My Aim is True (Medium Raw) by Anthony Bourdain

The essay My Aim is True has to be one of my all-time favorites by the late, great Anthony Bourdain, who I affectionately have always referred to as my future ex-husband. I loved him in life and I love him in death. This essay, part of his collection of essays in the book Medium Raw, … Continue reading My Aim is True (Medium Raw) by Anthony Bourdain

The Maidens by Alex Michaelides

I'm a sucker for any fiction set in the world of college academia, and I don't know why. It's maybe that romantic, old-world sense I get when reading about Ivy League universities or the dreaming spires of Oxford. I suppose it's also because they are so removed from the very modern universities and colleges that … Continue reading The Maidens by Alex Michaelides

The Sixteen Pleasures by Robert Hellenga

Un uomo mediterraneo. Doesn't that have the loveliest ring to it? It translates from the Italian to "a Mediterranean man" but it means so much more than that bland phrase. Un uomo mediterraneo is elegant, dapper, romantic, tips his hat to ladies, dresses immaculately, does not rush through life but rather meanders joyfully, enjoys all … Continue reading The Sixteen Pleasures by Robert Hellenga

The Mummy, or Ramses the Damned by Anne Rice

Being the horror aficionado that I am, and having read so much horror literature in my life (good and bad), I feel pretty comfortable in my own literary criticism and analysis of the horror genre. Any horror writer worth his or her salt is going to prove their worth when they take on the typical … Continue reading The Mummy, or Ramses the Damned by Anne Rice

Episode 13 of “Cooking The Books” Podcast Now Available!

The latest episode of my podcast "Cooking The Books" just dropped! Lucky #13 and we're taking on the King of horror literature himself, talking about the book that is arguably his masterpiece and the equally iconic film version, and making some good comfort food that will get you through the winter at a haunted hotel, … Continue reading Episode 13 of “Cooking The Books” Podcast Now Available!

Johannes Cabal The Necromancer by Jonathan L. Howard

It's rare for me to find a book that I love on as many levels as I do Johannes Cabal The Necromancer. It's got a hero who sold his soul to Satan in order to gain knowledge of the occult and how to bring people back from the dead. It's got an evil, yet hilarious, … Continue reading Johannes Cabal The Necromancer by Jonathan L. Howard

My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell

No, I didn't read this book out of any type of name ego toward the title......ok, maybe I did a little. But that quickly went by the wayside as I traveled deeper into this very hard read. This book takes on the concept of what it truly means to be a victim in our society. … Continue reading My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell

Strange Highways: The Black Pumpkin by Dean Koontz

October is such a great month, isn't it? The brutal heat of summer is over and the crispness of autumn is upon us, we're getting ready for the holiday season, and it all kicks off with the creepy fun of Halloween. Being a former Goth chick, I still have a fondness in my heart for … Continue reading Strange Highways: The Black Pumpkin by Dean Koontz

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-García

I'm as guilty as the next person of judging. I judge wine by the label on the bottle, musical artists by genre, and of course, books by their covers. In this case, can you blame me? The cover for Mexican Gothic is stunningly beautiful and hits me on all my levels: aesthetic, moody, mysterious, and … Continue reading Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-García

The Fifth Gospel by Ian Caldwell

I found The Fifth Gospel to be quite a great read, fast-paced and adventurous, but with a fascinating historical and Biblical premise as the storyline. It's simple - a Greek Catholic priest living in The Vatican must defend his brother, also a Greek Catholic priest but one attached to the Pope's staff, who is accused … Continue reading The Fifth Gospel by Ian Caldwell