by Wells Tower (2010)

All Wells Tower’s characters: a bullied kid with a crappy stepfather, an old men left with nothing to do, a newly divorced man stranded in Florida and even a Viking who’s lost his thirst for pillaging are all living unsatisfied lives.

It could make Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned a depressing read. Yet! Tower’s writing possesses humor (without being quaint), pathos (without being hokey) and crystal vivid description (without getting in its own way).

This, his debut book of short stories has made him a bit of a hyped darling -but just because he’s praised doesn’t mean he’s not worthy.

I can’t wait to read more from him and pass this along to my avid reader friends.

See more: Books 2010s Short Stories

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Posted on October 6, 2011

by George R R Martin (1996-????)

There’s so much to say about the epic Song of Ice and Fire series but so little you want to give away to those still buried within its thousands of pages.

Like so many others I picked the books up after loving the HBO adaptation… and what a fun time to be reading it. It’s the kind of book you want to discuss with people incessantly and there’s no shortage of fellow readers. Jim even texted me after especially incendiary chapters in disbelief.

With that kind of fervor and enthusiasm that the books evoke, George R.R. Martin has created something truly unique and it’s little wonder that the world is entranced.

I was as well as heartbroken, shocked (repeatedly and effectively), obsessed, angered, relieved, frustrated, awed and now after just finishing Dance with Dragons filled with a venomous ache for justice, some conclusions and frankly for some plot lines to get on with it already… ( I felt like Martin Sheen thinking “Mereen, shit I’m still only in Mereen”)

Yes it’s not without its flaws one cringe worthy sex scene where cock and cunt cant be told apart proves that but what’s harder for this reader is the scattered scope after the whirlwind of awesomeness in book three. The plot splits between two books and beloved characters aren’t seen for hundreds upon hundreds of pages. I can only imagine how frustrating this must have been for readers that had to wait years for the next book as I am about to do for book six.

But despite the flaws and the fact that it might never be completed, this is one extraordinary reading experience. Now I get to see how book two is interpreted on the show… too excited.

See more: Books 1990s 2000s 2010s Fantasy

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Posted on September 21, 2011

by Brandon T Snider (2011)

I have always, always loved bright, stat and photo filled reference books. As a kid I poured over this huge Your Fifty States Book and an old Hollywood guide of actors and actresses with glee.

So I was thrilled when friend and author  of The DC Comics The Ultimate Character Guide, Brandon Snider brought a signed copy of this bold, fun, informative book for little Van – because I will enjoy it as much as he will.

Now, super hero comics have never been my brand of nerd, but I love reading through the character’s vital stats, background, nicknames and super powers.

From Adam Strange (who defends the universe, but would rather hang out with his hot wife and baby daughter) to Zatanna a magician babe who not only fights forces of evil, but puts on elaborate magic shows in her spare time (in fishnets!), from the disgusting janitor turned purple toxic donut eating Parasite, to the comely Sebastian Ballesteros who for a brief, totally hunky moment became the studly male version of Cheetah, from Brainiac, who travels the universe in an insane Iron Maiden-esque skull ship to Harley Quinn who left her life as a respected psychiatrist to commit crimes with the Joker – there’s a super hero or villain here for everybody.

I can’t wait til Van is big enough to totally geek out with this.

Thanks Brandon!! (pictured below in one of his more sophisticated looks).

See more: Books 2010s Comics Reference

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Posted on July 31, 2011

by Ramsey Campbell (1979)

Ramsey Campbell’s John Horridge is one of the most believable psychopaths I’ve read. His extreme homophobia and irrational paranoia make it a disconcerting, but interesting read, as most of The Face That Must Die takes us into his inner thoughts and ravings.

It’s little wonder that Campbell based the character on someone with schizophrenia that he knew well, his own mother. The perspective is eerie and realistic.

The other characters: drug abusing boyfriends, artists, and struggling young women and the settings, like a depressing housing estate, are equally vivid in the hands of Campbell, who is highly regarded in the horror genre (this is the first I’ve read by him).

The strange photo real montage illustrations by JK Potter, however, do not really reflect the mood and descriptions in the book, which takes place in the 1970’s in Liverpool. They will however raise the eyebrows of anyone looking over your shoulder at what you are reading.

I’d be curious to read more from Campbell, as this is a unique, unnerving take on the oft repeated serial killer novel.

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Posted on July 15, 2011

by Patricia Highsmith (1957)

Patricia Highsmith‘s Deep Water is a slow simmering thriller. It’s a claustrophobic look inside the very strange and cruel marriage between Vic and Melinda. Living in separate quarters, theirs is a loveless but weirdly co-dependent relationship based on the odd, not quite unspoken arrangement that Melinda can take as many lovers as she pleases.

Teetering between loathing and dedication to his wife, whose affairs are viciously paraded in front of him (often in his own living room), Vic loses himself in his unusual interests, like book printing, poetry, entomology… and eventually murder!

Not since George and Martha in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? has there been a fictional couple so messed up yet willfully entangled in their daily chaos.

Though it’s not written first person, the book is definitely from the point of view of Vic, which makes the reader feel like, if not a cheerleader for him, then at least a confident. It’s not hard to be on the side of Vic, despite his crimes, as his wife is so outwardly awful.

By the end, you feel that uncomfortable queasiness you get when you’ve seen far too much of someones personal life and find it repulsive… but at the same time, you can’t resist hearing more and more details.

I have been meaning to read a book by Patricia Highsmith of Talented Mr. Ripley fame for some time and this certainly won’t be the last.

See more: Books 1950s Noir Thrillers

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Posted on June 16, 2011