New Arrival

Uncanny Stories by May Sinclair

This book arrived today. I bought it from bookdepository.co.uk. I bought five books at the same time, but this was the first to arrive. I'm quite looking forward to this one. I love a good spooky story.

Synopsis from back cover: May Sinclair was an innovator of modern fiction, a late Victorian who was also a precursor to Virginia Woolf. In her Uncanny Stories (1923), Sinclair combines the traditional ghost story with the discoveries of Freud and Einstein. The stories shock, enthral, delight and unsettle.

Two lovers are doomed to repeat their empty affair for the rest of eternity... A female telepath is forced to face the consequences of her actions... The victim of a violent murder has the last laugh on his assailant... An amateur philosopher discovers that there is more to Heaven than meets the eye.

Specially included in this volume is 'The Intercessor' (1911), Sinclair's powerful story of childhood and abandoned love, a tale whose intensity compares with that of the Brontës.

The Hellbound Heart by Clive Barker

Synopsis: At last he had solved the puzzle of Lemarchand's box. He was standing on the threshold of a world of heightened sensations. In moments the Cenobites - who had dedicated an eternity to the pursuit of sensuality - would be here. They would reveal dark secrets that would transform him forever.
A story of the human heart and all the great terrors and ecstasies within.

My Thoughts: This book was the inspiration for the film 'Hellraiser', so if you've seen the film this book would make an interesting read. I read this as an ebook and I finished it very quickly as it was very fast paced. There is a lot of action and quite a few gory scenes in the story. But because the book is short I didn't get to learn much about the characters, which meant that I didn't really care whether they lived or died.
As the story neared its end I guessed what was going to happen, which was a shame because I like surprises. Other than the ending, the plot of the story is very imaginative, I just wish there had been a bit more background about the Cenobites and their world.
This is the second Clive Barker book I've read and personally I much preferred Coldheart Canyon to this.

The Suicide Club by Robert Louis Stevenson

Synopsis: Short story trilogy involving a club for people who wish to end their lives. The "Story of the Young Man with the Cream Tarts," "Story of the Physician and the Saratoga Trunk," and "The Adventure of the Hansom Cab" chronicle the exploits of Prince Florizel of Bohemia and Colonel Geraldine through some of 19th-century London's most dangerous haunts.

My thoughts: An intriguing three part mystery story based around the Prince of Bohemia and his discovery of a secret club for men who want to end their lives. After discovering the club, the Prince then takes it upon himself to make the leader of the club pay for his crimes.
I enjoyed the first part of the story where we are first introduced to the Suicide Club itself. I didn't enjoy the second and third parts of the story quite as much, but it was interesting how they were all connected to each other.

Starting a Book Blog

I read an awful lot of books and although I review most of them on goodreads I thought it'd be a nice idea to keep a blog about books. I will be reviewing books here and keeping a track of any current reading challenges I am doing.

I read all sorts of books, although I especially like crime/mystery and historical fiction. I also enjoy children's books and young adult fiction.

I hope I get to meet lots of other book lovers. Please get in touch by leaving me a comment.