Book Reviews Outside the Cube

Recently, I was asked to come up with six book reviews that I could give verbally in 30 seconds or less.  It's all part of a holiday bookstore event, wherein the reviewers have half a minute to give their review or get yanked off the stage like a failed contestant on the Gong Show .  Here are my 30 second reviews. One of the books I came up with was a little hard cover edition of Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express .  The book was good; the review, short and sweet, but it came out to longer than 30 seconds.  Timing myself, I ended with 37 seconds and some change.  I'm still tempted to use it. Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express for Parents & Grandparents This book was written in 1934, but it remains timeless.  It's main character is a private investigator who has two things going for him:  One- he's brilliant at solving mysteries, two- his mustache.  When there's a murder on this train crossing Europe, Her...

Three tales from H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos, are adapted and illustrated by Manga artist, Gou TANABE, in this collection of stories published by Dark Horse Manga. Being a true fan of Lovecraft and a devotee of the Cthulhu Mythos, and following in my current trend of Japanese Horror, I dove into this book with no idea of what to expect.  As I spoke previously of the "rules of Japanese horror stories," there are also rules when writing Lovecraftian horror.  Lovecraft had his own style, back int he 20's.  His horror came from his own fear of sickness, of foreigners, of women, and of actual darkness.  It came from anything unknown to him and it created extreme anxiety, panic, and maybe even madness in the writer himself.  His short stories were also written at a time when authors were paid by the word and to get paid well, he made sure there were plenty of words.  This gave his work a long lingering feel; a slow, drawn out approach to the horror his c...

Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann. Everyone knows unsavory stories of how the US government slaughtered and forced Native Americans off their land and onto reservations.  Today, we cringe at those stories and are now memorializing Native American leaders for their sacrifice and their efforts in trying to preserve their people's way of life.  The names Crazy Horse, Sitting Bull, Chief Joseph, and Geronimo are still very well known to almost everyone.  For some, that's ancient history.  But in 1921, while Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, and Douglas Fairbanks were in Hollywood making movies, the Osage in Kansas were being systematically murdered for their fortune.  Killers of the Flower Moon talks about those murders and the layers of greed that influenced their cover-up. A historical and accurate piece of non-fiction, Killers of the Flower Moon is also comprised of layers.  David Grann unravels the...

The Graveyard Apartment by Mariko Koike Set in the late 80's, a young family moves into the home of their dreams.  The price is right, the location is central to everything, and the neighborhood is quiet.  But that's because their new apartment building is surrounded on three sides by a graveyard, a crematorium, and an ancient Buddhist temple.  Think it's the perfect setting for a terrifying Japanese horror novel?  You bet it is. Being a huge fan of Japanese horror films, I chose this book to be my first step into the world of Japanese horror novels.  At the time, I knew nothing about the author, Mariko Koike.  I knew nothing about the book, other than what the cover mentioned.  And even though I've watched a good amount of Japanese films, I didn't know if a novel would carry the same elements that I find effective in movies.  I was happily surprised to find that it did.   The Graveyard Apartment is filled with many of the classic co...

Outside the Cube has been bringing you reviews of music, movies, games, and comics for close to a decade now.  Why we haven't been reporting on all the great books out there is something of a mystery.  But here we are.  And welcome.  We will, as always, give honest reviews.  We aren't out to gain notoriety, or to put anyone down.  We just give our honest opinion, like it or not and try to get the word out on what is out in print.  This blog is an imprint of Outside the Cube and a younger sister to Comic Reviews Outside the Cube, Adult Comic Reviews Outside the Cube, Music Reviews Outside the Cube, Movie Reviews Outside the Cube, and Game Reviews Outside the Cube.  We're happy that you're reading our posts and would be honored to recieve "likes" and comments from you.  Thanks, and enjoy. -Eblison Grun