Grown-Up Book Report

Time to talk about what Horror is...which we've been discussing all along and will continue to debate in perpetuity. Plus Lisa made Carly read The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Trembly. Description of Cabin at the End of the World: Seven-year-old Wen and her parents, Eric and Andrew, are vacationing at a remote cabin on a quiet New Hampshire lake. Their closest neighbors are more than two miles in either direction along a rutted dirt road. One afternoon, as Wen catches grasshoppers in the front yard, a stranger unexpectedly appears in the driveway. Leonard is the largest man Wen has ever seen but he is young, friendly, and he wins her over almost instantly. Leonard and Wen talk and play until Leonard abruptly apologizes and tells Wen, "None of what’s going to happen is your fault". Three more strangers then arrive at the cabin carrying unidentifiable, menacing objects. As Wen sprints inside to warn her parents, Leonard calls out: "Your dads won’t want to let us in, Wen. But they have to. We need your help to save the world." Thus begins an unbearably tense, gripping tale of paranoia, sacrifice, apocalypse, and survival that escalates to a shattering conclusion, one in which the fate of a loving family and quite possibly all of humanity are entwined. The Cabin at the End of the World is a masterpiece of terror and suspense from the fantastically fertile imagination of Paul Tremblay.

This week Carly made me read Big Fish by Daniel Wallace. If you haven't read Big Fish, don't worry. We'll go over the plot, book report style, so you get the context you need to understand our clever observations. Surprisingly, Big Fish is a pretty G rated book. So we have no content warnings. We will keep our discussion G rated as well to match the book. For more about Big Fish, see the description below. In his prime, Edward Bloom was an extraordinary man. He could outrun anybody. He never missed a day of school. He saved lives and tamed giants. Animals loved him, people loved him, women loved him. He knew more jokes than any man alive. At least that’s what he told his son, William. But now Edward Bloom is dying, and William wants desperately to know the truth about his elusive father—this indefatigable teller of tall tales—before it’s too late. So, using the few facts he knows, William re-creates Edward’s life in a series of legends and myths, through which he begins to understand his father’s great feats, and his great failings. The result is hilarious and wrenching, tender and outrageous.

Welcome to Part 3 of GUBR reads The Hunger by Alma Katsu. Please listen to part 1 & 2 first. The Hunger is a novel based on the historic, ill-fated wagon train known as The Donner Party. As this book is big and complicated, it will take us 3 parts to cover it all. We will accelerate our usual schedule and release each part on a consecutive Sunday. If you haven't read The Hunger, don't worry, we're going to go over everything including the exhausting number of characters in this book. And for the truly uninitiated, this book contains violence against women and children, animal harm, suicide and, of course, cannibalism. This novel is intended for adults and so is this podcast.

Welcome to Part 2 of GUBR reads The Hunger by Alma Katsu. Please listen to part 1 first. The Hunger is a novel based on the historic, ill-fated wagon train known as The Donner Party. As this book is big and complicated, it will take us 3 parts to cover it all. We will accelerate our usual schedule and release each part on a consecutive Sunday. If you haven't read The Hunger, don't worry, we're going to go over everything including the exhausting number of characters in this book. And for the truly uninitiated, this book contains violence against women and children, animal harm, suicide and, of course, cannibalism. This novel is intended for adults and so is this podcast.

This week I made Carly read The Hunger by Alma Katsu. The Hunger is a novel based on the historic, ill-fated wagon train known as The Donner Party. As this book is big and complicated, it will take us 3 parts to cover it all. We will accelerate our usual schedule and release each part on a consecutive Sunday. If you haven't read The Hunger, don't worry, we're going to go over everything including the exhausting number of characters in this book. And for the truly uninitiated, this book contains violence against women and children, animal harm, suicide and, of course, cannibalism. This novel is intended for adults and so is this podcast. Read below for the publisher's description of The Hunger. Evil is invisible, and it is everywhere. That is the only way to explain the series of misfortunes that have plagued the wagon train known as the Donner Party. Depleted rations, bitter quarrels, and the mysterious death of a little boy have driven the isolated travelers to the brink of madness. Though they dream of what awaits them in the West, long-buried secrets begin to emerge, and dissent among them escalates to the point of murder and chaos. They cannot seem to escape tragedy...or the feelings that someone - or something - is stalking them. Whether it's a curse from the beautiful Tamsen Donner (who some think might be a witch), their ill-advised choice of route through uncharted terrain, or just plain bad luck, the 90 men, women, and children of the Donner Party are heading into one of one of the deadliest and most disastrous Western adventures in American history. As members of the group begin to disappear, the survivors start to wonder if there really is something disturbing, and hungry, waiting for them in the mountains...and whether the evil that has unfolded around them may have in fact been growing within them all along. Effortlessly combining the supernatural and the historical, The Hunger is an eerie, thrilling look at the volatility of human nature, pushed to its breaking point.

Welcome to Part 2 of our Grown-Up Book Report on Donna Tartt's The Secret History. Please listen to Part 1 before listening to this one or you will have no idea why this episode begins with a funeral.

This week Carly made me read The Secret History by Donna Tartt. I have so many thoughts that it will take 2 pods to cover it all. If you haven't read The Secret History, don't worry, we'll go over the whole plot so you get our clever - or flippant - observations. And just in case you know nothing about this novel be aware that it contains violence, sexuality, incest and suicide. Here's the publisher's description:Under the influence of their charismatic classics professor, a group of clever, eccentric misfits at an elite New England college discover a way of thinking and living that is a world away from the humdrum existence of their contemporaries. But when they go beyond the boundaries of normal morality their lives are changed profoundly and forever, and they discover how hard it can be to truly live and how easy it is to kill.

Welcome to the very first part 2 episode of Grown-Up Book Report. In this episode Lisa, a snarky Horror loving librarian made Carly, a snarky literary-loving librarian read Horns by Joe Hill. If you haven't read Horns, don't worry. Carly will summarize the whole plot so you get the context you need to understand the librarian's clever and flippant observations. And since Horns has a whole lot of plot, it's been split into two parts. This is part 2, please listen to part 1 first. For those who know nothing about Horns, a small warning. It's horror and therefore includes violence. But it also includes sexual assault, elder abuse, and self-harm. It was released in 2010 and became a film starring Daniel Radcliffe in 2013. Here is the publisher's description of Horns: Joe Hill's critically acclaimed, New York Times bestselling, Bram Stoker Award-winning debut chiller, Heart-Shaped Box, heralded the arrival of new royalty onto the dark fantasy scene. With Horns, he polishes his well-deserved crown. A twisted, terrifying new novel of psychological and supernatural suspense, Horns is a devilishly original triumph for the Ray Bradbury Fellowship recipient whose story collection, 20th Century Ghosts, was also honored with a Bram Stoker Award—and whose emotionally powerful and macabre work has been praised by the New York Times as, "wild, mesmerizing, perversely witty…a Valentine from hell."

Welcome to the very first two-part episode of Grown-Up Book Report. In this episode Lisa, a snarky Horror loving librarian made Carly, a snarky literary-loving librarian read Horns by Joe Hill. If you haven't read Horns, don't worry. Carly will summarize the whole plot so you get the context you need to understand the librarian's clever and flippant observations. And since Horns has a whole lot of plot, it's been split into two parts. Part 2 will upload in two weeks. For those who know nothing about Horns, a small warning. It's horror and therefore includes violence. But it also includes sexual assault, elder abuse, self-harm. It was released in 2010 and became a film starring Daniel Radcliffe in 2013. Here is the publisher's description of Horns: Joe Hill's critically acclaimed, New York Times bestselling, Bram Stoker Award-winning debut chiller, Heart-Shaped Box, heralded the arrival of new royalty onto the dark fantasy scene. With Horns, he polishes his well-deserved crown. A twisted, terrifying new novel of psychological and supernatural suspense, Horns is a devilishly original triumph for the Ray Bradbury Fellowship recipient whose story collection, 20th Century Ghosts, was also honored with a Bram Stoker Award—and whose emotionally powerful and macabre work has been praised by the New York Times as, "wild, mesmerizing, perversely witty…a Valentine from hell."

This week Carly made me read Work Shirts for Madmen by her good buddy George Singleton. Work Shirts for Madmen was published in 2008. It has never been a film or, as we will note, an audiobook. Check out the description below. Renegade artist Harp Spillman is lower than a bow-legged fire ant. Because of an unhealthy relationship with the bottle, he’s ruined his reputation as one of the South’s preeminent commissioned metal sculptors. And his desperate turn to ice sculpting might’ve led to a posse of angry politicians on his trail. With the help of his sane and practical wife, Raylou, Harp understands that it’s time to get his act together and prove that he can complete a series of twelve-foot-high metal angels—welded completely out of hex nuts—for the city of Birmingham. Is it pure chance that the Elbow Boys, with arms voluntarily fused together so they can’t drink, show up in order to help Harp? And why did his neighbor smuggle anteaters into the desolate little South Carolina town of Ember Glow? Harp is drying out, but somehow being sober isn’t making the world seem any less confusing . . . “Engagingly comic . . . Singleton has a flair for capturing Southern eccentricity, and Raylou’s imperturbable patience is just as funny in its way as Harp’s self-loathing.” —Publishers Weekly “If there is a fiction genre blending the riotous, bleary-eyed excess and absurdity of gonzo journalism with the rather earnest sensitivity of a John Irving hero—who always does right by his wife in the end—Work Shirts belongs to it. . . . It’s a fun read . . . An adventure to be undertaken.” —Newsweek

Once again I've roped Carly into reading a horror novel she never imagined would be part of her life - The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty. The Exorcist was a bestseller upon its release fifty years ago. The first film adaptation starred Linda Blair in 1973. Both the novel and the film became horror classics. Description of the novel below: Originally published in 1971, The Exorcist remains one of the most controversial novels ever written and went on to become a literary phenomenon. Inspired by a true story of a child’s demonic possession in the 1940s, William Peter Blatty created an iconic novel that focuses on Regan, the eleven-year-old daughter of a movie actress residing in Washington, D.C. A small group of overwhelmed yet determined individuals must rescue Regan from her unspeakable fate, and the drama that ensues is gripping and unfailingly terrifying. Two years after its publication, The Exorcist was, of course, turned into a wildly popular motion picture, garnering ten Academy Award nominations. On opening day of the film, lines of the novel’s fans stretched around city blocks. In Chicago, frustrated moviegoers used a battering ram to gain entry through the double side doors of a theater. In Kansas City, police used tear gas to disperse an impatient crowd who tried to force their way into a cinema. The three major television networks carried footage of these events; CBS’s Walter Cronkite devoted almost ten minutes to the story. The Exorcist was, and is, more than just a novel and a film: it is a true landmark. Purposefully raw and profane, The Exorcist still has the extraordinary ability to disturb readers and cause them to forget that it is “just a story.” Published here in this beautiful fortieth anniversary edition, it remains an unforgettable reading experience and will continue to shock and frighten a new generation of readers.

Welcome to Grown-Up Book Report, a podcast where two snarky librarians read each other's book recommendations. In this episode, Carly - the literary lover - made Joe by Larry Brown. Joe was originally published in 1991. It was made into a film starring Nicholas Cage in 2014. Description: Joe Ransom is a hard-drinking ex-con pushing fifty who just won’t slow down--not in his pickup, not with a gun, and certainly not with women. Gary Jones estimates his own age to be about fifteen. Born luckless, he is the son of a hopeless, homeless wandering family, and he’s desperate for a way out. When their paths cross, Joe offers him a chance just as his own chances have dwindled to almost nothing. Together they follow a twisting map to redemption--or ruin.

Welcome to the second episode of Grown-Up Book Report, a podcast where two snarky librarians read each other's book recommendations. In this episode, Lisa - the horror lover - made Carly read The Shining by Stephen King. The Shining was originally published in 1977 and became a film starring Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duval in 1980. Description: Jack Torrance’s new job at the Overlook Hotel is the perfect chance for a fresh start. As the off-season caretaker at the atmospheric old hotel, he’ll have plenty of time to spend reconnecting with his family and working on his writing. But as the harsh winter weather sets in, the idyllic location feels ever more remote . . . and more sinister. And the only one to notice the strange and terrible forces gathering around the Overlook is Danny Torrance, a uniquely gifted five-year-old.

Welcome to the premiere episode of Grown-Up Book Report, a podcast where two snarky librarians read each other's book recommendations. In this episode, Carly - the literary lover - made me read Winter's Bone, a literary novel set in the Ozarks. Winter's Bone was published in 2006 and became a film starring Jennifer Lawrence in 2010. Daniel Woodrell's modern classic is an unforgettable tale of desperation and courage that inspired the award-winning film starring Jennifer Lawrence. Ree Dolly's father has skipped bail on charges that he ran a crystal meth lab, and the Dollys will lose their house if he doesn't show up for his next court date. With two young brothers depending on her, 16-year-old Ree knows she has to bring her father back, dead or alive. Living in the harsh poverty of the Ozarks, Ree learns quickly that asking questions of the rough Dolly clan can be a fatal mistake. But, as an unsettling revelation lurks, Ree discovers unforeseen depths in herself and in a family network that protects its own at any cost. "The lineage from Faulkner to Woodrell runs as deep and true as an Ozark stream in this book...his most profound and haunting yet." -- Los Angeles Times Book Review