gilda_elise | Entries tagged with mount tbr 2021

Stephen King returns to the characters and territory of one of his most popular novels ever, The Shining, in this instantly riveting novel about the now middle-aged Dan Torrance (the boy protagonist of The Shining) and the very special 12-year-old girl he must save from a tribe of murderous paranormals.

On highways across America, a tribe of people called The True Knot travel in search of sustenance. They look harmless - mostly old, lots of polyester, and married to their RVs. But as Dan Torrance knows, and spunky 12-year-old Abra Stone learns, The True Knot are quasi-immortal, living off the "steam" that children with the "shining" produce when they are slowly tortured to death.

Haunted by the inhabitants of the Overlook Hotel where he spent one horrific childhood year, Dan has been drifting for decades, desperate to shed his father's legacy of despair, alcoholism, and violence. Finally, he settles in a New Hampshire town, an AA community that sustains him, and a job at a nursing home where his remnant "shining" power provides the crucial final comfort to the dying. Aided by a prescient cat, he becomes "Doctor Sleep."

Then Dan meets the evanescent Abra Stone, and it is her spectacular gift, the brightest shining ever seen, that reignites Dan's own demons and summons him to a battle for Abra's soul and survival. This is an epic war between good and evil, a gory, glorious story that will thrill the millions of hyper-devoted fans of The Shining and wildly satisfy anyone new to the territory of this icon in the King canon.

This sequel to The Shining does not disappoint. Dan Torrance is center stage, first as he struggles with alcoholism, then as he comes to the aid of Abra Stone, another possessor of the shining. Even more powerful than Dan, she still needs his help, along with her doctor, John Dalton, and Billy Freeman, a friend of Dan’s, to fight off the True Knot, who have focused on Abra as a source of the “steam” that keeps them alive.

As usual with King’s books, all the characters come alive, and you can’t help but come to care for many of them. In that, I was so glad to find that the book and the movie have very different projections. And while I don’t usually care for books that focus too much on children, King has a gift for writing them as you remember childhood to be, and how you remember seeing the world.

The book works on two levels, as a horror story, and as a story of redemption. I couldn’t recommend it more highly.

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

1. The Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson
2. The Book of Accidents by Chuck Wendig
3. The Autumn Throne (Eleanor of Aquitaine #3) by Elizabeth Chadwick
4. Grant's Final Victory: Ulysses S. Grant's Heroic Last Year by Charles Bracelen Flood
5. Doctor Sleep (The Shining #2) by Stephen King

Goodreads 5

D. Doctor Sleep by Stephen King

Vampires
1. Doctor Sleep by Stephen King
(they don't drink blood, but they're still vampires)

Shortly after losing all of his wealth in a terrible 1884 swindle, Ulysses S. Grant learned he had terminal throat and mouth cancer. Destitute and dying, Grant began to write his memoirs to save his family from permanent financial ruin. As Grant continued his work, suffering increasing pain, the American public became aware of this race between Grant's writing and his fatal illness. Twenty years after his respectful and magnanimous demeanor toward Robert E. Lee at Appomattox, people in both the North and the South came to know Grant as the brave, honest man he was, now using his famous determination in this final effort. Grant finished Memoirs just four days before he died in July 1885.

Published after his death by his friend Mark Twain, Grant's Memoirs became an instant bestseller, restoring his family's financial health and, more importantly, helping to cure the nation of bitter discord. More than any other American before or since, Grant, in his last year, was able to heal this—the country's greatest wound.

I’ve developed such an admiration for Grant, and the more I read about him, the greater it becomes. In so many ways, this book truly solidified that admiration. He was the reigning hero of the Civil War; this book shows how much of a hero he was away from the battlefield.

I can’t even begin to imagine the pain he was going through as he raced to finish his memoirs. But he carried on, without complaint, the rock for his family that he had been for the country. From both North and South, words of praise and condolences would pour in.

He was the truest as well as the bravest man who ever lived.” Words from ex-Confederate General James Longstreet, Grant’s wife’s cousin and a fellow cadet at West Point. But I think his character was best summed up by the words of his friend, Mark Twain: ”He was a very great man and superlatively good.”

Few books have shown Grant’s character so well, or the regard felt by so many of his fellow countrymen. For that alone, the book is well worth reading.

A. The Autumn Throne by Elizabeth Chadwick

B. The Book of Accidents by Chuck Wendig

G. Grant's Final Victory: Ulysses S. Grant's Heroic Last Year by Charles Bracelen Flood

M. The Ministry of the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson

England, 1176. Imprisoned by her husband, King Henry II, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Queen of England, refuses to let her powerful husband bully her into submission, even as he forces her away from her children and her birthright. Freed only by Henry's death, Eleanor becomes dowager Queen of England. But the competition for land and power that Henry stirred up among his sons has intensified to a dangerous rivalry. Eleanor will need every ounce of courage and fortitude as she crosses the Alps in winter to bring Richard his bride, and travels medieval Europe to ransom her beloved son. But even her indomitable spirit will be tested to its limits as she attempts to keep the peace between her warring sons, and find a place in the centres of power for her daughters. Eleanor of Aquitaine's powerful story is brought to a triumphant and beautiful close by much-loved author Elizabeth Chadwick.

After enjoying the first two books in this series, I was somewhat disappointed with this one.

The part of the book that covers Eleanor’s years of imprisonment by her husband, Henry II, were actually the more interesting part of the book. Henry would pull her out of her captivity from time to time, usually during the holiday season, so it wasn’t as if Eleanor never saw anyone, including Henry. Their confrontations were the most interesting part of the book, so when Henry dies, so too does the heart of the story.

A little over half the book takes place after Henry’s death, and though Eleanor is now free, the life seems to have gone out of her. At least out of her story. Because now she’s not really the center of things, but rather someone who is there only to do her son’s bidding.

And I had to wonder if she had been so pliable with Henry as she is with Richard, if maybe her marriage would have been more of a success. Because she dotes on Richard. I mean really dotes on him. At times it was almost creepy. The speculation regarding his homosexuality are only hinted at, and the failure of his marriage is placed squarely on his wife. When Richard dies, Eleanor decides that she’s done with life and plans to enter the Abbey at Fontevraud. She would die there two years later.

So it seems that, once the entire story is told, my good opinion of Henry II has returned.

A. The Autumn Throne by Elizabeth Chadwick

B. The Book of Accidents by Chuck Wendig

M. The Ministry of the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson

The line of Skala's ruling queens was established in accordance with prophecy. But now King Erius reigns, and he is ruthless in his determination to rid of Skala of any threat to his grip on power.

As the only living child of Erius's dead sister, Prince Tobin is second in line to the throne. But he is not what he seems. To protect him from the paranoid assassinations ordered by his uncle, Tobin's identity was disguised shortly after birth. But now, with the onset of puberty, Tobin has discovered his true self -- she is the rightful heir to the throne.

At court, Tobin and his loyal squire Ki form part of Crown Prince Korin's inner circle. Tobin is forced to live a lie, deceiving not only his potential enemies but also his closest friends. But soon the time will come when Skala will have need of her true Queen.

And as plague ravages the land, ancient enemies threaten war and the wizards who have traditionally protected Skala are mercilessly persecuted, it seems that day may be drawing near. Tobin must be ready to reveal her true identity and serve her country, whatever the personal cost.

Much time is spent setting up Tobin’s new situation, and the new characters that entails, so I thought that the first half of the book was rather slow. Not crawling slow, but slower than the first book. It wasn’t until the actual character of some of the characters starts to become apparent that the action starts to pick up.

On the plus side, Flewelling does an excellent job of showing Tobin’s growing anxiety over his gender identity, and the changes that he fears will start to show on the outside. He doesn’t want to be who he really is. But though he’s now barely a teenager, he’s starting to show the man (really, woman,) he will one day become.

And Brother! I’m very much looking forward to finding out his fate. It’s one of the many threads whose ends are yet to be resolved. The third book should be interesting!

( TBR Book Links 1-65 )

66. Katherine by Anya Seton
67. The Bear Who Found Christmas by Alan Rodgers
68. The Elves of Cintra (Genesis of Shannara #2) by Terry Brooks
69. One Dog at a Time: Saving the Strays of Helmand by Pen Farthing
70. Hidden Warrior (Tamír Triad #2) by Lynn Flewelling

In a remote outpost of Now Zad, in the Helmand Province of Afghanistan, Pen Farthing and his troop of young Royal Marines survive frequent engagements with the Taliban and forge links with the local community. Pen's tour of duty will change his life forever, but for entirely unexpected reasons ...

Appalled by the horrors of a local dog fight, he intervenes to free the victims. One of these dogs finds his way into the Marine compound - and into Pen's heart. Soon other strays are being drawn to the sanctuary provided by Pen's makeshift pound, including one young mum who crawls under the compound fence carrying her newborn pups to safety.

But as his tour of duty draws to an end, Pen cannot leave the dogs of Now Zad to their own fates. he begins hatching plans to help them escape to a better life.

This is Pen's gripping account of his time in Now Zad, the friends he made there and the remarkable journey they - and he - undertook. Above all, it is the story of one man's courage and humanity and his fight to make a difference in the most hostile and dangerous environment - one dog at a time.

I’ve read books before where a soldier fights to bring home a dog he adopted in Afghanistan, but never before have I read where a soldier decides to help as many stray dogs as he can. But here, you’re introduced to a soldier who decides to do just that.

It’s an uplifting tale, though not all stories end happily. it’s still a pleasure to be introduced to the many dogs whose lives Penn makes better. Obviously, the entire book can’t be about the dogs. Penn is a soldier, after all. But through it all, his compassion and concern for his charges come through.

Not a lot of good came from this war, but it’s nice to know that something did. For these animals, Farthing is a hero. For me, too.

Read a Book About Giving - One Dog at a Time: Saving the Strays of Helmand by Pen Farthing

With his groundbreaking New York Times bestseller The Sword of Shannara and its acclaimed sequels, Terry Brooks brought a new audience to epic fantasy. Then he gave the genre a darkly compelling contemporary twist in his trilogy of the Word and the Void. Last year, in Armageddon’s Children, Brooks undertook the stunning chronicle that united two unique worlds. Now that story of clashing forces of darkness and light, of Shannara’s beginnings and the human race’s possible end, marches forward into an unforgettable second volume full of mystery, magic, and momentous events.

Across the ruined landscape that is America–hopelessly poisoned, plague-ridden, burned, and besieged by demon armies bent on exterminating all mortal life–two pilgrims have been summoned to serve the embattled cause of good. Logan Tom has journeyed to desolate Seattle to protect a ragged band of street urchins and the being known as “the gypsy morph,” who is both mortal and magical, and destined to save mankind unless he is destroyed. Likewise, Angel Perez has her own quest, one that will take her from the wreckage of Los Angeles to a distant, secret place untouched by the horrors of the nationwide blight–a place where the race of Elves has dwelled since before man existed. But close behind these lone Knights of the Word swarm the ravening forces of the Void.

As the menacing thunder of war drums heralds the arrival of the demons and their brutal minions in Seattle, the young survivors who call themselves the Ghosts are forced to brave the dangerous world of gangs, mutants, and worse to escape the invasion. And Logan Tom must infiltrate a refugee compound to rescue Hawk, the leader of the street urchins, who has yet to learn the truth about who and what he is. Meanwhile, Angel Perez has joined an equally urgent mission: to find the Ellcrys, a fabled talisman crucial to protecting the Elven realm against an influx of unspeakable evil from the dread dimension known as the Forbidding. But Angel and her Elf allies must beware–for a demon spy, with a monstrous creature at its command, walks among them.

As the legions of darkness draw the noose tighter, and the time of confrontation draws near, those chosen to defend the soul of the world must draw their battle lines and prepare to fight with, and for, their lives. If they fail, humanity falls.

I did enjoy this book, just not as much as its prequel. I think because much of the action moves to the world of the elves, rather than to Hawk’s street family. Some of the book is focused on the kids, but it doesn’t seem to really move the plot forward; they have adventures, face danger, but at the end they’re basically in the place they started when it comes to the story.

The elves’ story is meatier, perhaps because the reader is introduced to what will become the main storyline in the coming books. We’ll basically leave the world of men behind.

Given that, I’m still looking forward to the last book in the trilogy. So far, it isn’t on the same level as the Word and the Void trilogy, but it’s close enough.

( TBR Book Links 1-65 )

66. Katherine by Anya Seton
67. The Bear Who Found Christmas by Alan Rodgers
68. The Elves of Cintra (Genesis of Shannara #2) by Terry Brooks

Read by Holiday Light - The Elves of Cintra (Genesis of Shannara #2) by Terry Brooks

Joey loved his teddy bear so hard and long and pure, so deeply and so truly and so powerfully that the bear began to grow a heart. A spirit heart, made of ghost instead of flesh and blood. It happens to toys sometimes. No one ever notices. When the Bear came alive in the haunted shopping mall, he was all that stood between life and death and Christmas. Alan Rodgers, has taken the fairy tale of the Brothers Grimm and the Rev. Dodson, polished its edges here and there, added a pinch of this and a tablespoon of that, and had produced the almost-perfect successor to these 19th Century fables just as the 20th Century was drawing to a close.

This is a strange little story. Part Christmas tale, part horror, I don’t think it does either well. The story is too short to have any real meat to it. I never developed any feelings for the bear, much less his owner.

Strangely enough, part of the horror seems to be the boy’s parents. The father, though well meaning, works too much, so has little time with his son. The mother, who drinks too much, has little sympathy for her child. But Still Bear seems to be enough for her son, and the two of them will always have their love.

( TBR Book Links 1-65 )

66. Katherine by Anya Seton
67. The Bear Who Found Christmas by Alan Rodgers

Read a Holiday Story - The Bear Who Found Christmas by Alan Rodgers

I Read Horror Year-Round List

*Winter Theme, or winter appearance on the cover (snow, ice, etc.):
1. Ararat by Christopher Golden

*Ghosts or spirits:
1. The Family Plot by Cherie Priest
2. Gad’s Hall by Norah Lofts
3. The Bear Who Found Christmas by Alan Rodgers

*Psychological:
1. The Chalk Man by C.J. Tudor
2. The Hiding Place by C. J. Tudor

*Monster or Monsters:
1. Snowblind by Christopher Golden

*A body of water (featured in story, on cover, or in title):
1. Duma Key by Stephen King
2. The Listener by Robert McCammon

*Really scary book cover:
1. The Breach by M.T. Hill
2. Pet Sematary by Stephen King

*Woman on cover:
1. Later by Stephen King
2. The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

*Written by a woman:
1. The Mummy (Ramses the Damned #1) by Anne Rice
2. The Burning Girls by C. J. Tudor
3. Frankenstein, Or the Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley

*Written by a best-selling horror author:
1. If It Bleeds by Stephen King
2. The Shining by Stephen King
3. The Cleanup by John Skipp and Craig Spector
4. Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury

*Written by an indie author:
1. Echoes of Home by M.L. Rayner

*Historical horror (must be an historical novel written by a contemporary author):
1. Last Train From Perdition by Robert McCammon

*Folk horror:
1. Harvest Home by Thomas Tryon
2. Candlenight by Phil Rickman

This classic romance novel tells the true story of the love affair that changed history—that of Katherine Swynford and John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, the ancestors of most of the British royal family. Set in the vibrant 14th century of Chaucer and the Black Death, the story features knights fighting in battle, serfs struggling in poverty, and the magnificent Plantagenets—Edward III, the Black Prince, and Richard II—who ruled despotically over a court rotten with intrigue. Within this era of danger and romance, John of Gaunt, the king’s son, falls passionately in love with the already married Katherine. Their well-documented affair and love persist through decades of war, adultery, murder, loneliness, and redemption. This epic novel of conflict, cruelty, and untamable love has become a classic since its first publication in 1954.

There’s much to like about this book; the plot is complex, yet easy to follow. And it’s obvious that there was a lot of research, though some things have been found to be wrong. But that can be overlooked because of how interesting the main story is.

What I couldn’t overlook was how Katherine was portrayed. She’s too perfect in some areas; the most beautiful woman, almost spiritual in her continence, she awes everyone she meets. Yet she’s a lousy mother, as her attraction to John of Gaunt overwhelms everything; her marriage to someone else, her children by him, and any thought as to how her actions might affect anyone else.

It’s an interesting book, but ultimately a flawed one.

( TBR Book Links 1-65 )

66. Katherine by Anya Seton

Red or Green Cover - Katherine by Anya Seton

DECEMBER- That’s History. Read a historical fiction book or a book about a true historical event.

Katherine by Anya Seton

With the year ending, it's time to re-up!

2022 Monthly Motif

girlxoxo

A classic picture book celebrating all the joy a Christmas tree can bring.

Christmas is here and Mr. Willowby's tree has arrived. There's just one big problem: The tree is too tall for his parlor. He cuts off the top so it will fit, and soon the top of that tree is passed along again and again to bring holiday cheer to all the animals in the forest.

Kids will love watching the tree move from home to home, and families will appreciate the subtle message of conservation and recycling, as the tree top spreads joy to so many of the forest dwellers.

This heartwarming story is the perfect way to start your yuletide season, and a warm addition to your family's festive holiday traditions.

This was one of my younger brother’s favorite books. My parents had enrolled him in the Weekly Reader Children’s Book Club and this was one of the books sent to him. It would become one that I read to him (he was four,) dozens of times. It would become one of my favorites, too.

"Mr. Willowby’s Christmas tree
Came by special delivery."

It’s lost none of its charm. It’s very much a book about giving, even if that giving is inadvertent. As a smaller and smaller tree top is given to one family after the other; to Mr. Willowby’s maid, then to his gardener, on to a passing bear, to a fox, a rabbit, and finally to a mouse whose house just happens to be in one of Mr. Willowby’s wall. No matter the size of their tree, all find joy in it.

Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree

"Oh, wasn’t it grand to have a tree–
Exactly like Mr. Willowby’s?"

I think anyone who reads the book will find joy, too.

( TBR Book Links 1-60 )

61. The Winter Crown: A Novel of Eleanor of Aquitaine (Eleanor of Aquitaine #2) by Elizabeth Chadwick
62. Divided Soul: The Life Of Marvin Gaye by David Ritz
63. Angel Fire East (The Word & The Void #3) by Terry Brooks
64.The Winter Killing by Frances Irwin
65. Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree by Robert E. Barry

Read a Holiday Picture Book - Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree by Robert E. Barry

Ralph’s look was Edmund of Rutland, the second son of the Duke of York. Serving him, Ralph could look forward to a prosperous future, but Edmund was more than lord and master, he was Ralph’s dearest friend. that friendship meant more to him even than his love for the proud and beautiful Elizabeth Mortimer.

They lived in exciting and dangerous times, when the rival houses of York and Lancaster were vying with one another for control of the country, and no one could tell who might next wear the crown. If he had lived, Edmund might have become king of England, as did two of his brothers.

But Edmund of Rutland was only seventeen when he was killed at the Battle of Wakefield and his severed head hung high over the gates of York city. And for Ralph, the world seemed to have come to an end.

Though there isn’t a real look at Edmund, the book focusing more on his squire, Ralph, the book still held my interest. It’s a quick look at the times, and how the war between the two sides of the Plantagenet family would change so many lives.

The book’s cover notwithstanding, there isn’t a great amount of gore, the story focusing more on people, the battle of Wakefield being an exception.

Though the book seems to be written more for young adults, I found it entertaining enough.

Read a Book set in Winter - The Winter Killing by Frances Irwin

Angel Fire East marks the close of Terry Brooks's Word and Void trilogy, which began with 1997's Running with the Demon. In this book, the story returns to Nest's native Hopewell, where once again Nest and John must face off against the Void. This time, the demon is the ancient Findo Gask, along with his sidekicks: a giant albino demon, a shapeless ur'droch who lives only to kill, and a self-destructive psycho named Penny Dreadful.
The story begins when John Ross shows up at Nest Freemark's door with a young boy. He reveals that the boy, who he calls Little John, is actually a gypsy morph, a creature born of wild magic and capable of enormous deeds, for good or evil. Both sides have approximately one month to unravel Little John's secrets and recruit him for their cause. Because after one month, the magic that holds him together will tear him apart, and his powers will be lost forever.

Returning to two of his greatest characters, John Ross and Nest Freemark, Brooks builds the mystery of the gypsy morph, and its affect on John and Nest, to its surprising, though inevitable, conclusion. It was a conclusion I knew was coming, but I’ll miss John and Nest.

Though this trilogy, along with the Genesis of Shannara trilogy which follows, are part of the history of the whole Shannara universe, I find them more satisfying. Perhaps because they’re still in our world, the characters, and the situations, are easier to accept. The books seem more science fiction than fantasy, though that changes as the series goes on.

Given all that, the three Word and the Void books can be read as a standalone series, Angel Fire East being the satisfying and great ending.

Read Wrapped in a Blanket (again, how I usually read) - Angel Fire East (The Word & The Void #3) by Terry Brooks

Drawing from interviews conducted before Marvin Gaye's death, acclaimed music writer David Ritz has created a full-scale portrait of the brilliant but tormented artist. With a cast of characters that includes Diana Ross, Berry Gordy, Smokey Robinson, and Stevie Wonder, this intimate biography is a definitive and enduring look at the man who embodied the very essence of the word soul.

I remember the day I heard that Marvin Gaye had been shot, by his own father, no less. I couldn’t imagine the circumstances that would bring about such a tragic event. Of course, at the time I only knew of Gaye’s music, not his history. If what’s in this book is true, I certainly know it now.

The book goes into depth regarding all of Gaye’s life, from his childhood to his death. Unfortunately, the author gets carried away when it comes to his use of adjectives, especially when he sets himself up as arbiter of Gaye’s mental health. Gaye may have had emotional problems, but much of what the author writes is written in such purple prose that it’s hard to know if it’s true or hyperbole. Especially when it comes to sex, which it comes to a lot.

There are other books about Gaye; mostly by other family members. It’s unfortunate that there isn’t one by a writer who could be objective regarding its subject, one that could take a step back when writing about Marvin Gaye. This one certainly doesn’t.

12. Read in your pajamas - Divided Soul by David Ritz

It is the winter of 1154 and Eleanor, Queen of England, is biding her time. While her husband King Henry II battles for land across the channel, Eleanor fulfils her duty as acting ruler and bearer of royal children. But she wants to be more than this - if only Henry would let her.

Instead, Henry belittles and excludes her, falling for a young mistress and leaving Eleanor side-lined and angry. And as her sons become young men, frustrated at Henry's hoarding of power, Eleanor is forced into a rebellion of devastating consequences. She knows how much Henry needs her, but does Henry know himself?

Overflowing with scandal, politics, sex, triumphs and tragedies, The Winter Crown is the much-awaited new novel in this trilogy and a rich, compelling story in its own right.

Well, she did it; Chadwick made me like Eleanor (or Alienor, as she is called in the book.) I was reluctant to read the book because I had always sided with Henry. No more. Chadwick did this by giving good reasons for the things that Alienor did, especially against Henry, and for their split, which had her standing with their sons when they rebelled. It may be fiction, but it made a lot of sense.

Chadwick has a way of bringing life to her characters, especially women, and Alienor is filled with life. No matter the circumstances, maturity now allows her to push through. She's tough, but no saint. She does what she has to do in order to survive.

I know enough about the era for it to be obvious that Chadwick rarely, if ever, veers from established history. Alienor had a long and eventful life, but I think how this book ended, and the next one must pick up, are circumstances which are probably the worse she ever had to handle. I look forward to reading that last book in the trilogy.

( TBR Book Links 1-60 )

61. The Winter Crown: A Novel of Eleanor of Aquitaine (Eleanor of Aquitaine #2) by Elizabeth Chadwick

Goodreads 66

16. Read a book with your pet(s - which I always do) - The Winter Crown by Elizabeth Chadwick

A breathtaking thriller which weaves history and religion with action, adventure and apocalypse…

Luke Hayward is adrift. Blacklisted out of academia, he is in no position to refuse when a client asks for his expert help in recovering some lost Isaac Newton papers.

But a chance discovery in a dusty attic plunges Luke into a race to uncover the truth behind some seemingly random scribblings - a race which pits Luke against a fundamentalist madman with dangerously powerful friends.

Luke discovers connections between Oxford, London and the Old City of Jerusalem in a breathless chase to uncover a secret hidden in the eccentric ramblings of a mathematical genius; a secret that, in the wrong hands, could be used to spark the holy war to end all holy wars…

I’ve enjoyed several of Adams’ books and this was no exception. Luke’s attempt to find the truth is a convoluted one, twists and turns at every, well, turn. It actually took me a bit to get the characters straight, but that didn’t subtract from my enjoyment. Luke, especially, was likable. As was Rachel, the woman who would join him in his quest to stop the cabal of religious madmen. Those madmen would be the part of the story I would find hard to swallow.

Maybe that’s the blindness that overcomes people who believe in something, whatever the reality is. The characters are supposed to be learned men, steeped in, not just the bible, but the history of what came to be known as the Holy Land. Problem is, most of the stories that their reasons are based on, archaeologists have debunked. It was hard to see the men as, not just misguided, but deliberately blind. Unfortunately, it’s pretty plain, taking our own recent history, that people like this do exist.

MADE IT TO THE TOP OF MOUNT KILIMANJARO!

( TBR Book Links 1-55 )

56. https://www.google.com/books/edition/Frankenstein, Or the Modern Prometheus by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
57. The Haunting of Hill House (Stephen King Horror Library) by Shirley Jackson
58. Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
59. Candlelight by Phil Rickman
60. Newton's Fire by Will Adams

Goodreads 65

NOVEMBER- IN THE LIBRARY WITH THE CANDLESTICK: Read a mystery- cozy, detective, spies, true crime, whodunnit, or the like.

Newton’s Fire by Will Adams

A supernatural thriller exploring the darker side of rural life in a remote Welsh mountain village, where primal fears and ancient longings haunt the present day

Corpse-candles. Phantom funerals. The bird of death. It was insidious . . .

For Bethan, the schoolteacher, the old superstitions woven into the social fabric of her West Wales village are primitive and distasteful, which is why she's pleased to welcome the sophisticated newcomers: London journalist Giles Freeman and his wife Claire. Surely they'll let in some fresh air. But the Freemans are keen to absorb this different culture, a whole new way of life, rejecting the advice of an old colleague who warns them of a hard and bitter land where they've always danced on the edge of the abyss. They soon learn that this community hides an ancient, bloody, and pagan secret—one that will haunt them forever.

Part supernatural tale, part mystery, the book draws the reader in with its intricate plot and well rounded characters. Based on Welsh myths, the story follows Giles and Claire as they settle into their new lives in the remote village of Y Groes. But soon tragedy befalls and it’s up to Bethan and Berry Morelli, an American journalist and Giles’ friend, to discover the truth behind the village and its insular population.

The reader never knows who’s going to live and who’s going to die, which adds to the suspense. Rickman is one of my favorite horror writers, but it was still a surprise to learn that this was his first book.

Features a Witch or Wizard - Candlenight by Phil Rickman

I Read Horror Year-Round List

*Winter Theme, or winter appearance on the cover (snow, ice, etc.):
1. Ararat by Christopher Golden

*Ghosts or spirits:
1. The Family Plot by Cherie Priest
2. Gad’s Hall by Norah Lofts

*Psychological:
1. The Chalk Man by C.J. Tudor
2. The Hiding Place by C. J. Tudor

*Monster or Monsters:
1. Snowblind by Christopher Golden

*A body of water (featured in story, on cover, or in title):
1. Duma Key by Stephen King
2. The Listener by Robert McCammon

*Really scary book cover:
1. The Breach by M.T. Hill
2. Pet Sematary by Stephen King

*Woman on cover:
1. Later by Stephen King
2. The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

*Written by a woman:
1. The Mummy (Ramses the Damned #1) by Anne Rice
2. The Burning Girls by C. J. Tudor
3. Frankenstein, Or the Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley

*Written by a best-selling horror author:
1. If It Bleeds by Stephen King
2. The Shining by Stephen King
3. The Cleanup by John Skipp and Craig Spector
4. Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury

*Written by an indie author:
1. Echoes of Home by M.L. Rayner

*Historical horror (must be an historical novel written by a contemporary author):
1. Last Train From Perdition by Robert McCammon

*Folk horror:
1. Harvest Home by Thomas Tryon
2. Candlenight by Phil Rickman

For those who still dream and remember, for those yet to experience the hypnotic power of its dark poetry, step inside. The show is about to begin. Cooger & Dark’s Pandemonium Shadow Show has come to Green Town, Illinois, to destroy every life touched by its strange and sinister mystery. The carnival rolls in sometime after midnight, ushering in Halloween a week early. A calliope’s shrill siren song beckons to all with a seductive promise of dreams and youth regained. Two boys will discover the secret of its smoke, mazes, and mirrors; two friends who will soon know all too well the heavy cost of wishes…and the stuff of nightmares.

Few novels have endured in the heart and memory as has Ray Bradbury’s unparalleled literary masterpiece Something Wicked This Way Comes. Scary and suspenseful, it is a timeless classic in the American canon.

I think the story would have been better served as a short story. The plot is intriguing and interesting, but it takes Bradbury forever to get to a point. Every action is filled with descriptives of every sort. Some, of course, are needed, but Bradbury often goes on, describing the same thing in, no doubt colorful, but unneeded.

But the characters are wonderful, and you can’t help but root for Jim and Will as they fight to stay who they are against the power of the mysterious carnival that comes to town. They have the help of Will’s father, whose confrontation with one of the carnival’s denizens may be the answer the boys so desperately need.

Depending on your tastes, this could either be a great book, or a real snooze. For me, it was somewhat in the middle.

Set In the Fall - Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury

I Read Horror Year-Round List

*Winter Theme, or winter appearance on the cover (snow, ice, etc.):
1. Ararat by Christopher Golden

*Ghosts or spirits:
1. The Family Plot by Cherie Priest
2. Gad’s Hall by Norah Lofts

*Psychological:
1. The Chalk Man by C.J. Tudor
2. The Hiding Place by C. J. Tudor

*Monster or Monsters:
1. Snowblind by Christopher Golden

*A body of water (featured in story, on cover, or in title):
1. Duma Key by Stephen King
2. The Listener by Robert McCammon

*Really scary book cover:
1. The Breach by M.T. Hill
2. Pet Sematary by Stephen King

*Woman on cover:
1. Later by Stephen King
2. The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

*Written by a woman:
1. The Mummy (Ramses the Damned #1) by Anne Rice
2. The Burning Girls by C. J. Tudor
3. Frankenstein, Or the Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley

*Written by a best-selling horror author:
1. If It Bleeds by Stephen King
2. The Shining by Stephen King
3. The Cleanup by John Skipp and Craig Spector
4. Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury

*Written by an indie author:
1. Echoes of Home by M.L. Rayner

*Historical horror (must be an historical novel written by a contemporary author):
1. Last Train From Perdition by Robert McCammon

*Folk horror:
1. Harvest Home by Thomas Tryon

Four seekers have come to Hill House, a scary old abandoned mansion: Dr. Montague, an occult scholar who had been looking for an honestly haunted house all his life; Theodora, a lovely and lighthearted girl there mostly on a lark; Luke, the adventurous future heir of Hill House; and Eleanor, a strange and lonely woman well acquainted with poltergeists and other psychic phenomena. At first their stay seems destined to be merely a spooky encounter with inexplicable noises and slamming doors. But Hill House is gathering up powers and will soon choose one of them to make its own.
The Haunting Of Hill House is full of horror and mystification and a wit that mixes laughter with chills. Its publication in 1959 confirmed Shirley Jackson as a master at portraying the secret vagaries of the mind, and as a brilliant stylist capable of interjecting the conventions of horror with a psychological complexity not encountered since Henry James. "It is the character of Eleanor and Shirley Jackson's depiction of it that elevates The Haunting Of Hill House into the ranks of the great supernatural novels," Stephen King writes in the introduction to this exclusive Stephen King Horror Library edition. "Indeed, it seems to me that it and James's The Turn Of The Screw are the only two great novels of the supernatural in the last hundred years.”

“Within, walls continued upright, bricks met neatly, floors were firm, and doors were sensibly shut; silence lay steadily against the wood and stone of Hill House, and whatever walked thee, walked alone.”

So begins, and ends, the story of Hill House, and no more frightening words have been written. They give the reader a template of what is to come. What is real and what is imagination is always in question; is Eleanor crazy or being controlled by the house? Is Hill House evil or merely a scapegoat of its damaged occupiers? The answers depend on the reader.

And for the reader’s further enjoyment, there is an absolutely wonderful movie that’s just about as good as the book. Not the truly terrible 1999 remake, but the beautifully filmed 1963 version.

Free But Halloweeny - The Haunting of Hill House (Stephen King Horror Library) by Shirley Jackson

I Read Horror Year-Round List

*Winter Theme, or winter appearance on the cover (snow, ice, etc.):
1. Ararat by Christopher Golden

*Ghosts or spirits:
1. The Family Plot by Cherie Priest
2. Gad’s Hall by Norah Lofts

*Psychological:
1. The Chalk Man by C.J. Tudor
2. The Hiding Place by C. J. Tudor

*Monster or Monsters:
1. Snowblind by Christopher Golden

*A body of water (featured in story, on cover, or in title):
1. Duma Key by Stephen King
2. The Listener by Robert McCammon

*Really scary book cover:
1. The Breach by M.T. Hill
2. Pet Sematary by Stephen King

*Woman on cover:
1. Later by Stephen King
2. The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

*Written by a woman:
1. The Mummy (Ramses the Damned #1) by Anne Rice
2. The Burning Girls by C. J. Tudor
3. Frankenstein, Or the Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley

*Written by a best-selling horror author:
1. If It Bleeds by Stephen King
2. The Shining by Stephen King
3. The Cleanup by John Skipp and Craig Spector

*Written by an indie author:
1. Echoes of Home by M.L. Rayner

*Historical horror (must be an historical novel written by a contemporary author):
1. Last Train From Perdition by Robert McCammon

*Folk horror:
1. Harvest Home by Thomas Tryon

Mary Shelley began writing Frankenstein when she was only eighteen. At once a Gothic thriller, a passionate romance, and a cautionary tale about the dangers of science, Frankenstein tells the story of committed science student Victor Frankenstein. Obsessed with discovering the cause of generation and life and bestowing animation upon lifeless matter, Frankenstein assembles a human being from stolen body parts but; upon bringing it to life, he recoils in horror at the creature's hideousness. Tormented by isolation and loneliness, the once-innocent creature turns to evil and unleashes a campaign of murderous revenge against his creator, Frankenstein.

Frankenstein, an instant bestseller and an important ancestor of both the horror and science fiction genres, not only tells a terrifying story, but also raises profound, disturbing questions about the very nature of life and the place of humankind within the cosmos: What does it mean to be human? What responsibilities do we have to each other? How far can we go in tampering with Nature? In our age, filled with news of organ donation genetic engineering, and bio-terrorism, these questions are more relevant than ever.

The idea of the story is still relevant, especially when it comes to the question of tampering with Nature. Unfortunately, it seemed to take forever for those questions to actually be addressed.

Age has changed my feelings about the book. Where once I saw Victor Frankenstein as a romantic hero, this time around I I thought he was an idiot.

Worse, he manages to come up with the same excuse for every mistake he makes. He was blinded: by ambition, by sorrow, by…whatever. He doesn’t notice how ugly the monster is until it comes to life? That’s hard to imagine. Even harder to swallow, is him thinking that the monster is planning on killing him when he proclaims that “I will be with you on your wedding night.” For the story to move forward, it seemed as if Shelley had to constantly find excuses for Victor’s action. And he manages to fall into a faint and become deathly ill for long periods whenever things get rough.

I realize that writing styles were very different at the time, but I found too much wrong with the book to give it a pass.

The Rest of the Mount TBR 2021 Book Links

( TBR Book Links 1-55 )

56. https://www.google.com/books/edition/Frankenstein, Or the Modern Prometheus by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

Goodreads 60

Classic Horror - Frankenstein, Or the Modern Prometheus by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

I Read Horror Year-Round List

*Winter Theme, or winter appearance on the cover (snow, ice, etc.):
1. Ararat by Christopher Golden

*Ghosts or spirits:
1. The Family Plot by Cherie Priest
2. Gad’s Hall by Norah Lofts

*Psychological:
1. The Chalk Man by C.J. Tudor
2. The Hiding Place by C. J. Tudor

*Monster or Monsters:
1. Snowblind by Christopher Golden

*A body of water (featured in story, on cover, or in title):
1. Duma Key by Stephen King
2. The Listener by Robert McCammon

*Really scary book cover:
1. The Breach by M.T. Hill
2. Pet Sematary by Stephen King

*Woman on cover:
1. Later by Stephen King

*Written by a woman:
1. The Mummy (Ramses the Damned #1) by Anne Rice
2. The Burning Girls by C. J. Tudor
3. Frankenstein, Or the Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley

*Written by a best-selling horror author:
1. If It Bleeds by Stephen King
2. The Shining by Stephen King
3. The Cleanup by John Skipp and Craig Spector

*Written by an indie author:
1. Echoes of Home by M.L. Rayner

*Historical horror (must be an historical novel written by a contemporary author):
1. Last Train From Perdition by Robert McCammon

*Folk horror:
1. Harvest Home by Thomas Tryon

1934. Businesses went under by the hundreds, debt and foreclosures boomed, and breadlines grew in many American cities.

In the midst of this misery, some folks explored unscrupulous ways to make money. Angel-faced John Partlow and carnival huckster Ginger LaFrance are among the worst of this lot. Joining together they leave their small time confidence scams behind to attempt an elaborate kidnapping-for-ransom scheme in New Orleans.

In a different part of town, Curtis Mayhew, a young black man who works as a redcap for the Union Railroad Station, has a reputation for mending quarrels and misunderstandings among his friends. What those friends don't know is that Curtis has a special talent for listening... and he can sometimes hear things that aren't spoken aloud.

One day, Curtis Mayhew's special talent allows him to overhear a child's cry for help (THIS MAN IN THE CAR HE'S GOT A GUN), which draws him into the dangerous world of Partlow and LaFrance.

This gritty depression-era crime thriller is a complex tale enriched by powerfully observed social commentary and hints of the supernatural, and it represents Robert McCammon writing at the very top of his game.

I’ve been a McCammon fan for years, and he’s rarely let me down. And while I prefer his horror stories, this one didn’t disappoint. There’s a small amount of the supernatural, but the story is basically a crime drama, where the life of a young black man is forever changed when he’s drawn into a kidnapping scheme. For he shares a gift with one of the kidnapping victims, the ability to “hear” and speak to others of their kind.

I loved both characters: Curtis, who is willing to do whatever he can in order to save a young girl who he has never met, and the girl, Nilla, who must find the strength to save not just herself, but her younger brother.

There are some scenes which may disturb some readers. But if you can get past that, you’re in for a treat.

( TBR Book Links 1-50 )

51. The City Where We Once Lived by Eric Barnes
52. The Cleanup by John Skipp & Craig Spector
53. Pet Sematary by Stephen King
54. Gad’s Hall (Gad’s Hall #1) by Norah Lofts
55. The Listener by Robert R. McCammon

Crime Thriller - The Listener by Robert McCammon

I Read Horror Year-Round List

*Winter Theme, or winter appearance on the cover (snow, ice, etc.):
1. Ararat by Christopher Golden

*Ghosts or spirits:
1. The Family Plot by Cherie Priest
2. Gad’s Hall by Norah Lofts

*Psychological:
1. The Chalk Man by C.J. Tudor
2. The Hiding Place by C. J. Tudor

*Monster or Monsters:
1. Snowblind by Christopher Golden

*A body of water (featured in story, on cover, or in title):
1. Duma Key by Stephen King
2. The Listener by Robert McCammon

*Really scary book cover:
1. The Breach by M.T. Hill
2. Pet Sematary by Stephen King

*Woman on cover - Later by Stephen King

*Written by a woman:
1. The Mummy (Ramses the Damned #1) by Anne Rice
2. The Burning Girls by C. J. Tudor

*Written by a best-selling horror author:
1. If It Bleeds by Stephen King
2. The Shining by Stephen King
3. The Cleanup by John Skipp and Craig Spector

*Written by an indie author:
1. Echoes of Home by M.L. Rayner

*Historical horror (must be an historical novel written by a contemporary author):
1. Last Train From Perdition by Robert McCammon

*Folk horror:
1. Harvest Home by Thomas Tryon

OCTOBER - LURKING IN THE SHADOWS: Read a book that has a gray, black, and/or white cover OR a book that shows a shadow on the cover.

The Listener by Robert McCammon

When a house comes up for sale at a ridiculously low price there has to be a catch. Doesn’t there? Some sort of legal problem. More prosaically, rising damp or subsidence. But Gad’s Hall had none of these problems; it was modernized and in good condition. Mr. Thorley, the vendor, had his reasons for the sale and the price so Jill and Bob Spender were happy to make the purchase.

What Mr. Thorley did not—could not—know was that there was an unseen occupant in Gad’s Hall which had already caused darkness and death and was poised to do so again…

There’s only a hint of the supernatural in the story; perhaps most was being left for the sequel. But there is that hint, mostly in the set-up of the story set in the present. A beautiful house is sold for a ridiculously low price (a sure hint of bad things to come,) and soon some in the family are picking up feelings of dread.

But then the story veers into the past, where the beginnings of that darkness, which is beginning to reach out in the present, has its start.

I did have trouble differentiating between the four sisters from Mr. Thorley’s family in the past. It took awhile for their four personalities to coalesce, as the story as a whole is a bit slow. The stronger character was their mother, Isobel, who inadvertently aids the horror that will follow the family into the present.

Good, but not one of Lofts’ best.

Features Ghost or Haunted House - Gad's Hall by Norah Lofts

I Read Horror Year-Round List

*Winter Theme, or winter appearance on the cover (snow, ice, etc.):
1. Ararat by Christopher Golden

*Ghosts or spirits:
1. The Family Plot by Cherie Priest
2. Gad’s Hall by Norah Lofts

*Psychological:
1. The Chalk Man by C.J. Tudor
2. The Hiding Place by C. J. Tudor

*Monster or Monsters:
1. Snowblind by Christopher Golden

*A body of water (featured in story, on cover, or in title):
1. Duma Key by Stephen King

*Really scary book cover:
1. The Breach by M.T. Hill
2. Pet Sematary by Stephen King

*Woman on cover - Later by Stephen King

*Written by a woman:
1. The Mummy (Ramses the Damned #1) by Anne Rice
2. The Burning Girls by C. J. Tudor

*Written by a best-selling horror author:
1. If It Bleeds by Stephen King
2. The Shining by Stephen King
3. The Cleanup by John Skipp and Craig Spector

*Written by an indie author:
1. Echoes of Home by M.L. Rayner

*Historical horror (must be an historical novel written by a contemporary author):
1. Last Train From Perdition by Robert McCammon

*Folk horror:
1. Harvest Home by Thomas Tryon

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Page Summary

Doctor Sleep (The Shining #2) by Stephen King
Grant's Final Victory: Ulysses S. Grant's Heroic Last Year by Charles Bracelen Flood
The Autumn Throne (Eleanor of Aquitaine #3) by Elizabeth Chadwick
Hidden Warrior (Tamír Triad #2) by Lynn Flewelling
One Dog at a Time: Saving the Strays of Helmand by Pen Farthing
The Elves of Cintra (Genesis of Shannara #2) by Terry Brooks
The Bear Who Found Christmas by Alan Rodgers
Katherine by Anya Seton
Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree by Robert E. Barry
The Winter Killing by Frances Irwin
Angel Fire East (The Word & The Void #3) by Terry Brooks
Divided Soul: The Life Of Marvin Gaye by David Ritz
The Winter Crown: A Novel of Eleanor of Aquitaine (Eleanor of Aquitaine #2) by Elizabeth Chadwick
Newton's Fire by Will Adams
Candlenight by Phil Rickman
Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
The Haunting of Hill House (Stephen King Horror Library) by Shirley Jackson
Frankenstein, Or the Modern Prometheus by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
The Listener by Robert R. McCammon
Gad’s Hall (Gad’s Hall #1) by Norah Lofts

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