What I've Been Reading Lately

I'm only a week into school and already my recreational reading has taken a nose dive. I had three or four books going before the semester started and now I've been forced to focus on one of them at a time instead of switching back and forth like TV channels. That kind of reading has always appealed to me, because it lets me have taste of whatever kind of literature I'm hungry for at the moment. But now I'm forced to keep two or three on the back burner while I chew my way through one novel or comic book.

Here are some things that I've been reading that I can recommend to you if there's nothing catching your eye at the bookstore or online:

House of Leaves

This book is . . . wow. It's hard to describe how incredible this book really is without making it sound like it took my virginity. Here's the official synopsis for you to read.

"Years ago, when House of Leaves was first being passed around, it was nothing more than a badly bundled heap of paper, parts of which would occasionally surface on the Internet. No one could have anticipated the small but devoted following this terrifying story would soon command. Starting with an odd assortment of marginalized youth -- musicians, tattoo artists, programmers, strippers, environmentalists, and adrenaline junkies -- the book eventually made its way into the hands of older generations, who not only found themselves in those strangely arranged pages but also discovered a way back into the lives of their estranged children.

Now, for the first time, this astonishing novel is made available in book form, complete with the original colored words, vertical footnotes, and newly added second and third appendices.

The story remains unchanged, focusing on a young family that moves into a small home on Ash Tree Lane where they discover something is terribly wrong: their house is bigger on the inside than it is on the outside.

Of course, neither Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist Will Navidson nor his companion Karen Green was prepared to face the consequences of that impossibility, until the day their two little children wandered off and their voices eerily began to return another story -- of creature darkness, of an ever-growing abyss behind a closet door, and of that unholy growl which soon enough would tear through their walls and consume all their dreams."

Pretty crazy, right? It only gets more insane in the best way possible as you work your way through the layered narratives. It's a little bit mystery, a little bit horror, and very much a character study for multiple people residing within its pages.

Storm Front: Book one of the Dresden Files

I started writing a novel about urban magic because I'm a huge fan of Hellblazer and the DC Comics/Vertigo character John Constantine. I had heard of the Dresden Files and caught a few episodes of the TV show that SyFy put out several years ago. What I didn't know is that my novel ended up being way too close to the premise and characters of Jim Butcher's novels, so my friend Amanda Zimmerman recommended I read Butcher's work so that I wouldn't accidentally copy it. I'm glad she did, because it's a really fun series with enough magic and detective elements to keep me guessing.

Here's the premise.

"For Harry Dresden, Chicago's only professional wizard, business, to put it mildly, stinks. So when the police bring him in to consult on a grisly double murder committed with black magic, Harry's seeing dollar signs. But where there's black magic, there's a black mage behind it. And now that mage knows Harry's name."

I can't emphasize enough how much fun Harry Dresden is as a character. The mixture of magic and real world elements is balanced enough so that it isn't dragged down by the fantasy aspects, and the police procedural flavor makes it seem like it would fit right in with the adventures of Phillip Marlowe. That is, if Marlowe dealt with black magic on a regular basis and had to worry about his head getting chopped off a few times a day. 

If this kind of premise intrigues you then go and snag it up. I was surprised by how much I liked it, considering my love of magic doesn't stray too far from the magical characters in the DC universe.

Comics - (Various Issues)

When it comes to comics I like to spread the love around the various publishers. Lately I've been more into creator-owned books, but there have been a few superhero titles that have caught my eye as well. Here's a little list of some of the comics I've been enjoying on a regular basis from all walks of major and minor publishers and creators.

NOTE: If it's a major character/series like Spider-Man, I'm talking about the current run.

1. Saga
2. Batman
3. American Vampire
4. Chew
5. Skullkickers
6. Hawkeye
7. Swamp Thing
8. Animal Man
9. FF (Future Foundation)
10. Uncanny Avengers
11. Sex
12. Satellite Sam
13. East of West
14. The Manhattan Projects
15. Batman Beyond 2.0
16. Nova
17. The Massive
18. Lobster Johnson
19. Daredevil
20. Sheltered
21. Collider
22. The Wake


Again, just thought I'd share what has been catching my eye on the shelves of comic book stores and book retailers. I'm always looking to have a discussion about what I'm reading, so if you're reading one of these titles feel free to comment and share what you think!

More updates about my services and upcoming projects soon.

In the meantime make sure to checkout my eBook, Arthur's Bookshelf, a short story I wrote and published through my Griffincrest Publishing imprint.