Book 34 of 2010: Carnageland by David W. Barbee

David W. Barbee takes readers on a madcap adventure as the alien Invader 898 goes on his first mission. Sent to a planet full of twisted characters of fairy tale and fable, Invader 898 and his trusty Doomshooter are ready to take over. One thing that Invader 898 did not expect, however, is the reaction of the green flesh between his legs. Upon viewing salacious sights of the inhabits of this new planet, he has a hard time controlling this green flesh that tends to form the shape of a trumpet and play music. Will Invader 898 be able to conquer this planet before the urge to give in to temptation becomes too strong, or will he give in to the pornographic delights and fail? Readers of the bizarro genre will not want to miss Invader 898's tale in Barbee's first release through Eraserhead Press, included in the New Bizarro Author Series. Carnageland is chock full of familiar characters, looked at in a whole new light. I found myself amused at every turn by Barbee's depictions of these characters and how Invader 898 reacts to each one, and the description of Invader 898's "trumpet" is a brilliant idea. Sure brings a new meaning to one saying they are horny! This novella kept me laughing non-stop and wanting more once the last page was read. Barbee definitely has a promising future in the world of bizarro and I would recommend all libraries adding it to their collections for readers to enjoy.

Contains: Adult Language, Adult Situations, Graphic Sex

Review also posted at http://monsterlibrarian.com

Book 33 of 2010: Roadtrip of the Living Dead by Mark Henry

Review to follow...

Book 32 of 2010: Dweller by Jeff Strand

Jeff Strand's latest mass market release, Dweller, follows the life of a boy named Toby as he matures and ages. At the start, Toby is an eight year old boy who likes to explore the woods. One day he walks a bit deeper into the woods than his parents allow him, stumbles into a "monster", and runs! Seven years later, at age fifteen, Toby is dealing with the trauma of being tormented by the bullies at school and with being an outcast, and he still spends much of his time in the woods when not at school. One day he happens upon a cave and discovers the "monster" that he thought was created by his childhood imagination once again. Instead of running this time, Toby tries talking to him. The "monster" doesn't attack and Toby starts to visit him regularly, bringing him food, telling him stories, naming him Owen, and ultimately becoming best friends with him. Of course, can being friends with a creature such as Owen truly end well?

Dweller is noted as being Jeff Strand's second "serious" novel. However, I was pleasantly surprised that this release featured much more of Strand's humor than his previous release, Pressure, did. As stated above, the book is written over the course of numerous years, but is written in a format where certain years are focused upon. The other years are covered by chapters titled "glimpses" which feature snapshots from the years in between. This is a unique technique that I hadn't seen before, as most books just jump forward ten or twenty years, leaving the reader guessing at what occurred in the middle. Strand allows us to experience Toby's life as it progresses with these special chapters, and we watch Toby graduate, move out from home, get married, and so on. At the same time, we watch the continued friendship between Toby and Owen progress. So far this isn't sounding too much of a horror novel, now is it? Think again! There is a very dark storyline mixed within that will leave readers shocked. I would say more, but doing so may spoil the surprise. Let's just say that Owen doesn't JUST like ice cream for a treat! For readers who have yet to enjoy the works of Jeff Strand, Dweller is a great first book to read as it explores many elements of Strand's writing style. Many of his books are extremely humorous. In contrast, Pressure is dark and serious. Dweller, on the other hand, mixes these styles up and Strand churns out a story that is unforgettable. Highly recommended!

Contains: Adult Language, Adult Situations, Mild Violence, Mild Gore

Review also posted at http://monsterlibrarian.com

Book 31 of 2010: HellFire by Kate Douglas

Review to follow...

Book 30 of 2010: Wonderland 4: King of Clubs by Cheyenne McCray

Movie 13 of 2010: Public Enemies

Book 29 of 2010: You Morbid Westphal by Steven Rage

Review to follow...