A fake mystic scams her way into a "home cleansing" job and gets way more than she bargained for.
This short story (60 pages) was originally published in the 2014 anthology Rogues, edited by George R.R. Martin and now has been published as a stand-alone title.
Perhaps my favorite part of this book was that you don't know what you're in for: Is this going to be serious or funny? About the supernatural, or a crime? The back says, "You like ghost stories?" Yes, please! But we're not really given any other clues.
It begins with a hand job - or more accurately, approximately 23,546 hand jobs. Our narrator grabs you from page one, and you're captivated by her tale. Amazing!
Showing posts with label mysticism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mysticism. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 23, 2015
Tuesday, June 10, 2014
Lost At Sea: The Jon Ronson Mysteries by Jon Ronson
New age zealots, the Alaskan townspeople who write Santa's return letters, and a horrifyingly large number of people who go missing from cruise ships - these are just a few of the interesting people you'll learn about in this book of stand-alone essays by British reporter Jon Ronson.
Ronson is a freelance journalist who gets to pursue crazy stories and fantastical personalities. He made a bit of money when a previous book, The Men Who Stare At Goats, was made into a movie starring George Clooney, so in these tales he travels the world and hunts down bizarre and unbelievable characters. Most of this volume's articles were previously published in The Guardian.
Many of the stories are funny and heartbreaking at the same time. Several of the people he meets would incite anger - if they weren't ultimately such sad, pathetic souls at the core of it: he takes a cruise with celebrity psychic Sylvia Browne, he hangs out backstage with the Insane Clown Posse, he gets profiled by the consumer target marketing company Experian, and he meets a guy who split atoms in his kitchen.
It's a fun book, but Ronson avoids drawing any real conclusions - you're left to ponder your own thoughts on the matter, in the end.
Ronson is a freelance journalist who gets to pursue crazy stories and fantastical personalities. He made a bit of money when a previous book, The Men Who Stare At Goats, was made into a movie starring George Clooney, so in these tales he travels the world and hunts down bizarre and unbelievable characters. Most of this volume's articles were previously published in The Guardian.
Many of the stories are funny and heartbreaking at the same time. Several of the people he meets would incite anger - if they weren't ultimately such sad, pathetic souls at the core of it: he takes a cruise with celebrity psychic Sylvia Browne, he hangs out backstage with the Insane Clown Posse, he gets profiled by the consumer target marketing company Experian, and he meets a guy who split atoms in his kitchen.
It's a fun book, but Ronson avoids drawing any real conclusions - you're left to ponder your own thoughts on the matter, in the end.
Monday, November 18, 2013
The Magicians by Lev Grossman
An angsty New York teenager is swept down a strange back alley, invited to take a special test, discovers a latent capacity for magic, and as a result gains entry to a secret university. Harry Potter much? Well, not quite - this one takes place in New York, and the students are in college. Also, the book is written for an adult audience.
But the parallels are a bit distracting as a reader, and honestly Grossman's writing doesn't hold up well to a comparison with Rowling. The book felt thin, and yet at the same time much too large. It covers six or seven years total - and a lot happens in that time - and yet because there's so much to cover, nothing gets much attention. It felt like we're reading the first run-through of what the author hopes will become a series, but we've gotten it before the writer has taken the time to break it up into more than one book and to flesh out the story and characters.
The final section - where the gang finds a way into the magic land of a favorite children's book series - is anticlimactic in its desultory plotting. It feels impermanently tacked onto the prior three-quarters of the book, which focus mostly on Q's internal struggles.
A friend gave me this book after she just couldn't get into it. While I did read the whole thing, I thoroughly understand her surrender. There is a sequel, "The Magician King," but I think I'll take a pass on that one.
But the parallels are a bit distracting as a reader, and honestly Grossman's writing doesn't hold up well to a comparison with Rowling. The book felt thin, and yet at the same time much too large. It covers six or seven years total - and a lot happens in that time - and yet because there's so much to cover, nothing gets much attention. It felt like we're reading the first run-through of what the author hopes will become a series, but we've gotten it before the writer has taken the time to break it up into more than one book and to flesh out the story and characters.
The final section - where the gang finds a way into the magic land of a favorite children's book series - is anticlimactic in its desultory plotting. It feels impermanently tacked onto the prior three-quarters of the book, which focus mostly on Q's internal struggles.
A friend gave me this book after she just couldn't get into it. While I did read the whole thing, I thoroughly understand her surrender. There is a sequel, "The Magician King," but I think I'll take a pass on that one.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry
For those who enjoy a good plot twist - DO NOT HESITATE to find this book! Our library book club enjoyed it, and everyone agreed they were surprised at the turn the action takes - and that's a jaded group of readers who were caught unaware!
After years away, Towner Whitney is drawn back to her hometown of Salem, Massachusetts when her beloved aunt goes missing. There were good reasons Towner left and good reasons she's never returned; gradually, we gain insight to the back story.
The first time I read this book, I went from the last page directly back to the first one. I re-read the entire first chapter immediately.
Its been almost 2 years since I read this book, so I chose to re-read it for book club. This time, I chose audiobook format. Since I was combing the book for clues that I may have missed the first time around, maybe audio wasn't the best choice; I would have like to read some paragraphs twice or linger a bit further on particular passages. But that's not the narrator's failing - just mine.
After years away, Towner Whitney is drawn back to her hometown of Salem, Massachusetts when her beloved aunt goes missing. There were good reasons Towner left and good reasons she's never returned; gradually, we gain insight to the back story.
The first time I read this book, I went from the last page directly back to the first one. I re-read the entire first chapter immediately.
Its been almost 2 years since I read this book, so I chose to re-read it for book club. This time, I chose audiobook format. Since I was combing the book for clues that I may have missed the first time around, maybe audio wasn't the best choice; I would have like to read some paragraphs twice or linger a bit further on particular passages. But that's not the narrator's failing - just mine.
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