Jonathan sims at laglc

I… I lose myself a bit. The skepticism, feigning ignorance. It just felt safer. See all Jonathan Sims's quotes ». Topics Mentioning This Author. Welcome back. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. Thirteen Storeys 3.

Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars. Want to Read saving… Error rating book.

Beckett 4. Around the Year i The Lost Challenges: Title Search Jun 10, ellyG is currently reading it Shelves: must-must-must-read. A book?? As long as I'm alive I'm gonna read Jonathan Sims books. I don't know what his voice does but I freaking love how he narrates everything.

Jul 24, Lisa rated it it was amazing Shelves: paper-book , horror. A slow-building tense and raw horror thriller. Twelve random people are invited to dine in the Penthouse of a notorious tower block with the building owner who they have never met. The apartments inside are split between the wealthy on one side and the poor on the other side and the guests are made up of people from both sides Each guest has their story told prior to re 4.

Each guest has their story told prior to receiving their invitation and I did think this formula was a little repetitive My favourite character is Damian and we don't hear his story until the end I love the ending!

No spoilers but there is a point to some of the monotony and it really is worth pushing through This is not a cheery book Oct 03, Liz Barnsley rated it it was amazing. We open with a retrospective of an unsolved mystery — that of the death of a rich entrepreneur at his own dinner party…to this day his guests have remained tight lipped claiming no knowledge of how it occurred.

Reader, we are about to find out.. Strange events, ghostly goings on, a snapshot of disparate and diverse lives as each separate character is lead inexorably towards one night in a penthouse suite that ends in visceral violence. It is scarily beautifully crafted, the author subtly linking each tale, carefully leading you to a brutal and edgy finale. I loved every minute of this despite the distinct feeling of underlying doom each separate strand offers.

Very clever indeed, this is a haunted house story on acid. Highly recommended Oct 31, Gavin rated it liked it. An enjoyable read that had several issues for me sadly. The pacing is rather slow. Each story usually has an unsatisfying conclusion but I let that go as it was obvious the finale would tie ends up. The finale was somewhat underwhelming. Morals are delivered via a sledgehammer. Possibly too many characters that are all linked in some often tiny ways.

You really need to make sure you keep up. Saying that, there are many positives. This plays out like the classic Amicus portmanteau of yesterday year. A lot of this book is about atmosphere and mood. It's this that possibly makes the book a little slow but on the screen the authors ideas will pop.

I would recommend this book for anyone looking for a well written chiller. Just don't pin your hopes on a satisfying ending. The penthouse wasn't quite as luxurious as I'd hoped. View 1 comment. Good supernatural story Thirteen Storeys by Jonathan Sims This is about a billionaire that built a 13 story building with half of it for the well to do people and the back half for the poor.

He had the top penthouse. The house itself, and things in and around the house are creepy. The story is that one night there was a party in the penthouse with 13 people. Blood was found around the room.

The only body found dead was the billionaire. Then it tells a little about each of the people invited to the Good supernatural story Thirteen Storeys by Jonathan Sims This is about a billionaire that built a 13 story building with half of it for the well to do people and the back half for the poor. Then it tells a little about each of the people invited to the party before that night. Then it describes what really happened.

Pretty good. A slow creepy atmosphere. Jun 04, Elysa rated it really liked it Shelves: horror. This certainly is an innovative take on the haunted house genre. The book is a short story collection about a strange and haunted apartment complex called Banyan Court. And these stories weave the building's tale through the "shocking disturbances" of the guests to a penthouse dinner. Mostly these disturbances are unique to the guests' individual flaws or fears. Most of the stories were a thr This certainly is an innovative take on the haunted house genre.

Most of the stories were a thrilling ride or at least taught us new things about the building. At the end of each story, the guests are each invited to the penthouse on top of the building where the owner, an eccentric billionaire recluse, lives. The guests are diverse, but even still sometimes it's difficult to keep track. And I found that this was most prominent when the characters met and physically described each other in their POV, as it didn't always match how I envisioned them.

At the dinner party especially, I had to pause, cycle through the guests, and reimagine them. So, it's important to pay attention to details in this one. And maybe read the stories in sittings.

Final note The writing was my favorite part of the whole book. This book is a little hard to classify. It's more or less a shorty story collection, but the stories are interconnected and culminate in the final chapter with all the characters present. If I were rating this as a short story collection, it would probably only get about 2 or 3 stars. There were only a couple of stories that I felt stood alone as great stories.

I think it probably works better to view this as a regular novel that has a different viewpoint character for each of the first 12 chapt This book is a little hard to classify.

I think it probably works better to view this as a regular novel that has a different viewpoint character for each of the first 12 chapters. The farther you get into the book and the more connections you see between the different character's stories, the better I felt the book was.

I really didn't feel the first couple of stories, but once things started to tie together, I enjoyed it a lot more. Well, I did like the set up of this book--a "wraparound story" that concludes after individual stories from different tenants in a building. The premise was interesting By the Finale, I had even forgotten who one of the characters was supposed to be.

I DID enjoy the ending, but wish the stories had been more condensed, less repetitive, and the characters more interesting--at least so that I could remember who was who by Well, I did like the set up of this book--a "wraparound story" that concludes after individual stories from different tenants in a building.

I DID enjoy the ending, but wish the stories had been more condensed, less repetitive, and the characters more interesting--at least so that I could remember who was who by the end.

Jun 17, Michelle rated it really liked it. Such an entertaining and descriptive spooky tale! I listened to the audiobook while reading along in the physical book for this one.

It was great to have that audio source give even more unique flavor to each character and provide clarification in shifts in dialogue. The cast did a fantastic job with all the narrations, and I think it is always a treat to hear the author do a great job in narrating one of their own stories.

Even early in the book when I was a bit confused with what all was going Such an entertaining and descriptive spooky tale! Even early in the book when I was a bit confused with what all was going on and finding my flow with the characters, Sims still had me enjoying every moment and I was eager for more. This was a book I had been wanting to get to for a while, so I was really pleased to see it come up as a group read for this month! Thirteen Storeys is a cross between macabre horror and an unsettling thriller by renowned horror podcaster Jonathan Sims.

In his nightmarish debut, Sims pens an anthology of interlinked short tales, which all come together to make up a chilling novel playing on both modern and more traditional fears. Banyon Court in Whitechapel, London, is a set of apartments commissioned and owned by reclusive and introverted billionaire Tobias Fell, with an odd mix of luxury apartments for the elite and more a Thirteen Storeys is a cross between macabre horror and an unsettling thriller by renowned horror podcaster Jonathan Sims.

Banyon Court in Whitechapel, London, is a set of apartments commissioned and owned by reclusive and introverted billionaire Tobias Fell, with an odd mix of luxury apartments for the elite and more affordable flats for the poor, accessed by the back door.

A sight of glossy metals and sparkling glasswork, the block is built on the site of an old, disused Victorian-era factory. We are informed via an obituary at the beginning that Tobias died mysteriously not long after hosting a lavish dinner party in his penthouse suite and inviting each of the inhabitants or those with ties to the apartment building as guests.

Each of the thirteen chapters is told from the perspective of a different partygoer and is a mini-story in itself detailing exactly how each guest was invited. No one knows what happened to the seemingly timid Tobias but it was certainly suspicious in nature and warranted further investigation. Taking place in the months leading up to his death we see life through the eyes of each unique character. Banyon Court is no ordinary abode as a creepy atmosphere lingers like a dark cloud above it at all times and there's always a faint yet strange chill in the air.

None of the guests know each other past the odd glance or smile in passing, but they all share a common complaint: they've each experienced the unexplainable and downright terrifying within their four walls. Only in the genius ending chapter is everything revealed when the characters come together as an ensemble and the truth is unfurled.

This is a chilling, disturbing and completely entertaining horror story written in such a unique and refreshingly original fashion that it's impossible not to swiftly become immersed in the weirdness and gruesome mystery of the happenings at Banyon Court. Some of the characters are more memorable than others and differ in terms of likability, too, but each one added another puzzle piece towards the full picture, and I thought telling it from a diverse range of perspectives worked like a charm.

Sims is a master of instilling his narrative with a palpably tense, almost claustrophobic, atmosphere and a deeply engrossing and creeping sense of dread. Nov 01, Michelle rated it really liked it. Thirteen Storeys by Jonathan Sims a collection of stories about residents of Banyan court. A building owned by Billionaire Tobas fell who died when he invited 12 people to dinner.

Each story about the residents tell us of paranormal experiences that they have while residing there and after each of them being given an invitation to join Tobas fell for dinner. I really enjoyed these unique stories about the residents that came to an inclusion at the end.

Each from different backgrounds and some of Thirteen Storeys by Jonathan Sims a collection of stories about residents of Banyan court. Each from different backgrounds and some of them not knowing each other until that fateful night that brought them together and others meeting each other around the estate.

Conversing with each other to see if they are experiencing the weird goings on that they have been witness too. This book was creepy and atmospheric with some weird characters that kept me engaged throughout. I thought this was quite apt for this time of year. Attempting to get into audiobooks 2 My review of the book itself is here ; below are some thoughts on the audiobook experience.

Having read it relative Attempting to get into audiobooks 2 My review of the book itself is here ; below are some thoughts on the audiobook experience. I also assumed Sims would have had a hand in the casting of the narrators, and would have chosen well. I find audio fiction tricky because it makes the visualisation much harder.

With Thirteen Storeys, I had particular problems with the voices. Each chapter in the book tells the story of a different character, so each is narrated by a different person, who seem to have been chosen to approximate their characters as closely as possible.

A couple are really good; one made me like the chapter more than I did in the book. But more often I found them offputting. Which is a good way to approach it, but Horror can and should engage with political and social issues, of course. Jun 18, Mikael rated it it was amazing Shelves: favorites. A perfect cast of characters, each with their own compelling voices, and a culmination im gonna be thinking about for ages.

I super enjoyed reading this book! The structure, the characters, how everything comes together in the end - everything felt right about it.

Twelve stories for twelve tenants of the legendary Banyan Court - a housing project that combines the richest and the poorest of London and it indeed works The haunting that starts happening in the building knows no class boundaries, though, and the twelve tenants, whose eerie stories often intertwine, find thems I super enjoyed reading this book! The haunting that starts happening in the building knows no class boundaries, though, and the twelve tenants, whose eerie stories often intertwine, find themselves trying to figure out what exactly is behind them and the mysterious invitations sent by Tobias Fell, one of the richest men of London and owner of the building.

Really glad I read this, it was very entertaining. Where to start with this one. On the one hand, there was a lot here to like and a lot of concepts and imagery that was impressively pulled off; on the other hand, there are some issues that I can't overlook. Overall it was an enjoyable story, definitely holding my interest and something that I found easy to read and, had I more time, I would have probably finished in a day.

It's certainly worth the read for some of the chapters alone, but as a full, cohesive project? It doesn't quite come togeth Where to start with this one. John starts out cranky at Gertrude and dismissive of many of the cases, believing that reports of the truly arcane or esoteric are few and far between, though events of late are starting to seem worrisome. He has done almost all of the audio recordings for the Magnus Archives. Following Martin's encounter with Jane Prentiss and her subsequent siege of the Institute, [5] he has become more and more concerned about the dangers of his job, including a sense that he and his co-workers are being hunted.

John survives the Prentiss attack with scars from the worms and significant mental trauma. He is convinced that Gertrude Robinson's death was not natural and there is some deeper mystery about the statements. He believes that she was murdered by someone at the Archives for what she knew, and is determined to find the truth.

After the attack on the Archives, John is forced to take a month off to recover. His paranoia builds after the reveal of his murdered predecessor, and John becomes suspicious of all the Archives' employees. He starts keeping two tape recorders - a normal one, and second supplemental to record his suspicions as he begins spying on the staff. Martin notices John's agitated behaviour and gives him a jar of Jane Prentiss's ashes in an attempt to assuage him.

During some of his time off, he sneaks into work at night to explore the tunnels under the Institute. He chronicles his explorations, finding evidence of someone living in the tunnels, but eventually pauses exploring after a harrowing encounter in one of the lower levels.

John seems genuinely baffled at Martin's worry for him. He even goes so far as classifying his behaviour as suspicious, wondering if Martin is trying to hide something from him by making John take time off. John stalks his assistants at their homes and spends a significant amount of time after work exploring the tunnels. He gets Basira Hussain to bring him tapes recorded by Gertrude from her murder investigation to understand what Gertrude was involved in.

John meets with Melanie King a few times. After learning from her that there is something wrong with Sasha James, he realises that Sasha has been replaced by Not-Sasha. John takes an axe to the web table held in artefact storage, knowing it is tied to what has taken Sasha and hoping to destroy it but finds that the table was actually binding and limiting its power.

John flees from the freed NotThem before he is rescued by Jurgen Leitner , who was living in the tunnels. Leitner tells him about the existence of The Entities ; John that the Institute is a place of power for the entity known as 'Beholding' and that he belongs to it too. John is overwhelmed and leaves for a cigarette, but Leitner is murdered by Elias Bouchard before he returns. Wanted for Leitner's murder, John hides out at Georgie Barker's house and gets Melanie King to find info for him from the Archives while he's unable to return.

He goes to Jude Perry and Michael Crew for statements. Basira Hussain saves him, and they go interrogate Elias about Gertrude's murder. John and Daisy later capture and interrogate Sarah Baldwin about The Unknowing , which gets the attention of Nikola Orsinov , who first tries to get him to find the ancient gorilla skin Gertrude stole, but later kidnaps him, intending to use his skin for the ritual herself. Michael shows up to kill him before she can, but is replaced by Helen , who is now The Distortion and decides to rescue John instead.

John travels to China and America. In the latter, he meets Trevor Herbert and Julia Montauk. He talks to Gerard Keay in the Catalogue of the Trapped Dead and learns about the entities in greater detail. After being away from the institute for weeks, he finds out he has a "physical dependence" to statements, ending up sick if he goes too long without them. While in a six-month coma, John is visited by Oliver Banks , who reveals that death is the final step required to become an avatar of an entity.

John flatlines, then wakes up from his coma. He subsequently starts referring to himself as "The Archivist," marking his acceptance of being an avatar of the Beholding. After he gets out of the hospital, he resumes his position in the Archives and comes back to find Melanie and Basira have moved into the Institute as it's too unsafe outside, Tim is dead, Daisy is missing, and Martin is absent.

He's worried about Martin working with Peter Lukas , but stays away after Martin asks John to leave him alone. John finds out Daisy is still alive - trapped in the coffin. Breekon breaks into the Archives meaning to attack John but ends up fleeing after John forcibly extracts a statement from his mind, leaving the coffin. John discovers he could go into the coffin and have a chance of coming back if he has a physical anchor - a body part - left behind to come back to.