Stories to be Read with the Lights On 20: Guessing Game by Rose Million Healey

The next story in the book is 'Guessing Game' by Rose Million Healey. And after the last two I was curious to see whether I remember anything about this one. 'Guessing Game' continued my streak... it definitely seemed familiar from the start. It feels like I'm remembering the middle of this book more clearly than the beginning.

A couple of paragraphs in, and this one is totally came back to me. I even thought I remembered the ending! As I continued reading, the story came back clear as a bell. Now I'm wondering (as with some of the others) if I've read it in another anthology more recently. It was just so familiar!

And I was right about the ending. As soon as the creepy kid asked Martha to guess what was in his creepy kid box, I remembered the answer. I wonder why this one stuck so clearly in my head?

Next Story 🠆

🠄Previous Story

Stories to be Read with the Lights On 19: Agony Column by Barry Malzberg

Back to my Hitchcock reread this afternoon... the next story in the book is 'Agony Column' by Barry N. Malzberg. And even before I started reading, this story seemed familiar. It's very much about how people shouted into the void before social media existed. I feel like I definitely remember reading it the first time round.

I'm not sure where 'Agony Column' wants our sympathies to lie. There's a suggestion that we should relate to Martin Miller, who says he's just desperate to be "recognized as an individual" and whose frustration escalates as this doesn't happen. But, on the other hand, Martin Miller is sending unsolicited and sometimes uninformed opinions to a variety of people in an attempt to "correspond" with them. There's an incredible arrogance to his assumption that, if he has an opinion, he must be entitled to an audience.

You could literally reformat this story as a series of tweets, rather than letters, and it would feel very current. Weird to think that the last time I read it, I'd only just got my first email address!

Next Story 🠆

🠄Previous Story

My Year in Books 2022: January

I'm a bit late posting this... not a great start to my year of posts! Sorry about that!

Once again, I'm going to be writing monthly blog posts with short reviews of all the books I've read for fun, rather than for research or review (not that those books aren't often fun, of course). Hopefully, the rest of the year's posts will be published on time! But for now, here are the three books I read this January:

The Haunting Season (2021)

The first book I read this year was sort of a reread, but not quite. I skim-read The Haunting Season back in November, as part of the prep for my Hannah’s Bookshelf Christmas Special. (I know… I probably shouldn’t give away my secrets like that!) I knew that it was the sort of book I’d enjoy reading slowly, so I put it on my to-read pile for a proper read over Christmas. I ran out of time in December, but since we’re celebrating the seasons more thoroughly this year, it seemed like it might be the right book to pick up between Christmas and Imbolc. And I was right – this collection was perfect for the dark winter nights of the post-Christmas period. The anthology contains eight short stories, all set in winter, and all about haunting (though not necessarily ghosts). Although these are all new stories, they’re mostly set in the past. In some stories, this past setting is quite specific, but in others there’s just an eerie sense of an older, other time. All eight stories were beautifully written and very readable, and I’d struggle to say that I have a favourite. ‘A Study in Black and White’ by Bridget Collins had me hooked from the start, and ‘Thwaite’s Tenant’ by Imogen Hermes Gowar had a powerful sense of place and setting. I also liked the very visceral folk horror of Andrew Michael Hurley’s story ‘The Hanging of the Greens’. Perfect winter reading, and a strong recommendation from me!

The Hoarder by Jess Kidd (2018)

Something funny happened with this one… I knew I was planning to read Starve Acre later in the month, and I’d just read one of Hurley’s short stories in The Haunting Season, so I thought it’d be best to break the two books up with something completely different. I’d picked up The Hoarder, because I’d seen it on a list of must-read Gothic books and I liked the look of the blurb. It was only as I started to read it that I realized the author’s name seemed familiar. Ah… that would be because Jess Kidd also had a story (‘Lily Wilt’) in The Haunting Season! I guess this month has a bit of a theme after all! In some ways, The Hoarder is quite different to ‘Lily Wilt’, but in others there are some definite similarities between the two stories. The Hoarder is set in the present day, when careworker Maud Drennan is assigned to the home of Cathal Flood, the hoarder of the title. She discovers a towering pile of rubbish (and a towering old man guarding it), but also some hints of a decades-old mystery that she becomes determined to solve. I was hooked from the start by this one. The characters are quirky, but still very sympathetic, and the way the mystery unfolds is really engaging. I did guess one of the reveals, but I really liked the way the story plays with the ambiguity of memories and the stories we tell ourselves about our lives.

Starve Acre by Andrew Michael Hurley (2019)

Since I always read festive books for Christmas and Halloween, it wanted to choose a seasonal book for Imbolc this year. I struggled a bit to find a book set at the end of winter, as most ‘winter fiction’ tends to be set in the run-up to Christmas or around the solstice. Fortunately, Starve Acre is set at just the right time of year. I’ve also read a bit of Hurley’s fiction already, so I knew I’d be getting a folk horror-inflected take on the season. I also knew a little bit about the publishing history of Starve Acre, an earlier version of which was published as part of Dead Ink Book’s Eden Book Society project, but then withdrawn when the novel-length version of the book was contracted. I read four of the other Eden Book Society stories a couple of years ago, but I was a bit late to get the earlier version of Starve Acre. Time, then, to read the longer version. Starve Acre is the story of Richard and Juliette who have moved to his old family home, a place with an acre of land that was once home to a mighty oak tree but where nothing now grows. Richard and Juliette’s son Ewan died before the story begins, and the novel is an exploration of their grief, of landscape, and of the dark tendrils of history. Starve Acre is sad, but in an unsettlingly detached way and with moments of real horror. Perfect for the season.

Imbolc: Day 7

It's the final day of our Imbolc celebrations. I'm a bit sad that we'll be taking the lights down tomorrow, but we've had a lovely time inventing new traditions and enjoying some festive fun.

Imbolc Lunch

I don't know if this counts as a seasonal celebration, but I had a lovely afternoon out with my mum today (including some very nice cake).

Groundhog Day

There's only really one film to wrap up our seasonal celebrations... it's Groundhog Day! (And I've also been enjoying learning a bit about the history of Groundhog Day and its European precedents.)

And so the wheel of the year turns... We'll be celebrating again at the Vernal Equinox.

Imbolc: Day 6

Tonight is the big night... the festival of Imbolc begins and it's the feast day of St Brigid. So we decided to mark the occasion with a new tradition... a candlelit Imbolc Dinner with some seasonal dishes.

Imbolc Dinner

Candlelight doesn't make for great food pics, but we had sweet potato, butternut squash and nut roast with colcannon and roast parsnips.

Imbolc Gifts

And another new tradition for the year... after dinner, Rob and I exchanged Imbolc gifts. We've decided that we're going to get each other seasonally-themed whisky drams throughout the year, and then we'll try them all when we're on holiday in December.

Imbolc: Day 5

I had a bit of a busy work day today, so there wasn't really time for any seasonal celebrations. So sadly, today's post will be a bit short.

Imbolc Earrings

All I have to share today is another new pair of seasonal earrings. Today's were little silver sheep, since sheep are a symbol of Imbolc.

Imbolc: Day 4

Another day of celebrating the end of winter! We only had a little bit of time to celebrate today, so we headed out for a lovely walk and a little picnic.

Imbolc Earrings

Today's earrings were Brigid's crosses (but made of silver, rather than rushes). Really, they should be worn on 1st February (as this is St Brigid's feast day), but they seemed appropriate for today's little outing.

Hatch Brook Waterfall

Apparently it's traditional (or good luck) to visit a waterfall at Imbolc. So today we headed over to Brinscall (near Chorley) to visit Hatch Brook waterfall. It was little bit tricky getting up close to the waterfall, but it was totally worth it.

Imbolc: Day 3

Our third day of celebrating Imbolc season was full of woodland, candlelight and music. And festive earrings, of course.

Imbolc Earrings (1)

Brooms (and spring-cleaning) are symbols of Imbolc, and we were doing a litter-pick this morning, so it seemed like a good time to wear my new silver broom earrings.

Bailey's Wood Litter-Pick

It was the monthly Friends of Bailey's Wood litter-pick this morning. Although this is a regular event (so I can't say we did it specifically for Imbolc), I took the opportunity to look out for any signs of seasonal change. The woods were still looking pretty wintery, though, so I didn't see many hints that spring is on its way!

Vivaldi by Candlelight

What better way to celebrate the seasons than with Vivaldi's Four Seasons? We spent a lovely evening listening to The Piccadilly Sinfonietta play at Manchester Cathedral.

Imbolc Earrings (2)

As we were going to see Vivaldi by Candlelight, and as Imbolc (which coincides with Candlemas) is a festival of light, I thought it would be appropriate to wear my new sparkly candle earrings tonight.

Imbolc: Day 2

It's the second day of our week of Imbolc celebrations. Mostly, today was about work, so I don't have a lot to share on here. But, given that Imbolc is (among other things) a festival of light, today's celebrations were about lighting things up.

Winter Berry Gin Liqueur

We enjoyed a little seasonal tipple tonight... winter berry gin liqueur with gold flakes in light-up baubles with wintery designs (by Gravity Drinks). Yes, I think they were actually intended to be Christmas favours, but I think they work even better for Imbolc.

Imbolc Candle

And for another bit of light in the winter darkness, today we lit our Imbolc candle (made by Chalice Creations). It's scented with myrrh, camomile and basil, and we're hoping it'll last through till next week.

Stories to be Read with the Lights On 18: Payment Received by Robert L. McGrath

I don't know why it's taking me so long to reread this book. Obviously, it's a collection that just wants to be savoured! Well, anyway, the next story is 'Payment Received' by Robert L. McGrath, so time to jump back in. And this one was very familiar. Have I read the story somewhere more recently? It felt like maybe I have.

'Payment Received' is only a short little story (about a slightly strange young boy and a debt to be repaid), but it felt very familiar. I know I've read it before - the details came back to me from the very first paragraph. The question is... am I remembering it from reading this anthology in the 90s? or have I read McGrath's story in another anthology more recently? I genuinely have no idea!

Next Story 🠆

🠄Previous Story

Imbolc: Day 1

We're beginning our Year of Celebrating the Seasons this week, with seven days of Imbolc celebrations. We've already come up with a couple of (hopefully) new traditions that we're looking forward to, but today was all about enjoying the last bits of winter and some tiny glimpses of spring.

Imbolc Lights

One of our new traditions (we think) is keeping some of the Christmas lights up until Imbolc, to keep the winter darkness at bay. I know some people keep their Christmas tree up and decorated until Imbolc, but that seemed a bit much for us. We've just kept a little corner of festive light to see us through.

The Haunting Season

I wanted something seasonally appropriate to read in the period between Christmas and Imbolc, and so I chose The Haunting Season. This is a collection of short stories that I skim-read for my radio show in December but didn't get to enjoy properly over the Christmas period. It seemed just right for the wintery gap between our seasonal festivities.

Snowdrops

I spent a lovely half hour with a friend today, snowdrop-spotting in our local park.

French Toast

I don't know if this is seasonal or not (since I've happily ordered it at other times of the year), but we celebrated our successful snowdrop hunt with French toast at You, Me and Tea! It certainly felt festive.

Imbolc Earrings

Continuing the snowdrop theme, my first set of Imbolc earrings for the year were a pair of cute little snowdrops. I'm building up my seasonal earring collections, so I don't have quite as many for Imbolc as I do for Halloween and Christmas. I'm getting there though!

Starve Acre

It was actually quite difficult to find a seasonally-appropriate book to read this week, as most wintery fiction is set around Christmas/winter solstice. I've chosen Andrew Michael Hurley's Starve Acre, as I believe it's set in February. Hurley has a story in The Haunting Season as well, so I might have to watch that he doesn't just become my go-to seasonal fiction writer!

Imbolc Tea

I'm not going to go all out like I do for Halloween and Christmas, but I did want to have at least one Imbolc-appropriate tea. I've got Snow Buds, a white tea from Tugboat in Truro. It's a 'treasure of a tea', apparently. I think it's very flavourful for a white tea, which is no bad thing at all.

Stories to be Read with the Lights On 17: Killer on the Turnpike by William P. McGivern

I didn't finish my Hitchcock reread in 2021, and it's taken a bit of time to get back to it in 2022... but I'm not giving up yet! The next story in the book is 'Killer on the Turnpike' by William P. McGivern. I thought the title of this one seemed familiar, but I wasn't sure when I started it if I remembered it from before. It's the longest one yet, so there was plenty of time for it to come back to me.

I'm not sure at all if I remembered this one. Every so often I got a little glimmer of almost-déjà vu (like when the killer tips his coffee cup back to get the sugar at the bottom), but it didn't come back much more than that. Admittedly, the bit about the killer having a plan of how to get off the turnpike did seem a bit familiar, so I'm pretty sure I sort of remembered this one, even if the details were very fuzzy.

Even if I don't properly remember reading it the first time round, I enjoyed Killer on the Turnpike. It's a proper cat-and-mouse tale of... well... a killer on a turnpike, and it captures the atmosphere and conditions of the road in a really compelling way.

Next Story 🠆

🠄Previous Story

A Year of Celebrating the Seasons

This post is about our New Year's Resolution for 2022. After last year's 31 Days of Halloween and a very festive countdown to Christmas, Rob and I have decided we've nailed those two celebrations. The problem is, it's a long time to wait between Christmas and Halloween so New Year can often seem a bit flat after all the festive fun. Additionally - and I'm not sure if this is a result of the pandemic or if it had been creeping in before then - we've both been feeling weird about the way time is passing. Sometimes it feels like it's whizzing by, but then a single day can feel like it lasts for years (and not always in a good way). So, in an effort both to keep the festive feeling all year round and to feel a bit more comfortable and in control of the passage of time, we've decided to celebrate seasonally this year. Since we already celebrate a quarter day (Christmas/Yule) and a cross-quarter day (Halloween/Samhain), we thought we might as well celebrate the other six seasonal markers.

Neither of us are religious, and our Christmas and Halloween celebrations are always a mish-mash of traditions, including a few we've invented ourselves. Our plan is to celebrate the other seasons in the same way. We've planned a week for each, except Halloween and Christmas (which both get a month, because they're the best ones). Mostly, our celebrations are likely to be seasonal earrings, going for walks and watching films, but we're hoping to come up with some other new traditions along the way! (Any interesting suggestions would gratefully received!)

Since a lot of the seasonal celebrations are muddled together versions of Christian festivals, astronomical phenomena, neo-paganism and other traditions, the first thing we had to do was decide what to call our festivities. We've basically decided just to go with the names we're most familiar with, even though that's a bit of a pick-and-mix: Imbolc, Vernal Equinox, Beltane, Midsummer, Lammas, Autumnal Equinox, Halloween and Christmas.