What I’ve Been Reading – April 2017 Edition

So I didn’t get this posted during April.  Sue me.

Powers of Darkness: The Lost Version of Dracula by Bram Stoker and Valdimar Ásmundsson, translated by Hans de Roos – The first half of the book read like someone’s fanfic version of Dracula or someone who thought they could write it better than the original.  The second half reads more like an outline that the author ran out of time to complete.  Interesting, but only for Dracula nerds rather than a stand alone

Goodbye from the Edge of Never by Steven Mix – I do not enjoy zombie stories as a rule.  I really enjoyed this book.  It’s post-apocalyptic with a sense of humor and a different take on monsters that have become cliché.

The Mabinogion translated by Charlotte Schreiber – I went into this with the wrong expectations.  I was hoping for a book on fairy myths.  The first half deals more with Arthurian legends and grated on my ears. I found myself enjoying the second half about Welsh mythology more.

Star Wars: Thrawn by Timothy Zahn –  This is the story about how Mitth’raw’nuruodo from the Unknown Regions became Grand Admiral Thrawn of the Imperial Navy. Although it’s written to fit into the new cannon provided by Star Wars Rebels, it does work well as backstory for the original Thrawn trilogy.

The Five Day Novel: The How To Guide For Writing Faster & Optimizing Your Workflow by Scott King – I would never attempt writing 50,000 words in five days.  But there are several tips and tricks in this that I may be using when I attempt another NaNoWriMo

Heir to the Empire (Star Wars: The Thrawn Trilogy #1)Dark Force Rising (Star Wars: The Thrawn Trilogy #2), The Last Command (Star Wars: The Thrawn Trilogy #3) by Timothy Zahn – This is the series that started the Expanded Universe (now Legends) line.  It’s held up relatively well.  As much as I enjoyed them, I have thoughts about the characters that for a future post once I’ve caught up on Star Wars Rebels.

Next Up:  The Stars Are Legion by Kameron Hurley, Baker Street Irregulars: Thirteen Authors With New Takes on Sherlock Holmes Edited by Michael A. Ventrella and Jonathan Maberry, Year One: A Quincy Harker Demon Hunter Collection by John G. Hartness, and The Gallery Of The Night: After The Fall by Chad Peterman