Showing posts with label paranormal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label paranormal. Show all posts

21 Aug 2020

Review - Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders

Title: Lincoln in the Bardo

Author: George Saunders

Synopsis:

In his long-awaited first novel, American master George Saunders delivers his most original, transcendent, and moving work yet. Unfolding in a graveyard over the course of a single night, narrated by a dazzling chorus of voices, Lincoln in the Bardo is a literary experience unlike any other—for no one but Saunders could conceive it.

February 1862. The Civil War is less than one year old. The fighting has begun in earnest, and the nation has begun to realize it is in for a long, bloody struggle. Meanwhile, President Lincoln’s beloved eleven-year-old son, Willie, lies upstairs in the White House, gravely ill. In a matter of days, despite predictions of a recovery, Willie dies and is laid to rest in a Georgetown cemetery. “My poor boy, he was too good for this earth,” the president says at the time. “God has called him home.” Newspapers report that a grief-stricken Lincoln returned to the crypt several times alone to hold his boy’s body.

From that seed of historical truth, George Saunders spins an unforgettable story of familial love and loss that breaks free of its realistic, historical framework into a thrilling, supernatural realm both hilarious and ter/rifying. Willie Lincoln finds himself in a strange purgatory, where ghosts mingle, gripe, commiserate, quarrel, and enact bizarre acts of penance. Within this transitional state—called, in the Tibetan tradition, the bardo—a monumental struggle erupts over young Willie’s soul.

My Thoughts:

When a book makes me want to visit a place I know I won't soon forget it. When the place in question is as quaint as a cemetery, a particular resting place, it gets wedged in my memory even more.

When Willie Lincoln, President Lincoln's son died at age 11 he was placed in the Carroll crypt in Oak Hill Cemetery in Georgetown. That's where we are guided by George Saunders to take part in an unforgettable journey.

Lincoln in the Bardo is a complex project that can be studied from many angles. It's a thoughtful and gentle piece of grief literature on the one hand, while on the other it draws from historical records to cement its supernatural plot in reality. 

According to some such records President Lincoln visited the cemetery to hold his son's body for weeks after the boy was entombed. The book tells the story of one night, the night after the funeral when Willie Lincoln finds himself sitting on the roof of his crypt in the company of ghosts. He's utterly confused and wants to go home. He doesn't know what happened to him.

The interesting thing is that the ghosts don't seem to know either that they are dead. They refer to their coffins as 'sick boxes', to their corpses as 'sick forms'. Later we learn the reason of this, we only have to read between the lines to understand.

Willie's unwillingness to pass on puts his soul in danger and when his living father appears on the scene Mr. Bevins, Mr. Vollman and the Reverend Everly Thomas ghostly residents of the cemetery snatch this opportunity to help the little boy move on.

President Lincoln's grief gets the center stage, but he never talks; he thinks, he feels and we always experience his thoughts and feelings through a mediator. We see a broken man, one who struggles under the weight life has placed on his shoulders.

While we get to meet the father in the cemetery, snippets of memoirs that are collected and arranged expertly throughout the book show us the president through the eyes of the people

Lincoln gets hot and cold as it is to be expected but the most fascinating for me was how this novel indicates how uncreditable human recollections can be. There is a bit where paragraph after paragraph appear from different memoirs in which people recall how the moon looked the night before Willie died. Some say there was a clear full moon, some insist a storm was rolling in, the sky was so cloudy you couldn't see the moon. Then in another part people recall the colour of Lincoln's eyes and again the descriptions don't match. It reminded me that so many pieces of information we take for granted yet some facts get irrevocably lost in the past.

Another topic George Saunders touches on is sin and how everyone perceives their own or other people's sins. This has so much to do with everything that occurs in Oak Hill Cemetery in the book.

The structure in which all these supernatural happenings and historical reminiscences are presented is unique for a novel. It reads more like a play, the name of the speaker is always written under each utterance but very often the speaker relays what others in his presence say or do. For some the format can be challenging but if one likes reading dramas I don't think it will be an issue.

There's a reason why Lincoln in the Bardo won the Man Booker Prize in 2017 and I'm glad I decided to read it. It's a great literary achievement for sure.

Goodreads | Amazon


11 Mar 2019

Review - The Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum by Kirsten Weiss

Title: The Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum

Author: Kirsten Weiss

Synopsis:

When Maddie Kosloski’s career flatlines, she retreats to her wine country hometown for solace and cheap rent. Railroaded into managing the local paranormal museum, she’s certain the rumors of its haunting are greatly exaggerated. But then a fresh corpse in the museum embroils Maddie in murders past and present, making her wonder if a ghost could really be on the loose. 

With her high school bully as one of the detectives in charge of the investigation, Maddie doubts justice will be served. When one of her best friends is arrested, she knows it won’t be. Maddie also grapples with ghost hunters, obsessed taxidermists, and the sexy motorcyclist next door as outside forces threaten. And as she juggles spectral shenanigans with the hunt for a killer, she discovers there truly is no place like home.


My Thoughts:

Unbelievable I know, but this was the first cozy mystery I've ever read. I've been eyeing quite a few cozy mytery book series for a while now because I love the cover styles and after the positive experience I had with The Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum I'm sure I'll get acquainted with more of them.

The PPPM charmed me with its extemely lovable set of characters and its fascinating paranormal side-plot.

It rarely happens that throughout a book new characters get introduced every five pages and the writer can still manage them well. You might think that creating a wide set of characters is only a good idea in a long book and this is what I've thought too until know but The PPPM is proof that with a good sense of balance an author can play around with numerous characters in a short book, what's more, they can keep the readers' attention with the strategy of constantly adding new faces to the mix.

Maddie Kosloski, our protagonist wants to help out her friend, Adele, by taking up the task of running the local paranormal museum. During her very first visit she and Adele find the corpse on the floor and when the local police arrests Adele for the crime, Maddie is prepared to investigate.

Torn between looking for a new job and keeping the museum, Maddie also has to face the danger her inquiry into the murder case brings along. While she is searching for a modern killer, she gets involved in a murder long left unsolved as well, when an unquiet ghost starts sending her messages within the walls of the museum. The story of the ghost who was a woman from generations ago, accused of the murder of her husband especially captured my attention.

Lots of interesting local people turn up at the museum and there are plenty who might have something to do with the present-day murder. Maddie has to put up with an eager ghost hunter group of old ladies too (luckily her motorcycle-crazy neighbour has got her back when it comes to killing time until the ladies leave the place).

The small town life that is described on the pages of this book is very alluring and gives the reader a cozy feeling indeed.

I can only recommend this book for those who like mysteries, small towns, cakes, wine and cats. The PPPM was a real treat for me.




The next book in the series:

by Kirsten Weiss 


29 May 2018

5 Genres of Fiction I'd Like to Read More Of






Why Horror?

As a teenager I was a scaredy cat. Truth be told though, I always felt I was missing out on something when my classmates spoke about the horror films  they'd watched. They were always so excited about them. I've been an adult for some time now and still, until recently horror didn't attract me that much. However, after watching The Woman in Black and The Exorcist in the theatre in London and reading my first Stephen King book, things changed. I feel like I want to face my fears of the supernatural, especially evil spirits and haunted houses.

One book I've read in the horror genre:

Title: 'Salem's Lot

Author: Stephen King

Goodreads

This was the first modern horror book I ever read. A small town falls under the influence of a powerful vampire and hell breaks loose. It impressed me how much inspiration Mr. King drew from the classic vampire stories, especially Bram Stoker's Dracula.


One book I'm planning to read in the horror genre: 

Title: Daughters Unto Devils

Author: Amy Lukavics

Goodreads

Actually this is only one of the books of Amy Lukavics that I'd like to read; earlier I hauled Women in the Walls which looks and sounds just as creepy as Daughter Unto Devils does. I'm really curious about this author's stories.



 


Why Western?

I always feel like I need to be in a certain mood for western, but then when I read this genre I almost always enjoy it... I like the feeling of danger that comes with it; the pistol duels and train robberies, the snake bites and the bandits that know no moral codes. If there are badass ladies in the story, I enjoy it even more. I really need to read more western...

One book I've read in the western genre:

Title: Sawbones (Sawbones #1)

Author: Melissa Lenhardt

My Review

Goodreads

Although I gave Sawbones three pineapples only, it kinda fuelled my hunger for more stories set in the wild wild west.


One book I'm planning to read in the western genre: 

Title: Lonesome Dove

Author: Larry McMurtry

Goodreads

This will take some time to go through, given this novel is almost 1000 pages long. But still, many people love it and I'm convinced this book will blow me away. Talk about high expectations...




Why Poetry?

Poetry is food for the soul. There are so many poems out there that I know would give me the feels and I have to find them. And read them. And read them again. And again. Reading a book filled with poems is a lot different than reading a novel but it's not less amazing. I have so many collections on my to-read list I'd like to dive into!

One poetry book I've read:

Title: The Complete Poetry of Edgar Allan Poe

Author: Edgar Allan Poe

Goodreads

I adore Poe's poems as much as his short stories. The man was a genius. It doesn't take much time to read this thin volume, since he didn't write many poems. The few he did though are deliciously dark and full of crazy imaginings.



One poetry book I'm planning to read:

Title: Hold Your Own

Author: Kate Tempest

Goodreads

Hold Your Own is a sequence of poems that tells the story of the blind prophet Teiresias. Since Greek myths are close to my heart I have a feeling Kate Tempest's poems will delight me to no end.




Why Mystery & Crime?

I grew up on Sherlock Holmes short stories and Agatha Christie novels, however at some point I got bored with this genre, I'm not even sure why (probably I read too much of it if that's possible at all). Recently I've been trying to find my way back to it and I hope to rediscover it in the future.

One book I've read in the mystery & crime genre:

Title: Widdershins (Whyborne & Griffin #1)

Author: Jordan L. Hawk

Goodreads

This series is pretty awesome: it has Sherlock Holmes-like crime solving, a touch of the paranormal and gay romance too. It is the perfect combination of things I like to see in books.



One book I'm planning to read in the mystery and crime genre:

Title: A Death of No Importance

Author: Mariah Fredericks

Goodreads

A ladies' maid is the one who tires to figure out who dun it in this one. I like the historical setting, can't wait to lose myself in 1910, New York City.





Why Paranormal?

I can only come up with the same reason I did for horror I think. These days I'm like: Give me everyhing supernatural! Also, I like reading about creatures like vampires, werewolves and such. Paranormal romance is something I generally enjoy too, often more than plain romance. I have somehow skipped these kind of tales lately, which is a shame. I should definitely pick up more novels from this genre.

One book I've read in the paranormal genre:

Title: The Graveyard book

Author: Neil Gaiman

Goodreads

No list is complete without a Gaiman book (if you've frequented my blog in the past year you know this philosophy of mine already). This is my second favourite out of his novels; it's witty, funny, scary, sad, happy... you name it. Such an enchanting book.


One book I'm planning to read in the paranormal genre:

Title: Lord of the Dead (or The Vamypre)

Author: Tom Holland

Goodreads

Lord Byron becomes a vampire.

'Nuff said.

*Grabby hands*


What genres would you like to discover more? Is there a genre you've never tried?

19 Feb 2018

Goodreads Monday #6

Goodreads Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Lauren @ Lauren’s Page Turners. To participate, choose a random book from your TBR and show it off! Don’t forget to link back to Lauren’s Page Turners and link up to the inlinkz so others can see what you picked!

Since there are witches in the book I'm currently reading, I thought I'd intorduce you to another series-starter that includes witches. It's very fresh on my Goodreads TBR, I came across this title only a few days ago. I can't wait to read it!

(How to Hang a Witch #1)
by Adriana Mather


Synopsis:

The more things change in Salem, the more they stay the same.

Salem, Massachusetts is the site of the infamous Witch Trials and the new home of Samantha Mather. Recently transplanted from New York City, Sam is not exactly welcomed with open arms. She is a descendant of Cotton Mather, one of the men responsible for those Trials—and almost immediately, she becomes the enemy of a group of girls who call themselves The Descendants. And guess who their ancestors were?

If dealing with that wasn’t enough, Sam finds herself face to face with a real, live (well, technically dead) ghost. A handsome, angry ghost who wants Sam to stop touching his stuff.

Soon Sam discovers she is at the center of a centuries-old curse affecting everyone with ties to the Trials. Sam must come to terms with the ghost and work with The Descendants to stop a deadly cycle that has been going on since the first alleged witch was hanged. If any town should have learned its lesson, it’s Salem. But history may be about to repeat itself.

What do you think? Have you ever read a book about the Salem witch trials before? 
Can you imagine yourself curling up with this book on a rainy day?

15 Feb 2018

(Short) Review - The Dark Unseen by Andrew C. Jaxson

Title: The Dark Unseen  (Unseen Series #0.5)

Author: Andrew C Jaxson

Rating: 5/5 

Synopsis:

Hud and his friends are camping in the mountains to celebrate finally finishing school. Tonight, he can finally make his move on the girl he’s been in love with for four long years. But something lurks in the darkness, something Hud has encountered before and can't quite remember. When tragedy strikes the night turns to chaos, and Hud makes a terrifying and world-shattering discovery. As the teens run for their lives, old memories resurface, and an impossible evil will reveal itself. 


My Thoughts:

The Dark Unseen is a teaser novella that introduces Andrew C. Jaxson's new series, The Unseen. And what a fantastic prequel it is! It will chill you to the bone and once you are finished with it, you will want to seek answers!

Hud goes camping with his best friend and the girl of his dreams but he never dreamed the night would end the way it does. Something is out there; among the trees, in the night something unexplainable with an unappeasable hunger.

I am hooked! I guess these days I'm craving horror, I can't help it. This little taste of Andrew C. Jaxson's writing convinced me I need to read the first book in the series. The way the night was described, how he built the tension slowly, then led us through a series of unexpected actions... it was like a roller coaster ride that you want to repeat over and over again. It sure gave me an adrenaline rush... I loved it!



Good news!

This prequel novella is now available for free on the author's website!


Next in the series: 

The Fire Unseen


Happy reading!

28 Jan 2016

Book promo - Thirst - Blood of my Blood by R. P. Channing




240+ Pages

WITH BEAUTIFUL PHOTOGRAPHS



~ Kira Sutherland ~

After a near fatal accident (and getting cheated on by her 'boyfriend'), and beating up the lead cheerleader (with whom the boyfriend cheated...), and being labeled as having 'issues' in her school because she, uhm, sees ghosts, Kira is left with two choices:


 1. Continue her 'therapy' (where she's told the ghost is a hallucination and also gets her legs ogled too often...)

Or

2. Go to Starkfield Academy, a boarding school for "Crazies and Convicts" (as the social media sites call them.)

She chooses the latter...


~ Cory Rand ~


Cory Rand has not had an easy life. His mother died in a car accident when he was twelve, and so did his mother's best friend...sort of. You see, Janice made a promise to take care of Cory just before she died, and so she lingers. Undead. A ghost that watches out for him.

Brought up in an abusive home, Cory quickly falls into a life of disreputable behavior. After his third offense (which was prompted by a girl, as usual - he has a weakness) he's left with two choices:

1. Be tried as an adult and share a cell with a guy named Bubba (he thinks...)

Or

2. Go to Starkfield Academy, which Cory is pretty sure is run by vampires. But, hey, at least he'll get an education.

He chooses the latter...

It's at Starkfield that Kira meets Cory Rand, a boy with an insatiable Rage who sees ghosts, too. As well as other things, other things from his past, things that confuse him, things like fire and witches and demons.

Things he's always ignored.

Until now.

Genres:

Young Adult Romance
Paranormal Romance
High School
Vampires, Demons, Witches
Dark Fantasy
Horror 

Buy Links

Kindle Unlimited

$20 Amazon Gift Voucher Giveaway

At the back of the book there is a giveaway link. Once the book hits fifty reviews on Amazon, one of those reviewers will win a $20 (US Dollars) Amazon Gift Voucher!

Author Bio

R P Channing started writing three years ago, but never published anything even after churning out over a million words of fiction. Thirst: Blood of my Blood is the first book he dared to publish. When asked why, he said, “Because it’s the first thing I wrote that my wife actually enjoyed reading.” When not hammering away (most literally) at his keyboard, he can be found buried in a book, reading anything from romance to horror to young adult to non-fiction to comedy.

Author Links

Twitter
Amazon