What I'm Reading: Smoke and Mirrors

Today, caught in the death grip of whatever was wrong with me this morning, I wrapped up Sorcery and Cecelia by Patricia Wrede and Caroline Stevermer (fantastic book that I will talk about later and in Googling, found two sequels that I have just ordered from Amazon) and picked up Smoke and Mirrors by Neil Gaiman. I'm likely running the risk of Gaiman-ing out my readers but (shhh, don't tell them) I don't care. I have yet to be unimpressed by his writing which is a really passive way of saying that his writing impresses me. Were I ever to meet him, I would ask him if he knew how great he was. (Side note: If I ever spoke to Patricia Wrede [again], I'd ask the same question.)

So anyway, Smoke and Mirrors is an amalgam of his short stories and a few poems that have been previously published in anthologies and other collections.What I enjoy about this book is that it seems to be a really great representation of the things that have inspired and influenced Gaiman as a writer and professional imagination-man. There are stories here that touch on H.P. Lovecraft and traditional fairy tales and classic horror films but all with Gaiman's personal twist on them. Some are uncomfortable to read but possibly only because I am Minnesotan and discomfort comes easily to me. My only problem with this collection is that when I read the pieces that mention Larry Talbot (the wolfman) by name, I can't help but envision Lon Cheney Jr. in the role, with his perpetually stricken face. Again, more of a personal problem.

I definitely recommend Smoke and Mirrors to anyone who likes a story with a good twist or someone who doesn't have a lot of spare time to read and wants a quick payoff. Short story collections are great for that and this one in particular never fails to deliver.

So here's the blog schedule, as I promised:
Sunday: What I'm Reading
Monday: Character Profile
Wednesday: Quote of the Week
Friday: Author Spotlight

I'll be running occasional polls of authors and characters (though Character Profile days will start with Nancy, Scout, and Clare as promised) and other miscellaneous things. Feel free to comment whenever with requests, suggestions, or anything.