Thursday, April 21, 2022

Mer Lovers by Tamsin Ley ★★★☆☆

Yellow tail merman on a waterfall
Welcome to the world of evil mermaids and maligned beautiful mermen desperate for commitment and insta luv.  Now that’s a scenario in need of some human ladies!  

Tuesday, April 5, 2022

The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco ★★★☆☆

Some men just want to make the world burn - images cut from Batman and Alfred, then the Joker in front of the fire
That just about sums up the book.  

An impressive level of research and love of history went into this book.  But if you don’t share Echo’s niche love of medieval ecclesiastical history the book is tear-out-your-hair frustrating.  

Wednesday, March 30, 2022

EcoVillage at Ithaca: Pioneering a Sustainable Culture by Liz Walker ★★★★☆

Building the first Ecovillage in America took grit.  The work required behind real world Solarpunk would send most of us screaming!!!

Thursday, March 24, 2022

Irish Gothic: Tales of Celtic Horror by Ronald Kelly

The Spawn of Arget Bethir ★★★★★ 
A young monk has violent dreams that lead him to discover the legends that tore apart his family.  Kelly combines The Book of Kells and werewolves to create a legend that deserves its own series!

Postcard from Kilkenny ★★★★½ 
A man receives a postcard from his long lost uncle, an uncle who should be dead, an uncle who was rumored to be a vampire.  Kelly even managed to slip in a joke about his vampire novel Blood Kin, a book Graeme recommended!

Tuesday, March 22, 2022

Miscreations: Gods, Monstrosities & Other Horror

My Knowing Glance by Lucy Snyder ★★★★½ 
“It’s just more satisfying to think that he died out of a deep, soul-wrenching despair rather than garden-variety cowardice.”

Type 5 Armageddon Hellspawn, batter up!  Gory, violent, and entertaining, Lucy Snyder hits a home run!

One Last Transformation by Josh Malerman ★★★★☆ 
Shudder.  Maybe because I have been binge watching Criminal Minds, but that felt real in an unsightly way.

Tuesday, February 22, 2022

The Dead by James Joyce ★★★☆☆

Emily Prentiss at the end of Demonology in Season Four Criminal Minds
A boring dinner party ends with a poignant moment - that is all.   

It did add some depth of emotion to Emily Prentiss at the end of Demonology, S4E17, Criminal Minds.