For Rose Dubois, and many other retirees, Autumn Springs is home. Nestled in Upstate New York, the residents are living out their golden years in comfFor Rose Dubois, and many other retirees, Autumn Springs is home. Nestled in Upstate New York, the residents are living out their golden years in comfort. That is until Rose’s close friend is found dead in her unit, believed to be felled by a slip and fall. However, the severity of the injuries leave many questions unanswered for Rose and her neighbors. As more “accidents” occur resulting in an increasing number of residents leaving Autumn Springs in body bags, it’s clear there is a killer on the loose. Can Rose and a handful of her friends find out who is behind the grizzly murders before they end up six feet under?
Look, this is inevitably going to be compared to Thursday Murder Club, and I can’t say I’m surprised. Richard Osman’s books are hugely popular and with a movie adaptation due to be released shortly before this novel hits store shelves, Philip Fracassi’s AUTUMN SPRINGS RETIREMENT HOME MASSACRE is going to either gain from the association or suffer when people juxtapose the two books. And honestly, that’s what initially drove me to request an advanced copy. However, this is a horror novel, and Osman’s books are mystery novels, so it’s possible they may not have much crossover, with the comparison’s left for only folks like me.
The first half of the book, man, this felt like a knockoff of Osman’s books. But boy, oh, boy, that second half? It became a VERY different novel. It’s a shame because I struggled so much in the beginning, to the point where I really wasn’t looking forward to picking the book up at all. I understand the need to lay the groundwork so that the finale works the way that it does, but it really felt like such a slog to get to where the story needed to be. The characters were not as charming nor as interesting (aside from Rose) as I felt they could have been. That said, once Fracassi pushed the pedal to the floor, this became straight-up unputdownable. The tamer killings in the beginning felt like child’s play once the stakes were raised. I really thought I had the killer’s identity figured out, but the rug was pulled out from under me at the reveal. And that climax? Great stuff.
THE AUTUMN SPRINGS RETIREMENT HOME MASSACRE is set for release on September 30, 2025....more
If you asked me what my dream Simpsons book would be, it would be a behind-the-scenes examination of the first ten seasons. Well, it turns out dreams If you asked me what my dream Simpsons book would be, it would be a behind-the-scenes examination of the first ten seasons. Well, it turns out dreams do come true because Alan Siegal has written just that book! Siegal completed countless interviews with the creative team behind the show’s conception, launch and its first decade on the air all in an effort to provide the reader with as comprehensive a look at just how transformative this show was surrounding pop culture in the 90s.
I learned so much about the production and creation of the show here and I would consider myself quite knowledgeable about the show’s “golden years”. The writer’s room bits were absolutely my favorite in which a single writer drafts a script and it’s “punched up” by the team, similar to how both SNL and sitcoms are produced. For example, Jon Vitti is responsible for the “Mr. Plow” episode, but Conan O’Brien pitched the bit about Homer turning his radio dial to the left to keep the truck on the road when teetering on the edge of a cliff. Or John Swartzwelder’s The Itchy & Scratchy Movie episode where the team had been wracking their brains for hours trying to come up with a punch line for Homer’s story about holding his breath, passing out and smacking his head on the table contributing to brain damage. When Bart asked for the point of the story, that’s where the team was stuck. Then George Meyer suggested the iconic “I like stories” bit, which had the whole room howling with laughter.
There is so much to unpack in this book. From the merchandising explosion, the feud with then President George H.W. Bush, the herculean struggle to keep the show as funny as possible, and the early days of the internet when commenters were slagging the show as “past its prime” during what many now consider their best years. It’s absolutely mind-boggling to read about the negative reception to such classics as “Homer’s Enemy” or “Marge vs. The Monorail” after they first aired.
This is truly an excellent book and a total “must-read” for any fan of the show. ...more
Author Rachel Ekstrom Courage brings Dorothy, Blanche, Rose and Sophia back to life in MURDER BY CHEESECAKE, the first entry in her new Golden Girls mAuthor Rachel Ekstrom Courage brings Dorothy, Blanche, Rose and Sophia back to life in MURDER BY CHEESECAKE, the first entry in her new Golden Girls mystery series. When Rose’s cousin is looking to elope, Rose offers to plan and host the wedding in Miami. While it may be tricky to make sure all the St. Olaf traditions are adhered to, Rose has the help of her three best friends to make sure it all goes off without a hitch.
Looking to secure a date for the wedding, Dorothy turns to a VHS dating service. While the man she has selected sounds promising, the two do not mix well upon meeting. Things take a turn for the worse when Dorothy’s would-be suitor is found dead - face down in one of Rose’s signature cheesecakes! With other external pressures facing Rose and her attempt to keep the wedding on track, the girls do not need a murder investigation on top of everything.
While I wouldn’t consider myself a die-hard Golden Girls fan, I have seen my fair share of episodes, so I believe I know the characters well enough. Ekstrom Courage has the personality and the humor of the show down pat; that is without question. There were more than a few laugh-out-loud moments to say the least as the girls traded verbal barbs back and forth. That said, while the book hinges on Rose’s St. Olaf jokes, one of the show’s most popular bits, it’s almost too much at times. I found the jokes hitting less and less as time went on just given the plethora of one-liners and endless St. Olaf lore.
I absolutely want to continue on with this series, but I am hoping the later books are a bit slimmer as I felt this was a bit long in the tooth. Three hundred and thirty six pages doesn’t sound like a lot, but when the book is essentially built upon one joke, it adds up....more
As author John Green points out in his book EVERYTHING IS TUBERCULOSIS, many people view the disease as something from the past; something that befallAs author John Green points out in his book EVERYTHING IS TUBERCULOSIS, many people view the disease as something from the past; something that befalls characters in old movies and video games symbolized by the “blood in the rag” following a coughing fit. The sad truth is that the disease is still very much with us killing over one million people every year - just not on a massive scale here in the Western world. This is because, as John points out, the disease is where the cure is not and the cure is where the disease is not.
The book primarily follows Henry, a young tuberculosis patient at Lakka Government Hospital in Sierra Leone, throughout his journey fighting the debilitating disease. John met Henry while traveling with a charitable organization in 2019 and became fascinated with this disease and its grip on much of the underdeveloped world. The fact that the disease continues to spread like wildfire throughout disadvantaged populations often highlights the massive inequality between the rich and the poor in these nations. While the disease is largely curable and treatable, the systems required to keep it at bay are often broken or in most cases, non-existent. For example, while some of these nations have the drugs to fight the infection, they lack basic things like a sustainable food chain allowing the infected to take those drugs on a full stomach, or reliable transportation to and from clinics.
While a short read, it was certainly eye-opening to say the least. I listened to this one and I thought John was a fantastic narrator, but I’m also quite used to hearing him through his YouTube videos through the years and know him to be a wonderful public speaker. EVERYTHING IS TUBERCULOSIS is a well-researched, empathetic look at the death and misery this disease continues to inflict on much of the world....more