Books read in 2013: No. 35 -- The Best of H.P. Lovecraft

by H.P. Lovecraft

Started: July 3
Finished: August 2

Notes: This is a collection of Lovecraft's tales, and I believe at one time or another I have read all of these. But it's been a long while since I've perused the pages of Cthulu's master, and I thought it time I check some of them out once more.

Mini review: It's funny how something you read at one point in your life seems quite different to you at another point. I read a fair amount of Lovecraft in my teens and twenties, and I enjoyed it. Now in my forties, I've read this collection of Lovecraft and was mostly bored, bored, bored. The man had solid plots and could pen some quality creepiness, but he also had overly long, boring prose, in my opinion. Every story I read here, I kept thinking, "Man, this could easily be a fourth the length it is." And characters? They're all kind of the same character, with only some minor background differences between them. So, I'm not likely to be visiting Lovecraft again soon. Of the stories presented here, my favorites were "The Call of Cthulhu" and "The Shadow Out of Time." "The Shadow Out of Time" was the most ingenious of all these tales, touching upon Lovecraft's typical creepiness while also being quite unique to the rest of the stories presented here. My complaints aside, Lovecraft was writing in a different era for a different type of reader than myself, so many of the things I found familiar and/or boring would have been new and exciting for his readers.

4 new print books, horror and fantasy

It's time again to release some more of my material in the printed form. In the fantasy department, now available are Five Tales from the Rusty Scabbard and The Shieldbreaker Collection. For you horror fans, now available is SLICE: seven tales of horror and STAB: six tales of horror. Below are the cover images. Stay tuned, because the good Lord willing and the creek don't rise, there will be more print publications from me in the future.

'SEVER' and 'Sands of Time' available in print

SEVER: five tales of horror and my collection of John Dee tales, Sands of Time, are now available in print. SEVER contains some of my oldest tales of horror, and Sands of Time collects all 16 John Dee tales I've written so far. I say "so far" because I do have more stories coming for ole John Dee. Below are the covers to the new print versions.

Books read in 2013: No. 34 -- Days of Beer: A Memoir of a Beer Drinkin' Man

by Charles Gramlich

Started: July 3
Finished: July 3

Notes: Just in time for the July 4 holiday, it's an e-book about beer! I love beer, especially quality beer, though I don't get to drink it as much as I'd like for health reasons. Also, I like Gramlich's writing, and I like stories about beer. So, this was a natural.

Mini review: This was just a fun read. Though the author appears to be about 10 years older than myself, many of his youthful, beer-guzzling tales of growing up in Arkansas reminded my of my own youthful, beer-guzzling days growing up in Kentucky. Since those days I have become a beer snob, preferring higher quality brews mostly from England or Belgium (German beers are over rated, in my opinion), but I still wouldn't turn down a cold PBR on a hot day.

Books read in 2013: No. 33 -- Your Path to Publication

by Kim Wright

Started: June 29
Finished: July 3

Notes: From time to time I like to check out another writer's book or e-book concerning writing and publishing. This time I'm turning to Kim Wright, who has penned literary work as well as mystery and fantasy material, and she has been traditionally published while also working in independent publishing, something I can respect.

Mini review: I wouldn't say this book is necessarily outdated, because it does mention indie publishing and e-books, but it leans heavily toward traditional publishing and somewhat toward more literary or mainstream fiction. The advice here is solid, nothing with which I was unfamiliar yet helpful for beginners. The author has a nice, clear writing voice. Keep in mind, the focus here is on publishing, not writing, so don't expect advice on the craft. However, there is plenty of information and advice about agents, contracts, writing conferences, etc.

Books read in 2013: No. 32 -- The Secret Holocaust Diaries

by Nonna Bannister with Denise George and Carolyn Tomlin

Started: June 25
Finished: June 29

Notes: The title of this true-life book caught my attention. It raises up images of Anne Frank and other books about those who struggled through the Holocaust. The author, Nonna Bannister, was a Russian survivor of the Holocaust who never told her stories until she opened up about them to her American husband in the 1980s. Nonna had apparently kept diaries during the Second World War, and had continued to keep diaries even afterwards, and in the 1990s she put together her writings concerning the Holocaust. Knowing multiple languages, she even did her own translations. However, she made her husband promise that none of her writings would be made public until after her death. Sure enough, she passed away and her writings on the Holocaust were published. Also of interest, Nonna survived not only Nazi Germany, but apparently her family was somewhat well to do and she survived Lenin's Russia.

Mini review: In some ways, this might seem to be a tragic story. This woman lost everything, including her family members one by one. But she persevered. She pushed on. To her knowledge, she was the last surviving member of her family, which had been quite a large family. She eventually came to America, married and started a new family. It could be heart breaking, but she did not let the pains of her life and the atrocities she witnessed keep her from loving. She must have been some lady. As for the book itself, I was intrigued by the first half or so which focused upon her earlier days in Russia only a generation or so after Tolstoy's death, and I've had some interests in Tolstoy. The second half of the book focuses upon her ordeals during WWII and the Holocaust, and there were several instances in which she survived but by all rights probably should not have. A miracle? Maybe. She likely would have seen it that way, at least to some extent. An interesting read. Glad I discovered it.

Books read in 2013: No. 31 -- The Dog That Talked to God

by Jim Kraus

Started: June 21
Finished: June 25

Notes: I've been reading some myth-related material of late, including fables, so I thought I'd check out what a modern author does with similar literature. I have to admit, I'm a bit skeptical when it comes to modern Christian literature because I'm often disappointed by what I consider an overly simplistic viewpoint of spirituality and the world in general, but I'm willing to give a writer who is new to me a chance. Funny thing, I don't usually feel this way about 19th Century and earlier Christian writings. That earlier literature doesn't make me feel like I'm being sold something, but that I'm exploring spirituality with the author. I wish and hope more modern religious authors would take a similar approach. Maybe this one will.

Mini review: A cute story, and for the most the religious aspects were not annoying. I really liked the talking dog, Rufus, but I never felt much for Mary, the protagonist. Mary never felt real to me, but was only a character. I think part of the reason I felt this way is because I thought there was too much exposition early in the story, too much telling me about Mary instead of allowing me to learn the character by experience and emotion. Also, I felt Mary's struggles with spirituality were somewhat simplistic, though I freely admit this could just be me as I have a tendency to try and intellectualize matters of spirituality, though I realize many people do not. Mary was not a detestable character, but I never felt drawn to her, and I did feel she was a little overly judgmental in a few instances. Now that I've griped enough about the main character, I would like to add that I thought the over all plot was a nice change of pace from other Christian fiction I've read, and that the story did not lead in overly obvious directions. As a writer myself, and a former newspaper journalist, I admit to being somewhat jealous of Mary toward the end of this book with the trail she ultimately blazed with her life.