Tag: swamp

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#BookReview: Curse Of The Cryptid by David Wood

One Sitting Read Perfect Introduction To Author. This is one of those novellas that is *so* short that it is actually possible to read it in one sitting – by the time most anyone (barring certain medical conditions) will need to get up again… you’re already done with this 80 ish page book.

And yet it really is a perfect introduction to Wood’s style of storytelling and this ever expanding “Dane Maddock Universe” in particular. There’s enough references here to prior events that newer readers will be enticed to go back to read about those particular adventures, and these same references make it fun for longer term fans to remember “oh yeah, that happened in that book”.

So either for long term fans looking for the next bit of fun or people new to Wood and these characters, you’re going to have fun with this one sitting read.

And yes, it had a bit of particular interest *for me* since it happened to take place not far from an area I lived in for several years – this particular swamp where this takes place is basically on the other side of Columbia, SC from where I lived and worked on the shores of Lake Murray, just across and outside town.

Overall a fun, quick read for anyone, and thus a great one to help hit those reading goals either at the end of a month or perhaps at the end of a year.

Very much recommended.

This review of Curse Of The Cryptid by David Wood was originally written on February 4, 2025.

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#BookReview: Lair Of The Swamp Witch by David Wood

Another Fun And Hilarious Bones Adventure. Yet again we find Bones getting called off in search of some cryptid and getting sucked into some minor-ish mystery, with all of the usual tracking, fighting, wisecracking, and bone cracking this generally entails with this character. Another short tale at barely 120 pages (in the Kindle edition anyway), this is an easy read perfect for when you need a quick break from reality. As it does heavily reference characters from previous Bones adventures, those at minimum are recommended reading before this one, even if you don’t want to get into the larger Maddock universe quite yet (which is also very much recommended and more tangentially referenced, as in nothing there plays a truly essential role here the way characters from prior Bones stories do). As always here, very much looking forward to the next one and this one is very much recommended.

This review of Lair Of The Swamp Witch by David Wood was originally written on January 28, 2023.

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#BookReview: Swamp Story by Dave Barry

WTF – Welcome To Florida. This is one of those sprawling South Florida/ Everglades “Florida Man” stories that are so extremely entertaining even in the real life versions, and here comedic story master Dave Barry pulls no punches. Similar in tone and style to Jimmy Buffet’s A Salty Piece Of Land, there *is* some social/ societal commentary here – but it is buried in a tale that is so “unrealistically real” (as another reviewer noted) that it is one of those “jokes with a point” that are freaking hilarious – yet also perhaps a touch too real. Specifically, much of the commentary in this particular tale revolves around social media and “fame”/ “celebrity”, and Barry’s observations here – baked into the overall narrative of the tale – are quite biting. And yet… the over the top insanity humor is never far away, and is ultimately the driving force of the tale. If you’ve been experiencing too much seriousness in your “real” life or in your reading and you need a break from all the death, drama, and destruction… this is the perfect getaway, no matter where you may physically be or what time of year it may be where you are. Very much recommended.

This review of Swamp Story by Dave Barry was originally written on December 31, 2022.