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Tuesday 12 March 2024

IN EXCESS OF DARK by Red Lagoe

In Excess of DarkIn Excess of Dark by Red Lagoe
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I've been looking forward to reading this novella for a while, and thanks to Red I got a chance to experience the darkness that is this brilliant story.

Karina is still dealing with the death of her father when she heads to the mountains for some family fun with her husband and teenage son. But life has a way of making her most dreaded thoughts a reality...

Wow. This is an intense story. It's also very sad and quite unsettling. The vivid, macabre imagery is as disturbing as the psychological situations Karina finds herself in. A lot of what happens is presented in a way that makes the reader question if everything she's seeing and experiencing is actually really happening. Or is everything just the delusions of a grieving woman who blames herself for all the awful things in her life?

I found this novella to be very emotional. A fever dream that you don't wake up from because things never stop coming. Karina deals with a lot, and that ending is... Yikes!

Yeah, this is an awesome and quite gruesome story. Loved it!

Sunday 10 March 2024

A Bit of an Update

Hey! How are you today? Long time no see. Well, I've been posting book reviews, but not much else. Why? After an extensive novel revision (Jan) followed by an extensive novel edit (Jan/Feb), my husband took a two-week break and we had an awesome time! ☺️

When he went back to work, I was initially planning to take another week off to catch up on some reading, and figure out what to work on next. Except, there were three ideas that wouldn't leave me alone. And no matter how much I tried, I just couldn't decide which one to work on next.

So, after some thinking and talking to my husband (who always helps me sort out my chaotic thoughts when they run riot) I decided to temporarily shift my focus away from these pesky ideas. Instead, I'm going to concentrate on revising my short story collection!

That's right. Late last year I went through my short stories and picked out the ones I'd like to include. So far, the collection is 76k words. This might be a bit long, or it might be perfect. I'll decide while/after completing the revision. I just need to come up with a name...

I'm actually very excited about finally tackling this. Plus, it will give me time to keep brainstorming the pesky novella ideas.

It feels great to have some direction again. And a new goal for March.

Oh, there's another thing that I wanted to mention. If you follow me on Twitter or IG then you know that one of my 'publishers' has decided to ghost me. Aesthetic Press hasn't contacted me in over eight months and has been ignoring my emails for two. It's a shitty situation, one that has given me quite a bit of stress because I feel like my Horrormance slasher is been held ransom.

But as far as I'm concerned this person has obviously walked away from their 'company' and has breached her own contract several times. No communication. No editing. No response. Disappeared from the face of the Earth. WTH is that about?! 😡 But you know what made me feel better? Picking a new name for my novel and updating all the relevant files. It's strange but doing something this simple helped me let go of some of the disappointment and anger I've been feeling about this shitty situation.

It's the little things that make a difference.

Anyway, that's about it. I just wanted to post a little something.

Have a great weekend!


Thursday 7 March 2024

THE CRANE HUSBAND by Kelly Barnhill

The Crane HusbandThe Crane Husband by Kelly Barnhill
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was in the mood for another novella and decided to get stuck into this one because I love stories featuring birds in some way.

When the mother of a fifteen-year-old girl brings home a crane that's as tall as a man, their way of life changes instantly. Her mother starts neglecting both of her children, and looks more beaten down every day. But this teenager isn't about to give up or give in...

Well, this is one dark and very surreal story that deals with some pretty heavy stuff. Child neglect. Domestic violence. Corporations taking over the farming industry. Denial.

It's like a fever dream that pulls the reader deep into the depths of desperation.

We never find out the narrator's actual name, although she uses the name Bruce for business purposes. Her tenacity to keep the family together and protect her little brother drives most of her motivation to keep the house functioning even when her mother sabotages everything for her new 'man'.

This is a sombre and very bleak fairy tale with some disturbing imagery that leads to quite an unsettling conclusion.

Wednesday 6 March 2024

BARREN COVE by Ariel S. Winter

Barren CoveBarren Cove by Ariel S. Winter
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I remember picking this up during one of our many thrift store adventures several years ago because it sounded very interesting. I mean, it's about robots and I LOVE robot stories. Always have.

Mr. Sapien is an old robot who wants to get away from the city for a while. He wants to figure things out, repair himself. So, he rents a cabana at Barren Cove, and instead of finding peace, he gets wrapped up in the bizarre lives of the Asimov 3000 family...

Wow. I REALLY enjoyed this story! A lot.

It's hard to believe but, at its core, this is a gothic tale. Everything about this family, location, weather, and circumstances is the epitome of this genre. But instead of people, it's robots who are living their isolated, messed-up lives inside a Victorian mansion full of secrets that sits on a cliff and overlooks the ocean.

And what a twisted bunch they are.

There's even a story within a story, in true Wuthering Heights fashion. As well as unethical Frankenstein-esque creations. Even a little of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? And it all comes together beautifully.

One of my favourite things about this book is how all the characters are introduced as if we're supposed to already know them, and their individual stories all start to take shape as Dean, the house computer fills in the blanks for Sapien. Only for him to find out that things aren't as they seem and he might not discover what he wants to know from Mr. Beachstone.

Ah, Beachstone. The only human who grows from child to man in a home of robots. Asimov 3000 was obsessed with humans. His daughter Mary is kind but is suffering damsel syndrome. His son Kent is cruel and angry, curious. Then there's Clarke, a bit of a psycho with a small amount of empathy. And Philip. Poor sweet and innocent Phil. I can't forget about Sapien. The mysterious narrator who is damaged and lost, searching for something even though he's not sure what it is.

Yeah, this is a fantastic piece of SF fiction that puts robots in the shoes usually worn by humans. This family is full of drama, tragedy, and the familiar existential crisis of creation.

Loved it!

Monday 4 March 2024

PIRANESI by Susanna Clarke

PiranesiPiranesi by Susanna Clarke

Well, I didn't expect to be DNFing this book, so I'm really disappointed. 😧

Piranesi sounded intriguing and the cover is lovely. Hell, I even bought the hardback. And tonight, I finally decided it was time to get stuck into it.

The story started off slow, but that's fine because I like a slow burn. Then the main character won't stop talking about the same thing over and over again. Still, I hung on until page 51. That's when I had to admit that it's not a slow burn, it's just downright boring. And SO repetitive.

Still, I skimmed ahead because I heard it's worth the payoff. Unfortunately, I don't agree. Even skimming, I was bored. Started getting a headache.

Anyway, I'm putting it down at 131 pages because I can't take it anymore. I don't even care about the ending. Ugh.

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