The Good Times Are Killing Me

I have to admit, upfront, that I didn’t finish this book. I plan to (someday), but right now all I really want is to put as much distance between me and Varney. The breaking point was getting to the end of my kindle version and realizing that, besides the 96 chapters contained in it, I had 124 more to look forward to. 124 more chapters filled with more and more repetitive actions, mindless chatter, and a vampire that instead of looking like this:Is more and more looking like a 19th century version of this: “Varney the Vampire or the Feast of Blood” starts promising enough. In the middle of a stormy night, a beautiful maiden is attacked by a vampire and left for dead while her brothers hunt the villain. As the story progresses we learn that the girl, Flora, survived the attack and is now the middle of a convoluted plot designed by her attacker to gain possession of the house her family inhabits. At first the mystery is compelling and I honestly couldn’t wait to read what happened next (hence the 3 star rating) but before long the rhythm of the story starts to become repetitive: Varney does something, a furious mob attacks, he hides. Then he finds some other hideout, another mob appears, and he runs again. Little by little the force of that first chapter, the strength and terrifying power of the monster that is so apparent there dilutes, and by the time I gave up all I had left was the silhouette of a broken man tumbling along and trying to atone for past mistakes. That being said, I also believe that any self-respecting vampire fan should at least take a peek at this story. The influence it has on Dracula is clear, except for the restoring power of moonbeams and the ability of walking in daytime without any decrease in power. Varney (at the beginning, at least) has that hypnotic power over his victims that forces them to submit to his will, and a level of class and distinction that vampires didn’t have before. Too bad that at times he resembles Edward Cullen more than the Lord of Darkness, but at least he doesn’t sparkle.The rest of the characters in “Varney the Vampire” are pretty bland. Flora and her fiancé, Charles Holland, fill the hero and heroine rolls to perfection, even desiring no harm upon the being that almost took away the sanity of said girl despite his many, many crimes. The only exceptions to the rule are Admiral Bell and his best friend/servant, Jack Pringle. Their constant arguments and expressions were a much welcome relief, even if later they also got a bit tedious. But even after everything I said before, one has to keep in mind that this book was published as a series, a “penny dreadful”. It was meant to entertain and amuse through short chapters and it’s kind of unfair to judge it by today’s standards. It does manage to engage the attention and, with heavy (HEAVY) editing it could have been a memorable vampire tale. I hope to finish It one day and tell you how the story of “Varney the Vampire or the Feast of Blood” ends.

I came across this collection while looking for “Southern Gods” on Amazon. At 99 cents it didn’t look as if I had anything to lose by giving it a try and what would you know? That little investment turned into a couple of hours well spent. The stories in “Fierce as the Grave” are short, twisted, and greatly increased my desire to read some of Hornor’s longer work.“Verrata”, the first tale, takes place in futuristic New Orleans that is far from being ideal. Hornor takes ghosts to the next level here, and introduces lots of elements that were confusing at first but made “Verrata” memorable in the end. “Heaven of Animals” is a mix between zombies and the Wild West. It was my least favorite, perhaps because I needed a few more pages to really feel something for the characters. If you happen to like zombies, however, this one is definitely for you.“Bone China” is the story of two women, a birthday celebration and a family reunion. It’s by far my favorite tale from this book; it’s set in the South and the atmosphere really shines through the text, which just makes it all that much creepier. In “Sneaking in” a small town kid learns that every action has a consequence. This tale marks the end of the collection and it left me wanting more, which I guess was Hornor’s intent from the beginning. The creepiness here, to me, lies not in the supernatural element, but in the protagonist’s system of beliefs, that justifies abuse as long as you can get away with it. Overall, “Fierce as the Grave” is one solid collection, and if you have the time to spare, a great read.

After months of being immersed in the life of a man thought of by many as the purest example of evil, today I can finally say: IT’S OVER!!!! But don’t get the wrong impression: My sense of release comes not from closing a horrible book, but from ending a fantastic biography about a terrible subject. If you ever want to read a thoroughly researched account of Hitler’s life and not feel like you’ve just found the perfect cure for insomnia, this is the book for you. This is the edited version of the author’s original two-volume biography, which I expect to own sometime in the future. (and read, perhaps) The biggest accomplishment of this book, apart from the exhaustive research done to write it, is the presentation of Hitler as a real human being. Unlike popular opinion and several dubious History Channel documentaries, Hitler wasn’t the antichrist or a heartless monster set on invoking demons from other dimensions, nor did he fantasize daily with the destruction of the human race like a real-life Dr. Doom. No. He was a man who loved his mother dearly, liked animals, was a vegetarian, and felt in every cell of his being that Germany deserved better. Of course, “better” in his vocabulary meant complete domination over Europe and the eradication of what he saw as the agents of Germany’s defeat on World War I (that is, Jews and bolshevism), but better all the same. The man liked music, had a true passion for architecture, and was nice to children. Hitler was also lazy and narcissistic. His pride made him think of himself as entitled to the best life could offer, and was devastated when the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna didn’t accept him in his drawing class. He had little talent or patience for daily work, and spent much of his time as Fuhrer before the war watching movies, attending to concerts, and sleeping. Not the first picture that comes to mind when talking about the “prince of darkness” huh? That attempt to humanize a man that so many of us are accustomed to seeing as the devil incarnated made me feel even worse about the insensitivity he displayed to millions of victims, (foreign and German) and reminded me of many other leaders that, in order to fulfill their goals, sacrifice the lives of many without blinking an eye (Stalin, anyone?). It also allowed Kershaw to examine the role of many other Nazi members (like Himmler, Goebbels, Eichmann, Ribbentrop, and many more) in what ended up being Germany´s ultimate defeat. In their drive to increase their power and influence and “work towards the Fuhrer” they had a heavy hand in plenty of the horrors committed by the Third Reich, even if later most of the survivors tried to attribute to Hitler superpowers and think of themselves as mindless (and blameless) drones. That’s other important point made by Kershaw: Even if without Hitler there would have been no war, or at least not one like the world was witness to, he wasn’t alone or the only responsible party in this whole business. Anti-Semitism wasn’t Hitler’s invention, nor was he the only one who blamed every German misery on the Jewish people. He was a powerful orator, but that alone didn’t put him at the top. His position as Fuhrer required the help of a lot of people, and even the silence of millions of citizens that, tired of being humiliated and maintained in a permanent state of poverty, didn’t see anything wrong with Hitler’s ideas or actions until bombs started to fall on their own houses. And speaking about bombs, Kershaw doesn’t ignore the fact that allied troops bombed indiscriminately many German cities, killing thousands of civilians in the process. The many violations committed by soviet soldiers to women and children are also mentioned, contributing to a construction of the war that puts blame on all sides for many injustices and unnecessary deaths, although it only dwells on those long enough to present their impact (or lack of) on Hitler. I think my heart broke a little every time I read about a new death, specially knowing that they were the consequence of a leader’s pride and unlimited ambition. There is so much more in this biography that I would like to write about, (like Hitler’s mounting paranoia, his relationship to women and with Jews before his involvement in politics, the “final solution” development, from shipment to Madagascar to total annihilation, etc.) but it’s better if you do the deed and read the book. Even knowing how everything ends, the part of this biography that deals with the war reads like a thriller, and it’s everything but boring. That’s a really good point when referring to a subject that could be as dry as sandpaper right?

After a whole week in bed, trying in vain to maintain whatever dignity I had left after hip surgery (having to pee – every 2 to 3 hours - in one of those cold buckets hospitals have for patients unable to go to the bathroom is not the most uplifting experience, not is it trying to read with needles stuck in your arms and back), I realized that it was time to get over my inexplicable fear of audiobooks and give one a try. Since I’ve been spending most of my time watching “Bones” and “Criminal Minds”, and listening to The Beatles (Paul McCartney recently came to Colombia and we were able to watch most of the concert in TV; we’ve been listening to nothing else since) I figured that a true-crime story was the way to go, and coincidence allowed me to get my hands on a “Helter Skelter” audiobook. The story of the murders is common knowledge. On August 9th, 1969, at 10050 Cielo Drive, Sharon Tate, Jay Sebring, Steven Parent, Wokciech Frykowski and Abigail Folger were brutally murdered at the hands of strangers. The next day Leno and Rosemary LaBianca were also found dead, stabbed more than 13 times for no apparent reason. After months of investigation and a long trial, Charles Manson and several members of his “family” were found guilty of these murders, and are currently serving life sentences in the US. That’s the short version, and most of what I knew before reading (hearing?) this book. I also knew that Sharon Tate was 8 months pregnant and Roman Polanski’s wife, and that Charles Manson was a really, really messed up man. “Helter Skelter” begins the day after the Tate murders, with the housekeeper finding the bodies and bolting out of the house in a state of shock. It then follows LAPD as it conducts two separate investigations, since it was believed at first that the LaBiancas were killed by different perpetrators. When the connection between the two crimes is finally found and the name “Charles Manson” begins to awaken the suspicion of the police, the book turns to the District Attorney’s office and the subsequent trial of Manson, Susan Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkel and Charles Watson. Vincent Bugliosi, the author, was also the main prosecutor in this case, and provides a unique take on the amount of work and luck it took to gain convictions and the maximum sentence for the Tate and LaBianca killers. There were many factors that made this audiobook such an enjoyable experience that I couldn’t turn it off at night without receiving first a stern look from my mom and a sermon on the benefits of sleeping for surgery patients. First of all, I don’t think I could’ve asked for a better narrator. Scott Brick does wonders with the content, bringing to the table a sense of mystery that had me on the edge of the bed most of the time. Are all audiobook narrators this cool? If so, I need to get my hands on more of them right now (Really, hand them over). The process of investigation was another big selling point for me. After seeing many profiling and criminal shows it was a surprise to hear that so many mistakes were made in the initial collection of evidence in this case: A police officer put his finger over a bloody print in order to open a door (not realizing that he probably was destroying valuable evidence), the coroner’s autopsy report was wrong about the estimated time of the Tate murders (placing it about 10 hours before the actual killings), some blood pools weren’t analyzed because the investigators assumed they contained the same type of blood as the rest of the blood found in the house, one of the murder weapons was found by a 10 year old and then left to collect dust by the police somewhere, the clothes used during the Tate killings were discovered by a local news station… and don’t get me started on the lack of communication between the Tate and the LaBianca detectives. The laziness of some members of the police force was evident during the trials, when they would simply ignore express request from the prosecutor’s office to gather more evidence because, you know, they just weren’t in the mood. Did that ever happened in CSI?As a lawyer, the trial portion of the book was especially interesting to me because our criminal system works very differently. Bugliosi did an excellent job here, narrating the trial proceedings as if this was a thriller and we didn’t know the final verdict already. As prosecutor he had to do an enormous amount of work to get a conviction in this case, and it shows. After all, how do you convince a jury of your peers that these brutal killings were ordered by a deranged individual obsessed with finding hidden meanings in Beatles songs and determined to start a war between black and white people? To the difficulty of the case itself one has to add the narcissistic personality of the accused: an experienced conman used to manipulating everyone around him, even the other defendant’s lawyers. It is clear in the book that Manson’s drive to control every action in the courtroom did as much damage to his defense as anything Bugliosi did, and for that, thank you Mr. Manson. Oh! And thank you Mr. Bugliosi, for providing first-hand information about the Charles Manson case, in a manner that was both detailed and respectful to the victims, and for delivering a great true crime book that gave lots and lots of hours of entertainment. I really recommend it.

Note to self: do not read ANYTHING written by Stephen King after dark. Nothing. Not even if it happens to be comedy, or non-fiction, or freaking poetry. Haven’t you been traumatized enough? You can’t see a clown without pissing yourself! Not that it’s hard to scare me though. I’m the kind of girl that needs to have every light on when she goes downstairs to grab a glass of water, one of those people who knows something’s right behind ready to grab me if I don't reach the second floor as fast as possible and one of these days my mom is going to call and find nothing but shattered glass and nail marks in the wood… That little show of paranoia should show you that I’m a bit of a masochist when it comes to horror. It should also indicate you that most of the stars given to this short story collection come from King’s talent to scare me shitless. From electronic appliances from hell to the torture of memories, these tales bring to your door a big bag of uncomfortable feelings and triggers for insomnia. Among the ones that impacted me the most are:- Jerusalem’s Lot:This was the reason I decided to read this book in the first place. It’s a sort of prequel to the events of Salem’s Lot: a man moves into a house that once belonged to his ancestors and progressively discovers an unsettling relation between his family and a ghost town called Jerusalem’s Lot. The story stands on its own well; it doesn’t require prior knowledge of the novel to enjoy it (although it certainly helps) and the style reminded me a little of Lovecraft and Sheridan Le Fanu. For those of us familiar with Salem’s Lot, it reinforces the idea of the existence of places that attract evil, be it in the form of vampires, serial killers, or even gigantic worms from hell. - I am the Doorway: An astronaut has to deal with the after effects of an exploration to Venus that goes really, really wrong. This one was creepy as hell, and it plays with the concept of close encounters in a way that I found very original. It made me want to scratch myself all over. - The Mangler: Here Kings answers the one question we’ve all asked ourselves at one point in our lives: What would happen if a demon possessed a laundry folding machine? What’s that? You don’t believe that anyone could wonder such a thing? They even made a movie!! (Starred by Robert Englund, no less)But seriously, it’s a good story. Those laundry machines are fucking evil. - The Boogeyman: This is the reason why I can’t open my closet door during the night. I originally read this story when I was 16 years old, living through my first winter in the house of my host parents, and it scared me so bad I considered the possibility of going upstairs and begging (at that point) virtual strangers to let me sleep with them. Here, let me give you an idea of what I looked like: In case you’re wondering, this little gem tells the story of a single psychotherapy session with a man who’s convinced that the boogeyman has killed his three children, and is now trying to get him. - Grey Matter: Have you ever thought about the worst thing that could happen from eating rotten food? The result could turn you into a cross between and , so please check the expiration date of everything you eat. - Sometimes They Come Back:I knew I was going to like this one right from the title. When ghost from the past force a high school teacher to come to terms with some memories buried deep within, he has to employ some drastic measures to preserve what little remains of his sanity. And it also has a movie coming up sometime next year!!- Strawberry Spring:A serial killer haunts a college campus during the strawberry spring. I saw the ending coming from a mile away, but it was still a pretty good story and I really recommend it. - The Lawnmower Man: All I can tell you about this story without spoiling it is that you’ll want to get off your lazy ass and take care of your own lawn. This story was weird and wonderful and made me very weary of the man that is in charge of the lawn in my neighbor’s house. - Quitters, Inc.: “Quitters” is a story that will hold a special appeal to smokers. The proposed method is unorthodox to say the least, and quite chilling, but if that doesn’t cure you then nothing will. - Children of the Corn:I know this story spawned around seven movies that I don’t plan to see. It’s about a couple on the brink of a painful divorce that gets lost in the middle of nowhere… well, to say it better, in the middle of the Kingdom ruled by “He Who Walks Behind the Rows”. The disturbing factor of “Children of the Corn” is high, probably because it reminded me of kids like this little dude: Mexican Preacher. Little preachers always give me the chills. - The Last Rung on the Ladder: The following contains spoilers, you’ve been warned: So… one of my uncles killed himself about a month after I turned 15. My cousin found him in the early hours of the morning strapped to a bed; apparently after ingesting cyanide one tends to get frantic because it feels like drowning, and my uncle thought it best to prevent any outburst that could alert family members of what was happening. What I remember the most about the whole event was waking up at dawn and finding my dad in his room crying. He held me and said that on my birthday party my uncle had tried to talk to him, but my dad had brushed him off telling my uncle that he needed to get his act together before asking anyone else for help. Now he wished he could turn back time and do a better job being a brother… I know that this memory still eats him alive from time to time, and it’s probably scarier than the most terrible thing my frantic mind can come up with at any given moment.Reading this short piece of fiction was like reliving that morning all over again, and it still brings tears to my eyes. It was very moving story, and it’s probably going to stay in my heart longer than anything else in this collection. - One for the Road:The second reason for picking up this collection is right here. It attempts to give a sort of continuation to the events of Salem’s Lot, but all I could think while reading it was What happened to Mark and Ben????? What did they do after the fire? Did they leave? But it didn’t look like that was their intention!!!!! Did they try to go after the remaining vampires? But why are the creatures back then? YOU’RE KILLING ME MR. KING!!!!!!!! . I’d like to think the best though, and it is in its own right a good vampire story, so I’m recommending it. And tonight I’m sleeping with my parents, just in case. - The Woman in the Room: The central theme of this story is terrifying, but not for the reasons you think. If a loved one is suffering from a terminal illness that has taken away the most basic aspects of his dignity, do you let the disease run its course or do you do something about it? I don’t think that SK is trying to pass judgment on either answer here but, for what it’s worth, I think it’s at least important to ask the question. (oh, and the story is also very good, so read it please :) )In conclusion: please do yourself a favor and read this book. You’re bound to find at least one story that tickles your fancy.

Too short!!!! It has a great idea, but it felt more like a stoner's fantasy than a children's book. (Then again, most of the little kids I know sound like they're on drugs, so this might be a huge hit with them).

Once again, Stephen King manages to scare the crap out of me. It didn’t help that I decided to revisit this vampire classic while being in a strange house, unable to sleep because of the heat, and with no religious objects anywhere near my bed. (I’m a shitty atheist, I know) Still, there are no regrets. Salem’s Lot does justice to a monster that lately has been treated by literature and the entertainment industry as the new teenage heartthrob. Well, not here. If my Edward-Cullen-is-the-love-of-my-life best friend ever sees a motherfucker like Barlow outside her window in the middle of the night, lust and attraction wouldn’t exactly be the first things on her mind before screaming bloody murder. The first part of the book introduces us to Salem’s Lot, a dying little town with little to recommend it to strangers. Its inhabitants, for the most part, have enough dealing with their own secrets and little evils to aspire for more, and thus are content living in a place with no future. In the second part of the story we see how their false sense of security tries to persist even in the face of the unthinkable, leaving up to a writer, a priest, a high school teacher, a doctor, a young boy and a local woman the destruction of the evil that threatens to destroy Salem’s Lot forever. As I said before, Salem’s Lot took me back to a time where vampires weren’t sensitive and tortured beings looking for love or redemption. What we get instead is a predator of the worst kind, with the cunning mind of a human and the thirst for blood of a beast. There is no negotiation or bargain with such a creature, no way to escape or avoid becoming that which killed you in the first place and that, first and foremost, is what I love about this book. Barlow, the vampire overlord, is a fitting tribute to Stoker’s Dracula and unlike other reviewers I wasn’t bothered by his lack of background or the few times he is present in a scene. It made the times he actually did anything more frightening and mysterious, and it built his image as an ancient and powerful being beyond human comprehension. As for the rest of the characters, my favorite was Mark Petrie. He reminds me of that magical time where monsters were real and were waiting for my mom to close the bedroom door to pounce on me; if one ever did, I’d like to think that I would’ve reacted with as much faith in the supernatural as he does in this novel. Father Callahan is another remarkable character, having to face a situation that proves and challenges his faith at the same time, but part of me feels feels that my sympathy comes from knowing what awaits him in The Dark Tower series . The first time I read Salem’s Lot I wasn’t nearly as understanding of his actions, or found him a very likable character.Having said that, I also need to point out that there are things that could be improved here. Although near the end I was able to appreciate King’s attempt in the first part of the book to make us care at least a little for the fate of the Lot’s occupants, his introductions take too much of the book and slow the pace considerably. There are just too many people to meet, and it isn’t always easy to remember their backgrounds by the time something actually happens to them.The motives and personalities of the main characters also felt weak at times. Father Callahan comes to mind as an example: In his showdown with Barlow he lacked the faith that even non-Catholics have displayed throughout the novel with no difficulty. It wasn’t unbelievable, but it could have been explored more and it ended up looking like a wasted opportunity. I also had a bit of trouble with Susan. I’m a sucker for strong female characters, and while she didn’t rub me the wrong way, I was left expecting more from her actions and got instead a somewhat stereotypical ending.So yeah. Even knowing that this isn't King's finest hour, ("The Shining" and "The Stand" are sooo much better) I can’t give less than 5 stars to something that made me stay awake most of the night, dying from heat but refusing to open the window for fear of seeing a neighbor clinging to it and begging to be let in. Finally, I want to close this little review with some quotes that got stuck in my head and refuse to leave me alone:“The town cares for devil’s work no more than it cares for God’s or man’s. It knew darkness. And darkness was enough.”“There is no life here but the slow death of days, and so when the evil falls on the town, its coming seems almost preordained, sweet and morphic.”“As the stranger came closer, Dud understood everything and welcomed it, and when the pain came, it was as sweet as silver, as green as still water at dark fathoms”.

This is a graphic novel that has all the potential to make me obsessed with it. It has everything: an engaging plot, interesting characters, great art, and a story that transcends the boundaries of paper. Of course, it could all go downhill from here, but from what little I know about the rest of the series, by the time I’m done with the last volume I’ll probably be tattooing some Sandman character in my back. But anyway, let’s get on with the review:“The Doll’s House” takes Dream’s story to a whole new level, giving us a hint of his past, and of the different ways he was transformed after his imprisonment. This is especially true in the two independent stories presented in this volume, “Tales in the Sand” and “Men of Good Fortune”, which present two different sides of Morpheus: The unforgiving and arrogant immortal (reminiscent of ancient greek god tales), and the lonely being that unconsciously tries to create a connection with the humans he owns and serves . The central story in this volume, unrelated to the titles I talked about before, revolves around two plots: In the first one, Morpheus is told that during his absence four of his dreams disappeared, and he takes it upon himself to find them and bring them back to where they belong. The second part involves two of Dream’s sisters: Desire and Despair, and the apparition of a vortex, which could potentially destroy the dream world beyond repair. The resolution of these problems introduces a bunch of interesting characters, like Corinthian, one of the dreams that escaped while Morpheus was held captive. He is also the protagonist of my favorite Sandman story so far, “Collectors”, which depicts a serial killer convention in all its creepy glory. The Corinthian in particular has a “penchant for eyes” in the most literal sense of the expression. Beyond this wonderful show of imagination (and the amazing art), though, what shines in “The Doll’s House” is the solid story behind it. Nothing feels careless or random, or looks like it has been placed there because nobody knew what to do with it. Instead, I felt like I was peeling the first layers of a story that goes deeper than what I first thought. It’s an exciting prospect, especially because it has already given me so much to think about. Oh! And here are some of my favorite quotes: “For love is no part of the Dream-world. Love belongs to Desire, and Desire is always cruel”.“- Say, whoever you are. Do you know what Freud said about dreams of flying? It means you're really dreaming about having sex. - Indeed? Tell me, then, what does it mean when you dream about having sex? “… It means the world's about as solid and as reliable as a layer of scum on the top of a well of black water which goes down forever, and there are things in the depths that I don't even want to think about. It means more than that. It means that we're just dolls. We don't have a clue what's really going down, we just kid ourselves that we're in control of our lives while a paper's thickness away things that would drive us mad if we thought about them for too long play with us, and move us around from room to room, and put us away at night when they're tired, or bored.”

I’ve read on many reviews that “Preludes and Nocturnes” is the weakest volume of “The Sandman”. After reading it I can only hope they’re right, because I loved this installment and have high expectation for the rest of series. In “Preludes and Nocturnes” Morpheus, Lord of Dreams, falls into a trap designed for his older sister Death and is imprisoned for 70 years. When he is finally able to escape and return to his kingdom, Morpheus discovers that his tools have been stolen, and that the dream world has fallen into ruin. The rest of the volume shows us how he tries to locate his tools and recuperate his power. The plot in this volume is very linear, but I have no problem with that. And the art is deliberately messy, which I thought fitted the storyline very well. I love how Morpheus (or Dream) is drawn: Thin and pale, like an empty canvas for our prettiest dreams and worst nightmares. Another thing I liked was the incorporation of mythological creatures (the Fates) and even biblical characters (like Cain and Abel), in the plot. I’m really fond of mythology and it was a pleasant surprise to see some of it here. I’m also a big fan of the Justice League (especially of Batman), so it was great to see the Scarecrow and Dr. Destiny. And speaking of Dr. Destiny, his involvement in the story was what I enjoyed the most. The ruby quest was creepy as hell and it gave us a taste of the power dreams can have in our world. The other two quest were a bit of a disappointment though, and the reason why I’m not giving “Preludes and Nocturnes” 5 stars. I expected more of a challenge given the weak state of Dream, but instead they felt like a breeze. I'm not saying that they're terrible; Hell was particularly interesting with the triumvirate and the tension between demons and Dream, but it didn’t feel as if at any point the safety and wellbeing of Morpheus were being seriously threatened in them. Oh! before I forget!!!!!!! I really liked the last part, “The Sound of Her Wings”. I’m used to seeing Death portrayed as a terrifying creature, but this version of Dream’s older sister was great. I’m looking forward to learning more about her. So anyway. If you happen to like comics and graphic novels and haven’t given this series a try, please do. I guarantee that it’s much better that whatever is on TV right now.

Contemporary romance is not a genre I’m very familiar with. I deeply enjoyed “The Diary of Bridget Jones”, but that was because I can identify with Bridget’s fear of dying alone, eaten by German shepherds or, in my case, very hungry English bulldogs. “Tangled Up In You”, on the other hand, doesn’t present such a bleak prospect for its protagonist. Maddie Jones (or Dupree, her pen name) is a true crime writer with a love for bath products and body butters. She moves to a town called Truly to write a book about the circumstances surrounding her mother’s death. She’s a tough and successful woman who interviews dangerous criminals for a living and is used to being on her own. Things, however, don’t go exactly as planned and she ends up falling for Mick, the son of the woman who shot Maddie’s mother. As I said before, contemporary romance is not my first choice when it comes to finding new books to read. There are times, however, when you’re in need for something light and entertaining that doesn’t force you to think very hard, and “Tangled Up In You” did a great job fitting those requirements. This is pure, hot and steamy romance all the way through, beginning with the well-known instant attraction between incredibly good looking people, and the mandatory sex scenes that made me look back every few seconds in fear of my mom coming up behind me and thinking that I was reading porn.The one thing that bothered me was the way that the plot, (the murder investigation) disappears in the middle. I was expecting some big reveal, a reason for me to care at all about the reasons that drove Maddie to that little town, but Gibson throws everything to the back of the closet to make space for the sex scenes that justify the “romance” tag on the cover. I was waiting for Maddie to be in a situation that called for her to put on her brass knuckles and SHOW US that she’s no scared little bunny in need of protection, but it never happened. Don’t get me wrong, even at her worst she doesn’t come off as greedy or shallow (well… except when she’s talking about food and all the reasons why she doesn’t allow herself to eat sugar), but the whole “my mother was murdered by a crazy woman” led me to believe that she was going to face a similar situation. And what about the other characters? Meg had a lot of potential, but Gibson's way of dealing with her felt cheap and lazy. The rest are a bunch of stereotypes I couldn't care less about; I read this story less than an hour ago and I already don’t remember any of their names. Is this the rule for contemporary romance?????? Oh well. At least it got my mind off the Third Reich foreign policies, and that’s saying much given all the time I’ve spent this week reading and watching documentaries about it.

This was my introduction to the Dark Tower series. It's so good that it encouraged me to keep reading after the Gunslinger, my least favorite DT book.

“It was a pleasure to burn”.What would you do if reading and keeping books were suddenly considered terrible crimes? Would you use what little time you had left before they were destroyed to memorizing your favorite lines? Would you hide them? Would you surrender willingly, and turn to the next form of entertainment without remorse? A while ago I had the opportunity to think about these questions while trying to save what I could of my grandfather’s library. He was a great man, fond of reading, and during his life he had managed to build a collection of books that went from Buddhism to the holocaust, with comics and all sorts of genres in between. After his death my grandmother decided to turn to Christianity for answers, and was convinced that books that didn’t explicitly worshiped god were tools of the devil and needed to be destroyed. So one day, with the help of a couple of relatives, she lit a bonfire and threw away most of what my grandfather treasured and loved, along with everything in her house that was considered “evil”. That included my uncle’s collection of Harry Potter books, works of fiction that my mother was saving for me to read one day, and even novels of Gabriel García Márquez, once admired and now detested for his profanity. I felt comforted when I came home and saw my own little library, each book a pleasant memory, and thanked the heavens for the fact that my grandma’s fire could never reach them. But what if it could? That’s what scares me about “Fahrenheit 451”: The notion that the objects I love the most in the entire world could suddenly disappear because others don’t like them. Because they could make me unhappy, and nobody wants to feel sad, right? It’s so much easier to sit in front of a screen that tells you what to think, how to feel, what to do and buy… That being said, I don’t entirely agree with the notion that all television is inherently bad. Most of it? Sure, especially when shows like “Jersey Shore” are at the top of the charts, right along with a deliberate attempt to misinform the public and manipulate news. But there is also good stuff, and an attempt to spread knowledge even for those who can’t read. I’ve seen documentaries that have expanded my views on a variety of subjects, from Alzheimer’s to euthanasia, and plenty enjoyable shows that heavily critic our society and our paradigms. I would hate to see them disappear, just as much as I hated to see the empty spaces in a once full library shelf. That’s why I believe that “Fahrenheit 451” is important: You can agree or disagree, but it still makes you think, and that’s the best kind of book to keep around. It also helped to see characters I could relate to and that I found interesting (like Clarisse and Faber). Beatty was terrifying, more so because he used quotes from books to promote the destruction of any worthy piece of written word, and Montag was a fantastic protagonist. This is a great book, and it should be read by everyone. ---(Oh! I also strongly disagree with comics being considered "safe": “Maus”, for example, is one of the most powerful books I’ve read about the holocaust, along with other graphic novels that address topics in a way that most books would fail to do. So if you're going to destroy anything that promotes individual thought, comics should definitely go too.)

Not the best Agatha Christie's book I've read, but you can't go wrong with a Hercules Poirot mistery. The plot is very slow for such a little book, and the way she starts it (an imprudent question at a literary lunch) wasn't believable enough to made me care about it. The final reveal though, was, as always, a surprise. Well... part of it anyway.

Peter Pan was never a favorite character of mine growing up. Maybe it was because I never watched the movie, or because wars and battles weren’t subjects that I found appealing in a fairy tale. As a child, I was enchanted by Snow White, and the Brother Grimm’s tales of unfortunate kids and terrible witches. There weren’t witches in Peter Pan! Or hungry wolves! All I ever knew about it was that it talked about a crazy kid that could fly, a bunch of orphaned children, and a crazy (and a bit stupid) captain with a hook for a hand. Oh! and a crocodile.So, people might ask, what am I doing reading a retelling of a story I never cared for? I…. I don’t know. All I can say in my favor is this: I don’t regret it. Not one bit. This is one of those books that has you on the edge of your seat the entire time, and stays with you long after the last line is finished. Brom presents a story that really analyses the implications of the seemingly cute and candid happenings of “Peter Pan”: The kidnapping of gullible children, the war between them and grownups with swords and guns, the fact that they can never grow, and the untold consequences for those who do, are all of them explored in “The Child Thief” and given new and incredible dimensions. Without a doubt, the most intriguing character of all is Peter. He’s the hero we’re used to root for: the symbol of our wild and untamed side, the representation of everything that’s good and playful. That is, of course, until we are faced with his dark side: the one that is so invested on his mission, so stuck in his ways and prejudices, that becomes blind to death and to the sacrifices others make for him. Who knew that an eternal boy could be so interesting? And speaking of interesting characters, the Captain blew my mind, but I can’t say anymore without marking this review with a big SPOILER tape on top of it. So let’s speak about my other all-time favorite character: Nick. When we first meet him, he’s running away from home with a bag full of provision and methamphetamines. The tenants of his house are drug dealers and Nick, blaming his mother for the abuse these people put him through, decides to go and make a life with the money he hopes to get in exchange for the stolen drugs. Unfortunately things don’t go as planned, and he’s in the process of getting his ass kicked when Peter makes an appearance and saves the day. Nick is a fantastic character. We see him grow and confront his own demons while being the only “devil” that can see through Peter and his schemes. He doesn’t always do the right thing, but who does? Being thrown into a world you know nothing about, with dangers that surpass your wildest expectations, and surrounded by a little kingdom that stands on the cult of a kid that, at the best of times, has little idea of what to do with himself, is no piece of cake. But Nick pulls it off and deals with trouble in a realistic way, showing the author’s mastery with words and a great ability in terms of character developing. Avalon and its mythology are also a strong point. The island is all that remains of a once world full with magic, and is now seriously threatened by “flesh eaters”, or men that are determined to extinguish it by destroying its leader, the Lady. Peter wants them dead at all costs, using as his main weapon the disposition of the children he manages to transport to Avalon and turn into little killing machines, or “devils”. The climax of this war, and the end of the book, was the only part of the book that left me wanting more (and heartbroken, but I can’t tell you why), and the reason I almost took a star out of the book. It felt like a rushed way to end it all: You build up the tension to eleven, set the stage for a battle of epic proportions, and deliver something good, but not incredible. (You also kill everyone I cared about, so by the end I couldn’t care less about Peter and his epiphany) However, this does not mean that the book is in any way, shape or form bad or not worthy of any fantasy fan’s time and energy. (I’m giving it 5 stars!!) As you can probably tell I’m no expert when it comes to retellings of classic children’s tales, but it seems to me that there aren’t a lot of ways anyone could actualize Peter Pan better than Brom. It was a magical experience that will stay with me for a long time.

I believe that I’m one of the few people on this website that wasn’t familiar at all with the plot or the characters of this book. I knew that it was a classic, and that it had a great opening paragraph, but the rest was a complete mystery to me. I was also going to challenge myself, and read the book in English, with no translation or help of any kind. With that in mind I was prepared to find the story passable, (or moderately enjoyable) but only after spending a couple of months deciphering Dickens complicated style. The first part was a bit hard. Not as hard as I feared, but it forced me to reread some paragraphs and sentences. After getting the hang of it though, it was much easier to concentrate on the AWESOMENESS of Dickens’s writing, capable of recreating the French revolution in a way that made me see the every drop of blood, and hear every scream. I especially enjoyed his reflections on oppression, both on the side of the Monarchy and the Republic. Punishing violence with violence creates a vicious circle that changes the faces on top without making things much better. But the best part is the story. Slow at first, it gains strength and speed as it progresses, and you can't put the book down even if you want to. The characters felt human: Even the ones you oppose, like Madame Defarge, have reasonable motivations, and to an extent I could see that she didn’t act out of a desire to do evil, but of a sense of justice and revenge that made no distinction among generations. She was my favorite character of the book; in a time when women were thought of as vain and whimsical, here comes one with clear ideas and purposes, with the power to command attention and respect, and fearless. Again, I didn’t want her to get away with everything, but she never lost my respect. I also liked Lucy. She was depicted as an angel, but had enough courage to endure dangerous times, and to be the strength of her family and friends. She was sensible, intelligent, didn’t rely on looks to get what she wanted, and never got hysterical or did something stupid. As for Sydney Carton… wow. That is one hell of a character. How come I never heard of him before? At first I took him for “the bad guy” because of the scene in the trial and his presentation as an individual with a dark past, but he was just a guy in love with a worthy woman that (I think) would have felt the same if he had given himself a chance. This book has everything: action, love, a believable plot, good pacing, suspense… It easily gets a place on my “favorites” shelf and a warm spot in my heart.

Sometimes things have to hit rock bottom before going up again. I feel that this is the case with vampire stories: over the years the image of the monster became less frightening and more desirable, no longer giving voice to our fears but embodying the danger and sexiness of the “bad boy” we all wanted to be with at some point in our lives. Halloween parties are filled with slutty vampire costumes, successful movies make money with vegetarian blood suckers, and the typical paranormal romance library shelf is brimming over with vampire teenage drama. But, as I said before, maybe this had to happen before writers felt the need to go back to the basics and started delivering good, old fashioned bloody plots with the evil monsters I loved and feared so much as a little kid. In “Draculas” you won’t meet lost souls looking for redemption. You won’t find sexy-looking children of the night willing to make your fantasies come true (unless your biggest dream consists of being torn apart and having your organs ripped by huge monster fangs), and you definitely will not come across sparkly teenagers wanting to blend in with the oh so lovable human crowd. Absolutely NOT. What you will find though, is a fun story with crazy vampires that look like a mix between a shark from hell, a zombie (think fast, filled with rage, zombies), and a b-movie abomination. I’m talking about vampires that will stop at nothing to suck you dry, that need to be constantly in search of blood, and that at times can reason to the point of becoming even more terrifying, or hilarious. They’re not stopped by crosses, garlic, the bible, a stake through the heart, or daylight. The only way to kill them is to aim for the complete annihilation of the head, and even then, sometimes, you’ll find trouble. These are the monsters you don’t want to find outside your window looking in, or trying to kiss you in your sleep. Oh no. And if you showed up to a Halloween party looking like one of these beast you’ll turn heads, and then cause a few cases of nausea and pant wetting. “Draculas” starts with a fresh, original premise: A millionaire with terminal cancer centers his last hope of recovery on what seems to be the skull of Dracula, found in Romania. After stabbing himself in the neck with the thing’s inhuman fangs, he’s transported to a rural hospital, where all hell breaks loose. Throughout the book we follow several characters as they try to survive the horror (or gather as much delicious blood as possible), and the ride is a lot of fun. There is plenty of gore to keep you gagging, and the over the top scenes abound with clichés that make you laugh and be afraid at the same time. The action is non-stop, (I sometimes wished for a slower pace), but in every scene you could tell that the authors had fun writing this novel, trying to top each other and letting loose parts of their imagination that probably wouldn’t fit in their “normal” work. They also proved that the vampire genre still has potential for reinvention, and that horror fans can hope and expect future novels that will just barely come short of literary sucking the blood out of them. So anyway, awesome, fun story. Highly recommended for people who think that true vampire books are extinct.