New Review - Old Book

A Night in the Lonesome October

All is not what it seems.

In the murky London gloom, a knife-wielding gentleman named Jack prowls the midnight streets with his faithful watchdog Snuff - gathering together the grisly ingredients they will need for an upcoming ancient and unearthly rite.  For soon after the death of the moon, black magic will summon the Elder Gods back into the world.  And all manner of Players, both human and undead, are preparing to participate.

Some have come to open the gates.  Some have come to slam them shut.  And now the dread night approaches - so let the Game begin.

-----------

This book is wonderful.  It is 31 chapters long - one for each day of October, and it is told in the form of a diary, detailing one team's activities in the contest between Openers and Closers.  Characters include famous literary characters: the Great Detective, the Count, the Mad Monk, and the Good Doctor (with his shambling friend who smells of the grave).  The illustrations by Gahan Wilson capture the delightfully irreverent yet macabre feel of this story.  But the thing that makes this a truly unique story is the narrator - I can't think of a single other book told from the perspective of Jack the Ripper's watchdog.

Wait for a chilly night, wrap yourself up in a blanket, and give this one a read.  This book is essentially out of print, but you can find reprintings of it on Amazon, and used copies all over the Internet.  

Spoilers: 
This is a parody of HP Lovecraft with a twist of Monster Mash.  It is a bit gruesome in places, and has an illustration of one of the characters hanging from a noose.  It's not really adults-only, since there's no smut, but younger (teen+) readers may miss out on the in-jokes about some of the characters.  With a thorough adult pre-reading it may be appropriate for mature teens who love a good, gruesome story, and may bridge them into the classics: Dracula, Frankenstein, Holmes, and, of course, Lovecraft.

 I realize it's been years since I posted here.  Since my last post I realized I was completely burned out at my last job, quit, took a break, and then found another job that I like even better that allows me more flexibility and is less stressful.  I even added an adjunct teaching job for fun, and I love how my students keep me on my toes.  It is wonderful to watch them make connections and see their skills improve. 

There's also been COVID...  That's been quite an adjustment, too.  I've been working from home since March 2020, and I am getting mighty tired of seeing these same four walls every. single. day.  I never thought I'd look forward to grocery shopping quite so much!  I recognize how privileged I am to have a secure home, a job I love that I can do effectively and efficiently from home, and friends and family who are keeping themselves safe and reducing community spread.  Zoom, Discord, and Doxy have helped save my sanity and allow me to stay connected to the people who are important to me.

But so has reading.  So far in 2020, I have read over 500 books, short stories, and novellas.  In my work, I serve people who are struggling with marginalization, discrimination, and stigma.  I realized that my blog doesn't really reflect everything I read - there are few LGBT+ characters or persons of color depicted in the books I have reviewed, and that just isn't right.  To be more honest in my reviews, I have decided to post reviews of what I'm actually reading, not just what I have beta-read or have been given in exchange for a review.  To that end, I'll be reviewing some books that are completely inappropriate for children, but I will note that these are for 18+ readers.  I will also note which ones have LGBTQ+ characters to help readers find what they like (or avoid what they dislike). 

I can't promise any sort of reliable schedule for posting, but I have a list of at least 30 books and series that I want to write about.  About half feature LGBTQ+ characters, some have a healthy amount of smut, and some will be reviewed as an entire series rather than book-by-book.  In total, my "To review" list has 92 actual books, 8 novellas, 14 short stories.  

Oh, and I never made it through the Wheel of Time.  It was my third attempt, but I got bogged down in Crossroads of Twilight.  Again.