Review: Sign "An Entertaining Middle School Historical Thriller"

Book review: The Sign of the Sinister Sorcerer

About Widow's Walk Lake

One of the joys of Bellairsia over the years has been the response we get from fans. Some are new to the Bellairs-game and have questions about books, while others are long-time readers and appreciate the site memorializing John and his work. It’s also been nice to hear from John’s close friends and have them express their pleasure in us keeping John’s memory alive. And we’ve had fun doing it, too.

So we found it interesting a few weeks ago that another such fan surfaced to tell his story.

Prosperity Be Thy Page Count!

Over the past few months our inbox has had the fair share of questions about the new book: when is it going to be released, which character is the book about, what is the plot, and so on. Well, we know The Sign of the Sinister Sorcerer is due out this October, it features Lewis Barnavelt, and that Amazon.com says the book is 176 pages.

The John Bellairs Mural

Team Haverhill, an independent citizen action group dedicated to bettering Haverhill, Massachusetts, began a Mural Project in 2007 consisting of outdoor murals of famous people from the city's past. A new series of murals are planned for 2008, bringing the total to 18, and among those will be one honoring author and former Haverhill resident John Bellairs.

An Edward Gorey Cover Bonanza

The Caustic Cover Critic combed through a cozy collection of covers created by celebrated ... oh, come on now, give it a break.  Part three of the site's Edward Gorey bonanza finally centers on covers (grr...) for the Bellairs series.  Judging from the crazy collection of comments a number of fans hoped Bellairs titles would be included in the cover critic's list this time around.

See ya.

Memoriam: Matthew Tobin

Actor Matthew R. Tobin has died. He was 78.

Memories of The Letter, the Witch, and the Ring

Some remembrances from our archives of The Letter, the Witch, and the Ring (1976):

The Curse of the Sad Little Figurine

Stu Horvath tells the story of this image shared on Flickr, found in an antique store (where else) in the Brandywine River Valley:

Book Alert: The Sign of the Sinister Sorcerer

The cover art for The Sign of the Sinister Sorcerer by Bart Goldman has been revealed.

Review: Price Brings Some Gravitas To This Otherwise Luke-Warm Production

Program Review: Once Upon a Midnight Scary (1979)

Review: Chessmen "No One Over The Age Of Ten Would Feel The Slightest Twinge Of Anxiety"

Book review: The Chessmen of Doom

Review: Trolley "Premise...Was Absurd"

Book review: The Trolley to Yesterday

Of Bobbleheads and Bears

Some news out of New Hampshire tonight.

In Forms...and At Zoos...Imaginary

Writer and children's librarian Lisa Chellman writes about the devil's in the details when it comes to fictional things in Michigan:

When I was a kid, I never fully forgave James Howe for writing, in Morgan's Zoo, that one of the animals was to be shipped to the zoo in Kalamazoo. There was no zoo in Kalamazoo, as I knew darn well; the nearest zoo was in Battle Creek. My parents explained poetic license, but to me it was just wrong.

Best Punch Line in a Fantasy Book, Ever

What's the best punch line in a fantasy book? Jim Lehmer asks and answers himself, saying it's the following:

"Use the spell, fool."

This being the wisdom of wise-one Michael Scott from Bellairs's The Face in the Frost.

Good one, Jim.