One month into the new year and I am already behind on my reading challenge. I am two books behind this month. I should be able to get back on track soon. In fairness, the new job is taking up a lot of time. I’m still trying to adjust to my new routine.
Several People Are Typing by Calvin Kasulke
We joke about AI stealing jobs, but this is ridiculous!
Several People Are Typing by Calvin Kasulke is a bizarre horror novel told via Slack messages, jumping around to different conversations between co-workers. Gerald somehow has his consciousness sucked into Slack after an accident. While he has it pretty bad, some of his co-workers are also starting to find themselves in some weird situations. What exactly do poisoned dog food and a broken desk have to do with this work environment? Well, you will have to read it for yourself to find out.
The Life of a Stupid Man by Ryūnosuke Akutagawa
I’ve noticed something, when it comes to reading classic literature, more often than not the author is white. I’m trying to diversify my reading habits, so when I found a collection of three short stories by the “father of the Japanese short story”, I knew I had to read it.
My edition contained In the Bamboo Grove, Death Register and the titular The Life of a Stupid Man. Of the three, my favourite was In the Bamboo Grove. In that tale, a man is found dead in a bamboo grove. There are several different accounts of what went down.
Cursed Bunny by Bora Chung
My favourite book of the month!
I had no idea what I was getting into when a workmate recommended this novel to me. Honestly, that is the best way to experience it, so I am not complaining. It is a collection of short horror stories that are a combination of magical realism, horror, and science fiction. My friend and I refer to it as feminist horror. One of the short stories, The Snare made me sick while reading, yet I couldn’t put it down.
Not for the faint of heart, but a brilliant book if you like all things twisted and bizarre.
The Moving Finger by Agatha Christie
Gossip can be annoying, perhaps reputation-ruining, but in this mystery, it can be deadly.
After moving to the sleepy village of Lymstock brother and sister Jerry and Joanna Burton find out the town has developed a nasty pastime. Someone has been sending horrid letters containing vile accusations. A mild annoyance at first, but after a woman takes her own life due to the letter she received, things only get worse. Poison pen, as the author has been dubbed, adds more fuel to the fire that threatens to burn everyone in the village to a crisp.
Despite being categorised as a Marple novel, she barely features. Still, a pretty good mystery.
Nerd Rambles 
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