Katherine Nabity's Blog, page 223
October 21, 2013
It’s Monday! What Am I Reading? (10/21/13)
Hosted by Sheila at Book Journey
It’s Monday! What Are You Reading is where we share what we read this past week, what we hope to read this week…. and anything in between! This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well… you never know where that next “must read” book will come from!
Happy Monday Everyone!
Since I’ve quickened my reading pace, I think I’ll rejoin this meme!
This week I’ll be finishing up:
I picked up Jim Steinmeyer’s Who Was Dracula? from the library on Saturday. I was surprised that such a new, seasonal read was available. Doesn’t everyone know how awesome of a writer Jim Steinmeyer is?
I’ve been interspersing watching episodes with reading Who’s 50, so it’s been slow going. Should finish it this week.
Next up:
October 17, 2013
Rewind ~ The Ghost Writer
For ten years I kept a LiveJournal. There are a bunch of notes on books and movies and TV that I’d like to move over to The Writerly Reader. REWIND will be those notes.
The Ghost Writer by John Harwood
Viola Hatherley was a writer of ghost stories in the 1890s whose work lies forgotten until her great-grandson, as a young boy in Mawson, Australia, learns how to open the secret drawer in his mother’s room. There he finds a manuscript, and from the moment his mother catches him in the act, Gerard Freeman’s life is irrevocably changed. What is the invisible, ever-present threat from which his mother strives so obsessively to protect him? And why should stories written a century ago entwine themselves ever more closely around events in his own life? Gerard’s quest to unveil the mystery that shrouds his family, and his life, will lead him from Mawson to London, to a long-abandoned house and the terror of a ghost story come alive. (via Goodreads)
Original post March 24th, 2008:
If this book were a movie, it would be a 60s Hammer film. There are stories within stories, the details of which mingle and become confused, but you go with it because you’re just as lost as the protagonist. Generally, the narrative is fairly low budget using all the set pieces in any other ghost story, off-set by occasions of thick dread when what you expect doesn’t happen exactly as you would expect it would. Obviously, it was right up my alley. Craft-wise, I need to think more on what Harwood does, maybe reread a few passages. He’s doing something different than Bloch, but I haven’t put my finger on it yet.
Last Friday, I checkout The Seance from the Greater Phoenix Digital Library without realizing that it was by the same author as The Ghost Writer. My review of The Seance is planned for Tuesday.
October 15, 2013
Review ~ Magic
Starting out as a boy in the Catskills, Corky develops into a brilliant and famous magician whose long-hidden secret and expert skills attract dark forces intent on destroying him. (via Goodreads)
A.) That summary is…not great. The crux of Corky as a character is that without Fats and his ventriloquism act, he’s a pretty poor magician. That’s his secret. As for dark forces, well, I guess. Maybe. Can madness be considered a dark force?
B.) I was really surprised that I didn’t own this book when I looked for it earlier in the year. I like William Goldman. I like the short, screwy horror novels of the 1970s. How had I not read or acquired this book previously?
Magic has the perfect first line for any book about or touching on stage magic: “Trust me for a while.” Maybe that’s a good first line for any book period. Writers and magicians both ask for just a little trust before leading the audience down a path.
The novel begins with some journal entries labeled as Police Exhibits. These set a very sinister tone for the rest of the book. I had seen the movie version of Magic with Anthony Hopkins many years ago and mostly remembered the plot, but Goldman’s execution of it in novel form (he wrote the screenplay as well) is unsettling. As unsettling as ventriloquist’s dummy. There were a couple times during flashbacks to Corky’s childhood that were a little slow, but they’re paid off well enough later in the book.
A solid, seasonal read.
Genre: Horror
Why did I choose to read this book? Looking at magic fiction, like Goldman, like 70s horror.
Did I finish this book? (If not, why?) Yep. It was a fast read.
Craft Lessons: Goldman does a few non-standard things that work, but I’m not sure a newbie can get away with being structurally unconventional.
Format: Good old-fashioned mass-market paperback.
Procurement: BookMaze
October 11, 2013
Dewey’s 24 Hour Readathon
For 24 hours, we read books, post to our blogs about our reading, and visit other readers’ blogs. We also participate in mini-challenges throughout the day.
Goal
When I signed up I didn’t expect to have extra family in town for the weekend. I’ll give Saturday morning and Sunday morning participation my best shot.
List
Always subject to change. 
Progress
Saturday 08:00-09:00
Pages Read This Hour:
Total Pages Read: 32
Books:
The Seance,
Notes:
Saturday 05:00-06:00
Pages Read This Hour: 22
Total Pages Read: 54
Books:
The Seance, 22 pages
Notes: Went to make coffee and found my coffee maker no longer works. Phooey. Had a cup of instant, but I fear my early start leaves me wanting more sleep.
Saturday 04:00-05:00
Pages Read This Hour: 32
Total Pages Read: 32
Books:
The Seance, 32 pages
Notes: My allergies woke me up at 03:30. Decided to get an early start. I’ll probably regret it later.
October 10, 2013
Wonderfully Wicked Readathon
Hosted by My Shelf Confessions
The Wonderfully Wicked Read-A-Thon is a time when we all get together to dedicate the days of October 11-20 to as much reading as possible. You read as much as you can in order to get yourself a little further through that huge to-read pile! We know real life gets in the way and even if you can’t participate more than one day, you’re welcome to join in on the fun!
Goals
My husband’s parents, aunt and uncle are in town this weekend so I probably won’t be able to participate until Sunday or Monday. But from then on — fun and reading! (No Dewey’s for me except maybe around the edges, early on Saturday/early on Sunday.)
List
October 8, 2013
Review ~ The Seance Society
This book was provided to me by St. Martin’s Press and Minotaur Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The Seance Society: A Mystery by Michael Nethercott
It’s 1956, and Lee Plunkett has taken over the family business as a private investigator despite his reluctance to follow in his father’s footsteps. When murder intrudes on a group of ghost seekers, Lee is asked to solve the case by a cop on the verge of retirement. At the urging of his perpetual fiancée Audrey, Lee enlists the help of Mr. O’Nelligan, a scholarly Irishman with a keen eye for solving mysteries. The duo is drawn into a murder investigation involving the “Spectricator,” a machine designed to communicate with the dead. Soon, Plunkett and O’Nelligan are knee-deep in a suspect pool that includes a surly medium, a former speakeasy queen, a mysterious Spanish widow, and a whole slew of eccentric servants. (via Goodreads)
Reading The Seance Society felt a little like watching a single random episode of a long-running television series. The characters and their situations are already in-progress. The back story isn’t hard to get caught up on and any resolution will happen in a future episode, but for the time being, it’s not hard to follow the plot. Lee Plunkett’s story is already in-progress. He’s already taken over his Dad’s business, he’s had a fiancee since forever, and this isn’t the first time O’Nelligan has helped him out. To belabor my analogy, as a reader, I’m joining this group mid-season. At the end of the story, Lee’s might be a little more at peace with the family business and we’ve learned a little about O’Nelligan’s past, but I was left with the feeling that these characters would continue in much the same way they started.
And that’s sort of the problem with this novel. It goes along in a perfectly fine way but it’s never really outstanding. In a TV series, this story wouldn’t be the must-see sweeps week episode. It would be the solid fourth episode of the fifth season that is entertaining, but nothing special.
The characters are fine. Lee and Plunkett are a nice team, but their dialogue felt staged at times. The suspects are a little eccentric, but never really made me laugh (if I was supposed to). Lee and Audrey’s relationship seemed to be very unimportant to this story. Audrey felt like background in Lee’s life. The plot is well put together. All beats are hit, the resolution is solid. I had hoped that the Spectricator and maybe some faux paranormal activity might play more of a role in the murder and the investigation, but the mystery is played pretty straight.
The Seance Society isn’t a bad book, but it’s not a great one either.
Genre: Mystery – It says so right on the tin.
Why did I choose to read this book? I was hoping that the seance aspect of this book was more prominent.
Did I finish this book? (If not, why?) Yes. It took a while though.
Craft Lessons: Don’t be afraid to go a little crazy.
Format: Kindle ebook
Procurement: NetGalley
October 5, 2013
Saturday Cinema – R.I.P. Magic, or Magic Dressed in Blood
As might be obvious, I’ve been doing quite a bit of reading and other “research” into the subject of magic. Between Grand Guignol theater and spiritualist acts like the Davenport brothers, horror has lived close to magic for a long time and both have always been close to my heart. It certainly hasn’t hurt matters that the signature trick of Joseffy (one of the magicians I’m writing about) was Balsamo the Living Skull. He also had a disembodied rapping hand and caused a stir in a department store when he and it went shopping for a new cuff…
Growing up in the 70s and 80s, popular magic was on the tamer end of the spectrum with the likes of Doug Henning and David Copperfield on television. Seeing Penn and Teller on Letterman was…surprising. (The good bit starts at about 2:30 with a long set up.)
It should be noted that the classic sawing an assistant into halves wasn’t done until the 1920s, but didn’t gain popularity until a pretty woman was added to the mix. Without even realizing it, I’ve included no women being dismembered in this collection of videos. Kevin James and his half-assistant has a little fun with Vin Diesel on The Johnathan Ross show.
Fellow The Illusionists, Dan Sperry nearly killed Sharon Osborn (with laughter) with his Life Savers and dental floss routine on America’s Got Talent, but I rather like his take on the classic dove production:
Speaking of classic, Neil Patrick Harris and Jonathan Levit performed Jim Steinmeyer’s Palingenesia, a recreation of Thomas William Tobin’s 1872 illusion. at the 9th Los Angeles Conference on Magic History in November 2005.
But back to spiritualists and a magician I grew up with: David Copperfield included a version of the spirit cabinet in his 1995 TV special.
If you wait long enough, everything that is old is new again.
October 4, 2013
Bloggers Dressed In Blood Mini-Challenge: Freeze It!
Hosted by
Joey on Friends used to keep The Shining in the freezer because it scared him so much. For this challenge, I want you to share what book you’ve read that’s worthy of being put in the freezer and why you found it scary.
I don’t get too creeped out by books. Usually. Often, the scare will be situational, like when I was reading The Haunting of Hill House in college. My third-floor dorm room was right across from the stairway. I was reading the part when the entity in the house slams against the walls outside of Eleanor’s room when a group of floor mates returned from a raucous night out. I nearly jumped out of my skin…
But there is a book that did leave me very unsettled:
Nothing much happens to Jane Kerry, a young librarian. Then one day Jane finds an envelope containing a fifty-dollar bill and a note instructing her to “Look homeward, angel.” Jane pulls a copy of the Thomas Wolfe novel of that title off the shelf and finds a second envelope. This one contains a hundred-dollar bill and another clue. Both are signed, “MOG (Master of Games).” But this is no ordinary game. As it goes on, it requires more and more of Jane’s ingenuity, and pushes her into actions that she knows are crazy, immoral or criminal–and it becomes continually more dangerous. More than once, Jane must fight for her life, and she soon learns that MOG won’t let her quit this game. She’ll have to play to the bitter end.
Semi-omniscient MOG and Jane’s moral slide weirdly threw me for a loop. Maybe because the story starts in a library, something of a sacred place for me, or maybe because Jane’s just so normal, but whatever the case, Richard Laymon really wound me up with this book.
This Mini-Challenge is part of Bloggers Dressed in Blood, a month-long celebration of all things horror. Sign-up, link-up! Do it, before you regret it.
October 1, 2013
Review ~ Mrs. Poe
This book was provided to me by Gallery Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Mrs. Poe by Lynn Cullen
It is 1845, and Frances Osgood is desperately trying to make a living as a writer in New York; not an easy task for a woman—especially one with two children and a philandering portrait painter as her husband. As Frances tries to sell her work, she finds that editors are only interested in writing similar to that of the new renegade literary sensation Edgar Allan Poe, whose poem, “The Raven” has struck a public nerve.
She meets the handsome and mysterious Poe at a literary party, and the two have an immediate connection. Poe wants Frances to meet with his wife since she claims to be an admirer of her poems, and Frances is curious to see the woman whom Edgar married.
As Frances spends more and more time with the intriguing couple, her intense attraction for Edgar brings her into dangerous territory. And Mrs. Poe, who acts like an innocent child, is actually more manipulative and threatening than she appears. (via Goodreads)
If I have any sacred cow, it’s my thoughts surrounding Edgar Allan Poe and his works. Honestly, my theories are pretty mundane. He is one of those people who, despite being very intelligent and insightful in some subjects, just can’t get his life together. His finances are a mess. His love life is a shambles. His professional life teeters on the verge of collapse. Poe was a depressive and an alcoholic and life didn’t treat him very well besides.
The promise of Lynn Cullen’s Poe fit into my thoughts. Unfortunately, the Poe she gave me was pretty bland. The reader is told, over and over again, that Poe is mad, bad, and dangerous to know, but he’s never really shown to be that way. The Poe of this novel is clean and sober. Aside from a few cutting comments to critics, he’s quiet and reserved. In one scene, he saves a kitten from a group of bullies. I’m not saying that Poe can’t have these qualities, but if our heroine is swooning about what a bad boy he is, we should probably see that first.
In general, the first half to two-thirds of the book is very repetitive. Over and over, Mrs. Osgood laments about her writer’s block, her poverty, her philandering husband. The encounters between Poe and Osgood are nearly the same until they finally kiss. The main twist of the plot didn’t come from nowhere, but it culminates in a rather befuddling series of events, especially since our Edgar has been recently established as the savior of kittens.
The other thing that bugged me about Cullen’s writing is the historical name-dropping. I’m sure that Baltimore in 1845 was a pretty happening place. Presumably, writers and other creative types got together salon-style to interact. Two writer characters in this setting probably knew plenty of people whose names we recognize 170 years later. But when Sylvester Graham, the inventor of the graham cracker, is given a paragraph to expound on the benefits of an organic diet, apropos of nothing particularly related to the plot, and Herman Melville is given a few lines about sailing in the Pacific, it starts to feel like every research tidbit ended up in the novel. It starts feeling more like a Who’s Who than details included to give depth to the setting. There would seem to be a line between good details and way too many random details. I don’t know where that line is at, and as writer I should probably investigate it more. For me, Mrs. Poe strayed over that line.
Genre: Historical fiction.
Why did I choose to read this book? Was interested in a Poe novel.
Did I finish this book? (If not, why?) Yes.
Craft Lessons: There’s such a things as too many historical details.
Format: Kindle ebook
Procurement: NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
I read this a while back, but I’m still going to link up the review here and there. ;)
September 30, 2013
FrightFall Readathon 2013
Hosted by Michelle @ Seasons of Reading
All you have to do to participate is read at least one horror/scary book. For the faint-hearted among you, it can be a spooky mystery, a scary thriller, or something classically gothic.
Goal
Have fun. Finish a book or two and still get some writing done.
The List
Finished last 65 pgs
Progress
Monday, September 30th
Pages Read Today:
Total Pages Read:
Books: Magic, pg 5-50 , Adventures of a Psychic, pg. 183-247
Total Added to Manuscript: starting word count: 18,187
Notes: Sylvia Browne counts as scary, right?
