the Land of the Dead to find his great-great-grandfather, a legendary singer.
Directors: Adrian MolinaLee Unkrich
Stars: Anthony Gonzalez, Gael García Bernal, Benjamin Bratt. Edward James Olmos

One of those “we have to watch this movie” whenever I visit Phoenix. It’s so well done.

Mar 27 - How to Train Your Dragon (2025)
As an ancient threat endangers both Vikings and dragons alike on the isle of Berk, the friendship between Hiccup, an inventive Viking, and Toothless, a Night Fury dragon, becomes the key to both species forging a new future together.
Director: Dean DeBlois
Stars: Mason Thames, Nico Parker, Gerard Butler

I’d heard some not quite good reviews about the movie, mostly because the storyline is basically the same as the animated version. I didn’t have a problem with that. In fact, I felt more empathy for Hiccup as a real person than I didn’t as an animated character.

Mar 29 - Ben Hur (1959)
A Jewish prince is betrayed and sent into slavery by a Roman friend in 1st-century Jerusalem, but it's not long before he regains his freedom and comes back for revenge.
Director: William Wyler
Stars: Charlton Heston, Jack Hawkins, Stephen Boyd, Sam Jaffe

Sort of in the middle when it comes to a “sword and sandal” movie. I’d read that Boyd had been asked to play the role as if he and Hur had been lovers as boys. I could sort of see it. The dramatic ending when Hur is reunited with his mother, sister, and love interest took a humorous turn when my brother yelled out “Group hug!”

Mar 30 - One Battle After Another (2025)
When their enemy resurfaces after 16 years, a group of ex-revolutionaries reunite to rescue the daughter of one of their own.
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Benicio Del Toro, Teyana Taylor

It took me awhile to get into this movie, but once I did I really enjoyed it. The characters are certainly unique with a story line that surprises.

Isolated on the moors of northern England, the town of Moonwell has remained faithful to their Druid traditions and kept their old rituals alive, where for generations the townspeople have have decorated a cave to appease an ancient druidic custom.

However the village has been taken over by authoritarian fundamentalists, led by right-wing evangelist Godwin Mann, who preaches his intolerant brand of fundamentalism. He converts many of the people and brings a stop to the pagan ceremony. The charismatic leader rallies all but a few into fanatics who hang on his every word. Turns out, there was a good reason for the druidic ceremony of the cave. It kept an ancient, powerful entity from emerging.

But Mann goes too far when he descends into the pit where the ancient being who’s been worshipped by the Druids for centuries is said to dwell. He rouses the Druids' moon god to rise from his cave. What emerges is a demon in Mann’s shape, and the dark entity from the cave rapidly transforms Moonwell into a Hell on Earth. Some of the people are turned into sub-human creatures, and only the town’s outcasts can see that something is horribly wrong. As the evil spreads and heads toward a modern missile base to wreak havoc on the human race, Moonwell becomes cut off from the rest of the world…

One would think that the scariest thing in the novel would be the ancient entity in the cave. It’s scary, but not as scary as the fundamentalists who take over the town of Moonwell. Slowly, they suck in the townspeople, while pushing out the few who defy them. As more and more of the people are taken in, those unaffected must try to figure out what’s really going on and how to stop it.

There are some very interesting characters, though the main focus is on Diana, a teacher in the town’s school, and Nick, a reporter from outside whose interest in Diana pulls him into the darkness taking over the town. Actually, there’s a large cast of characters; perhaps a few too many. Some tended to get lost in the crowd. My biggest problem was with the ending. It felt rushed, and the resolution was anticlimactic, a deus ex machina that I didn’t care for.

But I’m glad I read the book. But there are some truly terrifying scenes in it, which more than make up for any problems the book might have had.

2026 I Read Horror Year-Round Challenge.jpg

Cult and/or ritual

A major new history from the author of the Pulitzer Prize–winning Founding Brothers and the National Book Award winner American Sphinx, on how America’s founders—Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, Adams—regarded the issue of slavery as they drafted the Declaration of Independence and Constitution. In this daring and important work, our most trusted voice on the founding era reckons with the realities and regrets of our founding and the tragedy of its two great the failure to end slavery and the failure to avoid Indian removal.

“How does it appear in the sight-of-heaven,” wrote Samuel Hopkins of Newport, “that these States, who have been fighting for liberty, cannot agree in any political constitution unless it indulge and authorize them to enslave their fellow men.”

On the eve of the American Revolution, half a million enslaved African Americans, many in place for several generations, were permanently embedded in the North American population. The slave trade was flourishing, even as the thirteen colonies armed themselves to defend against the idea of being governed without consent. This paradox gave birth to what one of our most trusted and admired historians, Joseph J. Ellis, calls the “American Dilemma.” How could a government that had been fought for and founded on the principles articulated in the Declaration of Independence institutionalize slavery? How could it permit a tidal wave of western migration by settlers who understood the phrase “pursuit of happiness” to mean claiming Indian land?

In The Great Contradiction, Ellis, with narrative grace and a flair for irony and paradox, addresses the questions that lie at America’s twisted roots—questions that turned even the sharpest minds of the revolutionary generation into mental contortionists. He discusses the first debates around slavery and the treatment of Native Americans, from the Constitutional Convention to the Treaty of New York, revealing the thinking and rationalizations behind Jay, Hamilton, and Madison’s revisions of the Articles of Confederation, and highlights the key role of figures like Quaker abolitionist Anthony Benezet and Creek chief Alexander McGillivray.

Ellis writes with candor and deftness, his clarion voice rising above presentist historians and partisans, who are eager to make the founders into trophies in the ongoing culture wars. Instead, Ellis tells a story that is rooted in the coexistence of grandeur and failure, brilliance and blindness, grace and sin.

For such a short book, it delves into two of the most intriguing questions of the Revolution: why was slavery permitted to continue, and why the indigenous population’s removal allowed. They would be the two greatest failures of the revolutionary generation.

Though more of the book focuses on the subject of slavery, both issues are given thorough examination, being the “great contradiction” of the American founding and early history. The founders would declare that all men are created equal, while preserving slavery. They would declare their freedom from a tyranny that they would then use to allow the genocide of the indigenous population.

One can argue that the Union could never have been created if the southern colonies had not been allowed to keep their slaves. That the new government didn’t have the martial strength to hold back the tide of rapacious settlers as they swarmed over native land. Both are true. But not only would nothing be done about the issues, but laws would be passed that would make both issues worse.

The main characters on both sides of each issue are examined. Their motives would be concisely analyzed to the best of the author’s knowledge. It would seem that the contradiction was both political and personal.

The book is a truly compelling read.

Mount TBR 2026 Book Links

Links are to more information regarding each book or author, not to the review.

1. The Doors of Eden by Adrian Tchaikovsky
2. Four Past Midnight by Stephen King
3. The Possession of Alba Díaz by Isabel Cañas
4. The Gales of November: The Untold Story of the Edmund Fitzgerald by John U. Bacon/a>
5. Moon Flower by James P. Hogan
6. The Man Who Saved the Union: Ulysses Grant in War and Peace by H.W. Brands
7. Fires of Eden by Dan Simmons
8. Clytemnestra's Bind (House of Atreus 1) by Susan C Wilson
9. Glory and the Lightning. by Taylor Caldwell
10. Into the Ice: The Northwest Passage, the Polar Sun, and a 175-Year-Old Mystery by Mark Synnott
11. Regeneration (Regeneration 1) by Pat Barker
12. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
13. A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World by C.A. Fletcher
14. Thinner by Richard Bachman
15. The Voyage Home (Women of Troy #3) by Pat Barker
16. The Girl in the Green Glass Mirror by Elizabeth McGregor
17. Helen's Judgement (House of Atreus 2) by Susan C. Wilson
18. The Great Contradiction: The Tragic Side of the American Founding by Joseph J. Ellis

Goodreads 18

Helen’s Judgement tells the epic story of Greek mythology’s most scapegoated Helen of Troy.

Haunted by her decision to leave her child behind when she fled her unhappy marriage, Helen seeks to build a new life in Troy with her lover, Paris. She yearns to recreate the childhood family she lost when she married Menelaus, but her outraged husband vows to regain her by force, at the head of a vast army.

Facing hostility from all sides, Helen must decide where her loyalty—and her safety—lies.

At first thought, a reader might think that a book about Helen would be more interesting than a book about her sister, Clytemnestra. After all, the entire Trojan War centers on Helen and the decisions she made. But that didn’t turn out to be the case.

While Clytemnestra’s life was filled with tragedy, Helen, until her affair with Paris, lives a rather sedate life. Even with the author adding to Helen’s life (there’s really very little actually written about the woman,) she’s remains something of a cypher. Her reasons for leaving with Paris, who comes off even more shallow than Helen, aren’t very good ones. I was completely surprised by the change from what actually has been written about her.

The parts of the book that switch to Achilles’ POV are only slightly better, as he’s only a slightly better person. Rather petulant, he brings about his own tragedies. Usually I’m more moved by the death of Patroclus, but here it was given rather short shrift.

The books are advertised as a trilogy, so I’m hoping that the rest of Clytemnestra’s story will be told. Unless that, too, is radically changed, Agamemnon is in for a surprise.

Catherine Sergeant is adept at going through the motions. After losing her parents at an early age, she buried her grief in the study of antiquities. Now, deserted by her husband without warning or explanation, she reports to work at Pearson’s auction house, exchanging pleasantries with colleagues, never revealing her pain. Cocooned in loneliness, she couldn’t be more surprised to find herself opening up to a total stranger—a new client, no less.

In widowed architect John Brigham, Catherine finds a kindred spirit. The two share a fascination with Richard Dadd, an early Victorian painter who lived most of his life incarcerated in an insane asylum. There he produced his most stunning works—works that have deeply moved Catherine and now draw her inexorably to John. Soon the two are falling in love.

The reawakening of passion in a woman like Catherine is more than John ever hoped for. But when she discovers his possession of an unknown Dadd, it is just the first in a series of revelations that leave her wondering if she knows this man who has shown her life’s true beauty. For John, it may be a last chance to free himself from the priceless secrets he has been harboring too long. Secrets about a soul laid bare on canvas, and a legacy that could shatter all he holds dear in the space of a heartbeat…

I decided to read this book because I loved The Ice Child so much. This book has the same lyrical writing and intriguing characters that made the first book so wonderful. There is Catherine and John, of course, but even Robert, Eilzabeth’s husband, and Helen, John’s sister, bring much to the story. All four have their flaws, some deep and disturbing, yet they are integral to the story.

There is much researched involved here, as Richard Dadd actual existed. He really did spend most of his life in an insane asylum. He really did create most of his work there. It adds much to the book, the way the past and present work off each other. Just how deeply is Dadd’s legacy intwined into John’s life? Will its secrets destroy John’s chances with Catherine?

Dadd’s work is really rather creepy and not at all to my taste, so I couldn’t totally understand Catherine and John’s fascination with his work. And because so much does stay hidden through most of the book, I have the feeling that this book won’t be for everyone. It is more thoughts than actions as it comes to its inevitable ending.

A Color In the Title

Goodreads 16

APRIL - Mirror, Mist, Party, Stray, Light, People, Everlasting, Spell

2026 Monthly Motif.jpg

APRIL- Alliteration Appreciation - Read a book with repeating sounds or letters in the title.

Continuing the story of the captured Trojan women as they set sail for Mycenae with the victorious Greeks, this new novel centres on the fate of Cassandra -- daughter of King Priam, priestess of Apollo, and a prophet condemned never to be heeded. (When she refuses to have sex with Apollo, after he has kissed her, granting her the gift of true prophecy, he spits in her mouth to make sure she will never be believed.)

Psychologically complex and dangerously driven, Cassandra's arrival in Mycenae will set in motion a bloody train of events, drawing in King Agamemnon, his wife Clytemnestra and daughter Electra. Agamemnon's triumphant return from Troy is far from the celebration he imagined, and the fate of the Trojan women as uncertain as they had feared.

The story is more that of Ritsa, the Trojan woman who is now a slave to Cassandra, who accompanies her to Mycenae, and Clytemnestra. Both women are struggling to create a future for themselves, yet both see only darkness ahead. I found myself rooting for both women, even while knowing the fate of at least one.

Clytemnestra has every reason to feel the way she does, yet she’s portrayed as somewhat off kilter. I’m not sure why Barker decided to make her that way, making her less likable and calling into question her motives. Maybe because the story is so well known she might have felt that she had to follow the script. But that made her story not as interesting as it could have been.

Ritsa’s story is much more interesting. Her future is always in question. Which is why I would have much preferred this third book to have continued Briseis’ story; though less to work with, it would have allowed Barker to go more far afield.

It’s still an interesting and fascinating story that closes out the story of the Trojan War.

”Thinner" - the old gypsy man barely whispered the word. Billy felt the touch of a withered hand, gentle on his cheek.

Billy Halleck, prosperous if overweight citizen, happily married, shuddered, then turned angrily away. The old woman's death had been none of his fault. The court had cleared him. She'd just stumbled in front of his car. Now he simply wanted to forget the whole messy business.

Later, when the scales told him he was losing weight, it was what the doctor had ordered. His wife was pleased - as she should have been. But...

"Thinner" - the word, the old man's curse, had lodged in his mind like a fattening worm, eating at his flesh, at his reason. And with his despair, came violence.

The book is far creepier than you might think, actually one of the creepier King books, imo. The reader is there every step of the way as the gypsy’s curse takes hold. The descriptions of not just Billy’s plight, but that of the judge who cleared him and the sheriff whose report was deliberately, well, thin, can’t help but bring a shiver or two. It’s strange how something that sounds so mundane, no vampire or ghoul to be found, could actually be more frightening.

The story is told from Billy Halleck’s pov, and while the reader might attempt some sympathy for the man, we also know that he hasn’t yet payed for his transgression. He’ll do just about anything to make sure that doesn’t happen, but some things are unavoidable. And it was the gypsies who I ended up feeling for sympathy for.

The story never lets up, as the curse relentlessly does its work. There are some great characters, just as important to the story as Billy, who help it along.

Turned Into film/TV series

Goodreads 14

Book published in the 60's, 70's, or 80's

My name's Griz. My childhood wasn't like yours. I've never had friends, and in my whole life I've not met enough people to play a game of football.

My parents told me how crowded the world used to be, but we were never lonely on our remote island. We had each other, and our dogs.

Then the thief came.

There may be no law left except what you make of it. But if you steal my dog, you can at least expect me to come after you.

Because if we aren't loyal to the things we love, what's the point?

The book is a book inside a book. Griz, locked in some sort of prison, writes in a journal how it all came to be, how he ended up where he is. It starts with the theft of his dog, Jess. Griz rushes after the thief, taking only his other dog, Jip; the story builds from there. Would I have rushed off, not waiting for any sort of help, to get my dog back? Probably. So it was easy to empathise with Griz.

It’s a book that really should be read nice and slow, so that you can pick up all the little nuances of Griz’s journey. Because what starts out as a very basic journey soon turns into an odyssey through a shattered landscape. There are very few people left, but there is still danger. And while much has been destroyed, much is still untouched.

I do have one tiny complaint; the author kept dropping hints as to what is going to happen (as Griz is writing this from the future.) I really wish he hadn’t done that. It made me want to skim through pages until I found out what happened, which sometimes wasn’t as bad as the reader is led to believe.

But this is a solid, well written novel. And though civilization has come to an end, there is still much to love, still reason for hope.

Recommended by severina2001

Goodreads 13

Enthralled by his own exquisite portrait, Dorian Gray exchanges his soul for eternal youth and beauty. Influenced by his friend Lord Henry Wotton, he is drawn into a corrupt double life; indulging his desires in secret while remaining a gentleman in the eyes of polite society. Only his portrait bears the traces of his decadence. The novel was a succès de scandale and the book was later used as evidence against Wilde at the Old Bailey in 1895. It has lost none of its power to fascinate and disturb.

Though the book is advertised as a cautionary tale when pleasure and beauty are pursued without moral accountability, Dorian Gray is pretty much an asshole to begin with. The picture is more of an excuse, rather than something that drew Gray to his doom. It doesn’t take much from Lord Wotton, another total jerk, for Gray to start on his road to ruin. Actually, Gray starts down that road all on his own, before even knowing that the picture will show his cruelty.

The book tends to drag in places, especially when the reader is given an account of the different hobbies Gray takes up over the years. I’m not sure how that would be considered decadent, but there you go. I would have preferred that more time was given to how exactly he destroyed the people mentioned. Were they weak to begin with? Would they have fallen from grace even if they had never met Gray? Since none of the characters are filled out, it’s something the reader is never to know.

I was somewhat surprised that the book only covers twenty years of Gray’s life, as most of the movies based on the book show the picture with a wizened and corrupt visage. Far more damage than could have been done in only twenty years.

Social justice horror

2026 Key Word.jpg

MARCH - Favorite, Orange, Picture, Broken, Sister, Look, Forget, Fortune

Started Feb 28, completed Mar 7 4 stars

The first book of the Regeneration Trilogy—a Booker Prize nominee and one of Entertainment Weekly’s 100 All-Time Greatest Novels.

In 1917 Siegfried Sassoon, noted poet and decorated war hero, publicly refused to continue serving as a British officer in World War I. His reason: the war was a senseless slaughter. He was officially classified "mentally unsound" and sent to Craiglockhart War Hospital. There a brilliant psychiatrist, Dr. William Rivers, set about restoring Sassoon’s “sanity” and sending him back to the trenches. This novel tells what happened as only a novel can. It is a war saga in which not a shot is fired. It is a story of a battle for a man's mind in which only the reader can decide who is the victor, who the vanquished, and who the victim.

One of the most amazing feats of fiction of our time, Regeneration has been hailed by critics across the globe. More than one hundred years since World War I, this book is as timely and relevant as ever.

That the book is based on a true story only makes it that much more rewarding. The story of Siegfried Sassoon is an amazing one. His belief in the war’s pointlessness, and that it was being continued only for the profit of some, has him set to a mental institution. The thought is that he either has “shell shock,” or is a coward, even though he had shown his bravery many times over.

Luckily, Sassoon’s doctor, while attempting to restore Sassoon’s sanity, doesn’t really seem to think his patient is truly insane. That, just maybe, what Sassoon believes is actually true. But given the times, there is only one way for the story to have a “happy” ending.

I was shocked at some of the “remedies” used by some of the other doctors on these poor men who have broken down under their experiences. But the majority of the book follows Dr. Rivers and the men under his care. I don’t know how many of them were actual patients, but in any event their stories were just as compelling as Sassoon’s.

I’m looking forward to the second book in the series and the continuation of these two men’s story. There’s also a movie on the subject, Benediction, which I’m looking forward to viewing.

Main Character Male

Goodreads 11

MARCH- Books on the Brain - Read a fiction or non-fiction book with a brain-function related theme. This could be memory, processing, mental health, dementia, dreaming, subconsciousness, thinking patterns, intelligence, brain injuries, etc.

New York Times bestselling author Mark Synnott has climbed with Alex Honnold. He’s scaled Mt. Everest. But in 2022, he realized there was a dream he’d never realized—to sail the Northwest Passage in his own boat, a feat only four hundred or so sailors had ever accomplished—and in doing so, try to solve the mystery of what happened to legendary nineteenth-century explorer Sir John Franklin and his ships, HMS Erebus and Terror.

Only a few hundred vessels have ever transited the Northwest Passage, stretching through Canada’s north from Maine to Alaska—and substantially fewer have completed the treacherous journey in a fiberglass-hulled boat like Polar Sun. But Mark Synnott was determined to add his name to the list, and in doing so, also investigate a 175-year-old mystery, that of what happened to the legendary captain Sir John Franklin and his crew aboard the legendary HMS Erebus and HMS Terror.

In this pulse-pounding travelogue, Mark Synnott paints a vivid portrait of the modern-day Arctic like you’ve never seen before. With human-caused climate change warming the region twice as fast as any other part of our planet, Synnott offers a fresh and exciting look at the journey itself, but also of the history of the land and the people who live there today. At the same time, he searches for the tomb of Franklin, who, along with his entire 128-man crew, perished after their ships became trapped in the ice near King William Island.

In Into the Ice, Mark and his crew must race against time and horrific storms to investigate legends, and in the end, try to find the answer to why any of us would risk it all in the name of exploration.

I’ve read several books about the Franklin Expedition. All of them told of the where and when and how. But because there were no survivors’ tales (there not being any survivors,) never the why. I don’t mean because they wanted to find the Northwest Passage, but why would these men, some of them not for the first time, risk their lives by sailing into these unknown waters. This book probably comes the closest to answering that question.

Though Synnott had the advantage of modern equipment, the area is still extremely dangerous, even with the melting of much of the ice due to climate change.

Each leg of the journey is recounted from the perspective of each ship. First, Franklin’s expedition, then the many ship’s sent to look for the missing Erebus and Terror. Finally, there’s Synnott’s first person account aboard the Polar Sea. Though he doesn’t find Franklin’s grave, he does manage to make the trip through the Northwest Passage. Brought along for the ride, the reader experiences all the dangers that journey entails, and comes to recognize just what the early explorers went through.

I’m not sure the question as to why anyone would risk it all is ever answered. Synnott’s reasons are his own ( and somewhat convoluted); what the reasons were of those who went before still remains a mystery.

Sea or river on cover

Goodreads 10

Taylor Caldwell's novel, set in ancient Persia and Greece, is based on the life of Aspasia—the beautiful and intelligent courtesan who eventually became the companion of Pericles, ruler of Athens.

It is the story of an extraordinary woman, trained since childhood in the arts of beauty and seduction, who finds herself increasingly in rebellion against the helpless position of women in ancient society.

Passionate, restless and fiercely independent, Aspasia is compelled to pursue her destiny wherever it may lead—from the narrow confines of a school for high-class courtesans, into the arms of a rich and powerful Persian satrap, and finally to Athens at the height of its glory.

Taylor Caldwell has written a rich and thought-provoking novel of the ancient world as seen through a woman's eyes—finding in the life of Aspasia a model for the timeless conflicts of all women.

The book is divided into three parts: Aspasia’s story, Pericles’ story, and their story together. Aspasia’s story is probably the most interesting, though I felt that Caldwell went a little overboard describing Aspasia’s beauty, intelligence, and pose. Even at fourteen, she has her out-debating scholars and just about anyone she meets. At the same time, Aspasia does some really dumb things. She ends up being “sold” to a middle eastern satrap, who she ends up falling in love with. But both are unwilling to show their love, and eventually Aspasia escapes back to Greece.

Pericles’ story isn’t as detailed. Not as far as his personal life anyway. But a great deal of space is taken up in discussions with fellow intellectuals. It was at this point that I started skimming through his story. Near the end of his story, he meets Aspasia.

Their story together is told at breakneck speed. And it’s told as sort of a novelized history. What’s going on around them appears more important than their own story, yet told by the characters. At times I felt as if I was being given a history lesson. And again I found myself skimming through discussions between the major characters. In the end, both their story, and the story of Athens, are given short shrift.

A totally odd addition to the story line was Aspasia’s devotion to “the unknown god.” She even manages to bring several of her contemporaries to her way of thinking. Too often it sounds as if she discovered Christianity before Christ.

The one good thing about the book is that it piqued my interest regarding this interesting couple and the world they lived in. The books I’ve read regarding Classical Greece, have had neither playing a large role.

Title begins with first letter of your name

Goodreads 9

Clytemnestra’s Bind is a bold and brutal first-person retelling that redefines her story, unveiling the untold depths of her soul and the legacy she forged as a mother, wife, and queen. Queen Clytemnestra's world shatters when Agamemnon, a rival to the throne of Mycenae, storms her palace, destroys her family and claims not only the throne but Clytemnestra herself. Tormented by her loss, she vows to do all she can to protect the children born from her unhappy marriage to him. But when her husband casts his ruthless gaze towards the wealthy citadel of Troy, his ambitions threaten to once more destroy the family Clytemnestra loves.

From one of Greek mythology's most reviled characters—a woman who challenged the absolute power of men—comes this fiery tale of power, family rivalry and a mother's burning love. Perfect for readers of Greek mythology, and fans of Costanza Casati’s Clytemnestra , Madeline Miller’s Circe , and Jennifer Saint’s Elektra.

This is the second book I’ve read about Clytemnestra; both portray her as a sympathetic character, not at all the evil woman of Greek mythology. Here, she’s an intriguing character whose life is well worth reading about. It’s a harrowing and tragic story of a woman thrown into circumstances she didn’t deserve. Married into a family tainted by murder and cannibalism, her own future seems to be fated to carry on its tortured path.

Told from Clytemnestra’s point of view, the story of her loss becomes more personal. Her heartbreak at losing her infant son only multiplies as the years go by, until, finally, she takes her life into her own hands.

The book ends with Agamemnon leaving for Troy. Clytemnestra is in control, but there is a rocky path ahead and her fate is sealed.

There is a second book that may or may not pick up her story since it’s focused on her sister, Helen. The author changed some instances of the original story; perhaps there is still hope.

A New to You Author

Goodreads 8

harrowing tale of natural disaster, all-devouring greed, and wrathful gods.

Real estate mogul Byron Trumbo is the owner of the Mauna Pele, a deluxe Hawaiian resort that until recently was the playground of the rich and famous. Yet instead of making money hand over fist, Trumbo has a bit of a problem: guests keep disappearing. Hoping to sell the resort to Japanese investors, he invites them to the Mauna Pele to finalize the deal—but strange and fantastic events complicate the weekend. Giant beasts capable of human speech are spotted, visitors turn up dead and dismembered, and volcanic eruptions fill the sky with smoke and flame as fast-moving lava flows dangerously close to the resort. Trumbo refuses to allow these minor inconveniences to impede his sales pitch to the Japanese.

Other guests find themselves at the Mauna Pele this weekend, with agendas that extend beyond enjoying the sun and sand. For college professor Eleanor Perry, this “vacation” is a pilgrimage to a place once visited by her spinster aunt. Equipped with her aunt’s diary, which details adventures with Mark Twain more than one hundred years ago, Eleanor has uncommon insight into the frightening and mystical events about to unfold. And thrice-married Cordie Stumpf, whose housewifely appearance belies her keen mind and fearless resolve, is at the resort to pursue her own goal. The two women join forces as an astonishingly self-reliant duo prepared to do battle with the immortal enemies of the volcano goddess Pele and thereby restore harmony to the island.

Against the mythic backdrop of an island paradise filled with vengeful gods and brooding menace, Dan Simmons weaves a stunning tale of ancient rivalries tested in the modern world.

It can be interesting, basing a book on a certain mythology; unfortunately, that’s not the case here. There was just too many characters that turned out not to be all that scary. I actually found Trumbo and his machinations more interesting. No matter what was going on, he was going to get his deal done.

And it took awhile for the story within a story to take off. Eleanor’s aunt wasn’t that strong a character. Adding Mark Twain to the mix helped, but not as much as I would have hoped.

I did enjoy the Cordie Stumpf character; her interactions with Eleanor made the book for me, so I would have liked for there to have been more of their story. But with so many story lines, and so many characters, there wasn’t the room.

Published in 1900s: Fires of Eden by Dan Simmons

Goodreads 7

Epistolary horror - found footage, told in letters and/or diaries
1. Fires of Eden by Dan Simmons

2026 Monthly Motif.jpg

FEBRUARY - Secrets, Lies, & Schemes - Read a book in which the characters are telling lies, keeping secrets, or involved in schemes.
Fires of Eden by Dan Simmons

From New York Times bestselling author H. W. Brands, a masterful biography of the Civil War general and two-term president who saved the Union twice, on the battlefield and in the White House, holding the country together at two critical turning points in our history.

Ulysses Grant rose from obscurity to discover he had a genius for battle, and he propelled the Union to victory in the Civil War. After Abraham Lincoln's assassination and the disastrous brief presidency of Andrew Johnson, America turned to Grant again to unite the country, this time as president. In Brands's sweeping, majestic full biography, Grant emerges as a heroic figure who was fearlessly on the side of right. He was a beloved commander in the field but willing to make the troop sacrifices necessary to win the war, even in the face of storms of criticism. He worked valiantly to protect the rights of freedmen in the South; Brands calls him the last presidential defender of black civil rights for nearly a century. He played it straight with the American Indians, allowing them to shape their own fate even as the realities of Manifest Destiny meant the end of their way of life. He was an enormously popular president whose memoirs were a huge bestseller; yet within decades of his death his reputation was in tatters, the victim of Southerners who resented his policies on Reconstruction. In this page-turning biography, Brands now reconsiders Grant's legacy and provides a compelling and intimate portrait of a man who saved the Union on the battlefield and consolidated that victory as a resolute and principled political leader.

Grant’s biographers tend to focus on different parts of his life. So while Ronald White did a deep dive into Grant’s childhood, Brands give it only a passing glance. Only once Grant enters West Point does the story bring his life into focus.

The Mexican-American War, it Grant’s first wartime experience. While he would excel as a soldier, Grant was never in favor of the invasion. In later years he would write that he doubted America’s policy toward Mexico from the moment of the annexation of Texas, and that the war which resulted was “one of the most unjust ever waged by a stronger nation against a weaker nation.”

This sort of moral compass would chart his course through the Civil War and his two terms as president. Time has erased his efforts during Reconstruction and his policies regarding the indigenous population. A nation that once revered him as “the man who saved the union,” has effectively forgotten him and the righteous path he tried to lead the nation through, instead making heroes out of the men who tried to destroy it.

Set in America: The Man Who Saved the Union: Ulysses Grant in War and Peace by H.W. Brands

Goodreads 6

Something strange is happening on the planet Cyrene, which is in the early phases of being "developed" by the mammoth Interworld Restructuring Corporation. Terrans from the base there have been disappearing. Myles Callen, a ruthlessly efficient "Facilitator," is sent to investigate. Also with the mission is Marc Shearer, a young, idealistic quantum physicist, disillusioned with the world, who’s on his way to join a former colleague, Evan Wade. On arrival he finds that Wade too has vanished and doesn't want to be found by the Terran authorities. Wade has arranged contact via the Cyreneans, however, and accompanied by two companions that he has befriended, Shearer embarks on a journey to find his friend that will change Cyrene—and Earth itself.

Every book I’ve read by Hogan has been very much in the hard-science category, and I’ve enjoyed most of them. But I think this one went a bit overboard. Too much of the story was taken up with explaining the science behind the plot’s main concept.

Unfortunately, this meant that there was less time to fill out the characters. The “heroes” were likable, though I never became invested in their stories, especially the romance between the two main protagonists. And the villains weren’t all that villainous. Actually, everyone is sort of given an out for their behavior.

But even with these flaws, the book manages to be somewhat enjoyable. Not one I’d recommend, but not one I’d rebuff, either.

FEBRUARY - Lying, Ruin, Alchemy, Hoax, Blind, Chance, Flower, Sound

Moon Flower by James P. Hogan

For three decades following World War II, the Great Lakes overtook Europe as the epicenter of global economic strength. The region was the beating heart of the world economy, possessing all the power and prestige Silicon Valley does today. And no ship represented the apex of the American Century better than the 729-foot-long Edmund Fitzgerald—the biggest, best, and most profitable ship on the Lakes.

But on November 10, 1975, as the “storm of the century” threw 100 mile-per-hour winds and 50-foot waves on Lake Superior, the Mighty Fitz found itself at the worst possible place, at the worst possible time. When she sank, she took all 29 men onboard down with her, leaving the tragedy shrouded in mystery for a half century.

In The Gales of November, award-winning journalist John U. Bacon presents the definitive account of the disaster, drawing on more than 100 interviews with the families, friends, and former crewmates of those lost. Bacon explores the vital role Great Lakes shipping played in America’s economic boom, the uncommon lives the sailors led, the sinking’s most likely causes, and the heartbreaking aftermath for those left behind—"the wives, the sons, and the daughters,” as Gordon Lightfoot sang in his unforgettable ballad.

Focused on those directly affected by the tragedy, The Gales of November is both an emotional tribute to the lives lost and a propulsive, page-turning narrative history of America’s most-mourned maritime disaster.

”The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
of the great lake they call Gitche Gumee
The lake, it is said, never gives up her dead
when the skies of November turn gloomy.”

I don’t remember the first time I heard this song, and I wasn’t sure of all the words. I knew it was a song about a ship going down, but I was under the impression that it had happened a long time ago. Maybe in the 1800s (being in my early 20’s at the time, watching the news wasn’t something I tended to do.) That the song was true, and of recent times, was something I would only learn about years later. Moving to the Great Lakes area would peak my interest in the ship’s fate.

The reader comes to know the men who would go down with the ship, as well as those they would leave behind. Knowing that these men were doomed made it hard sometimes to read their stories.

The book goes through the history of the shipping industry on the Great Lakes, as well as that of the Edmund Fitzgerald, itself. And while there is no way to know for sure, Bacon presents the reader with what is known about that day, the weather, and what may have caused the Fitzgerald’s sinking when other ships made it to port.

The ship’s demise would cause major changes in how the lakes’ traffic would be handled. Better weather reports and tighter regulations would bring about safer conditions, to the point where there has not been another loss of a commercial ship on the lakes since.

The Edmund Fitzgerald’s story is a remarkable one, and well worth reading.

A Month In the Title

Goodreads 4

When a demonic presence awakens deep in a Mexican silver mine, the young woman it seizes must turn to the one man she shouldn’t trust… from bestselling author Isabel Cañas.

In 1765, plague sweeps through Zacatecas. Alba flees with her wealthy merchant parents and fiancé, Carlos, to his family’s isolated mine for refuge. But safety proves fleeting as other dangers soon bare their teeth: Alba begins suffering from strange hallucinations, sleepwalking, and violent convulsions. She senses something cold lurking beneath her skin. Something angry. Something wrong.

I love Cañas’ writing, but I felt that this book didn’t quite hit the mark. I never felt that the two main characters, Alba and Elías, were as compelling as they could have been. I never got to know them as well as I would have liked, and have come to expect from Cañas’ work.

I tend to think that part of the reason is that more time had to be given to explaining the situation, unlike her first two books where the situations were those most readers would be familiar with. Because of that, the romance side of the story was overwhelmed by the horror.

And horror there is in Alba’s possession. Some parts are out and out creepy and I liked that the reader is kept guessing as to what’s really going on and who can be trusted. But for my self, I would have preferred more time spent on the romance's development, which at times felt rushed.

I won’t go so far to say that I didn’t enjoy the story, because I did. But the book would place last in line when it comes to her three books.

Main Character Female

Goodreads 3

Indigenous, Asian, or Latino author
1. The Possession of Alba Díaz by Isabel Cañas

Past midnight, something happens to time, that fragile concept we employ to order our sense of reality. It bends, stretches, turns back, or snaps, and sometimes reality with it. And what happens to the wide-eyed observer when the window between reality and unreality shatters, and the glass begins to fly? These four chilling novellas, a feast fit for King fans old and new, provide some shocking answers.

After all, past midnight is Stephen King's favorite time of day....

One Past Midnight: "The Langoliers" takes a red-eye flight from L.A. to Boston into a most unfriendly sky. Only eleven passengers survive, but landing in an eerily empty world makes them wish they hadn't. Something's waiting for them, you see….

The story keeps you on the edge of your seat, mainly because you can’t stop wanting to yell at the characters, “stop yammering and get on the damn plane!” I guess that only happened because I couldn’t help but be drawn into their stories and come to care about what happened to them. And the Langoliers are crazily frightening as they draw inexorably closer.

More science fiction than horror, but it certainly has some horrifying scenes.

Two Past Midnight: "Secret Window, Secret Garden" enters the suddenly strange life of writer Mort Rainey, recently divorced, depressed, and alone on the shore of Tashmore Lake. Alone, that is, until a figure named John Shooter arrives, pointing an accusing finger.

I couldn’t help but see this as more of a tragedy, as we slowly understand that what Rainey is experiencing isn’t what we think. But what is it, exactly? And what is real? A terrifying, yet heartbreaking story.

Three Past Midnight: "The Library Policeman" is set in Junction City, Iowa, an unlikely place for evil to be hiding. But for small businessman Sam Peebles, who thinks he may be losing his mind, another enemy is hiding there as well--the truth. If he can find it in time, he might stand a chance.

Unlike the first two stories, this one is definitely in the horror genre. Peebles must face the horrifying experience of his past while facing the real horror of the present. But with the help of his friends, he may just come out okay.

Four Past Midnight: The flat surface of a Polaroid photograph becomes for fifteen-year-old Kevin Delevan an invitation to the supernatural. Old Pop Merrill, Castle Rock's sharpest trader, wants to crash the party for profit, but "The Sun Dog," a creature that shouldn't exist at all, is a very dangerous investment.

A creepy take, though most of the creepiness was because to Old Pop Merrill. Really liked the story until the very end.

With an introduction and prefatory notes to each of the tales, Stephen King discusses how these stories arose in what is the world's most fearsome imagination. But it is the stories themselves that will keep readers awake long after bedtime, into those dark, timeless hours past midnight.

I enjoyed all four stories very much (though, as I said, I could do without the ending of the fourth one.) As always, King creates characters that I come to care for. The passengers on the red-eye from LA, Sam and his friends, Dave and Naomi, Kevin and his father. Even the writer, Mort.

It’s a wonderful collection of short stories/novellas that are well worth reading.

Mount TBR Reading Challenge

Mount TBR 2026 Book Links

Links are to more information regarding each book or author, not to the review.

1. The Doors of Eden by Adrian Tchaikovsky
2. Four Past Midnight by Stephen King