Halloween: Time For Horror Books

[bcomet]

Okay, it's almost Halloween.

Time for a scary book selection: Horror. Monsters. Things That Go Bump in The Night.

What are your favorites? Please recommend.

[Down the well]

Horror isn't really my thing, but I did find a book at the library's annual book sale that I couldn't pass up. It has all the classics in one collection: Dracula, Frankenstein, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, The Island of Dr. Moreau, The Fall of the House of Usher, and a whole lot more. I had a good time reading it.

[Quill]

I second Edgar Allen Poe

[bcomet]

This one has to go on this list:

Let The Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist

[Mira]

I never, ever, ever read horror. It scares the beejezus out of me.

That said, I read one Stephen King book about vampires, and it kept me up for weeks. The book says that a vampire will come to your window, and if you invite them in, they will turn you. I was terrified one would come to my window and I'd invite them in. Somehow, saying: "No, don't come in" never occured to me....um, aside from the whole 'vampires don't exist' thing.

So, Stephen King writes scary books. I've heard Misery is pretty scary.

Oh! The Exorcist. That is a terrifying book - I read that, and I was scared the devil would possess me for months. I think you can see the theme here, and why I don't read horror.

Happy Halloween reading for those who can handle it! :)

[Sommer Leigh]

I like a certain sort of horror, but I have a hard time describing it. I don't read very much horror though, but it's mostly because there's not a lot that I like.

Here are some I like:

Bad Girls Don't Die by Katie Alender. YA. First of all, the cover is dead amazing. It's what I fell in love with first. (Also, Katie Alender's blog is A+++) This is one of those horrors that isn't exactly scary...a little creepy sure. The MCs sister starts to change to the point where the MC starts to think something has possessed her. It's a really great read and has a sequel coming out!

The Demon's Lexicon & sequel The Demon's Covenent by Sarah Rees Brennan. YA. I would not call most paranormal YA horror, mostly because it isn't scary and doesn't even try to be. The Demon's Lexicon series is different. It's not going to make you turn on all the lights in your house or anything, but it is a story about magicians calling up demons for power and demons who very much want to enter our world by any means necessary. It is about a seriously troubled anti-hero.

Feed by Mira Grant. Zombies. Also, politics. I have described this book as a cross between Dawn of the Dead, Hackers, and The West Wing. It's kind of awesome, although also kind of scary. These zombies are not going to ask your prom. They are also not trapped on the other side of a fence. And they organize. But it's not ALL about the walking dead. It is also about a presidential race, and conspiracy theories, and bloggers who have become the real sources for news as they are some of the few willing to brave the zombie world for answers. Awesome!!!!

If you want something a little more adult and scary, I recommend The Walking Dead graphic novel series which has the bonus of being not just creepy, but also illustrated creepy. It is about zombies. It is about to debut as a tv show on Halloween.

Oh! And if you want to read something that is creepy, illustrated, and free, I highly, highly, highly recommend the online comic The Zombie Hunters. The illustrations just blow me away considering they are done by a girl in Canada for fun. The story is well thought out and well implemented and it can be both funny and really scary. http://www.thezombiehunters.com/index.php

[bcomet]

I haven't read this, but someone said to nominate:

The Keep
by F. Paul Wilson

to this list.

[steve]

Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde - Stevenson
The Hot Zone - Richard Preston
Blood Meridian - Cormac McCarthy
A Journal of the Plague Year - Daniel Defoe
Time of the Angels - Iris Murdoch
Jaws - Peter Benchley
Poachers - Tom Franklin
Red Dragon - Thomas Harris
Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos - Lovecraft

The Keep
by F. Paul Wilson

Good pick. Also a good movie.