Two More Days Til Halloween!

We are in the final days before Halloween. Then there’s nothing happening for months and months…

In all seriousness, how bad is it that I’m already sick of Christmas commercials. I mean come on! It’s very simple, each month gets one holiday and that red suite fat prick is two months early.

It’s been very strange being able to relax during the days leading up to my favorite holiday. Even after three years in the New House™️, I’m still not used to not rushing around and setting up the Halloween display in the few days before the holiday. As previously mentioned, one of the downsides of our previous house was that decorations would get damaged or go missing if one wasn’t around to keep an eye on them. This lead to me taking off the few days before Halloween and setting everything up in a mad three day dash.

It was always a sign of a good year when the local gendarme had to come by and direct traffic because of the people stopping to check out the decorations. Of course the upside to the old house’s location was that we got hundreds of Trick or Treaters. I will still have a supply of candy, just in case, but we haven’t had anyone knock on our door in the previous two years.

I was fortunate enough to attend an advanced screening of Bugonia this week. Woah. That is one trippy movie. Emma Stone plays Michelle, a high ranking CEO who is kidnapped by two men (Jesse Plemons and Aidan Delbis) who believe that she is an alien. They are convinced that they can use her to stop the alien take over of the Earth. Bugonia is weird and creepy and definitely worth seeing. Highly recommended.

Listening To: Mrs. March by Virgnia Feito. An anxiety filled woman becomes convinced that her husband’s new novel about a repulsive prostitute is based on her. Then she starts to wonder if he is a murderer as well. It’s an interesting look at someone driven by fear and compulsion.

Currently Reading: The Ghost That Ate Us by Daniel Kraus. In a bit of fourth wall warping, Kraus tells the story from his own POV, writing as if presenting a true crime telling of the poltergeist activity in a fast food restaurant and the ensuing tragedies which befell the employees. It’s very well written.

Current Obsession: The deuce. I’ve been down a deep rabbit hole pertaining to 42nd St in NYC during the 70s and 80s. Expect to see some reviews of related books after October is over.

We are pleased to see the incredibly favorable reviews of this year’s publications. Dark Workings of Wild Women, Shrouded Horror, Nightmerica, and It’s Dark in Here have all been getting high marks on Amazon and NetGalley. Thank you to everyone who has read the books and taken the time to review them. Every review helps make the titles more visible in the great and powerful algorithm.

We have a couple of shows coming up next month, but our main focus at the moment is the Monster Mash For Literacy Bash this coming Saturday (1 November). Click here for all of the details.

I mentioned this novel last week, but I want to do a more complete review because I enjoyed it so damn much.

I should start out by saying that I am a sucker for a good epistolary novel. This, however, is a great epistolary novel. It is told in the form of numerous interviews with all of the characters involved in the story as well as a few other experts who comment on the various things which come up.

At its heart, My Ex, The Antichrist is the story of a fledgling band and their rise to stardom. The characters talk about the trials that they go thought both personally and professionally. They detail the band’s formation, the rehearsals, the early shows and the aftermath of those shows, all of which culminates in a Battle of the Bands competition and subsequent recording contract.

Oh, and did I mention that their original guitarist Drake is the Antichrist?

It’s not a spoiler, it’s right there in the title.

We primarily follow Lucy Lawlor (stage name Lucy Lawless) and her bandmates. Lucy meets Drake and is encouraged to live her life to the fullest. Under his direction, she casts off the expectations of her parents and their boring plans for her. The two form the band The Shivers. But something strange happens when they play in front of an audience. The crowds turn violent, destroying venue after venue. Will this end after Drake leaves to form his own band?

Soon The Shivers are front and center in a battle to not only make a name for themselves nationally, but to save the very Earth itself.

DiLouie mixes warrior priests and nuns, a behind the stage look at the rise of a pop-punk band, and heady theological questions with gruesome horror and outrageous humor. And he does it extremely well.

Highest Recommendations.