"They Thirst" by Robert McCammon (1981)

I am doing incredibly well with reading so far, already six books completed and its not even end of January! For my latest book, choice fell on an author I was not familiar with - I simply followed good reviews on Goodreads and thought, good old fashioned horror novel can't be bad. And I devoured the book in a week, with the greatest interest!

"They Thirst" is a gripping story, impossible to put down - as you guess from the title, its about vampires and as such one of the best vampire novels I had encountered - its not exactly in the same league with Stephen King, but than, nobody is. Still, it turned me into obsessive reader, the kind who reads long after the midnight and than again in the morning - I found it even amusing that reading fever grabbed me so strongly, it had not happen in a very long time. According to Goodreads it looks like I read the whole thing in five days, which sounds realistic. 

The story itself is about vampire invasion of Los Angeles and follows many (sometimes TOO many) characters as they first must accept the idea about vampires in their midst, than figure out how to survive and perhaps fight back. It's all very action-packed and holds reader's attention firmly, though I noticed that well-stocked cast of characters is here simply to add more victims and the story feels more exciting when the antagonists are kept as a mystery - when we are close to them, they loose some of the danger. Absolutely recommended.  

"He stared at Kelsen, his eyes going dark and cold. "Mr. Kelsen," he said, "is there a lock on the door of your little house there?"

"Yeah, there's a lock. Why?"

"Because I'm going to suggest that you do something, and I want you to listen to me very carefully." Palatazin's hands curled tighter around the bars. "If I tried to explain to you why I want you to do this, you wouldn't understand. So just listen, please."

"Okay," the watchman said, but he stepped back a pace from the man at the gate whose gaze had gone so hard and chilling.

"If anyone else comes to this gate tonight—man, woman, or child—you should lock your door and draw the blinds. If you hear this gate opening, you should turn up your radio very loud so you can't hear. And you should not come out to look. Let whoever it may be do as he or she pleases. But do not—do not—come out to try to stop them."

"If and when someone comes to this gate tonight," Palatazin continued, ignoring the question, "you should pray. Pray very loudly, don't pay any attention to anything they say to you." He squinted when the watchman's light hit his face. "Perhaps if you pray hard enough, they'll leave you in peace."

"Out of His Head: The Sound of Phil Spector" by Richard Williams (1972)

I bought this original 1972 paperback simply because I liked the ancient owner of the second-hand bookshop and even brought him some food from a fresh market nearby - he must be in his 80s and this place is his universe, loved everything about it. Than it turned out that the book itself actually excellent! Obviously this is from 1972 and this is the best thing about it - later books about Spector focus too much about scandals and the descent into the madness, but this little book is all about the music and the best thing about it might be that it was written while Spector was still working - it is a close look at the music industry circa 1972, with recently disbanded Beatles working closely with Spector and at that point he was still not completely manic, but respected producer instead.

One interesting thing that Williams notes is how before Spector, producers were really in the background - while he was preceded by some important names like John Hammond, George Goldner and Sam Phillips, it was Spector who marketed his records like the latest, newest product by Phil Spector - to my knowledge, nobody else did it before and surprisingly (from our perspective) the main artists were almost unimportant, it was all about Spector himself. Williams also covers every important aspect of Spector recorded output up to that point and how Beatles connection helped to bring him back to the forefront of music industry - for a while he seemed invincible but as we know, it will not stay like that. 

"Country: The Twisted Roots Of Rock 'n' Roll" by Nick Tosches (1977)

If you are looking for a concise, comprehensive history of country music, look elsewhere: Nick Tosches is way too idiosyncratic & original to stick to any subject for too long. Basically he is a music lover who also happens to write and his writing is mostly delightfully random - he goes where his muse leads him, never mind the chronology, subjects or logic. While 1984 book "Unsung Heroes Of Rock 'n' Roll" is a genuine masterpiece, this one, published in 1977 is unfortunately not as brilliant - it feels as almost general rehearsal for things to come - but dear reader, even a unpolished Tosches is still towering above other, mediocre authors. Its just pity that this particular book is not quintessential as the other one. 

While the title promises this will be a book about country music, this is merely an idea and from here Tosches goes on, musing about the earliest influences, Appalachian songs, Scottish murder ballads and so on - then he gets inspired and writes whole chapter about obscure vaudeville singers in a blackface or early rockers like Jerry Lee Lewis - mostly he rambles about lesser known musicians who have left almost no trace and never ever discusses Nashville, Grand Ole Opry or anything you would expect from this book - he mentions Jonny Cash only to laugh at his teetotalism and says "There are several offensively pious men in country music. Johnny Cash and his God are a particularly tedious act. The strongest drink Cash serves at his parties is nonalcoholic fruit punch."  In other words, read if you are already familiar with the author but don't expect something that this book is not. It is a collection of random essays, connected with the IDEA of country music but not exclusively about it. 

"Not long ago, in March of 1996, as I toiled without thanks or recompense on these many well-punctuated paragraphs to make for you, my friend, a reliquary finely wrought so to befit the rare remains of arcane knowledge held within, a most extraordinary letter came to me from the Midwestern land. 

“Dear Mr. Tosches,” it began. “Hello my name is Paul Dandy and I am a 16 year old musicologist and historian with my studies focused on the great Emmett Miller. I have been researching Miller for about 6V2 years . . .” Of course, I responded to the young master posthaste, and in turn heard from him again. “Dear Mr. Nick,” he opened, more familiarly this time. “Its a thrill to know I have found someone (finally!) who understands how important Emmett really is, and its good to know that someone actually cares about trying to preserve and learn about his music and his life!”

I like to think that this young man speaks for his generation; and hearing the voice of this generation—oh, how it swells—I am gratified and I am humbled. Indeed, how dare I grumble of toil without thanks, toil without recompense! My hope is renewed, not only in the future of Miller studies, but in the future of America as well. Youth, I salute you. I place upon your shoulders the mantle of this mission, in your hands its fate. May your journey to Fort Hill Cemetery be golden-bowered and fruitful; may Lue Wanna and her Savage Dancers love you as they have loved no other; and may the ghost of Joe Tarto smile down upon you. Go now, and seek closure." 

"Billie Holiday" - Everest Records Archive Of Folk & Jazz Music (1973)

 

Since I treated myself with a brand new gramophone, I go for vinyl hunting every once in a while and my goal is always totally focused: I want to built (if possible) the LP collection I once had, back in the day when I was growing up. Now, many of these albums are available for streaming online, so whatever is already on Spotify, I don't need those - I only want to collect rare albums that have somehow slipped trough the cracks or were simply so obscure that only nerds like me would remember them. 

A few days ago, I found this jewel in one of Amsterdam's second hand vinyl shops. On a first glance, it's nothing unusual - just another Billie Holiday compilation, released originally in the early 1970s in the aftermath of successful, Oscar-nominated biopic "Lady Sings the Blues" that brought Lady Day back in the public view. Just like so many other compilations, this one was printed and re-printed so many times that a decade later it eventually came to be released in my homeland under the title "Everest Records Archive Of Folk & Jazz Music" and everything about it, from a cover to the random music selection, tells you this was a budget label. But what is important is - this was for me the very first time I have ever heard Billie Holiday. And say what you want, that it's not chronological, that it has a bad cover art, incredible bad sound (specially on a last track "The Same Old Story") and it could have been better assembled - still, it was the only Holiday LP I had and I listened it religiously.

Back than, I was a teenager and bought in her myth totally without reservation - everything about her life seemed fascinating to me and if you asked me than, my 14 year old self was totally in love with her. Combination of alluring music and old black & white pictures (where Holiday was always a sharp dresser) filled my dreams. In the subsequent years I managed to collect quite a nice collection of her recorded work chronologically and in much better sound (on CDs) - but it seems that once I got my hands on everything, I overdosed a bit on Lady Day and nowadays I don't listen her at all. So when I found this old LP (in a perfect condition) it made me extremely happy and here am I, some 42 years later (and 66 years after her death) listening the exactly same record I listened back than, with a glass of cold booze next to me and my heart purrs with every note. 

"Extinction" by Douglas Preston (2024)

 

I have never read Douglas Preston before. Probably because he belongs in the group of best-selling American authors are so ubiquitous that the sheer volume of their titles puts me off - just like Tom Clancy, James Patterson, Michael Crichton, Clive Cussler or David Baldacci I am aware these people are very successful but their body of work is intimidating and I wouldn't know where to start. However, since I started New Year very strong with my reading and for a change was focused on some recent titles published in 2024, the choice fell on the latest Preston. I am glad it happened, because it was a fast-paced thriller that I could not put down.

Since this is my very first introduction to Preston, I can't say how much this novel is representative of his style but it was a solid entertainment. "Extinction" is happening in a luxurious mountain resort in Colorado, where big company "Erebus" has re-reconstructed some long-extinct animals like wooly mammoths - the wealthy visitors are invited to visit the park and gaze at the animals from the safe distance. Kind of Jurassic park. When unexpected (and very brutal) murder happens, agent Frances Cash is invited on her very first case and most of the book is about her overcoming all sorts of obstacles & misogyny - in fact, her constant struggle with authorities around her (even though she HERSELF is an authority) almost completely takes over the book and sometimes slows down the story. It all does tie up neatly towards the end and while I found it hard to put the book down, I have feeling too much time was wasted on agents manoeuvring administration/bureaucracy. The payback was that I learned about the real-life company that does de-extinction - their name is "Colossal" and they have fascinating web site. 

"Nosferatu" by Robert Eggers (2024)

I must confess something strange here, the original 1922 "Nosferatu" is one of my all-time favourite movies even though its a horror - I always loved silent movies and old black & white, pre-code movies - I just think they are wonderful, inspired and original as opposite to what came afterwards and looks dated. It might be strange to genuinely love horror movie, but it is what it is. It is a hypnotic quality, that creeps on you like a nightmare that will haunt your dreams for the rest of your life. Same for "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari".

I also like director Robert Eggers a lot. At first his movies were disturbing, repulsive and strange but eventually I realised this is actually good, someone who dares to be original and who is not dumbing down his movies for commercial success - everything I have seen from him so far was excellent. So I was not even surprised when I found out he will direct new version of "Nosferatu", since he is a but unhinged, it makes a perfect sense and better Eggers than someone else who might make a musical with product placements advertising in them. 

As soon as I heard that this new "Nosferatu" arrived in the cinema, I went immediately. I was so determined to see it and to enjoy it properly, that I even went by myself - this was too important to be ruined by someone talking trough the movie or asking me to explain everything. On top of it, I decided it must be seen in recently renovated little art cinema Lab 111 that has creepy atmosphere like of the ex sanatorium (the building itself was a hospital and pathological lab with its mortuary), where I even got myself a free film poster while waiting for screening to start. 

The movie was, thanks God, excellent - its basically a story of "Dracula" stolen from the original but the names were changed as Bram Stoker's widow refused to allow it for the movie. And if you loved the silent original, there is much to enjoy here, since Ebbert is excellent filmmaker and he obviously love 1922. version - for this movie he even developed a technique to replicate how the human eye perceives colour under moonlight by excluding red and yellow tones - the result is a total moonlight and it looks very good. Visually, the movie is spectacular and very effective - it is a thrill to see Nicholas Hoult (in Jonathan Harker-kind of role) walking trough the night with the snowflakes slowly falling around him or how he approaches the castle of his new client who wants to purchase a new property in Germany. If there is one thing to complain, it is that director might have been too respectful to the original - the story is what it is, it never was very deep or complicated or multi layered, it was just a basic skeleton of Dracula and nothing more - you could probably explain it in a few sentences. And Eggers does not dare to add anything new to it - he does include some sex scenes here and there (ugly and disturbing as they were) but that's it. Than again, even the original was always more about the atmosphere and feeling than the story. I wish that I could love it more but its still just a affectionate tribute to the 1922. original, not Eggers best movie - so far that was "The Lighthouse". 

p.s.

Almost forgot to mention the most important:

This is a very original Nosferatu - unlike the bald original and 1970s version (sadly dated now, but Klaus Kinski was excellent) or later glamorous Hollywood vampire, this vampire is a creepy undead creature who actually has something from the historical Romanian Vlad the Impaler although the director makes conscious decision not to show him clearly - he is mostly in the dark or far away or in the corner of the screen. Makes the monster more effective this way, as we fear things we cannot see clearly. 

"Silo" - TV series and the book

For a while now I am really enjoying TV series "Silo" based on the Silo trilogy of novels (Wool, Shift, and Dust) by author Hugh Howey. Since I was not familiar with the novels, this was all new for me and must admit the series are very gripping. At least the first season - the second season started to feel stretched and not really necessary, as the episodes unfortunately felt bloated. But OK, at least the start was sensational and fresh, so I recommend it even though producers later obviously wanted to extend the story forever and ever and beyond. What is interesting is that the series are based on the book but uses the literary plot only as a frame - many more characters are added to TV show and script writers really went out of their way to make it a little bit different. In a way, it reminds me on "Game of Thrones" that was also based on the best selling novels, hopefully it won't end up the same way - at least this books are finished and there is an end to it. (I enjoyed "Game of Thrones" but not enthusiastic anymore about the unfinished volume, whenever it comes). 

So far TV show has two seasons. Which cover first part of the "Silo" novels, titled "Wool". A peace of wool is what you get, if you ever dare to say it loud that you want to get out of Silo, where thousands of people live underground in fear of some kind of apocalypse outside - with this peace of wool you have to clean the security camera showing the empty world above, destroyed by radiation and supposedly nuclear wars. The premise is that thousands who live in Silo don't even remember what actually happened hundreds of years ago and any memory of the previous world is strictly forbidden - so called "relics" are collected and destroyed. Everybody lives separated on  144 floors and a spiralling staircase runs down the center - almost as in a hierarchy, professions are divided by their importance and while headquarters are on top, lower levels are reserved for mechanics and such. The equilibrium is destroyed once the inhabitants start questioning what is truth, what is reality and is it actually really so dangerous outside. The series are genuinely exciting and since the second season is ending this weekend, I could not resist to check out the book. 

Now I must mention that youtube is full of video clips where people comment and guess what will happen in the next episode - its a bit strange, as there are actual novels on which the show is based, so basically all you have to do is to read the damn book, but there is a difference between the TV show and the books so I guess people simply enjoy not knowing. Or they hate reading so much and rather sit for hours on youtube and elaborate on their theories, instead of taking a book and finding it all out.

I don't hate reading, in fact I love it. So I took the first novel titled "Wool" and just like "Game of Thrones" it felt at the same time familiar and different - in both cases novels and TV series compliment each other, while much more characterisation was given in the books. One thing I can immediately say is that reading the novel feels exciting but I am not constantly creeped out and scared like while watching the series - there is something about the foreboding atmosphere and darkness on TV that freaks me out, while reading don't feel as disturbing. There is much, much more in the novels of course and I intend to finish the novel before the last episode comes on this weekend. Two more volumes to go, might give it a try. 

"The Girl in the Mirror" by Sergio G. Sánchez (2022)

A perfect example of the TV series that start very good and than along the way completely loses the plot and you find yourself wondering how did you ever came to this point, "The Girl in the Mirror" (or as in original Spanish "Alma") is a supernatural thriller series that grabs you from the first episode but later sucks out all the energy from the script and from the audience. It is a pity since it could have been much, much better if only Sergio G. Sánchez (its director and screenwriter) kept a better focus on whats important, instead of stretching the story across 9 episodes to the point that we are all exhausted and can't wait for the darn thing to finish. 

The story itself is quite interesting: after a horrible bus crash where almost all of her classmates die, Alma wakes up in a hospital with total amnesia and only trough the patience and support of her parents and close friends, tries to remember what actually happened that particular day. Even while she is in hospital, Alma is aware of a disturbing ghostly presence that no one else can see except herself. 

Now, the beginning is actually genuinely good - there is a strong story that has to do something with immortal ghosts & demons that are trying to posses the human form. We are told bits and pieces about it at the introduction of each episode. And we as the audience are also aware there are some demons involved in a bus crash and this all has to be somehow connected. Unfortunately, instead of focusing on this, Sánchez gets really distracted with personal drama of each supporting character and before you know it, suddenly you find yourself in the middle of some teenage drama with kids agonising about their trivial issues - it makes you want to scream "wait! what about the demons?"  but sadly it is what it is - a teenage drama pretending to be something else, a supernatural thriller. 

After 9 episodes (each of them feeling longer than the previous one) you come to the end of the season and - voilà! - you realise that nothing is explained, the main story about the demons was lost somewhere along the way and we are hurling towards the second season. Which feels like a cheat, since you invested so much time and effort to follow everything to this point. In a way, very similar to Spanish supernatural series "30 Coins" ("30 monedas") that also started good and went on too long, until I decided not to continue with second season. The best thing about it is a stunning location of Asturia in the Northern Spain that actually looks sensational. 

"Where the Dead Brides Gather" by Nuzo Onoh (2024)

First book read in 2025 and honestly, I would never ever found this if not for Goodreads where it got recommended to me and the title intrigued me enough to give it a try. It is also nice change of pace for me, to read something completely new and current instead of perpetually trying to catch up with classics or something I missed before. This was such gripping and enjoyable read that I finished the book in one week - started it on December 30 and would probably finished earlier if I had not forgotten my e-reader at home yesterday - so today I took my time in the middle of the day just to finish it.

As the title says, it is something about the place where dead brides gather. I won't go into any explanations or descriptions of the novel itself, because personally I dislike when others do it - it is enough to say this is a horror novel with a twist: its written from a completely unusual, original perspective of Nigerian authoress Nuzo Onoh who is an excellent storyteller. While the story itself is obviously combination of horror and fantasy, she frames it all in a very interesting African place and casually mentions wedding traditions, slaughter of sacrificial animals, eating breakfast while sitting on the straw mat, wearing traditional Bubu kaftan, etc, etc - the newness and originality of it all appealed to me a lot and this was such refreshing change from what we usually see, that it helped me to realise how my reading (and probably not just reading but movies, music, etc) is almost totally focused on world of West Europe and US - the world is so much bigger and there is so much talent and inspiration around! Not only this was a great read but it reminded me to open my eyes and ears a little bit more towards other voices and other parts of the world.

"“Amina-from-Enugu,” Mmuọ-Ka-Mmuọ said in her rumbling voice. She was the only one in the great hall still wearing my mother’s face. “Tell us, child, what did you discover about the bride known as Gisèle-from-Paris?”

A sudden silence descended in the hall at her words and all the guardians now watched me with an intensity that filled me with panic. My heart sank to my heels. An unpleasant feeling washed over me—Gisèle-from-Paris! What can I say about that horrible Ghost-Bride?

“Gisèle-from-Paris smells rotten like spoiled meat,” I said, my voice a low mumble.

“Is that all?” Mmuọ-Ka-Mmuọ asked.

“She speaks in a garbled tongue I can’t comprehend, unlike the rest of the Ghost-Brides whose languages I easily understand. She’s also the only bride that laughs. I don’t like her laughter.”

“Anything else?”

“Her eyes are different. They’re blue, while everyone else has silver-grey eyes. Also, she can’t fly like the rest. A vile green fume oozes from her body. It stinks. Nobody else sees it or smells her horrible odour, but I do and I hate it. I know she’s a Repentant, but I still don’t like Gisèle-from-Paris. She makes me want to run away from her.” I lowered my head, suddenly ashamed to have spoken so uncharitably about a Ghost-Bride, even one as unpleasant as Gisèle-from-Paris.

The sound of loud clapping and cheering snapped up my head. All the eight members of The Great Council of Guardians were applauding with great fervour, their cascading faces shimmering with blinding intensity.

Huh?

“Amina-from-Enugu, you have exceeded all our expectations and proved yourself a prodigy beyond par,” Mmuọ-Ka-Mmuọ boomed, beaming at me with immense pride. “You have encountered one of the cursed brides from The Wastelands and smelled her true corrupt soul. We deliberately let Gisèle-from-Paris into Ibaja-La to see if you would detect her. And while the rest of the brides only saw the visible signs of her difference, you saw the vile truth of her corrupt essence, hence your inability to comprehend her tainted words."