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A Letter From Author Deborah Lawrenson

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Over the past three weeks I have had the distinct pleasure of discussing an engaging new contemporary gothic novel with a group of astute and passionate readers. That novel is The Lantern by Deborah Lawrenson and it has generated a wide variety of opinions not just about the overall book but about various elements within the story. The fun thing about putting your thoughts out there on the World Wide Web is that you never know who is watching. In this case, it was the author herself.

Deborah Lawrenson sent a very nice, insightful email to me the other day and in the ensuing discussion I asked if I could share that email with all of you. With a great deal of courtesy Ms. Lawrenson wished to see if she could have the opportunity to share thoughts that were inspired by all of our commentary regarding her novel. And since I really enjoyed what she had to say in the email there was no way I wanted to just keep it to myself.

So I would like to invite those of you who participated in the group read of The Lantern, those who did not but have already read the book, and then of course all of the rest of you, to take part in some further discussion of the novel with the author herself.

I have asked Deborah Lawrenson to feel free to respond to comments, questions, etc. I hope you’ll join in.

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Lets Blog Off, Personal Essay

Home…Is Where the Books Are

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(Bookworm, by Carl Spitzweg)

The topic for today’s Let’s Blog Off is “What is Home“. My first inclination when seeing that four letter word is to examine my relationship with God and family and ideas like: “home is where the heart is” and “home is where you make it”. Without any intent to belittle thoughts of that nature, my mind went elsewhere when this topic was posted.

It went to the places where I often make my home during the cool autumn days and the long winter nights, during the first signs of the return of spring and during the sweltering heat of summer. I am talking about books. But not just books themselves, but a home filled with books, for I have to agree with the Roman scholar Cicero:

“A home without books is a body without soul.”

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Book Reviews, Gothic/Horror, Mystery

The Lantern Group Read, the Conclusion

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Can you believe that October is nearly over? And with it comes the ending of another wonderful R.I.P. Challenge. But I will not lament that end just yet, as we still have a bit of time left to experience a peril or two. Today does mark the end of our group discussion for Deborah Lawrenson’s debut book, The Lantern. It has been a great pleasure reading and discussing this book over the past few weeks.

I have really enjoyed this contemporary homage to Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca and will certainly be keeping an eye open for more of Lawreson’s work in the future. This last section of the book was full of excitement and revelations and this is likely to be the most spoiler filled discussion post yet.

Let’s get down to it.

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Book Reviews, Fantasy, Gothic/Horror, Mystery, Short Stories

Fragile Things Group Read, Week 7

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“I suppose I could claim that I had always suspected that the world was a cheap and shoddy sham, a bad cover for something deeper and weirder an infinitely more strange, and that, in some way, I already knew the truth.”

And here we are, the penultimate discussion post for the group read of Neil Gaiman’s short story collection, Fragile Things. After this we have just one poem, two short stories, and a novella left. Hard to believe we are almost done. Thankfully, we have some treats in store for us with what remains.

But before that, we have four stories from this past week’s reading to discuss. I find myself in great anticipation every Sunday to see how you dear readers come out on the week’s selections. So let’s get right down to it.

Look out for spoilers!

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Book Reviews, Fantasy

The Two Towers Group Read, Week Two

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(Image created by Ian Windling)

“Out of the shadows of legend I begin a little to understand the marvel of the trees, I think. I have lived to see strange days. Long we have tended our beasts and our fields, built our houses, wrought our tools, or ridden away to help in the wars of Minas Tirith. And that we called the life of Men, the way of the world. We cared little for what lay beyond the borders of our land. Songs we have that tell of these things, but we are forgetting them, teaching them only to children, as a careless custom. And now the songs have come down among us out of strange places, and walk visible under the Sun.” ~King Theoden

We have followed the victors through their battle at Helm’s Deep, have witnessed the fate of Isengard, have been given a glimpse of what happens when the Ents go to war, and have begun a new, arduous leg of a journey with two brave hobbits and their suspicious guide. We have come through the middle section of The Two Towers and await the rest of Frodo, Sam and Gollum’s journey up to Shelob’s lair.

But before then we have the joy of talking about all the adventure we’ve experienced with various members of the Fellowship this past week. I had the privilege of asking the questions to prompt this week’s discussions. I like to talk about The Lord of the Rings…A Lot!!! So the answers are verbose and filled with the kind of information you do not want to know if you happen to be unfamiliar with Tolkien’s tale and want to experience it for yourself one day. As for the rest of you, let’s talk Tolkien!

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Eclectic Musings of a Renaissance Geek