BOOKS & BLOG: March 11, 2019

by | Mar 11, 2019 | News

  • Bird Box, Josh Malerman
  • Blood Communion, Anne Rice
  • The Knife of Never Letting Go, Patrick Ness
  • Watcher in the Woods,Kelley Armstrong
  • Lucky Supreme, Jeff Johnson

 

Lots of you have probably seen the movie made from Josh Malerman’s Bird Box. Though the movie is pretty loyal to the book, there are some important differences, too, so don’t expect to read a novelization. This is really an excellent horror novel all by itself.

The Vampire Lestat is part of our culture, now, and Anne Rice felt moved to write about Lestat once again. It seems to me that in Blood CommunionLestat lets go of his remaining ties to humanity. He’s created his own vampire world, and he rules it. But of course, there are always some bloodsuckers who won’t dance with the music . . . and they simply have to go.

The Knife of Never Letting Go is Patrick Ness’s first of a triology in the Chaos Walking series. Todd, about to become a man in some kind of formal ceremony he dreads, lives in a womanless society where all men hear each others’ thoughts, loudly and constantly. Todd doesn’t know about any other society. But his eyes are opened, rudely and abruptly, and he flees the only life he’s ever known. Todd finds that the world away from Prentisstown is different than he’d ever imagined, and that his life has been a deception. Ness’s book is so well written, so vivid. Give this book a try.

As you know, I’m a huge Kelley Armstrong fan, and the Rockton books are among my favorites. It’s a sealed-room mystery series, only the “room” is a closed and remote community with a population of people who are paying to hide there. The protagonist is Casey Duncan, who has fled to Rockton for good reasons. She is a police officer in Rockton as she was out in the real world.  In Watcher in the Woods, a US Marshall shows up in Rockton to arrest one of the residents. This violates every principal Rockton’s built on, of course. When the marshall himself is murdered, she and her boss have to find out who did it. Who did he come to arrest? Might be almost anyone . . .

Jeff Johnson’s Lucky Supreme would be listed in an encyclopedia under “definition of noir.” Portland tattoo artist Darby Holland discovers a former employee has stolen from him, and he sets out to recover what is his. At the same time, his decaying corner of Portland is under threat of gentrification, what makes his shop (Lucky Supreme) famous and historic will no longer apply. Darby is not one to take any challenge lightly, and neither are his employees, especially the night shift artists. Dark and fascinating.

 

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Odds and Ends

 My grandchildren are here, the two most fascinating and adorable individuals in the world. Bar none. Yet here I am stealing off to write a Book N Blog, because it’s been forever. I’m so far behind on my work that I have to knock off bits of it when I can.

It’s Lent, if you’re an Episcopalian like me, or Catholic. I’m sure there are other denominations of Christian that observe this season. We’re obliged to reflect and repent, which is not necessarily a gloomy thing. We do go to church a lot more. Also not a bad thing.

What do I have to do during the next four weeks? I have to finish a short story, finish making the suggested changes to A Longer Fall, and jump right into the third Gunnie Rose book. At a furious rate. There is another short story I agreed to write, but I’m afraid that one is in peril, unless I have a fantastic idea. There are a combination of reasons I’m in this pinch, some my own fault and some not. But that’s where I am.

Later this year, if all goes as planned, I will have one knee replaced. If that goes well, maybe I can do the other one next year. This will lead to an uncomfortable and long recovery, but it’s necessary.

I have two good things to tell you when I can, but even after months and months I am assured I still can’t give details. This is very frustrating to a tell-all person like me.

I am tired of gray days. The lack of sun seems to affect me more now than it used to. Seasonal Affective Disorder is a real thing!

Happy reading to all of you. This past week, I got the newest Anne Bishop and the newest Seanan McGuire on the same day, and it was GREAT. So many good things to enjoy!

 

Charlaine Harris

 

 

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