End of January of 2023

So was it a good month? Let us see...

I had the idea of reading...

Horus Rising (416); Thanquol's Doom (408); Shadow Games (351); 

Resurrection Dreams (352); Beasts in Velvet (286); 

Grim Investigations - Dark Revelation + Investigator Origins (200); 

Continuing from December ; Fellowship of the Rings (275 pages)
Continuing from December ; Fire Warrior (300 pages)

....this is what I've read...

Already Finish

1. Crossed: Wish You Were Here, Volume 2     (Graphic Novel)          160pp
2. Camp Blaze: Author's Enhanced Edition                                        262pp
3. Shiver: Selected Stories                                                               400pp
4. Dark Revelations                                                                          112pp
5. Grim Investigations: Arkham Horror: The Collected Novellas, Vol. 2    50pp
6. Nancy in Hell (Graphic Novel)                                                        104pp
7. Raising Atlantis                                                                              337pp
8. Horus Rising                                                                                 412pp
9. Resurrection Dreams                                                                     352pp
10. The Drifting Classroom, Vol. 2                                                         760pp

                                                                                                        2949pp

Ongoing

1. Fire Warrior                               217/416pp
2. The Fellowship of the Rings         248/407pp

Didn't Start or Ended...

1. Thanquol's Doom       416pp
2. Beasts in Velvet          286pp
3. Shadow Games           338pp

NeverEnding Reading Story

• The Great Hunt 143/705pp

Books Bought This Month 

1. In the coils of the Labyrinth - David Annandale
2. Death's Beating Heart - Rob J Hayes
3. The Sunken City - Tim Curran
4. Blooding Night - Tim Curran
5. Scattershot - Jon Athan
6. Cannibal Jungle - Jon Athan
7. Dark Water - Koji Suzuki
8. A Boy Possessed - Jon Athan
9. Do Not Disturb
10. Do Not Disturb 2- The Platinium Palace    
11. Clownflesh - Tim Curran
12. Her Suffering - Jon Athan
13. Maneater - Jon Athan
14. The Good, The Bad and the Sadistic - Jon Athan
15. A Fistful of Guts - Jon Athan
16. The Witcher - Sword of Destiny  - Andrzej Sapkowski
17. Assassinorum Kingmaker - Robert Rath (40K)
18. Wrath of the Lost (Flesh Tearers) - Chris Forrester (40K)
19. The End of Enlightment - Richard Strachan (Sigmar)
20. Grim Riders - Tim Curran
21. The Witcher - Season of the Storms  - Andrzej Sapkowski
22. The Witcher - The Lady of the Lake  - Andrzej Sapkowski
23. The Witcher - The Tower of the Swallow  - Andrzej Sapkowski
24. The Witcher - Baptism of Fire  - Andrzej Sapkowski
25. The Witcher - Time of Contempt  - Andrzej Sapkowski
26. The Witcher - Blood of the Elves  - Andrzej Sapkowski 
27. The Road to Infinity - Gael Deroane (DMR Book)
28. Bookshop and the Barbarian - Morgan Stang

So overall it was a crappy month on my TBR. I blame Terraria :)

Oh well onto the next month

    

Book Review - Resurrection Dreams - Richard Laymon

Well as I finish the last a hundred pages in one sitting waiting for my medical appointment I felt cheated.. let me explain why... basically this novel we follow Vicki as she is going back to her small town to me a doctor. She has a friend, Alice, which she has been friends since highschool. In this tale we also follow Melvin. He is a crazy guy with a fetishes to resurrect people.. he tried doing on a science fair and was sent to the loony bin. A decade later or less he is out and taking care of a gas station but secretly killing people to follow his dreams. Can't fault a person for following dreams, right? 

So he is smitten, obsessed with Vickie because she defended him one time against a bully. So his ultimate goal? Resurrect someone and if he can do it, then Vickie. 

Vickie meanwhile is starting anew, she has some demons on her , we are never really focus on them , we don't know for concrete and hey at least it's not a perfect character (lol). 

Every time he meets a guy he is pig. Her former tenant , a police chief (former) is also a pig and being a piggy he harassed her. On that day he finds death at the hands of Melvin... no? Patrícia, the nurse? Okay... ah Patrícia the nurse his the first success on the resurrection dream and it works. It's alive!! And perfect, not rotten at all, still fucking and now totally obedient to Melvin (muqhaha) and she is a perfect body.. but Melvin wants more..he wants Vickie. So he do stuff for her... Her not knowing.

Until she meets jack, another perfect character. A lawyer who she ends up to the fiddle... (I mean fvck). Melvin is upset and plots to have her brought to her. Oh ace was stabbed by Melvin several times but she is fine, don't worry.

After capturing he tries to kill her and resurrect her. But Patrícia don't want to share so she kills Melvin with help of 2 police officer, they had kill ( and she brought them back) . Instead of biting to have more zombies you use magic.. way easier.. biting btw don't work.

Why didn't Patricia killed Vickie? Well because...shut up.

She is then seen on her own, doing some stretches and meet her former lover Paul who, was travelling around the world but knew about this, well because... and then fall in love again and they live ever yafter together...

So what happened to Patricia and the rest of the gang? Well they continuing eating people. The end.

First of all if you've read more than one of Laymon books you know he falls into the same stuff everytime. Female main character, HOT & perfect. IF this was a D&D she would always be a lawful good paladin kind of person. The bad guys are always bad and always go the either way around - chaotic (maybe neutral) evil and usually a bit crazy. There is always sex scenes - awkward some. In this he was kind moderate. There was no rape, well maybe who knows... if someone dies and now must do the bidding (partly) of the guy who brought her back and have sex and she enjoys it (her words) is it rape? And then in all books there are plot armor, deus ex-machina stuff and our main character, although may suffer, never dies and in the it's okay.

So I will rate this 6/10

This was my 14 book by Laymon Read. Let see my favorite...

The woods are Dark 9.5

Dreadfuil Tales 9

The Cellar 8

One Rainy Night 8 

Out are the Light 7.5

Flesh 7

The Beast House 6.5

Resurrection Dreams 6

NightShow 6

In the Dark 6

Beware 6

All Hallows Eve 4

Midnight's Lair 4

Endless Night 3

4/52 Friday Update - Books Read; Currently Reading & TBR (and bought)

Another week gone by and I've read well not enough. I received 6 witcher novels to complete my series but unfortunately they are different layout and they are not illustrated which disappointed me. 

Horus Rising the only book I finish is amazing. It's the start of the series I wanted full of information, some battles but not much. More - lets learn who is what and friend with and so on. I already have some favorite characters.. OF course I know who is going to fall or not (well the big players like Abaddon, Lucius (non primarch). Let see the remaining bunch.

After reading I hope they would go back to the time before the crusade and tell us about the war that made the Emperor, well Emperor. I like Horus but we can already see somekind of thoughts that go against or at least think different from the Emperor. He at least had the capacity of understanding other culture, races and not kill kill kill... Let's read more.

Already Finish

1. Crossed: Wish You Were Here, Volume 2     (Graphic Novel)                160pp
2. Camp Blaze: Author's Enhanced Edition                                             262pp
3. Shiver: Selected Stories                                                                   400pp
4. Dark Revelations                                                                              112pp
5. Grim Investigations: Arkham Horror: The Collected Novellas, Vol. 2     50pp
6. Nancy in Hell (Graphic Novel)                                                           104pp
7. Raising Atlantis                                                                                337pp
8. Horus Rising                                                                                    412pp

Ongoing

1. Fire Warrior                               217/416pp
2. The Fellowship of the Rings         248/407pp
3. The Drifting Classroom, Vol. 2     620/760pp
4. Resurrection Dreams                    56/352pp

To Start

1. Thanquol's Doom       416pp
2. Beasts in Velvet          286pp
3. Shadow Games           338pp

NeverEnding Reading Story

• The Great Hunt 143/705pp

Books Bought This week (continuation)

    17. Assassinorum Kingmaker - Robert Rath (40K)

    18. Wrath of the Lost (Flesh Tearers) - Chris Forrester (40K)

    19. The End of Enlightment - Richard Strachan (Sigmar)

    20. Grim Riders - Tim Curran

    21.  Bookshop and the Barbarian - Morgan Stang

    22. The Road to Infinity - Gael Deroane (DMR Book)

    23. The Witcher - Blood of the Elves  - Andrzej Sapkowski 

    24. The Witcher - Time of Contempt  - Andrzej Sapkowski

    25. The Witcher - Baptism of Fire  - Andrzej Sapkowski

    26. The Witcher - The Tower of the Swallow  - Andrzej Sapkowski

    27. The Witcher - The Lady of the Lake  - Andrzej Sapkowski

    28. The Witcher - Season of the Storms  - Andrzej Sapkowski

3/52 Friday Update - Books Read; Currently Reading & TBR (and bought)

News Flash - Terraria is my new obsession... I play play play and read almost nothing. the Horror!

 Already Finish

1. Crossed: Wish You Were Here, Volume 2     (Graphic Novel)                160pp
2. Camp Blaze: Author's Enhanced Edition                                             262pp
3. Shiver: Selected Stories                                                                   400pp
4. Dark Revelations                                                                              112pp
5. Grim Investigations: Arkham Horror: The Collected Novellas, Vol. 2     50pp
6. Nancy in Hell (Graphic Novel)                                                           104pp
7. Raising Atlantis                                                                                337pp

Ongoing

1. Horus Rising                              200/412pp
2. Fire Warrior                               162/416pp
3. The Fellowship of the Rings         238/407pp
4. The Drifting Classroom, Vol. 2     620/760pp

To Start

1. Thanquol's Doom       416pp
2. Beasts in Velvet          286pp
3. Resurrection Dreams  352pp 
4. Shadow Games           338pp

NeverEnding Reading Story

• The Great Hunt 143/705pp

Books Bought This month

    11. Clownflesh - Tim Curran

    12. Her Suffering - Jon Athan

    13. Maneater - Jon Athan

    14. The Good, The Bad and the Sadistic - Jon Athan

    15. A Fistful of Guts - Jon Athan

    16. The Witcher - Sword of Destiny  - Andrzej Sapkowski

Book Review: Raising Atlantis (Conrad Yeats Adventure #1) by Thomas Greanias

 I've just finish this book and I have as almost all thrillers mix feelings.

I love history thrillers. They can me amazing... why did people construct Stonehenge and how, why there are pyramids in Egypt, Mexico, Servia (I believe it was discovered) or

cambodja when they even communicate. Why some maps have a massive white continent hundreds of years before someone "discovered" and so on... These are amazing questions that leave open for interesting thrillers...

This one puts Atlántida in the Antarctica and tries to correlates with myths from south America or Egypt and explain some stuff I will not talk here.. And it's amazing and believable - well part of it the all alien stuff was the one that didn't really stick with me - heck what do I know

So enter Conrad Yeats a archaeologist that is probably the best one in the world and a womanizer. Enter Serena Serghetti the young woman of 27 that can/is ;

1) a nun
2) famous worldwide due to her activist for the environment and other stuff- imagine that brat greta times 100 but cool.
3) un councillor and also director of Australia Antarctic preservation society
4) a helicopter pilot
5) doctor

My god... she reminds me of that meme with the porn actor who is a medic, fireman, handyman, accountant, astronaut etc...

And then the father of Conrad who is what you expect from a US Military man. Driven, obnoxious , only see the end results not caring for anyone and so on...

So what is this about...

Basically, an earthquake happens in Antarctica and our two protagonists go there (for different reasons) to understand what is happening. Alas, it's Atlantida (not really a spoiler since it's in the back cover). Enter archaeologic history lesson which was fine and thriller stuff happen.. But my main problem are spoiler territory...

Spoiler BEGIN

- everything happens because it happens at the correct time people are just there - it's almost like fate

- the all alien stuff and main character being a alien but never really found out except today! it seems we are all alien.

- the Arabs being there before anyone else and for their own selfish reasons of oil

- let me torture you girlie with the same methods you Christians tortured us for hundreds of years (arabs) WHAT? Inquisition main victims were other Christians & Jews not Arabs as if Arabs didn't knew how to torture someone. Yeah right

- the all, catholic priests rape children and yet you believe in god stuff... I am not a Christian but that's not how stuff work. are 100% of all priests rapists? Is it a small percentage? Yeah some football fans from my club raped people therefore I shouldn't be of my club. Does my club incentives that or Christianity?

- The all action scenes that are just boring & repetitive including the one Conrad is tied to a post and with his teeth he grabbed his glasses, with his glasses when to his pocket and put the zippo in the lenses, put that in the collar and down into his hand. Fucking MacGyver meets Mission Impossible.

- The all plot itself around the pyramid become the crust displacement but then a spectre stops it.. oh well at least the Maldives are gone - and this is what upsets me. Not the Maldives stuff (okay that would be bad of course) but the status quo. The problem with thrillers is it happens a lot of stuff but in the end we have to maintain the status quo ante bellum so you can justify the second/third novel. And this happens with all thrillers I know - people will never knew this happen, something happens and not even the government involved know and everyone is happy. This upsets me a lot.

- the alien spacecraft

SPOILERS ENDING

Overall, it was fast fun ride but unfortunately I found it flat due to the characters and the plot itself. The only redeeming quality is the archaeologic stuff that makes me wonder about the volatile of history itself.

2/52 Friday Update - Books Read; Currently Reading & TBR (and bought)

This was a slow week reading stuff. I've been playing Terraria and to be honest I've been more tired than usual. 

I took a brake on Horus Rising & Fire Warrior and started reading another novel called Raising Atlantis the first novel on a trilogy by Thomas Greanias.  I am currently on the last 50 pages. Then I am going to restart Horus Rising and read more 100 pages. Then start another novel.

I want my Horus Rising take the entire month because I Am going to start book 2 next month.

Books Bought This Week

Already Finish

1. Crossed: Wish You Were Here, Volume 2     (Graphic Novel)                160pp
2. Camp Blaze: Author's Enhanced Edition                                             262pp
3. Shiver: Selected Stories                                                                   400pp
4. Dark Revelations                                                                              112pp
5. Grim Investigations: Arkham Horror: The Collected Novellas, Vol. 2     50pp
6. Nancy in Hell (Graphic Novel)                                                           104pp
7. Raising Atlantis                                                                                337pp

Ongoing

1. Horus Rising                              108/412pp
2. Fire Warrior                               162/416pp
3. The Fellowship of the Rings         194/407pp
4. The Drifting Classroom, Vol. 2     491/760pp

To Start

1. Thanquol's Doom       416pp
2. Beasts in Velvet          286pp
3. Ressurection Dreams  352pp 
4. Shadow Games           338pp

NeverEnding Reading

• The Great Hunt 143/705pp

Books Bought This month

1. In the coils of the Labyrinth - David Annandale
2. Death's Beating Heart - Rob J Hayes
3. The Sunken City - Tim Curran
4. Blooding Night - Tim Curran
5. Scattershot - Jon Athan
6. Cannibal Jungle - Jon Athan
7. Dark Water - Koji Suzuki
8. A Boy Possessed - Jon Athan
9. Do Not Disturb
10. Do Not Disturb 2- The Platinium Palace

1/52 Friday Update - Books Read; Currently Reading & TBR (and bought)

 So this week I read  5 books.

I finish Harry potter on the 31 of December but does not count to January.

So I've read in terms of graphic novels the Crossed: Wish you were Here Volume 2.

I also finish Dark Revelations (a novella within Grim Investigations Anthology); I also finish the Grim Investigations Anthology (Basically they had 3 novellas + short stories); I finish Shiver by Junji Ito & finally Camp Blaze; Author's Enhanced Edition by Jon Athan.

All of these novels will have or already have dedicated reviews here or on goodreads.

I am currently reading Horus Rising; I'm on page 108 so 1/4 done. Also 1/4 is Fire Warrior since I am on page 106 of 416. I am slowly reading The Fellowship of the Rings on page 137. I am currently reading a manga which is the Drifting Classroom by Kazuo Umezz. Currently 65%. It's pretty big with 760 pages. There is a third volume that compelte this series...

First one says "READ"; the second "CURRENTLY READING" and the third - "PLAN TO BE READ"

 

So what did I get this week. Well I got A boy Possessed; Do Not Disturb & Do Not Disturb 2 all by Jon Athan. Currently waiting for The Witcher Book 2 (Illustrated Edition); Cannibal Jungle & Scattershot by Jon Athan, Dark Water by Koji Suzuki & Blooding Night & Sunken City by Tim Curran. All of these will arrive next week.

There are also two novels delayed - Death's Beating Heart by Rob J Hayes which is the last novel on the five book series & Brian Lee Durfee - The Lonesome Crown.

Book Review: Camp Blaze by Jon Athan

 Second novel of Jon athan and I am truly enjoying his works. In the first one he throws a curve ball and get us to change our perspective on the characters. Here is a bit different but also throws us a soft curve ball and destroys a bit of the monster in a camp situation.

We've are introduced a lot of characters, well I made a list and there 27 different named characters. Some are just named while others have different characterists and personalities.

As most slashers begin with a killing - this is not different. Then we get to be introduced our main villain tragic story and why stuff happen like that.

Here the main character is also a woman like Ashley (our main antagonist is ASH... hmmm) and is called Regina Park. She starts as a frightening kitty but as the deaths and disappearing start mounting and children become in danger our main character change into a badass girl.

I enjoyed the action scenes, the killing scenes and the overall atmosphere. I also enjoyed the way this killings started and why they did. very different as I said from the slashers movies - well not that different from the first friday 13th. I will not say much more.

I will say that it has room from a sequel and the author always write a couple of paragraphs telling the history of the tale he is telling.. in this he explains the reason behind expanding and updating the novel & room for the expansion which will be in 2029 if we are going the original date of 2016 after all it's every 13 years ;)

Book Review: Shiver by Junji Ito.

 So this another anthology by our man Junji Ito. I don't know why I didn't enjoy them as much as previous novels.. One interesting thing, don't know if you've heard or watch but there was an anime with Junji Stories. Several of these stories were within that anime stuff...

Per example Greased which is a disgusting little tale about people who drink oil.. it's very disturbing... Shiver & FAshion Model were other two stories that the anime adapdation don't make them justice and they are just bad compare with this... Marionette Mansion is another tale that there the anime didn't do justice...

Are these a good compilation? For a newcomer yes is. For a hardcore fun of Junji Ito is not the best. I would rate this 7/10

Favorite tale; Used Record & Hanging Blimp