Trans-Sister Radio by Chris Bohjalian

 Trans-Sister Radio by Chris Bohjalian

I read this book for my local book group. The story is told from the perspective of four individuals; Dana, Allison, Carly, and Will. Interspersed throughout the story are transcripts from a radio talk show interview between Carly and other characters within the book.

The book begins with Carly explaining the impact of her parent’s (Allison and Will) divorce. Will remarried but was often accused of holding a torch for Allison. Allison was a grade school teacher and was taking courses at the local college; Dana was her professor. Dana, an attractive yet effeminate man, quickly caught Allison’s attention and they quickly entered into a relationship.

A few months into their relationship, Dana reveals to Allison that he was born into the wrong body and is contemplating gender reassignment surgery. Though overwhelmed by this shocking news, Allison’s love for Dana has grown beyond her rational control and she vows to remain by his side throughout his journey to become who he truly wants to be. The rest of the book centers around the perceptions of others and the struggles and complications the couple must face due to societal beliefs and prejudices.

This book was well-written, as is the power of this author to transform mere words into a work of art. However, the ending and “revelations” were predictable, which was highly disappointing to me knowing the abilities of the authors writing style. This book explores an extremely controversial topic in a manner that instills a sense of compassion in the reader for the characters within the book.

This story also instigated much conversation between me and my friends. I could not stop thinking about these people and their story. This work of fiction reads as a memoir and poses certain important yet debatable questions. The biggest question of all throughout this account is: can love transcend gender? Before you form your final opinion and answer to this question…read this book. Make sure you have all sides of any story before settling on a position. Enjoy…this is a book that will make you think and question all your previously held beliefs and ideals.

The Unseen by T.L. Hines

 The Unseen by T.L. Hines

Have you ever felt like someone was watching you? Have you ever looked up or turned around and found no one there? Have you ever felt the eyes of someone who wasn’t there boring into you? T.L. Hines has brought new meaning to these feelings of paranoia.

Above ceiling tiles, behind closet doors, and atop elevators hides Lucas; watching. Lucas watches others while they work and interact. He creates histories and stories for these individuals. He takes a memento from each of his targets; a picture, a favored scarf, some precious object.

Raised in an orphanage outside the Washington D.C. area, Lucas discovered his love of watching others from the roof outside the windows of the orphanage. He watched as the children interacted and played. He watched as the caregivers searched for him. Always watching, never being. Lucas does not technically exist. However, the life Lucas has always known is about to change drastically and his existence will no longer be hidden. A chance encounter begins to unravel a world of deceit, conspiracy, and treachery that Lucas never believed could exist. Lucas discovers that he is not the only person who watches. He finds a group of people who have crossed the line and who must be stopped.

Lucas is quickly submerged into a world of lies, creepers, and murder. His existence is made extremely public. He has become the target. The deception peels away like layers of an onion and finally reveals a terrifying link to Lucas’s past.

When I started this book I couldn’t help but look up at my heating vents. I am thankful that I do not have tiles in my ceiling. The book began to drag in the middle but picked up shortly after I got bored. Once the tangle of lies began to be unknotted I could not put the book down. I also can’t stop thinking about it! I think everyone must read this book. Maybe these people are really out there.

To read this book is to look over your shoulder. Each turn of the page makes the reader feel less and less alone. Each new description of the “observation decks” created by these people instigates another bout of paranoia and raises questions. Am I being watched? Is someone there? Someone who wishes to remain…unseen?

Hell House by Richard Matheson

 Hell House by Richard Matheson

“Welcome to my house, I’m delighted you could come. I am certain you will find your stay here most illuminating. It is regrettable I cannot be with you, but I had to leave before your arrival. Do not let my physical absence disturb you, however. Think of me as your unseen host and believe that, during your stay here, I shall be with you in spirit.” ~ Emeric Belasco

Belasco House…Hell House…within these dark passages and cavernous rooms resides the residue of pure, unadulterated evil.

This book begins with the new owner of Belasco House assembling a crew to determine what, if anything, haunts this tomb-like mansion. The crew consists of Dr. Lionel Barrett (a scientist), his wife Edith, Benjamin Franklin Fischer (a physical medium whom had experienced the house previously), and Florence Tanner (a mental medium with a profound religious faith). We accompany the group on the third attempt to discover the source of ghostly disturbances within the house. The first two attempts resulted in the murder, suicide, or mental deterioration of the investigators involved…all those except Fischer that is.

Our introduction to the House is through brief glimpses as the thick, eerie fog surrounding the mansion and Bastard Bog clears. The tour through the house leaves us chilled to the bone. As we walk room to room, corridor to corridor, the foreboding feelings steadily increase. These walls have witnessed all manner of unspeakable events.

The House is dark and angry and soon begins its attack on its unwelcome guests. The House exploits the weaknesses that reside deep within one’s soul and employs those weaknesses to devour and utterly destroy the host of such vulnerabilities. Can anyone truly survive the horrors of Hell House?

Matheson is a true literary genius. He swiftly seizes the reader and propels you into a sinister world of appalling sexual exploitations, atrocious physical cruelties, and sickening mental molestations.

Hell House is one of the greatest haunted house stories I have encountered. This book is an older book, with its first publication in 1971. However, its age does not diminish its content or reduce its affect on those who face the challenge of Hell House itself.

Though the book draws you in and confronts you head on, do not look to the movie, The Legend of Hell House, to give you the same frightful sensations. The film was released in 19-seventy…something…and was not produced for the zombie-movie generation.

Hell House is not a book for you of weak character. Read it only if your soul is stout and sturdy enough to withstand the atrocities which dwell between these eerie covers.

“All your needs have been provided for, nothing has been overlooked. Go where you will, and do what you will – these are the cardinal precepts of my home. Feel free to function as you choose. There are no responsibilities, no rules. ‘Each to his own device’ shall be the only standard here. May you find the answer that you seek. It is here, I promise you. And now..,auf Wiedersehen.” ~ Emeric Belasco.

Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill

 Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill

This is the debut novel by the author Joe Hill. One of the worst kept secrets in publishing history is that Joe Hill is Stephen King’s son.

When I first finished the book, I was talking to my hubby about it. My first impression was: “eh, it’s pretty good, nothing to rave about, but not a complete waste of time either…” Now that I have had a few hours to think about it I believe my initial reaction was a little hasty. In the words of Treebeard “Don’t be hasty, Barrum.” Hahaha…I know, I’m a goofball. I mean, I did finish the book in two days…I couldn’t put it down. So that must say something about it, right?

I began reading this book because a few of my friends had been enthusiastic about it. One of my friends told me not to read it at night because it was so spooky. The book is about an aging Death Metal vocalist who likes to collect things that are…less than ordinary. He learns of a ghost for sale through the internet. He decides not to bid on it and simply buys it outright. The owner sends him a suit the spirit is claimed to be attached to. Well, he definitely got what he paid for and more…

The beginning of the book, when the main character-Jude, sees the ghost is a little creepy, but if you are looking for a scary book, you will have to look elsewhere. Although, Otty says I have been ruined for scary stories…This was a good ghost story though. The book contained a few ghosts, an Ouija board, and a number of possessions.

Jude was a sarcastic ass, so naturally, I loved him! The character development was good. The book was well written and edited (I did not find any grammatical errors or typos).

Music was impressed upon the reader throughout the entire book, including the acknowledgements. Music seemed to be its own character after a while. One of the main concepts is that music helps keep a person grounded and helps them to remember who they are.

There was one thing I did not like about the book. The author seemed to believe that the only reason for the girls in the story to be “Goth” is because of some childhood trauma such as molestation or abuse. He claims that the piercings these girls get are to hide the pain of the unendurable abuse that they cannot face. To me, this is a stereotypical view of a culture the author, obviously, does not comprehend.

All in all I would have to say it was an enjoyable read. If Joe Hill continues in this vein, I suspect we can expect remarkable horror stories from him.

Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

The story is basically Marlow at a dinner party reminiscing about his first time at sea and is largely autobiographical. Marlow tells the tale about the ill-fated voyage to the East and the transportation of the ship’s cargo (coal). Though every bad thing that could have happened to this ship did, all the seamen survived and Marlow remained in good spirits through the entire journey—though that could have been misrepresented in the retelling due to the massive amounts of alcohol Marlow was consuming during the narrative.

I was a little disappointed in the Heart of Darkness. I think mostly because I was looking for a horror story, and this story definitely was not it.

The story is supposed to be disturbing. I told Otty that I did not find the tale to be unsettling and he reminded me that I need to remember when it was written. I am usually good at putting myself in the context of when the story was written, which this one was written in the late 1800’s. I think my problem with the story is that yes, the heart of darkness was a destination, but it was the people that made it so. The greed and desperation of man is what the heart of darkness truly contained. I believe I am unimpressed with this book because man has not changed in the last 100 years. Man is still just as greedy today and he was then, if not more so. Now, the deeds of men (the darkness of men) are normal practice. Maybe I am just terribly jaded.

I did not find inspiration from Joseph Conrad’s prose either. For the most part, I felt that his writing was somewhat flat and unimaginative. I did however; thoroughly enjoy what is called Conrad’s “delayed decoding.” Ian Watt describes this as “the verbal equivalent of the impressionist painter’s attempt to render visual sensation directly…present[ing] a sense impression and…withhold[ing] naming it or explaining its meaning until later.”

Though I was not thrilled with the book, I am still glad that I read it. The Heart of Darkness is one of the classic literature pieces that being able to say you have read is always respectable.

A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore

A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore

There is one word that sums up Christopher Moore’s Dirty Job: HILARIOUS!

The book begins with the birth of Charlie’s daughter Sophie. Charlie is completely enamored with his wife and overly protective of his new baby girl. Unfortunately, tragedy strikes when Charlie sees a man wearing a mint green suit standing over his dead wife. The next thing Charlie knows is that he is Death.

Charlie has a difficult time with his new job due to the fact that his “Goth girl” employee, Lily, stole his instruction manual…The Great Big Book of Death. However, Charlie does meet up with other people with his same job (remember the man in the mint green suit?) and he learns what the job entails.

Now every story needs a villain right? Well this book has four of them. The villains live in the sewer system of San Francisco. These “sewer harpies” are ancient war creatures that steal human souls to gain strength. Their ultimate goal is to gain enough strength to allow them to rise Above and take over the world. Charlie and his co-workers are responsible for the downfall of the sewer harpies since the normal, every day citizens of San Francisco are oblivious to their existence. The only being that can truly destroy these villains, however, is the Luminatus, the big Death.

This book is filled with wacky and zany characters. For example: Charlie’s lesbian older sister with a weird affinity for men’s suits and 80’s hairstyles. His ex-cop employee, who cannot turn his head and has an obsession with Asian dating web sites like loveyoulongtime.com. The women who live in Charlie’s building: the Russian who likens everything to a bear, and the Chinese who hopes for the death of Sophie’s pets so she can have a good meal. And let’s not forget Lily, the Goth girl employee who is livid that Charlie got the job of Death over her.

Christopher Moore’s vision of the soul and its passage to the right person is an interesting concept. I will not spoil it for you here…if you want to know what I mean, you have to read the book.

Moore’s writing style is witty and easy to read. He is perverted, funny, and holds nothing sacred. A couple of times I was laughing so hard I was crying and was worried I would wake up Otty. The book had its side of danger as well. The Morrigan (sewer harpies) worked to kill Charlie and almost succeeded at one point. There were attacks on Charlie’s friends and even a kidnapping attempt on his daughter. And what story is complete without the big ending battle? The book also touches on love and death. The death of Charlie’s wife is touching, and his anxiety about having to raise his daughter alone pulls at your heartstrings. Charlie’s job does not give him a reprieve from death either and the death of another family member adds to the gloomy feeling of the book. This book encompasses all emotions. But I don’t want to leave you on a down note…the book was funny! If you are looking for a laugh out loud, humorous novel, this is the one you should pick up!

This will definitely not be the only Christopher Moore book in my library!

Books of Blood (Volumes one to three) by Clive Barker

Books of Blood (Volumes one to three) by Clive Barker

I must say that I was more than excited to read this book. I had been eyeing the book for many years. One, because it was Clive Barker…duh, and two, because it had a creepy, yet extremely cool, cover. I began to get serious about my relationship with this book when I read a review about it on Amazon.com. The review talked about how scary the book was and gave the first story “Midnight Meat Train” a stellar appraisal. I mentioned on my myspace page that I was beginning the book and received numerous exaltations from friends claiming it was a fantastic and terrorizing read.

I began my journey into the Books of Blood in early October, thinking that October was the perfect month for such a frightful endeavor. I read the introduction and was thrilled to learn that Clive Barker is gay. I also learned that this was his initial foray into published writing. Barker was quite young when he wrote these short stories and the book was a risky undertaking for the publishing company.

The three volume set of short stories opens with a somewhat cheesy line about people being books of blood because we are red when we are opened. The first story “Book of Blood” was a clever introduction to the book. This is the story that explains the title and the concept of the books of blood. Okay…I was intrigued and very eager to move on…

“Midnight Meat Train” was next on the agenda. Unfortunately, to my disappointment, I thought the story was…cute. Maybe it is my numbness to horror stories and the fact that everything is so overexposed now. I had to remember that these stories were old. These stories predate pretty much all horror stories out there today. So, I moved on…

It was when I reached the third story “The Yattering and Jack” that I began to lose heart. This story was also…cute. Though it was a little more fun than “Midnight Meat Train” what with the attack turkey and all, it still left me craving scariness and fright. “Pig Blood Blues” was kind of dorky…I mean, a flesh eating pig? Come on…that’s as bad as attack sheep. “Sex, Death, and Starshine” deserves a good nod though. This story was actually fairly interesting and maybe slightly eerie. The last book of volume one “In the Hills, the Cities” was difficult for me to grasp. This story was pretty much strictly blood and gore. Maybe I just have trouble figuring out the mechanics of, and imagining, hundreds of people tying themselves together to create one moving giant. Maybe it’s just me…

The second volume did improve. Maybe Barker began to find his voice and talent with this set of stories. Of course, it did help that the volume started out with “Dread” my absolutely favorite story in the entire book. Though, not a horror story per se, it was definitely psychologically chilling. The entire book is worth owning for this story alone.

We move on to “Hell’s Event” where the characters are literally running for their lives…in a race no less. “Jacqueline Ess: Her Will and Testament” was basically about a woman scorned. However, having the ability to make a man fold in on himself would be a nifty talent to have. “The Skins of the Fathers” makes a person think twice about child abuse. And “New Murders in the Rue Morgue” deserves a read for naught but the remembrance of our beloved Mr. Poe.

Volume three was definitely full of more goodies than the first two. “Son of Celluloid” was a treat to read. Film lovers would enjoy this tale of a haunted movie theater that begins killing its employees. “Rawhead Rex” was delightfully gruesome, neither priest nor child was safe from being ripped to shreds in this account of a nine-foot monster released from its imprisonment by an idiotic farmer. “Confessions of a (Pornographer’s) Shroud” is another story that is a little far fetched for my taste. Can you really take a killer sheet seriously? I sure couldn’t. “Scape-Goats” is certainly worth perusing. Who can pass up a story about fools on a haunted island that leaves you feeling giddy because there is really no hope for any of them? The final story, “Human Remains” brings the book full circle. The first story in these books of blood was about human sacrifice and we end in a similar fashion.

All in all I thought the book was…cute. No other word really describes my take on these stories. But again, maybe I am just numbed to the culture and society in which I have been raised. Not much can scare me any more. Though, when reading these stories (my first venture into short story collections) I tried to remember that these were written before the true horror genre exploded. Clive Barker was one of the innovator’s of the field of terror and these stories were written prior to the publication “Hellbound Heart” and the production of “Hellraiser.” Therefore, I believe that this book is a must read for any lovers of the art of fright if only to pay homage to one of its masterminds.

Blaze by Richard Bachman

 Blaze by Richard Bachman

You know how, when you meet an exceptional person, you feel honored to have been able to know them? You feel that you were lucky to have known them, to have been able to glimpse their life, to have been a part of it. Well, that is how I feel about Blaze. I feel honored to have known him for such a short time. I feel I was entrusted with the secrets of his past and his innermost thoughts, feelings, and fears.

Richard Bachman is one of Stephen King’s alter-ego’s I guess you could say. The story of Clayton Blaisdell Jr. (aka Blaze) was almost never published. The foreword of the book is by Stephen King himself, and it tells of how the manuscript had been sitting in a box since the 70’s. King would take it out on occasion, read it, and deem it worthless. Finally, he took it out, read it, and thought it was a pretty good story. I, for one, am glad he published this book.

The very first page of the book is a small excerpt from the story. It introduces you to Blaze. Actually, it is not as much about Blaze as it is about another kid, but it gives you a glimpse of the voyage you are about to embark on. After this small paragraph are the title page, copyright page, dedications, and foreword. Then, the real story begins…

The story is about Blaze, a simple-minded giant of a man with a heart bigger than thought capability. Blaze was not always this “dumb,” this was a gift from his drunken, abusive father. Blaze was never the leader in a group. He was never the thinker. He ran cons with guys who were smarter than him. However, when his friend George gets himself killed in a betting game, Blaze is left to think on his own. He decides to continue with George’s “one big con, and then out” scheme. He kidnaps the 6-month old baby of an extremely wealthy family. The idea is to get a large ransom for the child and then he can retire.

The book jumps from Blaze’s childhood to the present situation. As you are reading about his plans to kidnap the baby, you are learning how he came to this point.

I could not help but feel compassion for this big bear of a man. I found myself angry at the way he was treated by the adults in his life as he was growing up. I wanted this man to succeed. I knew throughout the book that kidnapping a baby was wrong, and I knew he would have to be caught…it would have to end. But I could not help wanting him to do well, to be okay.

Blaze was an amazing person (character). Again, I feel lucky to have accompanied him on his journey, however miserable it may have been.

There is a story at the end of this book. It is a glimpse of the next Stephen King book that will be published in 2008. I am choosing not to read this story. I do not want anything to take away from Blaze right now. I want to continue feeling close to him for the moment.

Atonement by Ian McEwan

 Atonement by Ian McEwan

Atonement is an extremely beautiful story about how differing perceptions of a single event can affect the lives of those involved, whether negatively or positively.

This book is told in three parts and each part is from three different perspectives.

The story begins in 1935 and is told from the viewpoint of the 13 year old Briony. Briony witnesses an event involving her older sister, Cecile, and the gardener, Robbie, that her young brain does not understand. Briony decides that Cecile would never commit such an indecent act of her own accord; therefore, Robbie must have forced Cecile into the situation.

Briony later witnesses an assault on her cousin and names the lewd Robbie as the perpetrator. Briony is unwaveringly believed in her account of the tale and Robbie is imprisoned.

Part two of the book is told from the viewpoint of Robbie. He was able to bargain an early release from prison by joining the military and being shipped off to France to fight. Robbie wants nothing more than to return to England and his beloved Cecile. His account of his struggle through the French countryside in an attempt at retreat is mesmerizing. His love for Cecile and absolute hatred for the person who tore him away from her and single handedly imprisoned him instills the same passion in the reader.

The third part of the book is told, again, from Briony’s perspective. Years have passed and she is now a nurse for the wounded soldiers. She feels an immense sense of guilt for her childish take on the event so many years ago. She wants nothing more than to reconcile with Cecile and Robbie. Briony is finally able to confront the ghosts of her past and make her appeal to the parties involved. The outcome of this occurrence lies within the pages of the book itself. I will say, however, that the ending…affected me.

I found this book to be elegantly written. The language was absolutely exquisite and I identified with Briony. I could hardly put the book down…I had to force myself to stop reading each night when the hands of the clock approached 1 a.m. I was entranced with every page, every word. The tale of Briony, Cecile, and Robbie will be carried with me for the rest of my days and is now considered to be one of my most beloved experiences.

The Almost Moon by Alice Sebold

 The Almost Moon by Alice Sebold

I was drawn to this book for two reasons. The first is because I had previously read another book by this author and I wanted to see if I would like this one better. The second was the first sentence in the book…no, I will not give it away…go find it!

After reading that first sentence, I found myself completely absorbed by the book. I could not put it down. Flipping through the pages of this book was like reading pages from a journal that could very well have been my own. Though the words and experiences were different from those that lie within my own tortured past, the feelings this account roused from me were extracted from somewhere deep within my soul.

Reading this book, I was sent spiraling into a life of hurt, pain, torture, agony, and sacrifice. Almost Moon is Helen’s story of the life she knows, the agony of her memories, and the future she dreads, with the chapters jumping between and through each in turn.

The puzzle pieces of Helen’s life are scattered throughout the book and slowly the reader brings the jumbled mess into comprehension. As these jagged chunks of life begin to form what is now the essence of Helen, the reader comes to love her and understand some of the choices she has had to make. We witness the deterioration of her mother’s mind and body. We learn of the chaos concealed within her father’s tired mind which was sadly overshadowed by the needs of his wife. We ache with her as she uncovers family secrets that have been buried so deep and so long. We watch and cry as she gives up the one person who loved her and was there for her. And we sympathize with her fear for the pain that she may or may not inflict upon her own children. And Helen suffers through all of this misery for a woman who could have cared less about the devastation she was causing for her only daughter.

Now Helen finds herself in a situation that is turning from bad to worse. Unfortunately, she ends up getting her loved ones involved which does nothing to alleviate the situation. In the end, she finds she has no choices left, but one…

Though I will not divulge my reasoning’s here, I identified with Helen very much. As I read about her fears for her children and the relationship she had with her mother, I could not help but see myself in this character. Sadly, this book did not receive good reviews. I believe that in order to understand this book, you have to know Crazy. If you don’t know Crazy, you just cannot appreciate Crazy.

I still have not made my decision about Alice Sebold as a writer. The ending to this book was too hurried (almost as if she realized she had run out of pages and just stopped writing) and the last book I read had enormous potential but left me flat. I guess I have to read her first, autobiographical, book to make my final judgment.

Even though this book had a quick, seemingly unfinished ending, I must say it was well worth my time. I’m not even sure I can say it was good. It was…familiar…recognizable…at least to me.

I guess if you want an opinion of the book, you will have to read it and form your own.

A Christmas Carol

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

This was my first Dickens novel. I know it is kind of cheesy to make my foray into Dickens’s work by reading A Christmas Carol during the holidays but hey…whatever helps break the ice right?

This book, as most people already know, is about a tight-fisted, bitter old man named Ebenezer Scrooge. Scrooge is visited one night by the ghost of his partner who has come to warn Scrooge of his fate in the afterworld and that Scrooge will face similar persecution in the afterlife if he does not change his ways. Scrooge is warned that more ghosts will appear to help him redeem himself in life and prevent the perils his partner has faced in death. Scrooge is then visited by the ghost of Christmas past, the ghost of Christmas present, and the ghost of Christmas future. Scrooge is shown the actions of different people during each Christmas and he is given a choice at the end. Can he ever change?

The story was an inspiring Christmas story and helps remind people how their behavior affects others. This novel reminds us that we need to give to others who need more than we ourselves are and that the payoff for this assistance is much more fulfilling than any amount of money in the pocket or the bank could ever be.

I found this book surprisingly fun and easy to read. The novel was shorter than I expected and was not inundated with old world terms that I could not understand. I had been somewhat intimidated by Dickens prior to reading this book. However, now that I know the humorous and witty writing style of Charles Dickens I will definitely be reading more of his work in the future.