#17: The Taiga Syndrome by Cristina Rivera Garza

A detective and her translator search for a missing woman through a frozen, wooded landscape in Cristina Rivera Garza's The Taiga Syndrome.

Although the plot sounds pretty straightforward, it is rife with magic and allegory and allusion to fairy tales, specifically Hansel and Gretel and Little Red Riding Hood.

This slender novel packs a dreamlike punch.  Recommended for readers of literature in translation.

I checked this out from the New Castle-Henry County Public Library in New Castle, Indiana and read it quickly.

#16: The Militia House by John Milas

At a remote base in Afghanistan, where the soldiers are mostly fighting boredom, a visit to a spooky house just outside the base takes an eerie turn in John Milas' horror novel The Militia House.

I don't get scared by books or movies very easily, but this one chilled me to the bone.  Part of it may be how the protagonist calmly reports on increasingly bizarre occurrences that befall the small group that went to the house on a lark (but came to regret it).  Part of it may have been the "unreliable narrator" device that cranks up the tension to a frightening denouement.

No matter what the reason, this was a highly enjoyable read (with the author's own experiences in Afghanistan undoubtedly playing a part) and unconventional genre outing (a mash up of military fiction and horror).  Recommended.

I checked this out from the New Castle-Henry County Public Library in New Castle, Indiana.