What are you reading?

[Alien Redrum]

Finished Ghostland. Really neat idea and solid execution, although I don't know if I'm sold yet on the ending. It's set up for a sequel (which is already out), but it could very easily lead to a deuce ex machina in the next book. Definitley gonna read it at some point, though.

Also finished Clay McLeod Chapman's What Kind of Mother. That was all kinds of weird, but delightfully so. I'm seeing him on the 3rd and have something in mind I want to get signed because of this book.

Just started listening to Ronald Malfi's Black Mouth. Malfi is king.

In addition to that, I'm also listening to The Dating Game Killer: The True Story of a TV Dating Show, a Violent Sociopath, and a Series of Brutal Murders. God, this guy was a piece of shit.

Still reading When the Lights Go Out. Each story has been rock solid. Lucia needs more credit.

Also still reading Generous' latest.

OH, and I picked up Bigfoot Blues (The Elvis Sightings Mysteries) by Ricardo Sanchez because not only was it on sale for $1.99, but the synopsis made me :

A PI deals with a father who claims his daughter ran off with Bigfoot, an eccentric billionaire, and a dead body in this rollicking mystery.

She eloped with Bigfoot. Or maybe Bigfoot kidnapped her. Either way, I’ve been hired to uncover the truth behind Cindy Funk’s disappearance. Me? I’m Floyd, and I’m a PI living my life as Elvis would have wanted. Not just in sequined jumpsuits. With character.

Cindy’s trail leads me to River City, Oregon—aka the Mythical Creature Capital of the World—where I catch Case #2. This one from an eccentric billionaire who’s lost a priceless piece of “art.” Enter one dead body and I end up deputized to solve Case #3, tracking down a man-eating mountain lion. Or maybe it’s a chupacabra. Or just an ordinary murderer. Hard to say.

I’ve handled my fair share of crazy, but River City’s secrets have me spooked. With an influx of tourists arriving for the town’s annual Elvis tribute contest—what are the chances?—I’ve got to save the girl, solve the rich guy’s problem, and leash that chupacabra before a second body is discovered. Because it might just be mine . . .

This should be a Horror DNA read.

[Neon Maniac]

This should be a Horror DNA read.

It should I wonder if Shiki would read it, or if Bigfoot was just too low brow for him, what with the Jersey Devil and all.

[Neon Maniac]

I've started reading a book series called Beyond These Walls. It's 6 books so I figure it's a good lunch book. It's some time after what appears to have been a zombie apocalypse, like generations after. And these kids live in a walled city called Edin and when they turn 18 they have to go to mandatory service for 6 months and kill the diseased (what they call them) while people work. Like when people are logging they have to stand guard around them so they can do it or something, is what it seems like. And it's tough and only half the people make it back from it. And they have a gladiator style arena where "protectors" fight zombies (what I call them). I'm not that far into it so that's all I've figured out and may be about 40% right

It's definitely a self published on Amazon book, and you can tell, but not in a distracting way. Like the writing is fine and it's interesting enough, but it could use editing help. Like he switches 5 chapters in what is really a single scene.

[Alien Redrum]

This should be a Horror DNA read.

It should I wonder if Shiki would read it, or if Bigfoot was just too low brow for him, what with the Jersey Devil and all.

I don't know why I laughed so hard at that.

[Alien Redrum]

I've started reading a book series called Beyond These Walls. It's 6 books so I figure it's a good lunch book. It's some time after what appears to have been a zombie apocalypse, like generations after. And these kids live in a walled city called Edin and when they turn 18 they have to go to mandatory service for 6 months and kill the diseased (what they call them) while people work. Like when people are logging they have to stand guard around them so they can do it or something, is what it seems like. And it's tough and only half the people make it back from it. And they have a gladiator style arena where "protectors" fight zombies (what I call them). I'm not that far into it so that's all I've figured out and may be about 40% right

It's definitely a self published on Amazon book, and you can tell, but not in a distracting way. Like the writing is fine and it's interesting enough, but it could use editing help. Like he switches 5 chapters in what is really a single scene.

I've not read a zombie book in YEARS because I was so done with them. I think I might get back into them, though, because one of my favorite subgenres is post-apocalyptic horror and zombies make up a HUGE chunk of that.

[Neon Maniac]

Yeah, that's exactly why I started reading it. I prefer nuclear apocalypse, but I'll take zombie, especially if it's self published and minimum 6 books.

[Alien Redrum]

Just started listening to Ronald Malfi's Black Mouth. Malfi is king.

This is fanfuckingtastic (and it helps it's read by Joe Hemple, one of my favorite narrators). It's currently $2.99 for the Kindle version, and I HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend it. It's kind of like IT in that a group of kids reunite to fight a monster, but not really. It's excellent though. I love Malfi. I didn't even read the synopsis of this before I went in. I don't need to with his work.

[Alien Redrum]

Recently read Beach Bodies by Nick Kolakowski. Fun little novella that takes an interesting turn towards the end.

Also read/listened to the following since Black Mouth:

Dark Ride by Lou Berney: My buddy suggested this because he said, "It's about a guy who works at a horror theme park, smokes weed, and tries to save some kids. Reminded me of you."

From the Borderlands: Stories of Terror and Madness, edited by Thomas Monteleone: A bit shocked I've never read this since I've always heard great things about it. A friend mailed it to me out of the blew and I read stories from it off and on in the bathroom ( ). Pretty good.

Downward Facing Doug by Don Winslow: Quick audio book listen about a guy who accidentally surfs into a white supremecist, and the trouble that follows. LOL moments.

Chase Darkness with Me: How One True-Crime Writer Started Solving Murders by Billy Jensen: I can't remember why I started listening to this, but the author worked with Michelle McNamara (I'll Be Gone in the Dark) on the Golden State Killer case. It's an interesting book, but it's all over the place. Just when you are getting into a case he's discussing, he moves onto something else. Good, but could have been a lot better if he focused on a few cases instead of so many.

Currently reading Mystery Road by Kevin Lucia and, man, I'm all in. It's a coming-of-age horror novella, and I can almost hear Richard Dreyfuss narrating it.

Speaking of all in, I'm listening to The Remaking by Clay McCleod Chapman. I had no idea what the book was about when I started because Chapman is so fucking good, and it's absolutely popping. Plus, the narration is fanfuckingtastic.

[Alien Redrum]

Finished both Mystery Road and The Remaking.

Mystery Road is solid from beginning to end. Man, I wish more people read Lucia. Dude deserves more recognition. Fantastic author.

I've read about all of Clay McLeod Chapman's novels, and The Remaking is probably the weakest. That doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it (I did), but it would have worked far better as a novella. There's just too much fat in it. I'm glad I read it, though. Cool premise behind it. Just could have been leaner. At some point in the near future, I'm gonna start Ghost Eaters.

Currently, I'm listening to The Exorcist Legacy. It was written by Nat Segaloff (who was one of the publicists for the film) and narrated by Joe Hempel, one of my absolute favorite narrators. So far, this is interesting as hell. I'm up to casting now. I didn't realize Stacey Keach was originally supposed to play Father Karras, but Friedkin wanted Jason Miller, so the studio paid off Keach. Lots of cool stuff like that in the book.

[Alien Redrum]

Oh, while I was looking for something regarding The Exorcist, I saw this re-release cover. Holy fuck. Nightmare inducing.