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Trigger Warning: Short Fictions and Disturbances by Neil Gaiman

1/6/2017

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Genre: Sci-Fi
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There is no doubt that Neil Gaiman is one of the amazing authors of our time. There is also no doubt that he is one of the more disturbing writers of our time.  If you have never read his books, you should.  I believe that starting with his short stories might be a good idea, and Trigger Warning is as good a place to start as any.  In his foreword, he talks about warnings of things that might upset us. Books, movies, music...should we be given these "trigger warnings" to protect us from that which might upset us, or do these upsetting moments help us grow?

His foreword gives us a peek into the thoughts of Gaiman.  I found it interesting.  Then he gives a bit of information about how each of the stories came to be.  That was interesting,  too.  Then came the stories.  They were deep. They were disturbing. Most of all, each one told a story that Gaiman wanted to share.  He pulls down the masks that we all wear and shows the truth behind them. This is science fiction and horror stories and fairy tales at their best, written by a man who puts together these stories in the most literary of ways.

It is difficult for me to say anymore about the individual stories without giving away the essence of each, but I will say that his style, his use of figurative language and the truth  beneath his words have all combined to make me a fan of an author who represents a genre that I usually stay away from.

- Beverly


​Publisher - William Morrow  
Date of Publication - February 3, 2015
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The Outsider by Anthony Franze

1/6/2017

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Genre: Thriller
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I read The Advocate's Daughter by Franze last year and was an instant fan.  He made the plot and the characters come alive, and I couldn't wait to read his next novel.  I picked it up the day it arrived and haven't been able to put it down.  I have only a few chapters left, and I am still trying to figure out what is happening.

Grayson Hernandez is a recent law school graduate who works as a messenger in the Supreme Court. He graduated from a mediocre law school and has heavy debt,  and law jobs are difficult to come by in Washington.  It is his misfortune (or fortune) to come upon a violent mugging in the court garage one evening, and he ends up saving the Chief Justice.  

Suddenly he is the newest law clerk, doing things he never imagined, and he can't believe the world he has entered.  When the FBI connect the attack on the Chief Justice with other violent crimes, they ask Gray to be their eyes inside the justice building.  He reluctantly agrees, and slowly his suspicions take him places he never wanted to go.

Franze does a wonderful job building characters that are multidimensional and keeping us guessing as to who Gray can trust.  His old friends (an artist and a gangbanger) are the only two people that he knows he can trust when things get out of hand, and I found myself understanding his relationship with this gang leader, and I even had a few moments of liking him myself.

This book is another winner from Franze, and I will anxiously await his next book.

- Beverly

​
Publisher - Thomas Dunne Books
Date of Publication -  March 21, 2017
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