book

Finished reading Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West

Wants to read The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Vol. 1

Finished reading A Memory Called Empire

Rated Father Gaetano's Puppet Catechism: A Novella 8/10

A friend recommended this novella for our book club selection, and I’m so pleased that she did because I’m not sure it would have otherwise crossed my attention. Set during WWII, Father Gaetano is assigned as the sole priest in a small Sicilian village, where not only must he conduct every mass, he must also see after the spiritual care of the many orphans who are now living at the church. To better engage the children in their catechism lessons, he brings up an old puppet set from the basement. What he doesn’t know is that the puppets believe that the stories are real, and after dark they appear without strings. What happens next is a series of disturbing events that affect everyone involved, all while subtly mirroring the national turmoil surrounding the village.<br><br>Though I am not well-versed in Catholic symbolism, I found the book utterly compelling. Told from the points-of-view of the priest, a nun, and one sensitive boy who lives there, we are able to understand different ways how one can question their faith, and how they react when bravery is required. It’s a quick read interspersed with dark illustrations, and is yet another example of my need to occasionally widen my reading repertoire.<br><br>(This review originally appeared in <a href="http://persephonemagazine.com/2013/08/22/5-book-recommendations-for-your-reading-pleasure/">Persephone Magazine</a>.)

Wants to read Feral and Hysterical: Mother Horror’s Ultimate Reading Guide to Dark and Disturbing Fiction by Women

Finished reading Eynhallow

Wants to read Inversion: Germinal, Book 1

Finished reading The Adventure Zone Vol.1: Here There Be Gerblins

Finished reading Terror at Tierra de Cobre

Finished reading These Lifeless Things

Finished reading The Siege of Burning Grass

Wants to read The Wastelanders

Finished reading Norwegian Wood

Finished reading Dance Dance Dance

Rated Romeo and Juliet 6/10

Finished reading Beneath the Rising

Finished reading We Speak Through the Mountain

Finished reading A Broken Darkness

Finished reading The Void Ascendant

Rated A Caress of Twilight 2/10

Finished reading One Message Remains

Rated Frequencies: Volume 1 10/10

Really outstanding, except for maybe the interview. fuller review forthcoming.

Rated Giraffes? Giraffes! 8/10

My son and I still make jokes about giraffes and conveyor belts.

Finished reading The Djinn's Apple

Rated Forensics: What Bugs, Burns, Prints, DNA and More Tell Us About Crime 8/10