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7th out of 101 books
—
7 voters
Salsa Nocturna
by
Daniel José Older (Goodreads Author)
A 300 year-old story collector enlists the help of the computer hacker next door to save her dying sister. A half-resurrected cleanup man for Death s sprawling bureaucracy faces a phantom pachyderm, doll-collecting sorceresses and his own ghoulish bosses. Gordo, the old Cubano that watches over the graveyards and sleeping children of Brooklyn, stirs and lights another Mala...more
Paperback, 140 pages
Published
July 13th 2012
by Crossed Genres Publications
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Fiction that dances.
It is no surprise that Older, a musician, writes fiction that dances. The cadences of his dialogue and the rhythm with which he paces the action in each of the pieces in this remarkable short story collection are the hallmark of someone who knows when to check the beat, when to riff in solo, and when to cut loose so we, as readers, can bust a move along with his characters.
I'm not a New Yorker, so I don't know if the city Older depicts is genuine, but it sure feels that way....more
It is no surprise that Older, a musician, writes fiction that dances. The cadences of his dialogue and the rhythm with which he paces the action in each of the pieces in this remarkable short story collection are the hallmark of someone who knows when to check the beat, when to riff in solo, and when to cut loose so we, as readers, can bust a move along with his characters.
I'm not a New Yorker, so I don't know if the city Older depicts is genuine, but it sure feels that way....more
What started out as a literary mission fueled by lust for an extremely beautiful author became an adventure of other worldly proportions that I never would have imagined! Salsa Nocturna is the most entertaining and “laugh-out-loud funny” book I have read this year. Daniel Jose Older has done an amazing job of leading a typically uninformed reader, like me, through an intricate maze of hilarious post-death, street-level antics and shenanigans all the while doing a remarkable job of subliminally e...more
I received this book through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program.
These interlocking paranormal short stories revolve around a unique cast of mostly-Hispanic characters including Carlos, a half-dead detective working for the Council of the Dead, and Gordo, a rotund musician. The characters are colorful and lifelike, even if many of them are dead (or in the case of Carlos, half-dead). The dialogue is brilliant. Older has an obvious ear for accents and speech, as I felt like I was truly listen...more
These interlocking paranormal short stories revolve around a unique cast of mostly-Hispanic characters including Carlos, a half-dead detective working for the Council of the Dead, and Gordo, a rotund musician. The characters are colorful and lifelike, even if many of them are dead (or in the case of Carlos, half-dead). The dialogue is brilliant. Older has an obvious ear for accents and speech, as I felt like I was truly listen...more
This was such a great collection of stories. Just before I started reading this book, I was thinking about short stories and series books and thinking that it would be great to combine the two. Daniel Jose Older did exactly this.
All the stories are told in first person, and it's not always easy to tell when the narrator is male, female, young, old, alive, dead, or half dead. Carlos and Gordo are two of the more prominent characters and I'm a little in love with both of them.
Carlos is half dead...more
All the stories are told in first person, and it's not always easy to tell when the narrator is male, female, young, old, alive, dead, or half dead. Carlos and Gordo are two of the more prominent characters and I'm a little in love with both of them.
Carlos is half dead...more
Books like Salsa Nocturna were made to be released on Friday the 13th. This collection of thirteen short stories by Daniel José Older has ghosts, demons, river giants, and creepy dolls. Each story has its own plot line but many of characters cross paths as the encounter the supernatural in present day New York. To celebrate the book release and the international day of all things spooky, here are thirteen of the awesome women in this book.
Complete Review: http://www.paperdroids.com/2012/07/13...
Complete Review: http://www.paperdroids.com/2012/07/13...
I'd like to start off by saying that I received this book as an advanced reader copy through goodread's givaways system, so I'd like to give my thanks to goodreads for the opportunity and to Crossed Genres Publications for sending me this copy from the US all the way to Romania.
I'd also like to mention that the number of books I've read in English (as opposed to translations in my mother tongue) is quite small, so I do apologize if I seem overly enthusiastic about some of the things I'll talk ab...more
I'd also like to mention that the number of books I've read in English (as opposed to translations in my mother tongue) is quite small, so I do apologize if I seem overly enthusiastic about some of the things I'll talk ab...more
These are powerful and utterly off-the wall short stories and I loved them. The adventures of Agent Carlos and his tricky relationship with the Council of the Dead are simply gripping, and I was glued throughout. Most stories are from Carlos' point of view, but there are one or two dotted around from other people in the same world and that's great too.
More please.
More please.
I got this as a reward from the crossed genres Kickstarter and am very glad I did, since it's unlikely I would have found it otherwise (a discussion for another day).
A beautiful mesh of interlinked short stories about love, loss and being - or feeling - invisible and alienated. All through the medium of urban ghost stories. Thoroughly recommended.
A beautiful mesh of interlinked short stories about love, loss and being - or feeling - invisible and alienated. All through the medium of urban ghost stories. Thoroughly recommended.
magic meets the detective story meets the undead meets racial trauma in the wilds of New York City. These linked stories are told from multiple points of view but always return to the point of view of Carlos half-undead spiritual detective. If you're looking for heroic people of color, here they are. Funny as hell, and lyrical.
An enjoyable mash-up of the cult TV show good vs. evil, the anime series Bleach and Kekkaishi, with a bit of Rod Serling's Night Gallery, all filtered through the lens of Older's NYC. Anything good about those series is done twice as well here; same could be said about the flaws, though. "Forgive Me My Tangents" near the end was sort of like one of those tiny Jack Laird Night Gallery segments -- okay, that might be a bit harsh; Older's writing is better by an order of magnitude. Older's voice is...more
Great collection with a lot of emotional range within and between stories. Made me wonder if there will be more about Carlos and the crew down the line.
At times, the pacing felt uneven: the timeline between stories and introductions of characters suggested that the stories were independent of one another, but I loved seeing characters from the stories repopulate the same terrain, but from different perspectives. Another favorite thing: the dialogue could be sweet and intimate and ribald and hil...more
At times, the pacing felt uneven: the timeline between stories and introductions of characters suggested that the stories were independent of one another, but I loved seeing characters from the stories repopulate the same terrain, but from different perspectives. Another favorite thing: the dialogue could be sweet and intimate and ribald and hil...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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Overall, totally enjoyed this collection of 13 stories about a half-dead detective in NYC and his cohorts (both living and dead). Sometimes voices of different characters weren't distinct enough for me, but I loved the characters themselves, and their thoughts. I like Older's voice, and look forward to his next book. There are some memorable pieces in here and I want to read more!
I won this book as a first reads giveaway here on Goodreads.
It was a quick and fun read.
I liked the little mysteries and each chapter being a short story with a main character.
I also liked the way characters reappeared in other stories, that way you get to know the characters a bit better.
It was a quick and fun read.
I liked the little mysteries and each chapter being a short story with a main character.
I also liked the way characters reappeared in other stories, that way you get to know the characters a bit better.
I only gave this a 4 because I didn't want it to end! I have so many questions and unresolved feelings! But I tweeted the author and he's already working on a sequel, YAY!
If Danny Phantom and Bleach had a brooding Latino baby in Central Park it would be Salsa Nocturna. The full review is here. (Short version: I liked it. A lot.)
Salsa Nocturna is an awesome book! I really enjoyed reading it!
While I didn't always find myself longing to get back to reading (probably a personal thing having to do with short stories), I was always glad when I was reading it. The author's use of language and voice, mixed with an interesting premise explored from several directions, made each story good (and a few that gave me the tingles).
Only bad thing about this book was that it ended. I was all ready to get into the next chapter and it was the end! :-( Wonderful read! I'm looking forward to more...SOON!
I really enjoyed this debut from Older and am excited to hear he's working on a sequel! It's like a Hispanic ghost busters with a twist. I expect his next set of stories to only get better. Great start for Older!
I loved this. My review is at http://www.chocolatescotch.com/2013/0...
Jun 07, 2013
Snowtulip
marked it as to-read
Jun 05, 2013
Anna
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Jun 03, 2013
Christina
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Jun 01, 2013
Sara
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May 29, 2013
Sophie
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May 29, 2013
Hattie M
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May 28, 2013
Michelle Mogil
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May 26, 2013
Artemisretreats
marked it as to-read
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