Mythos: The Illustrated Edition

I love the idea of myths. Greek and Roman gods! They’re just like us! After reading (for pleasure, really) Robert Graves’ The Greek Myths in elementary school and taking an equally dry college mythology course, I’m ready to have some fun with mythical tales. Mythos: The Illustrated Edition fulfills thatContinue Reading

Tiger Chair

In Tiger Chair, a Chinese platoon leader writes a very long letter home to his best friend from the front. It is not a cheerful letter. Ten long years ago, China declared a world war after a squabble in Taiwan. The letter writer has been stationed in Los Angeles forContinue Reading

Schizotopia

A totally unique take on a novel. Schizotopia is no John Dies at the End. However, it does offer an unusual look at schizophrenia from the inside of a character’s mind. Unfortunately, a schizophrenic narrator does not structure their ideas in a coherent manner. I would call this book moreContinue Reading

Hound GN

Hound GN is a classically illustrated graphic novel about war and what it does to its combatants. Private Barrow is a tosher, who hunts for sellable goods within the London sewers. He is the newest recruit in The Hounds, a special unit in the British army during World War I.Continue Reading

Silver Nitrate

Silver Nitrate is the latest book by the author of the excellent Mexican Gothic and the so-so The Daughter of Doctor Moreau. I was hoping this book was more like the first book. Unfortunately, it was not. My issue with Daughter was the slow pacing and the unoriginal subject matter.Continue Reading

The Wishing Game

Do you remember reading your favorite childhood book for the first time? It felt like the author had written the book solely for you. For me, that book was Alice in Wonderland. The Wishing Game gave me that same feeling. Thirtysomething Lucy has a favorite childhood book series called theContinue Reading

The Devil's Advisor

Everyone’s office has a Brian. He’s smart but obnoxious as well as the office suck up. One day, Brian gets a chain letter. You know, the kind you answer a question and forward to ten other people. This letter is an actual email from Hell. It asks the recipient whoContinue Reading

Vampire Weekend

Forget everything you think you know about vampires. They can’t fly and sucking blood is just too much work when blood donation centers do all the work for you. A typical Vampire Weekend might be cleaning your house and running errands. Of course, you are a night owl, but otherContinue Reading

The Family Remains

In London, Lucy and Henry are siblings who share a horrible childhood. But they are now grown up and recently received trust funds from their deceased parents. When a man from their troubled past resurfaces, the siblings are forced to dissect The Family Remains. Meanwhile, Lucy’s abusive ex is foundContinue Reading

Gangland

Gangland is a standard story of the Chicago mob in its waning days beginning in the 1970s. While some of the characters are real people, others have been created for this book. I spent a lot of time on Wikipedia trying to separate the truth from the fiction. Overall, IContinue Reading

The Night Shift

You are anticipating the best steak dinner you have ever had. Your mouth is watering picturing your first bite. Then, the server puts a large cheeseburger in front of you with an explanation of how the restaurant is out of steak. Sure, the burger looks juicy—but it is no steak.Continue Reading

Trouble with Lichen

The premise of the Trouble with Lichen is great. A modern fountain of youth is found. How will it be shared with the public? How will it impact human society overall? I had some serious problems with the prose. It has long wordy sentences throughout. Clearly, the author never metContinue Reading

Death and the Decorator

Death and the Decorator is the twenty-first book in the Fethering mystery series. It started with the discovery of a thirty-year-old handbag in a wall during a remodeling job. Its owner, Anita Garner, had gone missing around the same time. Anita worked in the building, which was then a nursingContinue Reading

Metropolis

Metropolis is a five-story storage facility in downtown Boston. Six strangers are connected with it in mysterious ways. All have issues to be resolved. Then an incident happens at the facility shining a light on some of the shady dealings happening there. If you enjoy in-depth character studies of peopleContinue Reading