Showing posts with label Stephen Graham Jones. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Stephen Graham Jones. Show all posts

Monday 8 November 2021

My Year in Books 2021: October

I'm a bit late posting this one, and there are only two books on it. I had a bit of a busy October, and November's shaping up to be even more so, so I'm afraid I haven't had a lot of time for reading.

In case you're interested, here are my reviews for the rest of the year: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September

And here are the two books I read in October...

The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix (2021)


As it was my big Halloween month in October, I thought it’d be appropriate to read some books from my ever-towering Abominable Books pile (which I’m still behind with – of course). Maybe it’s because I read and watch horror all year round, but not ever horror book feels Halloweeny to me, so I wanted to choose the right ones. The first one I picked was The Final Girl Support Group, because slasher films definitely feel Halloweeny to me! And Hendrix’s novel is a real love letter to the slasher subgenre. The book’s premise is that a group of women who have all survived horrific and media-grabbing massacres have formed a support group to deal with their trauma. The women and their respective battles – with possibly one exception – are modelled on characters from classic slasher films, and indeed within the world of the novel they have each seen their stories fictionalized into film franchises. Part of the fun of the early part of the book is working out which real-life franchise has inspired each of Hendrix’s characters, and how that has affected the women they’ve become in later life. But there’s a whole other story here as well… the book opens with the news that a member of the support group has been murdered in yet another massacre. When other members of the group start to be targeted, Lynette (the novel’s central character) believes that someone is trying to wipe out the final girls. It’s a great book – definitely recommend it.

My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones (2021)


I decided to carry on with the slasher theme. I got Jones’s My Heart is a Chainsaw in my October Abominable Books box, and it seemed like a good pairing with The Final Girl Support Group. But although they share a real affection for slasher films, these are two very different books. Jones’s novel focuses on Jade Daniels, a young woman obsessed with slasher films. Jade is half-Native American and lives with her dad after her mum walked out on them. She’s an outcast – considered a bit weird by most – and she works as a janitor at the high school from where she (only just) graduates. She spends a lot of time watching horror films, and a lot writing ‘extra credit’ essays about slashers for her history teacher. When a body is found in the lake, Jade convinces herself that a slasher is stalking their small town, and that her horror viewing has prepared her for this eventuality. She knows what’s about to transpire, and she knows she needs to find the final girl to defeat the monster. This appears in the form of Letha Mondragon, a beautiful and wealthy new arrival at the school. I should say, My Heart is a Chainsaw is much more than a slasher or a treatise on the slasher. Jade is fascinating and compelling character. Although the book’s in third person, we follow things from Jade’s unreliable (or maybe frustrating) perspective, and I loved this. Come for the slashers, but stay for Jade Daniels!

Wednesday 13 October 2021

31 Days of Halloween: Day 12


Another Halloween-tastic day for me!

My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones



This week's tram reading is My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones. After I finished Grady Hendrix's The Final Girl Support Group (which I really enjoyed), this seemed like a good place to go next. I've only had a short commute today, so not a lot to report about this one so far!

Halloween Earrings



I've got a new pair of earrings! (Not a lot to report other than the fact that I wore them for the first time today.)

Today's Story



Today's story was 'Arabesque: The Mouse' by A.E. Coppard. And what a weird little melancholy story it was too. I rather enjoyed it.

Today's Tea





Today's tea was Silver Moonlight from Mindful Roots Tea, and I believe this is the first white tea of the month. If some of the other teas have had a Gothic/fairy tale vibe, this one is undoubtedly more folk horror...Don't be fooled by its lightness, this one has a lovely and distinct flavour. I'm not always a fan of white tea, but this one could definitely win me over.

Sunday 10 October 2021

31 Days of Halloween: Day 9


My month of Halloween continues! I've done a few seasonally spooky things today, so it's a little bit of a longer post this time.

Haunted Whisky Tasting






Tonight I did a haunted distilleries whisky tasting with my husband and my brother. I found five ghost stories about distilleries, and chose a whisky from each of those distilleries (from Master of Malt) that Rob and James tasted blind (I also tried the whiskies, though I had the background info of course). All they had to do was match up the whiskies with the ghosts. Unfortunately, they didn't do too well at identifying either the distilleries or the ghosts, but we still really enjoyed drinking five excellent drams! Oh, and we also had some Halloween crackers to set the mood for the night!

Abominable Books





Cheating a bit with this one, as I do it every month... I have a subscription to the Abominable Book Club, a monthly horror book subscription box. October's box arrived today, so I got to do my regular unboxing (and I like to take my time over this). And woohoo! lots of goodies this month! I've got My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones and Six Rooms by Gemma Amor, plus some chocolate ginger biscuits and a Pinhead pin! And my mystery book this month was... The Uninvited! It's apparently the novelization of ITV's chilling new (1997) series starring Douglas Hodge & Leslie Grantham, from the producers of Hamish Macbeth!

Snail



Not the most Halloween-y thing, but I think it still counts. I spotted this snail on a litter-pick in Boggart Hole Clough this morning. I don't know if I'm including it for the snail or the fact that Boggart Hole Clough is an inherently Halloween-themed place!

Today's Story



Today's story was 'The Bird' by Thomas Burke. Did not expect the direction this dark little tale took at all.

Today's Tea





Today's tea was Enchanted Narnia from Bird and Blend Tea Co., which promised to be a Turkish Delight-inspired brew. It's certainly packed with rosebuds! But I've got to admit, the cocoa and lemongrass came through much stronger than the rose flavour. It was very light as well. I might brew the next cup a bit stronger to see if it's rosier!