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Book Review: The Dead of Winter: Beware the Krampus and Other Wicked Christmas Creatures, by Sarah Clegg
Narration provided by Wondervox.
By Terri Schlichenmeyer
The Bookworm Sez“The Dead of Winter: Beware the Krampus and Other Wicked Christmas Creatures” by Sarah Clegg
c.2024, Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill
$22.00 208 pagesBreaking and entering.
It happens every Christmas in your neighborhood somewhere. An old guy with a long white beard busts into a few random houses, steals milk and cookies, and escapes before he can be apprehended. He’s not the only holiday mischief maker around, though. As in the new book, “The Dead of Winter” by Sarah Clegg, when it comes to Christmastime characters, you’d better watch out.
On a chilly Christmas Eve morning not long ago, Sarah Clegg left the warmth of her parents’ home and crept along the English countryside in search of witches.
Legend says that the morning before Christmas was the time when witches portended who in the village would die in the following year, but Clegg didn’t see that and she didn’t spot her prey.
No problem. She says, throughout history, “Christmas teems with monsters.”
Witches aside, she begins her search in February at Carnival in Venice, which she admits is an odd time to think about Christmas but Carnival’s masks and decadence hark back to what Christmas was in ancient times.
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Book Review: Box Office Poison: Hollywood’s Story in a Century of Flops, by Tim Robey
By Terri Sclichenmeyer
The Bookworm Sez“Box Office Poison: Hollywood’s Story in a Century of Flops” by Tim Robey
c.2024, Hanover Square Press #32.99 336 pagesIt was a little hard to swallow.
In fact, the premise of the entire flick stunk up the room and stuck in your craw until you could barely stand watching anymore. Ugh, no matter how much popcorn you stuffed in your mouth, no matter how many refills of soda you drank, as in the new book “Box Office Poison” by Tim Robey, some films just leave a bad taste in your mouth.
You know it when you see it: a movie that you regretted spending money on, and when you learn about the budgets for those stinkeroos, you’re astounded. Obviously, says film critic Robey, money (or lack thereof) indicates nothing. Think Titanic, which was expected “to be a fiasco” despite its budget; or The Blair Witch Project, which was “made for peanuts” and was also a box-office success.
And then there are the films that should just, straight-up “be fed to the wolves headfirst…”
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Featured Book: The ABCs of Storytelling: Reflections of a Story Coach, by Dr. Michael Williams
Narration provided by Wondervox.
I had the great pleasure of taking a Guided Autobiography certification course with Dr. Michael Williams as a fellow student. He has subsequently published a truly wonderful, slim volume on the craft of being a professional storyteller. I loved this book! As a workshop instructor myself now and an author of fiction, I highly recommend it. However we choose to tell stories, this book will enhance our understanding of the craft, and enlighten us in the ways of communication through words and actions. I’ve added it to my must-read list for longtime, beginner, and aspiring writers, as well as those magical beings we call storytellers.
About The ABCs of Storytelling
The ABCs of Storytelling contains 26 reflections on the art of oral storytelling from Story Coach Michael Williams. Dr. Williams learned the traditional art of oral storytelling during his 30 years of living in Scotland where he was a member of the Scottish Storytelling Directory and a popular performer and workshop facilitator. In 2005, he exchanged his teaching career for a life as an itinerant storyteller and story coach, working with adults and young people. His reflections have been gathered from his experiences as both a performer and coach working with individuals, community groups, and corporate clients. His book offers the beginner and experienced storyteller a range of tips, techniques, and reflections on this traditional art. Dr. Williams’ reflections capture the spirit of telling stories “eye to eye, mind to mind, and heart to heart.”
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Book Review: William, by Mason Coile
By Terri Schlichenmeyer
The Bookworm Sez“William” by Mason Coilec.2024, Putnam $27.00 224 pages
The second the door shut, you knew where your keys were.
Not in your hands. No, they were on the kitchen table.
So you locked yourself out but no worries, your smart phone is tied to your door locks. Your house alarm is, too, as are the lights and the coffeemaker. Technology is a wonderful thing, isn’t it? Although, as in the new novel “William” by Mason Coile, having certain “smart” devices can be a dumb idea.
Once upon a time, Henry had a loving wife and a happy life.
Where did everything go wrong? Why did his wife treat him with such disdain? Was it because of the new baby coming, and Lily’s feelings about it? No, their problems undoubtedly stemmed from Henry’s agoraphobia; they hadn’t left the house together in months. Henry was only really comfortable within the confines of their expensive, uber-safety-enhanced Victorian-era home, in his attic laboratory, his creative space.
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Book Review: Don’t Let the Devil Ride, by Ace Atkins
By Terri Schlichenmeyer
The Bookworm Sez“Don’t Let the Devil Ride” by Ace Atkins
c.2024, William Morrow $30.00 384 pagesSomething’s missing. And – wait, didn’t you just put it down?
Funny how that happens, isn’t it? You lay something in a safe place you’re sure you’ll remember but nope. It’s missing now but, like your mother used to say, it didn’t grow legs and walk off. As in the new novel, “Don’t Let the Devil Ride” by Ace Atkins, it’s around here somewhere.
Dean McKellar had left again.
It happened a couple years ago, but then, as his wife, Addison, remembered, he was only gone a few days. This time, it was a week with no contact. His phone went unanswered. His secretary offered no information. Addison’s brother, who worshiped the ground Dean walked on, had nothing to share. When she went to Dean’s office, Addy learned that another business rented that spot. How long could she protect their children, fourteen-year-old Sara Caroline, or nine-year-old Preston, from Dean’s unexplained absence?
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Book Review: Here We Go Again, by Alison Cochrun
By Terri Schlichenmeyer
The Bookworm Sez“Here We Go Again” by Alison Cochrun
c.2024, Atria $17.99 368 pages… Joe didn’t want to die surrounded by hospital walls. Would Logan and Rosemary drive him and his dog to Maine, to a cabin he owned? Would they spend time crammed side-by-side in a used van with a gay logo, keeping Joe alive, coast-to-coast? Could they do it without screaming the whole way?
Can you do me a solid?
Just one little favor, a quick errand, it won’t take long. You can do it next time you’re out, in fact. Consider it your good deed for the day, if it makes you feel better. A mitzvah. An indulgence to a fellow human. As in the new novel, “Here We Go Again” by Alison Cochrun, think of it as a life-changing thing.
She couldn’t remember the woman’s first name.
Did Logan Maletis really ever know it? Everybody at her job – administration, students, other teachers – called everyone else by their last name so the colleague she’d been hooking up with for weeks was just “Schaffer.” Whatever, Logan didn’t care and she wasn’t cold-hearted but when Savannah broke up with her in public, she did wonder if maybe, possibly, the awful names she called Logan were fair or true.
Rosemary Hale would’ve agreed with every single last one of those nasty names.
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Book Review: The Secret Lives of Booksellers and Librarians: True Stories of the Magic of Reading, by James Patterson and Matt Eversmann with Chris Mooney
By Terri Schlichenmeyer
The Bookworm Sezc.2024, Little, Brown $28.00 338 pages
Last night, you got between the covers and went to South America.
It wasn’t difficult. A few days ago, you walked around London in 1888; you were in the future before that; you’ve met con artists, florists, runaways, and heroines, and you didn’t even have to leave your house. You can experience many things with a book, and in “The Secret Lives of Booksellers and Librarians” by James Patterson and Matt Eversmann, you’ll read about a different kind of adventure.
“To be a bookseller,” say the authors, “you have to play detective.”
That means determining which book with a “blue cover” is the one the customer wants. It’s asking the right questions to find the right fit for young readers and assuring book lovers that “that’s okay” if they didn’t like something.
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Terri Schlichenmeyer’s Holiday Book Gift Guide (Fiction and Non-Fiction)
By Terri Schlichenmeyer
The Bookworm SezOne thin line.
There you are, you’ve just crossed off your last person, thereby finishing your Holiday Gift List for the year. But oops, you forgot that one hard-to-buy-for aunt, and you haven’t gotten anything for your babysitter. And, and, and… you’re out of ideas. So how about something to read? See if these great books don’t give you some guidance…
FICTION
The novel lover who’s always doing good things for other people may enjoy unwrapping “Just Do This One Thing for Me” by Laura Zimmermann (Dutton). It’s the story of a daughter who always does what her free-spirited mother asks of her – even if it gets her in trouble. Wrap it up with “Time’s Undoing” by Cheryl A. Head (Dutton), a novel about a woman who’s determined to learn how her great-grandfather died, and how what it means to her safety. Bonus: this book was based on the author’s own family history.
The reader who loves twisty tales of sister love and rivalry will want to unwrap “How to Care for a Human Girl” by Ashley Wurzbacher (Atria), the story of two sisters, two pregnancies, and a whole pile of resentments. Pair it up with “Before You Found Me” by Brooke Beyfuss (Sourcebooks). It’s a tale of choosing your family and sticking together.
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Halloween Books for Your Screaming Pleasure, by Various Authors
Narration provided by Wondervox.
By Terri Schlichenmeyer
The Bookworm SezHalloween Books for Your Screaming Pleasure
Various Authorsc.2023, various publishers
$12.99 – $27.00 various page countsWhat’s that noise?
Was it the scrape of a branch on the outside of your walls, or the brush of a wing or a fang or a talon? Was there a monster creeping outside your windows, or just the wind and leaves? This is a lousy time for the lights to go out, so grab a flashlight and one of these great new books…
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Book Review: Not Forever but For Now, by Chuck Palahniuk
By Terri Schlichenmeyer
The Bookworm SezNot Forever but For Now” by Chuck Palahniuk
c.2023, Simon & Schuster $25.99 256 pagesYou always wanted the family business.
Started by your grandfather, nurtured by your parents, aunts, and uncles, you hoped to be the next generation of caretakers to help it grow, succeed, and readied for its owners in the future. You trained all your life to take the reins of the Family Empire, and in the new book “Not Forever but For Now” by Chuck Palahniuk, you’ll do it, even if it kills you.
They were probably too big to be in a nursery, but he didn’t care.
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Book Review: The First Lady of World War II: Eleanor Roosevelt’s Daring Journey to the Frontlines and Back, by Shannon McKenna Schmidt
By Terri Schlichenmeyer
The Bookworm SezThe First Lady of World War II: Eleanor Roosevelt’s Daring Journey to the Frontlines and Back, by Shannon McKenna Schmidt
c.2023, Sourcebooks $26.99 336 pagesYou never were much of a homebody.
Not you, not when there were things to see, people to meet, places to go. If there was a get-together, you were there. A trail to explore, you grabbed your boots. Once upon a time, you’d go anywhere for an adventure even if, as in “The First Lady of World War II” by Shannon McKenna Schmidt, it took you straight into the mouth of danger.
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2 Big Gay Book Reviews: The Celebrants, by Steven Rowley, and Big Gay Wedding, by Byron Lane
What better way to review two books by married writers Steven Rowley and Byron Lane than together? It’s the start of Pride month, so let’s check out these reviews from husbands Rowley and Lane. – Mark/EditorBy Terri Schlichenmeyer
The Bookworm Sez
The Celebrants, by Steven Rowley
c.2023, Putnam $28.00 308 pagesEverybody will say nice things about you when you’re lying in a box in front of them.
They’ll say you were everyone’s friend, you were funny and wise, even when you weren’t. You were the greatest person ever, just the best – and don’t you wish they’d say those things now, while you’re alive to hear them? As in the new book “The Celebrants” by Steven Rowley, those sentiments might completely surprise you.