 Wicked River by Jenny Milchman  Author Jenny Milchman When I received this book, I was kind of interested but, a little apprehensive. It’s a great read, as it turns out however, it IS a long novel. It’s 449 pages and since I tend to read comics and true crime (which for me reads very quickly, I think it’s because of my personality type), I have to admit 449 pages seems like a lot.
Now, I will be perfectly honest and say that I am not done with the book yet. At that length it’s taking me longer to read than my normal stuff and recently, life (and death) have been monopolizing my time. However, if you like to read and you like suspense/thriller novels, this is definitely a book for you. It takes place out in the wild with a newlywed couple trekking their way through rafting and woods for what they planned to be a delightful honeymoon. There’s also a guy that actually lives in the Adirondacks and lives off the land and it’s inhabitants. Now, like the best of the best suspense writers, Jenny Milchman has cleverly written this book to keep you on your toes, to keep you wondering. It’s like you just know something bad is going to happen but, you’re on the edge of your seat waiting for it. The tension and nervousness mounts with each page turn, with each chapter, with each new experience they loving couple face. Doug, the husband, is a very outdoor oriented guy. Nat, the wife, on the other hand, is definitely not. She’s also very reliant on modern living and technology. It’s already nerve-racking to be out in the middle of nowhere but, with no way to communicate with anyone or call for help…what can you really do? I am so curious to see what happens as the guy that lives in the woods is truly a creepy and seedy kind of character. He’s been alone so long it seems like he’ll do anything to have some company. Anything. That’s desperation at its finest. You can find the book at the following links: Amazon Barnes and Noble Indie Bound While I am going to include a rating on this review, it’s only based on what I’ve read so far. So, keep that in mind. RATINGS 3.5/5
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 Terror Is Our Business: Dana Roberts' Casebook of Horrors by Joe R. Landsdale and Kasey Landsdale Written by a father/daughter duo (which is really a cool thing), this is a book that has a Sherlock Holmes kind of feel. It was a fun read and a quick read actually. We are introduced to Dana Roberts, a supernormal investigator. She calls it supernormal instead of paranormal. She’s not a believer in the supernatural per se. But, she believes in what she sees and experiences herself (like Seth in From Dusk ‘til Dawn, “I don’t believe in vampires but, I believe in my own two eyes and what I saw, is vampires.”) The stories are good stories, told to us in the first person, as if we are having the conversation with Dana Roberts herself. The set up for the book is that she is a guest speaker for a kind of club. It’s not a book club or anything like that…more like a group of people that get together and talk about weird stuff. It’s refreshing point of view, actually. It really does make you feel like you are sitting there as part of her “audience” as she tells the story. She also preempts the tales with her own little two cents of thought and it acts as a nice lead in to each story. While I’ve not found it to be “scary” by any means, it IS entertaining and there are some parts that could possibly give you the willies. It is definitely along the paranormal or supernatural lines but, it’s not Poltergeist or anything like that. I thought by the title it would be more “horror” like but, in all actuality, it almost seems like reading for the young adult. It’s definitely something I would have read in my younger years. I can’t say so much for sure who I would recommend this to. I did enjoy it and it was entertaining but, it just doesn’t seem to be an actual adult horror novel. RATINGS 3/5  Authors Joe R. Landsdale and his daughter, Kasey Landsdale  The Science of Superheroes by Mark Brake Being fairly new to comic books, as I am, I found this to be a very interesting and informative read.
See, I didn’t grow up reading comic books. I was introduced to The Punisher initially and only then it was the Thomas Jane movie with John Travolta. And interestingly enough, I was fine with that for a while. I mean, I loved that movie for years. Then I found the comic books. And I got my first Punisher comic and I was hooked. I quickly branched out into stuff like Grimm Tales of Terror, largely in part to the fact that I just didn’t know enough about the traditional characters for DC or Marvel to get into the new issues of those comics. This book was a big help to me. It helped me understand what some of the super powers were, what each is used for, how they are “plausible” and it helped better define the characters for me. This is a great sort of start up guide to someone who has no understanding of comic book heroes and villains. This book talks about everything from Superman’s ability to fly to how plausible Groot would be. I mean, they really went to town on the knowledge in this book. It’s definitely worth the read if you, like me, need a little comic book education…a “comication”, if you will. And this is the place to start it. RATINGS 3.5/5  The Dark Horse Book of the Dead see below for preview images This is an anthology put out by Dark Horse Books. From the blip in the front of the book, I guess this was supposed to be the last book in the series (which I have more of than just this one, thankfully) but, the powers that make the money move wanted it to continue so more came after it. It’s almost comical the way Scott Allie puts it. You can certainly tell that THAT was not how he wanted things to end up. Which sometimes sours the reading for me a little, to know that the creators weren’t happy about the project, etc. However, this is a book of nine tales about the dead and the dead coming back to life. All nine tales are by different authors and different artists. That’s why I don’t have the credits listed. There’s just too many for something like this. The tales are all of the same topic, the dead, but, they are all individual in their own way. There’s one that reads as a poem, illustrations along with it. There’s stories of hungry dead risen to satisfy their incessant starvation. The fact that it’s all varied writers and artists makes it more interesting to read. You get a little taste of everything in this book. I have enjoyed every Dark Horse comic book or book I’ve read. This one was no exception and did not disappoint. I have other books from this series including the “book of monsters” and I can’t wait to get to reading them. Any horror comic book lover that likes more Edgar Allan Poe type stuff would love this. It reminds me a lot of that type of work. RATINGS 4/5 Stars      I've Got Something to Say by Danko Jones I know this book doesn’t EXACTLY fit into the horror genre. However, it DOES have illustrations done by comic books artists and that’s originally what pulled me to it. What it really is, is the thoughts and musings of musician Danko Jones, the front man for the band Danko Jones.
While none of these blips are horror based, there are some interesting things mentioned and there are definitely some amusing moments. The artwork is only for certain “chapters” and it varies. It’s not all the same artist. But having some of the recollections pictured in comic book format does lend a certain nostalgia to the reading. I will say that this guy has had some interesting experiences in his time. I have to admit, I didn’t even know who he was until this book came my way. He’s not the type of music I generally listen to, although, I do listen to almost anything at times. Still, this was an entertaining read, nonetheless. I don’t know who exactly I would recommend it to…maybe heavy metal fans or music fans in general. I mean, really anybody who wants any kind of inside look into the mind of a musician could get a kick out of this. Perhaps maybe comic book or graphic novel fans too. RATINGS 3/5 Stars |
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