Mad Hatters and March Hares: All-New Stories from the World of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland by Ellen Datlow

If you thought Alice and the Jabberwocky were strange enough in the original tale, you'll have a lot more odd characters to think about now...

Tor Books and Net Galley allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published December 12th.

These tales are dark and some of them are horror tales but my favorite ones were the ones that were just a bit odd.  

My favorites were:
Mercury by Prya Sharma
All the King's Men by Jeffrey Ford (starring Humpty Dumpty)
The Flame After the Candle by Cathrynne M Valente (a bunch of short tales used to make a whole)
Moon Memory and Madness by Katherine Vaz

None of the tales are usual, none are boring and many made me go:  "Oh!"  The writer's words flow well and they will entertain you.  

I'd recommend you don't read this one late in the evening...

Haunted Nights by Lisa Morton, Ellen Datlow

Don't look for anyone nice in these stories.  They are wicked, mean and scary stories.  And I read every one...

Anchor and Edelweiss gave me the opportunity to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published on October 3rd.

If you're looking for a book that will get you in the mood for a scary Halloween, this one will do it.  These stories chill and might even make you a bit ill.  This is the dark side of horror.

Here's the list of stories:

“With Graveyard Weeds and Wolfbane Seeds” by Seanan McGuire
“Dirtmouth” by Stephen Graham Jones“
”A Small Taste of the Old Country“ by Jonathan Maberry
”Wick’s End“ by Joanna Parypinski
”The Seventeen Year Itch“ by Garth Nix
”A Flicker of Light on Devil’s Night“ by Kate Jonez
”Witch-Hazel“ by Jeffrey Ford
”Nos Galen Gaeaf“ by Kelley Armstrong
”We’re Never Inviting Amber Again“ by S. P. Miskowski
”Sisters“ by Brian Evenson
”All Through the Night“ by Elise Forier Edie
”A Kingdom of Sugar Skulls and Marigolds“ by Eric J. Guignard
”The Turn“ by Paul Kane
”Jack“ by Pat Cadigan
”Lost in the Dark“ by John Langan
”The First Lunar Halloween" by John R. Little

The one that haunted me the most was "All Through the Night" by Elise Forier Edie.  You have to feel sorry for the pregnant widow.  The story about the man who made a deal with the devil and then fooled him was also very good.  But he should have remembered a deal is a deal...

I'll be remembering these stories for a long time.  They're the kind that pop into your mind here and there.  If you enjoy ghosts, devils and evil beings, this is the book for you!

The Doll Collection by Ellen Datlow

I've never thought of dolls as scary.  I even have my own collection.  Some are collectible and beautiful things.  Some are the ones I had in childhood and have kept all this time.  I'm still not scared of my dolls but in these stories there are some you should watch out for...

Tor Books and Net Galley allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published March 10th, so you don't have to wait long to get your copy.

Each story in this collection has some horror in it.  Some of the stories make me wonder about the authors:  How do they come up with these ideas?  When you're done, you might put the book down but the stories will still be floating through your head.  It will take them a while to settle.

Every story in this group has a good hook.  You're reading along and it's not long before you find you've been caught up by the story telling.  Each story is unique; there are no real similarities except that they all have a doll theme.

There's a ventriloquist's dummy that talks by itself.  A boy who loves his sister's doll too much.  A woman who is really a doll herself.  Two men exploring the arctic that find some dolls that should have remained lost.  And many, many more.

There's something for everyone in this collection.  No matter what type of story you like, you should be able to find one that talks to you.  What surprised me was that I didn't dislike any of these stories.  Especially since some of the authors aren't my most favorite.  Ms. Datlow did a good job of picking stories that worked well together and that made it a good read for me.

Supernatural Noir

This collection of short stories has at least one for everyone.  The stories are varied, there are supernatural and paranormal stories, ironic stories, humorous stories, crime stories and more.  What's not to like?


Dark Horse Books, an imprint of Dark Horse Comics, provided an egalley on Net Galley that I downloaded for review (thank you both).  The book will be published at the end of June.


I don't know about you, but my favorite form of reading is short stories.  Authors can't wallow in detail or expand a character so much you get bored.  It's got to be succinct and tidy to get the point across in a limited number of words.  And each new story is a new adventure.  


This selection of stories comes from authors that have been writing for a long time:  Brian Evenson, Joe R Lansdale,  Caitlin R Kiernan, Nick Mamatas, Gregory Frost, Jeffrey Ford, and many more.


These stories are all dark, but they draw you in and you keep reading to see where the author is taking you.  If you collect short story analogies, here is a new one for you.  If you like reading fantasy, this book is for you.  Why not pick up a copy in June at your local bookstore?


Happy reading!