The Elementals

[Char]

Just got home, getting settled in. My son calls and wants to bring my Tupperware from a party I had.
I wanted to scream at him: NOooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!

[Jon Recluse]

You answer the phone?

I don't answer the phone.

I turn off the ringer.

[Char]

Okay, Tupperware delivered, he's gone. I'm at the end of chapter 26. (view spoiler)[ If something happens, eat my eyes. ??? Oh, man! (hide spoiler)]

[Ron]

... Finished it last night...sorry I wasn't able to join you sooner!.... It was every bit as good as I remembered it from years ago.....the horror of it is very understated compared to a lot of books out there, very atmospheric ; it just gets under your skin,. And the family dynamic is just incredible ;)

[Ron]

Also Addy you can occasionally find copies of Blackwater on eBay reasonable ....

[Kasia]

Haha Charlene, that was adorable, sorry :P

Im cooking some dinner now but about to settle in and read ( making Lasagna Bolognese from scratch, even managed to cut the tip of my left thumb off with my new sharp Japanese knife, first time ever! sigh).. well of to read :D

[Kasia]

Jon Recluse wrote: "You answer the phone?

I don't answer the phone.

I turn off the ringer."

Ha! Love that, I might have to do the same... and yell really loud "there's no one, home, no really!" if anyone comes to the door.

[Char]

My goodness, Kasia, are you okay? And what time should I be there for dinner? :)

[Char]

Anyway, I'm done. I enjoyed it a lot, and what an ending!!!

[Char]

I just read the intro. I love the thought of India perhaps being the basis or part of Lydia from Beetlejuice.

[Layton]

Lol I read the intro before I started reading the book and now I imagine India as looking like Winona Ryder in that movie.

[Jon Recluse]

I read the intro and I picture India as being more New York than Winona.
Less Goth, more heroin chic and speed pale.

[Char]

Btw, I highly rec. Michael Rowe's novel Enter, Night. :)

[Layton]

I've been wanting to read that for a while Charlene. It looks very good. But after this I'm going to settle down and read a mystery. Jon that's probably how any normal person sees her, but if I get one image of a character in my head it never goes away. Lol.

[Addy]

Thanks Ron! I have them on my wishlist on amazon for now:)

[Layton]

Oh they are just amazing Addy! You have to read them. :)

[Kirstin]

I finished this morning. What a great book! The ending was crazy(view spoiler)[and sad! I loved Beldame and Odessa and Dauphin too. :( I can't believe India ate her eyes!! The monster baby was horrifying and so was Marian drinking Dauphin's blood. The last line is nicely chilling too. (hide spoiler)]

Loved it! I could picture India as Lydia from Beetlejuice, no problem.

Thanks everyone! I had a lot of fun reading this one with you! :)

[Addy]

Im a little behind...ch17. I could easily finish this today. We'll see:)

[Char]

Kirstin, YES!! (view spoiler)[ Those twins at the end? OMG! Why did India dislike them so intensely? I wonder if they are mentioned in any other McDowell books? I loved the parts at Beldame. After reading the intro last night...I thought Michael Rowe made great points about the heat and humidity at Beldame being characters in the book. I didn't really think about it that way until I read the intro.
I couldn't believe that so many main characters died! I love when that happens. And the eyes? OMG! And what the hell was that baby-thing? LOL I thought that was super cool! (hide spoiler)]

[Char]

I'm looking forward to hearing what you think, Addy! I had a great time reading this with you all. I can't wait until everyone finishes. :)

[Kirstin]

I would love it (view spoiler)[if this book had a 'sequel' of some kind!
It was so hot and humid here in Ottawa while I read this. So perfect. I think the descriptions of the heat was a nice way to give the feeling of oppression to the reader. Them being surrounded by water half the time was claustrophobic too! So many things to love about this book. (hide spoiler)]

[Char]

It was the same way here, Kirstin! (view spoiler)[ And I mean unrelenting heat and humidity. It really helped put me right into those living room hammocks right along with them. The atmosphere was so well done in this book! (hide spoiler)]

[Addy]

(view spoiler)[I love it when Odessa bakes the rolls! So mysterious. I love her superstitious ways. I was literally dumbfounded about the seeds growing with blood! (hide spoiler)]

[Kirstin]

Addy wrote: "[spoilers removed]"

I loved that too Addy. (view spoiler)[ Odessa was my favourite character. And that speech she makes to India in the kitchen was so good. I could hear her voice. :) (hide spoiler)]

[Addy]

(view spoiler)[I don't know, but I wouldn't be going back to beldame after seeing those pics. Looks like Marian came back to eat her children afterall! How creepy! (hide spoiler)]

[Char]

Addy, she did, she literally did. :)

Kirstin, I had a clear picture of that kitchen in my head while that conversation was going on.

[Layton]

Well, I finished the book and now I'm sad I did. It really had a great ending and I'm eager to read The Amulet now.

[Char]

Layton, I know what you mean. :)

[Addy]

Plan on finishing this today. Though I really don't want it to end....

[Kirstin]

Addy wrote: "Plan on finishing this today. Though I really don't want it to end...."


I felt the same way Addy. :)

[Addy]

(view spoiler)[Haha! Looks like Lawton got what he deserved! Yay, for Beldame! What was he thinking he could burn that place down! (hide spoiler)]

[Cathie]

My library doesn't have this... so, I'll grab a copy by month's end.

[Jon Recluse]

I loved this book!

Now (view spoiler)[I'm scared of sand! (hide spoiler)]

[Char]

Addy wrote: "[spoilers removed]"

LOL Addy! (view spoiler)[ Yeah, good old Lawton got what he had coming! (hide spoiler)]

[Addy]

Ch32....what the flip!?

[Addy]

Wow! This was a really great ending. I loved everything and still can't believe what India swallowed! Yuck! Enjoyed this thoroughly. So glad I read this with some great HA friends:)

[Kasia]

I'm at 90% now, abuot to sit down and finish ( one positive thing about being home sick from work) but whoa.. love love love the story, the calm, warm days that melt into each other while they did nothing reminds me of the vacations I used to take when I still went to school, then whamo, crazy things happen ( in the book).. sorry I've been so slow you guys, perhaps next time there should be a kiddy corner set up for the snail reader lol.

(view spoiler)[ the sand filling the house, whoa.. intense (hide spoiler)]

[Jon Recluse]

Feel better soon, Kasia!

You know we'll always wait for you to catch up. :)

*BIG HUG*

[Char]

I can't wait to hear what you have to say about the end, Kasia!

Addy, I'm so glad that you liked it! I completely agree regarding what you said about India swallowing! :) EWWWWWWW

A couple of books have come up that I need to review, but we were talking awhile back about reading a John Farris book (I think Addy and I talked about that), and Kasia and Jon and I were talking about Herbert's The Magic Cottage.
Are any of you still interested?

[Kasia]

Thanks guys :)

Just finished, boy it was amazing, I had to put it down a few times in the end it was almost too much to bear!

Yes Charlene, I'm up for all mentioned, I was thinking about that this very morning :)

[Jon Recluse]

Count me in!

[Kasia]

The Magic Cottage will be a nice read after Elementals, the nature in it is glorious and bountiful but nothing is safe :P

[Jon Recluse]

I concur with my esteemed colleague.

[Kasia]

My computer crashed when I was trying to reply, that reading with you guys is the best, really :)

[Jon Recluse]

I concur with that, too. :)

[Char]

I am psyched about that then!
I owe a review to HAD for Shadow Animals which is a novella.
Then I owe Valancourt Books a review for The Delicate Dependency: A Novel of the Vampire Life which looks to be kind of long. Then I will be free!
You could start without me too, if you want, and I will pop in once I start reading it. ??

[Char]

Oh, and how's the bunny?

[Kasia]

The bunny is a sweet scoop of precious, such a good little guy, really a pleasure. He's very easy going and is still getting used to all the space he gets, I call him Bonsai which he seems to like as he runs to my hand when he hears is, stuck with the B somehow.

I can wait for you, really anytime you can, no rush or pressure :)

[Char]

Oh, that sounds SO cute!!
That's awesome of you, if you can wait. :)

[Kasia]

Will do :) and looking forward to our read, yay.