Back in 1991, TOR Books published an omnibus volume containing Fritz Leiber’s Conjure Wife and Our Lady of Darkness. Leiber’s premise is that all women are witches with magic powers. Reading these two novels about dark forces and secret occult warfare that permeates our contemporary world is an astonishing experience. Leiber work always contains surprises and originality. This wonderful volume proves this on every page. Conjure Wife was first published in 1943, but reads like it was written yesterday. Our Lady of Darkness was first published in 1978. You can find copies of this bargain TOR edition online at reasonable prices, but you can also find Conjure Wife and Our Lady of Darkness published separately in a variety of editions depending on your tastes and the size of your wallet. Don’t miss these Leiber classics!

If you check out Katie Roiphe’s photo, you’ll get the sense of what these essays offer: some brashness, some irreverence, and some prose calculated to piss the reader off. Katie comes off as a woman with Attitude and Attitude she delivers! Katie starts off with her own messy life: failed relationships, her two children by two different men, and her prickly personality (check out that photo again!). Katie writes about how she had sex with her college roommate’s boyfriend and is surprised when her apology doesn’t heal the hurt she inflicted on a needy girl. Katie also goes after Joan Didion (a much better writer than Katie) because she senses Didion holds her personality back from her work. Katie also trashes Maureen Dowd (another better writer). I liked Katie’s opinions on Susan Sontag and Jane Austen. Katie is bright, but she’s definitely High Maintainence. GRADE: B+

If you’re a fan of spy novels, run–don’t walk–and pick up a copy of Dan Fesperman’s incredible The Double Game. Fesperman’s title, The Double Game, refers to the puzzle of whether a CIA operative who retired to become a best-selling novelist of spy novels was a double agent or not. But The Double Game is indeed a double game. Fesperman borrows from classic spy novels (and supplies the references!) and creates a wonderful twisty plot. The bonus is a list of 222 classic spy novels included as an appendix. This is the best spy novel I’ve read in years! The Double Game is a tour-de-force! GRADE: A

Most Wednesdays, I’m going to feature a book, CD, or movie someone has recommended to me. In the case of Still Life by Louise Penny, it was Rick and Carl who praised Penny’s series. Still Life is the first book in the series featuring Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sûreté du Québec and his team of investigators. Still Life centers around the murder of an elderly artist. The residents claim it’s just a hunting accident, but Gamache knows better. He and his team investigate the tangled connections of small town life. I detected more than a little Maigret in Gamache. If you’re a fan of Simenon’s work, you’ll enjoy Louise Penny’s work. A film version of Still Life is being filmed in Canada as you read this. GRADE: B+

This box set of 7 DVDs once cost $59.99 on AMAZON. But now you can buy these terrific movies for a mere $17.99! The box set of The Complete Thin Man Collection includes: The Thin Man / After the Thin Man / Another Thin Man / Shadow of the Thin Man / The Thin Man Goes Home / Song of the Thin Man / Alias Nick and Nora). DVD extras include 2 radio dramas, vintage cartoons, and the TV series pilot with Peter Lawford and Phyllis Kirk. Don’t miss this one!

I was concerned when 2013 started off with this blog vanishing and the cryptic messsage “It Works!” appearing in its place. Immediately, I sent an urgent email to my IT specialist, my son Patrick (who was partying in Peru), and a day later my blog mysteriously reappeared. But only in Internet Explorer and on Apple devices. Weird. The explanation is that my blog had been hosted on an old, slow Server. On New Year’s Day 2013, my blog (and thousands of others) were transferred to a new, fast Server. I’m sure you’ve noticed the difference.

In a couple of weeks, I’ll be posting my 1500th daily blog post. I couldn’t have done all these postings without your energy and interest and excellent comments. I want to thank Patti, Jeff, Deb, Rick, Bill, Drongo, Beth, Bob, Carl, Steve, Stan, Dan, Sergio, Todd, Lauren, Randy, Art, Scott, Jerry, Evan, John, Ed, Max, and all the rest of you for your involvement and support!

The Colts vs. Ravens game kicks off at 1 P.M. on CBS. As much as I like Andrew Luck and his plucky team (who would have picked rebuilding Colts to make the Playoffs?) I think the Ravens are a better team. The 4:30 P.M. FOX game features another QB phenom, RG3. But once again, I have to go with the tougher, more complete team: the Seahawks. What are your Playoff picks?

Wild Card Weekend kicks off at 4:30 P.M. today on NBC. Some people think the Houston Texans have gone into a swoon at the end of the season, but I think they’re playing possum. I’m going with Texans over the Bengals. In the 8 P.M. game also on NBC, the Vikings face the Packers. This rivalry has produced some legendary games and this could be another one. Can Adrian Peterson’s running overcome Aaron Rodger’s passing? I’m going with the home team: the Packers. Who do you think will win these games?

Frank Belknap Long is best remembered for his Cthulhu Mythos stories like “The Hounds of Tindalos.” But the prolific Long also wrote his own unique brand of science fiction blended with mystery. This new Ramble House collection brings all of the John Carstairs stories together for the first time. If you like mysteries with a science fiction element to them, these long forgotten stories will delight you!
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
PLANTS MUST GROW
SNAPDRAGON
PLANTS MUST SLAY
SATELLITE OF PERIL
THE ETHER ROBOTS
THE HEAVY MAN
WOBBLIES IN THE MOON
THE HOLLOW WORLD

After having the natural gas standby generator installed, Diane and I decided to safeguard our basement with a backup sump pump. What good is having power from a generator if your sump pump dies? So we went with the Liberty Backup Sump Pump that’s powered by water and not electricity. The Liberty SJ10 should protect us in the worst weather scenarios. For more information on the SJ10, just click here.