Month: Dec 2023

Book Review: ‘A Study in Scarlet’ by Arthur Conan Doyle

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For the final book on my 2023 list, I chose Arthur Conan Doyle’s ‘A Study in Scarlet’.

I’ve had Stephen Fry’s narration of the Sherlock Holmes collection for years. But I never could find the time to listen. With my recent rediscovery of audiobooks, I decided to delve into these, one book at a time. I’ve always been a big fan of Fry’s—the man has a beautiful voice. His audiobook work seemed the next logical step.

I’m always wary of older books since teachers forced me to read Shakespeare and Dickens in school. Since choosing my reading material, I have stuck to the twentieth century and beyond. But Doyle’s work drew me in within a few pages. Of course, the language is old-fashioned. But his prose avoids the clutter typical of Victorian writings.

We meet Holmes and Watson as they first meet each other. He seems well-formed for the first story ever containing the detective. All his oddities and quirks that we all know are on display here. The story soon takes off with the discovery of a murdered man. What surprised me was the novel’s diversion into America. When I think of Holmes, narrow London streets—cobbles slick with rain—come to mind. And that is the case for half of this novel. But Doyle also explores the US and delves into the religion of the Latter-Day Saints.

If this is the start of the Holmes saga—a piece I expected to be the weakest—I understand why these books are so revered.

I look forward to journeying into the next one with Mr Fry sometime in 2024.

Book Review: ‘Sour Candy’ by Kealan Patrick Burke

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Kealan Patrick Burke’s ‘Sour Candy’ is the penultimate book on my 2023 reading list.

After devouring Hill’s gargantuan ‘NOS4A2’, I wanted something short and sharp. Burke’s novella fit the bill; others in horror book groups had recommended it all year.

The story follows a divorced, child-free man in a relationship with his girlfriend. One chance encounter in a supermarket and things soon go awry. The man finds himself in charge of a young child, who everyone insists is his son. This universal gaslighting terrified me, and Burke uses it to good effect. And it turns out that there is more to this child than screaming fits and a taste for strange candy brands.

‘Sour Candy’ uses its short length and does not overstay its welcome. Burke packs a lot into these eighty-or-so pages. A lot of it made me uncomfortable and squeamish. You’ll ask yourself throughout the book: can he get out of this alive?

Burke’s ‘Sour Candy’ works well if you need a quick, powerful slice of horror.

Book Review: ‘NOS4A2’ by Joe Hill

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I tackled Joe Hill’s ‘NOS4A2’ for my forty-third read of the year.

This book is epic with a capital ‘E’. It comes in shy of 1,000 pages. I started this a month ago, so it took me a while to get through it. With a reading goal of forty-five books this year, it wasn’t the smartest choice to tackle a few epics like this. But I couldn’t help it; they looked like fun reads! And they proved me right.

‘NOS4A2’ deals with a vampire who takes children to a place he calls ‘Christmasland’. You can see why I chose this time of year to tackle this behemoth. The title comes from the creature’s license plate on his old-fashioned Rolls Royce. Our protagonist, Vic, encounters the vampire as a child and survives. But later, when she is grown and has a child, the monster awakens from its slumber.

I adored this book. It reminded me of Stephen King’s epics, such as ‘It’. That makes sense, considering that Hill is King’s son. There are a few nods to his father’s works, but this is no mimicry or cheap copy. Joe Hill is himself, and ‘NOS4A2’ is a shining example of his creative powers. Considering the book is roughly 1,000 pages, it felt shorter. I read and liked Hill’s debut, ‘Heart-Shaped Box’ a few years back. As a writer, Hill has come on leaps and bounds since then.

I will look out for more of Hill’s work; this was a modern-day masterpiece.

Book Review: ‘Hail to the Chin’ by Bruce Campbell

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Bruce Campbell’s ‘Hail to the Chin’ was book forty-two of 2023.

I must have miscounted somewhere because I thought this was book forty-one! But it’s good to know I’m closer to my goal, even if I’m unlikely to reach it. (I set myself a target of forty-five books this year.)

I had listened to and loved his first autobiography, ‘If Chins Could Kill’. ‘Hail to the Chin’ follows where that book ended and explores the actor’s later career. As with Geddy Lee and his book ‘My Effin’ Life’, everyone who knows me knows that I love all Campbell’s work. From ‘Evil Dead’ to ‘Bubba Ho-Tep’, the man is a legend in campy, horror B-movie circles.

Listening to Lee’s autobiography via audiobook reignited my taste for the medium. Having loved Campbell’s early career tales, his second book seemed a no-brainer. And boy, was I right. Minutes in, as Campbell’s buttery smooth voice trickled out, I was already laughing.

The book covers Campbell’s personal life and hilarious anecdotes and behind-the-scenes peeks. For example, we learn about ‘My Name is Bruce’ and ‘Bubba Ho-Tep’. I’ve learned more about the movie and TV business from Mr Campbell than anywhere else. Ending on an optimistic note about ‘Ash vs Evil Dead’ stung a bit. The dramatic irony of knowing what would happen to the show. What can I say? I’m still not over Starz cancelling it.

If you like Campbell’s work, this is a must-read. Or a must-listen, depending on your favoured way of reading. Audiobook makes it somehow feel closer, listening to the man’s voice. Of course, you should read ‘If Chins Could Kill’ first if you haven’t already.

And if you don’t know who Campbell is, stop whatever you’re doing. Find copies of ‘Evil Dead’, ‘Evil Dead II’, and ‘Army of Darkness’.

Groovy.

Book Review: ‘My Effin’ Life’ by Geddy Lee

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Geddy Lee’s ‘My Effin’ Life’ was the next book of 2023.

Anyone who knows me well knows that I love Rush. Those three Canadian boys conjured up a particular type of prog rock for forty-odd years. Warm, intelligent, and rocking, Rush is everything I love about music. The recent loss of drummer, lyricist, and philosopher Neil Peart hit home hard. I am only seldom affected by a celebrity’s death—it’s not that it’s not sad, but my lack of knowing them creates a barrier. This distance was not the case with Peart’s death. His words, music, and approach to life burrowed deep into me and changed my outlook.

So, when I heard that bassist and vocalist Lee was penning a book about his life, it stoked me. It also thrilled me that he was narrating the audiobook himself. I always think that when writers narrate their work—fiction or nonfiction—it’s magic. So I knew that the way to experience ‘My Effin’ Life’ was via audiobook.

I like audiobooks, but I don’t love them. I have no issue with others consuming books this way—my wife listens to them daily. But I often find myself drifting off listening, as opposed to the focus required for reading words on a page. So, Lee’s book is the first audiobook I’ve listened to in years. A few minutes in, hearing the man’s beautiful voice rolling out of my headphones, I knew I’d chosen well.

Informative, well-written, hilarious, and heartbreaking, ‘My Effin’ Life’ was a joy. The tragedies that befell the trio—including those to the late, great Peart—hurt the heart. Even as I knew what was coming, I wished that what transpired would not come out of Lee’s mouth. A sort of willful twisting of reality to the way it should be and not the way it is. Alas, we all know the end of the story.

If you like Rush, give it a read. Or even better, give it a listen. And if you don’t know the band, do yourself a favour and binge their catalogue.

Then come back and listen to the man tell you the story.