Katherine Nabity's Blog, page 240
October 4, 2012
Throwback Thursday (10/04/12)
Pick a book released more than 5 years ago.
Write up a short summary of the book (include the title, author, and cover art) and an explanation of why you love it.
Link up your post at The Housework Can Wait or Never Too Fond of Books.
Psycho by Robert Bloch
From my original post, May 3, 2007:
This is a re-read that didn’t disappoint. When I first read Psycho, probably in high school, maybe in college, I was too in love with the movie. The differences between the book and the movie were too great for me to enjoy the book then. Still, I saw that it was good. It was the first of Robert Bloch’s book that I’d read. I bought all the rest on the strength of this book. It might be his absolute best.
It has all the things I like about Bloch’s style. The writing is tight. There’s less description in this book. He uses it only when he needs it, never when we’re in the internal world of Norman Bates. The word usage is again very charged, manipulative. Psycho avoids the things that usually annoy me about Bloch’s plots. The novel’s contemporary setting allows for the spunky, strong female characters that Bloch likes. The gimmick is actually very simple and avoids too much of the twisting some of Bloch’s later novels have. The only thing I *really* disliked was the second to last “explanation” chapter. It’s long, it’s boring. It’s fairly inaccurate in light of modern psychology, though not as bad as other more recent novels. The movie does this scene better in its very concise manner.
Why read it today? Psycho, the movie, is a classic. It set many bars for horror movies. Psycho, the book, is every bit as masterful, if very different. In retrospect, it’s unfortunate that much of horror literature weighs in far below this bar, including much of Bloch’s own work. If you’re looking for great read this October, you can’t go far wrong with a classic.
Celebrating the Spooky All Month Long
Visit Bloggers Dressed in Blood
October 3, 2012
#31
If you’re a reader, you probably have a favorite bookstore. Or maybe several favorites, as Neil Gaiman admits in his introduction to this collection. Or, if you’re me, maybe you’ve loved every bookstore you’ve ever walked into including big-box chain stores and, the biggest “bookstore” of them all, Amazon.com. In the end, for me, it’s less about the store more about the books. Each store has a different selection. I’ve found things at Barnes & Noble that I never caught a wiff of at A Novel Idea*.
This anthology has some great stories in which the bookstore is the star. P. D. Cacek’s “A Book, By It’s Cover” is an interesting take on the concept of the golem–the golem as building. I really wish there was a current Twilight Zone-esque anthology series on TV because I’d love to see a screen adaptation of this story. ”One Copy Only” by Ramsey Campbell features a bookstore full of books never written. This is the store where you might find the Harry Potter book that J. K. Rowling never writes. Of course, such a bookstore has measures in place to protect itself from surly writers. The anthology is topped off by “The Cheese Stands Alone” by Harlan Ellison. If the Fates had bookstores, what books would they “sell”? One yuppy finds out.
Unfortunately, there were a couple of things that really annoyed me about this book. First, many of the stories were about books, rather than bookstores. Don’t get me wrong, some of these stories are good, but the bookstore is only the setting. Despite its somewhat outdated technology, ”Pixel Pixies” by Charles de Lint is a fun story about Dick, a hob, and the pixies that invade his neighborhood though the bookstore’s computer. It could have been any computer. The creepy ”Non-Returnable” by Rick Hautala is about a book ordered by an employee of a bookstore. Cats are the stars of “The Hemingway Kittens” by A. R. Morlan. It’s a cute story, but more about the power of story-telling and literacy. Given that these are the things I value above actual stores, I don’t know why its inclusion bugs me so much.
Second, I found some of the attitudes in the stories off-putting. This anthology was originally published in hardback in 2002, at the very early beginning of ebooks. There is definite tension in most of these stories between big chains and small bookstores with a dash ebook and ecommerce worry. I’m not a fan of bashing chain stores or bashing “soulless” books or bashing someone who might run a bookstore but isn’t a “book person.” Only one story gets a pass from me concerning these issues and that’s ” ‘I’m Looking for a Book’ ” by Patrick Weekes. Gorhok the Immitigable is looking for a tome of power. At a Boundries Bookstore. If you’re going to push my artificial dichotomy button, make me smile while you do it.
*If I had to pick one store, A Novel Idea would be it. Yes, even over the two-floor block-long wonder of Powell’s.
Format: Adobe Digital Editions
Procurement: NetGalley
October 2, 2012
R.I.P. Progress Report #5
The purpose of R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril VII is to enjoy books and movies/television that could be classified (by you) as: Mystery. Suspense. Thriller. Dark Fantasy. Gothic. Horror. Supernatural. Or anything sufficiently moody that shares a kinship with the above.
I’m going to post my R.I.P. progress on Tuesdays during September and October and link them to the review site if they contain reviews of short stories, TV shows, or movies. Books will get their own posts.
It’s been a slow week in R.I.P.-land. I’ve been finishing up reading other books, writing some, and, well, working on a Halloween-themed EverQuest 2 project.
I don’t have a screenshot of my current project, but these are decorations from last year.
CBS’s Elementary finally premiered. Starring Johnny Lee Miller as Sherlock Holmes and Lucy Liu as Joan Watson, this show has a little controversy behind it. The BBC, you see, has Sherlock, a modern-day take on Sherlock Holmes. It’s quite popular and quite good. And since the US often remakes British shows, Elementary was hostilely seen as the American rip-off of Sherlock. Which is ridiculous. A.) It’s Sherlock Holmes. The characters and the set up have been done, done, and redone. There are 46 Sherlock Holmes movies listed on Wikipedia; 16 television series. B.) This isn’t Sherlock. It’s not like the horror-show that was the US version of Coupling (talk about being in peril!) or the rather lack-luster rendition of Life on Mars. Elementary is a totally different show.
Does it work? Eh, some of the references to canon felt forced. Some of the chemistry between characters hasn’t gelled. The plot wasn’t much different in feel than many other US mystery shows, like Castle. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great. I’m hoping it will get better because I’m a sucker for Holmes. (For US readers, the pilot is still available at CBS.)
October 1, 2012
FrightFall Readathon 2012
Hosted by Michelle @ The True Book Addict and Castle Macabre
A week long fest of scary reading (well, at least one scary book anyway). 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.
I have to say, I’ve been looking forward to this readathon for a while. To be exact, since Aug. 26th when Michelle posted the initial sign-up. September was looong.
I should be reading The Last Greatest Magician in the World or Carter Beats the Devil, but they don’t seem “horror” enough for this event. Instead, I have a fat novel that I’m finishing up, an anthology, and two collections. I’m somehow burying myself in short stories. There are worse ways to die…
Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Linqvist – The fat novel, I’m starting on pg. 118.
Every House is Haunted by Ian Rogers – Collection #1, an ARC
Dark Waters by Koji Suzuki – Collection #2
Two and Twenty Dark Tales, Georgia McBride (editor), Michelle Zink (editor) – The anthology. Also an ARC
The Descent by Jeff Long – The backup novel. Just in case.
To participate, state your goals between now and Friday, 11:59pm CST and link up! You can also follow the fun on Twitter, #FrightFall
September 28, 2012
Friday Free For All – October!
Yes, I know, not yet. But soon. Very, very soon.
October is going to be a busy month for me.
Writing-wise:
I’ve promised to finally finish up the edit on Luck for Hire.
Model Species will be sent off to Harper Voyager and my fingers will be firmly crossed.
I have a handful of short stories that need to be kicked back out the door.
The Best of Friday Flash, Vol. 2 is coming out (I have a piece included!)
I’ll be gearing up for NaNoWriMo, which I’m pretty stoked about.
Reading-wise:
R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril continues. Pop over to the review site to read some great book and movie recommendations for all your October celebration needs.
FrightFall Readathon, October 1-7, hosted by Michelle of The True Book Addict and Castle Macabre. Sign up, spend the week reading scary books, follow the fun on Twitter (#FrightFall). (A “starting line” post should be up Monday.)
October 13th is Dewey’s 24-Hour Readathon. The spring version was a bit of a bust for me. No Easter candy was left in the store; a good friend was in town the night before and I stayed up late and drank too much. I’m looking forward to redeeming myself. ;)
Lasting all month long and co-hosted by one of my favorite book bloggers is Bloggers Dressed in Blood! It promises to be an extravaganza of seasonal festivities including challenges, reviews, and give-aways.
So, that’s what I have planned. Plus some football-related activities, ultimate frisbee, and at least one pumpkin will be carved. If you still don’t have enough Halloween in your life, check out Dinosaur Dracula. Matt experiences and reviews Halloween products (and other holiday and nostalgia oriented stuff) with wild abandon.
September 27, 2012
Throwback Thursday (09/27/12)
Throwback Thursday is a weekly meme hosted by The Housework Can Wait and Never Too Fond of Books!
Noting that book blogging onften focuses on new releases, here’s how Throwback Thursday works:
Pick a book released more than 5 years ago.
Write up a short summary of the book (include the title, author, and cover art) and an explanation of why you love it.
Link up your post at The Housework Can Wait or Never Too Fond of Books.
Visit as many blogs as you can, reminisce about books you loved, and discover some “new” books for your TBR list!
The Midnight Tour by Richard Laymon
“The Beast House – legendary site of ghastly murder! See with your own eyes where the bloody butchery took place! Witness authentic reproductions of the Beast’s ravaged victims in their actual death garments! Listen to the true story of the only known survivor of the Beast!”
The sales pitch hasn’t changed much over the years – except now you can listen to it on earphones as you take the audio tour of the house. But the taped tour only gives you a sanitized version of the horrific events that made the Beast House infamous. If you want the full story, you’ll have to take the Midnight Tour. Saturday nights only. Limited to thirteen unlucky tourists. It begins on the stroke of midnight.
Tonight the guide will show you every nook and cranny of the house. She’ll tell you everything – including details too ghastly and perverse to be mentioned in daylight. But she might not be able to save you. Because this Saturday night, those on the Midnight Tour will be joined by an unexpected visitor.
They’ll be lucky to get out alive… (Summary via Goodreads)
This is the third in a loose series of Beast House books written by Richard Laymon, but it’s the first Laymon book I ever read, so it’s getting the nod. Richard Laymon is not for everyone. His books have lots of sex, violence, and skeevy characters. They are a guilty pleasure for me because it’s fun to be scared and grossed out sometimes. The Midnight Tour is a pretty fat book, but it’s a bag-of-potato-chip read. Once you get started, you’ll consume the whole thing quickly and feel a little greasy afterward. Somehow, I think this is a good thing…
September 26, 2012
Book #30
In our modern world, filled with fiction about profiling and forensics, The Right Way to Do Wrong is pretty tame. It’s filled with wink-nudge morality. Over and over, Houdini emphasizes the “crime doesn’t pay” line, while never really delving into why criminals do what they do. That’s not the purview of this book.
As for “expose,” it’s not really that either. The details of various crimes are shallow and aimed at what the common citizen might do to protect themselves, which isn’t much. In fact, I really got the feeling that Houdini enjoyed pointing out what hapless victims we all can be, criminals as well as patsies. There’s a certain glee in the writing as he points out that the guy that might bump into you while waiting you’re for the train is probably a pickpocket and that the shutters on your windows are pretty much useless. The best anecdote in the book involved a thief that goes to great measures to break into a jewelry store, overcoming every lock and barrier, only to be thwarted by no merchandise being on the premises. And then he’s caught while escaping! As I said, we’re all hapless.
The Right Way to Do Wrong isn’t without charm, is a quick read, and provides a glimpse into the world of crime, circa 1905.
Check out the R.I.P. VII Review site for great recommendations.
Format: Google Book (scanned, poorly)
Procurement: Google Books
September 25, 2012
R.I.P. VII – Progress Post #4
The purpose of R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril VII is to enjoy books and movies/television that could be classified (by you) as: Mystery. Suspense. Thriller. Dark Fantasy. Gothic. Horror. Supernatural. Or anything sufficiently moody that shares a kinship with the above.
I’m going to post my R.I.P. progress on Tuesdays during September and October and link them to the review site if they contain reviews of short stories, TV shows, or movies. Books will get their own posts.
” ‘Hello,’ Said the Gun” by Jay Lake – recommended by Jim Black at Science Fiction Times. I totally would have commented to Jim about this story, but I was plagued by OpenID/captcha problems. None-the-less, check out the story; check out Jim’s blog.
“Nell” by Karen Heese - from the Tor blog. A beautiful, speculative fiction take on one of the most depressing Hans Christen Andersen tales.
While they might not quite fit R.I.P., I’ve been reading some pieces on early 20th century magician and debunker David Abbott. I’m certainly intrigued the detective work that goes into exposing these fraudulent mediums.
“David P. Abbott and the Notorious Bangs Sisters” by Todd Karr
“Mr. David P. Abbott’s New Illusions of the Spirit World” by Paul Carus, an editorial presumably from The Open Court.
Again, this might be in kinda-sorta land for this challenge but I’ve been watching Penn & Teller: Fool Us. This is a reality TV magic “competition” that aired in the UK in 2011. Top stage and close-up magicians came on the show to perform in front of Penn Jillette and Teller. If they fooled the duo, the were given the opportunity to play a date at the Rio in Las Vegas where Penn & Teller have their act. Of course, most episodes end with Penn & Teller doing a trick, often in their grand guignol style.
September 24, 2012
It’s Monday, What Are You Reading? (09/24/12)
On Wednesday of last week, during a conversation about our respective current writing projects, my husband semi-off-handedly mentioned that maybe a historical fiction based around magician and debunker David P. Abbott might be interesting. But of course it would! Why hadn’t I thought of it?! Am I procrastinating the rewrites I should be finishing up on Luck for Hire? But of course I am!
Thus, a plan has been born. I will finish up Luck for Hire rewrites by the end of October. In November, I’ll do the NaNoWriMo thing and generate some prose on the Abbott book. In the meantime, I’m going to do research on turn of the 20th century magicians and Omaha during that time period.
This Week I’m Reading:
The Last Greatest Magician in the World: Howard Thurston versus Houdini & the Battles of the American Wizards by Jim SteinmeyerHere is the seminal biography of the magician’s magician, Howard Thurston, a man who surpassed Houdini in the eyes of showmen and fans and set the standard fro how stage magic is performed today.
Everyone knows Houdini-but who was Thurston? In this rich, vivid biography of the “greatest magician in the world,” celebrated historian of stage magic Jim Steinmeyer captures the career and controversies of the wonder-worker extraordinaire, Howard Thurston.
(Goodreads)
Found this available through the Greater Phoenix Digital Library. Not about Abbot, but about two of the major personages of his day.
September 21, 2012
Fall Into Reading 2012
Katrina at Callapidder Days is once again hosting Fall Into Reading – a totally low-stress reading challenge that takes place between September 22nd and December 21st. The only requirement is:
Create a list of books you’d like to read or finish this fall.
I’ve got a couple other reading events going on in September and October—R.I.P. VII (Sept & Oct), FrightFall Readathon (Oct. 1-7), Dewey’s 24-hour Readathon (Oct. 13th)— so some of these books will be doing double duty.
Galleys (with publication dates):
Shelf Life: Fantastic Stories Celebrating Bookstores, edited by Greg Ketter (10/3)
Two and Twenty Dark Tales, Georgia McBride (editor), Michelle Zink (editor) (10/16) – Could count for R.I.P. too.
Shoggoths in Bloom by Elizabeth Bear (10/31)
What We Saw At Night by Jacquelyn Mitchard (1/8)
For R.I.P:
Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist
Dark Waters by Koji Suzuki
The Italian Secretary: A Further Adventure of Sherlock Holmes
by Caleb Carr
Research for next novel (all of which could count for R.I.P. too):
Behind the Scenes With the Mediums by David P. Abbott
The Right Way to Do Wrong by Harry Houdini
Hiding the Elephant : How Magicians Invented the Impossible and Learned to Disappear by Jim Steinmeyer
This list of books is greater then my reading speed, but lists are more of a general guideline than an actual reading list. And undoubtedly, I’m going to get distracted by some other shiny book that happens along. (And maybe if I finish rewrites on Luck for Hire by the end of October, I might start work on the next novel for NaNoWriMo. But that’s just crazy talk…)
But, yay! It’s fall! (Even if it is 101+F outside.) Enjoy it while it lasts!
