Horror Books

Stephen King did a good thing by writing this book.The charcters and cast
are wonderful, This is one of my all time favorite, what goes on behind the walls of a prision.

After reading 85 novels, I finally read a Stephen King story. My friend who encouraged me to start reading had been after me to read him for awhile. I am really glad that I did. He is a great story teller and kept me in the story even when I wasn't reading it. As I have said before, a good writer is someone who can paint a vivid picture in the reader's mind's eye. This is done here in painting a picture of life in Shawshank Prison, Maine. This a great story of one man's strength to survive against all odds; we can all learn from this. It certainly should be told to all those who would think of breaking the law.

"Stand by me" - this is the most important sentence in the novel The Body written by Stephen King. The novel is about the natural and deep sense of friendship. Four boys are keen on experience an adventure, they take a long way to see a dead body in the forests of Maine. Alone on the way of excitement and fear, they are between childhood and adulthood. The story is easy to read and also to understand.

Reta hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption, was a great short story by stephen king. I enjoyed reading this book and even watching the movie. I was suprised how much the book grabed my attention and how I didn't ever put it down.

I recently watched both "The Shawshank Redemption" (with Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman) and "Stand By Me" (with River Phoenix, Jerry O'Connell, Wil Wheaton and Corey Feldman) and this prompted me to dig out my old copy of Different Seasons. Most people are surprised when they learn that those movies were based on novellas by horror master, Stephen King, but he shows that he's not just into scaring the heck out of you.

The story cycle bases one novella per season, and each follows characters on a journey, whether it's one of hope, descent into corruption, coming of age, or life through offspring.

"Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption" takes place over decades, as a prison inmate retains his spirit and soul, while breathing life into a dark institution, and whose patient nature finally leads him to freedom. The story is told in first person from the point of view of old Red, the guy who can get you things, about Andy Dufresne, a young banker jailed for the murder of his wife and her lover.

One of King�s great strengths is creating a believable voice for his characters, and as you read this tale, it is like Red is talking to you. Other King strengths are providing back story and creating a world in which these characters live, one with a past, present and future, and it makes them three dimensional. One of King�s flaws is going off on tangents and digressions a bit too often, but he always comes back to the story.

�The Body� (basis for �Stand By Me�) is a coming of age story about four small town boys on the cusp of entering Junior High School. On the Friday before Labor Day, they set off to find the body of a missing boy. One of the four boys, Vern Tessio, overheard his brother talking to a friend about the dead body.

The characters fall into several categories: Gordon LaChance, who narrates the story as an adult, is the dreamer/writer whose older brother died earlier that year. Chris Chambers is athletic, tough but smart. wise beyond his years and the white sheep in a family of black sheep. Teddy Duchamp is the psycho wiseguy who wears thick glasses and hearing aids as the result of his war veteran father putting his head to a stove. Vern Tessio is the least intelligent, but plays a key symbolic part as the one tells the others about the body and also is the first to spot it.

Along their journey, the boys encounter adventures, such as Milo Pressman the junkyard operator and his dog, Chopper. There is a run across a high trestle as a train bears down on them, a swim in a culvert full of leeches, and a night in the dark woods with screaming wild animals. When they eventually reach the boys, they have a run in with a group of teenage hoods from their town. A major difference from the movie, is that this story details the aftermath of the confrontation after the boys return to town.

King does a nice balancing act with his adult narrative and pre-adolescent dialogue, making each voice unique and fleshing out each boy�s character to make them multi-dimensional. All four experience growth, but Gordon and Chris take this growth with them as they get older. Don�t let people drag you down. There�s a lot more to this story than just kids looking for a dead body.
My bumps here are again that King goes off on tangents and digressions, some to fill in background and history for the characters, but sometimes really straying far from the course. At one point he takes nearly a page to say that someone is dead, where �The kid was dead. The kid wasn�t sick, the kid wasn�t sleeping.� Would probably have sufficed.

I won�t go into a lot of detail about the other two stories. �Apt Pupil� is about a boy who discovers a Nazi war criminal living in his town, and blackmails the old man into telling him stories about the war in exchange for not blowing the whistle on him. The stories the boy hears slowly lead him into senseless acts of violence. In �The Breathing Woman� a �disgraced woman is determined to triumph over death.�

These four stories combine to make an interesting cycle, and demonstrate that Stephen King has writing talents that stretch beyond his horror work.

S.C. Ringgenberg
(602) 621-6439 /sringgenberg1@cox.net



Sight Unseen Brings Terror to Light


Sight Unseen, a 2006 graphic novel from Image, written by Rob Tinnell, and illustrated by Bo Hampton is quite simply, one of the best graphic novels of the last two years, and at the same time, the scariest ghost story I couldn't put down. Tinnell and Hampton's collaboration has produced a genuinely scary and original fearfest, with one of the creepiest villains ever put on paper. Tinnell's script is atmospheric, crackles with believable dialog, and provides a number of good shocks along the way to its melancholy conclusion. Some of the protagonists survive, but this brush with supernatural forces scars them forever.
Bo Hampton eschews his usual realistic, cleanly rendered style (always reminiscent of Al Williamson and Michael Kaluta in good ways) for a moodier, computer drawn style that gives him a broader emotional palette to work with, especially in the darker range of the spectrum. Hampton captures the mood of Tinnell's script so well that I can't imagine another artist drawing this. I give Sight Unseen my highest recommendation. If you haven't read this book, don't waste any time tracking down your own copy! And while you're reading it, you'd better leave the lights on. Pleasant dreams, readers

It's disappointing how unreadable some comics and graphic novels are today. Pretentious, patronizing, overwrought, and often boring. It's a shame how art-driven the medium has become. That sounds a bit odd when you consider I'm talking about COMICS, but it's true nonetheless. If the book has a plodding script with flat characters, cheap lines and horrible pacing, then no artist of any caliber can save it from an inevitable demise. No artist worth his lead should have touched it in the first place, but unfortunately they do, and we the buyers often let ourselves be lured in by big names and lay down our hard-earned cash for worthless drivel.
But this gorgeous little book is worth every penny I laid down for it. Sight Unseen is everything I want my comics and graphic novels to be. Original without being pretentious. Intelligent without being patronizing. Thought-provoking without being overwrought. The characters are believable, likeable and thoroughly fleshed-out. The relationship dynamic between Frank, his daughter Molly, and his research partner Derek couldn't be more spot-on. Every page of this book is perfectly done, by both Bob and Bo. Speaking of which, Bo's artwork is really something to behold. Loose and organic at just the right moment, yet clean and tight right when it had to be. Not to take anything away from the guy, but a few of those panels gave me very Templesmith-esque shivers! That's definitely a compliment in my book. The complete lack of dialogue or narration in certain sequences is nothing short of brilliant...and terrifying!
Truth be told, I was hesitant at first about the glasses. While I'm familiar with some of the research done regarding the paranormal, I feared that the scientific aspects would be delved into far too much for the average reader, and would threaten to overtake the amazing ghost story that was evolving. I was quite relieved and very pleased to see that wasn't the case! Just enough information to keep the reader up to snuff, nothing more. The build-up and climax is a crash course in Horror How-To. My pulse hasn't pounded that hard in a long time.
Kudos to Bob and Bo on this amazing book. I'll be passing it on to everyone I know that loves a great ghost story. I truly hope that there is a script treatment in the works and a studio smart enough to pick it up!

When I originally found out about this book it was at the Philadelphia Comic convention in 2005. I met Bo Hampton who gladly shared some of the pages and concepts to Sight Unseen. I had the pleasure of meeting Bob Tinell and together they crafted a story that frankly scared the hell out of me. The art was riveting. The fact that there were so many panels with no dialouge left the reader to truly study the panel and after looking past the obvious, the minor nuansces are what left the reader frightened. Great concept! The writing is top notch. I could not put this book down. I am not a fan of horror but this ranks with 30 Days of Night as a book that will only fuel the flames of the horror comic book comeback. If this is not made into a film it would be a travesty. This is as chilling as the Sixth Sense and makes the Ring seem tame. I would recommend this book to anyone whether a fan of horror or not. My hope is that Bob and Bo will continue to spin tales of horror and suspense for many more years to come. Dare I say that if I had a few million dollars I would find a way to make this book into a movie. That's how good it is! Read Sight Unseen.

Not a bad book, but at the same time not as frightening as i was hoping for, but it still has quite an interesting premise and a pretty suspenseful climax.

I picked up this book solely to enjoy Bo Hampton's wonderful artwork, but I was surprised at how well written the story was. You don't think that you'll be spooked by a Graphic Novel, but I read this lengthy book before bed and I have to admit that when I turned the lights out I could have sworn I was hearing things. Incredibly creepy.

No doubt, what draws you to this story is the masterful artwork by Bo Hampton, but the entire book is a treasure. Even the format of the book and it's extra behind the scenes section at the end fit in perfectly. The only thing I have to say negative about it is that I found a few mispellings and grammatical errors in the book. Strange. Usually you don't see that in a Graphic Novel. But that really doesn't affect the intensity of this book. My highest recommendation.

This is the best New! Fear Street book ever. It's about a girl name Sondra who been hypnotized by her best friend and then it get's deadly. I highly recommend this book, ya'll.

The book had a very interesting twist to it.It's about a girl named Sondra who gets hypnotized and begins getting flashes of her past life,such as,answering to her name in the other life,and remembering certain places.This book just proves you never know who you can really trust.I really enjoyed it because I am very into past lives and the such.I recommend this book to any Fear Street fan--You'll be pleased.

Wow, it's been so long since i last read this book (I rented it from the library or else i'd read it again.) I reccomend this book to anyone who enjoys a good thriller. You don't have to be 13-15 years of age to enjoy R.L Stine's fearstreet series. In fact, i'm 18 and i absolutely love him. I'll admit his writting is'nt as elaborate and detailed as other writers but that's what's so great about him. He gets to the point and in the process gives us a great story. The Step Brother is an absolute shocker. You'll be hooked from beginning to end. Especially the end. This book has got one of the best surprise endings ever (although with R.L Stine you usually come to expect surprises).

THE STEPBROTHER IS ABOUT A GIRL NAMED SONDRA WHO GETS HYPNOTIZED AND HAS A STRANGE VISION. LATER ON IN THE BOOK SHE GOES TO A HYPNOTIST AND FINDS OUT SHE IS REMEMBERING EVENTS FROM A PAST LIFE. IN HER PAST LIFE SONDRA LIVED AS PENNY HANSON BUT WAS MURDERED. REALLY THE ENDING DIDN'T SURPRISE ME BECAUSE I READ A LOT OF MYSTERY BOOK BUT IT WILL SURPRISE A LOT OF PEOPLE. R.L. STINE REALLY OUTDID HISSELF WITH THIS BOOK.

Ever since Sondra's stepbrother moved in, she's been having these nightmares. Nightmares about her death. But what she doesn't know is that the events Sondra is remembering is from a past life. And now she believes, with help from her friends and a psychic, that the person from the past is after her in this life. All fingers are pointing towards her stepbrother ... could it be him?

With a great plot and an ending that will surprise you, The Stepbrother is one of R.L. Stine's best novels in the Fear Street series.

Even though I'm 22 years old, I love the Fear Street series. There are even some that scare me to the bone (honestly). Hey, I know you're laughing at me! There are adults out there who do read the Fear Street books. Honest to god!!!

The story is told in first person by the main character, a teenager, and so we never know his name. I actually realized that I didn't know that name well past the mid of the book, and this is a clue that I was so enthralled by the story to not take care to "small" details like that.

Our hero is a runaway teenager; when he came out with his parents, he was kicked out from home but lucky him he found shelter with his aunt. Probably still suffering from the reject of his family, he retired into his shell, and he only relates with his best friend, a girl named Trace. Both Trace and him have their problems to overcome and in their difference they find a common path: goth teens who go to funerals to spend time, dressing like the adults they still aren't.

Actually our hero was quite lucky and he now has a comfortable and welcoming home with his aunt, and so his problems are the same of a normal teen: the insecurity of a guy who wonders if he is good enough to attract a boyfriend, the daydreams of a young man who is approaching to sex for the first time. Probably since he has this strange familiarity with death, our hero is not so shocked when he meets a ghost: Josh is an 18 years old guy dead in a car accident in 1957. He is not only a teen like our hero, he is also a very handsome guy, a jock; and like every goth teen should do in high school, our hero falls in love for the jock, but this time the jock reciprocates the interest... there is only the little fact that Josh is dead and that his interest in our hero is very deeply, almost lethal.

Meantime our hero realizes that the little brother of his best friend Trace, Mike, is already fifteen years old and rather cute; Mike is clever and tender, with a joy for life that is involving. Where Josh is shadow and night, Mike is full light and sun. Where Josh arises in our hero dark desires (that are actually normal sexual urges in a teen...), Mike inspires him cuddles and playful kiss. From not having the hope to find a boyfriend, our hero now has two boys around him, but it's not a situation he can bring along forever. You could say that Josh represents the dark side of our hero, and staying with him is like choosing to not coming out from the darkness, meanwhile Mike is the light, the future that he could have if he chooses to leave behind his sense of abandonment.

Even if the story deals with quite sad things, dead people (not only Josh), the whole feeling I had of the book is of "lightness". The author is very good in taking the reader glued to the book till the last page, both for the mystery than for the romance; there is also a switch in the story that seems to lead to an angst ending, but still the author chooses for a more "normal" development. All this concurs to the lightness of the story, making it a very good read both for a young adult than for an adult too.

Also the love story between our hero and Mike is light, fresh and sweet; where our hero maybe could be ready for something more, Mike is still 15 years old, and so, for me, it's right that they don't become too involved; they are still boys, not men.

There is everything to love in this book. Expertly capturing a haunting, velvety mood, the tone is smooth and beautiful and simply a joy to read. I found myself right at home with the thoughts and feelings of the characters, their personalites created so well it's as though a real individual is sharing their story with me. I haven't read a story with such well-done characterization in a long time. The plot is gripping and realistic- something that isn't far-fetched and silly. I especially like his attention to details, not nit-picky, but softly calling attention to things most people might miss or look over.

The author handles love as it happens in real life: how people, no matter their orientation, love like anyone else. There isn't any actual sex, although he gets up to some seriously strange play with the ghost that is both erotic and scary. The love scenes with the boyfriend he comes to have are touching and sensitive which seemed right on par with the main character's calm, gentle nature. Again, there's no hard core sex, but for those who are into some fluff will be pleased.

There is under-age drinking and drug use, alongside a jealous ghost. Stuff that I've never done, but it wasn't so in your face that I found myself uncomfortable (if anyone's worried about that stuff.)

Overall a real joy to read. I'm very happy I bought it and will enjoy reading it again. I'm looking forward to reading his other books as well.

I really enjoyed Vintage. Many of the other reviews talk about the paranormal aspects of the novel, but it was the mundane that really made an impression on me. Berman manages to capture how vital friendship is when you're a teenager, how important it is to have someone on your side, especially when you find yourself embroiled in an unhealthy relationship.

Trace reminds me of the friends I had when I was a teenager. They weren't in the cool clique, but they were cool just the same. It made it easy to slip into the main character's shoes. Even though the main character is a young gay man, his problems and strengths were universal. I recommend it.

Vintage by Steve Berman is perhaps the most unusual gay teen coming out story I have ever read. A sometimes frightening, atmospheric ghost story that captivates the reader from page one, it is also very well-written with interesting and likable main characters. One of my 10 favourite reads of 2007.

Vintage is more than simply a ghost story, but I'll start my review there anyway, because I appreciate books that can truly take me away from my everyday world. The story follows a young man who has been estranged from his family who finds himself face-to-face with an ability he had only jokingly considered in the past. These newfound abilities lead him to progressively darker corners, and it is at these moments that I am completely sucked into the story and thrust into the chillingly real world of the main character. I found myself pulling the covers around myself tighter as I read, and several times fearful to read on.

But beyond the ghost story lies so much more. This is a tale about trying to find one's place in a world that is not always understanding of you; a tale about trying to find your match, not just in love, but in friendship; a tale about understanding and acceptance: of yourself and those around you.

Vintage is not just a ghost story. It's not just a love story. It's not just a coming of age story. It's all three, and Steve Berman does an excellent job of towing the line between all three.

This book is good for boys who like reading about fighting and action. This book's descriptions are vivid and feed the imagination. It introduces one of the four characters in the series, and leaves you wanting to read the other books in the series. When you're done with the series, you would wish you still had more books to read in the series.

This Book is awesome, I"ve read them over and over and I"ve shared them with my friends, who loved them. Everyone who's read them has loved them. I can't believe they weren't as popular as other series, but I love them. Well, you have to read them is all I have to say.

this book has everthing a science fiction book(or movie)needs.it has that touch of realism between all the super powers.the people have proper personalities.Ethans thoughts are realistic.I think this book is up with the best mindwarp books.one of the downfalls is it doesn't mention any of the other characters, even in passing soyou don't know what Ethan thought about anyone before they got their powers.if this isn't turned into a movie before i'm old enough to make movies I would like to make it, although I'd really like to act as Ashley.

I think that Alien Terror, by Chris Archer, is a very odd, yet interesting, book. It is a little scary, though, so if you really dislike scary books I wouldn't recommend that you readit. It is about a boy named Ethan Rogers that becomes "possesed" by an alien on his 13th birthday and becomes really good at martial arts. It takes place in Metier, Wisconsin. Even tough it is an Italian name, and it is supposed to be pronounced Mee-tee-ay, people pronounce it "meteor." There are also rumors around the town about UFO sightings above the local reservoir... That is all I'm going to say because I don't want to give away the whole story and plot.

I would give it two big thumbs up!

I though this was a really good book. It is the first in a ten book series. This one is about a boy named Ethan Rogers, the adopted son of the chief of police, in the town of Metier, Wisconsin. Metier had a reputation for UFO sightings, but nobody ever believed in aliens. Of course the kids always hoped that the sightings might be real, and that they might be the ones to spot the alien. The main character is not really an alien guy, he is a comic book freak always imaging that he had superhero powers. On his thirteenth birthday though he is not so pleased to discover he does have amazing powers. All of a sudden he can fight like a professional, even though he has never had any training. And he can see heat and heal quickly. And he is beginning to suspect that someone or something, is trying to kill him.

I remember this book from when it was featured in Cricket magazine :)

When the old baker dies, nobody can fill her shop - mostly because she haunts them.

But, true to form, another baker shows up willing to challenge the ghost. Finally they agree that if the live baker can bake a cake to bring tears to her eyes, the old one will leave her alone.

In the process they become friends, etc. etc. etc.

It's very well-written, no summary of mine could ever do it justice.

I will note that it is a long book, and so is probably better for the older end of the 4-8 range, or kiddos with good attention spans. (Cricket divided the book into sections.)

A spooky tale about a deceased bake shop owner who haunts her beloved bake shop in order to scare away new bakers.

When a bake shop owner, Cora Lee Merriweather, dies, people do not grieve until they realize that "all those luscious desserts were now only sweet memories." Now new bakers want to take over the shop and one by one they are frightened away by Cora Lee's ghost. It is not until Annie Washington arrived at the shop that Cora Lee meets her match. Annie's determination is evident when she shows up at the bake shop night after night to triumph over the unwelcoming ghost. What is remarkable about this story is the way in which the author concludes the book. Given an ultimatum to bake the ghost a cake which will bring tears to her eyes, Annie outwits the menacing ghost in a most endearing way.

This story is not only going to engage kiddos, but can also be used to teach objectives in the classroom. As a 4th grade elementary teacher, I recommend this book to use for teaching the following: figurative language, characterization, plot and sequence, internal consistency, and theme (determination, fear, problem solving, unlikely friendships). Context clues is also an option with this book as there are some big vocabulary words (i.e. flummoxed, bland, sly). In writing, you could discuss word choice and make graphic organizers with words having to do with food or baking.

I agree with most of the reviews in that the story and illustrations are both excellent. My four year old, who typically wanders in and out of family story time, is the real test and she sat giving her full attention for the duration.

Of course my children immediately wanted to make the delicious recipe in the back - which sounded like a great plan to me. Therein lay the problem. My husband gave up looking for buttermilk powder at the store and I had never heard of it myself. I suffered sticker shock when I made a second trip only to discover the obscure ingredient had a hefty price tag of $6.50. If money is no object for you then that's wonderful. The bummer for us is that our budget does not allow for such a pricey item to be used once or twice then take its place on our shelves until I find it expired years later. Maybe it's a favorite family recipe? Otherwise I hope they substitute with a different cake on future editions. Meanwhile, we will have to make our own substitution as after reading the book you almost have to make cake. It is that good.

For me this book is about the values of sharing and kindness. For that reason I have a great esteem for "The Bake shop Ghost" . Another book that I very much recommend for the same reason is a new series by B. Nowiki titled "Why Some Cats are Rascals". I am very much impressed with the first book of that series.

For me this book is about the values of sharing and kindness. For that reason I have a great esteem for "The Bake shop Ghost" . Another book that I very much recommend for the same reason is a new series by B. Nowiki titled "Why Some Cats are Rascals". I am very much impressed with the first book of that series.

What to make of this book? I went into it knowing what the author was trying to do and thinking, "He'll never pull it off." Well, he does. It works because of the time spent building the character of Jimmy Blackburn, a kid growing up abused out in the sticks and trying to make sense of a cruel world. He is so decent he cannot abide the deliberate infliction of pain on helpless victims, be they humans or dogs. So he kills them -- a mean cop, crooked mechanics, a wifebeater, etc.

A masterpiece of black humor, it's also surprisingly touching. Imagine Holden Caulfield as the protagonist of a serial killer novel and you have some idea. This is the ideal novel for the fans of serial killer books, American humor aficinados and dog lovers on your gift list.

BTW, if you are interested in the polar opposite of "Blackburn," check out Shane Stevens "By Reason of Insanity."

...people will wonder what the hell is wrong with you as you literally blurt out roaring, uncontrollable laughter. VERY few other books have ever made me do this, NONE on such a *continuous* basis.
Lest you forget, this is about a serial killer:
"what's so funny?"
(incoherently *try* to quit laughing, regain your composure, and explain why that murder WAS SO FUNNY)...
I read this book a year ago, and it still impacts me as one of the best ever. I read a fair amount, yet most books are so unmemorable to me.
if you want a book that questions the whole polemic issue of "good and evil" i recommend this book. if you want to laugh, ditto.
i'm here searching for it to buy my own copy, because it was that eff-in good (one in a thousand books -- that's how many books i want to re-read, let alone what fraction of that i would buy AFTER I have read it already, if i hadn't bought it in the first place).
I HEART THIS BOOK

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

if he didn't know he had a moral code?
if thoughts could kill, so many of us would be serial murderers.
we'd take out a lot of people having a bad day too

but blackburns victims were all deaths we could root for, especially given our knowledge of Blackburn's inner monologue
poor blackburn, his mission ended too soon.

I read this book in less than eight hours, impossible to put down and hard to forget!

Generally, when a serious book set in modern America features a person who murders twenty people, that person is not the star, you don't find yourself cheering him on, and you aren't sad when the killing spree comes to an end. In Blackburn, Bradley Denton makes all of that happen.

Blackburn follows the life of Jimmy Blackburn, told through a series of nineteen stories spanning his life. The book has an intriguing structure, alternating stories called things like "Victim Number Two" (which is the tantalizing first one) with numbered and named chapters (the second chapter is actually called "One: Blackburn and the Blind Man"). The chapters alternate between "Victim" and "numbered and named" chapters for the rest of the book. I found this structure terribly interesting, especially beginning with "Victim Number Two". For a long time we are left wondering who victim number one was. His father? The bully? Who?

In the book, young Jimmy Blackburn is tormented by his father and various other thugs and shysters. While this formula could be used to make Blackburn into a victim, carrying out his violent deeds because of lingering pain of his childhood, Denton doesn't take it that direction. Instead, the events of Jimmy Blackburn's childhood lead him to an inexorable decision. He will not be a victim, he will be a perpetrator, a righter of wrong, a sticker-up for the downtrodden, an anti-hero. And we are along for the ride, holding on and hoping for the best and knowing it can't end well.

From beginning to end, the book is excellent, compelling, and surprisingly funny. The chapter with the encyclopedia salesman is hilarious, and the chapter with the car repair scam artists is wicked fun. There are lots of dogs along the way. You could make a case that without the dogs there wouldn't have been a story at all. It's hard not to like a guy who likes dogs as much as Blackburn does. Denton even takes some fun shots at himself, inserting an author of a book very much like this one into the narrative. It is, to say the least, interesting when Blackburn confronts him. The most compelling part of the story, though, is when Blackburn runs into another serial killer, only the evil kind. Perhaps it's meaningful that this encounter is the beginning of the end for Blackburn.

Toward the end of the book there is, to me, the most satisfying exchange, so cool that I have to share it here at the risk of spoiling something for someone. It should come as no surprise that Blackburn finds himself in the custody of the police. Here, Blackburn has decided to be forthright with them, but his honesty is not appreciated. There are no good cops in this book. The jerky DPS troopers are escorting him in shackles and handcuffs back to the jail after his preliminary hearing when Blackburn tells them he has killed men, but never a woman. "How many men?" the first trooper asks. "Just so we know how scared we should be," the second says. "Eighteen," Blackburn says. "So far." It helps the excitement of the moment that the exchange takes place in the chapter called "Victim Number Nineteen". Wicked fun.

Blackburn is a great book, funny and exciting and sad. If it doesn't make you cheer for the killer and wail at the unjust world when he doesn't get to kill more people, there's something wrong with you.

A Christmas Carol

It was my goal this December to read to my children, ages seven, nine and 14, the Christmas Carol story by Dickens so that they would know the original before seeing the movie. I also thought this would be an accessible way for them to get oriented to English literature and prepare them for further reading.

The requirements of the Christmas Carol book to be purchased were that a) it be new as opposed to a ragged used copy, b) it be unabridged, c) it have good drawings; and d) if possible it be inexpensive. I first looked in the library, but their book was checked out, and anyway I was looking to start a family tradition of reading the story every year with our own copy if possible. The Candlewick Press edition with illustrations by P.J. Lynch appeared to fill the bill; I bought it; and it delivered the goods. The book is nice and readable-sized, the illustrations good, the type pleasing. Thirteen bucks. I was immensely satisfied with the purchase.

As to the fate of the reading, we handled one chapter per evening, there being five chapters; each took an hour or so to read. I found Dickens to be sometimes heavy going for the younger TV and video-generation kids to get a sense of what is going on. I did not recollect Dickens to be so when I read some of his works as a younger person, but apparently it's something you have to be exposed to and get to understand. Anyway I was happy to provide my children with the chance to get started. It gave me a measure of the gap between the reading preparation of today's youth versus my pre-Cambrian elementary and middle school days. On Christmas Day I showed them the George C. Scott version of the movie, and they all liked it. But all knew the basics from the book, which was my goal, even if the mid-1800s prose obscured many of the action points to the younger ones in their Sponge Bob and Hannah Montana mindsets.

So the effort was a success, and this edition of the book did what I had hoped by delivering up an excellent presentation at a very low cost.

Dan of Arlington

If you are looking to purchase a copy of "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens, then I believe that this would be a excellent choice for you. The book is very well bound and of excellent quality. The illustrations are wonderful and very well detailed. The pages are slightly thicker than normal so you are probably less likely to tear them. If you purchase this book, you will not be disappointed.

I purchased this book as a gift for myself so that I could enjoy this timeless Christmas tale over the holidays. This edition of A Christmas Carol was a wonderful purchase. The illustrations added to the enjoyment of the story and allowed me to visit another time and place while relaxing with this holiday classic.

I would highly recommend this book to young and old alike.

I think we have yet to experience the definitive film version of "A Christmas Carol", but we now have the definitive book version! Masterful illustrations complement the unedited text. Oh, and EVERYONE who purchases this book, PLEASE take off the dust cover and let this one age without it! WONDERFUL cover, perfect!

This book is beautiful! The pictures are amazing and held my children (6 and 4) captive while I read to them. I would recommend reading this story every year at Christmastime as a family.

My book is the Christmas Killer. It starts off as a kinda boring book. A girl named Nancy disappeared the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Rose had an enteraction with her that night. She then had a dream of where she thought Nancy's body would be found. She reported this to the police and they did not believe her. There wre many more killings after that. Soon this killer earned the name the Chritmas Killer. He left many clues. When Rose went to get help from Miss Mackey, she blanked out. They almost lost her. When Rose found out that she got a solo in the dance recital she was very excited. She went to her dance class she saw that Mureal was on the phon with her back turned Rose went ahead and got dressed. She thought Mureal was playing jokes on her and she was like thats not funny. She gets scared after seeing that it was not MUreals shadow. So, she runs in the stall where she finds Mureal with her throat cut from ear to ear.She runs out and sees a man. He then talks about how good blood is. Then he bruses her up and then Wallace Romala comes in and saves her. She finds out that it was Mureal's twin brother.

Two of the main characters are Nancy Emerson and Rose. Nancy Emerson is missing the wensday before Thanksgiving. Rose is a girl who met Nancy Emerson and stated she was scared and sad. The story begans with Nancy Emerson disappering Wensday Before thanksgiving. Jerram roses little brother said "No need to think about death anymore." The long saige of The Christmas Killer was over.

In the beginning, it starts off with telling you about Nancy. Nancy is one of the main characters who is kidnapped and murdered. Rose is aother main character. After Nancy was kidnapped, Rose had a dream. In this dream Nancy was leading Rose to her burial site. A few days later they find her body in a similar surrounding to what Rose had envisioned. At first Rose was unsure if it was a coincidence, or if it had any real meaning. Throughout the story there are several girls kidapped and many suspects. One of those suspects is jerome, Rose's twin brother. One night she sees jerome outside her den window and then she begins to wonder. Wallace Romano was the first one everybody suspected to be the Christmas Killer, because he chose to be homeless over living in a mansion with his family, also because he is different than most people expect. While all of this is going on, Nancy still appears in Rose's dreams, giving her clues to the crime scenes and the murderer. Rose takes dance lessons from a woman named Muriel. Muriel is a nice, younger woman who has known Rose since she was ten years old. As you read this book you will find twists and turns that will eventually point out the killer to you.

Omgiod! This is serisously the best book that any suspense-thriller reader can read. The first sentence starts off with "Nancy Emerson dissapeared the wednesday (i think) before thanksgiving" now thats scary. Later throughout the book, you will feeel as though u are reali into it because it is so mind-gripping and you really cant put it down, that is if you like these type of bookz. Puh-leese read this book ! You will majorly regret it and it is by an all tyme favorite (thriller/scary) author : patrica windsor. Read other book reports to knoe that i am reali telling u the truth of this book, and to know what it is realli about.! :) thanks a bundle and keep reading out there! :)

This was an absolutely fabulous book. I read it when I was twelve and still remember its bone chilling effect in my twenty's. I highly recommend this to anyone who has an interest in ghosts or murder mysteries. The characters are well developed and you won't want to put this page turner down.

Trisha Baker's Crimson Night is more than a worthy sequel to her first book, Crimson Kiss. She follows almost exactly where she left off in, only from Simon Baldevar's POV. We still hear some of Meghann's thoughts but this one is about Simon countering all the gossip and history that Alcuin told Meghann and continues the love story between these two fated characters.

The story picks up with Simon and Jimmy, with Simon confessing his sins and intentions to him. He explains to Jimmy that maybe he may have taken things a tad bit too far with Meghann that night she left him on the roof, but he was never going to kill her. Silly girl didn't realize he was merely chastising her. HA! (sick ba*ta*d) Meanwhile, Meghann is now pregnant and in desperate need of Simon, she needs to drink his blood. Only he can sustain her during her pregnancy and so has the opening he needs to worm his way back into her life. Even though Charles disapproves of her reemerging feelings for him, not even he and his new love Dr. Lee Winslow can break Simons hold over her. It seems nothing can, because she loves him. Simon is hoping Meghann will give birth to a sort of 'daywalker' vampire. He's wanted a child desperately, since his mortal life, and also to sample some of the child's blood, in the hopes he too can walk in the sun. The pregnancy angle allowed Trisha Baker to introduce all sorts of baddies, Simon trying to be the good guy and win back Meghann, so he was not available for this book. And he is. She brought back all the tender affections that I loved about Simon. He's almost never nasty to Meghann. It could be because she's pregnant for the better part of the book, but he's trying to make a change for her. He tells her though, her love for him won't change what he is, but with her in his life he will try to become a better person. We are treated to more in depth description of the world Trisha Baker has created, especially with the Druid arts and the Black Magic Simon uses. Also, Alucin makes constant reappearances throughout the book as Meghan's sort of spirit guide on the astral plane. Trisha Baker also hints as to Alucin's motives regarding her, was he her friend or was he using her to strike at Simon?
The end of the book cuts off on a sad note. After everything that had happened, after finally acknowledging what they feel for each other, it was very sad to read how Trisha Baker ends the book, but at least I know I have the third one ready and waiting.

The violence is nowhere near as palpable as Crimson Kiss. This one reads more as a gentle wooing of Meghann, and it also brings out a playful side in Simon that we haven't seen before. The violence comes more from outside forces, vampires out to kill Meghann and her baby and an increasingly annoying Jimmy Delacroix. Simon turns into a strong protector here and a brave, capable knight. He slips easily into the role, sweeping Meghann off her feet.

Again, Trisha Baker continues to amaze me with her ability to weave such an enchanting book. So far her Crimson books are top notch, creating a vivid, gritty, and seductive world. Lord Simon Baldevar is still an evil man, still a dominating presence that neither I nor Meghann can shake off. Even though I really like Meghann, and find her a very worthy heroine, my fascination with these books lies with Simon. He is still incredibly charismatic. His aura leaps off the pages, so tangible you can almost taste it. (I wish)

Next up is Crimson Shadows, the third installment in Trisha Baker's Crimson series and I can't wait.

I just want to say that it's a shame these books are out of print because they really are pretty decent.

I was very interested in finding out if Ms. Baker would be able to make Simon likable. Considering his shockingly despicable behavior in the previous book, it certainly seemed an incredibly difficult task. But not impossible. Because despite his endless flaws, Simon was charming. He held a quality that made you want to know more about him. What has made him this way. And to have the question "Who is he, really?" finally answered.
I have to say that it took guts for Baker to write Simon as a leading man. She took a risk of alienating her readers and discouraging people from continuing on with the series. But thankfully she's a good enough writer that she made it work. Plus, i'm attracted to dark character.

Crimson Night is Simon's book in more ways than one. I knew this going in and feared that Baker would take the easy way out. That she would give him some sob story of a background meant to make us pity him.
But she didn't. Instead of making the horrible stories we heard about him be completely untrue, she simply made them be just a small part of a bigger picture. And Simon made no apologies. He wanted no pity.

I really enjoyed this book although I wish I had stopped with this one. I assure you, the third book is a travesty.

Trisha Baker has created a masterpiece!For the people that haven't red the first book of the series "Crimson Kiss" i recomend that you read it,before this one.Two reasons for that.Firstly,i don't believe that this book stands alone.And secondly there is a lot of surprise if you have met Simon and Megan Previously.
Megan is pregnant and the father is Lord Simon Baldevar.We have left Simon,a definately Gamma Male, being the crudest,moraless,creepy,cruelest, phycho hero that the paranormal romance has ever created.Megan is devastated that after her constant strugle to escape from him,finds herself enternaly bonded with the guy.She tries to come to terms with the fact(not mildly of course) and then the miracle happens.
I mean,that if i haven;t red the first book,then i would be positive that the heroes are not the same.
Through the whole book,we learn how Simon became a vampire,his past and his strugle to survive.
It is a magnificent book and definately the best of the trilogy

I have read, read, and re-read this series of books. Trisha Baker has captured the epitome of what a vampire novel/book should be. She has created a story that is the perfect blend of horror, heart, excitement, and sexy romance. This is my favorite of the 3! I would tell ANYONE, especially those of you who love these types of books, to put down whatever you're doing and read these immediately. They will, without a doubt, become some of your favorites, as they have mine. I have bought and sold a lot of books but I refuse to let these out of my possession!

THE BET CRIMSON BOOK OUT OF ALL THE THREE BOOKS, IHAVE READ IT TWICE AND I STILL LOVE TO GO BACK TO MY FAVORITE PAGES.