Christina Henry’s “Near the Bone” is Near to my Heart

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Christina Henry book "Near the Bone" with monster figure

While sharing the books I read in 2021, I admitted failing my Goodreads goal of twenty-five books. Rather than lowering the bar, I decided to reaffirm that target for 2022 and, this time by golly, I’m confident I’m going to reach it. In January alone, I finished eleven books – just four less than I did in my entire 2021. In contrast to last year’s selections, I’ve been enjoying more modern novels with just a few old “Paperbacks from Hell” thrown in. Instead of dropping one big recap at the end of the year which was, quite frankly, a pain in the butt, I’m going to review some throughout the year.  Hopefully, it’ll prevent a lengthy post while also keeping me accountable for my goal. That being said, I couldn’t be happier with my first read of 2022, “Near the Bone” (Berkley/2021) by Chicago author, Christina Henry.

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The Haunted and the Hunted

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Haunted and the Hunted film poster

I’m happy to welcome my friend, Jason Schoolcraft, back to the site. Today he’ll be discussing New England legend, Lenny Schwartz, and his exciting upcoming project – “The Haunted and the Haunted!” Take it away, Jason…

What kind of movie does a lifelong film lover decide to make first? Well, Leonard Schwartz says a film that has never been made yet! 

 I met Lenny roughly 20 years ago because of a mutual passion for movies and physical media. That passion has not changed but we certainly have. After we met, I learned Lenny started pursuing his love while at college. He then started his own theater production company and along the way gained a reputation as a dedicated, hardworking, and proficient writer and director. Anyone who has had the pleasure of meeting Lenny will say he is also a kind and caring human being.

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The Horror/Thriller Books I Read in 2021

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My New Year’s Resolution for 2022 was the same one I had for 2021 – Read more books! You see, despite having a small library in my apartment, I’d been neglecting them in favor of zoning out in front of the TV. On the rare occasions I cracked one open, I’d find myself dozing after just a few pages. Clearly, my frenetic job coupled with social media had zapped my attention span and it was high time I did something about it. So, this time last year, I signed on on Goodreads and challenged myself to read twenty-five books in 2021. Spoiler alert: I didn’t succeed. The official number of books I completed was eighteen garnering me 72% on Goodreads. But hey, that’s still passing, right? Not surprisingly, most of them were horror or thriller stories and the ones I’ll be focusing on today.

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Svengoolie and the Slashers at Flashback Weekend!

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(Continued) With so many contestants at the Flashback Weekend costume contest, there wasn’t as much time for Svengoolie to get celebrity guest interviews for his show. Feeling the pressure, the crew quickly headed for the main convention hall to see who was available. I know there had been some discussion earlier of him possibly interviewing the singer, Meatloaf. Thankfully, this did not happen as it likely would’ve been his ONLY interview (see my first Flashback post). As we made our way through the crowd, numerous fans approached Sven for a selfie and he obliged whenever he could despite the rush. Fortunately, Jim was able to keep many of them at bay. 

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Svengoolie Meets Stone Cold E.T. in one Crazy Costume Contest!

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(Continued) As soon as Svengoolie completed his interview with the cast of The Manson Brothers Midnight Zombie Massacre (2021) the room quickly filled up with contestants and onlookers for Flashback Weekend’s annual costume contest. It was soon evident that a lot of creative fans used their time in last year’s lockdown to make costumes as this was the largest number of contestants I’d ever seen. The line of hopefuls wrapped around the room and beyond – with no end in sight. This would be “Mayor” Don Johnston‘s turn to shine as he had the dubious task of directing everyone on and off the stage – something a bit more challenging when dealing with kids or those visually impaired by their own costumes.

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Svengoolie at Flashback Weekend 2021!

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I hadn’t seen Svengoolie in person since December 2019 when he was dressed as his holiday alter ego, Sventa Claus, at the Mystic Market in Lyons. It was a fun occasion and, in the spirit of giving, I brought him an animatronic Creature from the Black Lagoon figure I’d purchased from Days of the Dead. I recall it ending with my friends and I toasting another successful year of Sven-chasing since, for us, attending his appearances was not unlike following a favorite band on tour. In this regard, the Mystic Market was something of a finale’ – though we could never have known at the time just how final that would be. We took for granted the tradition would continue on into the coming year not knowing a Pandemic was lurking just around the corner. So, with 2020 a wash, we looked at the summer of 2021 as a bastion of hope.

By July, Chicago had lifted its indoor mask mandate and, further cementing a feeling of normalcy, Svengoolie signed on for his first public appearance in over a year. Unfortunately, the closer Flashback Weekend loomed, the more news of the virus’ Delta variant started making headlines. Suddenly, what should have been a joyous occasion had a giant black cloud hanging over it. I was excited to join the Svengoolie crew and see my favorite horror host again but with a fair share of trepidation.

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