First, let me apologize for totally forgetting to post last week. I was in Thanksgiving prep mode since I was hosting at my house. It completely slipped my mind! I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving (my U.S. readers, that is).
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Thursday, December 1, 2022
Cat Thursday - Christmas, Week One
Friday, November 18, 2022
Damnation and Cotton Candy by Alan S. Kessler - Review
The very first poem, Good Business, told me I was going to like this collection of poems. This poem is commentary on war being "Good Business" and the useless loss of life for greed. At least, that's what I gleaned from it. Very powerful.
The next standout for me was Waiting. I could not help but believe that this was Edgar Allan Poe himself in the grave. "He returned, not to her, but to belladonna's unfurling black cape. The drinking. The lost life. The forgotten grave."
Insanity was an insightful look into a homeless man's life. "Mothers hold their children close. Others don't see him. He shuffles mumbling."
Gram was very poignant. I did not have a grandmother that I was particularly close with (though I loved both of them), but my mom is a wonderful grandmother to my sons and to my sister's children. I could really see her in this poem. "But Gram loved me, rubbed my legs when they ached, hated the snake forever, the name she gave a 5 year old for pushing me once in a game."
The subtitle of this collection is "Poems best served with hot cocoa, melancholy, and a sharp knife." The latter part of the subtitle I believe is a nod toward some of the more scary poems in the collection. I was struck by The Head (for the kiddies) and Another Poem for the Little Ones (Best read at bedtime). Both brought to mind Stephen King coming-of-age stories, and while reading The Head, I was reminded of Ray Bradbury's Something Wicked This Way Comes.
A final mention, and the standout of the entire collection, in my opinion. A page with the title *Mother...a blank page, and then at the bottom "*Some poems don't require words."
Very much how I feel about my mom.
This collection was thought-provoking and memorable, and tugged at many heartstrings, and some fears too. I highly recommend it.
About the collection
The poetry in it is about war, climate, family, childhood, reality, illusion and ghosts — many ghosts; Includes statement poems in free verse and prose that are personal, political, sometimes painful; sometimes a surrealistic convergence of opposites: “…the gray rainbow trails of stone-eyed butterflies.”About the Author
Alan S. Kessler lives in Vermont with his wife, children, dog, and two cats. He’s authored six novels. Damnation and Cotton Candy is his first book of poetry.
Available on Amazon
Thursday, November 17, 2022
Cat Thursday - Holiday preparations
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Thursday, November 10, 2022
Cat Thursday: Authors and Cats (115) Jack Ketchum
The second Cat Thursday of each month is Authors and Cats Thursday. Each time I will feature an author (with a birthday during the month), pictured with their/a cat(s), or guest posts by cat loving authors who also (sometimes) write about cats.
A onetime actor, teacher, literary agent, lumber salesman, and soda jerk, Ketchum credited his childhood love of Elvis Presley, dinosaurs, and horror for getting him through his formative years. He began making up stories at a young age and explained that he spent much time in his room, or in the woods near his house, down by the brook: "[m]y interests [were] books, comics, movies, rock 'n roll, show tunes, TV, dinosaurs [...] pretty much any activity that didn't demand too much socializing, or where I could easily walk away from socializing." He would make up stories using his plastic soldiers, knights, and dinosaurs as the characters.
Later, in his teen years, Ketchum was befriended by Robert Bloch, author of Psycho, who became his mentor.
Ketchum worked many different jobs before completing his first novel (1980's controversial Off Season), including acting as agent for novelist Henry Miller at Scott Meredith Literary Agency.
His decision to eventually concentrate on novel writing was partly fueled by a preference for work that offered stability and longevity.
Ketchum died of cancer on January 24, 2018, in New York City at the age of 71. (from Goodreads)
Today is his birthday...in your memory, hope you are resting well.
Thursday, November 3, 2022
Cat Thursday - Vote!
If you live in the U.S., make your voice heard on November 8th and vote (if you haven't already).
Thursday, October 27, 2022
Cat Thursday: Halloween 2022 - Week Four
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Ending our Halloween month with a bang! Wishing you all a happy and safe Halloween on Monday...and Happy National Black Cat Day, which is today!
Saturday, October 22, 2022
Dewey's 24-Hour Readathon - October 2022
My reading stack...
How would you assess your reading overall? Not too bad. I actually read more than I have on previous readathons.
Did you have a strategy, and if so, did you stick to it? Nope, and nope.
What was your favorite snack? Oatmeal cranberry white chocolate cookies and Lofthouse sugar cookies
Did you have a strategy, and if so, did you stick to it? Nope, and nope.
What was your favorite snack? Oatmeal cranberry white chocolate cookies and Lofthouse sugar cookies
Full update below. Scroll down.
Mid-Event Survey
What are you reading right now? Once by James Herbert
How many books have you read so far? One
What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the readathon?
How many books have you read so far? One
What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the readathon?
Hoping I will get to Snow by Ronald Malfi, but just starting the book I was most looking forward to in the opening survey. lol
Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those?
Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those?
Interruptions happen. I've grown to accept this. Plus, I'm famous for getting distracted and frittering time away so interruptions never surprise me.
Opening Survey
1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today? Mt Pleasant, Michigan
2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to? Once by James Herbert
3) Which snack are you most looking forward to? Cranberry white chocolate cookies
4) Tell us a little something about yourself! Mom, Avid Reader, Writer, Cat Lover, Witch, FREETHINKER, Owner of a massive library ☽〇☾
1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today? Mt Pleasant, Michigan
2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to? Once by James Herbert
3) Which snack are you most looking forward to? Cranberry white chocolate cookies
4) Tell us a little something about yourself! Mom, Avid Reader, Writer, Cat Lover, Witch, FREETHINKER, Owner of a massive library ☽〇☾
Updating here and on Instagram (@truebookaddict) and possibly Facebook.
Updates
Currently reading:
In the House in the Dark of the Woods by Laird Hunt (finished before mid-event)
Reading a bit of this (one or two chapters)
and then...
I had to concede defeat before 7:00 am. Dashing this off, and going to sleep...until the Lions game comes on at 1:00 pm. lol
I read In the House in the Dark of the Woods by Laird Hunt (218 pages)
Once by James Herbert (200 of 382 pages)
I'll take it! I plan to continue reading later today, while the game is on, and beyond.
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