What I'm Reading: Drood

As I mentioned here, I have been on a Dickens kick, and I think I am all Dickensed out after listening to Dan Simmons' Drood, a 24-disc, opus about Dickens' last few years, narrated by his friend and collaborator, Wilkie Collins. I don't want to give the wrong impression. I liked this book, but even too much of a good thing can become bad.

This book is hard to classify. It is historical fiction, with supernatural, and thriller elements. Like he did in The Terror, Simmons has drawn heavily upon historical documents, including many of Dickens' letters to friends and family here. However, all letters to Dickens' it is noted, were burned by the author himself. The novel blends facts- including those surrounding the mystery of Dickens' last unfinished work, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, the life of Dickens and his family, the life of Wilkie Collins', the work the two authors did together and separately, and life in their world- with invented and supernatural elements such as the ghosts who haunt Wilkie Collins and an underground world of evil minions controlled through mesmerism.

This is a long book (784 pages), and its pace varies. Most of the pacing depends on our narrator's mood. Simmons portrays Collins' as a self-centered but troubled man. We read at Collins' whim; we are subject to his moods and digressions--all of which adds an interesting dimension to the book. While there are exciting chapters of adventures into tunnels under London, there are also long recreated conversations between Collins and Dickens which contemplate the state of literature at the time. There are long passages of what is basically literary criticism balanced by faster paced scenes in which Wilkie is literally battling his ghosts. There is even a bit of psychoanalysis of Dickens by Wilkie Collins in this novel.

That leads me to another big appeal, Wilkie is our narrator, but also a fascinating character himself; in fact I found him more interesting than Dickens.

Overall I enjoyed this book, it had a little bit of everything I like in a book: it was historically detailed, it had an unreliable narrator, it was dark and macabre, and it had a literary background. However, at almost 800 pages, this book is not for every reader and it does get a bit bloated and long winded at times. For the reader who finds Drood intriguing but too long, I would try to equally as well researched and much tighter The Last Dickens (which is detailed below).

Readalikes: As I mentioned, this book is very similar to Matthew Pearl's The Last Dickens which I read here and you can click through to see many readalikes. These will all appeal to readers of Drood.

I will (and have) suggested Pearl's title to more readers than Simmons', although not because one is "better" than the other. Rather, Pearl's title will just appeal to a wider range of readers.

Drood did make me want to more about the peculiar Wilkie Collins, so here is a link to his Amazon page.

Getting away from the Dickens/Collins angel, readers who enjoy literary, historical and macabre tomes like The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova or the shorter The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield (which I also read here) will also find Drood to their liking.

Finally a more modern book with a very similar feel, pacing, and length to Drood is Special Topics in Calamity Physics by Marisha Pessl (which I also read here).

What I'm Reading: The Last Dickens

I thought it was just me, but here in America we seem to be on a Dickens kick. I just finished Matthew Pearl's latest, The Last Dickens and I am in the process of listening to the 24 discs that make up Dan Simmons, Drood.

There have also been the PBS Masterpiece reworkings of Dickens' Tales. I also looked back at my blog over the past 12 months and saw that Dickens had come up frequently. All I have to say is that somebody has been doing some great subliminal Dickens' marketing.

But on to the book at hand, Matthew Pearl's The Last Dickens. I have read all three of Pearl's books. His newest has a more convincing mystery than Poe Shadow and is less bloody than The Dante Club. But like both of his previous books, The Last Dickens is chocked full of historical facts and people. In fact, at the end of the book, Pearl lists which characters were based on real people and which were made up for the narrative's sake.

Here is the basic plot. James Osgood, the American publisher for Dickens' work is waiting for the 6th installment of Dickens' latest novel, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, to arrive. He sends his right hand man to the dock to await the manuscript, but the young man mysteriously dies on the way back to the office. Was it murder? A nefarious foreigner is also introduced as chasing down the manuscript.

A few days later, Dickens dies; thus leaving his last work unfinished forever. Osgood and and a young divorcee from his office, Rebecca, travel to England to try and unravel the mystery surrounding Dickens' death and his mysterious last novel. Like any amateur detective novel, Osgood is in for more than he bargained and mortal danger, high speed horse and carriage races, and burning buildings await him on his journey. Their adventures and inquiries make up one of the two main story lines.

The second storyline takes place 3 years previously, during Dickens' last American tour. James Osgood was a part of this tour, but it is Dickens' young bodyguard Tom Branagan, through whom we see the story here. The two story lines do merge in the "present" of the book in a satisfactory way.

The Last Dickens was published in 2009, but is written as if it were a novel of 1870. So to those reviewers who complain that the villain's need to explain himself at the end is a bit much, I say that's how it would have been in a crime novel in 1870. That is why I enjoyed this novel. It was very much about the time while also mimicking it. It is even written in 6 "installments," just as the real publication of The Mystery of Edwn Drood was. And much like installment published novels of the era, Pearl ends each installment with a cliff hanger, but begins the next with the other storyline, alternating until the two collide and the novel moves briskly toward a conclusion. Again, just like most novels in the late 19th Century. As a reader who appreciates the history of leisure reading, I loved this aspect.

Without giving the ending away, I do have to mention some of the complaints about it. This is a work of historical fiction. Historical fiction needs to stay true to history. History stands than The Mystery of Edwin Drood went unfinished. This book needed to end with an unfinished book. However, The Last Dickens is also a mystery. And here our mystery involves what the finished book would contain. So, Pearl needed to have Osgood find the manuscript to have a satisfactory resolution to the mystery, but then he still needed to have it lost somehow, preserving the true historical outcome.

Personally, As I was getting closer to the end and Osgood had discovered that the last 6 installments were probably out there, I was getting worried that he would find them. Once he did locat ethe pages, I appreciated that rather exaggerated way in whcih they were lost forever. But really, I think it is a matter of taste; you will either like the ending or think it is a cop out.

Readalikes: There are so many options here. First and foremost is the other current book about Dickens' and his last work, Drood by Dan Simmons. Also, many are going to want to read The Mystery of Edwin Drood for themselves. Here is a link to all of Dickens work while we are at it.

Some critics have called The Mystery of Edwin Drood the first modern crime novel. Some other books that compete for that title are Moonstone by Wilkie Collins and The Dupin Tales by Poe (this edition has an introduction by Mattew Pearl).

Other similar titles would be the novels Ghostwalk by Rebecca Stott and The Good Thief by Hannah Tinti, both of which I have read and written about here and here.

Similar nonfiction readalikes would be The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester, The Lost City of Z : a Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon by David Grann, and The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher by Kate Summerscale.

What I’m Reading: The Fifth Heart

Back in the spring I read The Fifth Heart by Dan Simmons.

Becky's Soundbite Review:

What if on a dark night, on the banks of the Seine river, in 1893, Henry James was prevented from killing himself by the one and only Sherlock Homes [who himself if having a bit of an identity crisis]. So begins the meta mystery investigation in which the very real author and the possibly real Holmes team up to solve the mystery surrounding the death of James' good friend Clover Adams back in Washington, DC. Much like Simmons' Drood, this is a methodically paced, dark tale, filled with intrigue, historical detail and Holmes oeuvre references. This is the perfect read for historical fiction fans, those who love books about books, and Holmes aficionado's alike.

This novel was very much like Drood [click for full review]. Like Drood, the Fifth Heart is methodically paced. This is a long book with lots of detail, and a plot that takes it's time coming together.  But in these novels, the plot is not as important as following the literary characters and becoming immersed in their world. So methodical is what Simmons is going for and what readers expect.

For example, there is a very long scene about 1/3 of the way into the book where Holmes and James are inside the monument that Adams has erected for his wife's grave. It is long and detailed, but so interesting. It was my favorite scene in the entire book. It has a little bit to do with the plot, but it is in the story to set the mood, tone, and establish very important things about those three characters. There are also long dinner scenes told in full detail from the food, to the clothing of the guests, to the conversation. Again, not all important to the plot, but all integral to establishing the setting and deepening the characters.

Now, I listened to Drood, so the parts that "dragged" didn't bother me. I read this novel in print, so I noticed the dragging parts more. I think I prefer Simmons in audio because in that format I can more easily get immersed by the world he is creating and I fall deeply inside, loving every minute of it.

I also adored how in the novel, Holmes is working on the Clover Adams case AND a case of International importance all while questioning if he is a real person or a fictional construction. And pairing him with the super serious James makes for quite an odd team.  That being said, while this is a fun narrative choice and leads to some "wink-wink" humor, Simmons is NOT writing a parody. Rather, this is an authentic and historical representation of time, place and people (whether they are real historical figures or fictional characters).

Fans of books about books will love how "meta" this novel is, while fans of more traditional, big, historical novels will enjoy how much they learn. For me, it is been well documented on this blog that I love the Victorian Era. So for me, the time period was perfect. I also loved how much I learned specifically about Henry and Clover Adams, the early days of the Secret Service, and Sherlock Homes as a person-- I know that was made up, but it was still fun. I really liked the scenes when characters who were fans of Holmes were totally geeking out talking to the man himself. So very cool.

Finally, although I have not seen any reviewers mention this, I found The Fifth Heart to be the best explanation I have ever seen as to how the eternally serious and boring Henry James could have written a psychological suspense masterpiece like The Turn of the Screw. Trust me, this is a quandary I have been thinking about and writing about since 10th grade, and while this explanation here in The Fifth Heart is obviously not correct I am going with it.

If you have access to Novelist. I have written a long Read Alike article for Dan Simmons. Just search his name and choose "Lists and Articles."

Three Words That Describe This Book: books about books, alternative history, methodically paced

Readalikes: Many readers will want to read more about, by or featuring the characters in this novel. So try anything featuring Holmes and/or books by or about James or Adams.

If you like this time period and the darker undertones here, watch The Knick. I love this show and have written about the first season and offered readalikes here. It covers many of the same issues and themes found in The Fifth Heart but from a medical, instead of literary and government, perspective.

But for books that are also methodically paced, dark, and literary try a few of these. Links go to my reviews where appropriate and I have noted those that are also historical (because that may matter to some readers):

• The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova [historical]
• The Quick by Lauren Owen [historical]
• The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
• Night Film by Marisha Pessl
• The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters [historical]

What I’m Reading: The Quick

The review train keeps rolling...

Back in August I read The Quick by Lauren Owen. Here is what I said about it in Library Journal:

What is a list of Halloween stories without some vampires? Lauren Owen’s debut, The Quick(Random. 2014. ISBN 9780812993271. $27; ebk. ISBN 9780679645054), introduces James Norbury, a shy young Victorian poet who accidentally gets wrapped up in the complicated and secretive Aegolius Club. Owen’s narrative has the leisurely pace of the Gothic novels from the era in which it is set, but those who settle in and let the well-drawn characters, intrigue, and intricate plot sweep them away are in for a great ride. Think Dickens meets Dracula for a sense of what Owen’s textured novel has to offer.

While this says a lot about The Quick, let me add a bit more.

This novel gets off to a slow start, I mean really slow.  The first third is almost a different book; however, the slow set up is important as it establishes some key relationships, settings, and situations that come into play as the novel runs its course.  The resolution here is perfect because of that long set up. It all comes around upon itself in a satisfying final chapter.

Also, this novel is filled with a rich cast of well developed, interesting, and intricate characters.  I especially like James’ sister, who is prominent in the beginning, disappears for a while, but then turns into the heroine of the novel.  But there are all of the vampires, those from the Aegolius Club and their rivals, as well as the vampire hunters/historians.  Owen spreads the point of view around to many of these characters.  We get their back stories, their motivations, their inner most thoughts.  While in less deft hands this might be confusing, Owen did a wonderful job of allowing these characters to come alive and take shape in front of the reader’s eyes, as they each take their turns with the story.

If you love interesting and fleshed out characters regardless of how you feel about vampires, you will love this novel.

By the way, the action, when it comes, is awesome.  Totally worth the wait.  The intricate plot, richly drawn characters, and intriguing frame (with vampires, humans, and vampire hunters/historians all set in “normal” Victorian London) combine for a great final third.

This is a perfect read for fans of dark, historical fantasy because much of what I have said above is standard for those fans.

Three Words That Describe This Book:  Gothic, Moody, Leisurely Paced

Readalikes: Let's start with the obvious, as I described above, The Quick is Dickens meets Dracula, but while that is helpful to catch someone's attention quickly, here are some more specific readalikes with detailed reasons why.

The Quick is the novel I had hoped The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova would be, but wasn't [for me at least].  So if you loved the idea of The Historian but didn't like the execution, The Quick is the novel for you.

Here are a few other books I have read [and enjoyed] which work as good readalikes here.  Click on the title for my full review:

• Drood by Dan Simmons-- for the setting, the mood, and the dark fantasy element. Both novels are long, but Drood moves quicker.
• Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker-- for the historical fantasy element, the detailed plot, and the wonderful characters. This is the shortest and most swiftly paced of the readalikes listed.
• The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters-- for the creepy mood, leisurely pace, and intricately plot. The setting [England] is the same, but the time periods are different [Victorian vs post-WWII]. 
• The Swan Gondola by Timothy Schaffert-- for the leisurely pace, historical setting [different place but similar time] great characters, creepy atmosphere and macabre elements.

What I'm Reading: March 2009

As I mentioned here, my local library is part of "The Big Read" in the Western suburbs of Chicago. I read the book this month, Animal Vegetable Mineral by Barbara Kingsolver. This is a nonfiction/memoir title by the popular novelist. With the help of her husband and 19-year-old daughter, Kingsolver wrote about her family's decision to move from Arizona to her summer home/farm full time and embarked on a 12 month journey to eat only food they grew, animals they raised, or, food that was produced within a 100 mile radius of their home.

Kingsolver is a very engaging writer, and I was intrigued by her descriptions of their experiences, but, there were times when I felt like she was berating me for eating cucumbers out of season. Despite feeling, at times, like she was telling me how much better she was than me, I still found myself passing on many of the tidbits of information I learned from Kingsolver's book. That is the sign of a good book; one that stays with you and compels you to share it with others.

I am not going to spend my time listing readalikes because The Big Read website has plenty of suggestions here. One of the things I teach my students is not to reinvent the wheel. This is a great example. Librarians share information; it is at the heart of what we do. That is why I started this blog. So go see all the great work that my local library colleagues have done.

I also read another bestselling nonfiction title this month, The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher by Kate Summerscale. Summerscale tires to unravel the true story behind a particularly grizzly murder of a young boy in 1860. In a Victorian family home in Road England, a young boy disappears from his bed in the nursery and is found brutally murdered in the outhouse. This is the story of a strange family, the creation and rise of the police detective, and the dawning of the modern era.

What makes this true crime story different from many others is that the author takes an interesting angle. She uses this true event to show how it also gave rise to the modern mystery novel. She also throws in a quick discussion of the birth of Aquariums at the end too.

Personally, although I was intrigued by her arguments, I got bored in the middle and didn't really ever get back into the book. Once the sister confesses (don't worry, it's pretty clear from start that she did it), there are only minor revelations and wild speculations in the last third of the book. In fact, I felt it ended rather abruptly. Still, I think Summerscale's discussions of the emergence of the detective and the beginnings of mystery fiction at this time were worth reading it, IMO.

After reading Summerscale's book you will want to run out and read Wilkie Collins, Charles Dickens, Edgar Allan Poe, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, all of whom are mentioned and quoted liberally throughout the book. I am all for books that want you to read more books! There is also the brand new title by Dan Simmons, Drood. In Drood, Simmons reimagines the inspiration behind Dickens' last, unfinished work, narrated by Wilkie Collins.

If true crime is more your thing, according an article by Neal Wyatt on EBSCO's NoveList Plus database, the five key titles to read in the genre are Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt, Helter Skelter: the True Story of the Manson Murders by Vincent Bugliosi, In Cold Blood by Truman Capote, Blue Blood by Edward Conlon, and The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson.

Finally, I was less than impressed with the new satirical, superhero fantasy novel Captain Freedom by G. Xaiver Robillard. Basically it is a memoir by a celebrity obsessed and currently disgraced superhero in a near future America (mostly California). This book poked fun at just about everything in politics and pop culture today. When the hero becomes Governor of CA, he even uses a slogan ("Keep Freedom Free") and runs a campaign similar to Obama's. There is also a section devoted to lambasting the Da Vinci Code. In my opinion, this novel has too musch satire and not enough meat.

If you like Superhero stories, Perry Moore's Hero is much better, as long as you are fine with a parallel coming out of the closet plot line; I wrote about reading Hero here. Also Michael Chabon's Pulitzer Prize winning, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, about the comic book industry is one of my all time favorites. Even the Pixar film, The Incredibles, is better than Captain America.

However, there are many readers who loved this book. It has a 4 star rating on Amazon. Also, here is a link to the Shelfari page for Captain Freedom where you can read the opinions of people who loved the book and why. Although I am allowed to dislike a book, as a RA, I prefer to talk about books in a positive way. Just because I did not like a book, that does not mean there isn't another person for whom it is the perfect choice. As the Shelfari link shows, there are plenty of readers for whom this novel is a great choice; I will let them speak for it. They will do a much better job.

Black Quill Award Nominees

It is almost time for one of my favorite awards of the year...the 3rd Annual Black Quill Awards given by the registered readers and editors of Dark Scribe Magazine for the best in horror, suspense, and thriller books.  As they say at Dark Scribe, it is the best of the books that keep you up at night.

I love these awards because they hit at the appeal of the books; they are not just singled out by their genre. These awards reward writers who invoke fear in their readers, however they do it.  Not all of these books are "horror," in the traditional sense, but they all create a chilling atmosphere and set a dark mood. They are all most compelling for the atmosphere their authors create.


There are eight categories of nominees here.  They are open for voting in December and January with the winners announced on January 31st.

Books that I wrote about on this blog that are nominated in the "Dark Genre Novel of the Year" category are Castaways, The Unseen, and Drood. Use the links to read my opinion on these books.

Also, Robert Dunbar, a great writer and acquaintance of mine, is nominated in the"Best Dark Genre Fiction Collection" category (hint, hint).

Anyone who is a registered reader can vote. I will be. It is free to register, and as a bonus, the online magazine is a pretty good read too.  So click on over and register today.

What I'm Reading: Stoker's Wilde

Here is a review of a highly entertaining, wide appeal, historical horror novel from the latest issue of Booklist.  As usual, I have posted the draft review here and added more content that will help you to booktalk this one to patrons. And there are a lot of patrons who will enjoy this one.

Stoker’s Wilde.

Hopstaken, Steven (author) and Melissa Prusi (author).
May 2019. 304p. Flame Tree, paper, $14.95  (9781787581715); $24.95 (9781787581739). 
First published May 1, 2019 (Booklist).

Using the real life complicated relationship between Oscar Wilde and Bram Stoker as inspiration, Hopstaken and Prusi launch the first in a new series of historical supernatural adventures. The novel sets its ominous, historically accurate, yet playful tone right away as Wilde and Stoker are enlisted by legendary British explorer Richard Burton [and the Queen] to rid an Irish seaport of a murderous werewolf before stepping back to set up the main plot for this story. Written in the epistolary style of Dracula and pursuing many of the themes and ideas from Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray, the reader is thoroughly immersed in a Victorian London both as it actually was and how it could have been. The fun, action driven plot features vampires, secret societies, portals to another realm, and the theater world. Historical details, action sequences, and supernatural monsters abound, but it is the odd coupling of Wilde and Stoker, their diametrically opposed personalities and interesting quirks that drive this story. Clearly well researched, the novel bring these well known but long dead authors to life while still incorporating the unreal aspects seamlessly. Pass this volume on to readers who are hungry for more historical stories with a supernatural frame like Lovegrove’s Cthhulu Casebooks series, The Quick by Lauren Owens, Creatures of Will and Temper by Tanzer and Dracul by Barker and Stoker.

Further Appeal: This book is way better than it had to be. The historical details both in the setting and in the way it is written [like it actually came from its time] was excellent.

The "found" documents and secret society that frames the entire book was highly satisfying as a reader, but please note, the horror here is way more of the paranormal variety. No terror, more just creepy and atmospheric. But also, really fun. You will feel chills, but you won't need to put this book in the freezer.

The interactions between Wilde and Stoker make this book, both how they react to each other and work together despite their differences and quirks AND how they describe each other to others.

I know a lot more about both of their personal stories and their works than the average reader, but even if you know very little, the authors work in all of the necessary details without sacrificing the pacing. They work real world biographic details into the story seamlessly.

Speaking of pacing, while it moves at a good pace, it is still told in letters and in an accurate Victorian style, so modern suspense and adventure readers may find it plodding at times, but fans of historical horror, suspense and thrillers will love it.

This is a great suggestion for people who like historical fiction with real characters and supernatural elements. And that sentence can be your opening soundbite to help match this book with readers.

Also the case closes at the end of the book, but a new one opens, setting up the next adventure/book-- Vampires in the Wild West of America! So get ready to order book 2.

Three Words That Describe This Book: highly entertaining, real book world characters, paranormal

Readalikes: As I said above, anything that is historical fiction with real characters and supernatural elements [of which there are MANY] work here. I gave a few readalikes in the review to show the range of titles you could try.

To that list I would also add, any of the historical horror by Dan Simmons, but especially, Drood or Alma Katsu's The Hunger.

Happy Birthday Charles Dickens

I am working on another longer post and have some work deadlines, but I didn't want the day to pass without acknowledging that today is the 200th Anniversary of Charles Dickens' birth.  Here are a few links to celebrate:

• Google Doodle for Dickens to the left.
• Click here to read my review of The Man Who Invented Christmas about Dickens' writing of A Christmas Carol.
• Use the links to read my reviews of Drood and The Last Dickens.  Both have a Dicken's frame.  These reviews include more reading and watching options for Dickens fans.
• Here is the NPR report entitled "A Tale of Two Centuries" from over the weekend. And another from today.
• Flavorwire's Top 10 Dickens' characters.
• Discussion of when he visited New York.
• Dickens is even cool enough for EW.
• Book Page's roundup of Dickens links too.

It is so nice to see a writer who can still capture the attention of readers 200 years after his birth.  It makes everything I do to help readers find the perfect book for their current mood seem worth it.

Remember, all of Dickens' works are available for free electronically from Amazon, the iBooks store, or Project Gutenberg.

25 Best Horror Novels of the New Millennium and a Giveaway!

This is a cross post with RA for All: Horror.  I generally keep the posts separate, but as you will see below, this list is TOO perfect for ALL public libraries.  Seriously, I can tell you from personal experience that the 25 books will all find readership at any public library in America right now.

I feel very strongly about this.

Plus, you can simply use this list to build a fantastic 21st Century Horror display.  In fact, if you also use my book which is heavily focused on 21st century titles, you will have an easy go of your Halloween displays this year. And people, I know you think I am crazy early on this, but Halloween is only 7 weeks from tomorrow.  You will look like a horror maven superstar to your patrons!

Here is the post:http://raforallhorror.blogspot.com/2014/09/25-best-horror-novels-of-new-millennium.html

****This is the fourth in an occasional series of posts to help you get ready for Halloween.****

So I came across this list of the 25 Best Horror Novels of the New Millennium and boy is it a good list.

Not only have I read, enjoyed, and reviewed many of the books on the list, this is a list every library can use right now as they prepare for Halloween.

Often when I see or find lists of horror books, they are filled with books we would never carry in a library.  They are often too obscure or too out there for a general audience.  But not this list.  Without checking, I can say with confidence that my library owns at least 20 (if not more) of the books on the list.  And, they all have healthy circ stats.

Some like, The Ruins, the 2 Joe Hill entries, Ghost Road Blues, and Drood to name a few, are among my ALL TIME favorites. Click through to see more on each title.

And number 1 is a book that is annotated in my book, a book I personally own, and also happens to be a book I saw in a co-workers hand last week, to which I said to her, “That is one of the creepiest, most disorienting, and just straight out frightening books I have ever read.”  I guess I am not alone in that opinion.

Speaking of my book, in preparation for Halloween I have five copies of my book to give away.  Be one of the first 5 people to email me with your mailing address-- zombiegrl75@gmail.com-- and I will send it to you free of charge.  There is no better way to prepare for the Halloween rush at your public library then with my book.

What I’m Reading: Creatures of Will & Temper and A Small Charred Face

The September 1st issue of Booklist is out a few days early and I have two reviews for you. As usual, I have included my draft review and bonus info with the full citation to the final review.

Creatures of Will and Temper.

Tanzer, Molly (author).
Nov. 2017. 368p. Houghton/Mariner, paperback, $16.99  (9781328710260). 
First published September 1, 2017 (Booklist).

In this urban fantasy retelling of Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray, we enter a decadently described Victorian London filled with all of the rules and manners we know, but with the addition of two fascinating frames-- fencing and demons! The Gray sisters, Dorina and Evadne, come from the country to spend a few weeks in the London home of their artist uncle, Basil. Dorina, the younger and more traditionally beautiful is excited to enter society and is quickly taken under the wing of the mysterious and enchanting Lady Henry. But Lady Henry and Uncle Basil have a secret, one that lives inside of Henry and possibly others. Evadne, a strong, stoic, fencer is sent to be her impetuous sibling’s chaperone, but soon finds herself immersed in a competitive fencing school, one with an underground agenda that puts the sisters in opposite corners of an epic battle. With a satisfying mix of strong characters, lush descriptions, dual point of view, steady pacing, and plenty of exciting action sequences, Tanzer wraps the reader up in a world where nothing is as it seems and notions of what is good or evil, moral or amoral, are up for grabs. A great choice for fans of supernatural fantasy set in the 19th Century like Lauren Owens’ The Quick or Susanna Clarke’s Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell.

Further Appeal: Did I mention the fencing and demons above? Oh I did. Well double down on that. They were fun, interesting and just great.

The Victorian frame is also excellent. I love Victoria era novels and this book accurately replicated BOTH the time period and the style of the writing at the time. And, the literary inspiration also adds a level of appeal here. In general, I would say that the frames are the lead appeal factors here. If you are intrigued by these interesting frames, read this book. The writing is beautiful and the story is well paced, but the frames make it stand out, and as a result, easy to hand sell. Again, did I mention demons and fencing?

I could not really get to this in my limited word count but I also loved how this book played with the stereotypes of femininity. The “strong” more manly woman is straight and the girly woman is lesbian. And both are presented just as they way the characters are. I loved that. The novel also delves into the problems people face in society when they do not fit “the norms”of their era- men, women, young, old- in a thought provoking way.

Three Words That Describe This Book: interesting frame, strong characters, lush descriptions

Readalikes: Counting the Wilde source material, there are three options listed above [The Quick is an especially good readalike and my review for that title has more options too], but you should also look at my reviews of Drood by Dan Simmons and The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield. Both could work, but for different reasons. Click on each title to see why.

Finally, Creatures of Will & Temper is part of John Joseph Adams’ new imprint with HMH. I would highly suggest any of these titles and/or any book he has edited.

A Small Charred Face.

Sakuraba, Kazuki (author).
Translated by Jocelyne Allen.
Sept. 2017. 288p. VIZ/Haikasoru, hardcover, $15.99  (9781421595412). Grades 9-12. First published September 1, 2017 (Booklist).

STAR REVIEW

In this lyrical, character centered fable, readers meet three teens in three separate yet irrevocably linked stories that together relate a panoramic, heartbreakingly beautiful tale about the lives of “The Bamboo,” Chinese vampires living in exile in Japan. The Bamboo live about 100 years, can be born a vampire or turned into one, feed only on the already dead, and are ruled by a king and a strict set of laws, the most important of which is to never associate with humans. When it is their time to expire, they bloom in a flurry of white flowers and then disappear forever. Kyo, a young boy whose family is murdered by the Yakuza and is rescued from the same fate by a kind hearted Bamboo, tells the first story, recounting his years being raised by two vampires who want nothing more than to protect his “flame.” Next is Marika, a Bamboo who was turned as a teen, befriends the human Kyo during his high school years, and becomes inextricably linked to Kyo and his family. Finally, we go back in time, to when the Bamboo still lived in China and hear the story of the two teenage, royal vampires who saved their brethren and helped them escape to safety in Japan. While the vampire frame is central to the plot, the novel is quiet, with little violence, Rather than being horrific, this is a thought provoking, coming of age tale about familial love and life with all of its blessings and hardships, related in an authentic voice to which teens will be drawn. A compelling tale perfect for readers who are craving more of the popular spate of fairytale inspired stories.

Further Appeal: This book was beautiful and enveloped me in its world, characters, and fable like storytelling from the first moment. It is an experience to read this book, a wonderful, captivating experience.

Also the way the story is told, through the three connected stories where 1 character from each story appears in the next one, in a way that makes you look again at the character you were introduced to previously was amazing. I especially liked how the story behind how and why the Bamboo are the way they are was saved until the end. Telling the story “out of order”made it better.

I also loved how the idea of a monster, in this case a vampire, was used in a different way. They are still scary but the focus is on the magic, wonder, and otherness, not the fear. But the darkness is still there, lying in wait, just behind the surface.

Finally, while this is a YA novel because it is teens who control the action and storytelling, this is definitely a YA novel that can be enjoyed by adults who like beautiful storytelling and character centered stories. I am not a huge fan of YA in general, but this book I loved.

I didn’t know what to expect when I was handed this book. The plot summary alone does not explain why this book is so phenomenal. Everything else I have said in the review and this extra appeal statement explains why someone would like this book, not the plot.

This is a title you will have to seek out to add to your collections, but I think it is well worth the effort.

Three Words That Describe This Book: lyrical, character center, fairytale/fable inspired

Readalikes: This book reminded me of Murakami and not just because they are both Japanese authors, rather because both use surrealism, character centered and unconventional storylines, and a mystical feel in their works.

Here is the author statement I wrote on Murakami for NoveList to explain:

Haruki Murakami's appeal lies in his characters and storylines, both of which seamlessly meld the mundane and the surreal. His protagonists are introspective and quirky, and they always end up mixed up in some crazy conspiracy. The Murakami plot grows from these situations as the characters and the reader go through a physical and mental journey to reach the novel's completion. Murakami sprinkles odd situations and eccentric characters into the mix to help lighten what can be a heavy load. Start with: Kafka on the Shore.

But that is too easy just to give you another Japanese author. Any story with a fable or fairytale frame where the characters are central would also work, especially those where “monsters” are used in an original way like, The Golem and the Jinni, The Night Circus, or Uprooted.

I also think A Tale for the Time Being is a good readalike. Click here for why.

What I'm Reading: Audiobook Catch-Up Edition Featuring Flashback and The Orphan Master's Son

I am very far behind in reviews, but I will not dwell on that.  Instead, I will play catch up.  Here are 2 reviews on some books I listened to over the spring.

Dan Simmons is one of my favorite authors mostly because he refuses to allow himself to be pigeon holed.  As I wrote about him in my horror book:

"...Dan Simmons is also a genre-blending author, but with Simmons you can get any combination of horror, sceince fiction, suspense, thriller and historical fiction.  These are atmosphere-centered novels, with a deliberate pacing that allows the tension to build so intensely that it makes readers squirm.  Simmons also develops complicated characters that we want to follow, even when we think we should know better.  He includes interesting and thought-provoking details about real science or history in his books and then adds a twist of dark, otherworldly elements." (pgs 39-40)

I wrote these lines way before Flashback came out, but they hold very true to the appeal of this novel, as it also does for his suspense/horror/historical fiction blended Drood (use link for my review).  This statement gets to the heart of why people like Simmons even though each book is very different from the next.

Flashback is set in a near future dystopia blended and is best categorized as psychological suspense with a science fiction frame. The set up is that America as we know it no longer exists.  I will not spend time here with the details because the expertise with which Simmons unveils his imagine setting is part of the fun of reading this book.

The term "Flashback" refers to a drug which most Americans are addicted to.  It allows you to go back and relive the best moments of your life.  Now that America as we know it has collapsed, people are miserable, and under "the flash" is the only time they are happy.  Most of the plot of the novel involves the drug, who discovered it, who made it available to Americans, and who controls it.

The novel has three narrators which worked very well on the audio.  They are Nick Bottom, a Flashback addict who lost his wife under mysterious circumstances a bunch of years ago, his estranged teenaged son, and his father-in-law who has been raising the boy.  The stories bounce around but on the audio, each voice has a different narrator.  The headings for each chapter clearly denote who is talking with a numerical system.  As a listening experience, it worked well.  The shifting narration allowed me to see the same story from different angles.  It added to the suspense and the overriding sense of unease that permeates this novel.  I was always on edge, but at the same time, I constantly wanted to know more.  It was a great feeling!

This is a dark book, both in tone and literally.  There are lots of dark places, shadowy figures, and  basements visited here.  You creep with Bottom through the underbelly of this destroyed and decaying America.  The complicated plot involves the murdered son of a Japanese diplomat and as I mentioned, Flashback.

I also enjoyed the family dynamic part of the story.  It was touching but complicated.  Even in a ruined America, some things never change.

This dystopia is so realistic it was scary.  I have to say outright that Simmons appears to have some personally negative views on Obama, views which I do not share even a little, but you can see how his chain of events makes sense. Even though I disagree with his politics, Simmons had me wrapped up in his created world. It is very detailed and scarily realistic.

The novel is also tightly plotted.  I trusted Simmons to pull it all together and he did. Think of this book as a ride like the one of the cover and you will not be disappointed.  You have to hang on at times and go with him, but in the end it is all worth it.

Which reminds me, I loved the ending of this book (and I am so picky about endings).  It was perfect.  I will not give it away but Simmons managed to tie things up and leave an ending that you can read as good, bad, or ambiguous depending on how you feel.  I personally believe in the extremely dark ending.  But, there is a perfectly happy one if you want to believe.

Three Words That Describe This Book: near-future dystopia, dark, unsettling

Readalikes: Other authors who blend genres, write atmospherics novels with supernatural elements and complicated characters, that are darker than the average story (without being viscerally horrific) are China Mieville, Ray Bradbury, Robert McCammon.

 After Flashback, I dove into something completely different, the North Korean set political thriller/literary fiction The Orphan Master's Son (TOMS) by Adam Johnson.

I chose to listen to TOMS because I was interested in the buzz it was getting this past Spring, but I knew I would have trouble with all of the foreign place words (something I have discussed at length in the past).  Again, I greatly enjoyed this novel.


TOMS is a complex story about a place we know very little about.  It is a character driven story with intrigue, drama, and tragedy, but it is ultimately life affirming.

Our main character is Jun Do, an orphan who is drafted into kidnapping service by the North Korean government.  Yes, you read that right.  He helps the government to kidnap Japanese citizens.  This is a messed up world. As the story goes on, Jun Do moves up the government ladder, ultimately taking the identity of a very high official, and in the end pulls one over on Kim Jung Il.

As Jun Do experiences more of the larger world, he comes to understand how truly horrible life in North Korea is.  He learns to understand the joy of true freedom, and he is willing to pay any price to get freedom for his loved ones.

The plot is confusing at times, but not because of the writing.  Johnson so accurately portrays what it is like to be raised poor and orphaned in North Korea that we are confused by how horrible it truly is. Click here and scroll to read Johnson's essay about how his own research trip to "The Most Glorious Nation on Earth."

This is a book to be experienced.  It is about Jun Do and his slow transformation.  You need to let him go at his own pace.  I loved it in audio because Jun Do was telling me his story and I could let it wash over me.  I experienced it, and was transfixed at times.  Also, government radio in North Korea broadcasts stories of the people of "The Most Glorious Nation on Earth," and as that happens in the novel a different narrator comes on to tell those stories.  These stories become crucial to the plot in the final section of the book, so having the "official" government narrator come on in a different voice increased my enjoyment of the story.

This is a haunting story of true suffering and awful despotism in 21st Century North Korea.  While it is a novel, Johnson did a lot of research and even visited North Korea. The general gist of the story is true. That stays with you long after finishing this well crafted, heart breaking, but compelling novel.

Three Words That Describe This Book: political thriller, introspective, haunting

Readalikes: For being such a closed society, there are a lot of novels and nonfiction books about North Korea.  Click here for suggestions.

A good nonfiction readalike that is not about North Korea is Katherine Boo's acclaimed, Behind the Beautiful Forevers about the slums in 21st Century India.

If you liked the peak behind the closed door of an oppressive world in novel form, I would suggest A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini (Afghanistan).

If want more suspense/thriller in foreign a setting try Daniel Silva (Europe and the Middle East), James Church (North Korea), John Burdett (Thailand).  All of these are a little more literary in pacing and writing style, thought provoking, and a bit darker.

What I'm Reading: The Little Stranger

The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters was listed by Stephen King as the best book he read in 2009. Already on my list before that, it moved to the top of the stack.

The plot is very simple, we are in post WWII England in a crumbling estate. Our narrator, is the local doctor whose mother also happened to be a maid at said estate, back in its glory days. He becomes obsessed with the home and its inhabitants after treating their only servant. The story follows the changing social structure of England and the deterioration of the house and the family inside of it.

We have the mother, son and daughter.  Each slowly goes mad, and each meets a bad end.  Are they being stalked by the ghost of a dead family member or is the doctor orchestrating their demise?  He is a truly creepy and unreliable narrator.

Bad things pile ontop of each other, over and over again, in this novel.  Things start badly and slowly, I would even say painfully, get worse with each turn of the page. Do not expect things to turn around for the better here.  In fact, just as things seem to be looking up, they get tragically worse. It is oppressive for the characters and the reader.

Who or what is responsible for the destruction of the estate and the family is never revealed. Read and decide for yourself.

The Little Stranger has been described as old-fashioned horror, but I would classify it more as historical, psychological suspense.  Why?  Well, the feeling of dread is their from the first lines how can it not be? We begin with the past: a beautiful home and family, the young child dies, war comes, the family loses their money, etc...

It cannot be true horror because we never know for sure if what is stalking the family is supernatural or not. I am leaning toward it being the doctor who caused everything.  The ending resolves the main plot issues, but the fear of it all happening again has not been erased because we never know who or what was responsible. This novel truly is a classic example of psychological suspense in a historic setting.

The best description I can give of this book is that it stays with you. You will think about it long after the last page is turned.

3 Words That Best Describe This Book: historical, unhurried, oppressive

Readalikes: The Unseen Alexandra Sokoloff has faster pacing and a similar haunted house plot, but it is more modern and there is a definite supernatural presence here. I wrote about reading The Unseen here. Anything by Sarah Langan will also work.

The Little Stranger looks back on two other classics which ride this thin line between horror and psychological suspense, Edgar Allan Poe's The Fall of the House of Usher and The Turn of the Screw by Henry James. If you haven't read either of these and liked The Little Stranger, pick up these backlist titles.

I read Drood by Dan Simmons last year and it shares a lot of similarities with The Little Stranger: the unreliable narrator, the question of a supernatural being vs. a human serial killer, an obsessive narrator, and a historical British setting (although this one if during Dickens' time).

I would also suggest the stories and novels of the late Shirley Jackson to anyone who enjoyed The Little Stranger, especially her classic novel, The Haunting of Hill House or the story, "The Lottery."

The modern psychological suspense of Carol Goodman or Peter Abrahams both offer the same claustrophobic settings, obsessive characters and unsettling feelings as Waters' novel.

For another disturbing (but not supernatural) book set in a similar time and place I would suggest Ian McEwan's Atonement.  This also happens to be one of my all-time favorite books.  While I was reading The Little Stranger I kept thinking of Atonement. This is a great example of the readalike which fits because they share the same feel, if not any plot points.  Also, one of my favorite things about each of these books is the unreliable narrator issue. Finally, both novels  share the same deliberate pace where the tension builds so slowly at times that you literally feel like the entire book is physically pressing down on you. From the RA standpoint, this can be a positive (for a reader like me) or a huge limiter for other readers; best to point it out ahead of time.

Nonfiction readers may be very interested in post-WWII England and country doctors.  Also, for a nonfiction look at a "cursed," wealthy, British family, try The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher: A Shocking Murder and the Undoing of a Great Victorian Detective by Kate Summerscale, which I read here.