Book Blogger Appreciation Week: Day 1

Introduce myself… Well, I’m a Sherlock Holmes fanatic (although I am not a member of the Baker Street Irregulars, I play the grand game anyway), a certified cryptozoologist, a crossword puzzle and word game player, I have a Edgar Allan Poe lunchbox that I use everyday, and I read. A lot. I’ve been writing reviews…

SPOTLIGHT: BORIS AKUNIN in The New Yorker

I have ADORED Boris Akunin for years.  I mean, at least 10 years; maybe more.  I was heart-broken when American publishers stopped “importing” him.  Last summer, I went to London and stopped in at Daunt Books in Chelsea.  I bought every Akunin / Fandorin book they had.  When I explained to the wonderful staff that…

REVIEW: THE QUEEN OF SPADES (1949)

A somewhat forgotten film, The Queen of Spades seems to be making a quiet return.  Made on a small budget, the film was nominated for a BAFTA (British equivalent of the Oscars) and was screened at Cannes, before dropping off into obscurity. Based on a novella by Alexander Pushkin, the film follows one man’s obsession…

QUICK REVIEW: JOHANNES CABAL THE NECROMANCER by Jonathan Howard

Faustian in nature, the first in the Cabal series is witty, wry and in general, hysterical.  The title character attempts to win back his soul from the Devil (traded for scientific secrets).  He is given a second chance and one year to collect one-hundred souls.  Aided by his bitter and vampiric brother, the two manage…