Kaethe

This is a book for anyone who revels in a well-designed book. It is a spot-on parody of Ikea Style: the naming conventions, the item descriptions, the focus on lifestyle. I particularly enjoyed the contrast between the front and rear covers. Seriously, the book earns five stars on art direction and layout alone.

But that's not all. You also get a scathing satire on big box stores, corporate business culture, and consumerism nicely balanced by a kind and nuanced view of the employees who keep the machine running. So, five stars for punching up with your jokes, Hendrix.

And, of course, five stars for the horror, which manages to be both very traditional, shades of Hill house, and modern, with a team out trying to shoot footage that will become a Ghost Hunters kind of reality show.

It's funny, it's creepy as hell, and it is spot-on. Enjoy.

Library copy