52/52: Deserter, by Junji Ito
February 20, 2022 10:14 am Comments Off on 52/52: Deserter, by Junji ItoI’ve gotten worn out by Ito’s recent work, but this collection of his early stories revitalized my interest in his... View Article
Author Archives for Sam
52/52: Blood in the Garden, by Chris Herring
February 20, 2022 10:13 am Comments Off on 52/52: Blood in the Garden, by Chris HerringIf you were a Jordan Bulls-hating basketball fan in the ‘90s like me, the Knicks teams chronicled here seemed like... View Article
Blood on the Tracks, vols. 5-7, by Shuzo Oshimi
February 6, 2022 4:54 pm Comments Off on Blood on the Tracks, vols. 5-7, by Shuzo OshimiI devoured these volumes over a day and a half, so they get a single entry. Oshimi continues to demonstrate... View Article
52/52: Devil House, by John Darnielle
January 30, 2022 6:32 pm Comments Off on 52/52: Devil House, by John DarnielleA nuanced, twisting, multi-viewpoint novel that meditates on the ethics and impact of true-crime journalism. If true-crime has ever struck... View Article
52/52: In The Woods, by Tana French
January 19, 2022 5:38 pm Comments Off on 52/52: In The Woods, by Tana FrenchOne hell of an accomplished first novel, with all of the hallmarks of characterization, plot, and theme that French explored... View Article
52/52: The Apple Tree, by Daphne Du Maurier
December 31, 2021 2:20 pm Comments Off on 52/52: The Apple Tree, by Daphne Du MaurierI didn’t quite reach my goal of reading 52 books in 52 weeks this year, but I’m happy enough to... View Article
52/52: The Small People, by Thomas Ligotti
December 31, 2021 2:03 pm Comments Off on 52/52: The Small People, by Thomas LigottiLigotti’s introduction—written for this appealing, one-story chapbook with a screen-printed dust jacket—offers a good encapsulation of his approach versus other... View Article
52/52: The Masque of the Red Death, by Edgar Allan Poe
December 31, 2021 1:59 pm Comments Off on 52/52: The Masque of the Red Death, by Edgar Allan PoeEverything about this edition of Poe’s classic chiller is handmade: the text hand-set and then letterpressed into the paper, the... View Article
52/52: Mr. Jones, by Edith Wharton
December 30, 2021 10:31 am Comments Off on 52/52: Mr. Jones, by Edith WhartonI’m usually more of a fan of Wharton—especially her short stories—than I’d expect to be, but not this time. Perhaps... View Article
52/52: Blood on the Tracks, Vol. 4, by Shuzo Oshimi
December 29, 2021 9:59 am Comments Off on 52/52: Blood on the Tracks, Vol. 4, by Shuzo OshimiI continue to be amazed at the effectiveness of Oshimi’s art in this series. The detailed rendering in the close... View Article