It’s hard to believe we’re in the final month of the year!  The past few months have flown by, while at the same time feeling like it would never end…it’s almost felt like living in the movie, Groundhog Day!

But December is my second favorite month, with the holidays and my birthday all coming up.  While I have no big plans for either, I do plan on spending some time relaxing and enjoying all of the festive movies, lights, and food that are to be had…

And read a book or two, of course!

The Week in Books

Reservation Blues by Sherman Alexie — 4 out of 5 stars

In his 1995 debut novel, Alexie uses magical realism to tell the story of Thomas, Junior, and Victor, three friends from the Spokane Indian Tribe who find themselves in possession of the enchanted guitar once owned by  legendary bluesman Robert Johnson.  What follows is a journey of highs and lows, humor, drama, and heartbreak.  As a longtime Alexie fan, I can say that while this wasn’t my absolute favorite of his works, it’s right up there and will stay in my thoughts and heart for some time.

The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson — 3.5 out of 5 stars

This one was kind of up and down for me.  At some points I was laughing out loud at the exploits of Allan, both past and present, yet other times I was restlessly counting the pages until the next break so I could stop reading.  I liked the overall story, but by the last eighty pages or so I had pretty much lost interest.  Needless to say, I won’t be reading the sequel.

Novellas, Short Stories, and Anthologies

Tales From the Typewriter by Mark Allan Gunnells — 4 out of 5 stars

Scheduled for publication in January 2022.  The latest from Gunnells is a collection of stories within a story.  Our narrator buys an old typewriter that once belonged to his favorite (deceased) author.  Shortly afterwards, strange noises are heard late at night as the typewriter comes to life and begins to tell some scary tales…

The six short stories offer some creepy, even disturbing, narratives, from a post-apocalyptic take on Misery (The Travelling Storyteller) to a tale that will make you rethink leaving those negative reviews (The Cult of Wrath), with all six sharing the common theme of storytelling.  I enjoyed all of the stories, and found this to be a quick, satisfying read.  Be sure to add it to your TBR for 2022!

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Stay safe and Happy Reading!