Tag / Jack Ketchum

by jim

2016: The Year In Books

With another year coming to an end, it is time to take a look back at the 31 books I read over the past year, even with last year and tied for my highest total ever, surpassing the 27 books I read back in 1992.  Of those 31, 9 were non-fiction and, of the 22 novels, only 5 were TV show tie-ins.  Only 4 of the books came from the “to-read” drawer, and 8 were e-books.  I read over 11,000 pages, the most in 1 year since 1992 and my second straight year reaching the 9000 mark.

Once again, a majority of the books I read this year were by authors I’ve never read before. The 12 authors that I read for the first this year were:
Doug Wilson
Jennie Garth
Emily Heckman
J.K. Rowling
Jen Kirkman
Jack Ketchum
John Dean
Judy Greer
Jenny Lawson
Gary Dell’Abate
Anna Kendrick
Emily V. Gordon

There were 3 authors I read multiple titles from during 2016, the ghost writer for Richard Castle, Jeffery Deaver, and J.K. Rowling.

Only 2 of the books I read were released this year, while 5 of them were released last century.

Finally, the breakdown by month.  Vacations in March, November, and December certainly helped pad their totals a tad bit.

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by admin

Book 9 (of 52) – House Of Evil

House of Evil: The Indiana Torture Slaying - John Dean

House of Evil: The Indiana Torture Slaying – John Dean

On October 26, 1965, 16-year old Sylvia Likens died after 3 months of abuse at the hands of the woman being paid to watch her and her younger sister.  In House of Evil, John Dean details the torture and the subsequent trial that found Gertrude Baniszewski, two of her children, and two other neighborhood kids convicted of charges ranging from first degree murder to manslaughter.

The horrific story, which was the basis for Jack Ketchum’s The Girl Next Door, rocked the Indianapolis community after Sylvia’s death was discovered.  Dean, who both covered the trial for the local newspaper and was called as a witness during the proceedings, paints a horrid picture of a girl forced to waste away while an entire family takes out their frustrations on her, ruining her both mentally and physically.  By the time she finally succumbs to her injuries, death must have been a welcome relief.

by admin

Book 8 (of 52) – The Girl Next Door

The Girl Next Door - Jack Ketchum

The Girl Next Door – Jack Ketchum

The Girl Next Door by Jack Ketchum, a tale of two orphans who move in with a family that slowly abuses them, is disturbing enough on its own.  Then, you learn that it is based on a true story and it makes you wonder where humanity began to run off the rails.

After the death of their parents, Meg and Susan go to live with their Aunt Ruth and her three sons.  Slowly, Ruth begins to allow the boys, along with some of the neighborhood kids, to abuse Meg.  When she tries to go to the police, the abuse intensifies, eventually turning into rape and, finally, death.

Ketchum tells the tale through the point of view of a neighbor, who is both infatuated with Meg yet a willing voyeur, if not participant, in the abuse heaped upon her.  He does try to tell his parents twice, and eventually decides to help Meg escape.  When that goes south, he himself is locked in the basement with her, leading to the final confrontation that ended Meg’s life.

This was my first exposure to Ketchum’s work.  While I enjoyed his approach to the story, I’m not sure if I’ll be heading back for more.