strange and random happenstance

Does everyone else remember in 2014 when Anthony Doerr's All the Light We Cannot See was released and it was like everywhere? It won the Pulitzer, it won the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence, it was the choice for book clubs everywhere, even my Mom's! It was THE BOOK of the moment. And, because of the society we live in which doesn't see a book as an end product, everyone was talking about the adaptation to come as a future darling of the Oscars. The buzz was literally up there with Killers of the Flower Moon and The Devil in the White City, and I just realized that those were both optioned by Martin Scorsese. And then we finally got an adaptation of All the Light We Cannot See, with multiple Oscars nominees no less, and like nobody talked about it. At all. James Newton Howard did the freakin' music and we're just not going to talk about it!?! I just don't understand this. It somehow fell through the cracks between Killers of the Flower Moon and The Devil in the White City, it didn't go to the Oscars and it didn't get bogged down in developmental hell. It came and it was forgotten and I am here to say, it's not that bad. Personally, I really don't like reading or watching anything to do with WWII, or Mark Ruffalo for that matter, but I'm a sucker for Hugh Laurie. In other words, I am in no way the target audience for this and yet I found it enjoyable. You could see what it wanted to be and how it fell just short. Like not everyone was the first choice. Which can really be seen with the character of Standartenführer Reinhold von Rumpel played by Lars Eidinger. This role was written for Rory Kinnear. How do I know this? Just watch the show, it's glaringly obvious. In fact I have a whole scenario written in my head where they approached Rory and he was like, naw, already did that. And then they'd be all, when the hell did you do this? To which he'd say, Penny Dreadful: City of Angels... And then it would get very awkward because that show was so so bad and I don't even really want to admit I watched it myself and these imaginary suits obviously had never even heard of it. So, that's when they hired Lars Eidinger and said, can you give us your best Rory Kinnear? I mean, even his weirdly long forelock was so like Rory's in the original Penny Dreadful I just can't not see this... But I have to say that one thing that really impressed me about this production, aside from the Mark Ruffalo stunt casting, is that the Germans were played by Germans, Marie-Laure LeBlanc, a blind girl, is shockingly played by an actress with low vision. Representation matters and Aria Mia Loberti made the character and the show feel authentic. You weren't thinking, wow, I really believe this character is blind, good for this totally sighted actress for pulling it off. You we thinking Aria Mia Loberti IS Marie-Laure. As others have said, this was her first ever acting job, and she brings something special, something genuine to the role. As more productions think about inclusion I'm sure she will get plenty of roles. I mean, she's already popped up on The Spiderwick Chronicles.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: All the Light We Cannot See, And the Emmy Goes To, Aria Mia Loberti, Blindness, Hugh Laurie, James Newton Howard, Marie-Laure LeBlanc, Mark Ruffalo, Oscars, Penny Dreadful, Representation, Rory Kinnear, WWII

The Man in Black by Elly Griffiths
Published by: Mariner Books
Publication Date: October 15th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the internationally bestselling author of the Ruth Galloway Mysteries, an eclectic, thrilling collection of short stories, featuring many characters that readers have come to know and love.

Elly Griffiths has always written short stories to experiment with different voices and genres as well as to explore what some of her fictional creations such as Ruth Galloway, Harbinder Kaur, and Max Mephisto might have done outside of the novels. The Man in Black gathers these bite-sized tales all together in one splendid volume.

There are ghost stories, cozy mysteries, tales of psychological suspense, and poignant vignettes of love and loss.

In the title story, Ruth Galloway crosses paths with a mysterious man in a bookstore, setting in motion a rescue mission that hinges on the legends and lore of Norfolk.

Looking into the past, a young magician in 1920s Leeds wonders just what happened to his missing landlady in "Max Mephisto and the Disappearing Act."

In "Justice Jones and the Etherphone," a witty girl detective investigates the dire prediction of a fortune teller in dreary postwar London.

A flashback in time reveals Harbinder Kaur as a Detective Sergeant surviving her first day on the job at Shoreham DCI.

To celebrate the holidays, Ruth gets her very first Christmas tree, and her beloved cat narrates his own seasonal story in "Flint's Fireside Tale."

And readers can armchair travel with stories set on the Amalfi Coast, in Capri, and in Egypt as Ruth and DCI Nelson experience their very own version of Death on the Nile.

The Man in Black illustrates the breadth and variety of Elly Griffiths's talent for blood-chilling, page-turning stories all with her trademark humor and heart."

Just take my money! There's a Max Mephisto story, that is ALL I need to know!

The Cursed Writer by Holly Hepburn
Published by: Boldwood Books
Publication Date: October 15th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 4248 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"'When did you become aware something was wrong?'

'When the screaming began...'

Harriet White is no stranger to odd correspondence. Ensconced in the basement of the Baker Street building society, her job is to reply to the mail they receive on behalf of Sherlock Holmes.

But while letters to the fictional sleuth may be plentiful, telegrams are rare, and so when she receives one describing the grave situation of celebrated author Philip St John, her interest is piqued. The writer describes St John as being consumed by terror, seeing ghostly apparitions on the fens, and only at ease in the company of his loyal wolfhound.

Before long, Harry finds herself in Cambridgeshire under the guise of being Holmes' assistant. The residents of Thurmwell Manor believe their master is cursed. Harry is sure there must be a logical explanation, but inside the echoey halls of the grand Gothic house, her confidence in science and reason begin to crumble...

Can Harry solve the mystery before the fens claim their next victim?

Join Harriet White in 1930's London for another glorious Sherlock Holmes-inspired mystery, for fans of Nita Prose and Janice Hallett."

Is there a book called "When the screaming began?" Because I think that sums up murder mysteries quite well.

The Treasure Hunters Club by Tom Ryan
Published by: Atlantic Monthly Press
Publication Date: October 15th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone meets The Goonies in The Treasure Hunters Club - a rollicking murder mystery set in a seaside town filled with pirate lore, family secrets, unforgivable grudges, secret societies, and of course, a treasure lost to time.

Welcome to Maple Bay, Nova Scotia.

For nearly a century, people have ventured to the idyllic seaside town of Maple Bay in search of a legendary lost pirate treasure, but locals know there's more than just gold buried in the sand. As the paths of three strangers converge in Maple Bay, the truth is about to be blown wide open. But not before the bodies start to pile up.

Peter Barnett is rapidly approaching 40 with little to show for it when a mysterious letter invites him to Maple Bay and the mansion his estranged family has called home for generations.

Seventeen-year-old Dandy Feltzen is isolated and adrift following the death of her beloved grandfather, until his final request and a tantalizing clue sets her on a mission to solve the mystery he spent his entire life chasing.

Cass Jones has given up on her dream of being a successful author when an unexpected opportunity lands in her lap: a housesitting gig in remote Maple Bay, where she stumbles on the perfect subject matter for her breakout book - and the handsome sailor who might be just the person to help her research it.

Peter, Dandy and Cass have never met, but they're on a collision course with each other and the mystery that has defined Maple Bay for two centuries, and none of them are prepared for the shocking truths that may or may not still be buried there."

Please say the town is really dark despite it's cutesy name.

The Great Hippopotamus Hotel by Alexander McCall Smith
Published by: Pantheon Books
Publication Date: October 15th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 240 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In this latest installment of Alexander McCall Smith's beloved No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, Mma Ramotswe and Mma Makutsi take on an intriguing new case and uncover surprising truths.

In the rolling hills just outside Gaborone, surrounded by a grove of acacia trees, lies The Great Hippopotamus Hotel. With spacious rooms overlooking the Botswanan countryside and a fine and loyal staff, the hotel has served as a refuge to weary travelers for many years. But a sudden string of misfortunes threatens to ruin the hotel's reputation. Food poisoning befalls an unlucky diner, laundry mysteriously disappears from the drying line, and a scorpion stings one of the guests. Mishap after mishap, until it seems these incidents are more than simple coincidences - something foul is afoot.

Mma Ramotswe and Mma Makutsi are on the case to find out who could be responsible for these unfortunate events. The answer at first seems clear, especially when they find out Violet Sephotho is involved. But as they dig deeper, they realize that the solution is not as simple as it initially seems. Meanwhile, one of Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni's most important clients has asked him to source a sports car, putting him in a ticklish position as the man's wife seems to be unaware of the purchase and the client is taking great pains to keep it that way. Nevertheless, with a healthy dose of good humor and kindness, Mma Ramotswe and her associates must help restore the reputation of the hotel and prove that even the most difficult situations can be remedied with honesty and compassion."

Because every once in awhile you need Mma Ramotswe to cheer you up.

Women's Hotel by Daniel M. Lavery
Published by: Harpervia
Publication Date: October 15th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 272 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the New York Times bestselling author and advice columnist, a poignant and funny debut novel about the residents of a women's hotel in 1960s New York City.

The Beidermeier might be several rungs lower on the ladder than the real-life Barbizon, but its residents manage to occupy one another nonetheless. There's Katherine, the first-floor manager, lightly cynical and more than lightly suggestible. There's Lucianne, a workshy party girl caught between the love of comfort and an instinctive bridling at convention, Kitty the sponger, Ruth the failed hairdresser, and Pauline the typesetter. And there's Stephen, the daytime elevator operator and part-time Cooper Union student.

The residents give up breakfast, juggle competing jobs at rival presses, abandon their children, get laid off from the telephone company, attempt to retrain as stenographers, all with the shared awareness that their days as an institution are numbered, and they'd better make the most of it while it lasts.

As trenchant as the novels of Dawn Powell and Rona Jaffe and as immersive as The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Lessons in Chemistry, Women's Hotel is a modern classic - and it is very, very funny."

I miss the bygone era where their were sanctuary hotels.

Cold Snap by Lindy Ryan
Published by: Titan Books (UK)
Publication Date: October 15th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 4128 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A grieving mother and son hope to survive Christmas in a remote mountain cabin in Pennsylvania, in this chilling novella of dread, isolation and sinister spirits lurking in the frozen woods. Perfect for fans of The Only Good Indians, The Shining and The Babadook.

Two weeks ago, Christine Sinclaire's husband slipped off the roof while hanging Christmas lights and fell to his death on the front lawn.

Desperate to escape her guilt and her grief, Christine packs up her fifteen-year-old son and the family cat and flees to the cabin they'd reserved deep in the remote Pennsylvania Wilds to wait out the holidays.

It isn't long before Christine begins to hear strange noises coming from the forest. When she spots a horned figure watching from between frozen branches, Christine assumes it's just a forest animal - a moose, maybe, since the property manager warned her about them, said they'd stomp a body so deep into the snow nobody'd find it 'til spring.

But moose don't walk upright like the shadowy figure does.

They don't call Christine's name with her dead husband's voice."

But why was her husband hanging Christmas lights if they weren't going to be there for Christmas?

The Specimen by Jaima Fixsen
Published by: Poisoned Pen Press
Publication Date: October 15th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 416 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Walk carefully, lest you become a part of Dr. Burnett's collection...

1826. Isobel Tait finds herself, by chance, staring at a tiny human heart floating in a jar. It should be of little consequence; Dr. Burnett is renowned for his collection of oddities and medical specimens, and this, a juvenile heart with a damaged mitral valve, is not the strangest thing on display. Except that the condition is rare, and that Isobel's young son, who has been missing for months, suffered from the ailment.

A phantom pulse beats in Isobel's ears. She knows something here isn't right.

Missing persons cases are all too common in Edinburgh, where people simply vanish like mist. But Burnett is obsessed with his specimens - how far would he go to acquire a new one? Determined to investigate, Isobel joins his staff as the keeper of his collection. What she'll unearth, though, is far worse than any of her nightmares...

Based on true crimes, The Specimen is a mesmerizing story about one woman's search for truth and vengeance in the darkest of places - where the deadliest secrets lie hidden in plain sight, on a freshly dusted shelf."

YES! Finally a book with resurrection men in the correct era. You have NO idea how annoyed I am by later day resurrection men supposedly making money after the Anatomy Act of 1832.

In the Mad Mountains: Stories Inspired by H.P. Lovecraft by Joe R. Lansdale
Published by: Tachyon Publications
Publication Date: October 15th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 256 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Eleven-time Bram Stoker Award-winner Joe R. Lansdale (Bubba Ho-tep) returns with this wicked short story collection of his irreverent Lovecraftian tributes. Lansdale is terrifyingly down-home while merging his classic gonzo stylings with the eldritch horrors of H. P. Lovecraft. Knowingly skewering Lovecraft's paranoid mythos, Lansdale embarks upon haunting yet sly explorations of the unknown, capturing the essence of cosmic dread.

A sinister blues recording pressed on vinyl in blood conjures lethal shadows with its unearthly wails. In order to rescue Tom Sawyer, Huck Finn traverses the shifting horrors of the aptly named Dread Island. In the weird Wild West, Reverend Jebidiah Mercer rides into a possessed town to confront the unspeakable in the crawling sky. Legendary detective C. Auguste Dupin uncovers the gruesome secrets of both the blue lightning bug and the Necronomicon.

Exploring the darkest corners of the human psyche, here is a lethally entertaining journey through Joe Lansdale's twisted landscape, where ancient evils lurk and sanity hangs by a rapidly fraying thread."

I love the Poe/Lovecraft/Lansdale mashup!

Pride and Prejudice in Space by Alexis Lampley
Published by: Union Square and Co.
Publication Date: October 15th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 504 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice is arguably the forerunner of all romantic comedies and certainly one of her most popular and irreverent works. And now, graphic designer and Nerdy Ink co-owner - and obsessive fan of Pride and Prejudice - Alexis Lampley gives this timeless, classic, Regency-era romance a new twist, setting it among the stars in a futuristic universe where spaceships and interplanetary travel are the daily norm. Featuring numerous four-color illustrations of the Londinium Lunar System, drawings of gowns by Lydia Bennet, and spaceship designs by Elizabeth Bennet, this is a futuristic take on a classic by a dedicated Jane Austen fan, for Austen newbies and super-fans alike."

If you aren't saying this book's title like "Pigs in Space" I'm sorry but we can never be friends.

If I Stopped Haunting You by Colby Wilkens
Published by: St. Martin's Griffin
Publication Date: October 15th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"An enemies to lovers romance with a spooky twist where two feuding writers end up on a writers retreat together at a haunted castle in Scotland.

It's been months since horror author Penelope Skinner threw a book at Neil Storm. But he was so infuriating, with his sparkling green eyes and his bestselling horror novels that claimed to break Native stereotypes. And now she's a publishing pariah and hasn't been able to write a word since. So when her friend invites her on a too-good-to-be-true writers retreat in a supposedly haunted Scottish castle, she seizes the opportunity. Of course, some things really are too good to be true.

Neil wants nothing less than to be trapped in a castle with the frustratingly adorable woman who threw a book at him. She drew blood! Worse still, she unleashed a serious case of self-doubt! Neil is terrified to write another bestselling "book without a soul," as Pen called it. All Neil wants is to find inspiration, while completely avoiding her.

But as the retreat begins, Pen and Neil are stunned to find themselves trapped in a real-life ghost story. Even more horrifying, they're stuck together and a truly shocking (extremely hot) almost-kiss has left them rethinking their feelings, and...maybe they shouldn't have been enemies at all? But if they can't stop the ghosts pursuing them, they may never have the chance to find out.

Full of spooky chills and even more sexy thrills, If I Stopped Haunting You by Colby Wilkens is the funny, fast-paced romp romance readers have been waiting for!"

And maybe they can help each other to be better writers? After dealing with the ghosts that is.

Januaries by Olivie Blake
Published by: Tordotcom
Publication Date: October 15th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the New York Times bestselling author of The Atlas Six comes Januaries, a stunning collection of short fiction featuring fourteen magical ruminations on life, death, and the love - or desire for revenge - that outlasts both.

Once upon a time in a land far, far away, a wish-granting spirit rapidly approaches burnout. Meanwhile, a banished fairy answers a Craigslist ad, a Victorian orphan navigates an occult situationship, and a multiverse assassin contemplates the one who got away.

With both iconic fan-favorite stories and entirely original pieces, Januaries features modified fairy tales, contemporary heists, absurdist poetry, and at least one set of actual wedding vows. Escape the slow trudge of mortality by diving into these enchanting new worlds with a master of imagination."

I'm usually against short story collections. But this week has two that are the exception to the rule.

An Instruction in Shadow by Benedict Jacka
Published by: Ace Books
Publication Date: October 15th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The ultra-rich control magic - the same way they control everything else - but Stephen Oakwood may just beat them at their own game in this exhilarating contemporary fantasy from the author of the Alex Verus novels.

Stephen Oakwood has emerged victorious against the schemes of his aristocratic family. Now he finally has the opportunity to do what he's been wanting to do for a long time: track down his father.

But doing so won't be easy. Stephen's not so isolated any more, but the contacts he's making in the magical world - everyone from the corporation he works for to the mother he's just beginning to reconnect with - all have agendas of their own. And now a new group is emerging from the shadows, calling themselves the Winged. Their leader, the mysterious Byron, promises that he can show Stephen how to find his father...but he wants something in return.

Following that trail will throw Stephen into greater danger than he's ever faced before. To survive, he'll need to use all of his tricks and sigls, and pick up some new ones. Only then will he be able to prevail against his enemies...and find out who's really pulling the strings."

I have tricks, but I really think I need some sigls.

Strange Beasts by Susan J. Morris
Published by: Bindery Books
Publication Date: October 15th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In this fresh-yet-familiar Gothic tale - part historical fantasy, part puzzle-box mystery - the worlds of Dracula and Sherlock Holmes collide in a thrilling exploration of feminine power.

At the dawn of the twentieth century in Paris, Samantha Harker, daughter of Dracula's killer, works as a researcher for the Royal Society for the Study of Abnormal Phenomena. But no one realizes how abnormal she is. Sam is a channel into the minds of monsters: a power that could help her solve the gruesome deaths plaguing turn-of-the-century Paris - or have her thrown into an asylum.

Sam finds herself assigned to a case with Dr. Helena Moriarty, daughter of the criminal mastermind and famed nemesis of Sherlock Holmes and a notorious detective whom no one wants to work with on account of her previous partners' mysterious murders. Ranging from the elite clubs of Paris to the dark underbelly of the catacombs, their investigation sweeps them into a race to stop a beast from its killing rampage, as Hel and Sam are pitted against men, monsters, and even each other. But beneath their tenuous trust, an unmistakable attraction brews. Is trusting Hel the key to solving the murder, or is Sam yet another pawn in Hel's game?"

Has a distinct Penny Dreadful vibe. I love that.

Death in the Stars by Bonnie Langford
Published by: Penguin Group UK
Publication Date: October 15th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A band of killers. Survivors with a secret. A death-defying murder mystery in space.

When young Mel's business partner, Sabalom Glitz embarks on yet another "get rich quick" scheme, it marks the start of an epic, death-defying murder-mystery in space.

After barely escaping the snares of a murderous galactic cult, Mel searches for fellow survivors in a nearby spaceship graveyard - while Glitz looks to fill his pockets. But the discovery of a spaceship with its crew in suspended animation and incredible secrets on board leaves the duo stranded with no way off.

Mel revives the crew - and then the murders start. Murders that cannot possibly have been committed by any of the crewmembers. In fact, there are only two realistic suspects - Glitz and Mel themselves..."

A Mel Bush mystery WRITTEN by Mel Bush!?! Hells yeah! Also, even if it wasn't Doctor Who adjacent, I love murder mysteries that are locked room, or should I say locked spaceship?

Hell, Ink, and Water: The Art of Mike Mignola by Mike Mignola
Published by: IDW Publishing
Publication Date: October 15th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 96 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Own the official hardcover catalog for the world-renowned artist Mike Mignola for his first New York art gallery show (Philippe Labaune Gallery, September 20, 2024 - October 26, 2024).

The 64-page art catalog featuring 31 new watercolors by Mike Mignola. The watercolors focus on many of the themes near and dear to Mignola: Skulls, monsters, and the supernatural. Additionally, there will be a number of Hellboy covers and pencil drawing, all scanned in the manner of Artist's Editions, from the original art. A truly lovely collection of art for Mike Mignola fans everywhere."

I want to go to there. I also want the money to afford some of the pieces because DAMN this book is really the closest I'm getting.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Alexander McCall Smith, Alexis Lampley, Benedict Jacka, Bonnie Langford, Colby Wilkens, Daniel M. Lavery, Elly Griffiths, Jaima Fixsen, Joe R. Lansdale, Lindy Ryan, Mike Mignola, Olivie Blake, Susan J. Morris

Ever since The White Queen took the world by storm in 2013 Starz has made a bit of a name for itself with rather bawdy historical dramas. One could almost call them historical fantasies, given their laxity with regard to historical accuracy, but I think complaining about historical dramas is one of the reasons we like to watch them so much. To be drawn into a love story or political machinations while totally trashing a farthingale or a stomacher, now that's the stuff. Though a should say Bridgerton deserves it's own circle of hell for what it does to Regency fashion. Seeing as Starz has run through a fair portion of Philippa Gregory's back catalog, they've turned to other sources over the years, most notably Diana Gabaldon and her Outlander empire with the odd historical text thrown in. And each and every one of these shows I've devoured, even if sometimes Starz has let their audiences down by cancelling remarkable shows even after they've "renewed" them. I will forever lament Becoming Elizabeth and Dangerous Liaisons. Though I will say I don't know how Becoming Elizabeth could have continued after the death of Thomas Seymour, whereas my brother wanted it to last just long enough to watch Edward VI die. But seriously, both could have had Outlander level fanbases given the chance. Well, maybe that's stretching it, but I would have always tuned in. I first heard about Mary and George when Julianne Moore was on an episode of The Graham Norton Show. I don't remember what she was promoting, but she was talking about filming in England and my ears perked up. I was intrigued and when after a little research I saw Tony Curran was in the show I was going to watch it no matter what. It's Tony "I was Vincent van Gogh on Doctor Who" Curran for crying out loud! And yes, I apologize, I was totally ignorant as to who Nicholas Galitzine is, I now know better. This show is an odd one. It leans into the queerness and the lascivity of the English Court during the reign of James I which makes it more historically accurate and sets it apart from the crowd. The problem is you don't like a single character. You pity Tony Curran as James I, but Mary and George Villiers are nasty pieces of work. It's not just that Mary wants to protect her family, she's greedy for status and will get it however she can, even if that's pimping out her son to the king. Everyone is just lewd and unlikable, but I think that was entirely the point. You aren't supposed to like the monarchy, you're supposed to be shocked that people this fucked up are in control. And for that added dash of meta humor Nicola Walker as Elizabeth Hatton is sheer brilliance. She's there being snarky and calling everyone out. She is a gem in a pile of feces. But in the end the takeaway I was left with was this show perfectly melded the high art and the low. The bodily functions of copulation with cinematography that mimicked Rembrandt's greatest works. It might have been lewd, but oh how beautiful it was.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: And the Emmy Goes To, Doctor Who, Elizabeth Hatton, George Villiers, James I, Julianne Moore, Mary and George, Mary Villiers, Nicholas Galitzine, Nicola Walker, Rembrandt, Starz, The White Queen, Tony Curran

The British do love their holiday ghost stories, so it only makes sense that they took that tradition to the television. Starting in 1971 they started adapting ghost stories written by M.R. James for the holiday season starring acting luminaries such as Robert Hardy, Clive Swift, Peter Vaughan, Barbara Ewing, Lalla Ward, Denholm Elliott, and Peter Bowles. They even adapted a Charles Dickens tale before foolheartedly deciding to create their own original content. Two abysmal stories, "Stigma" and "The Ice House," seemed to put the nail in the coffin of this series. But it was so beloved, with fans clamoring for remastered releases and Blu-ray sets, that that wasn't the end. The show returned in 2005 going back to it's origins by adapting an M.R. James story, "A View from a Hill." Once again they brought in the top names in acting, starting with Pip Torrens, Greg Wise, John Hurt, and many others. After his adaptation of 'The Tractate Middoth" in 2013 Mark Gatiss took over the show delivering it once again on a yearly schedule starting with an original episode in 2018. Thankfully Simon Callow was able to make "The Dead Room" work whereas Peter Bowles had let "Stigma" flounder. But I think that wasn't just down to acting, I really do think it was the material. And Mark Gatiss, bless his heart, just somehow is able to embody a bygone era whereas the writers in the seventies had other ideas. Bad ideas. Incestous flora ideas. And seriously, what was with the blood just oozing out of that poor lady's pores? Aside from that one original episode all the episodes in what we shall call the revival for lack of a better word have been adapted from the work of M.R. James. Except for this past year's. This past year's was adapted from "Lot No. 249" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. This episode has it all, Kit Harington being a stuffy and incredulous nonbeliever of the supernatural, Freddie Fox being a fey and dangerous man who with longer hair unnervingly looks like his sister, and a man who may or may not be Sherlock Holmes played by John Heffernan, a man who should have definitely said no to that horrid Dracula adaptation by Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat, and in the coup de grace, a mummy who will deliver your coup de grace. This episode might just be my favorite among the revival episodes. Well, I do love a good haunting by mummy, and Conan Doyle, like the episode adapted from Dickens, seems to work a little better than the stories by M.R. James. I'm not saying there aren't genius episodes adapted from his work, they're just a little more nebulous, a little more open ended. Sometimes, even when dealing with the supernatural, you want a definitive ending, but if you're M.R. James how about some creepy kids wandering off eerily playing the hurdy-gurdy? You think I jest? Just watch "Lost Hearts" and I'll be over here laughing while you're unable to sleep. Sadly it looks like this tradition might be coming to an end due to budgetary concerns. While I only caught the revival episodes the last two years and was finally able to see the original run this year I think this fate is a shame. It's a tradition that survived whatever "The Ice House" was and I want it to continue for many many years to come. It's not like we're going to run out of material now is it? There's always a ghost story to tell for Christmas.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: A Ghost Story for Christmas, And the Emmy Goes To, Charles Dickens, Denholm Elliott, Freddie Fox, Kit Harington, Lot No. 249, M.R. James, Mark Gatiss, Mummy, Peter Bowles, Robert Hardy, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

A Dark and Secret Magic by Wallis Kinney
Published by: Alcove Press
Publication Date: October 8th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A warm, spellbinding tale about a witch and the secrets her coven has been keeping from her, with echoes of the classic Hades and Persephone story, in the tradition of Practical Magic and Witch of Wild Things.

Hecate Goodwin, Kate to her friends, has curated the perfect life as a hedge witch, living in a secluded cottage with only a black cat for company. She spends her days foraging herbs from the Ipswich forest, gardening, and creating tinctures to sell at the apothecary she owns. Most evenings pass without her speaking to another human being, an arrangement she quite prefers.

Kate's solitude is thrown into disarray when her older sister, Miranda, reaches out and asks her to host their coven's annual Halloween gathering. The day marks the beginning of the new year for witches and is also Kate's birthday. The pressure from her coven to make the evening memorable mounts as the event draws near. To complicate things further, a handsome man from Kate's past turns up at her cottage, asking for sanctuary. It is Kate's duty as a hedge witch to honor this request, much to her dismay. Matthew Cypher is no ordinary lost soul - he's a practitioner of forbidden magic who's tricked Kate once before, and her guard is up.

As she juggles Matthew's arrival and the preparations for Halloween, Kate comes across an old tome shrouded in dark magic. She is horrified when she realizes the blood-red inscription is written in familiar handwriting: her recently deceased mother's. Afraid to even touch the dark magic her mother secretly studied, Kate can turn only to Matthew for help. Her idealized memory of her mother begins to distort, and as she and Matthew grow closer, Kate has to reevaluate whom she can really trust.

A Dark and Secret Magic is a celebration of the Halloween season and a love letter to anyone who drinks pumpkin spice in August and carries the spirit of a witch inside their heart all year long."

The book that has all the seasonal vibes you are looking for.

The Witches of El Paso by Luis Jaramillo
Published by: Atria/Primero Sueno Press
Publication Date: October 8th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A lawyer and her elderly great-aunt use their supernatural gifts to find a lost child in this richly imagined and empowering story of motherhood, magic, and legacy in the vein of The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina and La Hacienda.

If you call to the witches, they will come.

1943, El Paso, Texas: teenager Nena spends her days caring for the small children of her older sisters, while longing for a life of freedom and adventure. The premonitions and fainting spells she has endured since childhood are getting worse, and Nena worries she'll end up like the scary old curandera down the street. Nena prays for help, and when the mysterious Sister Benedicta arrives late one night, Nena follows her across the borders of space and time. In colonial Mexico, Nena grows into her power, finding love and learning that magic always comes with a price.

In the present day, Nena's grandniece, Marta, balances a struggling legal aid practice with motherhood and the care of the now ninety-three-year-old Nena. When Marta agrees to help search for a daughter Nena left in the past, the two forge a fierce connection. Marta's own supernatural powers emerge, awakening her to new possibilities that threaten the life she has constructed."

THE book I've been hearing everyone talk about this fall. I know you want into that bookish conversation... 

The Wedding Witch by Erin Sterling
Published by: Avon Books
Publication Date: October 8th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 288Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The New York Times bestselling author of The Ex Hex and The Kiss Curse brightens up the Winter Solstice with another delightfully spooky novel following Bowen Penhallow and the girl he feels strangely drawn to - especially when she becomes his only hope of salvation after a strong spell sends them to a Yuletide celebration...more than 50 years in the past.

Bowen Penhallow has always been a loner, studying dark and ancient magic on a mountaintop in Wales. He prefers it that way. But when his friend Colin - who happens to be a ghost - asks him to attend a Yuletide wedding at a grand estate deep in the Welsh countryside, Bowen reluctantly agrees.

Tamsyn Bligh is not a witch, but she makes her living off of them. As a procurer and seller of magical items, Tamsyn's business is not always above board, but she's been trying to fix that (mostly.) Bowen is an occasional customer - as well as the star of several of Tamsyn's dirtiest dreams - but she's been around enough witches to know that, as a human, getting involved with one is not the smartest idea. She's finagled an invite to the Witchy Wedding of the Century in the hopes of finally making a score big enough to retire. Just one priceless magical artifact from Tywyll House would set her up for life.

But Tamsyn isn't the only one sneaking about in Tywyll House, and the mix of a very strong spell combined with a wedding mishap transports Bowen and Tamsyn into Tywyll House's past, to the Yuletide Celebration of 1958. As Bowen and Tamsyn work together to get back to the present, they must also face off with the origins of Tywyll House's haunting, the suspicions of their fellow witches...oh, and the fact that somewhere between the mistletoe and the bonfire, they might be falling in love."

If you can't decide between your fall reading and your winter reading, consider this lovely compromise.

Odd Spirits by S.T. Gibson
Published by: Angry Robot
Publication Date: October 8th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 200 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Learn more about the characters from The Sunday Times bestselling author S.T. Gibson's Evocation in this gorgeously illustrated prequel novella to The Summoner's Circle series.

It takes a lot of commitment to make a marriage between a modern ceremonial magician and a tarot witch work, but when a malevolent entity takes up residence in Rhys and Moira's home, their love will be pushed to the limits. Brewing up a solution is easier said than done when your magical styles are polar opposites; throw a psychic ex and a secret society in the mix, and things are bound to get messy."

Don't worry if you haven't been drawn into S.T. Gibson's world yet... This is a PREQUEL afterall. 

The Book of Witching by C.J. Cooke
Published by: Berkley Books
Publication Date: October 8th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A mother must fight for her daughter's life in this fierce and haunting tale of witchcraft and revenge from the author of A Haunting in the Arctic.

Clem gets a call that is every mother's worst nightmare. Her nineteen-year-old daughter Erin is unconscious in the hospital after a hiking trip with her friends on the remote Orkney Islands that met a horrifying end, leaving her boyfriend dead and her best friend missing. When Erin wakes, she doesn't recognize her mother. And she doesn't answer to her name, but insists she is someone named Nyx.

Clem travels the site of her daughter's accident, determined to find out what happened to her. The answer may lie in a dark secret in the history of the Orkneys: a woman wrongly accused of witchcraft and murder four centuries ago. Clem begins to wonder if Erin's strange behavior is a symptom of a broken mind, or the effects of an ancient curse?"

It's so a curse right? Please say curse!

Red in Tooth and Claw by Lish McBride
Published by: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: October 8th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A dark young adult Western fantasy about a teen in a remote settlement full of monsters and secrets.

Faolan Kelly's grandfather is dead. She's alone in the world and suddenly homeless, all because the local powers that be don't think a young man of sixteen is mature enough to take over his grandfather's homestead...and that's with them thinking Faolan is a young man. If she revealed that her grandfather had been disguising her for years, they would marry her off at the first opportunity.

The mayor finds a solution that serves everyone but Faolan: He hires a gunslinger to ship her off to the Settlement, a remote fort where social outcasts live under the leadership of His Benevolence Gideon Dillard. It's a place rife with mystery, kept afloat by suspicious wealth. Dillard's absolute command over his staff just doesn't seem right. And neither do the strange noises that keep Faolan up at night.

When Faolan finds the body of a Settlement boarder, mangled by something that can't possibly be human, it's clear something vicious is stalking the palisades. And as Settlement boarders continue to drop like flies, Faolan knows she must escape to evade the creature's wrath."

Such a fan of Lish McBride!

This Cursed House by Del Sandeen
Published by: Berkley Books
Publication Date: October 8th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In this Southern Gothic horror debut, a young Black woman abandons her life in 1960s Chicago for a position with a mysterious family in New Orleans, only to discover the dark truth: They're under a curse, and they think she can break it.

In the fall of 1962, twenty-seven-year-old Jemma Barker is desperate to escape her life in Chicago - and the spirits she has always been able to see. When she receives an unexpected job offer from the Duchon family in New Orleans, she accepts, thinking it is her chance to start over.

But Jemma discovers that the Duchon family isn't what it seems. Light enough to pass as white, the Black family members look down on brown-skinned Jemma. Their tenuous hold on reality extends to all the members of their eccentric clan, from haughty grandmother Honorine to beautiful yet inscrutable cousin Fosette. And soon the shocking truth comes out: The Duchons are under a curse. And they think Jemma has the power to break it.

As Jemma wrestles with the gift she's run from all her life, she unravels deeper and more disturbing secrets about the mysterious Duchons. Secrets that stretch back over a century. Secrets that bind her to their fate if she fails."

The real question is, why did Jemma think there'd be less spirits in New Orleans?

The Black Hunger by Nicholas Pullen
Published by: Redhook
Publication Date: October 8th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A spine-tingling, queer Gothic horror debut where two men are drawn into an otherworldly spiral, and a journey that will only end when they reach the darkest part of the human soul.

John Sackville will soon be dead. Shadows writhe in the corners of his cell as he mourns the death of his secret lover and as the gnawing hunger inside him grows impossible to ignore.

He must write his last testament before it is too late.

The story he tells will take us to the darkest part of the human soul. It is a tale of otherworldly creatures, ancient cults, and a terrifying journey from the stone circles of Scotland to the icy peaks of Tibet.

It is a tale that will take us to the end of the world."

I love books that are basically deathbed confessions of monsters people have unwittingly become.

Lesser Ruins by Mark Haber
Published by: Coffee House Press
Publication Date: October 8th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 296 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the author of Reinhardt's Garden and Saint Sebastian's Abyss comes a breathless new novel of delirious obsession.

Bereft after the death of his ailing wife, a retired professor has resumed his life's work - a book that will stand as a towering cathedral to Michel de Montaigne, reframing the inventor of the essay for the modern age. The challenge is the litany of intrusions that bar his way - from memories of his past to the nattering of smartphones to his son's relentless desire to make an electronic dance album.

As he sifts through the contents of his desk, his thoughts pulsing and receding in a haze of caffeine, ghosts and grievances spill out across the page. From the community college where he toiled in vain to an artists' colony in the Berkshires, from the endless pleasures of coffee to the finer points of Holocaust art, the professor's memories churn with sculptors, poets, painters, and inventors, all obsessed with escaping both mediocrity and themselves.

Laced with humor as acrid as it is absurd, Lesser Ruins is a spiraling meditation on ambition, grief, and humanity's ecstatic, agonizing search for meaning through art."

I'm here for all of this, but mainly the professor struggling with his son's ambitions with EDM!

Cross Bones by Tracy Whitwell
Published by: Pan
Publication Date: October 8th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 272 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"There's a queue at her door, and not all of them are living...

When Tanz, the accidental medium, is asked to help in the search for a missing woman, she finds herself at the Cross Bones Graveyard in London's Southwark. From the outset it's obvious there is unrest among the spirits who call this place their home, and now Tanz is right in the middle of it. What's more, she now finds her 'so-called gift' is even stronger than it was and the dead really want to talk! Couple this with performing a play that could wreck her acting career for good, and a growing attraction to a police officer who happens to be a lot younger than her, and life is very complicated. But when the dead become restless Tanz can't ignore them, and a mystery needs solving. So is she strong enough to come out the other side?

Cross Bones is the third book in a hilarious series featuring Tanz, the accidental medium who, with the help of the dead, has become an unwilling crime-solver."

I mean, if you haven't come across this series yet, now's the perfect time to give it a go!

A Christmas Ghost Story by Kim Newman
Published by: Titan Books (UK)
Publication Date: October 8th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 160 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the acclaimed author of Anno Dracula, the perfect gift for those who love the dark fantastic imaginations of Neil Gaiman and T. Kingfisher, this is a nightmarish tale of a haunted Christmas set deep in the British countryside not too long ago. Cosy traditions are made twisted and terrifying as a mother and son grapple with their painful past.

December 1st. Angie and her teenage son Rust prepare for Christmas, stringing fairy lights around their isolated home on the Somerset levels and decorating a tree with traditional ornaments. The first door of the advent calendar is opened, but the chocolate inside tastes off. Rust receives his first Christmas card; it's unsigned, and the message is 'pinch, punch... first of the month'. The robin chirruping on a bough in a snowy woodland picture looks like a nasty piece of work.

The cards keep coming, one each day and each more sinister than the last, and a frightened Angie recalls 'The Cards' - a seasonal TV show from her childhood that featured similar happenings, and while she remembers it vividly, there is no evidence that it was ever broadcast...

Christmas cheer is gradually poisoned, with cruels instead of carols, the turkey rotting in the fridge, unwelcome visits from the Merciless Gentlemen and the Jingle Basterds, and Rust becoming increasingly unwell. Angie begins to wonder if her childhood Christmases were in fact as joy filled as she remembers...

A frightening tale of seasonal dread from the acclaimed author of Anno Dracula. Cosy traditions are made twisted and terrifying as a mother and son grapple with their painful past."

THIS! This right here is my ideal Christmas reading. And yes, it's the top of my "to be read" pile for this holiday season.

The Christmas Jigsaw Murders by Alexandra Benedict
Published by: Poisoned Pen Press
Publication Date: October 8th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A puzzling new Christmas mystery from USA Today bestselling author Alexandra Benedict!

Rest. In. Pieces.

On 1st of December, renowned puzzle setter, loner, and Christmas curmudgeon Edie O'Sullivan finds a hand-delivered present on her doorstep. Unwrapping it, she finds a jigsaw box and, inside, six jigsaw pieces. When fitted together, the pieces show part of a crime scene - blood-spattered black and white tiles and part of an outlined body. Included in the parcel is a message: 'Four, maybe more, people will be dead by midnight on Christmas Eve, unless you can put all the pieces together and stop me.' It's signed, Rest In Pieces.

Edie contacts her nephew, DI Sean Brand-O'Sullivan, and together they work to solve the clues. But when a man is found near death with a jigsaw piece in his hand, Sean fears that Edie might be in danger and shuts her out of the investigation. As the body count rises, however, Edie knows that only she has the knowledge to put together the killer's murderous puzzle.

Only by fitting all the pieces together will Edie be able to stop a killer - and finally lay her past to rest."

Reading Alexandra Benedict's newest book is a tradition for me, so I've got this one all queued up in the pile.

Killing Time by M.C. Beaton with R.W. Green
Published by: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: October 8th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 256 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Beloved New York Times bestseller M. C. Beaton's cranky, crafty Agatha Raisin - the star of her own hit T.V. series - is back on the case again.

Agatha Raisin's private detective agency has their work cut out for them when a series of shop burglaries disturbs their quiet Cotswolds village. When the break-ins take a violent turn and a murder occurs, it's all hands on deck to find the killer. As if that weren't keeping Agatha busy enough, Sir Charles Fraith has called on her to help stage a glamorous promotional extravaganza on the grounds of his ancestral home, Barfield House.

When Agatha begins to receive death threats and narrowly avoids being kidnapped, she takes advantage of a previously arranged trip to Mallorca with her recent paramour, former police officer John Glass, to lie low for a while.

Can Agatha track down whoever it is that wants her dead, nail the murderer, and keep her romance alive too? It's a race against the clock as the Cotswolds' favorite PI rushes to put the pieces together before the seconds run out."

I like to think that while M.C. Beaton's death didn't affect new books coming out every year that perhaps my mom's death didn't stop her from reading the latest Agatha Raisin or Hamish Macbeth.

The Last One at the Wedding by Jason Rekulak
Published by: Flatiron Books
Publication Date: October 8th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the bestselling author of Hidden Pictures comes a breathtaking work of suspense about a father trying to save his daughter from a life-altering decision that will put everything he loves on the line.

Frank Szatowski is shocked when his daughter, Maggie, calls him for the first time in three years. He was convinced that their estrangement would become permanent. He's even more surprised when she invites him to her upcoming wedding in New Hampshire. Frank is ecstatic, and determined to finally make things right.

He arrives to find that the wedding is at a private estate - very secluded, very luxurious, very much out of his league. It seems that Maggie failed to mention that she's marrying Aidan Gardner, the son of a famous tech billionaire. Feeling desperately out of place, Frank focuses on reconnecting with Maggie and getting to know her new family. But it's difficult: Aidan is withdrawn and evasive; Maggie doesn't seem to have time for him; and he finds that the locals are disturbingly hostile to the Gardners. Frank needs to know more about this family his daughter is marrying into, but if he pushes too hard, he could lose Maggie forever.

An edge-of-your-seat thriller that delves deep into the heart of one family, The Last One at the Wedding is a work of brilliant suspense from a true modern master."

Dammit, I so want to read this. Come on Flatiron Books, approve me on NetGalley!

My Darlings by Marie Still
Published by: Rising Action
Publication Date: October 8th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"ABC's Desperate Housewives meets HBO's Dexter, My Darlings, a chilling suburban noir set in the deceptively serene Washington D.C. suburbs, where a respected philanthropist and PTO president's secret life as a serial killer enthralls readers seeking a deep, psychological thrill.

No one was supposed to know. I've always been so careful. My Darlings, how did we get here?

Evil lurks behind the perfectly manicured lawns, ornate iron gates, and long winding driveways of affluent D.C. - but not for long.

Stay-at-home mom Eloise Williams is PTO president and a respected local philanthropist who sits on the boards of many distinguished charities. In addition to being a doting wife and mother, she is also a serial killer.

But Eloise isn't the only lady in society playing a part. As the hidden lives of Eloise's inner circle are exposed, the body count rises. When stalkers becomes prey, Eloise desperately clings to control.

Money and power can only buy influence and safety for so long. Eventually, the curtains lift, exposing the chilling reality hiding in plain sight."

I mean, it totally makes sense that a housewife would go all killer.

The Puzzle Box by Danielle Trussoni
Published by: Random House
Publication Date: October 8th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Two sisters. A lost imperial treasure. The world's greatest puzzle master has twenty-four hours to solve the most dangerous mystery of his life...or die trying, in the new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Puzzle Master, hailed as "thrilling" by David Baldacci.

It is the Year of the Wood Dragon, and the ingenious Mike Brink has been invited to Tokyo, Japan, to open the legendary Dragon Box.

The box was constructed during one of Japan's most tumultuous periods, when the samurai class was disbanded and the shogun lost power. In this moment of crisis, Emperor Meiji locked a priceless Imperial secret in the Dragon Box. Only two people knew how to open the box - Meiji and the box's sadistic constructor - and both died without telling a soul what was inside or how to open it.

Every twelve years since then, in the Year of the Dragon, the Imperial family holds a clandestine contest to open the box. It is devilishly difficult, filled with tricks, booby traps, poisons, and mind-bending twists. Every puzzle master who has attempted to open it has died in the process.

But Brink is not just any puzzle master. He may be the only person alive who can crack it. His determination is matched only by that of two sisters, descendants of an illustrious samurai clan, who will stop at nothing to claim the treasure.

Brink's quest launches him on a breakneck adventure across Japan, from the Imperial Palace in Tokyo to the pristine forests of Hakone to an ancient cave in Kyushu. In the process, he discovers the power of Meiji's hidden treasure, and - more crucially - the true nature of his extraordinary talent."

Oh, is he a descendent of the box's constructor? The sadist!

The Bloodstained Doll by John Everson
Published by: Flame Tree Press
Publication Date: October 8th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The latest homage to the Italian Giallo film genre by award winning John Everson, with nods to the sensational movies of Dario Argento, Lucio Fulci, Sergio Martino, Luciano Ercoli, Mario Bava and more.

When Allyson's mom dies unexpectedly, she thinks her world has hit rock bottom. But that's before she goes to live with her estranged Uncle Otto in Germany. When a child's empty casket is unearthed in the backyard during a violent storm, suddenly people close to her uncle start turning up dead. Is there a connection? As the noose tightens and murders draw closer to Berger Mansion, Allyson and her new boyfriend Andrew discover a dark truth hidden in the attic. Soon their lives are at stake if they don't discover why each broken body is decorated with a Bloodstained Doll.

A modern Giallo, building on Everson's previous homage to the stylish Italian mystery thrillers, Five Deaths for Seven Songbirds."

I adore the Kill Bill vibes of the cover.

The Murderess by Laurie Notaro
Published by: Little a
Publication Date: October 8th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 380 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From #1 New York Times bestselling author Laurie Notaro comes a haunting true-crime novel about Winnie Ruth Judd, one of the twentieth century's most notorious and enigmatic killers.

It's October 1931. When Winnie Ruth Judd arrives at the Los Angeles train station from Phoenix, her shipping trunks catch the attention of a suspicious porter. By the time they're pried open, revealing the dismembered bodies of two women inside, Ruth has disappeared into the crowd.

The search for, and eventual apprehension of, the Trunk Murderess quickly becomes a headline-making sensation. Even the Phoenix murder house is a sideshow attraction. The one question on everyone's lips: How could a twenty-six-year-old reverend's daughter and doctor's wife - petite, pretty, well educated, and poised - commit such a heinous act on two people she'd called "my dearest friends in the world"? Everyone has their theories and judgments, but no one knows the whole truth.

What unfolds in this gripping work of true-crime fiction is a collision of jealousy, drug addiction, insanity, rage, and inescapable choices. At its heart, a condemned and tragic mystery woman whose trial - and its shocking twists - will make history."

I don't know why this crime strikes a chord in me, I've heard about it somewhere. Which means I need to read this book to find out why...

Divine Mortals by Amanda M. Helander
Published by: Disney Hyperion
Publication Date: October 8th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Mona can name anyone's soulmate - but she'll do anything to avoid being matched with her own. Especially when she learns he's the king.

Blessed by the gods, Mona Arnett has the unique ability to divine soulmates, but she refuses to seek out her own - until she learns the king is dying without an heir, threatening the royal line and the world's access to magic. Tasked with naming his future queen, Mona discovers the king's soulmate is...her.

A royal match is the last thing Mona wants - especially when she starts falling for the king's closest advisor - so she lies, cheats, and contends with scheming gods to hide the truth. But when this high-stakes game of thrones leads to murder, survival and the fate of the kingdom will depend on her finding the courage to face her destiny.

Delightful wit, spellbinding prose, and a flawed, funny protagonist you'll love from page one make this debut fantasy a must-read."

I mean, I totally get not wanting anything to do with royalty. It's just too precarious.

The Restaurant of Lost Recipes by Hisashi Kashiwai
Published by: G.P. Putnam's Sons
Publication Date: October 8th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 224 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"We all hold lost recipes in our hearts. A very special restaurant in Kyoto helps find them...

Tucked away down a Kyoto backstreet lies the extraordinary Kamogawa Diner, run by Chef Nagare and his daughter, Koishi. The father-daughter duo have reinvented themselves as "food detectives," offering a service that goes beyond cooking mouth-watering meals. Through their culinary sleuthing, they revive lost recipes and rekindle forgotten memories.

From the Olympic swimmer who misses his estranged father's bento lunchbox to the one-hit-wonder pop star who remembers the tempura she ate to celebrate her only successful record, each customer leaves the diner forever changed - though not always in the ways they expect...

The Kamogawa Diner doesn't just serve meals - it's a door to the past through the miracle of delicious food. A beloved bestseller in Japan, The Restaurant of Lost Recipes is a tender and healing novel for fans of Before the Coffee Gets Cold."

Can I go there? I really mean it. I seriously need to go there. Especially if that adorable cat is present.

The Spamalot Diaries by Eric Idle
Published by: Crown Publishing Group (NY)
Publication Date: October 8th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 208 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From comedy legend Eric Idle, the fascinating inside story of bringing Monty Python and the Holy Grail to Broadway as the unlikely theatrical hit Spamalot.

On March 17, 2005, Spamalot debuted on Broadway to rapturous reviews for its star-studded creative team, including creators Eric Idle and John du Prez, director Mike Nichols, and stars Hank Azaria, David Hyde Pierce, Sara Ramirez, Tim Curry, and more. But long before the show was the toast of Broadway and the winner of three Tony Awards, it was an idea threatening to fizzle out before it could find its way into existence.

Now, in The Spamalot Diaries, Eric Idle shares original journal entries and raw email exchanges - all featuring his whip-smart wit - that reveal the sometimes bumpy, always entertaining path to the show's unforgettable run. In the months leading up to that opening night, financial anxieties were high with a low-ceiling budget and expectations that it would take two years to break even. Collaborative disputes put decades-long friendships to the test. And the endless process of rewriting was a task as passionate as it was painstaking. Still, there's nothing Idle would change about that year. Except for the broken ankle. He could do without the broken ankle.

Chronicling every minor mishap and triumph along the way, as well as the creative tension that drove the show to new heights, The Spamalot Diaries is an unforgettable look behind the curtain of a beloved musical and inside the wickedly entertaining mind of one of our most treasured comic performers."

I am happy to say that I was there in March 2005, trying to help this show on it's two year journey to breaking even.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Alexandra Benedict, C.J. Cooke, Del Sandeen, Eric Idle, Erin Sterling, Jason Rekulak, Kim Newman, Lish McBride, Luis Jaramillo, M.C. Beaton, Mark Haber, Nicholas Pullen, S.T. Gibson, Tracy Whitwell, Wallis Kinney

Back in the nineties everyone was obsessed with the new adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice with moist Colin Firth. I wasn't an exception to this rule, I was fully committed, six tape VHS boxset and all watched over and over again. But there were two other period pieces I gravitated towards more often, mainly because you could always stumble across one or the other in the middle of the night on upper cable channels. I'm talking about Louisa May Alcott's The Inheritance and Edith Wharton's The Buccaneers. For years I didn't know what either was called, in my mind it was TV movie with mom from Family Ties with Greg from Dharma and Greg and the miniseries with girl from Son in Law. And yes, that's the Pauly Shore movie. I don't think it was until the advent of Netflix that I was finally able to watch all of The Buccaneers in order, but I loved watching it knowing so much of the cast from other shows I loved. I recently had time to rewatch it and the ending left me cold. The women were pushed aside for the men to take center stage which narratively made absolutely no sense at all. Which made me super excited when I heard that Apple was going to be making a new adaptation of the Wharton book. And not to put to fine a point on it, but she never finished the book so there's a lot of liberties you can take, which Apple of course was quick to capitalize on, hello Lesbians! But I was also worried, would they go all Gossip Girl with this? Or, horror of horrors, Bridgerton? And while yes, you could see they were veering toward the wisteria laden land of the Bridgertons, thankfully without trying to pass off modern music as "art," there was actually a more Clueless vibe. I had hope. At least in the beginning. I was baffled by them starting the show quite far into the story and making Saratoga Springs out to be like it's in the sticks, when it wasn't, it was about new money versus old money, and then there was the swapping of character traits and backstories in an attempt to make it fresh. OK, I can kind of see where you're going, but the main problem was they created this to be a series so while the adaptation in the nineties covered ground fairly quickly here, once the girls get to England, the story stagnates. Nothing happens. They brood over their lives and then get together and scream. A lot. There's a lot of childish hen night behavior used to pad the episodes. And Nan's courtship would never drap on this long. The episode though that broke me was the Christmas episode. Nan's love interest looks like he's wearing Colin Firth's sweater from Bridget Jones's Diary. In the library there's a globe with Alaska on it. And then to add insult to injury, they take the loving governess Miss Testvalley and turn her into Mary Kay Letourneau. It's not spelled out, but given how her three charges turned out, I think she sexually abused them all, preying on them from the shadows. It's just so fucking creepy. There could have been depth here but there's no depth at all, it's all lets run around and giggle without evolving. And as for the "ending!?!" Nan gives everything up for her evil sister? Nope. No way. That's it for me. The least I expected was a reveal that Miss Testvalley was Nan's mother, instead Miss Testvalley is a pedophile and they decided to do a Dynasty and hold the reveal of Nan's mother until next season to see if they can get a big name star. My advice to anyone offered this role? Run, don't walk. You do not want to be involved in this trainwreck.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: And the Emmy Goes To, Bridgerton, Bridget Jones's Diary, Clueless, Colin Firth, Dynasty, Edith Wharton, Gossip Girl, Jane Austen, Lesbians, Mary Kay Letourneau, Pedophile, Pride and Prejudice, The Buccaneers

The Goosebumps series by R.L. Stine started in summer 1992. Seeing as I viewed myself as a sophisticated adult because I was just about to start high school I wasn't the target demographic. That would have been my brother who is four years younger than me. He loved authors like John Bellairs, so of course this fell into his wheelhouse. He wasn't a fanatic because his main loves were video games and WWF and WCW wrestling, but I remember him having a few books on his shelves, particularly Night of the Living Dummy. One thing R.L. Stine gets is what Rod Serling did before him, and that's that dummies are terrifying. Which is lucky, because this season is all about Stine's evil dummy. For the most part. It's about how the dummy has influenced, one might even say destroyed, two generations in Port Lawrence, Washington. The problem is it's hard to categorize this show, there's a nostalgia element but there's a lot of cheese too. You have horrific moments and then you have Justin Long doing some of the most insane physical humor you will ever see as the dummy possesses him. There's no inbetween. And the show isn't able to find a common ground. It doesn't know what it wants to be and I think this is because it's made by Disney. It wants to reach the widest audience possible so it hedges its bets. When it could go dark it goes funny, when it could go terrifying it goes gross. In that regard it does kind of want to be Buffy the Vampire Slayer, even with an alum of that show, the late and unlamented Forrest. But here's the thing, even Buffy wasn't able to find the sweet spot in telling a story about an evil dummy. The season one episode "The Puppet Show" is one of those ones if I was a person who skipped episodes when rewatching favorite shows I just might skip. It's a shame Sid had to show up in the second Buffy video game, because he's a horrible fighter, but it is what it is. What I'm trying to say is that it's like a once in a lifetime situation to get this balance right and in the end Goosebumps failed. I was willing to give it the benefit of the doubt, because there are solid episodes here, but the finale left me cold. Instead of bringing our Port Lawrence Scooby Gang together to vanquish the big bad instead we get a rambling episode about the origins of the dummy. We're in Egypt and traveling circuses, we're far away from our core cast. The town then gets possessed by the dummy and everyone has makeup like the henchmen from the Buffy musical as my brother pointed out. And I guess they win, it's very convoluted and Justin Long appears to still be possessed at the end and that's where we're left. Because while the show was renewed it was renewed as an anthology. So guess what? Next season we'll get new stories and characters that they might just as well leave on another cliffhanger. I mean, really!?! I invested my time in this uneven show and I'm not going to get closure!?! Not to mention that I feel like I need therapy because I realized I'm now the age of the parents of the teens on the show. At least the flashbacks to their high school years had the requisite amount of flannel. The flannel is all I have to comfort me now.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: And the Emmy Goes To, Anthology, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Cliffhanger, Disney, Dummy, Forrest, Goosebumps, Justin Long, Night of the Living Dummy, Nineties, R.L. Stine, Rod Serling, Scooby Gang, The Puppet Show