Melody Writes

First off, let me say that this is a fantastic resource for any horror lover. Sadie Hartmann has outdone herself with this guide. She has a fresh engaging rhythm that kept me reading about each book, even in the categories of horror that do not really interest me. I recommend grabbing this book in print, rather than e-book, because it makes such a great addition to my library. That said, before I read this book, I thought of myself as relatively up to date on horror. Hartmann has completely shattered that illusion. Of the 101 horror books listed here, I have read an embarrassing one of them, with one DNF, and two others sitting in my To-be-read pile. To remedy this shame, I have worked my way through the suggested books and the featured authors to curate a list of 32 horror books that I will be reading over the next year. I had no intention of reading all 101 because then people would be free to murder me. There are also some categories of horror that do not appeal to me such as cosmic...

Original Review posted to Goodreads August 6, 2016   The Review: Well, I finally did it. I finally finished the Wheel of Time. And to be honest, I don't know how I feel. The series is too long already, but I want some more detail on some things and more of a look into the aftermath. I listened to A Memory of Light as an audiobook** and I think that helps add something to the immensity/feel of it. This is not the first time I've blogged about this series. It's a tricky one to write about and I'm contemplating a reread of the series in the future so I can write about the novels I read years ago and barely remember. We'll see. A Memory of Light is the last one, and I don't think that this will be one of those "it's over, but oh wait, here's some more" kind of things. The author, Robert Jordan, passed away. Actually, he passed away before the series was even finished. Brandon Sanderson took over and wrapped it up nicely. What I've ...

 Original review posted to Goodreads on August 6, 2016 More of a discussion of my time with the series than a proper review. The Original Review: What can I say about Game of Thrones that hasn't been said a million times? Instead, I'll recap my own journey with Martin's epic saga. I began with the TV show. My feelings were mixed - I hated most of it, but there were a few people I cared about and enjoyed watching - Dany, Sansa. I made it through season 1 still uncertain, but I eventually landed on the side of "dislike" and as a defence mechanism against the constant barrage of peer pressure, I turned my dislike into hatred. Ask anyone and I was the most adamant anti-GoT person around. The problem was it was EVERYWHERE. I could not escape it. And well... you can't say no to peer pressure, right? Come on, you know you can't. Just give in. All the cool kids are doing it. So I gave in. I started up with season 2 and marathoned it until I was up to d...