#greenloop

[books-of-ochre]

"A genre of fiction that is intended to disturb, frighten or scare."A genre of fiction that is intended to disturb, frighten or scare." - Wikipedia

. Within These Walls, Ania Ahlborn With his marriage on the rocks and his life in shambles, washed up crime writer Lucas Graham is desperate for a comeback. So when he's promised exclusive access to notorious cult leader and death row inmate Jeffrey Halcomb, the opportunity is too good to pass up.

Good Reads || My Rating: 4/5

. The Wasp Factory, Iain Banks Frank, no ordinary sixteen-year-old, lives with his father outside a remote Scottish village. Their life is, to say the least, unconventional. Frank's mother abandoned them years ago: his elder brother Eric is confined to a psychiatric hospital; and his father measures out his eccentricities on an imperial scale. Frank has turned to strange acts of violence to vent his frustrations. In the bizarre daily rituals there is some solace. But when news comes of Eric's escape from the hospital Frank has to prepare the ground for his brother's inevitable return - an event that explodes the mysteries of the past and changes Frank utterly.

Good Reads || My Rating: 5/5

. Tender is the Flesh, Agustina Bazterrica His wife has left him, his father is sinking into dementia, and Marcos tries not to think too hard about how he makes a living. After all, it happened so quickly. First, it was reported that an infectious virus has made all animal meat poisonous to humans. Then governments initiated the “Transition.” Now, eating human meat—“special meat”—is legal. Marcos tries to stick to numbers, consignments, processing. Then one day he’s given a gift: a live specimen of the finest quality. Though he’s aware that any form of personal contact is forbidden on pain of death, little by little he starts to treat her like a human being. And soon, he becomes tortured by what has been lost—and what might still be saved.

Good Reads || My Rating: 5/5

. The Shining Girls, Lauren Beukes Harper Curtis is a killer who stepped out of the past. Kirby Mazrachi is the girl who was never meant to have a future. Kirby is the last shining girl, one of the bright young women, burning with potential, whose lives Harper is destined to snuff out after he stumbles on a House in Depression-era Chicago that opens on to other times. At the urging of the House, Harper inserts himself into the lives of these shining girls, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. He's the ultimate hunter, vanishing without a trace into another time after each murder — until one of his victims survives. Determined to bring her would-be killer to justice, Kirby joins the Chicago Sun-Times to work with the reporter, Dan Velasquez, who covered her case. Soon Kirby finds herself closing in on an impossible truth . . .

Good Reads || My Rating: 4.5/5

. Devolution: A Firsthand Account of the Rainier Sasquatch Massacre, Max Brooks As the ash and chaos from Mount Rainier’s eruption swirled and finally settled, the story of the Greenloop massacre has passed unnoticed, unexamined . . . until now. But the journals of resident Kate Holland, recovered from the town’s bloody wreckage, capture a tale too harrowing—and too earth-shattering in its implications—to be forgotten. Because if what Kate Holland saw in those days is real, then we must accept the impossible. We must accept that the creature known as Bigfoot walks among us—and that it is a beast of terrible strength and ferocity.

Good Reads || My Rating: 4/5

. A Clockwork Orange, Anthony Burgess In Anthony Burgess's influential nightmare vision of the future, criminals take over after dark. Teen gang leader Alex narrates in fantastically inventive slang that echoes the violent intensity of youth rebelling against society.

Good Reads || My Rating: 5/5

. House of Leaves, Mark Z. Danielewski A young family moves into a small home on Ash Tree Lane where they discover something is terribly wrong: their house is bigger on the inside than it is on the outside. Of course, neither Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist Will Navidson nor his companion Karen Green was prepared to face the consequences of that impossibility, until the day their two little children wandered off and their voices eerily began to return another story—of creature darkness, of an ever-growing abyss behind a closet door, and of that unholy growl which soon enough would tear through their walls and consume all their dreams.

Good Reads || My Rating: 5/5

. Geek Love, Katherine Dunn Geek Love is the story of the Binewskis, a carny family whose mater- and paterfamilias set out ― with the help of amphetamine, arsenic, and radioisotopes ― to breed their own exhibit of human oddities. There's Arturo the Aquaboy, who has flippers for limbs and a megalomaniac ambition worthy of Genghis Khan . . . Iphy and Elly, the lissome Siamese twins . . . albino hunchback Oly, and the outwardly normal Chick, whose mysterious gifts make him the family's most precious ― and dangerous ― asset. As the Binewskis take their act across the backwaters of the U.S., inspiring fanatical devotion and murderous revulsion; as its members conduct their own Machiavellian version of sibling rivalry, Geek Love throws its sulfurous light on our notions of the freakish and the normal, the beautiful and the ugly, the holy and the obscene. Family values will never be the same.

Good Reads || My Rating: 5/5

. American Psycho, Bret Easton Ellis Patrick Bateman is twenty-six and works on Wall Street. He is handsome, sophisticated, charming and intelligent. He is also a psychopath. Taking us to head-on collision with America's greatest dream—and its worst nightmare—American Psycho is a bleak, bitter, black comedy about a world we all recognize but do not wish to confront.

Good Reads || My Rating: 5/5

. Leech, Hiron Ennes In an isolated chateau, as far north as north goes, the baron’s doctor has died. The doctor’s replacement has a mystery to solve: discovering how the Institute lost track of one of its many bodies. For hundreds of years the Interprovincial Medical Institute has grown by taking root in young minds and shaping them into doctors, replacing every human practitioner of medicine. The Institute is here to help humanity, to cure and to cut, to cradle and protect the species from the apocalyptic horrors their ancestors unleashed. In the frozen north, the Institute's body will discover a competitor for its rung at the top of the evolutionary ladder. A parasite is spreading through the baron's castle, already a dark pit of secrets, lies, violence, and fear. The two will make war on the battlefield of the body. Whichever wins, humanity will lose again.

Good Reads || My Rating: 4/5

. Coraline, Neil Gaiman In Coraline's family's new flat are twenty-one windows and fourteen doors. Thirteen of the doors open and close. The fourteenth is locked, and on the other side is only a brick wall, until the day Coraline unlocks the door to find a passage to another flat in another house just like her own. Only it's different.

Good Reads || My Rating: 5/5

. Horrorstör, Grady Hendrix Something strange is happening at the Orsk furniture superstore in Cleveland. Every morning, employees arrive to find broken Kjerring wardrobes, shattered Brooka glassware, and vandalized Liripip sofa beds—clearly someone, or something, is up to no good. To unravel the mystery, five young employees volunteer for a long dusk-till-dawn shift and encounter horrors that defy imagination.

Good Reads || My Rating: 4.5/5

. The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires, Grady Hendrix Steel Magnolias meets Dracula in this New York Times best-selling horror novel about a women's book club that must do battle with a mysterious newcomer to their small Southern town.

Good Reads || My Rating: 5/5

. The Hunger, Alma Katsu A tense and gripping reimagining of one of America's most fascinating historical moments: the Donner Party with a supernatural twist.

Good Reads || My Rating: 5/5

. 1922, Stephen King A violence awakens inside a man when his wife proposes selling off the family homestead, setting in motion a grisly train of murder and madness.

Good Reads || My Rating: 5/5

. Carrie, Stephen King An unpopular teenage girl, whose mother is a religious fanatic, is tormented and teased to the breaking point by her more popular schoolmates. She uses her hidden telekinetic powers to inflict a terrifying revenge.

Good Reads || My Rating: 4.5/5

. Gerald’s Game, Stephen King When a game of seduction between a husband and wife ends in death, the nightmare has only begun…

Good Reads || My Rating: 4/5

. Pet Sematary, Stephen King When Dr. Louis Creed takes a new job and moves his family to the idyllic, rural town of Ludlow, Maine, this new beginning seems too good to be true. Yet despite Ludlow's tranquility, there's an undercurrent of danger that lingers...like the graveyard in the woods near the Creeds' home, where generations of children have buried their beloved pets. Behind the "pet sematary", there is another burial ground, one that lures people to it with seductive promises...and ungodly temptations. A blood-chilling truth is hidden there - one more terrifying than death itself and hideously more powerful. An ominous fate befalls anyone who dares tamper with this forbidden place, as Louis is about to discover for himself....

Good Reads || My Rating: 4/5

. The Dark Tower Series, Stephen King The Dark Tower series tells the story of Roland Deschain, Mid-World’s last gunslinger, who is traveling southeast across Mid-World’s post-apocalyptic landscape, searching for the powerful but elusive magical edifice known as The Dark Tower. Located in the fey region of End-World, amid a sea of singing red roses, the Dark Tower is the nexus point of the time-space continuum. It is the heart of all worlds, but it is also under threat. Someone, or something, is using the evil technology of the Great Old Ones to destroy it.

More info.

. The Shining, Stephen King Jack Torrance’s new job at the Overlook Hotel is the perfect chance for a fresh start. As the off-season caretaker at the atmospheric old hotel, he’ll have plenty of time to spend reconnecting with his family and working on his writing. But as the harsh winter weather sets in, the idyllic location feels ever more remote . . . and more sinister. And the only one to notice the strange and terrible forces gathering around the Overlook is Danny Torrance, a uniquely gifted five-year-old.

Good Reads || My Rating: 5/5

. Lolita, Vladimir Nabokov The most famous and controversial novel from one of the greatest writers of the twentieth century tells the story of Humbert Humbert’s obsessive, devouring, and doomed passion for the nymphet Dolores Haze.

Good Reads || My Rating: 4/5

. I’m Thinking of Ending Things, Iain Reid In this deeply scary and intensely unnerving debut novel, Jake and a woman known only as "The Girlfriend" are on a drive to visit his parents at their secluded farm. But when Jake leaves "The Girlfriend" stranded at an abandoned high school, what follows is a twisted unraveling of the darkest unease, an exploration into psychological frailty.

Good Reads || My Rating: 5/5

. Cry to Heaven, Anne Rice This is the story of the castrati, the exquisite and otherworldly sopranos whose graceful bodies and glorious voices win the adulation of royal courts and grand opera houses throughout Europe. These men are revered as idols—and, at the same time, scorned for all they are not.

Good Reads || My Rating: 5/5

. The Lives of the Mayfair Witches, Anne Rice A trilogy of supernatural horror/fantasy novels that centers on a family of witches whose fortunes have been guided for generations by a spirit named Lasher. 

More info.

. The Vampire Chronicles, Anne Rice A series of gothic vampire novels that revolves around the fictional character Lestat de Lioncourt, a French nobleman turned into a vampire in the 18th century.

More info.

. Wolf Gift Chronicles, Anne Rice The tale of Reuben Golding, a well to do journalist at the fictional San Francisco Observer who is attacked by and turned into a werewolf.

More info.

. Frankenstein, Mary Shelley Frankenstein tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who creates a sapient creature in an unorthodox scientific experiment. 

Good Reads || My Rating: 5/5

. The Abominable, Dan Simmons Deep in Tibet and high on Everest, the three climbers -- joined by the missing boy's female cousin -- find themselves being pursued through the night by someone . . . or something. This nightmare becomes a matter of life and death at 28,000 feet - but what is pursuing them? And what is the truth behind the 1924 disappearances on Everest? As they fight their way to the top of the world, the friends uncover a secret far more abominable than any mythical creature could ever be.

Good Reads || My Rating: 4/5

. The Terror, Dan Simmons The men on board the HMS Terror — part of the 1845 Franklin Expedition, the first steam-powered vessels ever to search for the legendary Northwest Passage — are entering a second summer in the Arctic Circle without a thaw, stranded in a nightmarish landscape of encroaching ice and darkness. Endlessly cold, they struggle to survive with poisonous rations, a dwindling coal supply, and ships buckling in the grip of crushing ice. But their real enemy is even more terrifying. There is something out there in the frigid darkness: an unseen predator stalking their ship, a monstrous terror clawing to get in.

Good Reads || My Rating: 5/5

. Baby Teeth, Zoje Stage Meet Hanna. She’s the sweet-but-silent angel in the adoring eyes of her Daddy. He’s the only person who understands her, and all Hanna wants is to live happily ever after with him. But Mommy stands in her way, and she’ll try any trick she can think of to get rid of her. Ideally for good. Meet Suzette. She loves her daughter, really, but after years of expulsions and strained home schooling, her precarious health and sanity are weakening day by day. As Hanna’s tricks become increasingly sophisticated, and Suzette's husband remains blind to the failing family dynamics, Suzette starts to fear that there’s something seriously wrong, and that maybe home isn’t the best place for their baby girl after all.

Good Reads || My Rating: 3.5/5

. The Luminous Dead, Caitlin Starling In which a caver on a foreign planet finds herself on a terrifying psychological and emotional journey for survival.

Good Reads || My Rating: 5/5

. Ghost Story, Peter Straub In the sleepy town of Milburn, New York, four old men gather to tell each other stories—some true, some made-up, all of them frightening. A simple pastime to divert themselves from their quiet lives. But one story is coming back to haunt them and their small town. A tale of something they did long ago. A wicked mistake. A horrifying accident. And they are about to learn that no one can bury the past forever...

Good Reads || My Rating: 4/5

. Ring Series, Koji Suzuki The novels revolve around a curse, embodied within a videotape, unleashed by Sadako Yamamura, the ghost of a psychic who was raped and murdered before being thrown into a well.

More info.

. Cabin at the End of the World, Paul Tremblay Seven-year-old Wen and her parents, Eric and Andrew, are vacationing at a remote cabin on a quiet New Hampshire lake. Their closest neighbors are more than two miles in either direction along a rutted dirt road. One afternoon, as Wen catches grasshoppers in the front yard, a stranger unexpectedly appears in the driveway.  Leonard and Wen talk and play until Leonard abruptly apologizes and tells Wen, “None of what’s going to happen is your fault.” Three more strangers then arrive at the cabin carrying unidentifiable, menacing objects. As Wen sprints inside to warn her parents, Leonard calls out: “Your dads won’t want to let us in, Wen. But they have to. We need your help to save the world.” Thus begins an unbearably tense, gripping tale of paranoia, sacrifice, apocalypse, and survival that escalates to a shattering conclusion, one in which the fate of a loving family and quite possibly all of humanity are entwined. 

Good Reads || My Rating: 3.5/5

. Hide, Kiersten White The challenge: spend a week hiding in an abandoned amusement park and don't get caught. The prize: enough money to change everything. Even though everyone is desperate to win--to seize their dream futures or escape their haunting pasts--Mack feels sure that she can beat her competitors. All she has to do is hide, and she's an expert at that. It's the reason she's alive, and her family isn't. But as the people around her begin disappearing one by one, Mack realizes this competition is more sinister than even she imagined, and that together might be the only way to survive.

Good Reads || My Rating: 5/5

[agoodflyting]

Reading Max Brooks' Devolution, which if you haven't read it is the one about the village of rich California hipsters who get stranded in an eco retreat in the pacific northwest and end up being hunted by Bigfoot. It's great in a 'I didn't say it was good I said I liked it' way. And had the uncontrollable urge to make a fancast. One thing I love about Brooks is how distinct and entertaining all his characters are. So:

Margot Robbie and Chris Evans as Yvette and Tom: She's a yoga guru/influencer and he's the tech genius behind the Greenloop. Instagram perfect on the surface, their sanity rapidly disintegrates when it becomes clear their high tech eco paradise has become a trap.

Victoria Pedretti and Adam Driver as Katie and Dan: The protagonists. New to the Greenloop Community. She's an anxious mess and he's an immature manchild at the start, but the need to survive brings out the best in them both. Both eventually take a level in Badass to become the brains and brawn behind Greenloop's survival.

Mark Hamill and Julianne Moore as Victor and Bobbi: Rich Boomers who tend to be slightly condescending to the rest of the community. He gets torn apart a Bigfoot and let's be real who doesn't want to see Mark Hamill get torn apart by Bigfoot. It seems like the kind of role he'd like.

Rosario Dawson and T'Nia Miller as Carmen and Effie: Mothers of Palomino, the token child of the group. At first their relationship is troublesome due to Carmen's controlling nature and Effie's pushover personality, but they both go full mama bear when their daughter is threatened.

Peter Dinklage and Shoreh Agdashloo as Reinhardt and Mostar - the two single residents of Greenloop. He's a pompous Rousseau expert and self proclaimed 'intellectual coward'. She's an artist with a dark past that turn out to be exactly what the community needs when technology fails.

And together they all fight Bigfoot.

[rootstokitchen1]

Best Kitchen Garden Seed Kits Online in India: Grow Your Own Fresh Produce

Introduction: Creating a kitchen garden is a rewarding experience that allows you to grow fresh, organic vegetables, herbs, and even fruits at home. With the growing trend of urban gardening, seed kits have become a popular choice for beginners and seasoned gardeners alike. These kits often come with everything you need to start your garden, including seeds, soil, pots, and sometimes even tools or guides.

In this article, we will explore some of the best kitchen garden seed kits available online in India, making it easy for you to bring the joy of gardening to your home.

1. Urban Roots Premium Kitchen Gardening Kit

This comprehensive kit includes a variety of vegetable and herb seeds such as basil, coriander, spinach, and more. It also comes with biodegradable pots, cocopeat soil mix, and detailed instructions, making it beginner-friendly.

Why Choose This?

Suitable for indoor and outdoor gardening

Eco-friendly packaging

Affordable and easy to use

2. Kraft Seeds Flower and Vegetable Seed Kit

Perfect for those who want to grow both vegetables and flowers, this kit offers a wide range of seeds, including marigold, tomato, chili, and cucumber.

Highlights:

High-quality seeds with good germination rates

Comes with soil pellets and planting tools

Great for hobby gardeners

3. TrustBasket Vegetable Gardening Kit

Known for its high-quality products, TrustBasket provides a kitchen garden kit that includes seeds for commonly used vegetables like tomatoes, capsicums, and brinjals. It also includes organic manure and grow bags.

Features:

Focus on sustainable gardening

Organic fertilizers included

Ideal for terrace and balcony gardens

4. Ugaoo Kitchen Garden Combo

Ugaoo offers a compact and budget-friendly gardening kit for urban homes. It includes seeds for leafy greens like lettuce and spinach, making it a great choice for healthy eaters.

Advantages:

Space-saving and suitable for small apartments

Detailed online guides available

Reliable customer support

For more info:-

5. Greenloop DIY Herb Garden Kit

This kit is perfect for herb lovers. It includes seeds for culinary herbs like mint, basil, parsley, and thyme, along with small pots and organic fertilizers.

Why It Stands Out:

Aesthetic pots for tabletop gardening

Easy to maintain

Enhances home cooking with fresh herbs

Things to Consider When Buying a Kitchen Garden Seed Kit

Seed Variety: Ensure the kit has seeds suited to your needs, such as herbs, vegetables, or flowers.

Climate Compatibility: Check if the seeds are suitable for your region and the current season.

Kit Contents: Look for kits that include all essentials like soil, pots, and fertilizers for a hassle-free experience.

Space Requirements: Some kits are designed for small spaces like balconies or windowsills, while others are better for larger gardens.

Conclusion: Starting a kitchen garden is a step toward sustainable living and healthier eating. With so many excellent seed kits available online in India, it’s easier than ever to embark on this green journey. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced gardener, there’s a kit to suit every need and budget.

So, why wait? Pick one of these kits, roll up your sleeves, and get ready to nurture your own little patch of greenery! 

For more info:-

Affordable gardening tools for home gardens in India

Best kitchen garden seed kits online in India

[rebeckaomalleywriter]

FANCIFUL REVIEW | Devolution by Max Brooks

I really enjoyed Devolution by Max Brooks. I love mixed media novels, and here we have another. The setting of Greenloop was an resting one, and the disaster that falls upon them fascinating.

Devolution: A Firsthand Account of the Rainier Sasquatch Massacre by Max BrooksMy rating: 4 of 5 starsKate Holland has just moved to Greenloop, a small community dedicated to reducing their impact on the environment, with her husband. This is a chance for a refresh. A quieter life, away from the hustle and bustle. An opportunity to rebuild their relationship and help Kate deal with her anxiety.…

[belaymonkey]

Green Loop Ragnar Wawayanda Trail Race * #BlackLoopTeam #Team58 #WorstPaceScenerio #RagnarRelay @ragnarrelay #Wawayanda #RagnarTrail #RunRagnar #TrailRelay #RunnerGirl #RunNJ #runnersofinstagram #HalfFanatic 3720 #RunPA #GreenLoop #FunnySigns (at Wawayanda State Park) https://www.instagram.com/p/CUsTpiHFWlT/?utm_medium=tumblr

[gyanhindime]

GreenLoop - All in One Plant Food GreenLoop All-In-One Plant Food is answer to all your questions about “what to use for home plants”.No need of any guesswork now. It contains NPKS fertilizer, fortified with 7 essential micro-nutrients that work in practically any pH of soil. So, it gives the plants healthy growth. One time use sachets, for easy & mess free use. No need to depend on anyone to guide you about what to use for which plant, as it serves all types of plants. Just add one sachet in 6 liter water, and pour it on soil of 6 big plants or 12 small plants. To measure 6 litre, take a 1 liter water bottle, or a normal sized bathroom mug. Each sachet has 20 gm all-in-one plant fertilizer, that contains best-in-class ingredients. Takes just 5 minutes, and its done. Very convenient for home use. Please do not use more than twice a month. If in doubt, use less fertilizer. After first two months, you can reduce usage to just once a month. Contains N, P, K, S, NH4, B, Zn, Cu, Cl, Na, Mo, Mn, Fe. Does NOT contain any pesticide or insecticide. #gyanhindime #greenloop #nature #photography #naturephotography #travel #love #photooftheday #landscape #summer #instagood #beautiful #naturelovers #art #picoftheday #ig #sky #photo #sunset #flowers #instagram #mountains #like #wildlife #travelphotography #adventure #green #sun #hiking #photographer #life #bhfyp (at Sponsored) https://www.instagram.com/p/B0LxX0xH6om/?igshid=1f2n4hr9ettmf

[rockislandadultreads]

Gruesome Creatures: Horror Story Recs

Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant

Seven years ago, the Atargatis set off on a voyage to the Mariana Trench to film a “mockumentary” bringing to life ancient sea creatures of legend. It was lost at sea with all hands. Some have called it a hoax; others have called it a maritime tragedy. Now, a new crew has been assembled. But this time they’re not out to entertain. Some seek to validate their life’s work. Some seek the greatest hunt of all. Some seek the truth. But for the ambitious young scientist Victoria Stewart this is a voyage to uncover the fate of the sister she lost. Whatever the truth may be, it will only be found below the waves. But the secrets of the deep come with a price.

Awakened by James S. Murray, Darren Wearmouth

After years of waiting, New York's newest subway line is finally ready -- an express train that connects the city with the burgeoning communities across the Hudson River. The shining jewel of this state-of-the-art line is a breathtaking visitors’ pavilion beneath the river.  Major dignitaries, including New York City’s Mayor and the President of the United States, are in attendance for the inaugural run, as the first train slowly pulls in. Under the station’s bright ceiling lights, the shiny silver cars gleam. But as the train comes closer into view, a far different scene becomes visible. All the train’s cars are empty. All the cars’ interiors are drenched in blood. As chaos descends, all those in the pavilion scramble to get out. But the horror is only beginning. High levels of deadly methane fill the tunnels. The structure begins to flood. For those who don’t drown, choke, or spark an explosion, another terrifying danger awaits — the thing that killed all those people on the train. There's something living beneath New York City, and it's not happy we've woken it up.

A God in the Shed by J.-F. Dubeau

The village of Saint-Ferdinand has all the trappings of a quiet life: farmhouses stretching from one main street, a small police precinct, a few diners and cafes, and a grocery store. Though if an out-of-towner stopped in, they would notice one unusual thing--a cemetery far too large and much too full for such a small town, lined with the victims of the Saint-Ferdinand Killer, who has eluded police for nearly two decades. It's not until after Inspector Stephen Crowley finally catches the killer that the town discovers even darker forces are at play. When a dark spirit reveals itself to Venus McKenzie, one of Saint-Ferdinand's teenage residents, she learns that this creature's power has a long history with her town--and that the serial murders merely scratch the surface of a past burdened by evil secrets.

Devolution: A Firsthand Account of the Rainier Sasquatch Massacre by Max Brooks

As the ash and chaos from Mount Rainier’s eruption swirled and finally settled, the story of the Greenloop massacre has passed unnoticed, unexamined . . . until now. But the journals of resident Kate Holland, recovered from the town’s bloody wreckage, capture a tale too harrowing—and too earth-shattering in its implications—to be forgotten. In these pages, Max Brooks brings Kate’s extraordinary account to light for the first time, faithfully reproducing her words alongside his own extensive investigations into the massacre and the legendary beasts behind it. Kate’s is a tale of unexpected strength and resilience, of humanity’s defiance in the face of a terrible predator’s gaze, and inevitably, of savagery and death. Yet it is also far more than that. Because if what Kate Holland saw in those days is real, then we must accept the impossible. We must accept that the creature known as Bigfoot walks among us—and that it is a beast of terrible strength and ferocity. Part survival narrative, part bloody horror tale, part scientific journey into the boundaries between truth and fiction, this is a Bigfoot story as only Max Brooks could chronicle it—and like none you’ve ever read before.

[bookaddict24-7]

RECO OF THE WEEK!

Devolution by Max Brooks 

Synopsis: 

“As the ash and chaos from Mount Rainier’s eruption swirled and finally settled, the story of the Greenloop massacre has passed unnoticed, unexamined . . . until now. But the journals of resident Kate Holland, recovered from the town’s bloody wreckage, capture a tale too harrowing—and too earth-shattering in its implications—to be forgotten. In these pages, Max Brooks brings Kate’s extraordinary account to light for the first time, faithfully reproducing her words alongside his own extensive investigations into the massacre and the legendary beasts behind it. Kate’s is a tale of unexpected strength and resilience, of humanity’s defiance in the face of a terrible predator’s gaze, and inevitably, of savagery and death. Yet it is also far more than that. Because if what Kate Holland saw in those days is real, then we must accept the impossible. We must accept that the creature known as Bigfoot walks among us—and that it is a beast of terrible strength and ferocity. Part survival narrative, part bloody horror tale, part scientific journey into the boundaries between truth and fiction, this is a Bigfoot story as only Max Brooks could chronicle it—and like none you’ve ever read before.”

___

Check out my short review here.

Add this book to your TBR on Goodreads here.

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Have you read this book? Would you recommend it?

___

Happy reading!

[brokehorrorfan]

Devolution: A Firsthand Account of the Rainier Sasquatch Massacre by Max Brooks (World War Z) will be published on May 12 via Random House’s Del Rey Books imprint.

The 304-page novel is presented as found documents chronicling a horrific Bigfoot attack on an isolated eco-community. The full synopsis can be read below.

Devolution is available for pre-order in hardcover ($16.91), paperback ($29.93), e-book ($14.99), and audio book ($24.50) via Amazon.

As the ash and chaos from Mount Rainier’s eruption swirled and finally settled, the story of the Greenloop massacre has passed unnoticed, unexamined . . . until now. The journals of resident Kate Holland, recovered from the town’s bloody wreckage, capture a tale too harrowing—and too earth-shattering in its implications—to be forgotten. In these pages, Max Brooks brings Kate’s extraordinary account to light for the first time, faithfully reproducing her words alongside his own extensive investigations into the massacre and the legendary beasts behind it. Kate’s is a tale of unexpected strength and resilience, of humanity’s defiance in the face of a terrible predator’s gaze, and, inevitably, of savagery and death.

Yet it is also far more than that.

Because if what Kate Holland saw in those days is real, then we must accept the impossible. We must accept that the creature known as Bigfoot walks among us—and that it is a beast of terrible strength and ferocity.

Part survival narrative, part bloody horror tale, part scientific journey into the boundaries between truth and fiction, this is a Bigfoot story as only Max Brooks could chronicle it—and like none you’ve ever read before.

[fogsrollingin]

Moonlight readings

Whumptober and The Zombie Bang are now over and I get to r e a d again 😭 It is so good to just eat some chocolate and read other people’s works. Oh boy. Living my best life with these fics 🥰️

First, I realized I hadn’t read any original fiction lately so I lit upon this incredibly fun, exciting, and interesting original work that I read inside about 2 days or something: Devolution: A Firsthand Account of the Rainier Sasquatch Massacre by Max Brooks (of World War Z and Zombie Survival Guide fame; also son of the inimitable Mel Brooks) 

Summary:  As the ash and chaos from Mount Rainier's eruption swirled and finally settled, the story of the Greenloop massacre has passed unnoticed, unexamined . . . until now. But the journals of resident Kate Holland, recovered from the town's bloody wreckage, capture a tale too harrowing--and too earth-shattering in its implications--to be forgotten. In these pages, Max Brooks brings Kate's extraordinary account to light for the first time, faithfully reproducing her words alongside his own extensive investigations into the massacre and the legendary beasts behind it. Kate's is a tale of unexpected strength and resilience, of humanity's defiance in the face of a terrible predator's gaze, and inevitably, of savagery and death. Yet it is also far more than that. Because if what Kate Holland saw in those days is real, then we must accept the impossible. We must accept that the creature known as Bigfoot walks among us--and that it is a beast of terrible strength and ferocity. Part survival narrative, part bloody horror tale, part scientific journey into the boundaries between truth and fiction, this is a Bigfoot story as only Max Brooks could chronicle it--and like none you've ever read before. my thoughts: First, the ending was hilarious in a very good way to me. But back to the start: I adored the premise of a small cast of well-defined characters getting isolated and cut off from society and then threatened/hunted by monsters. The market on that formula will just never get saturated for me, lol. And then as the story continues to unfold, it just nails the suspense-action pacing and all while capturing such fascinating psychological reactions of its characters. Extra points for the clever, entertaining ways Brooks tears apart the romanticism of nature that many people tend to tout (without really being too harsh or mean towards those people). This book was a super fun ride.

The Cause Sanguine by glasslogic. Rated R, Dean/Sam, 48k words. Summary:  Dean is lonely and depressed following the death of his father in a hunting accident. Guilt and grief are causing his life to spiral out of control, so he takes a rare moment of sobriety to walk away from everything and move to a remote cabin in the wilds of Montana. But it’s a very different world up there for him than the town-to-town drifting he has known all his life. Overhearing gossip one night in a local bar, he gets into an argument over the reality of werewolves and stumbles out into the woods in an ill-advised attempt to prove his point. But things never go smoothly for Dean, and what he finds changes everything he understands about hunting, his father, and even his own purpose in life. Dean has seen and done a lot in his time on the planet, but nothing has ever prepared him to navigate the strange roads of a relationship with someone who is only human three nights a month.  ao3.org/works/337946 my thoughts: immediately feeling for Dean's grief and understanding his decisions to settle in little Sunvalley, Montana, the story gets off to a great start. Then the soft slow burn of learning who Sam is and how they develop trust and love is awesome. This was a really cool, sweet supernatural romance. Made me want to buy a fur rug, haha. There's a sequel I should check out too. This fic has been added to my animal transformations reclist.

Afterimage by paleogymnast. Rated NC-17, Sam/Dean, 27k words. Summary:  "If you had it to do over again, and you could change everything, would you?" When all appears lost, Dean Winchester—battered, weary, guilty, and alone—is given the opportunity to travel back in time and live his life over again with the promise that if he makes the one choice he was too afraid to make before, he will be able to change the future, and avoid the loss of everyone he ever loved and everything he fought for. But how? After all, he knows time can’t be changed… But with the help of a mysterious entity, who may or may not be the actual God of Time, Dean discovers time can be rewritten. Armed only with the ghosts of memories from his former life—afterimages of rewritten time—but not really understanding the gift he’s been given, the new Dean, an impossibly young 27-year-old hunter, once again turns to his estranged brother when their father goes missing. But when he takes a chance on forbidden love, will it be the key to saving the universe and averting the apocalypse, or will it only bring about the end even faster? ao3.org/works/4504065 my thoughts: Holy crap this author’s writing hijacked me the last week of October while I was still trying to churn out a lot of written work). I absolutely loved this story, loved how Dean pressured himself to admit his feelings for Sam during Bugs, how the author described/framed Sam & Dean’s relationship, and plot-wise how information on seasons 4 & 5 filtered into seasons 1-2ish Sam/Dean. It filled me with so much hope & happiness to imagine them besting their destinies like this with the help of Kronos. Also I'm such a sucker for soulmate tropes & loved how paleogymnast let Bobby and Missouri be cool about Sam/Dean. This fic will forever been found in my time travel reclist now. 

[ninja-muse]

Devolution - Max Brooks

In brief: Everyone thinks the Washington community of Greenloop is perfect. Then a volcano wipes out their contact with the world, and just as that’s sinking in, the Bigfeet arrive. Horror movie as epistolary novel.

Full disclosure: This was a reading copy I received through work, with the expectation that I would like it enough to recommend it on release day. The book is out June 16, 2020.

Thoughts: Oh boy, does Max Brooks know how to write a horror novel! Not only does this have an actually creepy setting and unsettling monster, but it also throws out a whole lot of commentary on modern life. It’s well-paced, in that I spent a lot of time riveted to the page and needing to know what happened next. And. And and and I think this is the first time I’ve seen clinical anxiety used in a positive light?

I’m having a hard time saying more than that, actually, because this is just a quick, concise read, and such a horrific-in-a-good-way experience that to talk about anything is to spoil the book. But I will say that Brooks is great at character, balancing expectations and character depth, and the relationships between the residents of Greenloop, and their actions, are absolutely believable. It’s a hugely diverse group, which is nice to see, but the stand-out for me was Kate, the narrator. The way he writes her anxiety into the story is just … wow. Refreshing. Inspiring, even.

Honestly, Brooks is just kind of good across the board. There’s no real part of this book that falls flat, not the set-up in the world outside Greenloop, not the interviews and things “added” to the story, not the descriptions of the forest and the way he writes the Bigfeet as both sympathetic and terrifying. Everything’s there for a reason and there are some nice unexpected moments. It’s a really tight story, and like a lot of good horror, it’s ultimately hopeful and empowering. I really liked seeing Greenloop knit together under pressure.

But I’m also serious about this being a horror movie as much as it’s a horror novel. It has a reasonable predictable pacing, to the point where a lull in the action was less of a breathing moment and more a signal that things were going to escalate, and there were some revelations and developments that were pretty telegraphed or designed to elicit a specific emotional response. This doesn’t make this a bad book by any means, just one that wasn’t as exciting for me as it could’ve been.

This still gets two thumbs up, though, especially if you’re looking for a mix of “thought-provoking” and “summer chills”. Brooks does a good slow build and a good jump-scare. I appreciated having a horror “villain” that was off-norm, and I liked being challenged, even attacked, by the themes of the novel. I may have to pick up World War Z at some point now, because I never did get around to that one.

8/10

Contains: blood, gore, and violence; realistic but probably not triggering anxiety; one scene containing anorexia-like physical traits; scenes and plot points that are eerily reminiscent of certain current events as I write this

[thebookishaustin]

ARC Review: Devolution

Image from my publishers web page

Devolution: A Firsthand Account of the Rainier Sasquatch Massacre by Max Brooks

Release: June 16, 2020 (Previously May 2020)

Publisher: Del Rey Books

*I received a free, digital ARC of this title from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions contained within this review are my own.* 

You might recognize this author from his disturbingly awesome book World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War (2006) turned movie World War Z (2013, with Brad Pitt). You might also recognize his name from his extensive work in the graphic novel field, or his Minecraft novels for middle grade students. Or you might simply know him as Mel Brooks’ son. But no matter where you know him from, Max Brooks has a new novel coming out. . 

Mount Rainier has erupted, sending the area into panic as people fled and tried to survive the natural onslaught. However, nobody worried about the group of people living on an eco-commune called Greenloop. The residents were trapped, with no avenues to reach the outside world, for weeks. When people finally thought to look for them, the remains of their community were found, broken and disheveled, blood splattered all over the ground. No survivors were found. The evidence found in the surrounding area, once added to the detailed journal entries of Kate Holland, suggests there might be creatures in the world that have long been considered folklore. 

Devolution follows in the path of World War Z in terms of style and storytelling. Where World War Z is written as a series of interviews AFTER the zombie apocalypse, piecing together a timeline of key events, Devolution is written in the form of journals, interviews, speeches, etc. as a researcher pieces together the events of the now-titled Greenloop Massacre. I love this type of format as it leaves wiggle room for ambiguity (I know a lot of people hate that) in the story while also providing the opportunity to engage with multiple perspectives. Brooks is a master at weaving his narrative using these rarely used structures to build a unique perspective to his worlds. 

Using the journals of one of the occupants of Greenloop was a great way for Brooks to get into the heads of Greenloop residents. We learn, as they do, about the predicament they find themselves. How will they survive? What drives their decision making? This also provides a unique method for slowly piecing together what’s lurking in the shadows - both within the fellow survivors as well as the surrounding landscape - as the group learns they aren’t alone in this forest. 

I’m giving Devolution 4-out-of-5 Awesome Austin Points. I thoroughly enjoy Brooks’ writing and this was just one more example of his expertise in storytelling. This book was originally due to be published mid-May but it’s publication date was pushed back to mid-June now. Either way, you should keep this one in mind for a future read and check out World War Z in the meantime! I hope to hear about your current or favorite reads here on Tumblr, through my Instagram or out on Goodreads. 

[moniquenieves-blog]

And the walls became the world all around. - Maurice Sendak, Where the Wild Things Are #greenloop #with #a #double #redloop #isladecorredores #islanyc #bridgerunners #mtarcrew #ragnartrailnyrr #innerwild #chasethesun #chasethemoon #ragnartentlife #bestmedalever #loveyourtrails#timetoplay (at Wawayanda State Park)

[earaercircular]

Global Recycling Day: from waste sorting to reducing CO2 emissions

Global Recycling Day is marked on March 18 to highlight the importance of reusing items and materials and resource efficiency. The recycling industry’s annual contribution to lowering carbon dioxide emissions is forecasted to reach one billion tons in 2030.

The United Nations acknowledged Global Recycling Day, Global Recycling Foundation recalled. It pointed out that adopting a global recycling approach is urgent. Recycling helps preserve natural resources and it is key for the transition to circular economy.

This day is an opportunity to stress[1] the need for improving the management not just of waste but of resources as well as recycling is important for both, said waste management expert Kristina Cvejanov from the Greenloop network[2]. “We have to connect with the system, to comprehend the flow of materials and the money flow as well as the possibilities we have to reduce our environmental footprint,” she told Balkan Green Energy News.

It is necessary to understand to the fullest the processes and effects of our environmental impact, according to Cvejanov. She added it is necessary for all the players to connect.[3] “The recycling day symbolises exactly the basis for such success: it is joint work, it is cooperation. It is a day when the whole planet is thinking about recycling, when the media write about it, when citizens and companies conduct campaigns. It is a great contribution to raising awareness and connecting and networking among each other,” the expert underscored.

Sorting waste to lower CO2 emissions

In the recycling process, selection and separation are essential. Zagreb[4] has introduced such a system for households and firms and swiftly achieved a significant change. In Croatia’s capital city, 80% of people sort waste.

Almost half of municipal waste in the European Union is recycled and composted while just under a third is used to make energy.[5] Eurostat’s data show that around a quarter of municipal waste isn’t utilized and that it ends up in landfills while in Serbia the share is as high as 90%. Every year 2.1 billion tons of solid waste is generated in the world, of which only 16% is recycled. Despite such a weak result, it saves over 700 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions, according to Global Recycling Foundation[6]. It estimated that the level would grow to one billion tons by the end of the decade.

Wind turbine recycling

About 90% of a wind turbine’s mass can be recycled. The machines are mostly made of steel and copper, which can be processed. However, blades are usually made of composite materials – plastics and a combination of carbon and glass fibres, for firmness. They mostly end up in landfills after the expiration of the wind turbine’s lifetime of 25 years on average.

But manufacturers have started making recyclable wind turbines.[7] The first prototype, ZEBRA (Zero WastE Blade ReseArch)[8], was produced last year from a thermoplastic resin reinforced with glass fiber.

Recyclable material is planet’s seventh resource

There are six primary resources: water, air, oil, natural gas, oil and minerals, but civilization is increasingly requiring the seventh one, recyclable material. Resources are limited, and billions of tons of waste end up in landfills[9] every year because of excessive and reckless consumption.[10] Humanity has spent more resources in the last 50 years than in all its previous history.

Over 50% of aluminium cans are currently recycled. Glass can be reused without losing quality. Every ton of recycled newspapers saves 17 trees. Around 1.6 million people work in industries that process materials, the foundation pointed out.

Source

Balkan Green Energy News, Global Recycling Day: from waste sorting to reducing CO2 emissions, in: Balkan Green Energy News, 18-03-2023, https://balkangreenenergynews.com/global-recycling-day-from-waste-sorting-to-reducing-co2-emissions/

[1] Out of 2.1 billion metric tons of solid waste that is generated on Earth every year, only about 16% is recycled. Global Recycling Day is celebrated on March 18, but given the processes, efforts, and actions required to recycle and reuse waste, every day is a day for recycling. Mihajlo Vujasin: Global Recycling Day – recycling is seventh resource for planetary conservation, in: Balkan Green Energy News, 22-03-2022, https://balkangreenenergynews.com/global-recycling-day-from-waste-sorting-to-reducing-co2-emissions/

[2] http://www.greentech.rs/

[3] Packaging waste may not be the most common type of waste in Serbia in terms of amounts generated, but it certainly is the most widespread in places where waste shouldn’t be found: it’s scattered all over cities and towns, picnic areas, rivers and nature, with microplastics ending up in human bodies and even in babies’ placentas. The law says the responsibility and duty of care for packaging waste lies with those who place it on the market, namely businesses. Balkan Green Energy News, Packaging waste – how citizens pay for businesses’ irresponsibility, in: Balkan Green Energy News, 13-06-2O22, https://balkangreenenergynews.com/packaging-waste-how-citizens-pay-for-businesses-irresponsibility/

[4] Municipal waste collection will be charged according to quantity, and not at a fixed rate as before. Households will pay for the service by buying “official bags” in which they will put their waste. Mayor Tomislav Tomašević presented a new “fairer, greener, and more responsible” system for municipal waste management in Zagreb. Mihajlo Vujasin: Zagreb to roll out municipal waste model that motivates citizens to sort waste, in: Balkan Green Energy News, 25-1-2022,  https://balkangreenenergynews.com/zagreb-to-roll-out-municipal-waste-model-that-motivates-citizens-to-sort-waste/

[5] Using waste as an alternative fuel is a controversial issue in Serbia. Some approve of it and promote it as an excellent way to reduce waste pollution, obtain energy, and help combat climate change, while others organize protests, fearing waste-to-energy plants in their communities would cause air pollution. However, even the biggest sceptics, faced with the excessive production of waste and ever increasing quantities of it ending up in landfills or the environment, cannot but ask themselves whether waste incineration is a solution that could help get rid of waste as well as take advantage of its positive sides. Energy recovery, after all, is a legitimate element of the waste management hierarchy, one that comes before landfilling, and this should always be kept in mind. Balkan Green Energy News, Waste-to-energy in Serbia – a cause for concern or an opportunity to reap environmental-climate-energy benefits, in: Balkan Green Energy News, 11-11-2022, https://balkangreenenergynews.com/waste-to-energy-in-serbia-a-cause-for-concern-or-an-opportunity-to-reap-environmental-climate-energy-benefits/

[6] The Global Recycling Foundation supports the promotion of recycling, and the recycling industry, across the world to showcase its vital role in preserving the future of the planet. Our mission is to fund educational and awareness programmes, which focus on the sustainable and inclusive development of recycling, across the world. https://www.globalrecyclingfoundation.org/

[7] German energy giant RWE started to test a wind turbine with fully recyclable blades at its offshore project Kaskasi. It is the first deployment of the technology, developed by Siemens Gamesa. Igor Todorović, Siemens Gamesa installs world’s first offshore wind turbine with recyclable blades, in: Balkan Green Energy News, 9-8-2022, https://balkangreenenergynews.com/siemens-gamesa-installs-worlds-first-offshore-wind-turbine-with-recyclable-blades/  Read also: https://www.tumblr.com/earaercircular/710044606698569728/in-this-way-wind-turbine-blades-can-be-recycled?source=share & https://www.tumblr.com/earaercircular/696527512741855232/siemens-gamesa-introduces-recyclable-wind-turbine?source=share

[8] The ZEBRA (Zero wastE Blade ReseArch) project, driven by French research center IRT Jules Verne, brings together industrial companies and technical centers to demonstrate on a full scale the technical, economic and environmental relevance of thermoplastic wind turbine blades, with an eco-design approach to facilitate recycling. The project has been launched for a period of 42 months with a budget of €18.5 million ($21.8 million). https://www.lmwindpower.com/en/stories-and-press/stories/news-from-lm-places/zebra-project-launched

[9] Balkan Green Energy News, Municipal waste – Serbia’s untapped resource, 2-2-2022, in: Balkan Green Energy News; https://balkangreenenergynews.com/municipal-waste-serbias-untapped-resource/; read also: https://www.tumblr.com/earaercircular/681073627346665472/municipal-waste-serbias-untapped-resource?source=share

[10] Pollution from plastics has reached epidemic proportions, officials said. Representatives of 175 countries adopted a resolution at the UN to end plastic pollution and to draft an international, legally binding agreement by 2024 at the latest. The resolution covers the production, design, and disposal – the entire life cycle – of plastics. Mihajlo Vujasin: United against plastic pollution: most important climate deal since the Paris Agreement, in: Balkan Green Energy News 10-03-2022, https://balkangreenenergynews.com/united-against-plastic-pollution-most-important-climate-deal-since-the-paris-agreement/

[hpldreads]

 If you read and enjoyed "Jurassic Park" by Michael Crichton, you might also like "Devolution: a firsthand account of the Rainier Sasquatch massacre" by Max Brooks! Jurassic Park: "An American bioengineering research firm erects a theme park on a Caribbean island, complete with living dinosaurs, and invites a group of scientists to be its first terrified guests." Devolution: "As the ash and chaos from Mount Rainier's eruption swirled and finally settled, the story of the Greenloop massacre has passed unnoticed, unexamined, until now. But the journals of resident Kate Holland, recovered from the town's bloody wreckage, capture a tale too harrowing and too earth-shattering in its implications, to be forgotten. Because if what Kate Holland saw in those days is real, then we must accept the impossible. We must accept that the creature known as Bigfoot walks among us, and that it is a beast of terrible strength and ferocity."

[outfitandtrend]

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