Tag Archives: books

Review for Horror Movie By Paul Tremblay

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I write my reviews a bit differently than other writers. I try to find a comp book. I beat myself up while reading this one over it. Then, toward the end of the book, it hit me.

I read Grin Of The Dark By Ramsay Campbell a few years ago. I came to my horror journey late, and it was the first book of his I had read. It’s a weird book about a man searching for a film he remembered. It is a story about a clown who once existed. As most of Mr. Campbell’s books do, it takes some dark and surreal turns.

It’s still one of my favorite books. This trope of found footage is done all of the time in books. Kiersten White’s Mister Magic does it very well. That’s also one of my favorite reviews.

The Horror Movie feels like a bit of The Blair Witch, maybe some of Hell House LLC and other found-footage books and movies. But Mr. Campbell’s book was my first introduction to this in a novel, at least where it’s done well.

I often looked back at my memories of Grin Of The Dark when it clicked. It’s done so well and has a different take on the sub-genre that it blew me away.

I said on Threads, “You all are not ready for this book.” I stand by that. Having read all but two of Paul’s books, this felt different. Maybe he was experimenting a little, testing a few new things. It’s nothing like Cabin or Head Full Of Ghosts.

I feel this is Paul Tremblay trying out a few new things. I can’t get into them without spoiling so much of a great horror novel. The found-footage aspect of this story isn’t so much in your face as it is in Mister Magic or movies like Blair Witch or Hell House LLC. It’s a more subtle take on the genre itself.

I was uncomfortable a few times while reading it. That goes to the author’s ability to craft such a fantastic piece of art.

It’s an uncomfortable story about a kid who experienced something terrible while filming a movie when he was younger. The story then revolves around that kid working on a remake/reboot of the film that was never finished. Some aspects of the story are out there. It’s a great story, and I’ll purchase one on day one.

Paul is one of my favorite authors, and while not all of his books have hit it out of the park for me, this one did.

Review for Tom Clancy Act Of Defiance by Andrews and Wilson

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I read Red October years after it came out. It’s the only one of Tom Clancy’s books I didn’t read in the 80s. I read Red Storm Rising in paperback and Patriot Games in Hardcover. I did the same with Clear & Present Danger and Cardinal Of The Kremlin, my favorite of Tom’s novels. I always read ahead of my grade. I read Red Storm in 6th grade.

I saw The Hunt For Red October in the theaters the weekend it came out. It’s still one of my favorite 80s movies.

Let’s get into Act of Defiance. I will limit my spoilers as much as possible. If you’ve read Red October, that’s good. It will help you with Act Of Defiance. There are many callbacks to it throughout the book. There are also callbacks to Patriot Games and Clear & Present Danger, but Red October is front and center throughout the novel since this is about another Russian submarine.

It begins with how many of Tom’s books start. They set you up with an idea and chase that idea throughout.

While Red October was our introduction to Jack Ryan, Act Of Defiance begins with an idea but also tells us something about Red October that we didn’t know. This pushes the story in a vastly different direction.

Marko Ramius knew what he had and the possibilities of his boat, The Red October; this novel starts before the Red October. The Captain of the Belgorod knows what he has as well. He’s determined to make Jack Ryan pay. A theme and story that I will let the reader discover.

While Red October is mainly about Jack Ryan finding his way, Act Of Defiance is about his daughter, Katie Ryan. She does most of the same things her father did in Red October. The callbacks to the book and the movie are fantastic. I enjoyed them.

The cat-and-mouse game starts as the hunt is underway for Belgorod. It’s a different game with the same consequences as Red October but with far worse intentions.

Russia is not the power it was with Marko Ramius and the Red October. A group decides they want to change this. We’ve seen this scenario play out since the fall of the Soviet Union. It’s been in books, movies, and video games.

It is done very well in Act of Defiance. It’s one of the better tales with the trope. I think this is a trope now.

While the novel played out, I enjoyed Katie Ryan’s character. I hope more story ideas come from Red Storm with her in it.

I blew through most of this book in a day. But I read quickly. I always have. I give this a five. It’s well written, the story is good, and the placement of Katie Ryan reminds me of her dad, Jack.

Review for I Excess Of Dark by Red Lagoe

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I’m not sure what’s been happening with horror lately, but I’ve read a lot of books with grief themes.

I’ve read a few books by Red and loved them. This book hit a little differently.

I attempt to find myself in the character while doing a review. This book is close to home.

My brother passed away a few years ago. It was sudden. It took us by surprise. I think about him often. He popped up a lot while reading this one, as did my father-in-law, who passed a few years before my brother.

This story opens with the main character and her family going on a trip. She thinks about their trip but has the idea that they’re going to die. This is a thing with her, something she and her mom fought about.

The grief and thoughts of grief. The pain of being left and thinking she did something to cause it fills this story.

I thought about my brother and wished I could have been there more for him. I never thought I caused his death. It was a fluke thing, but we all dive into the deaths of our loved ones in different ways.

I wanted to bring them back and solve the problems we had with them while they were alive. Those thoughts permeated my mind while reading this. I think about my brother once a week anyway, but this book brought it out more.

I enjoyed this book, even with the emotions I felt while reading it. A good book will always bring out emotions. I loved how Red dove into the underlying issues with her mom. How she found a way to bring things back. How she was able to confront her mother. All of these things made the character believable. It gave the story a richness that made me blow through it.

I can’t wait to reread this one.

My Political Thriller novel experience.

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I wrote a political thriller during lockdown in 2020. I published it on Election Day 2022.

It’s the book that keeps trying.

A guest at the bar recently bought it for his father, who read it in a weekend and loved it.

I’ve only heard from family and friends that they enjoyed the book. It’s never been someone I don’t know.

The book, like my other published work, sold well overseas. It’s never taken hold of anything but it’s been interesting watching it go up and down in sales.

I think it’s time to go back and write the second book, and finish another book in that world.

I know everyone knows me for my horror stuff, but this book meant a lot to me. The guest at the bar’s father’s words of encouragement meant a ton to me.

I’ve never had anyone who regularly reads those types of books tell me how much they enjoyed it. It’s a different feeling to have that.

I always wondered what it would feel like to have someone enjoy my books and want to talk to me about them. It’s invigorating.

I’ll leave you today with this. Keep writing. You may find your readers in the unlikeliest of places.

Down to the last thing

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Last week I wrote a couple of reviews here. I’m going to be only on here.

I tried the Substack thing. It’s just like being on here, but there are fewer readers. I had almost zero engagement on there. Twitter is the same way. I’ll probably leave there soon.

I’m considering leaving every social media I have except for this one. Substack is a blog. You can dress it up and add fancy things, but it’s still a blog. It’s why I deleted my account yesterday.

I can devote time to writing or social media, not both. I know SM is supposed to help me gain readers. I understand that, but I’m at the point where I’d rather write and publish what I want. It could be the next Jax Reed novel, a horror collection/novella/novel, or something else.

Jax’s book came out almost a year ago, and I haven’t written his next book. I know what it’s about. I have an outline. I’ve been worrying so much about finding connections on SM that I didn’t write it. I’ve written a lot of horror stories. Those will be coming out later this year and early 2024. I’ve created the covers for them. This is for the novella coming in October/November.

It’s been through a bunch of rewrites and revisions. I’ll be inputting those this week. I should have it up for preorder in early August. I’ll post here when that happens. I’ll have the other covers up soon, but the edits aren’t done for those yet.

You’ll be seeing more of me in the future. This is the only place I’ll write.

Brian