The Classic of the Month: Manalive
Sometimes, the classics start at a leisurely pace, describing a beautiful piece of landscape--a farm perhaps--or the current lazy daydreams of a young protagonist. Other times, the classics start off…
What Is the Law?: “The Island of Dr. Moreau” Retellings
There's something about a mad-scientist story that really gets under your skin. Laboratories full of terrifying experiments, strange contraptions, horrible henchmen, and more come together to make a story that…
Travels With a Good Book
Sometimes, you find a book that almost demands your complete attention. One that you carve time out of your busy day to curl up with, a book that keeps you…
Classic of the Month: The Mating Season
Ever since I was in high school, the Bertie and Jeeves adventures were some of my all-time favorites. I devoured as much P.G. Wodehouse as I could get my hands…
The Classic of the Month: Beau Geste
In this installment of The Classic of the Month, we'll be looking at a military mystery of sorts. This book starts off with a bang, as we hear a story…
C. Auguste Dupin: The Original Sherlock Holmes
Ironically, I think the title of this blog post would be considered somewhat offensive, both to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Edgar Allan Poe. But, I think it's eye-catching...after all,…
The Classic of the Month: Of Mice and Men
I still remember the first time I read Of Mice and Men. I was in high school and had picked up a copy at random because it looked so small…
You Don’t Need to Be Psychic to Read These Books!
There's something both exciting and terrifying about psychic powers. To be able to see through walls, move things without touching them, read minds, hypnotize people...well, the list goes on and…
15 Classic Children’s Books for Readers of All Ages
There's nothing quite like a classic children's book. As I'm sure many of my dedicated readers already know, this librarian is a huge fan of the classics. And I especially…
The Classic of the Month: Frankenstein
The past few installments of The Classic of the Month have all been speculative fiction. And today, we're continuing that theme with one more... Frankenstein. This terrifying tale is a…
The Classic of the Month: The Time Machine
Welcome to our latest installment of The Classic of the Month! Today, we're going to look at one of the earliest examples of a science fiction novel, The Time Machine…
Four Classic Vampire Stories (That Aren’t Dracula)
Count Dracula is probably the world's most recognizable vampire--and with good reason! This blood-sucking bad guy has been terrorizing generations of readers, ever since he first appeared on paper in…
Author Spotlight: Rafael Sabatini
For about two and a half years, my grandpa and I read together over the phone. What started off as a COVID quarantine activity soon took on a life of…
The Classic of the Month: The Devil and Daniel Webster
Welcome to the newest installment of The Classic of the Month! This month, we're going to be looking at one of my all-time favorite short stories, a tale of a…
Sherlock Holmes Meets the Monsters
A few days ago, I shared a list: Sherlock Holmes vs. the Vampire. Today, I wanted to look at Holmes' adventures against other monsters. Unless something squeaks by me, there…
Sherlock Holmes vs. the Vampire
Say what you will about Sherlock Holmes--there is no denying the universal appeal of this most famous of detectives! In addition to the 56 short stories and four novels penned…
The Classic of the Month: Oh Whistle, and I’ll Come to You, My Lad
This month, we're going to look at a scary short story, instead of a full-length novel. This chilling little tale will not be a very long read (or listen, if…
Tales of Friendship, Love, and Hospitality
Hospitality is a very special gift. It's a giving of yourself, from your time, your resources, and your heart. The tales included below are all stories of hospitality in some…
Andy Serkis Reads Lord of the Rings
I've been a Lord of the Rings fan for years--in that I've seen the movies (extended editions!) at least half a dozen times, and I quote it often enough. But,…
The Classic of the Month: Don Quixote
Welcome to the Classic of the Month-- an ongoing series dedicated to putting the right classic into the hands of the right reader! This month, we're looking at a really…
Hoopla MEGAPACKS
Sometimes, when you find an author you really like, there's nothing better than just sitting down and reading as much as you can by that author, one title after another.…
The Classic of the Month: Beloved
Not all ghost are found in horror stories. And sometimes, that horror runs so deep that it's not even scary anymore...just a sickening numbness that leaves you unable to cry.…
Classic of the Month: Captain Blood
Welcome to our latest installment of The Classic of the Month. This month, we're looking at one of my all-time favorite tales of swashbuckling adventure, romance, and revenge. This book…
Ligeia, Morella, and Annabel Lee: The Women of Poe
Reading Edgar Allan Poe is like a fever dream. And the more that I read from the Master of the Macabre, the more I realize that he had a very…