All posts by Carl V. Anderson

book news

A delightful fright

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It has been a long time since I have read any book that would be shelved in the romance section, 15 years or more. Initially, as the first chapter sets the scene and introduces the characters, I struggled a bit with the romance underpinnings of the story. By the time the chapter ended…with a very nice twist…I was immersed in the world and in Colleen’s language. Chapter Three was the point of no return. By that time I was lost in the story and understood well why my wife tore through this book so quickly. By the end I could practically feel my own blood coursing through my veins, my heart beating with the anxiety of the final pages. And let me add that guys should not shy away from this book because it is classified as a ‘romance’. There is a reason that this book is being and will continue to be compared to Buffy the Vampire Slayer. If you enjoyed that series, or at the very least the idea behind it, you will enjoy The Rest Falls Away.

Those are the words I wrote on January 2nd, 2007, after staying up well past the witching hour to finish Colleen Gleason’s debut novel, The Rest Falls Away, the first in what would prove to be her internationally best-selling Gardella Vampire Chronicles. I had been introduced to Colleen Gleason through this blog and agreed to give her novel a try despite it being a “romance”…a genre that I rarely turned to in order to meet my reading desires.

I was quickly hooked and enjoyed each of the five novels in this series. While I enjoyed the paranormal elements and didn’t find the romance to be too blush-inducing, it was the characters that grabbed hold of me and would not let go.

Just in time for Halloween, The Gardella Vampire Chronicles are set to be re-released, with all new covers, and you can get The Rest Falls Away in ebook format for $.99 until Thursday, October 23rd!

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Home

Is this thing still on?

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Here we are, just past mid-October and, as you may have noticed, I’ve been conspicuously absent from my site during one of my favorite times of the year…Autumn, and with it R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril. Although I’ve been absent in the flesh, I want you to know that I’ve not been absent in spirit.

I love this time of year. Nearly every morning, when the skies are clear of clouds, I get up and walk out my back door onto the deck to look up. Centered perfectly in my field of vision, where the trees part to reveal the sky, there sits an enormous constellation–Orion. My favorite. I feel so nostalgic during these times as I think back to elementary school and the inflatable planetarium our 6th grade teacher brought to our small country school. It filled up the entire library room and it captivated my attention.

Moving on from the star-filled Autumn skies, you might be wondering, what have I been doing if I haven’t been spending time with you good people.

Continue reading Is this thing still on? →

Book Reviews, Mystery

The Long Way Home ~Louise Penny

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The Long Way Home is the tenth novel in author Louise Penny’s Chief Inspector Gamache series. Though each novel has had its own self-contained mystery, there is an intricate ongoing story that has carried through the series, major elements of which were tied up in the previous novel.

I mention this because it is my policy to be as spoiler-free in my reviews as I possibly can be while trying to give you some sense of my experience with the story. Given that this an ongoing series, it makes it nearly impossible to avoid sharing details that may reveal plot elements from earlier novels. Simply reading the advertising copy for The Long Way Home reveals the course that some of Penny’s characters have taken.

So, you’ve been warned, though I have no intention of discussing major plot points in my review.

I first met Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, his darling wife Reine-Marie, his investigative team and the odd characters who inhabit the quaint Canadian village of Three Pines a couple of years ago. At that time I devoured the first 6 novels one after the other, soon after read seven and eight, and have pounced on the last two volumes during release week.

It is safe to say I am a fan of her work. For those of you who do not want to continue after the jump, I’ll forgo further suspense by revealing that I enjoyed The Long Way Home very much. Although I felt that a few vital elements of the story were rushed in at the end, my overall experience was one of revisiting old friends that I’ve not seen since last August and reveling in our time together. Thank you, Louise Penny.

Continue reading The Long Way Home ~Louise Penny →

book news

R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril IX

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(Art used for banners is the property of the wonderful Abigail Larson)

“Does something amuse you?’ asked Uncle Montague.
‘I was merely reminding myself, Uncle, that I am getting too old to be so easily frightened by stories.’
‘Really?’ said Uncle Montague with a worrying degree of doubt in his voice. ‘You think there is an age at which you might become immune to fear?”
― Chris Priestley, Uncle Montague’s Tales of Terror

Stories can make us look back over our shoulders and question every creak and groan on a dark, quiet night. Stories can cause our hearts to race with ever-increasing tension as we forgo sleep to rush towards a surprising conclusion. Stories can make us suspicious of every character as we challenge the protagonist to be the first to solve the crime. Stories can make us sleep with the lights on, make us pull the covers just a little bit tighter, and can make every shadow seem menacing.

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Art/Photography, book news

July/August 2014 Cover Story

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Cover Story is a feature I host here at the beginning of each month which showcases genre cover art for works scheduled for publication within the current month*.

I do judge books by their covers, at least on the first pass.

It was the art on science fiction book covers that drew me in as a young reader, and I believe it is important to promote the artists and designers, and the book companies that employ them, for the efforts made to keep alive the grand tradition of eye-catching genre cover art.

(Monthly Disclaimer: I am not an art critic and have no formal artistic training. “Eye-catching” means exactly what it says, these images caught my eye and drew my attention to the works they grace, compelling me to search out more information about the book. Opinions contrary to mine, and suggestions for works that I missed that caught your eye, are always welcome.)

Due to an unplanned break in blogging for most of July, you are getting a double-feature here today! Two great months for the price of one.

The featured image is by artist Wayne Haag. His work graces the cover of the current issue of Interzone. You can read more about it in the post below.

*due to changes that can happen in publication dates, covers featured may have already seen publication prior to the current month or could possibly be delayed.

With those formalities out of the way, let’s get to the cover art, shall we?

Continue reading July/August 2014 Cover Story →