Sunday, October 29, 2017

The Ghost Writer, by John Harwood

Title: The Ghost Writer
Author: John Harwood
Borrowed from Hoopla Digital via Worcester County Public Library
Started: 10/20/2017
Finished: 10/30/2017

So-so gothic/horror novel. 

Sunday, October 22, 2017

The House Next Door, by Anne Rivers Siddons

Title: The House Next Door
Author: Anne Rivers Siddons
Purchased from Amazon print edition
Started:10/16/2017
Finished:10/22/2017

Loved this when I read it earlier this year. Cheated a bit and choose it for my book club. Second reading was good, I noticed much more foreshadowing. Still love this book. 

Friday, October 20, 2017

A Stir of Echos, by Richard Matheson

Title: A Stir of Echos
Author: Richard Matheson
Borrowed from HooplaDigital via Worcester MD Public Library Audiobook
Started: 10/16/2017
Finished: 10/19/2017

Only so-so, I usually like Richard Matheson, and often enjoy ghost stories, but this one felt off. 

Monday, October 16, 2017

Area X: The Southern Reach Trilogy: Annihilation; Authority; Acceptance, by Jeff VanderMeer


Three books in one big set, more than 20 hours of audio.  As is often the case, the first book was pretty good, the next two only so-so.  

The Likeness, by Tana French

  • Title:  The Likeness
  • Author: Tana French
  • Borrowed From: Fairfax County Public Library (Kindle Edition)
  • Started:
  • Finished: 10/15/2017
Book 2 following on In The Woods.  I loved In the Woods, not so much The Likeness.  It was ok, but not great.

Tuesday, October 3, 2017

Strangers on a Train, by Patricia Highsmith

  • Title: Strangers on a Train
  • Author: Patricia Highsmith
  • Borrowed from Fairfax County Public Library (Audiobook)
  • Started: 10/1/2017
  • Finished: 10/3/2017
I enjoyed Highsmith's Ripley series, and I've of course seen the movie version of Strangers on a Train.  So I was expecting to love this one, but I didn't.  I liked it well enough, but thought many of the actions & reactions by Guy really seemed very unrealistic.  I couldn't understand the do-nothing-and-hope-it-goes-away attitude.  Highsmith tries to explain it away near the end, but that didn't work for me.

I will say the twist at the very end was great.  I did not see that coming.  Almost made me change my mind on the book, but I'm going to stand firm.  Decent, but not amazing.