I wasn’t familiar with Holly Black before I read The Poison Eaters and Other Stories (2010). I don’t remember where or when I acquired The Poison Eaters but suspect it was some time ago. But, now that I’ve read some of Holly Black’s work, I want to read more.

One of my favorite stories in this collection is “Paper Cuts Scissors” about a librarian who is hired by a book collector to catalog his library. But, the librarian discovers a secret the collector hides about activities that occur after Midnight.

I also was mesmerized by the title story in this collection, “The Poison Eaters.” Three sisters of a royal family try to negotiate the politics of the Royal Court. Their father is on the outs with the King so recruiting possible suitors challenges the family. Through a series of actions two of the three sisters become ghosts. The lone surviving sister finds a dire future before her.

Holly Black’s The Poison Eaters and Other Stories presents a range of stories, but all of them are well-crafted and some will haunt you long after you finish them. GRADE: B+

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

• The Coldest Girl in Coldtown — 1
• A Reversal of Fortune — 29
• The Boy Who Cried Wolf — 49
• The Night Market — 57
• The Dog King — listen to it on Podcastle — 77
• Virgin — 91
• In Vodka Veritas — 105
• The Coat of Stars — 123
• Paper Cuts Scissors — listen to it on Podcastle — 147
• Going Ironside — 171
• The Land of Heart’s Desire — 175
• The Poison Eaters — 195

If you’re a fan of The Twilight Zone and Night Gallery you’ll enjoy this horror anthology series. There are eight episodes and Guillermo del Toro wrote two of them, “Lot 36” and “The Murmuring,” the first and last episodes.

For fans of Henry Kuttner, “Graveyard Rats” will be a delight as a desperate grave robber finds more than he bargained for. Lovecraft is represented by two classic stories: “Pickman’s Model” and “Dreams in the Witch House.” I was also happy that Michael Shea’s underrated story, “The Autopsy,” fits right into the vibe of this series.

I’m glad I finally caught up with this series on Netflix. If you’re looking for a 21st Century version of Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone and Night Gallery, here it is. GRADE: A

I read Matt Ruff’s Lovecraft Country back in 2016 (you can read my review here) and watched the HBO series based on Lovecraft Country (you can read my review of that series here). Now, Ruff returns with a sequel to Lovecraft Country and a promise of several more books chronicling the Turner and Dandridge families in the late 1950s as they confront racism…and Lovecraftian weirdness.

The Destroyer of Worlds opens in 1957 with Chicago’s Turner and Dandridge families once again menaced by alien forces. Atticus Turner and his taciturn father, Montrose, are in Virginia looking for evidence of their Black slave ancestors when they find they’re suddenly under attack by a White Supremacist they faced in Massachusetts in Lovecraft Country. The chase is on!

Hippolyta Berry, Atticus’s aunt and the most scientifically minded family member, is in Las Vegas with her moody 15-year-old son, Horace, and good friend Letitia Dandridge. What is supposed to be a vacation instead turns out to be a delivery of a rare object to sinister pawnbroker who holds the keys to a device able to transport people from Earth to any place in the galaxy.

George Berry, who has been diagnosed with terminal cancer, makes a Faustian bargain with the ghost of Hiram Winthrop, the brilliant, malevolent scientist from Lovecraft Country who promises to provide George with a cure for his cancer…if George can find a cadaver for Winthrop.

Ruby Dandridge, Letitia’s sister, who has the power to turn herself into a redheaded White woman named Hillary Hyde, faces the prospect that her supply of potions enabling her transformation may run out.

These are just a few of the storylines Matt Ruff weaves into The Destroyer of Worlds. I enjoyed this sequel as much as I enjoyed Lovecraft Country. And, I can’t wait for more books in this series to be published. My only minor quibble is that I would like MORE Lovercraft elements in these books. GRADE: B+

I read a lot of books that involve magic. Most fantasy novels include magic and witches and sorcerers. So I decided to read this brief book by Sarah Lyons who explains the history of magic, describes the different types of magic (chaos magic is very hot right now), and the elements of witchcraft.

I particularly liked Lyons’s discussion of Tarot cards and the various decks available.

Do you believe in magic? GRADE: B

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Introduction 1

Chapter 1 Why Study Magic? 5

Chapter 2 The Basics 13

Chapter 3 Chaos Magic 37

Chapter 4 Spell Books and Grimoires 57

Chapter 5 Ceremonial Magic 83

Chapter 6 Witchcraft 117

Chapter 7 Paganism, Gods, and History 141

Chapter 8 Where to go from here 161

Acknowledgments 173

Um, Sources for These Claims? Or Selected Bibliography 175

Further Reading 177

Index 179

I enjoy literary history and Martin Puchner’s The Written World tells the story of how writing spread around the world. Puchner takes a world-wide approach to his subject and provides insights I was not aware of despite my decades of reading and studying Literature.

The first surprise was that Alexander the Great spread writing in very country he conquered. His favorite book was The Iliad which he carried everywhere he traveled. Puchner surmises Alexander the Great was inspired by the events in The Iliad and they led him to his conquests.

I knew about book piracy and the fake “sequels” to Don Quixote but I had no idea of the extent of the practice until Puchner enlightened me. I was also aware of Benjamin Franklin’s important work spreading printing presses throughout the new United States, but again the extent of Franklin’s efforts astonished me.

My favorite chapter in The Written World is Chapter 13. I’m a huge fan of Isaiah Berlin and I’ve read many of his books. But, I did not know the story of Berlin traveling to Russia to meet with the banned poet Anna Akhmatova. The weight of the Soviet Government landed on Akhmatova reducing her to poverty despite her world-class reputation. Berlin spent a couple of days with Akhmatova in her squalid hovel–Puchner hints some romantic incident may have occurred–and Berlin later championed Akhmatova in the Western World. I knew Berlin operated as a diplomat for the British Government, but I had no idea he was also a spy.

If Literary History excites you as much as it does me, give The Written World a look. GRADE: A

Table of Contents:

Introduction: Earthrise     — xi                                                                                                         
Map and Timeline of the Written World          — xxiv                                                                        

Chapter 1: Alexander’s Pillow Book     — 3                                                                                 
Chapter 2: King of the Universe: Of Gilgamesh and Ashurbanipal            — 24                             
Chapter 3: Ezra and the Creation of Holy Scripture            — 46                                                    
Chapter 4: Learning from the Buddha, Confucius, Socrates, and Jesus     — 62                              
Chapter 5: Murasaki and The Tale of Genji: The First Great Novel in World History    — 98        
Chapter 6: One Thousand and One Nights with Scheherazade            — 121                                   
Chapter 7: Gutenberg, Luther, and the New Public of Print        — 145                                            
Chapter 8: The Popol Vuh and Maya Culture: A Second, Independent Literary Tradition     — 171 
Chapter 9: Don Quixote and the Pirates              — 193                                                                    
Chapter 10: Benjamin Franklin: Media Entrepreneur in the Republic of Letters        — 211 
Chapter 11: World Literature: Goethe in Sicily        — 232                                                            
Chapter 12: Marx, Engels, Lenin, Mao: Readers of The Communist Manifesto, Unite!         — 252
Chapter 13: Akhmatova and Solzhenitsyn: Writing Against the Soviet State        — 272      
Chapter 14: The Epic of Sunjata and the Wordsmiths of West Africa            — 290             
Chapter 15: Postcolonial Literature: Derek Walcott, Poet of the Caribbean       — 306                      
Chapter 16: From Hogwarts to India                               — 326                                                       

Acknowledgements                                                — 339                                                                 
Notes                                                             — 341                                                                          
Illustration Credits                          — 389                                                                                         
Index — 393

Bill Crider was a big fan of Robert R. McCammon’s work and urged me to read his books. I confess, I much preferred Stephen King books over Robert R. McCammon’s work although both writers worked the same side of the Horror street.

I’ve had this copy of They Thirst since it was first published in 1981 by Avon books and I finally got around to reading it. They Thirst is McCammon’s fourth book and this is significant because McCammon later “disowned” his first four books (Baal, Bethany’s Sin, The Night Boat, and They Thirst) and resisted their reprinting.

They Thirst concerns a vampire apocalypse aimed at Los Angeles. Vampire Prince Conrad Vulkan and his minions set up residence in an abandoned castle in the hills of LA. From there, they slowly start their move to take over the city.

McCammon’s 531 page book features a dozen characters: a newspaper reporter, a policeman whose father was bitten by a vampire, a dying priest who senses the vampire conquest, a comedian and his girl friend who are chased by vampires, and plenty of Bad Guys.

The problem in books like They Thirst is how does the writer sustain the horror of the event. After the first dozen blood suckings what do you do to carry the plot forward? That’s something Stephen King figured out…but McCammon did not at this point in his writing career. GRADE: C+

Here are two different music CDs with the same title. Shake It Up by The Cars is basically a collection of some of their early hits from 1981 rereleased in 2018…but most of these songs sound 40 years old even with remastering. “Shake It Up” still receives airplay on our local Oldies radio station.

Shake It Up: America Rocks is a dance music compilation with classics like C & C Music Factory’s “Gonna Make You Sweat,” Marky Mark and The Funky Bunch’s “Good Vibrations,” and Technotronic’s “Pump Up the Jam.”

Do any of these songs shake it up for you? GRADE: B (for both)

TRACK LIST:

TRACK LIST:

1. C & C Music Fatctory — Gonna Make You Sweat 6:50
2. Lil Louis — French Kiss 9:54
3. Marky Mark & The Funky Bunch — Good Vibrations 4:25
4. Snap — The Power 5:42
5. Black Box — Everybody Everybody 5:20
6. Technotronic — Pump Up the Jam 5:23
7. AB Logic — The Hitman 4:03
8. Digital Underground — The empty Dance 4:40

I’ve read several of Tanith Lee’s fantasy novels over the years, but this is the first time I’ve read one of Lee’s short story collections. The Gorgon and Other Beastly Tales (1985) features gorgons, unicorns, shapeshifters, and other strange beasts.

My favorite story is “Sirriamnis” where a loyal slave of a Greek nobleman and his handsome son narrates the story of the purchase of an exotic woman who becomes the lord’s son’s concubine. The slave suspects this exotic woman is more than she appears…and he is very right.

If you’re in the mood for strangeness and plots with twists and surprises, Tanith Lee’s The Gorgon and Other Beastly Tales provides hours of wonder and thrills. GRADE: B+

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

• 7 • The Gorgon • (1982) • novelette by Tanith Lee
• 34 • Anna Medea • (1982) • novelette by Tanith Lee
• 53 • Meow • (1981) • short story by Tanith Lee
• 68 • The Hunting of Death: The Unicorn • (1984) • novella by Tanith Lee
• 121 • Magritte’s Secret Agent • (1981) • novelette by Tanith Lee
• 168 • Monkey’s Stagger • (1979) • short story by Tanith Lee
• 185 • Sirriamnis • (1981) • novelette by Tanith Lee
• 222 • Because Our Skins Are Finer • (1981) • short story by Tanith Lee
• 241 • Quatt-Sup • short story by Tanith Lee
• 247 • Draco, Draco • (1984) • novelette by Tanith Lee
• 276 • La Reine Blanche • (1983) • short story by Tanith Lee

“Direct from Broadway, the critically acclaimed and much beloved production of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s Tony®-winning triumph is coming to Buffalo with its Broadway stars to boot. Into the Woods features Montego Glover as The Witch, Stephanie J. Block as The Baker’s Wife, Sebastian Arcelus as The Baker, and Gavin Creel as Cinderella’s Prince/Wolf – all reprising their Broadway roles – in a production called “radiant” (Variety), “enchanting” (The Wall Street Journal), and “a priceless revival with a perfect cast” (The Washington Post). Directed by Lear deBessonet (Hercules), this theatrical event honors Sondheim’s legendary memory and his Broadway masterpiece like never before.”

When Katie found out that Into the Woods was coming to Buffalo after a successful Broadway run, she called us and urged us to buy tickets quickly. We did and now we’re glad we saw this top-flight version of one of Stephen Sondheim’s most popular musicals. Stephenie J. Block (The Baker’s Wife) and Sebastian Arcelus (The Baker) are married to each other in Real Life.

Into the Woods debuted in 1986 in San Diego at the Old Globe Theater and premiered on Broadway in 1987. It won three Tonys. The musical weaves the plots of several Brothers Grimm fairy tales, exploring the consequences of the characters’ wishes and quests. The characters in this musical are based on “Little Red Riding Hood“, “Jack and the Beanstalk“, “Rapunzel“, and “Cinderella“. A childless baker and his wife discover a witch has placed a curse on them. The witch will lift the curse which will allow them to have a child–if they bring her four objects. So off the Baker and the Baker’s Wife go…into the Woods.

As is common in Sondheim musicals, there are some deaths and darkness. Most of these were glossed over in the 2014 Disney movie adaptation which we saw. It felt like we were on Broadway watching this musical! Are you a fan of Sondheim? GRADE: A

I try to approach each book I read without assumptions or expectations, but somehow I thought Lessons in Chemistry was a Romantic Comedy. Maybe I was led astray by Jim Tierney’s clever cover (that No. 2 pencil plays a key role) or the suggestive book title. But Lessons in Chemistry is NOT a Romantic Comedy. There’s only a smidgen of romance and some dabs of occasional comedy in this 390 page novel.

Elizabeth Zott is chemist working for Hastings Research Institute in 1952. As you might expect, she gets little respect although she’s the best chemist in the company. Bonnie Garmus then introduces an incident with Elizabeth and her thesis advisor at UCLA where the advisor attempts to rape her (p. 18) so we know a large portion of Lessons in Chemistry will involve sexual discrimination, male chauvinism, sleazy Fifties/Sixties conduct, and creepy sexist behavior. Most men in Lessons in Chemistry behave badly.

The turning point for Elizabeth happens when a local TV producer approaches her with the idea for a scientific cooking show to be called Supper at Six. Since the producer is offering more money than Elizabeth is making at the Hastings Research Institute, she dubiously takes the offer and surprisingly becomes a successful TV personality.

But Bonnie Garmus has further intentions. Elizabeth’s lover is a rower and introduces her to rowing (Garmus is a rower in Real Life, too). Both Elizabeth and her lover have murky pasts which Elizabeth’s precocious young daughter, Madeline, explores. And, as you would expect, Elizabeth uses her unique cooking show to advance feminism.

So, although I started reading Lessons in Chemistry with false expectations of romance and comedy, I got a lesson in chemistry, female empowerment, food preparation, and child rearing. GRADE: B