BLACK DOG by Neil Gaiman

A special illustrated edition of the AMERICAN GODS novella from storytelling genius Neil Gaiman. 

Baldur 'Shadow' Moon is on his way back to America, but in this story he's only made it as far as the Peak District in Derbyshire, England. Here he becomes involved with a strange, small-town couple - and the spectral legend of a black dog that causes death.

I'm a huge fan of Neil Gaiman's work. He always manages to tell a magical story deeply soaked in myth and folklore, while the familiar setting is somehow grounded in our world. Not to mention that this happens to be a story set in the American Gods world. So of course I wanted to read this novella.

Shadow Moon is an American wandering across the English countryside when he stops by a small pub and meets some of the locals. Oliver and Moira are an older couple who seem kind and are full of local stories. Cassie is an enigmatic alluring woman who seems to disappear as quickly as she appears.

Due to the heavy rain and the absence of accommodation, Moira and Oliver offer him a room in their house. But when the old man collapses on the way, it's not clear if the black dog said to roam the area has actually hooked its claws into him, or if that's just what he calls his depression.

The longer Shadow stays, the more he notices and becomes embroiled in an old secret that refuses to stay dead...

This is another excellent story by this amazing storyteller. I love Shadow. His easy and calm manner hide a clever mind most miss because of his appearance. I also really liked the mysterious Cassie and the sad story she had to tell. I enjoyed the mystery as much as the many breadcrumbs laid out along the way. And the combination of ancient dog and cat mythology was totally awesome.

I also have to mention how beautiful this book is. The cover is eye catching, the hardback book lovely, and the illustrations made by Daniel Egnéus throughout are so eerily purrfect. There's even a black bound ribbon bookmark attached.

Black Dog is an intriguing and mysterious novella that hooked me in and kept me guessing until the very satisfying end. It's also very clever and so pretty that I can't wait to add it to my bookshelf.

Neil Gaiman has done it again.

I loved this so much!

Black Dog, November 2016, ISBN 9781472235442, Headline

MOUNT BUGGERY TO NOWHERE ELSE by Eamon Evans

The stories behind Australia's many, many strange, inappropriate and downright hilarious place names. 

From Dismal Swamp to Useless Loop, Intercourse Island to Dead Mans Gully, Mount Buggery to Nowhere Else, Australia has some of the strangest, funniest, weirdest and most out-of-place names going - now described and explained in one humorous and fascinating book. 

 Australia's vast spaces and irreverent, larrikin history have given us some of the best place names in the world. Ranging from the less than positive (Linger and Die Hill, NSW), to the indelicate (Scented Knob, WA), the idiotic (Eggs and Bacon Bay, TAS) to the inappropriate and the just plain fascinating, MOUNT BUGGERY TO NOWHERE ELSE is a toponymical journey through this nation of weird and wonderful places.

From the moment I saw this book listed in the Hachette Australia catalogue, I knew this was something I would definitely be interested in. Not only because there really are some bizarre names all around Australia--I mean, I grew up near a place called Rooty Hill!--but also because as a writer, I love setting stories in Oz. So this book is going to come in very handy.

This turned out to be quite the book. I love the cover and even the way everything's set up inside. Each state and territory is separated, has its own introduction, and the places within each section are in alphabetical order. Very handy! There are also a bunch of peculiar, but funny illustrations peppered throughout. And some of the meanings--not just the names--to some of these places will either have you scratching your head or laughing out loud. I know I laughed at a few. LOL.

Actually, the only thing I was disappointed with was the lack of pictures. It would've been really cool to have location pics featured in the book.

And just for the record, yes, Rooty Hill is mentioned! :)

If you've ever wondered about some of our weird and wonderful location names, then this is definitely a book you'll want to check out. I'm shelving it in my reference book section, and I know I'll get plenty of use out of it.

Mount Buggery to Nowhere Else, October 2016, ISBN 9780733635588, Hachette Australia

HAMILTON: The Revolution by Lin-Manuel Miranda & Jeremy McCarter

Winner of the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Drama

  Lin-Manuel Miranda's groundbreaking musical Hamilton is as revolutionary as its subject, the poor kid from the Caribbean who fought the British, defended the Constitution, and helped to found the United States. Fusing hip-hop, pop, R&B, and the best traditions of theatre, this once-in-a-generation show broadens the sound of Broadway, reveals the storytelling power of rap, and claims the origins of the United States for a diverse new generation. 

HAMILTON: THE REVOLUTION gives readers an unprecedented view of both revolutions, from the only two writers able to provide it. Miranda, along with Jeremy McCarter, a cultural critic and theatre artist who was involved in the project from its earliest stages - "since before this was even a show," according to Miranda - traces its development from an improbable performance at the White House to its landmark opening night on Broadway six years later. In addition, Miranda has written more than 200 funny, revealing footnotes for his award-winning libretto, the full text of which is published here.

I have to admit that when the Hamilton craze swept through America, I had no idea what it was about. It actually took me quite a while to find out what everyone was talking about, and when I did I didn't really care much. I'm not a big American history buff, so it didn't sound like something I would be into. And to this day, I still haven't heard a single song. I know, my bad. :/ But what I do like is how Lin-Manuel Miranda modernised an old history lesson in a very diverse way.

That, is awesome on so many levels. So I'm really happy about his success. He's obviously a very talented writer, composer and lyricist, plus seems like an all-round good guy who's managed to revolutionise theatre itself. So, good on him!

Now, for the book and why I was interested in checking it out. Well, for one thing: it's beautiful. It seriously looks like a book that was made years ago and got lost in history only to resurface again. The pages are uneven, some of the colours even seem faded and mostly are matte, but the content is HUGE. There's, of course, the musical. Then there are behind-the-scene photos and features about the actors, heaps of footnotes, outfit design sketches, notebook pages, interviews, historical facts that relate to the Hamilton story and a whole lot more.

I think this book is a MUST for any and all Hamilton fans.

It really is lovely!

Hamilton: The Revolution, October 2016, ISBN 9781408709238, Little, Brown

NaNoWriMo 2016 is done!

Today, I validated my novel and this is what I got...

I'm very excited to have completed another novel during NaNoWriMo.

The story I ended up writing is one that had been bubbling inside my head for a few months and even though I knew the direction it was going to take and most of what was going to happen, I still ended up with quite a few unexpected surprises popping up.

I can't wait to revise it! The first draft might be done, but the story certainly isn't.

Hope you all had--or are still having--a Happy NaNoWriMo! :)

THE GATHERING (Shadow House) by Dan Poblocki

The Gathering by Dan Poblocki

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

My daughter picked this up for me from the library the other day. It's a book that caught my eye because it looks so spooky. And since I finished writing my own creepy NaNoWriMo story on Friday, I thought this might be an appropriate reading reward. :)

Poppy lives in a group home for girls and she sees another girl in the mirror behind her. Marcus feels distant from his family and can hear phantom music. Azumi keeps returning to the forest where she lost her sister and can't let go. Dylan and Dash are about to leave the sitcom they've been a part of for years and Dash keeps having weird nightmares about his brother.

All five kids have been invited to Larkspur for very different reasons. When they get there and start talking to each other, they realise that something isn't quite right. Kids with masks roam the house. The corridors sometimes seem endless. Doors appear and disappear. But the one thing that becomes very clear is that they're in big trouble.

This house has secrets, a dark mystery, some sort of connection to each one, and it's determined to imprison them...

First of all, this book is so nice! The creepy cover, the black and white photos, the grey pages and hidden symbols all add to the mystery. And the story hooked me in instantly and didn't let me go. I pretty much read it in one sitting because it was SO GOOD!

The story is told in the POV of all five kids, which was the perfect way to keep the story moving and the pacing perfect. Not to mention that the spooky factor and building tension sucked me right in. I wanted to know what was going on, and although the mystery will no doubt continue in the next book, some really bizarre answers are revealed.

This book is seriously creepy. Disturbing. Intriguing. And I loved the kids! All of them have flaws and weaknesses, which make each one uniquely interesting.

I loved it!

View all my reviews