Cate Gardner's Blog, page 4

Read 2020 - 40 - Sing Your Sadness Deep by Laura Mauro

Through hot tears Rina saw the deep black slits of his eyes, his face flushedin fury, and the red rabbit was there, black-mouthed andscreaming, crushing her paper-delicate throat.

Oh man, I am a huge fan of Laura Mauro and a little intimidated at having to express some thoughts about what is undoubtedly an amazing, original and brilliant first collection.

First note, I am not a reviewer. That is a skill that I admire but do not own. In these posts I note the books I've read, some notes on where I got the book or what was happening when I was reading it, hell I've even mentioned what my bookmarks are. These posts are mostly records for me so that I remember what I've read. I, of course, would and will always remember that I read this collection.

I've put off writing this review as I didn't want to do Laura a disservice in any way (not that anyone but me and my husband ever read my blogs - I think).

So, I picked up Sing Your Sadness Deep in Derby at a Sledge or Edge-Lit, in a Premier Inn bedroom, at a special launch alongside Georgina Bruce's This House of Wounds (which I read last year). There was free wine and a huge group of wonderful people there to help Laura and George celebrate. An event I am so glad I didn't miss.

I'd read a lot of the stories before. I was happy to read them again.

The collection opens with Sun Dogs, a powerful story of unconventional love in the heat of the desert. In the surreal Red Rabbits we follow a trail of red rabbits etched onto the ground. The imagery in The Grey Men has stayed with me since first reading the story in Black Static. Sad, intriguing and desperate, the story of lost men hanging in the air and how you may belong among them.

Ptichka was the first story of Laura's I ever read. I knew I'd discovered an amazing new talent. This political story of a pregnant woman who cannot afford treatment in this new Britain, is still as powerful as on its first read.

A new story for me was The Looking Glass Girl, a fairy tale set in the 21st century. When her long-dead sister appears in a hand mirror, after their mother's death, the protagonist heads home where a dreadful secret waits.

The brilliant, iconic and original When Charlie Sleeps, where a monster controls the moods of London by an umbilical cord that runs through the sewers. This is a future classic. They'll teach this story in schools.

In the Marrow broke my heart for a second-time. Is she a changeling or is she a girl who is simply dying? I have a lump in my throat even now.

Then we have, Looking for Laika. An award-winning story and possibly the best of an already strong collection. A space dog, stories to keep away the nightmares, the fear of a nuclear attack, family. An absolutely beautiful, dreadful, sad sad story.

Bookmark: The Rats (a Storgy bookmark)
Read during the Great Quarantine of 2020

Shush! We're mentioned in the acknowledgements - and that is the best thing ever.

Here's a photo from the launch.

Read 2020 - 39 - The Crow Garden by Alison Littlewood

If Doctor Chettle had any disinclination to deal with the wife,I suspected it might have something to do withthe necessity of also dealing with the husband.
Given to me as a gift by the wonderful Priya Sharma (and signed to me by the equally as wonderful Alison Littlewood) at the Fantasycon convention in Peterborough in October 2017. We were in a Wagamama at the time. For those who give a damn. 
Shush! We're mentioned in the acknowledgements in this Victorian tale of asylums and stage mesmerism. 

Read 2020 - 38 - For Those Who Dream Monsters by Anna Taborska

She stood in the mist and at the bottom of the old woman's fieldlooking at me with eyes of death and sorrow.
For Those Who Dream Monsters, a collection of stories by Anna Taborska, is wonderfully illustrated by Reggie Oliver, who also provides the introduction to the collection. There's fantastic cover art by Steve Upham, This copy of For Those Who Dream Monsters is signed by all three to my Bestwick.

The collection opens with the brutal Schrodinger's Human. A blood-thirsty tale of an unusual serial killer. If you didn't already mistrust cats, you will by the end of the story.

In the much lauded Little Pig a prospective fiancee meets his girlfriend's grandmother at the airport, but this story heads back in time to a place of wolves and hunger and sacrifice. Cut! is a humorous account of a psychopath on a film set.

There's A Tale of Two Sisters, which is a fairy tale in two parts. The ghostly and desperately sad The Girl in the Blue Coat. Underbelly hurt. A reluctant deal to take away the pain of cancer. A story of how, extreme pain and suffering can change who you are fundamentally.

Taborska's knives are sharp and she doesn't flinch when making the deepest cuts. A devastatingly brutal collection.

Review - THE WOODS

DLS Reviews has posted a fabulous review of the anthology 'The Woods'. I am so proud to be a part of this little anthology, which (in my biased opinion) is superb. Here are some words on my story:

It's as haunting as it is beautiful. A heart-wrenching exploration of a troubled mind delivered with mind-boggling imagery. The sheer creativity in the story is nothing short of exquisite. 

Read 2020 - 37 - Four For Fantasy

Four for Fantasy, a PS Publishing anthology featuring stories by Brian Aldiss, Joanne Harris, Joe Hill and Richard Christian Matheson, was released at the World Fantasy Convention in 2013. I might have picked the book up there but I suspect it came in a goodie bag at another convention a few years later.

This collection didn't quite work for me, despite containing one of my favourite Joe Hill stories, Pop Art. I'm sure your mileage will vary.

In other news, it's supposed to be a glorious day. I'd planned to sit in the garden and read, but the weather is not quite what was reported (bloody British, always going on about the weather), and I'm sitting at my computer trying to catch up with blogging and fighting to stay awake, plus nervous and twitchy leg is doing her daily dance (seriously leg, why aren't you skinny?). Cup of tea number 700 on the go. Did have a nice chat with the neighbour's rottweiler from the window. She seemed confused, but I'll take interaction where I can get it these days.

Interview by Angela Slatter

The wonderful Angela Slatter has interviewed me. You can check it out at Angela's blog.


For those who don't know of Angela (do such people still exist), here's part of her bio:

Angela Slatter is the author of the supernatural crime novels from Jo Fletcher Books/Hachette International: Vigil (2016), Corpselight (2017) and Restoration (2018), as well as nine short story collections, including The Girl with No Hands and Other Tales, Sourdough and Other Stories, The Bitterwood Bible and Other Recountings, and A Feast of Sorrows: Stories.  Vigil was nominated for the Dublin Literary Award in 2018.

Read 2020 - 36 - You'll Know When You Get There by Lynda E Rucker

 This old house is not settling for anything. This old house ismaybe waiting, and possibly thinking, and could besleeping even, but never settling.


This book saved my sanity.

On a weekend when the Coronavirus was taking over the UK, tap dancing on my mental health, and causing most people distress, I lost myself in this wonderful collection.

The stories contained within You'll Know When You Get There by Lynda E. Rucker, reflect old masters such as M.R. James, Shirley Jackson, Robert Aikman. The collection opens with The Receiver of Tales, which is possibly my favourite story in the collection. An artist, a writer, a need to collect stories. I loved  reading the story notes and finding the inspiration for this particular tale.

The nightmarish The House on Cobb Street is told from the viewpoints of Vivian Crane and a collection of articles. It is tense, affecting, and haunting. Who is this who's coming? is a well-written and affecting homage to M.R. James. Having watched the BBC series, Ghost Stories for Christmas, several times, the images in this story were so familiar and well drawn.

We have come to Carcosa. In The Queen in the Yellow Wallpaper, the protagonist and her husband move to an isolated house - Carcosa - to look after her husband's sick sister. A house that is as sick and as affected as it's owner.

Finally, there is a warmth to The Haunting House, a story about a place that haunts across time and space. A wonderful ending to an outstanding collection. 

I stole this book from the Bestwick's collection (it is signed to him). A 24th July 2016 train ticket provided the bookmark.

Read 2020 - 35 - Your Blue-Eyed Boy

I didn't finish this book.

The story was about blackmail and bankruptcy. We didn't connect.

I know several people (well two) who have loved and finished Helen Dunmore novels and I am sure the only fault with this read lies with me. I attempted to read this the weekend before the self-isolation came into place. My head was destroyed with constantly checking the internet for Coronavirus news. I made myself ill with it all, mentally. Learning to limit my news intake now. I just need to know the important stuff, not every rumour this town has to offer.

Read 2020 - 34 - The Girl in Red by Christina Henry

I received The Girl in Red by Christina Henry as a freebie in my goodie bag at Edge Lit (2019, I think). Several friends immediately told me that it was a fantastic book. They were right. The Girl in Red is a modern day, and topical, take on Little Red Riding Hood. After a virus outbreak* that kills a substantial amount of the population, Red takes an, at times, lonely trek through the forests, destination her grandmother's cottage.

*There is no hoarding of toilet paper within these pages.

Read 2020 - 33 - White Bones by Graham Masterton

"I wouldn't swear my mother's life on it, but it looked like the samecar, and in any case my mother died three years ago, God rest her soul."  White Bones by Graham Masterton is the first in the Katie Maguire detective series. Set in Southern Ireland, it's dark and brutal, graphic and traumatising, and addictive. The characters are sympathetic, yet damaged. Will definitely read more in the series.  Coincidentally while I was reading book one, the Bestwick was reading the final book in the series. On his Kindle - so no hope of me borrowing that then. I do wish he'd stop buying books for his Kindle as it means buying an extra copy if I want to read it - someone have a word with him. Boy, that sounds whiney. The Bestwick bought this book for me as Christmas present in 2019. He's awesome like that.