This Book Is Full Of Spiders is a hilarious sequel of a book that runs you off the wall and through the roof. Dave and John, originally from David Wong’s book John Dies At The End, run through other reality's adventures at breakneck speeds. Dave and John have a knack for uncovering the “truth” of weird happenings in their town from their previous consumption of an otherworldly drug referred to as “soy sauce." The sauce lets them read between the lines of reality and sometimes spilling over into other-alitys. Whatever they end up doing, the duo always seem to land themselves in a pickle as strange as cats giving birth to dogs. This book is full of secret doors, shadow people (from other worlds, realitys, dimensions…), Molly (the impossible dog), and Amy, Dave’s one armed girlfriend. In spite of the craziness, Dave always tries to make it to work at the video store while being the voice of reason. John tries to incite adventure while being between jobs and beverages. If you are the kind of person that suspects you might hear voices or you’re just looking to go where intelligent people have never gone before, this book is for you.   

Holy Ghost Girl appeared to me as some sort of realistic fiction. Upon further investigation it was clear that this book is, indeed, a memoir. Donna takes you on a journey through the south underneath a traveling revival tent from the 60's. Donna spent her early life bouncing around with the Terrellaties. Brother Terrell's following went from few to many in a matter of years thanks to his fighting of the KKK, healing of the sick, and prophesying of the end times. Donna and her brother bounce all over with Brother Terrell, her mom, and a host of different people that watch them for The older she gets the more she becomes torn on believing some holly roller doctrine and sinning with the worldly people. Over all Holy Ghost is a quick and exciting look into a different way of growing up for Donna.

For Fans of: the Glass Castle

Sue Ellen's life is just about intolerable before one of her friends turns up dead. She has an addicted mother and a no good father, as well as an even wider host of creeps in her life. Sue Ellen, Jinx, and Terry decide to set off down the river for greener pastures, a chance at going to Hollywood, and hope for something better. On the way they run into all kinds of evil and hospitality.

Edge of Dark water is all around Mark Twain worship, with a little evil thrown in for good measure. This book moves at a fast pace while helping us to appriciate what we have, but not letting us forget that sometimes action is called for. If Mark Twain time traveld to now and became jaded he would probably develope crazy charcters like these. One charecter is named skunk and one is addicted to a laudanum/alchohol cure-all.

If you like this, try: Charlie Huston's The Mystic Arts of Erasing All Signs of Death or also by Charlie, The Shotgun Rule

Warren Ellis always writes a good story, usually with pictures in the comic genre. This one happens to be his second novel. Being a giant fan of his, I will try to avoid selling you Ellis and concentrate on just talking about this book.

Gun Machine is packed with excitement and mayhem from begining to end.  Detective John Tallow loses his parnter, shoots a man, finds a room full of guns, remains on the case after shooting because "resourses are streatched too thin" to let him have time to recover from the shooting,  and stumbles upon a puzzle with pieces so smooth it's hard to tell if they fit together.  He aquires help from people that would have rather sabatoged his investigation in the beginning.  This is just the begining of the hunt. 

Gun Machine is quite far fetched but could definately, happen, which makes this a little scary, especially when you meet the man that put all the guns in one place.  The book just hits you in the face with the truth. The actions and idiosyncracities of the charecters may be funny or dark, but they are still how people act normally.  The mood of this novel is unsettling until the gaps begin to get filled in. This is a great read for someone wanting something fast, interesting, crime ridden, and darkly comic at times.  You might like this if you like the Sandman Slim series, Tim Dorsey, Charlie, Huston, Beat the Reaper, Motherless Brooklyn, or Boulevard by Stephen Jay Schwartz.