A wonderful gem parallel to I-26 just outside of Columbia, the Book Dispensary never fails to have a few amazing finds! The Book Dispensary is meticulously organized, with excellent signage, organization, and variety. Both nonfiction and fiction are to be found, situated in multiple rooms, all with excellent lighting. In addition to accepting trade, one thing that struck me was the number of excellent collectable titles across genres.
Continue readingAuthor: macabrary
Brian Hodge’s “Oasis”
Though his second published novel, Hodge’s 1989 Oasis was his first written, and his impressive debut takes readers back to nascent adulthood, pitting its protagonist with a bevy of hard choices, these made all the more impossible as everything he loves is torn apart.
I often catch myself mentally branding authors with a sort of character sheet and traits I find consistently at work with writers I read a lot. For Hodge, three stand out with everything of his I have read: an ability to characterize suffering and loss poignantly and with masterful human behavioral observation, protean and ever-evolving premises engaged in his stories, and, to put it succinctly, he’s never boring.
Continue readingKathryn Ptacek’s “Shadoweyes”
After writing and publishing for 4 years under 3 pseduonyms, Kathryn Ptacek’s 1984 Shadoweyes became the first title published under her name. In the 36 years since its publication, the formula and structure will read familiar to horror fans…
Continue readingHorror Haul Saturdays: Mr. K’s Used Books in Charleston, SC
It’s become a favorite quarantine-era date and pastime for my wife and I to go out horror hunting across the southeastern US to add more tomes to the Macabrary. At long last, we made it to Mr. K’s Used Books in North Charleston…and it did not disappoint!
Continue readingRonald Malfi’s “Snow”
Malfi excels in creating likable protagonists with enviable speed, and for anyone who has ever been stranded in an airport (or anywhere else for that matter), they’ll likely feel drawn to the novel’s relatable and well-rendered protagonists. With a Christmas promise and a strained divorced/custody situation on the line, Todd shares the last 4-wheel drive rental with Kate, another stranded passenger, along with a senior couple who also feel the need to move. There’s care for uniting the protagonists, and much like the rest of Malfi’s work I’ve read, the story proceeds at terrific pace to getting our travelers into trouble as fast as possible.
Continue reading
The Macabrary 