I’ve been getting back into reading lately. Finding time around work and family stuff is always a challenge, though. But I think it’s important to make time. Reading can be a great form of escapism. Despite the pull of Netflix and other streaming services, I’ve managed to make a dent in my ever growing TBR list. Here are several books I’ve read recently and really enjoyed:
The Underhistory, By Kaaron Warren ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
THE UNDERSHISTORY is the latest novel by multi-award winning, Australian master of horror, Kaaron Warren. It is gorgeously written, lush and immersive, and represents the culmination (so far) of a thirty-year career for the veteran storyteller. Follow Pera Sinclair, the sole survivor of a decades, old tragedy, as she guides guests on a haunted house tour of her home. It is a house full of memories and history. An underhistory. We as readers explore the house, just as the characters do, room by room, and the story (description) draws us in. But things go awry when an unexpected group of men arrive. And they are dangerous men. Read with confidence. This is an excellent book! Thoroughly researched. A real labour of love. Released by Viper Books (UK), the book is beautifully formatted with an evocative cover, reminiscent of wallpaper. Looks great on the shelf. Something tells me this book has staying power and will haunt the shelves of readers for a while to come.
The Ruins, By Scott Smith ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
What a trip this book was. Loads of fun. Scott Smith’s THE RUINS is frequently listed on the Top/ Best Lists for the horror genre, and it’s not difficult to see why. First of all, it’s a brilliant concept. The book follows a rag-tag group of college-aged, tourists, as they holiday in Mexico, and later decide to go exploring a remote, Mayan, archaeological dig-site, on a whim. As you do (one of their group, the German, has lost his brother—who’s gone off chasing some girl at the dig). But they all end up in a dire situation. There’s something in the jungle, surrounding the dig site. Something insidious, that wants in. It wants to get them! Second of all, it’s packed full of suspense and will have you on the edge of your seat. A real page turner! Stephen King had this to say about the book back then, “Simply the best suspense novel of this year—hell, of the 1990s.” I’m inclined to agree with the King.
Floating Staircase, By Ronald Malfi ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
FLOATING STAIRCASE is a solid ghost story slash supernatural-mystery. It follows Travis Glasgow, and his wife, Jodie, as they move into their first house in Westlake Maryland. Only the house and the lake hold a dark secret— it might have something to do with that rotting, staircase rising from its depths. The story is filled with believable characters and creepy description. Travis is conflicted with feelings of guilt over his part in losing his younger brother in an accident, years earlier. We are left wondering Which was the more haunted, the house, or Travis’s past? This was my first introduction to Ronald Malfi and I was not disappointed. He is a capable and versatile writer, with over 28 books to his name. I can see him quickly becoming one of my favourites.
Strange Weather, By Joe Hill ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
What’s better than a good novel, you might ask? Well…try four! Strange weather is the 2017 book by American author, Joe Hill–author of other great titles such as 20th Century Ghosts (2002), Horns (2010), and NOS4A2 (2013). It consists of 4 short novellas, each superbly written by the master story teller. There’s “Snapshot” in which a boy uncovers the rout cause of his elderly neighbour’s dementia. There’s “Loaded” a crime story and exploration into Americas love affair with guns. There’s “Aloft” in which a sky diver jumps from an aeroplane only to land, stranded, on a solid cloud. This is the standout story for me. Simply a brilliant, highly intriguing concept for a story. “Rain” is the last in the quartet, and tells the story of a strange weather phenomenon. The excrement well and truly hits the proverbial fan here, when, deadly, shards of dagger-like crystals fall from the sky in place of rain drops. As per usual, with a Hill story, it’s the ensemble of rag-tag characters and how they deal with the situation at hand that really makes it. Hill has a distinct literary voice and writes character driven plots. I mean seriously. He really knocks it out of the park with this one. Well worth the read.
Blacktongue Thief, By Christopher Buehlman ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Blacktongue Thief is the 2021 fantasy novel by Christopher Buehlman. And what a novel it is. Did someone say instant classic? Told in his own inimitable style, Buehlman details the story of Kinch Na Shannack, thief, and low-ranking member of the Takers Guild, as he journeys with Galva, an Ispanthian knight and handmaiden of the goddess of death, on a mission of great import, that just might make a difference to the balance of power and the fate of their world. But where do his loyalties really lie? With the valiant knight, his travel companion; or the secret clandestine guild he’s found himself indebted to? It’s quite the moral conundrum. Set in a highly original world with goblin wars and stag-sized battle ravens; a rich geography, with place names such as Holt, Gallardia, Ispanthia, and Oustrim; a unique magic system; and fascinating characters, it’s easy to see why the book has enjoyed the popularity it has. I didn’t want to put it down! A real page turner. Buehlman goes into such depth in fleshing out his characters, and the specifics of his world, and you get so invested, by the end, you never want to leave. The book is masterclass on the iceberg principle of writing, revealing a portion of the story but not going into full detail, suggesting enough for the reader to wonder and try to fill in the blanks. I recommend it. Well worth reading and re-reading. (I also look forward to the newly released prequel, The Daughters’ War.)
