October 2025 – Looking For a Good Book

October 31, 2025

STEPHEN SONDHEIM’S SWEENEY TODD: BEHIND THE BLOODY MUSICAL MASTERPIECE – Rick Pender

Back in 1980, as I was finishing my freshman year of college, I changed my college major to Theatre Arts. I note this because the biggest topic of discussion among my peers at this time was the very unusual, dark musical that had very recently opened on Broadway, called Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Continue reading

ENTERTAINMENT, NON-FICTION

3 Stars, Book Reviews, Books, non-fiction, Reviews, Theatre

October 29, 2025

THE PLACE WHERE THEY BURIED YOUR HEART – Christina Henry

I am always happy to see a new Christina Henry book! There’s a street in Chicago that seems otherwise pretty ordinary, except for the fact that there’s an old, abandoned, run-down house. Parents tell their children to stay away, but children find the fun in daring one another to go into the house. But people Continue reading

Dark Fantasy/Horror

5 Stars, Book Reviews, Books, Horror/Dark Fantasy, Reviews

October 27, 2025

THE FANTASTIC ART OF ROY G. KRENKEL – Craig Yoe

I am the person for whom this book is intended. I have been a fan of Roy Krenkel’s art work since the 1970’s. As a high school student, I thought I was destined for a career in art and my preferred medium was pen and ink and while I loved Frank Frazetta’s work, it was Continue reading

ENTERTAINMENT, NON-FICTION, OTHER

5 Stars, Art, Book Reviews, Books, Reviews

October 23, 2025

BLADE RUNNER 2039: THE COMPLETE SERIES OMNIBUS – graphic novel

I’m a very big fan of Philip K Dick, his novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, and the two feature-length Blade Runner movies (the original would probably make my top five favorite films of all time). I’ve not read any of the sequel novels by K. W. Jeter, nor, prior to this, have I read any of Continue reading

GRAPHIC NOVEL, Uncategorized

4 stars, Book Reviews, Books, Graphic Novels, Reviews

October 21, 2025

WILD AS THE STARS – Kerry Chaput

It is the late 1920’s in an alternate universe where magic is banned alongside booze during Prohibition. Eleanora ‘Nora’ Cleary has dreams of performing her magical tap dance on the stage but Prohibition has meant that she has to keep her magic ability a secret. Fear of those with magic powers has pervaded the general Continue reading

HISTORICAL FICTION

4 stars, Book Reviews, Books, Historical Fiction, Reviews

October 17, 2025

GET SHORTY – Elmore Leonard

Chili Palmer is a Miami-based, mob-connected loan shark. He’s getting a little tired of the Florida scene and so, after chasing a deadbeat who’s trying to avoid paying his dues, all the way out to Hollywood, Chili finds that the Hollywood lifestyle suits him just fine and he might as well stay. Chili is a Continue reading

Thriller

3 Stars, Book Reviews, Books, Reviews, Thriller

October 15, 2025

A PLAY ABOUT A CURSE – Caroline Macon Fleischer

Corey is a young woman with dreams of a life in the theatre. Maxine is the respected, award-winning dramatist currently leading a workshop where she encourages Corey. But when Maxine destroys Corey’s hopes at a collaboration, the young mentee seeks revenge. That revenge comes by way of a curse, drawn on dark powers, that will Continue reading

Dark Fantasy/Horror, Uncategorized

4 stars, Book Reviews, Books, Horror/Dark Fantasy, Reviews, Theatre

October 13, 2025

CHAPELWOOD – Cherie Priest

Lizbeth (Lizzie) Borden is working with Boston investigator Simon Wolf to combat certain dark entities. When a friend of Simon’s is killed in Birmingham, Alabama the pair head south. There appears to be more at work than just an angry murderer. With no obvious motive, something more sinister may be behind the killing spree. There Continue reading

Dark Fantasy/Horror, SF/FANTASY

3 Stars, Book Reviews, Books, Horror/Dark Fantasy, Reviews, SF/Fantasy

October 9, 2025

JUMPSCARE – graphic novel

Collecting the first four issues of the comic book by the same name, Jumpscare is a new sort of superhero. A young woman who happens to be a huge fan of horror/slasher/grindhouse films is bestowed with a unique power – she can call up (and use) any movie weapon from any horror film she’s ever Continue reading

GRAPHIC NOVEL

4 stars, Book Reviews, Books, Graphic Novels, Reviews

October 7, 2025

THE CASE OF THE MISSING CRIME WRITER – Ragnar Jónasson

Elín S. Jónsdóttir is a bestselling, popular crime fiction author. When no one hears from her for days she is reported missing and Detective Helgi Reykdal is assigned to the case. But Helgi is in for more than he bargained for as his investigation introduces him to a number of people who knew the reclusive woman. Continue reading

MYSTERY

3 Stars, Book Reviews, Books, Mystery, Reviews

October 3, 2025

THE SHIVERS COLLECTION

This is five short story/novelettes by five leading authors writing in the horror/dark fantasy genre. It seems like every decade or so, publishers try to find a way to capitalize on short fiction. I can recall working in a bookstore (the 90’s?) when some of the big publishers tried marketing short stories and novellas in Continue reading

Dark Fantasy/Horror, SHORT FICTION

4 stars, Book Reviews, Books, Horror/Dark Fantasy, Reviews, Short Fiction

October 1, 2025

BUG WARS – graphic novel

**Right out of the gate I want to make one thing clear… I was approved for a “Preview Copy” ARC of Bug Wars. Apparently a “Preview Copy” is not a complete copy of the book but a sample of the book. In this case, it appears to be issue #1 of the Bug Wars comic book and the Continue reading

GRAPHIC NOVEL

3 Stars, Book Reviews, Books, Graphic Novels, Reviews