Watched and Read - May 31, 2026

 

Here’s what I watched and read last week…

 

MOVIES

Hard Boiled (1992), directed by John Woo, might be one of the greatest action films ever made. I always show the shoot out in the tea house that opens the film to my students, and I always tell them that this is nothing compared to the hospital sequence. The long take of Tony Leung and Chow Yun-fat moving through the hospital corridors is one of the many highlights of the film.

Clockwatchers (1997), directed by Jill Sprecher, is a smartly written movie, with great performances. I particularly enjoyed how space is depicted in the film. There are a lot of shots that compress the work environment, which I think nicely parallels the existential theme of work. This is a great companion film to Office Space. It is streaming on the Criterion Channel.

Marty, Life is Short (2026), directed by Lawrence Kasdan, is good documentary on the comedian and actor Martin Short. It is hard to believe all the tragedy he faced throughout his life. Definitely worth watching.

We Bury The Dead (2026), directed by Zak Hilditch. I was mixed on this movie. I enjoyed the visuals and post-apocalyptic atmosphere, but I didn’t find it to be scary. The sound effects of teeth chattering from the zombies were a little too much for me. I had to turn the down the volume on my TV, it was so intense! But I am glad to see Daisy Ridley on screen.

Abraham’s Boys (2025), directed by Natasha Kermani, is a good movie. I read on IMDb that the film has terrible reviews, but I actually enjoyed it. It is slow paced, with a moody atmosphere. The cinematography is excellent. I particularly enjoyed the deep-focus landscapes which allows us to see the isolation of the Van Helsing family. I also enjoyed the mixture of the Western and Gothic. The film is based on a Joe Hill short story, which I’ve read. Hill is an excellent writer, and I am glad to see some of his stories making it to the screen. Abraham’s Boys might not be for everyone, especially if you are looking for lots of jump scares and fast-paced horror. But I really enjoyed Kermani’s slow cinema style adaptation of Hill’s story.

Marty Supreme (2025), directed by Josh Safdie. I really enjoyed the film’s fast-paced energy. It comes at you like a bullet train. Once you’re on board, it’s hard to get off. This is not your typical sports film. Timothée Chalamet said he watched The Hustler and The Color of Money to prepare for the role. I can see some of Tom Cruise’s Vincent from The Color of Money in Marty. It also might be one of Chalamet’s best performances. The cast of characters is great. 

---

TV

Welcome to Wrexham, episode three, is another good episode of the latest season. We are introduced to more new players that might be shifting the tide. And I always enjoy the stories of the Wrexham community.

Spider-Noir. I enjoyed the first episode. I watched the color version. Next episode, I will check out the black and white version. Great cast of characters.

---

BOOKS

The Philosophy of Horror, or Paradoxes of the Heart by Noël Carroll is a very good book on the horror genre. The premise is this: why does horror frighten us when we know the monster does not exist. It is what Carroll calls the paradox of horror. One of his central claims is that it’s the thought of horror that frightens us. Carroll offers lots of examples to back this up. However, his critique of psychoanalysis is weak and outdated. I recommend reading Todd McGowan’s article or his book on The Real Gaze and Slavoj Žižek’s response to Carroll and David Bordwell’s critique of psychoanalysis and Marxism in The Fright of Real Tears. Putting psychoanalysis aside, if you are interested in horror studies, this is a must-read even if you don’t agree with some of Carroll’s claims or his definition of horror.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick is an amazing book. I teach Hugo in my introduction to film course but had never read the book. I definitely plan to assign the book for my Film and Literature course. If you love movies, this is a must-read.

 

 

Watched and Read - May 24, 2026

 Here's what I watched and read...

 

 

MOVIES

Used Cars (1980), directed by Robert Zemeckis. One of my favorite films that I watched growing up. Much of the humor still holds up, especially the scene when they jam the president’s speech on TV to run a commercial. And I love Toby, the dog. Fun film.

Room 237 (2012), directed by Rodney Ascher. I don’t agree with many of the interpretations and claims made in the film, but I still found it fascinating to watch. The Shining is one of my favorite films, and I even wrote a chapter about it in my book, Cinema of Confinement. The documentary is worth checking out, especially the part where they play the film forward and backwards at the same time. But if you are a Kubrick fan, you might find yourself yelling at your TV or computer, or however we watch things these days.

Fear and Desire (1952), directed by Stanley Kubrick. This is the first film directed by Kubrick, which he financed himself. It is nowhere near the great films he would later make, but it is worth seeing, even with all its flaws and mistakes. For one, the visuals are great - there is something strange about the way Kubrick frames and composes the forest. There are also some interesting experiments with editing. Lastly, Kubrick’s first film takes up a topic that he would return to in Paths of Glory and Full Metal Jacket: the psychological impact of war on the individual. Kino Lorber put out the restored version (70 minutes) a few years ago. Definitely worth the watch. 

 

---

TV

I watched the first episode of The Burroughs and thought it was pretty good. What held my attention was Alfred Molina. He is just an amazing actor, and he plays the part with authenticity. In addition to Molina, there are other great actors in the series, such as Geena Davis, Bill Pullman, and Clarke Peters, to name a few, that make it worth watching. It definitely has an old-school Spielberg vibe from the early 1980s.

---

BOOKS

See my post on Stephen King’s From a Buick 8.

I am almost done reading Noël Carroll’s book, The Philosophy of Horror, or Paradoxes of the Heart, which I am very much enjoying.

 

 

From a Buick 8 and the Horror of the Unknown

 

I was going to include this in my watched and read, but decided it deserves its own post.

I finished Stephen King’s From a Buick 8 this week, which was my second time reading it. The setting of the story is Pennsylvania. It is an oral account of a Buick abandoned at a gas station by a mysterious man who randomly disappeared. “Oil’s fine!” The car is towed to a state trooper barracks (Troop D) and stored in Shed B. The story is more about atmosphere than plot. As I wrote in my last post, King does not offer much specificity about where the car came from and why strange things emerge out of it (although I like the idea of it coming from Mid-World).

There is, however, a parallel between the unexpected death of Curtis Wilcox and the mystery of the Buick. Curtis died while on duty. His teen son, Ned, likes to hang around the barracks as a way to be close to his deceased father. State trooper Sandy Dearborn, who does most of the storytelling, believes Ned is looking for answers, just as we are looking for answers that would explain the mystery of the Buick. There are no answers, and that’s where the heart of horror resides in this tale.

Horror is about shattering the order of things, which can take on various forms, such as monsters or creatures. Or as Paul Wells puts it, “In whatever way the monster is conceived and acts . . . it serves to operate as a mode of disruption and breakdown in the status quo” (9). The Buick is unknowable and defies explanation. In a way, the Buick is similar to movies like The Birds (1963) and Jaws (1975), where something unexplainable defies the laws of nature and invades the everyday.  

 

 

But that does not stop Troop D’s curiosity to know and make sense of the Buick. Sandy recounts how they took pictures and videotaped the odd things that came out of the Buick’s trunk. They even dissect a strange-looking bat, an entity that King describes as the Buick giving birth to. In short, they try to make meaning where no meaning is to be had. Even as the troopers carry on with their duties, the Buick continues to haunt them, especially Curtis, who becomes obsessed with figuring out its mystery. Is it a coincidence that the person who killed Curtis was the person who worked at the gas station when they first discovered the Buick? Or is there a direct connection between the two? The answer remains unknown.

King writes in the author’s note that he completed the first draft shortly before his accident in the summer of 1999. For that reason, I try not to look too much into the connection between the two, even though it is hard not to. I think From a Buick 8 is an amazing novel. What the story doesn’t reveal, reveals a lot.

Watched and Read - May 17, 2026

 Here's what I watched and read last week....

 

MOVIES

Against All Odds (1984), directed by Taylor Hackford, is based on the classic film noir, Out of the Past. The film started off on a good note, then petered out. I did not feel the chemistry between Jeff Bridges and Rachel Ward. But Richard Widmark, who acted in many film noirs of the past, is worth the watch.

Kedi (2016), directed by Ceyda Torun, is a good documentary about cats that roam the streets in Istanbul. I was surprised that all the cats depicted in the documentary looked well cared for and well-fed. Very cool. Meow.

Lumière! Le Cinema (2025), directed by Thierry Frémaux, is one of the best films I’ve seen in a while. The documentary provides not only a history of the beginnings of moving images but also offers stunning images of France in the late 19th century. Watching this documentary is like being in a time machine. If you love movies, this is a must-watch.

Breathless (1983), directed by Jim McBride. Caught this on the Criterion Channel. This was my second time seeing it. The first was a surreal experience because I didn’t think it was possible that someone could actually adapt Godard’s masterpiece. So on the second viewing, I was prepared, and I really enjoyed it. Richard Gere gives an amazing performance. The visuals are spectacular, especially the surreal traveling matte car scenes. And I love seeing all the real locations in L.A. Tarantino apparently loves the movie, and you can definitely see its influence in Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction. This is a hidden gem of the 1980s. Just don’t think about Godard’s film when you watch it.

---

TV

The first episode of the new season of Welcome to Wrexham is really good and very emotional. Lots of new players this season. The stakes are once again high for Wrexham.

I watched the first episode of Legends, which I very much enjoyed. I’ll watch anything with Steve Coogan. It’s streaming on Netflix.

---

BOOKS

I am currently rereading Stephen King’s From a Buick 8. I love the story’s atmosphere. King takes full advantage of his Lovecraft influence and sense of cosmic horror by not explaining what the Buick is, why strange things emerge out of it, or where it came from. I want to think the Buick was once owned by The Stand’s Randall Flagg. Or maybe it’s from Mid-World.

 

Watched and Read - May 3, 2026

 Here's what I watched and read last week...

 

MOVIES

A Colt is My Passport (1967), directed by Takashi Nomura, is a very good Japanese noir. It has a Hollywood B-film feel, mixed with a Spaghetti Western. Great performance by Joe Shishido. Super cool ending.

Cruel Gun Story (1964), directed by Takumi Furukawa, is another great Japanese noir. I really enjoyed the film’s setup, which reminded me of Stanley Kubrick’s The Killing. I am starting to become a fan of Shishido. I highly recommend this one.

The Rise of the Red Hot Chili Peppers: Our Brother, Hillel (2026), directed by Ben Feldman, is a great documentary on the band’s emergence in the early 1980s. It is very tragic and sad about what happened to Hillel Slovak.

Pinball: The Man Who Saved the Game (2022), directed by Austin Bragg and Meredith Bragg, is a very enjoyable film based on a true story. I liked how they structured the film, intercutting Roger Sharpe (not the real Roger Sharpe) talking to the filmmakers throughout the story. It reminded me of American Splendor, which mixes real footage of underground comic book artist, Harvey Pekar, and the fictional account of his story. Pinball is streaming on Hulu. 

---

TV

Pistols (2021). I finished the series and thought it was excellent. They crammed in a lot in the last episode, but overall it was a lot of fun to watch. There is a lot of humor, mixed with gritty realism. Boyle brilliantly captures the feel, energy, and excitement of a punk rock show. I would definitely put this up there as one of Danny Boyle’s great works. I highly recommend it.

---

BOOKS

I finished reading Ray Bradbury’s collection of short stories in I Sing the Body Electric! And Other Stories. Lots of great stories, especially “The Burning Man,” “The Lost City of Mars, “The Utterly Perfect Murder,” and “Punishment Without Crime.”

“The Possibility of Evil” by Shirley Jackson is a classic short story. Miss Strangeworth is what we would call an online troll. There is no evidence in the mean letters that she sends anonymously to the people of her small town. All she is doing is stirring up trouble. In her view, it is because people need to open their eyes and be aware of the evils lurking in the world. The brilliance of Jackson’s story is that good and evil are not dualistic but dialectical. That is, they are intertwined with each other. The idyllic fantasy is always threatened by something that wants to undo it. I am teaching this alongside Hitchcock’s Shadow a of Doubt. Both are examples of evil within small places.

 

 

Watched and Read - April 26, 2026

Here's what I watched and read...

 

 

MOVIES

Black River (1957), directed by Masaki Kobayashi, is a dark and gritty Japanese noir film. I had a hard time connecting with this one.

I Am Waiting (1957), directed by Koreyoshi Kurahara, is a good film, with some cool cinematography.

Tron: Ares (2025), directed by Joachim Rønning, has amazing visuals and a great soundtrack by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. But the film’s story is not very good. The performances are not good either. A big disappointment.

---

TV

I enjoyed the new PBS Nova episode, Artemis II: Return to the Moon. It is amazing how much work goes into rocket launches and all the precautions taken, especially the crew’s reentry to Earth. I wish they showed more pictures of the Moon and Earth from Artemis. Overall, it’s a very enjoyable episode.

---

BOOKS

I finished The Chrysalids by John Wyndham last week. An excellent and powerful book by one of the great sci-fi writers of great writers of the twentieth century. See my post on Chocky.

“The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson. This is a disturbing story I am teaching for horror studies. If you have not read it, I will not go into detail. What I will say is that the story invites conversation. My take is that the horror of the story is in the re-reading of it. The horror is assigned to the everyday and the procedures associated with conducting the lottery. It is a great example of ideology, evident in the exchange between Mr. Adams and Old Man Warner. We learn that another village is thinking of giving up the lottery, which upsets Old Man Warner. Ideology operates by not calling attention to itself as ideology, and I think that’s one of the things that makes “The Lottery” so disturbing. They have a choice not to do this. Great read by another great writer of the twentieth century.

 

 

Watched and Read - November 30, 2025

Here’s what I watched and read last week…

 

MOVIES

Apollo 10½: A Space Age Childhood (2022) is an animated film that takes place in 1969, not long before Apollo 11 lands on the moon. The story is told through the eyes of Stanley, a fourth grader living in the Houston suburbs. What I loved about the film are the small details Linklater captures from the era—food, TV shows, board games, pop music, and more. Linklater’s emphasis on the everyday is never boring; I found myself completely absorbed by the film.

Sangre Del Toro (2025) is a documentary about filmmaker Guillermo del Toro and his love of horror. I’ve heard del Toro speak many times on horror and the Gothic—especially in his video on Bleak House—but this is by far the most in-depth exploration of his passion for the genre.

Big Eyes (2014) tells the true story of Margaret Keane, an artist known for her paintings of figures with oversized eyes. It’s a low budgeted film directed by Tim Burton, and Amy Adams and Christoph Waltz deliver excellent performances—I’m surprised they weren’t nominated for Academy Awards. The costumes and sets are outstanding. The court sequence is a bit over the top, but overall I really enjoyed watching Burton’s film.

Marvin’s Room (1996) is a powerhouse of actors, starring Diane Keaton, Meryl Streep, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Robert De Niro. It’s a strong story with excellent performances, particularly from DiCaprio, who would go on to become a global star later in the 1990s.

Quadrophenia (1979) is based on The Who’s 1973 rock opera and follows Jimmy, a Mod living in 1960s England. Whereas Ken Russell’s Tommy (1975) uses surrealist imagery to capture The Who’s first rock opera, Quadrophenia emphasizes realism and working-class grit. Phil Daniels convincingly embodies Jimmy’s schizophrenia, and it was cool to see a young Sting play the Ace Face. An excellent film from one of my all-time favorite bands.

Eddington (2025). Ari Aster’s new film is kind of a mess. There are some funny moments, and I always love seeing Joaquin Phoenix on screen, but it felt like I was watching two different films. The mix of graphic violence and comedy didn’t work for me. And, like Beau Is Afraid, the movie went on too long.

Moonrise Kingdom (2012). I watched the Criterion edition, which looks amazing. There are some great extras, including a making-of feature. Moonrise, along with The Grand Budapest Hotel, represents Wes Anderson at his best.

---

TV

I finished the first and second seasons of Slow Horses. Both seasons were exciting. I love the labyrinthine storytelling, with all its twists and turns. The characters from Slough House are complex and interesting, especially Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman). I’m looking forward to season 3.

Watching season 5 of Stranger Things took me a little time to settle into the story, especially while trying to ignore how much older the characters have gotten. But I’m really enjoying it. It definitely feels like the show is moving toward its endgame. I love the crosscutting between the different storylines—it’s such an engaging series. I just wish they hadn’t broken the season into parts.

Welcome to Derry has a Stranger Things vibe but is much darker. They just introduced an element from Doctor Sleep connected to Dick Hallorann’s character, which I won’t spoil. There are only three episodes left, and I’m curious to see how it will all come together.

---

BOOKS

King Sorrow is Joe Hill’s latest novel and might be one of his best. If you haven’t read it, I won’t say much about the plot, but there’s definitely a dragon involved—something the cover makes clear. The novel is epic in both scope and storytelling, blending fantasy and horror with medieval scholarship. There’s plenty of humor, but it’s never snarky, and I love all the references to popular culture. I’ve read most of Hill’s work and think he’s one of the best descriptive writers out there. Don’t be intimidated by the novel’s length—it’s never boring.

 

 

Watched and Read - October 26, 2025

 

Here’s what I watched and read last week…

MOVIES

A Confucian Confusion (1994). Criterion is currently featuring Edward Yang’s films on their channel, and I’ve seen almost all of them. I enjoyed A Confucian Confusion—maybe not as much as some of his other films—but, like Yang’s other work, I enjoy his ensemble cast of characters with minimal plot. Dennis Lim also provides a great introduction to Yang’s films on the Criterion Channel. I highly recommend Yi Yi if you’re interested in exploring his work.

A Better Tomorrow (1986). A great crime film by John Woo, featuring plenty of stylish action sequences that would come to define his signature style. I also enjoyed the dynamic relationship between Ti Lung and Chow Yun-fat.

Carnival of Souls (1962). A moody, atmospheric horror film featuring a haunting organ score. Much of it reminded me of The Seventh Seal, particularly the ending. It’s available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

War of the Worlds (2005). I love Spielberg’s blending of realism and CGI. The action sequences are incredible, especially the ferry scene. In my book Capturing Digital Media, I discuss the long take of Ray Ferrier (Tom Cruise) and his family escaping New Jersey—a brilliant example of using CGI effectively without going overboard. I also love how the film shifts from expansive outdoor spaces to the claustrophobic basement scenes with Harlan (Tim Robbins). It’s one of the scariest moments in the film and a perfect example of what Hitchcock called “pure cinema.”

The Craft (1996). A solid teen witch story. I’d only seen parts of it a long time ago, but watching it now definitely gave me strong 1990s nostalgia vibes. Some of the horror elements surprised me, especially during the film’s climax. It was also nice to recognize all the Los Angeles locations—I wish more movies were still shot here.

 

---

TV

We finished Task and thought it was outstanding. It’s definitely one of the best television shows I’ve watched this year. The performances were incredible, and the locations added a great sense of realism and atmosphere. I’m so glad HBO continues to produce such high-quality television.

The Endfield Poltergeist (2023). A fascinating and genuinely scary documentary on Apple TV+. At first, it was a bit hard to adjust to the reenactments paired with the real audio recordings from Maurice Grosse, but it turned out to be a really well-made and chilling documentary. Truly scary!

---

BOOKS

Tales From The Crypt Vol 1. I’ve been reading these comics over the past few months, and they’re so much fun. It’s amazing how EC came up with so many different stories—some of them are even pretty funny. A great read for the Halloween season!

 

Newsletter #4

 Happy autumn!

Zworsky’s Children

Here it is. Last Stand is now available to pre-order! The paperback and hardcover will be available to purchase on November 11.

 

Thank you to Stuart Bache for designing another amazing cover. A huge thank you as well to Lynda at Easy Reader Editing for copyediting the book. I’m so excited to share the conclusion of the Zworsky series. With that being said, I’ve also written another story set in the Zworsky universe, which I’ll share next year.

Hitchcock Project Update

The journal did not accept the revisions I made to my article. Rejections are always tough, but they come with reviewer feedback that can really help improve the work. In fact, the pressure to address the comments got me back into the groove of academic writing.

The Hitchcock project is moving along faster than I expected. All five chapters are now written, including the introduction, and I’m currently doing a fine edit. After that, I’ll write the conclusion. I’ve even started working on a textbook proposal form, which I plan to begin submitting to publishers next year.

My Lovely Dark Summer

My new mystery and coming-of-age novel will be sent for copyediting in November. I designed the cover myself and will reveal it toward the end of the year. The release date is set for the first week of February, and I’m very excited to share this one with you.

“It lives in the rocks.” That’s the opening line of the synopsis. Stay tuned for more!

Charlie One: Run to the Future

I never thought I’d be writing another Charlie One story—but here we are! This new book started with two vivid images I couldn’t get out of my head. After sitting with them for about a year, the pieces finally clicked, and I found a way to connect them into a story.

You don’t need to have read the first book to enjoy this one, though there are a few connections for returning readers. The title is Run to the Future, and I’m aiming to have it ready by 2027.

Books Read

I’ve read a lot about Alfred Hitchcock this year as part of my research. One standout was Patrick McGilligan’s massive biography of Hitchcock, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I also immensely enjoyed Todd McGowan’s Introduction to Jacques Lacan and wrote a short review for it.

Movies
One Battle After Another really stood out for me—I loved it. It might now be one of my favorites of Paul Thomas Anderson.

You can always read what I’ve watched and read by subscribing to my Substack. Or check out my Blog.

Well, that’s it for me.

Enjoy the fall. Happy Halloween.

Keep reading. Watch movies.

Tom C.

www.tomconnellyfiction.com

Newsletter #3

The weather is getting hot, and I’m just about done teaching for the summer semester.

Zworsky’s Children

The final book in the Zworsky’s Children series will be sent off for copyediting this summer. I’ve changed the title to Last Stand—I wanted a title that made it clear this is the final book. Stuart Bache will be designing the cover, which I’ll share in September. Last Stand will be available in October.

Hitchcock Project
 

Still no update on my Vertigo article, but the Hitchcock project is really coming together. This spring, I wrote a rough draft on The Birds and apocalyptic cinema. I’m currently working on the book’s introduction, which is quite a task. I’m laying out my claim and the theory to support it, exploring the logic of fantasy and its relationship to genre. Hitchcock often felt imprisoned by the suspense genre, but my argument is that these limitations were actually productive. Psycho changed the horror genre! I’m thinking of calling the book The Limitless Alfred Hitchcock—but I’m not sure yet.

 

 

My Lovely Dark Summer
 

This is my new mystery and coming-of-age novel. I’ll be sending it off for copyediting in November and hope to have it available in early February 2026.

Charlie One

Charlie One is doing quite well in the UK—it was my most-read book on Kindle Unlimited in June. Thank you so much, UK readers!

 

 

Books Read and Reading 

I really enjoyed Stephen King’s new book, Never Flinch—King knows how to write villains. I also liked Todd McGowan’s The Fictional Christopher Nolan. I’ve read much of McGowan’s work, and this was by far the hardest—but I mean that in a good way. I enjoyed Grady Hendrix’s Witchcraft for Wayward Girls and loved Owen King’s short story “Letter Slot.” I’m currently reading Hendrix’s The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires.

Well, that’s it for me.

Enjoy the summer.

Keep reading.

Tom C.

www.tomconnellyfiction.com

Top Books of 2024

There were a lot of great reads this year, so many that I thought I list the books I really enjoyed. No particular ranking. A lot of them were horror books.

Not a novel, but this short story is really good. I've read almost everything by Hill and cannot wait for his next novel. Definitely give this one a read.

 

 

Chizmar's Chasing The Boogeyman was one of my favorite reads last year. His new book is very good. He writes great characters. Don't know why, but when I read his books, I think of the films of Richard Linklatter.

This was an incomplete book by Crichton which Patterson finished. A fast paced thriller. I also learned a lot about volcanoes, particularly lava tubes!

I really enjoyed Tremblay's new book. It was not what I expected. I'm not sure if I would even call it horror in the traditional sense, but I like the tone and feel of it. The Disappearance at Devil's Rock and Head Full of Ghost are also worth checking out.

I've read all of King's books, and I love his short stories. There are some great ones in this collection.

 

I read Fever House and The Devil By Name back to back. Devil By Name has a different feel from Fever House's noir vibe, but it's really good. Both are page tuners. Definitely worth checking out.

 

I think this is one of those books you either like it or you don't. I thought it was really cool and a lot of fun. I guess you could put this one in the fantasy territory. I think Koontz called it a spooky screwball comedy.

I've been reading of lot of Koontz lately and I love they way he creates his villains. And this book has some big baddies.

Very intense and dark read. The story reminded me of John Carpenter's The Fog. I'm looking forward to reading more by Malfi.

A great coming of age story. Carson nailed the 1990s. I felt like I was in a time machine. There were some very scary moments. And then there were times where I was laughing out loud. Probably one of the best books I read this year. Also check out The Chills by Carson.

 

Another one of my favorite reads of 2024. Very scary, and very engaging. A fast read. I enjoyed the themes explored in the book, particularly the loss of innocence. The format took  some time to get used to. But it's really effective in telling the story.
 

 

If you love horror and sci-fi movies, this is a must read. Nashawaty explores movies of the summer of 1982: Tron, The Thing, E.T., Star Trek: Wrath of Khan, Road Warrior, Blade Runner, Poltergeist and Conan The Barbarian. I love the way he structures the book. It reminded me of Peter Biskind's From Easy Rider to Raging Bull.

 

I got to see Alex Van Halen speak at LA Talks this past fall. Still can't believe Eddie Van Halen is no longer with us. Great read about Van Halen up to the 1984 record. Also check out Eruption - a book of interviews with Eddie Van Halen.

 

Ian Nathan has written a bunch of books for this series. A number of them I have read, such as Guillermo del Toro and Wes Anderson. His newest book on Spielberg is very good. There are some movies he only devotes a few pages too. Some of the stuff I already knew about Spielberg, but I really enjoyed the pictures and layout of the book. And great price!

 

Zworsky's Children

My new novel, Zworsky's Children, will be available on July 11. 

It was an idea I had since 2017. It started with a 60 Minutes segment on antibiotic resistance. Then I watched a PBS Nova episode (I won't say what it's about because that would spoil the novel). But I didn't have a story, just some ideas. It wasn't until I read Stephen King's On Writing when I started writing the book. I had written two novels before this and a bunch of screenplays. But King's book gave me the courage to write without an outline.

In On Writing, King says to write 1000 words a day until the novel is finished. (I think he might have said at least 6 days a week). But I wrote everyday.

The first few days of writing were fun. But when I got to the third day, I started to panic because I didn't know if I could write 1000 words each day.  What do I say? What am I writing? Then I remembered what King said: Write with the door shut. Even if these 1000 words suck, no one will read it. I always think that when I write. It is okay to be messy and to experiment. Ernest Hemingway famously said the first draft of anything is shit. So I just plowed ahead until I finished the first draft, which I completed in the summer of 2019 and was over 100,000 words.

Writing without an outline might not be everyone's method. I read James Patterson outlines his novels, which is amazing given how many books he's written. But for me, once I have a spark of an idea, I dive into the unknown and see where I end up. I keep the door shut until I am ready to share it.

I have written the Zworsky's Children series (three books total). The second book will be available next year, and I just wrote the first draft of the third book. For those of you who decide to read it, I do hope you enjoy the story. I wrote it with a lot of heart. See the review from Kirkus Reviews.