2012 Books 16-18
Two books I read to review for magazines, and so I can't publish the detailed reviews here:
Book 16: INK by Isabelle Rowan, isbn 9781613722534, 230 pages, Dreamspinner Press, $14.99
The Premise: Roman centurion Dominic drew his last human breath during the time of Hadrian. In the centuries since, he’s seen much of the world change around him, but the vampire finds himself held captive in Melbourne, Australia, by his fascination with young, passionate, fun-loving, and alive tattoo artist Michael Chapman. Unable to resist the lure of Michael’s beauty, Dominic finds himself entering the parlor to get a tattoo he knows will fade.
The attraction he feels only grows, and despite Dominic’s extreme reluctance to get involved with a human, he and Michael form a bond-a connection that all too soon attracts the attention of a dark specter from Dominic’s bloody past. Soon, a dangerous game of cat and mouse threatens not only the budding romance, but also their humanity.
My Rating: 3 stars
Book 17: BASEMENT OF WOLVES by David Allan Cox, isbn 978078513685, 192 pages, Arsenal Pulp Press, $15.95
The Premise (from the Goodreads page): In this taut, beautifully layered novel by Lambda Literary and Ferro-Grumley Award finalist Cox (Shuck, Krakow Melt), Michael-David is a paranoid actor who feels that fame has ruined him. When a film shoot with wolves for co-stars takes a troubling turn, he disappears shortly before the premiere and barricades himself in an L.A. hotel, convinced that he’s cursed and must ride it out in hiding. He begins to explore the hotel’s secret passageways with the help of a young skateboarder he befriends, away from the glare of the spotlight. Meanwhile, the film’s director, suspicious that Michael-David is having an affair with his ex, is trying to find him in time for the premiere. A long-dormant nicotine addiction leads him closer to the target and into the path of danger, while the olves also sniff out Michael-David for one final scene.
A work of dream logic, Basement of Wolves is a haunting and cinematic romp through the minefields of identity crisis.
My Rating: 3 stars
And a book I didn't finish:
Book 18: THE NOTICER by Andy Andrews, isbn 9780785232322, 167 pages, Thomas Nelson Publishers, $15.99
The Premise: When things look the darkest in Orange Beach, Alabama, a mysterious man named Jones has a miraculous way of showing up to communicate what he calls "a little perspective." "The Noticer" is a unique narrative blend of fiction, allegory, and inspiration.
My Rating: 1 star
Book 16: INK by Isabelle Rowan, isbn 9781613722534, 230 pages, Dreamspinner Press, $14.99
The Premise: Roman centurion Dominic drew his last human breath during the time of Hadrian. In the centuries since, he’s seen much of the world change around him, but the vampire finds himself held captive in Melbourne, Australia, by his fascination with young, passionate, fun-loving, and alive tattoo artist Michael Chapman. Unable to resist the lure of Michael’s beauty, Dominic finds himself entering the parlor to get a tattoo he knows will fade.
The attraction he feels only grows, and despite Dominic’s extreme reluctance to get involved with a human, he and Michael form a bond-a connection that all too soon attracts the attention of a dark specter from Dominic’s bloody past. Soon, a dangerous game of cat and mouse threatens not only the budding romance, but also their humanity.
My Rating: 3 stars
Book 17: BASEMENT OF WOLVES by David Allan Cox, isbn 978078513685, 192 pages, Arsenal Pulp Press, $15.95
The Premise (from the Goodreads page): In this taut, beautifully layered novel by Lambda Literary and Ferro-Grumley Award finalist Cox (Shuck, Krakow Melt), Michael-David is a paranoid actor who feels that fame has ruined him. When a film shoot with wolves for co-stars takes a troubling turn, he disappears shortly before the premiere and barricades himself in an L.A. hotel, convinced that he’s cursed and must ride it out in hiding. He begins to explore the hotel’s secret passageways with the help of a young skateboarder he befriends, away from the glare of the spotlight. Meanwhile, the film’s director, suspicious that Michael-David is having an affair with his ex, is trying to find him in time for the premiere. A long-dormant nicotine addiction leads him closer to the target and into the path of danger, while the olves also sniff out Michael-David for one final scene.
A work of dream logic, Basement of Wolves is a haunting and cinematic romp through the minefields of identity crisis.
My Rating: 3 stars
And a book I didn't finish:
Book 18: THE NOTICER by Andy Andrews, isbn 9780785232322, 167 pages, Thomas Nelson Publishers, $15.99
The Premise: When things look the darkest in Orange Beach, Alabama, a mysterious man named Jones has a miraculous way of showing up to communicate what he calls "a little perspective." "The Noticer" is a unique narrative blend of fiction, allegory, and inspiration.
My Rating: 1 star