Book Review: Hunger by Christie Goldenwulfe

Reviewing an indie werewolf novel by one of my favorite artists!

Rating: 3/5

This book alternates between the points of view of Kain Ulmer and Autumn Sullivan. Kain is a werewolf who, while traversing the redwood forests of California, encounters the beautiful and free-spirited Autumn. But their blossoming relationship is interrupted by the arrival of a monster more terrifying and more deadly than Kain will ever be. Can Kain protect Autumn from this evil? Can Autumn reconcile herself to Kain’s own monstrous background?

The aspect of this book that I most enjoyed was probably the horror element. Many stories about werewolves either lean towards fantasy or are decidedly fantasy with no trace of the horror or gothic genres. As a horror fan, this disappoints me. Therefore, my favorite part of this book was the “Eater” werewolves—creatures in Kain’s world that are twisted both physically and mentally. Even the regular werewolves in this book must kill humans on a regular basis to satisfy the demands of the “Hunger” (hence the title of the book). Therefore, they are not simply magical shapeshifters, but creatures to be feared. As for the Eater werewolves, the imagery used to describe them is chilling. It was like the author was trying to answer the question, “What do monsters fear?” Werewolves, it turns out, fear Eater werewolves, and so will the reader.

There is also a good balance of fantasy, though I might classify it as dark fantasy, in this book. The magic Kain used several times was intriguing and very appropriate for a werewolf.

There was a lot of creativity in this book, and while I read it on my Kindle, I’m also considering purchasing the illustrated hardcover (https://www.christiegoldenwulfe.com/hunger). I also look forward to the second installment in the series. If you love werewolves, or, more particularly, if you want to see the horror returned to werewolves, give this book a read. I have my criticisms of this book, but it was still highly enjoyable.

Instagram Update--May 10-June 15

Time for another month of instagram posts!

Haven’t drawn in awhile, but wanted to try the manga/anime style. #instaart #drawing #sketchbook #manga #anime

A post shared by Mary DeMauro (@marydemauro) on May 10, 2018 at 3:10pm PDT

Right on track with my reading challenge! #books #reading #bookstagram #goodreadschallenge

A post shared by Mary DeMauro (@marydemauro) on May 22, 2018 at 4:35pm PDT

Forgot to mention the new book I’m reading—The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson. #books #reading #bookstagram #currentlyreading #kindle #kindlepaperwhite

A post shared by Mary DeMauro (@marydemauro) on Jun 5, 2018 at 2:22pm PDT

I haven’t felt inspired to draw much lately but flipping through my inspirational scrapbook made me want to do it again (that’s why I keep it around!). And of course I tried drawing my beloved Elsa. #art #drawing #sketchbook #fanart #frozen #instaart

A post shared by Mary DeMauro (@marydemauro) on Jun 5, 2018 at 2:24pm PDT

For a long time now I’ve been struggling to copy a screenshot of Daenerys Targaryen from Game of Thrones. I’m STILL struggling with it, obviously. :/ #art #drawing #sketchbook #instaart #got #gameofthrones

A post shared by Mary DeMauro (@marydemauro) on Jun 5, 2018 at 2:25pm PDT

Journaling on my beloved typewriter. I don’t mind you reading this—I’m just reporting on my family’s new deck. #journaling

A post shared by Mary DeMauro (@marydemauro) on Jun 5, 2018 at 9:41pm PDT

My beautiful character Myra from an upcoming novel. She has textured hair and it’s kinda hard to shade in all the zig-zags. Also, I’ve started a habit of commenting on the sides of my sketches. Oh, and check out my beautiful Rotring mechanical pencil! Got it for Yule last year. #art #sketchbook #instaartist #artistsofinstagram #artistsoninstagram

A post shared by Mary DeMauro (@marydemauro) on Jun 6, 2018 at 11:52am PDT

Tried drawing that hard picture of Daenerys from memory... just an experiment. #instaartist #artistsofinstagram #artistsoninstagram

A post shared by Mary DeMauro (@marydemauro) on Jun 6, 2018 at 11:53am PDT

Well, it’s not perfect, but it’s passable. ^_^ Drawn from a game of thrones screenshot. #gameofthrones #instaart #artistsofinstagram #artistsoninstagram #sketchbook

A post shared by Mary DeMauro (@marydemauro) on Jun 6, 2018 at 4:30pm PDT

Is this not the most beautiful mechanical pencil you’ve ever seen??? So much fun to draw with! #rotring

A post shared by Mary DeMauro (@marydemauro) on Jun 7, 2018 at 5:09pm PDT

Finally used my copic markers again! After viewing some romance art online I felt compelled to make a romantic picture of my own. Features the two leads from the novel I’m working on. I’d rather not say anything more about the story though. #instaart #artistsoninstagram #copicmarkers

A post shared by Mary DeMauro (@marydemauro) on Jun 15, 2018 at 1:46am PDT

Broke out my watercolors again! I’ve colored this sketch before a couple of times with different media, but this is the first time I’ve used watercolor. Sorry, took me so long to copy my reference correctly that I’m kind of milking the sketch this came from XD #artistsoninstagram #instaart

A post shared by Mary DeMauro (@marydemauro) on Jun 15, 2018 at 2:34pm PDT

More monochrome watercolors! Can you tell I like blue? I was practicing painting fur. #artistsoninstagram #instaart

A post shared by Mary DeMauro (@marydemauro) on Jun 15, 2018 at 2:35pm PDT

From Instagram: March 19-May 8

Whew! It's been awhile since I've posted instagram embeds. Fortunately there's not an overwhelming amount of catching up to do.

Random doodle. #artistsoninstagram #artistsofinstagram #instaart

A post shared by Mary DeMauro (@marydemauro) on Mar 19, 2018 at 6:43pm PDT

My journals—two filled ones and one I’m still filling. #journaling #journals

A post shared by Mary DeMauro (@marydemauro) on Mar 21, 2018 at 6:52pm PDT

Trigger warning: Suicide and depression discussion. I drew this semicolon on my arm because I WILL survive this. I am stronger than my depression!!! #mentalhealth #depression #semicolonproject #semicolontattoo

A post shared by Mary DeMauro (@marydemauro) on Mar 28, 2018 at 8:19pm PDT

I have Asperger’s syndrome and one of my special interests is floorplans. I have a whole Pinterest board full of them and it’s AWESOME. #autism #aspergers #aspergerssyndrome #pinterest

A post shared by Mary DeMauro (@marydemauro) on Mar 31, 2018 at 11:22am PDT

Found this awesome statement online; put it in my digital scrapbook/art journal and added a border. #artjournal #scrapbook

A post shared by Mary DeMauro (@marydemauro) on Apr 1, 2018 at 10:32pm PDT

Journaling with the beautiful new Campo Marzio pen my parents brought me from Italy! #campomarzio #journaling #italy

A post shared by Mary DeMauro (@marydemauro) on Apr 2, 2018 at 9:02pm PDT

This is gonna be one of those pens that doesn’t leave the house. #pens #stationery #campomarzio

A post shared by Mary DeMauro (@marydemauro) on Apr 3, 2018 at 10:06pm PDT

I’m trying to edit my manuscript, but Carlson wanted to lay on the keyboard. #amwriting #amediting #catsofinstagram #blackcatsrule

A post shared by Mary DeMauro (@marydemauro) on Apr 5, 2018 at 5:44pm PDT

A year ago, I started my loose-leaf bullet journal! The bullet journal system has really helped me increase my productivity. I highly recommend you try it out! #bulletjournal #bujo #planning

A post shared by Mary DeMauro (@marydemauro) on Apr 9, 2018 at 8:36pm PDT

These hardcover “Barnes & Noble Classics” editions predate the leather bound classics. I love them because their beautiful and build to last but they’re also very readable, which I can’t say for the leather bounds. I think these are still available, at least through the Barnes and Noble website, and I’d love to get some more. #books #reading #bookstagram #barnesandnoble

A post shared by Mary DeMauro (@marydemauro) on Apr 11, 2018 at 7:01pm PDT

Really struggling with Camp NaNoWriMo. I’m writing the outline of a novel, but I’ve been stuck on the same chapter since the beginning. I just can’t decide what should happen next. It’s one thing when you’re writing the draft of a novel you already have outlined; as long as you know what’s supposed to happen next, you can push through the writers block. It’s a lot harder when you’re making up a story as you go along. #amwriting #campnanowrimo

A post shared by Mary DeMauro (@marydemauro) on Apr 12, 2018 at 8:25pm PDT

I love having loose leaf notebooks because I can change my notebook whenever I want! #notebooks

A post shared by Mary DeMauro (@marydemauro) on Apr 17, 2018 at 10:46pm PDT

One thing I like about ebooks is that short stories can be sold as stand alones, often for cheap. Haven’t read this one yet, but I plan to! #books #reading #kindle

A post shared by Mary DeMauro (@marydemauro) on Apr 29, 2018 at 12:37pm PDT

At long last, iTunes made the original “The Omen” available to purchase. And I bought it! To quote Roger the alien: “I am content, yes.” #itunes #americandad #theomen #horror

A post shared by Mary DeMauro (@marydemauro) on May 1, 2018 at 12:59pm PDT

Currently reading... #amreading #bookstagram #whitleystrieber #ufology

A post shared by Mary DeMauro (@marydemauro) on May 6, 2018 at 10:36pm PDT

Digital Scrapbook Flip-Through

An excerpt from my digital scrapbook/art journal (depending on your definition) full of stuff that inspires me to write, draw, read, etc.

Sorry, this video is REALLY long, but I hope you enjoy it anyway, and I hope it inspires you to create your own digital or analog scrapbook!

Book Review: Sightings by Mark Lukens

My first book review! I both wrote out the review and shared it on Amazon and Goodreads, and I also did a voice-over video.

Rating: 4/5

I’m a little torn about this review because there was a lot that I liked and a lot that I didn’t like. I really loved the story, but I thought that the writing was very amateurish, and I wasn’t completely satisfied with the ending.

First, the plot. Film student John is obsessed with ufology, and wants to make a documentary capturing evidence of alien visitation. He has for help his friends Veronica and Drew, and a girl named Fran, who’s family has experienced alien abductions. Frank takes John and his friends to her family’s cabin in the woods, the place where her mother was abducted. Once there, strange things start happening.

This was definitely a fun book. It was creepy, it was creative, and it kept you wondering what was going to happen next. It also had the feel of a “found footage” film due to the documentary element and the fact that John always kept the camera rolling. I’m a fan of found footage horror so I enjoyed this. I’d definitely recommend it for anyone who likes sci-fi horror.

My main issue is the writing. I feel a little mean calling it “amateurish,” but that was the word that came to mind. It got better as the story went along, but the beginning especially felt a little off.

Then there was the ending. With a story like this, I expected that some things would go unexplained. It adds to the air of mystery. But some things didn’t make sense within the context of the story. I can’t explain without offering spoilers. Basically, I was thinking, “If the explanation is this, then why did this other thing happen in the story?” The ending was also kind of confusing, and not in an “air of mystery, there are still some things unanswered” confusing. I just wish that more things had been explained better.

All in all, a very enjoyable read and I’m glad I read it, but as far as quality goes, it’s not a prize-winner. Still, fans of sci-fi/horror should check it out.

This Month in Instagram--Feb. 18-March 13

I've been neglecting sharing my instagram pictures on here, both because I've been very busy, but also because instagram embeds weren't working very well on this blog. But the problem appears to have been resolved--thanks Google!--and I've only posted on instagram a few times since my last blog post, so I'll catch up now!

Currently Reading #amreading #currentlyreading #ritamaebrown #mrsmurphy

A post shared by Mary DeMauro (@marydemauro) on Feb 19, 2018 at 1:36pm PST

A quarter of the way through my reading challenge!!!! #goodreadschallenge

A post shared by Mary DeMauro (@marydemauro) on Feb 19, 2018 at 1:38pm PST

Discovered months after ordering it used that this book was damaged—ugh! This is why, nowadays, I always check the binding after I order a used book from amazon. I guess this is my lesson that hardbacks aren’t as indestructible as I’d like. #bookstagram

A post shared by Mary DeMauro (@marydemauro) on Feb 22, 2018 at 9:46am PST

Another example of hardbacks failing me... this is a hardback, but it’s pages aren’t in signatures—they’re glued together like a paperback. Still better than an actual paperback, but I’m concerned that the rest of this will tear away, and already it looks hard to fix. #bookstagram

A post shared by Mary DeMauro (@marydemauro) on Feb 22, 2018 at 9:49am PST

Yay!!!! #bookstagram #goodreadschallenge

A post shared by Mary DeMauro (@marydemauro) on Feb 25, 2018 at 6:23pm PST

#currentlyreading Also, I have a new goal: read a book every week. Two weeks for “big books.” #amreading #bookstagram

A post shared by Mary DeMauro (@marydemauro) on Feb 25, 2018 at 9:33pm PST

My editing buddy. ❤️❤️❤️ #amwriting #amediting #catsofinstagram #writersofinstagram #instawrite

A post shared by Mary DeMauro (@marydemauro) on Mar 5, 2018 at 4:15pm PST

Just bought this gorgeous new book light! Nice and compact but still clips to your book. Does NOT take batteries; just recharges with a USB cord. Very nice LED lights. More and more my designated reading time is before I go to sleep, so I wanted to get a nice small book light for when I’m reading a real book as opposed to a kindle. #bookstagram

A post shared by Mary DeMauro (@marydemauro) on Mar 8, 2018 at 12:13pm PST

Currently reading... #bookstagram #amreading #currentlyreading

A post shared by Mary DeMauro (@marydemauro) on Mar 12, 2018 at 9:34am PDT

My booklight works great with my kindle! I don’t have to turn up the screen light and risk eyestrain to read at night now. #bookstagram

A post shared by Mary DeMauro (@marydemauro) on Mar 13, 2018 at 6:01pm PDT

This Week In Instagram--Feb. 11-17

These posts and their embeds seem to be causing problems with my blog... let's see if this is any better.

I’m very proud of my book collection, which has grown a lot since you last saw it. Hopefully by the end of this month I’ll make another “bookshelf tour” video. #bookstagram #shelfie

A post shared by Mary DeMauro (@marydemauro) on Feb 11, 2018 at 2:42pm PST

When I have anxiety attacks, I go to hang out in our mud room (don’t ask). And my baby Carlson comes to keep me company. He is good cat ❤️❤️❤️ #catsofinstagram #blackcatsrule #anxiety

A post shared by Mary DeMauro (@marydemauro) on Feb 11, 2018 at 3:27pm PST

Planning on participating in both Camp NaNoWriMos this month! #campnanowrimo #writing #instawrite

A post shared by Mary DeMauro (@marydemauro) on Feb 13, 2018 at 3:28pm PST

The nib-size labels are wearing off my journaling pens... #journaling

A post shared by Mary DeMauro (@marydemauro) on Feb 14, 2018 at 1:03pm PST

Journaling on my iPad while watching Everybody Loves Raymond. #journaling #ipad

A post shared by Mary DeMauro (@marydemauro) on Feb 14, 2018 at 2:27pm PST

Halfway through A Kiss of Shadows! Originally I was going to read all the Merry Gentry books straight through, but now there are other things I want to read... so maybe not. But I am enjoying Merry’s world! #bookstagram #amreading

A post shared by Mary DeMauro (@marydemauro) on Feb 16, 2018 at 9:16am PST

Working on three different novel outlines. Two are just beginning, but one just reached its third act. I decided to work on them all at the same time, so that when I’m having writers block on one I can work on another. #amwriting #instawrite #writersofinstagram

A post shared by Mary DeMauro (@marydemauro) on Feb 16, 2018 at 5:19pm PST

A perfect loaf of cat. ❤️ #catsofinstagram

A post shared by Mary DeMauro (@marydemauro) on Feb 18, 2018 at 1:02pm PST

Reading List

Found this at https://saeriellyn.livejournal.com

The Big Read reckons that the average adult has only read 6 of the top 100 books they've printed. Well let's see.

1) Look at the list and bold those you have read.
2) Italicize those you intend to read.
3) Underline the books you LOVE.
4) Reprint this list in your own LJ so we can try and track down these people who've read 6 and force books upon them ;-)

If it's okay with you guys, I'm just going to do Number 1 since I'm tired and I can't remember which books I loved and which books I intend to read... XD

1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling (Doesn't this account for most people's six?)
5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
6 The Bible (Not all the way through, no)
7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell
9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman (I've read just one)
10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott
12 Tess of the D'Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare
15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks
18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
19 The Time Traveller's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
20 Middlemarch - George Eliot
21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens
24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25 The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
26 Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis (Ugh, stop doing this! I've read some, but not all.)
34 Emma - Jane Austen
35 Persuasion - Jane Austen
36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis
37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
38 Captain Corelli's Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
40 Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne
41 Animal Farm - George Orwell
42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving
45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48 The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding
50 Atonement - Ian McEwan
51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel
52 Dune - Frank Herbert
53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas...well, some of it, in french class.
66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68 Bridget Jones's Diary - Helen Fielding
69 Midnight's Children - Salman Rushdie
70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville
71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
72 Dracula - Bram Stoker
73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
75 Ulysses - James Joyce
76 The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78 Germinal - Emile Zola
79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
80 Possession - AS Byatt
81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker
84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87 Charlotte's Web - EB White (Not all the way through, but I've skimmed through it plenty of times)
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94 Watership Down - Richard Adams
95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole - one of the funniest things ever written. This man had New Orleans characters down to the last flamboyant head toss.
96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

So I have read thirteen! Go me! XD