Writer Unboxed

I’m in a weird mood today, so you’re going to get a weird post. I could blame it on the far-reaching effects of Friday the 13th, however according to my calendar (at left) tomorrow isn’t anything to be anxious over; it’s just a day to gather biscuits and throw them in swimming pools where the swollen bits can then be read like tea leaves. Of course, that’s because the GOBLINS had at my calendar and renamed many of the days and all of the months. This month, for example, is not October; it’s Manciiee, The Moon of Portents.

I think Friday the 13th seems always to want to grow outside the 1″x 2″ box on the calendar, taking on a cult edge and giving people license to be…weird. According to Wikipedia,

…there is evidence to suggest that Friday the 13th is actually unlucky. Psychologists have found that some people are especially likely to have accidents or fall ill on Friday the 13th. This has been attributed to such people feeling a heightened state of anxiety on that day.

I don’t know about you, but 1. I don’t believe it and 2. Just in case it’s true despite my not believing it, I’m staying in my chair all day tomorrow and writing. I have two scenes to finish or I can’t see my movie this weekend.

And now on to something resembling business. Here are a few new releases you might want to know about:

Tomorrow marks the release of Lemony Snicket’s (Daniel Handler’s) last Series of Unfortunate Events book, titled simple The End. Says Handler:

This book is the last in A Series of Unfortunate Events, and even if you braved the previous twelve volumes, you probably can’t stand such unpleasantries as a fearsome storm, a suspicious beverage, a herd of wild sheep, an enormous bird cage, and a truly haunting secret about the Baudelaire parents.

These books are great unboxed gems, and I’m looking forward to reading the last one.

Deidre Knight’s second book was just released last week. Called Parallel Heat, it promises to jack up the strange and fantastic world she created in Parallel Attraction and has already garnered rave reviews. Check out Knight’s blog site to view a movie trailer for her series.

Audrey Niffenegger released a new book in September (how did that slip by me?) called The Adventuress. This is not a novel like The Time Traveler’s Wife, but rather a novel-in-pictures like The Three Incestuous Sisters.

Mark Haddon, author of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime, which was one of my favorite reads this year, just released a new book, too. Called A Spot of Bother, this is a hilarious story about what happens to a man’s life after he discovers a spot on his skin that he believes to be cancer.

“Meaty romance” author Judith Ivory re-released her very first novel a few weeks ago, renamed Angel In a Red Dress (from Starlit Surrender). I have always enjoyed this book, because it shows Ivory’s literary inclinations in their infancy, the characters aren’t what you’d expect, and the story itself is like an epic romance.

Anyone have additional new releases to chime over?

What are ya’ll doing on Friday the 13th?

Therese Walsh co-founded Writer Unboxed in 2006. Her debut novel, The Last Will of Moira Leahy, sold to Random House in a two-book deal in 2008, was named one of January Magazine’s Best Books of 2009, and was a Target Breakout Book in 2010. She's never been published with a lit magazine, but LOST's Carlton Cuse liked her haiku best on Twitter, and that made her pretty happy.

Therese Walsh

View all posts by Therese Walsh
Therese's website

5 Comments »