From out of the Stygian depths creeps/ What scary book are you reading part 2

The old thread was getting too long, so I thought I'd start a new one for the new year.

I just picked up Something Wicked This Way Comes it will be a few days before I get to it but I'll let ya know.

I enjoyed Something Wicked This Way Comes. It's one of those works that spawned ideas.

Just finished Graverobbers wanted by Jeff Strand - good book, entertaining story about a chap who gets in a bad situation which only gets out of control.

Now reading Serial by Konrath/Kilborn

I'm currently reading Worse Than Myself by Adam Golaski - very strange stories than veer between straight horror and the more deam-like and surreal. Very much liking it so far; if you like people like Robert Aickman you'd do well to check this out...

Well Serial turned out to be shorted than expected, I can see a trend appearing with the free Konrath/Kilborn/Crouch books..... although what was written was decent enough.

Now reading Apocalypse of the Dead by Joe McKinney - wasn't a fan of the first in the series but this one keeps popping up for award nominations and top10 of 2011 posts so thought it would be worth the attempt. Plus it has zombies :)

I remember really enjoying Something Wicked This Way Comes. It's one I've often thought of re-reading.

I just finished the Pine Deep Trilogy. These are written by Jonathan Maberry and in order are: Ghost Road Blues, Dead Man's Song, and Bad Moon Rising. While you don't have to read them in order, it helps. The books remind me of some of Stephen King's best. Great characterization and a churning plot. Don't let the sheer number of pages intimidate you.

#7 - I quite enjoyed the trilogy and found it much better than expected. I find that spreading out a series with other books in between makes things easier, I don't like reading the same storyline for as long as 3 books can take.

I've read the first book and have the second, it's on the TBR pile

#7 coachtim30-You really don't think you need to read them in order? I don't know? I think it would be difficult to understand what is going on if you didn't read them in order. I read them in order, so I don't have any other perspective, but if memory serves each book kind of ended mid-sentence.

#10 tjm568 - that was my typing error. I DO think that one should read the books in order. Sorry for the confusion. Maberry does a pretty good job of reviewing plot and characters for those who read the books out of order, but it's not the same.

#8 - Azeryk - I did the same thing you did with the trilogy and read something in-between each of the Pine Deep books. I agree with your "storyline" statement!

I don't want hurt anyone's feelings, but I can't help thinking that the title of this thread does not display the imagination that usually characterizes this group.

Finished Apocalypse of the Dead - very good zombie book, was apprehensive since I didn't enjoy Dead City but this was amazing. Going to get the third of the series in the future.

Now reading The Neighborhood by Kelli Owen - I enjoyed her previous works so looking forward to this one.

I'm one hundred short pages from finishing the unabridged The Stand. I have to say that I liked the uncut version quite a bit more than the original, edited version. But at this point I've been reading it so long, I will be glad to see it end.

#5 and 13 - I liked Dead City myself. More than the other zombie apocalypse novels I've tried (Monster Island, Monster Planet and The Rising) and have picked up Apocalypse of the Dead and Flesh Eaters based on that. I appreciated that he stuck to the Romero formula (tinkering with it too much makes it lose its magic).

I just found Dead City was too similar throughout the book; and I personally didn't like the ending, but that is just me. I've read a lot of zombie books over the past few years and whilst some go off into their own thing as long as they are written well I can enjoy them all.

Finished The Neighborhood - well written although I was just expecting more from the book and not enough happened for mt likings.

Going to give Killers from Crouch/Kilborn a go to keep me getting through their series.

Still working my way through It, but I also started Black Seas of Infinity: the Best of H.P. Lovecraft this weekend. Still in the first story, Call of the Cthulu, but I'm liking it so far.

Man, simultaneously reading through It and a Best of H.P. Lovecraft collection is almost too much good stuff

#17 - Rather you than me, I just can't make my way through books of that size.

Finished Killers - kinda sucked, despite characters being seriously injured they just seem to keep on going which I just find annoying at times.

Now reading Single White Psychopath Seeks Same by Jeff Strand

#17 - In all fairness, It is a re-read, and that darn Lovecraft has been calling to me from the shelf for some time now, I could not resist the pull any longer!

I read Dead City sometime ago and thought it was just in the "alright" category. It was a quick read thought. I would probably check out another McKinney book.

#13 - Azeryk, you got me thinking about reading Apocalypse of the Dead now.

#14 jseger9000 - The Stand was and still is in my top three of all time. I can't believe I've read it three times. (got to get a life! :-))

Finished Single White Psychopath Seeks Same by Jeff Strand - good book, very entertaining and well worth reading. Will be getting the third in the series at a later date. Making it book #8 read this year (although a few have been short).

No reading Birds of Prey - A Psycho Thriller by Crouch/Kilborn - just so I can finish off the Serial Killers Uncut series more than anything.

I just finished The Teratologist by Wrath James White and Edward Lee - very graphic and explicit but elegantly written too, which made some of the most sickening scenes that much more disturbing.

I'm reading Robert McCammon's Mine, a terrific psychological thriller. Just finished R. Karl Largent's Black Death, a book about a plague that resurfaces in Southern Indiana. Can't give it the highest marks, but it's entertaining in a "B-movie" type of way.

Recently finished I Don't Want to Kill You the third in the Dan Wells series about a kid simultaneously fighting his serial killer tendencies and "Demons" that keep killing his neighbors. Really entertaining. I am eager for the next installment.

There's more? I thought it was supposed to close with a trilogy. Terrific news if it is to continue.

just got too bored to finish The House on the Borderland

Finished Diary by Chuck Palahniuk, part of his so-called horror trilogy. Good, very gripping and quick read, and very typical of his style, but too much like Rosemary's Baby and The Wicker Man to be truly original. Would recommend it but it's not a keeper.

> 27

I liked Diary ok, but it wasn't my favorite Palahniuk. I hadn't thought to compare it to the works you mention, but it does draw on their tropes. The clever form overshadowed that content, as far as I was concerned. There was also an element of the Lovecraftian in the menace of insularity (which I suppose you can find in The Wicker Man as well).

I hadn't heard of a "horror trilogy." What are the other two books? I'm guessing Lullaby and Haunted?

I've just started in on The Best Ghost Stories of H. Russell Wakefield. I've borrowed it from the library, but it seems to be shaping up to be a book I'd like to own.

>28 paradoxosalpha::
Yep, Lullaby and Haunted are the other two. Can't remember if the author intended them to be regarded as a trilogy of horrors, or if that's just the way they are commonly referred to by reviewers, but I've seen it about a good few times.

A review is quoted on the back of my copy of Diary which mentions The Wicker Man and Rosemary's Baby, although I'd have disagreed if the book wasn't so like them. I think Haunted is a much better book, both by the author and as a horror in its own right. The individual stories, the framing device of the writer's retreat, the nod to the Villa Diodati... thought it was much more interesting and original.

> 30

I own a copy of Haunted, but I haven't read it yet (I've read the other two, and much Palahniuk besides). A good friend told me that Haunted put him off the author altogether! I'm not sure it's fair to call Lullaby "horror," despite the centrality of malevolent magic. It's mostly demented comedy from where I sit.

>31 paradoxosalpha:: A lot of people I've spoken to hated Haunted, or only enjoyed the short stories themselves, so I think I'm in the minority!

HHF- I don't know if there are more coming, I just assumed there were by the ending of the last book. I sure hope there are more coming. What a great, well developed character. I will be very disappointed if he doesn't write another. (I won't go so far as to say it makes me want to kill anyone, but that would be in keeping.) I wasn't aware it was supposed to be a trilogy. I really hope that if it was, Wells reconsiders and continues the story. John Wayne Cleaver has a lot more story in him.

On another topic. Just finished The House that Jack Built by Graham Masterton. He is an author that I have heard mentioned on LT, so I gave him a try. Overall I wasn't that impressed. There were some some creepy moments and a fair amount of gore and a dash of sex, all of which was fine, but a lot of it seemed cliched. I don't know, I seemed to be anticipating what was coming and wasn't really too surprised by anything. I also thought the writing was kind of clunky at times. For those of you who are fans, is there a better example of his work? I liked the book well enough to give him another try, but I probably won't randomly pick up another of his books, so recomendations are welcome.

Currently reading A Red Herring Without Mustard. Most horror readers at least dabble in mystery (I think). If you do, read Alan Bradley's Flavia de Luce novels. They are hilarious and edge of your seat exciting. Sorry, I don't mean to gush, but these are some of the best books I have discovered in years. By discovered I mean I was turned on to them by an LT post. Thank God for everyone who keeps posting about the good stuff they read.

I am about to sit down and continue reading W.H. Pugmire's Gathered Dust - first story very good and inspired by J. Vernon Shea's The Haunter of the Graveyard.

Just started Depraved by Bryan Smith, the first of his books that I've attempted.

35- Have fun. Depraved is one of the wackier books I have read. I wasn't sure if it was supposed to be horror, comedy or parody. Anyway I will be interested to hear what you think.

Hey all. I haven't posted on here for a bit because I haven't read any horror novels for a bit. Even the last Stephen King I read was The Green Mile (which while excellent, wasn't a horror story).

I've just started Nighteyes by Garfield Reeves-Stevens right now. Anyone read it?

I know the author's name mainly from Star Trek books, so I wouldn't have tried it, but the combination of UFO and horror story tempted me and the Stephen King blurb sealed the deal.

#33 - I have a bunch of Graham Masterton books that I picked up at used book stores. From what I've heard, he's not likely at the top of many people's list of favorites. But has been turning out sturdy, workman-like horror novels for decades.

I haven't ready any yet myself, so I don't have any recommendations per se, but there's one he wrote called Walkers that just sounds too fun. Something about ghosts in an asylum possessing the walls or something like that.

I just read Michael Koryta's The Cypress House. Not really horror, but marvelous suspense with a significant supernatural element. I thought his So Cold the River was one of the best horror books I've ever read.

Tjm568: I finished Depraved and got to say that I did not like it nearly as well as I thought I would. The story was ok and Smith did a nice job weaving the trails and tribulations of the different characters together, but the sheer shock value and "over-the-top" scenes of sodomy, rape, cannibalism, etc., wore me out. I've been a big fan of Laymon's books over the years and always thought that he pushed the envelope when it came to this type of story, but Smith ripped the envelope apart. I have House of Blood on the TBR stack, but now I don't know if I'm going to read it. Recommendation or comment?

Not totally a horror but definitely containing some horror-type elements, I just finished Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs. I found it to be a fascinating and fun read suitable for teens and adults alike. The photos are fantastic and the story moves along at a great pace. I really enjoyed it and if you haven't read it, you might want to give it a try. It's kind of a coming-of-age horror science fiction fantasy mystery, so if you like that genre ;) , you should enjoy the book.

I just finished and reviewed The Best Ghost Stories of H. Russell Wakefield: a good one!

Hey coach, I don't know what to tell you. Depraved is the only book I have read by that author. My cousins and I all read it and had some hilarious discussions afterward, but like I said before I am not sure what to make of it. You have to give the guy credit, he covered every cliche and well traveled avenue of "horror". I have made some inquiries about the author and the concensus seems to be that this is his best effort. The book was truly awful but some twisted part of me keeps going back to it and chuckling over it and wanting to read it again. I really look at it as more of a comedy or satirical look at horror than anything else. If you do read more, please report back.

#40 - I read Depraved and didn't much care for it at all. (I have a review of it here. 2 and a half stars.) But, for what it is worth, it is the best Bryan Smith book I've yet read.

I've attempted (and quit) House of Blood twice. Love the Texas Chainsaw Massacre/Wrong Turn-type opening. But it gets real dumb, real fast.

I am currently reading 20th Century Ghosts by Joe Hill.

Loved that one!

#45 - I really liked most of the stories in this collection. Some are a bit odd, but most are very good!

just read The Devil's Own Work by Alan Judd kind of an old-fashioned quiet horror tale, a novella.

I'm reading The Lodger by Marie Belloc Lowndes at the moment. More a psychological thriller, about landlords who suspect their tenant is Jack the ripper.

Just finished Fevre Dream by George R. R. Martin. Interesting take on vampires, with a very nostalgic feel. The book read a lot longer than it looked, if you know what I mean. Not as wordy as his Song of Ice and Fire series, but not what I would describe as terse either.

I just finished Dark Echo by F. G. Cottam and now I am reading The Waiting Room by the same author. I am really enjoying his works.

Finally finished (and reviewed) my second time through on It by Stephen King. Loved it just as much now as I did 20 years ago!

have you read 11/22/63? there is a nod to It

Not yet. It's on my to read shelf though.

More than a nod, I'd say! :)

shhh, don't give it away Drneu

#49 - Oh, I've always wanted to read The Lodger. I've heard it adapted on the old time radio show Suspense a couple of times and have also meant to see Alfred Hitchcock's movie version.

How is the book?

#57 The Lodger was interesting, a quick read, and a nice psychological thriller. Nothing much scary about it except what is implied, but the reactions of the main characters and their motivations are somewhat fascinating to observe. It also has a nice sense of atmosphere I think. I give it a thumbs up :)

Currently reading The Other Room by James Everington - an excellent collection of Aickman-esque weird horror so far.

Just finished Off Season by Jack Ketchum. My first Ketchum. Pretty gory, and the writing was okay if not mind blowing. I have The girl Next Door and I will get to it eventually.

I know this is a bit of a departure from the usual horror fare, but I actually just finished a collection of critical essays on zombies fiction and movies. It's called Zombies Are Us, and it was... lackluster at best. If you're interested in my review, you can find it here.

Really enjoyed your review. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks so much, Mr. Bookman. I'm glad you liked it. I look forward to getting to talk with you more in the future!

I love the way Ray Bradbury wrote. He understood human nature so well and really knew how to make a reader feel the exhilaration of youth, which made the peril his young characters faced seem even more threatening. For those reasons, I think Something Wicked This Way Comes is such a great book. Also, The Halloween Tree is a great read, especially in October!

I loved Graverobbers Wanted. I really like the main character, Andrew Mayhem. He's such a hapless Everyday guy. I think Jeff Strand wrote a series around Andrew Mayhem. I should check out the rest.

Just finished Christopher Golden's The Ferryman. Pretty good, though sometimes the way the characters expressed themselves seemed a little off. But I couldn't put my finger on how, so it's probably just me.

Features Charon the Ferryman of classical mythology as the antagonist. I liked that it was a classy approach to mythology entering horror, and the main characters are more than sketches.

#65 - The series is great, there are 3 other books in the series and all of them are worth reading :)

I'm reading Torment by Jeremy Bishop. I'm about 3/4th the way through and looking forward to what I think will be an exciting ending. Bishop did a great job pulling the reader right into the story from page 1.

Finished The Quake by Richard Laymon. First time I have tried Laymon. I wanted to start with his first book, but couldn't find it in any of the nearby libraries. Anyway The Quake was fairly gruesome. Seemed kind of farfetched that people would get to the point of scalping and skinning that quickly but what the heck. Overall good fun.

#69 – I found Laymon to be fairly gruesome and farfetched in both of his books I've read. I enjoyed Dark Mountain though it does have some of those traits. Then I read The Cellar and was really just disgusted.

Just finished The Traveling Vampire Show by Richard Laymon. Entertaining, but not outstanding. Do all his books take place over the course of a single day? The previous book of his I read was Quake and that took place over the course of a single day. While this one incorporated a lot of flashbacks, the main action occurs over the course of one day. Is this the norm for him? Also I understand he won the Bram Stoker Award for this one, but it was posthumous. Was it kind of a lifetime achievement type thing, because I liked the book, but am not sure it was of that caliber.

I'm reading Naomi's Room by Jonathan Aycliffe. About a third in and it's a great (and scary) read until now. Also, inspired by the book, I'm watching "Don't Look Now" with Donald Sutherland and Julie Christy on DVD, a movie which share some similar themes with Naomi's Room, I think.

Anyway, I guess this kind of (quiet) supernatural horror/ghost story is my favorite kind of subgenre under the horror label. Come to think about it: Have Stephen King written any ghost stories at all? I know, he has covered vampires, werewolves, haunted houses, zombies and the beast without a name. But what about ghosts?

#72 – It's currently in my To Read pile, but doesn't King's Bag of Bones deal with ghosts? Though I've heard most don't classify it as horror, so maybe I'm confused. But I think he mainly avoids the traditional ghost story.

#73 Well, yeah, actually Bag of Bones is a kind of ghost story. But only kind of ... I just think it could be fun to see how Stephen King would handle a traditional ghost story like Peter Straub did in Ghost Story, which is one of my all time favorite horror novels, by the way.

Speaking of Peter Straub and ghost stories: Julia is the next book in my TBR-pile.

I just scored a 1st edition of Ghost Story after realizing mine had disappeared over the years - one of my favorite books

Peter Straub is one of my favorites. Even the books of his that I haven't exactly loved (The Hellfire Club for instance) were still well written enough for me to admire them at least.

#75+76:

Peter Straub is also a favorite of mine.

Unfortunately, his books are not always easy to find in Europe. I have just ordered If You Could See Me Now from Amazon U.S. (hope I don't have to pay import taxes).

By the way, I found "Full Circle" (aka The Haunting of Julia) the movie based on Julia on Youtube. However, now it is night in Europe so I guess I have to wait until tomorrow to watch it...

I am reading a vampire story called Mozart's Blood by Louise Marley, and finding it rather enjoyable.

I picked up Casting the Runes and Other Ghost Stories to read M.R. James' "Oh, Whistle and I'll Come for You, My Lad" for a LibraryThing Talk discussion, and now I've read a few other stories in it too. I suppose I'll go on to finish it, since it is pretty good stuff.

I'm currently reading King's Bag of Bones or, rather, King is reading it to me -- audio book narrated by the author. I would say, so far, there definitely seems to be a ghostly element.

Loved Straub's Ghost Story!

I'll be finishing up Ghost Story by Peter Straub today. It has really been an incredible story, and has quickly become a favorite! I'm not sure what I will start on next...so many choices...lol

I'm (so close to) finishing up Stephen King's Desperation, which I am immediately planning to follow up with The Regulators. I loved those two books when I originally read them and am curious to see how they hold up.

Desperation holds up very well. In some ways it feels like a much more contained version of The Stand

#81:

Well, anything by Peter Straub would be a good choice.

However, if you can get your hands on Naomi's Room by Jonathan Aycliffe you are in for a treat. I started to read this a week ago and even though it is a somewhat short novel I'm only halfway through; it is only suitable for reading during daylight hours...

I keep hearing great things about Naomi's Room. I wish I could get my hands on it. My library doesn't have it and it appears to be out of print. I need to try a little harder, maybe shop around more independent/used bookstores.

Please check out my review of the classic horror title, The King in Yellow by Robert W. Chambers. It's a book that has influenced a lot of horror writers over the years, not the least of which was H.P. Lovecraft. Check it out here.

Firefly Rain by Richard Dansky kind of a haunted house story so far.

About a third of the way through Kin by Kealan Patrick Burke. Great start, but a little draggy now; hope it picks up.

#84:

I got my copy from the Amazon Marketplace. It is a used copy but in pretty good condition. The price was 8 GBP (12.75 USD) for the book including handling/delivery which is relatively high price for a used paperback but it is worth every penny.

#85 - Very good review. The King in Yellow is one of the books I keep meaning to read, but haven't yet.

I did just finish reading Desperation and The Regulators back-to-bak, which is the best way to read them, with one being a funhouse mirror reflection of the other.

>89 jseger9000: - Thank you sir! If you don't have a copy of The King in Yellow, you can get a free ebook copy over at booksshouldbefree.com. They've got librivox audio recordings, too, though the quality of the narration can sometimes be suspect

#90 - I have the Wordsworth Tales of Mystery & the Supernatural edition. Love the cover art for it.

I finally read Naomi's Room by Jonathan Aycliffe this week. I give it 21/2 stars out of 5.

Right now I'm reading The Woman In Black by Susan Hill. I should be finishing up today. Not sure what I'm going to start on next :)

Draculas by F. Paul Wilson and others.

Just finished Nocturnal by Scott Sigler. A lot less science than is typical from Sigler. Unfortunately there were parts that kind of reminded me of Depraved, which isn't a book anyone wants to be compared to.

I switched genres and started the new Stephen Hunter book, Soft Target.

I'm a little over half-way through Horns by Joe Hill . It's been really good so far.

There is a book exchange here where I work, with 4 shelf units each about 4-ft wide by 7-ft high and all crammed with books. I had forgotten to bring the book I was reading, so at lunch I scanned the shelves. There sat a very beat up, yellowed copy was Robert R. McCammon's Swan Song. I have read it twice before, and not in the last 10 years. I thought what the heck... it is fun... I always liked it -- so I am reading it for the third time. It is so much fun; right up there with Lucifer's Hammer, another I have read several times and written around the same time (late 70s to mid 80s).

OOOO A book exchange day at work! That's a thought.

I'm reading the third book in The newsflesh trilogy Blackout by Mira Grant

Black Bubbles - loving it so far

Okay, so I just finished The Girl Next Door by Jack Ketchum. My emotions are completely exhausted. This is the most disturbing book that I've ever read. I am seriously gonna have to have a night to step back and reel in my thoughts and emotions before attempting to write my review.

just finished Akeldama: The Field of Blood by Ardy. It's a new book on Smashwords.com Best new Vampire novel in years, and it's very scary. Check it out!!!!!!!

'Bout a third of the way through The Sorrows by Jonathan Janz.

About 3/4 of the way through Hell House by Richard Matheson.

>104 CynthiaE77: - Richard Matheson is so great. Hope you're enjoying Hell House!

Based on recommendations here, I just started reading Peter Straub's Ghost Story. Hope it lives up to its rep!

Finished Hell House and I gave it a solid 4 stars. I started Carrie today.

PJ, I really enjoyed Ghost Story and I hope you do as well :)

On a Repairman Jack roll. Just finished Ground Zero and Fatal Error, now reading The Dark at the End, and next up will be the revised Nightworld.

#107 – Thanks, CynthiaE77. Glad you liked Hell House – I do like that one, though I do like Matheson's I Am Legend a bit more. And come to think of it, I don't think I've ever read Carrie! I'll have to remedy that soon.

I have I Am Legend, but I haven't read it yet. I have quite a few books on my TBR shelf I'm trying to weed through :) I am almost done with Carrie. It has been really good--you MUST read it. I didn't realize when I started the book that Carrie was King's first published novel.

#110 – I did know that from reading his book On Writing (apparently, King started it and threw it away - his wife pulled it out of the trash and told him he should finish it). Just didn't realize I'd missed it – I've seen the movie and read most of his classic works, so it will definitely go on the ever-growing to-read list. :)

PJ, I thought the movie was pretty good. I haven't read On Writing, but I've got it on my wish list to buy. I'm seriously glad his wife made him finish Carrie :)

I recently finished Falling Angel by William Hjortsberg. It's a classic hardboiled mystery/horror tale originally published in 1978 but now being re-released. You can check out my review of the novel here (it was quite good).

And if the book looks like something that will trip your trigger, please consider signing up for the giveaway. There's a free ebook copy up for grabs, and all you have to do is fill out the rafflecopter widget at the bottom of the post.

re post 113: I always look forward to your reviews. I read Falling Angel many years ago. thanks for taking the time to post your reviews.

>114 bjbookman: - Thank you, sir! That really means a lot. If at least one person got some enjoyment out of the review, then it's mission accomplished.

del Toro and Hogan's Yö ikuinen ("The Night Eternal" - the third part of the Strain-trilogy).

And from a new member to this group: Hi, everybody :)

hello Talvitar

Welcome, Talvitar!

Hi Talviter.

Finished The Wind through the Keyhole by King. It was most similar to Wizard and Glass which was my favorite of the DT books. This had a simpler plot , but still very entertaining. Remarkably short for King also.

I'm currently reading Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury.

I'd like to do a re-read of Something Wicked sometime some

I love that book, and the movie is pretty good too

I picked up the Dark Company anthology in order to read Hodgson's "The Voice in the Night" for a Deep Ones discussion on LT. I've already read most of the ten selections it contains, so I'm going to tackle the remainder. I'm now in the middle of "The Beckoning Fair One" by Oliver Onions -- the first story of his I've read.

Read For Fear of Little Men which read more like an old fashioned British Spy thriller except it turned the plotters were something a bit eerier than mere foreigners.

Stephen King's Kuvun alla ("Under the Dome"). Have read about 60 or 70 pages, and it looks rather promising. A few of these newer Kings have been a bit disappointing but let's see how this one turns out.

A Face at the Window by Dennis McFarland a ghost story.

How do you like A Face at the Window?

It started off pretty compellingly and was very readable. The ending was bot especially satisfying to me, though.

Recently finished the historical/horror retelling of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, Company of Liars by Karen Maitland. The ending was kind of lackluster, but the trip there was worth the price of admission. My review is here (complete with spoilers).

re 129. I ordered Company of Liars based on your review. Seems we have a interest in the same type of books.

Well, hot damn. That just makes my day. Thank you for reading!

EDIT: Oh, and if you liked Dan Simmons' The Terror, you'll probably like this one, too. I saw a lot of people had the same reaction about the ending of that one as they did to Company of Liars. Didn't bother me all that much in either case.

Every Dead Thing by John Connolly.

Currently reading Summer of Night by Dan Simmons. Weirdly good.

I just finished Your House is On Fire, Your Children All Gone by German author Stefan Kiesbye. This was an ARC that I reviewed for Library Journal. The book comes out in October. Wicked little thing. I liked it. It is a mix of supernatural and real-life horror retrospectively told by children of a small, peculiar German town. It reminded me of the foreign movie The White Ribbon. It is a short read (under 200 pgs) but is written like a literary gothic classic. I recommend it.

Just finished Dark Matter by Michelle Paver. A ghost story that takes place in the Arctic.

Ghost Road Blues by Jonathan Maberry

#136 - Loved Ghost Road Blues, especially the blues lyrics and the tidbit of folk magic. But still need to read the 2nd and 3rd book in the series.

I also enjoyed that series. I plan on re-reading the entire series right before Halloween.

#138 that's a great idea, I've put off reading the second third as well

#138 & 139 That is a good idea – I'm guessing they'll be great spooky autumn reads like the first. I also want to read Something Wicked This Way Comes in October.

I'm planning on trying to do a ghost story for NaNoWriMo this November, so I need to juice up on scary beforehand. LOL

I really enjoyed Something Wicked This Way Comes and I'm sure you will as well :)

Yes, that was a great one!

Reading it right now! enjoying Bradbury's style in this one.

Just joined the group! I am starting Ancient Images by Ramsey Campbell

Just finished Gustav Meyrinks "The Golem". His books can be a bit tedious at times, but this one was great. One of the absolute best I´ve ever read to be exact. The others include Jean Rays "Malpertius", George Rodenbachs "Brugues la morte" and J K Huysmanns "The Damned" if anyone would like to know. I´ll probably have to give Mr Meyrinks other stuff a second chance after this.

#143 - I finally started it on Monday and I, too, am enjoying Bradbury's style. Things like some of the stores going "deathly dark" when closing. People just don't write like this anymore! (Unless I'm just missing them.)

#144 - Welcome to the group, PenniH! I have a Campbell in my to-read pile, and it will be my first by him. If you like Ancient Images, let us know.

Sorry, totally off topic, but who is that pictured on the group home site. The same picture is posted on "King's Dear Constant Readers" site. Is there a story there?

I'm reading Kin by Kealan Patrick Burke and it's awesome! I highly recommend it!

I just added Kin to my TBR after reading his short work The Grief Frequency. I also enjoyed his The Turtle Boy trilogy.

Currently I'm reading Flesh and Bone, the third in Jonathan Maberry's Rot and Ruin trilogy. I highly recommend it as well. I really don't know why it is not as popular as other YA novels. It's so much better written than a lot of what's out there although I have enjoyed quite a few YA works this year.

#147 ok I never noticed that picture until you mentioned it and now I'm curious too

#147 & #150

It says the photo was uploaded by Thomas.Taylor If you look at his profile, it looks like it is just a personal pic of himself. Maybe he was the creator of both groups? Not to sound hateful, but I'd rather there me a horror-inspired pic at the top of the page versus a personal photo of a LT member.

word

well the person that started this thread is ExVivre (creator) and there are now two pictures for this group, maybe it's a bug thing? I can't figure out how to switch them back

Hmm, well I do see that all members are allowed to add pics to the group. Maybe the most recently added picture gets get as the main picture? I will try and add something and see what happens.

It looks like you can only edit a photo if you've added it yourself. After clicking the edit button, there's an option to make the photo the group's primary photo. When you add a new photo, it does not default to being a primary photo. Also there can be more than one primary photo as the one I recently added as well as the LT member's personal pic are now saying "primary photo."

Maybe it is a bug.

(well I like yours better)

Ditto - nice, creepy tomes. :)

Finished Kin by Kealan Patrick Burke and gave it 5 stars! I started Books of Blood, Vol. 1 by Clive Barker today.

Finished A Crown of Lights by Phil Rickman, in the series about Merrily Watkins. Not as creepy as the first two I read in that series.

Currently reading Dan Simmons' A Winter Haunting, sequel to Summer of Night, which I recently read. Subtle creepiness at this point, but I can tell there's more scares to come.

Just downloaded the audio of Stephen King's Christine.

I like Dan Simmons I think I've read all of his books, I need to check and see if anything new has come out.

I've got Summer of Night sitting on my shelf waiting for me. I just haven't wanted to dive into a long novel just yet.

I just finished Books of Blood, Vol. 1 today. Pretty good. I gave it 4*. I started on Old Flames by Jack Ketchum tonight.

I just finished F. G. Cottam The Colony. A novel about a lost colony off the coast of Scotland. When it comes to ghost stories, Cottam is one of the best. This is only available in e-book.

Finished A Winter Haunting and Christine and went on to Alexandra Sokoloff's Book of Shadows. That one went beyond my comfort level in some ways.

Currently listening to audio book of The Phantom of the Opera. To me, seems more campy than creepy. Melodrama! Also reading a non-fiction book, The Haunting of the Presidents: a paranormal history of the U.S. Presidency. Writing style is a little dry and awkward.

I'm just starting Deck Z. Zombies and the Titanic! Need I say more?

Zombies and the Titanic! Need I say more?

LOL!

I'm 2/3 of the way through The Course of the Heart by M. John Harrison (bound with another novel under the joint title Anima), and I've just now decided that, yes, it's scary.

Dead Man's Song by Jonathan Maberry

Starting The Dead Zone by Stephen King.

Just finished an audio book of The Phantom of the Opera. Way too melodramatic for me.

Deck Z is turning out to be surprisingly good. Still not finished but I'm loving this.

Just ordered Friday the 13th: Church of the Divine Psychopath. I read part of this years ago and thought it was pretty unique (a nice tie-in with the Jason films). It is out of print and insanely expensive but I found a used copy for a reasonable price.

A little late, but I am reading The Halloween Man by Douglas Clegg still early, but the writing is okay so far.

Finished Spook Night which was really pretty awful. It looked appropriate for Halloween. That one goes on the to be donated pile.

Pariah by Bob Fingerman. Zombie horror with more of a dark comedic twist. Sort of. Review is here if anyone is interested.

And continuing the Zombie theme, we have World War Z by Max Brooks. I know it came out 6 years ago, but what can I say? I've always been behind on the times. A great book. I just wish my audiobook copy hadn't been abridged (the horror). My review his here.

Yeah I agree, but even abridged it was pretty awesome. I do have trouble understanding how he decided to leave certain parts out though. The Chinese submarine story? The war dogs? (Of course I have a soft spot for dogs.)

Floating Dragon. It's great. Guess 2013 will be a reading year dedicated to Peter Straub. Merry Christmas everyone :)

Finished Red Rain by R.L. Stine. Never read any of his stuff before. I think I was already too old for it when he came on the scene. Nevertheless I was intrigued when I saw he had written a book for adults. Especially because of the cover praise from some authors I like. I should know better than to trust those things. Authors must be contractually obligated to say those things. Anyway, this one wasn't too great. Pretty shallow story and not terribly well developed characters. I think he still has some work to do to appeal to adult readers.

Every House Is Haunted by Ian Rogers. Rogers' first book is a short horror anthology that was actually pretty darn good. Review is here.

Right now I think I am reading The House of Thunder by Dean Koontz. I haven't started it yet but will probably start it sometime soon.

Now i am reading life expectancy by Dean Koontz

Pandemonium by Daryl Gregory is listed as fantasy, but as thriller about dealing with possession, I think it fits here.

Reading The Descent by Jeff Long right now. Not 100% horror per se, but still creepy and atmospheric at points.

That book sure took a long time to get to where it was going.

Just finishing Breed by Chase Novak. Weak premise, but fairly entertaining.

Finished Nightmares & Dreamscapes, a short story collection by Stephen King today and now I'm starting The Whisperer in Darkness today, a collection of short stories by H.P. Lovecraft - can't wait!

I liked The Descent quite a lot by the way, even though it really took its time, as tjm pointed out.

> 184

The title story of "Whisperer" is scheduled for discussion next (i.e. starting 2/13) in the Deep Ones reading project of The Weird Tradition group here on LT.

>185 paradoxosalpha:

Thanks for the heads up! I will try to make it as far as that story until then and might join in for a chat :)

#184

What was your impression of Nightmares & Dreamscapes? I have it on my shelf but have only ever read one story from it.

>187 pgmcc:

I wrote a short impression over at my 2013 challenge, see here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/148854

Overall it was really good, I've come to like King's short stories even more than his novel-length works. If you have the time, go for it and give all of them a read :)

#188 Thank you for the views. I note your comments about baseball and suspect I shall treat that story in the same way you did. :-)

i am about 150 pages into Ash byJames Herbert and nothing has really happened. Can anyone tell me if this one is worth continuing? The only other thing I've read by this author was '48 which was decent. I don't remember it being this slow a start.

I just finished it today. It picks up a bit, but I never felt like the plot took off. I'd say yes, it's worth continuing, but it's not stellar.

Thanks doc. I have Divergent waiting. I think I may jump into that.

Just finished New Cthulhu - The Recent Weird an excellent anthology, including tales by Kim Newman, Neil Gaiman and China Mieville.
We Have always lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson - now there's a horror story, if you like!
Ancestral Shadows by Russell Kirk, an intruiging collection, including The Stumps and There's a Long, Long Trail A-Winding,

And Grimscribe by one of my favourite, though hard to find writers, Thomas Ligotti.
Any other Ligotti fans out there??

#193 Any other Ligotti fans out there??


unorna, over here! At the Ligotti table.

Hi there, pgmcc, pleased to meet you!

Some oldies:

I am Legend - really impressed with this, has barely aged. A lot better than Hell House.

Our Lady of Darkness - pulpy and dated but with some creepy moments in the first few chapters, more of a supernatural thriller. Short, a fun read, with a silly ending.

The Damnation Game - in short, yuk. It was plotted like a typical horror thriller of its time, something in the vein of James Herbert, but with all the wrong Clive Barker touches ie flat, unsympathetic characters and the vilest of horror, but very little of the magic of his fantasy. The resurrected, Albert Fish inspired monster was repulsive and OTT.

Forgot to mention Haunted: Tales of the Grotesque by Joyce Carol Oates - a modern sort of weird tale, with an ordinary setting much like a Roald Dahl short story. I could have done without the couple of more 'feminist' stories which were more preachy than anything, but I'll be looking out for more of her stuff.

I have recently read and reviewed two novels rooted in the Arkham Horror game franchise:
Ghouls of the Miskatonic
Bones of the Yopasi

#197: I really enjoy some of her short stories. I'll have to look for that s.s. collection. Thanks! :)

I've really gotten behind on this thread, but I've read a few horror books this year, mostly graphic novels:

* Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter: Circus of the Damned: The Charmer by Laurell K. Hamilton -- A very good graphic novel adaptation of the book Circus of the Damned. Rec'd if you like Anita Blake books. (5/5 stars)

* Dead Inside: Do Not Enter: Notes from the Zombie Apocalypse by Lost Zombies -- A collection of diary entries, (suicide) letters, quick notes, texts, etc. Some are pretty in-depth and believable, while others are random and silly. Definitely for zombie fans. (4/5)

* Horrorwood: Volume 1 by Brandon Terrell -- Another pretty good graphic novel, this one set in Hollywood during the 1950's. (4/5)

* Lenore: Cooties, Lenore: Wedgies, & Something at the Window is Scratching all by Roman Dirge -- All very funny stuff (if you like morbid humor), especially the Lenore books. (all 4/5)

* Goth's Cage by Yasushi Suzuki -- The artwork is beautiful, but the stories are a little confusing. Not necessarily one I'd recommend. (3/5)

Song of Susannah by Stephen Kingis the book I am going to start reading soon. It's not a horror book but I thought I'd mention it.

#200: I hope you like it! :) I only read The Gunslinger and bits of The Drawing of the Three years ago and liked them fairly well. You're right: it's not technically horror, but hey, it's written by the king of horror, so of course you can mention it. ;)

I've kind of lost track of what I've been reading, horror-wise. I'll skip on the children/YA books I've read, but one adult horror book I read in the past month or two was How to Survive a Horror Movie by Seth Grahame-Smith, which I just loved (5 stars). It's very funny, and horror movie fans should get a kick out of it, too. One adult manga I read recently was Kami-Kaze: Volume 1 by Satoshi Shiki, which was kind of a dud for me. Not one I'd recommend unless you're really into horror/adventure manga.

I just started Harbor: A Novel by John Ajvide Lindqvist. It's an odd book, but I think I'm going to like it.

tymfos Is that translated? I've been interested in his work but am unsure of how it will read if translated from Swedish.

Yes, this is in English -- translated from the Swedish by Marlaine Delargy. Some of it feels a little stilted to me, but it's actually more the format than the translation that feels odd. There are all these section headings that feel a little, I don't know, abrupt or disruptive to me, plus these little sections where he explains things or kind of makes philosophical statements. It feels strange, but the story is pretty good so far.

Reading The House of Lost Souls by F.G. Cottam which appears to a variation on the Hill House/Hell House Theme, though it begins after a group of students/academics spend some time in house resulting in the suicide of one and attempted suicide of another.

I'm now reading Descent Into Hell by Charles Williams. It's not really in the horror genre per se, but so far (in keeping with the title) it seems more horrific than his other novels. He recounts a suicide, a girl is haunted by a doppelganger, various characters are succumbing to different sorts of despair.

After months of not having time to really enjoy some fiction, the early fall-like weather here made me crave some horror. So last night I started an oldie that I've never read: The Talisman by Stephen King and Peter Straub. Feels promisingly creepy, but I think some folks here have already recommended it.

It's one of my all time favorite books

I'm enjoying it so far. :)

Right Here And Now!!!!!!!!!!!!!

>210 unorna: :)

208-210 – Forgot to update - I LOVED the Talisman. Of course, I love Arthurian literature, and you do see an overlay of that in this story (totally didn't expect it). Picked up Black House, which is the follow-up to that, though it might be a bit before I get to it. And I really should finish Maberry's Pine Deep trilogy. So many books - so little time!

Anybody else read something good? Or something to warn us away from?

Reading Stephen King's newest release, Doctor Sleep. It doesn't disappoint until now and I'm about a hundred pages in.

I was pretty underwhelmed with the book

#213 & 214 – Hmm, that's disappointing. Is it recommended even to just revisit the character?

I will read anything by Stephen King, but he doesn't always hit it out of the park, I liked it but found it wanting. There are tons of references to the Overlook, but nothing really meshes, then there are odd bits that got tossed in for the sake of tossing in odd bits.

I have to say I disagree... its def. not his best work but I thought Doctor Sleep was great. King has been on a roll lately in my opinion.

11/22/63, Joyland, Doctor Sleep... all great reads.

I cant wait to read his next book which is supposed to be a "Hard boiled detective novel"... with no supernatural elements at all.

I thought Madison Smartt Bell's Doctor Sleep was terrific, and I kept being frustrated that Stephen King's would trump it in searches before the latter was even in print!

Guess I'll just have to check out Doctor Sleep on my own sometime then, and maybe this other book by the same name.

It's October! I'm currently listening to the audio book of The Terror by Dan Simmons -- the only book I've read in a while that actually contains the word "Stygian." I'm not terribly liking the narrator. I'm also reading hard-copy of Mr. Shivers by Robert Jackson Bennett, and the e-book of Those Across the River by Christopher Buehlman.

I had kind of a hard time getting into Mr. Shivers. Maybe I just wasn't in the mood.
I really enjoyed Joyland. It wasn't anything mind blowing, it was just King telling a story, which he does so well. I have said before I often don't know what I think about a King book until I am done because he is such a pleasure to experience as a story teller. Even when the story ain't that great. I didn't think the overall story in Duma Key was all that great, but I still enjoyed reading it. In general I think that is preferable to a book that has a good story line but is badly written. Pretty much all the Grisham and Dan Brown books fall into those categories (although I have to admit I haven't read either of them in quite a while so maybe they have gotten better).

#221 - I have to agree with you – I cannot stand to read something by a hack with a great idea. One can always work with another author to improve the writing. I tried to read The da Vinci Code but couldn't deal with the horrid sentence structure and writing style. King is a craftsman, whether you like his stories or not.

I'm midway through the collection A Season in Carcosa. Far more enjoyable than the sort of pastiches and retreads that are common in the Lovecraftian "mythos," these stories inspired by Chambers' King in Yellow take motives and inspiration from the source material, but they are invariably discrete and original approaches to madness and terror.

Materially, the book is no great shakes. It does avoid the BS "Yellow Sign" that originated in game graphics, and the cover art is attractive enough, but the paper and binding are print-on-demand quality, and it could have used much more thorough proofing.

I will have to give 11/22/63 and Joyland a try after Doctor Sleep and some other books I'm reading right now.. until now I've avoided King's non-horror novels, but he's just too good a writer to ignore any of his works.

224 - you won't be sorry 11/22/63 and Joyland are great.

I loved 11/22/63. I need to get around to reading Joyland!

I just started The Radleys by Matt Haig last night and really like it so far. If you're into more realistic vampire stories set in England, then you might want to give this one a try. It's very fast-paced; the chapters are maybe a couple pages long.

new thread: http://www.librarything.com/topic/160780