Halloween is in the air so I thought I’d present a series many people don’t know about: the Borderland series edited by the talented Thomas F. Monteleone. The first volume was published in 1988, the second appeared in 1991, the third in 1993. They were published by White Wolf Books and distribution was spotty. Some people have never seen these books. White Wolf folded and the fourth and fifth volumes of the Borderland series were published by Borderland Press. The fifth volume was reprinted by Warner books in 2004 in as From the Borderlands, but the Table of Contents is identical to Borderlands 5. Contributors to the series included Stephen King, Ed Gorman, John Farris, Whitley Strieber, David J. Schow, Poppy Z. Bright, Harlan Ellison, Kathe Koja, Charles Grant, Joe R. Lansdale, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Ramsey Campbell, Dennis Etchison, and Peter Straub. The quality of these horror stories is high as you would expect from the reputations of the contributors. This is a little-known series that produced some scary horror fiction that would get you in the Halloween mood.
In our ceaseless quest to stimulate the U.S. economy, Diane and I called on the wizards of Brady Flooring to install a new hardwood floor in our dining room. The dining room had been carpeted, but Diane decided that a hardwood floor would be more dramatic. After two days of hammers pounding and power saws keening, the Jacks Creek Gunstock flooring transformed our dining room. We love the rich color and the warm ambiance. If you’re thinking about a hardwood floor, I’d recommend you take a look at 
Jean Carper’s insightful book gives you an action plan to help prevent Alzheimer’s. Carper is a medical reporter who’s researched the latest approaches to dealing with Alzheimer’s and dementia. Simple actions like drinking more 100% fruit juices (Carper recommends Concord grape juice) to increase blood flow to the brain and going on the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet can help postpone or prevent Alzheimer’s for some of us. Carper lists the danger signals of Alzheimer’s and where to seek treatment that will actually help. I found plenty in 100 Simple Things You Can Do to Prevent Alzheimer’s to explore. If you want to maintain your cognitive abilities during aging, you’ll want to read this book. GRADE: A
Although this book isn’t forgotten–it’s just been published–many of the stories inside these covers have been forgotten. Loren Estleman should be part of any conversation that includes Hammett, Chandler, and Ross Macdonald. Estleman’s long and varied career produced excellent mysteries, westerns, and short stories. Now, we have all the Amos Walker stories in one fine volume. The Amos Walker series brings Detroit and its environs to life. If you haven’t read this series, you’re missing some the finest private eye novels ever written. These 33 short stories capture the excellent writing and sharp characterization of Estleman’s novels. After reading the stories (published from 1982 to 2010) in Amos Walker: The Complete Story Collection you’ll see why Estleman’s work compares with the genre’s greatest.
I’m a sucker for a book like Bound to Last. Thirty writers pick their most cherished book. Ray Bradbury admits in his Introduction that reading Poe’s Tales of Mystery & Imagination turned him into a writer. For Francine Prose, it was Anderson’s Fairy Tales. For Karen Joy Fowler, it was The Once and Future King. Sigrid Nunez picks Mythology as the book she most cherishes. Reading the essays these writers wrote about the books they love make me want to drop everything and read the books they recommend. I bet you’ll feel the same way, too. GRADE: A