I heard about this book on a podcast (Geek's Guide to the Galaxy). It sounded interesting and so I decided to check it out (from the library). It is billed as a horror comedy, and it is. I liked the premise that this big box stores, like IKEA, are designed to mess with your mind. So is the IKEA knockoff in this story haunted or just a product of design? There is an answer to this question in the book, so I won't spoil it for you, but I found myself thinking a lot about what I read about ghost stories in America in Ghostland: An American History in Haunted Places by Colin Dickey. I enjoyed it and was grossed out by it, not quite in equal parts. I didn't get grossed out until I had gone beyond the point of no return. I had to finish the book!!!
82. Cosmic Powers: The Saga Anthology of Far-Away Galaxies edited by John Joseph Adams
I also heard about this book on the Geek's Guide to the Galaxy podcast. As I understand it, John Joseph Adams used to co-host the podcast until he became such in demand as an editor. He still appears regularly and spoke about this anthology. John Joseph Adams (That's a lot to type. I guess we say it that way so we don't confuse him with the second president. But seriously I'm talking about a Sci-Fi anthology, I don't think anyone's going to be confused!) talked about his process for choosing stories, and I was deeply impressed. Then he talked about who he got, and I was deeply impressed. Then he talked about an author I had never heard of and that author talked, and I was sold! I couldn't get this one from the library, so I hemmed and hawed and eventually bought it. Let me tell you, the story by Becky Chambers (author of The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet) made me cry! And that story alone was worth the price of admission!
83. The Black Cat Sees His Shadow by Kay Finch
It's October and this book is set in October at a pumpkin festival. This mystery novel is a pleasant seasonal read. Unlike A Tangled Yarn, the black kitty on the cover (aptly named Hitchcock) is very important in the story.
84. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
To continue my Halloween reading list I added this book to my list! I love ghost stories, and Neil is such an interesting writer. I found this book to be a charming tale about growing up.
85. Dreams of Distant Shores by Patricia A. McKillip
I read a collection of short stories by Patricia A. McKillip last year (Wonders of the Invisible World). There were a couple of stories that I couldn't let go of and the more I thought about one in particular (Hunter's Moon) that I sought out something else by her and found this one at the library. It's a delightful read, and my favorite by far is Something Rich and Strange. Hunter's Moon is in the woods and Something Rich and Strange is on the coast. It soothed my soul.
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