ShellHawk's Bookshelf: Mexican Gothic

 

This post has links to Amazon which may provide me with a commission for qualifying purchases, although it's about as likely as my suddenly becoming a newt.

There's nothing like settling down on a crisp, autumn afternoon with a good, creepy book, is there? Since the Earth, herself, is doing her yearly slowdown in preparation for the long nap which is winter, it encourages us to slow down, too, and enjoy a little peace in our overly-busy lives.

I'll tell you this: Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia  should be at the top of your list for creepy reading this October. 

It's a story which takes us back a quite few years, back to the days when debutante balls and dowries were the way of things, and marrying off your daughters to settle debts wasn't anything out of the ordinary.

Noemí Taboada is the very picture of a wealthy, glamorous debutante, but she's no airheaded socialite. After receiving an alarming letter from her newly-wedded cousin, she decides to arrange for a visit to that cousin's new home, High Place, to investigate her disturbing claims of being slowly poisoned.

Upon arrival, Noemí hears rumors of the Doyles, her cousin's new family, and their long and sordid history. She begins to feel that the house, itself, is invading her sleep and haunting her with dreams of a woman trapped in the walls. Walls which she feels, in her waking world, are slowly closing in on her.

If you've followed my blog for any amount of time, you know my history with horror stretches back to my childhood. I'm somewhat immune to the usual tropes of horror stories because I've read so very much of it, so when I tell you this book creeped me out in the way a great horror story should, you know it's going to be good!

There are rumors of Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos turning Mexican Gothic into a new series for Hulu, and I certainly hope that project moves forward and sees the light of day!

Everyday Osho

I was out for brunch with my buddy *cough! NAME DROP!* Bob Lizarraga last Sunday. We met up over at Don Cuco's, which is a local Mexican food go-to, to catch up with each other and swap stories about our respective holidays.

I always enjoy the opportunity to spend time with Bob. He's smart, funny, creative, kind and he gets that the creative mind can scream, "SQUIRREL!" at any time and go dashing down a different path. He's completely unfazed by it. We've had some very long, cool conversations because of it.

We talk about our creative projects (He has them right now. I can only listen to his with envy.), our families, politics, whatever happens to be on our minds at the moment. One of the things we talked about the last time (before Sunday) we got together was personal growth and what it means to both of us. 

We've both done some reading about Buddhism from time to time,and I can say that from my perspective, it makes a lot of practical sense. Sort of a reminder to "stay in your lane," and not worry so much about what other people are doing and allow it to throw you off your center. 

So I was really pleased when he presented me with a spare copy of the book, Everyday Osho: 365 Daily Meditations for the Here and Now. It's one of those books you can pick up, open to a random page, and get your "thought for the day." I've started to read it in the morning with my coffee, and sit with the thought or concept for a bit before getting on with my day.

Yesterday's meditation:

"The world is an echoing place. If we throw anger, anger comes back; If we throw love, love comes back."

I felt like it was very timely, given The Great Kleenex Giveaway of 2018.

Apparently, I'm doing something right, resonating in a better place than I have been. Not that I'm perfect, mind you! Far from it. But I'm coming back to a place where I can make different choices about my actions in the face of negativity. Hold my seat just a little better. Step sideways so that other's issues don't hit me in the face and become mine.

I guess getting older can bring some peace and wisdom, and not just a fluffy belly!

The Joys of Christmas Money: BOOKS!

I have to confess, I'm a really lucky lady. Not only because when I look around, I can be honestly grateful for my husband, my dogs, a beautiful warm home, dependable vehicles, some relatively good health and a multitude of other things, but because of one wonderful holdover from my childhood:

Christmas money!

Yup. I still get a check in the Christmas card from my folks, and one from Mr. ShellHawk's dad. I am so lucky!

I can honestly say I look forward to my Christmas money every year, because I use it to fund my book addiction. Yes, I have a Kindle (I got a new one for Christmas from Mr. ShellHawk to replace the old one, which was having battery issues), but there are certain books which must be read in the wonderfully tactile, old-school manner of turning pages. My recent purchase of Thug Kitchen's new cookbook is one of those, but there are other references I've wanted, and only real pages will do!

This year, I hopped on to Amazon to make a number of purchases I'd been wanting for anywhere from a few months to a few years. Some of them were more technical knowledge, something I feel I'm lacking and would like to remedy, some are biographies of potters and sculptors, and some are books on the value of handmade things.

One of the newer ones I've wanted was In the Potter's Kitchen, by Sumi von Dassow. I've been curious about making things for the kitchen, and this recent release looked like a good place to start.

Another technical book is Pioneer Pottery, by Michael Cardew. I've been told this is one of the go-to books for technical knowledge of clay and glaze composition, etc., and this is one of those things I'm going to make part of my studies this year.

Since I, like many others, am enamoured of Japanese (and Asian)ceramics, picking up a copy of Inside Japanese Ceramics: Primer of Materials, Techniques and Traditions, was a no-brainer. The simplicity and beauty of those old ceramics just sucks me in, and I can't wait to start this book!

Among the other technical books: Chinese Glazes: Their Origins, Chemistry and Recreation and Simon Leach's Pottery Handbook.

I try to balance technical studying with learning about the great artists--the trailblazers, really--upon whose shoulders I stand. California in the late 1950s through the '60s and '70s was a hotspot for ceramics experimentation, and as a result, we learned about the Americanized version of Raku. I use that version for my jack-o'-lanterns, as a matter of fact! One of the trailblazers was Peter Voulkos, who was my teacher's (Yoshio Taylor) teacher. Since that particular potter's lineage is so close to me, I feel it's a crime for me to know so little about Voulkos, so I picked up Clay's Tectonic Shift: John Mason, Ken Price and Peter Voulkos, 1956-1968.

I re-purchased my copy of The Gilded Vessel: The Lustrous Art and Life of Beatrice Wood, which had been gnawed on by my tiny little puppy, Sam (now 3 1/2 and 86 pounds small...), when he was a pup. I'd never heard of Lucy Rie before I ran across a reference to her in Ceramic Arts Monthly magazine, so I thought I'd get a biography on her. Lucy Rie: Modernist Potter is on the way! And since I already purchased a book by him, I thought I'd pick up a book about him: The Last Sane Man: Michael Cardew: Modern Pots, Colonialism, and the Counterculture.

Lastly, I got one book on the value of crafting by hand: The Craftsman, by Richard Sennett, and one book completely outside my usual field: Animation From Pencils to Pixels: Classical Techniques for the Digital Animator, by Tony White.

All these in addition to the business building books I got to learn how to run the ShellHawk's Creations Etsy store better and more effectively!

Yes, it's a tremendous amount of reading material, but if you only read ten pages a day, every day, that's roughly a book to a book-and-a-half a month! That's a bunch of new knowledge every year, isn't it?

And really, learning new things has always been one of the strongest drives in my life. Since I am not a college graduate, and going back to college would mean a couple of years' worth of remedial-level algebra (because I am not math girl, and I can't even remember basic algebra) to get through my AA degree, I need to expand my knowledge in other ways. So, this works!

I can't wait to dig in! Now, where to start...

News From the Nest - Operation Baking GALS and Haunted Air

A friend of mine has a nifty blog over at Kimberly Michelle daht calm. A little while ago, she posted about Operation Baking GALS, a group of ladies who bake cookies and brownies, etc. to send to troops in a war zone. (It's a little bit of home in a box, and lets them know they're not forgotten.) She later received a letter from the folks to whom she sent her baked yummies, and I thought, "How cool." I believe in supporting our troops, and what a great way to show support!


I looked into how to join up, and found out that joining Operation Baking GALS is pretty simple. I filled out the application form, and within a week or so, I was approved.


I have a bunch of girlfriends in the neighborhood I thought might be interested, so I forwarded the information to them and already have several interested in joining up. Since it's only a once a month commitment, most of us can reserve a block of time to bake some goodies for the troops. We may even start our own team!


I'll be putting the image and link on my sidebar for any of you who may want to join. Heck, getting a haunters group together for the troops wouldn't be a bad idea, either!

In other news, I was one of those poor people who missed out on the first printing of Ossian Brown's new book, "Haunted Air, which is a collection of vintage photos of people in Halloween costumes of their day." 


There were a bunch of people who bought copies, jacked up the price, and started to sell them on eBay and wherever else they could, but I wasn't willing to shell out the inflated fee, even for a first edition copy. Considering the popularity of the book, I thought I'd stick with Amazon and take a gamble that there would be another printing soon. I put in my order; Amazon always notifies you as to when your product may ship or if there are any changes to your order. Well-hooray for me!-I got notice that they expect to start shipping this fine book again sometime in mid-March! I can't wait!


Oh, and I've just added an Amazon widget to the side bar, (mostly) filled with Hallowe'en goodies for you! There are some movies, books, and music you may enjoy, many of which I've posted about in the past. I'll add to it from time to time, so check it every so often. Be sure to look for the little doohickey that lets you turn pages, 'cause I've added a bunch of things!


O.k., back to my plan for world domination!

25 Years of Stephen King's IT



It seems that Pennywise, the clown who creeped us out the most, makes his return coming this Fall.

A special, 25th anniversary edition of Stephen King's IT is on its way-but sadly, it looks like this limited edition is already sold out, and in fact sold out in the first twenty-five minutes of its announcement.

From the Cemetery Dance announcement:

Featuring a brand new afterword by Stephen King, full-color wrap-around color artwork by Glen Orbik, and nearly thirty original color and black & white interior illustrations by Alan M. Clark and Erin Wells!
IMPORTANT UPDATE FOR COLLECTORS:
Now that we've had a chance to look at the orders, the Deluxe Lettered Edition sold out within 25 minutes of being announced. Thank you for your interest in this special edition!
About this Deluxe Special Edition:
Cemetery Dance Publications is very pleased to announce our Special Deluxe Limited Edition of Stephen King's classic novel It, which he calls his "final exam on Famous Monsters" in his brand new afterword to this oversized special edition!
This is easily the biggest, most lavish production Cemetery Dance Publications has ever undertaken. Glen Orbik painted the gorgeous wrap-around cover artwork, Alan M. Clark and Erin Wells created nearly thirty exclusive interior illustrations including black & white drawings and color paintings, and we hired the designer of the Limited Editions of The Secretary of Dreams, Blockade Billy, Riding the Bullet, and Full Dark, No Stars to create a unique interior design unlike any book we've ever published!
This fine collectible volume will be available in three states this fall, all of them printed in two colors and bound in fine materials that go beyond the scope and quality of our other much-acclaimed Stephen King special editions. Already deep in production, the exclusive Cemetery Dance Special Limited Edition of It by Stephen King will be the perfect addition to any collection. We expect strong demand for this collectible given the popularity of the novel, so don't wait to place your order or you might miss out!
Special Features Exclusive to this Collector's Edition:
• brand new afterword by Stephen King detailing why he wrote the book
• deluxe oversized design (7 inches X 10 inches) featuring two color interior printing
• epic wrap-around full color cover artwork by Glen Orbik
• nearly thirty pieces of color and black & white interior artwork by Alan M. Clark and Erin Wells
• interior color artwork will be printed on a high-quality glossy stock and tipped into the book
• high-quality embossed endpapers and fine bindings for all three editions
• full-color signature sheets with exclusive color artwork in the signed editions
• a page count so high it pushes the limits of our printer — easily our largest book ever!
• extremely collectible print run that is a tiny fraction of the MILLIONS of copies of this novel you've seen in bookstores over the last 25 years — and you will NOT find our edition in chain bookstores!

 More information at Cemetery Dance.

Bummer for me about the sell-out. I would have liked a copy, but that's what I get for working yesterday!

How to Haunt Your House, Book Two

Shawn and Lynne Mitchell have done it again! The follow-up to their successful and very informative first book, How to Haunt Your House is out: How to Haunt Your House, Book Two.

While the frustrated English teacher in me (who isn't perfect, either, btw!) dreads a repeat of the grammatical errors present in the first book (undoubtedly the risk in any self-publishing venture), I really look forward to a repeat of the practical teaching and how-to that made the first book such a go-to source of knowledge for home haunters. I ordered it today, and I look forward to giving it a read and letting you know all about it.

I featured a video of their haunt in a past post, and if you haven't had a chance to watch it, you really should. The Mitchells have created a truly beautiful and very elegant home haunt, and I am in awe of their skills.

Speaking of which, I wonder when the Davis gang is going to get their book written...