I'm sure you've heard the incredibly over-done phrase 'don't judge a book by it's cover'. Granted, this usually isn't actually referring to books, but people. I have the habit of judging a lot of books by their covers, and these are literal books, not 'people/books'. I'll walk through a library or book store for about an hour, glancing at the the colors, the size, the style of text, and finally...if the book has passed the first 3 tests...the full cover. That's how I discovered this, and someone who would become one of my favorite modern authors. A. Lee Martinez's awesome book, 'Gil's All Fright Diner'.
You've got a burly werewolf, a scrawny vampire, an asian goth teen satanist, a lonely ghost, and...a diner that proves to be the portal to hell. I really don't know what else you could want in literary art. But more than just the basic plot, there's a style to Martinez that shines in this book. He's a lot like Christopher Moore, but without that subtle bitter undertone.
Amusing Sci-fi and Horror has a lot of trouble when it comes to a perfect story. You basically have to keep people on the edge of their seats AND laughing their heads off at the same time. This one? This one does it. I didn't know what was coming, my seasoned horror glands were sated in a pleasant way, and I genuinely laughed a few times.
My final bit of advice: Judge books by their covers. Constantly. That way, you can find cool stuff like this with minimal effort.
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