Books that Shiver and Suck

On my last visit to WTMJ 4's The Morning Blend I picked the following reads in honor of the Halloween season. Since I'd picked Anne Rice's The Witching Hour, one of the creepiest books I've ever loved, last year, it's not on my list this time, and neither is Jennifer Egan's The Keep, which I also love. But if you haven't read either one of these novels ... what are you waiting for?

This year, I decided to go with a few classics of the gothic and horror genres, and one quite distubing debut (in a really good way). If you have a minute, share your scariest reads with me (your recent 401K statement doesn't count).

Salem’s Lot by Stephen King and Interview With A Vampire by Anne Rice

If you’re loving the resurgence of vampires in current popular culture as I am (Twilight, True Blood, The Vampire Diaries), you owe it to yourself to read (or re-read) the mother and father of the modern reincarnation of the vampire. Both Interview and Salem’s Lot are brilliant in their ability to make us believe vampires linger among us and, particularly, in Rice’s novel, to feel some empathy for them. Rice’s book is lush and lusty and lascivious (kinda dirty) in its bloody detail (and way better than the film adaptation). King’s book is just in-your-face terrifying. Years ago when I first read SL, I made my husband close every drape and blind in the house so in a weak moment I wouldn't be tempted to invite a vampire into the house.

Peter Straub's Ghost Story

“What’s the worst thing you’ve ever done?”

From this great opening line through to the story’s end, this book haunts you. Straub is originally from Milwaukee (many of his books are set in a fictional city of Millhaven, which is his substitute for my fair city). I first read Ghost Story when it came out–right as my daughter turned two–as if that wasn’t scary enough. It’s a book that demands re-reading because the ghostly questions it raises are open to alternative possibilities as solutions. In their youth, five men accidentally kill a woman. Fifty years later when one of them dies of fright, they realize her ghost is looking for revenge. Why has she waited so long to come after them? And what can they do to stop themselves being scared to death?

The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson

One reviewer described this dark debut novel as “the mad spawn of Stephen King and Anne Rice.” What more can I say? After the narrator is left horribly scarred from a terrible car accident (the result of his drinking and drug abuse) in a hospital burn unit, a mysterious woman comes into his life insisting they were lovers in medieval Germany. The woman is a sculptress of grotesque things like gargoyles and she seduces the narrator into her–well, is it madness or not? You decide.  

Comments

[Caron]

I'll add these to my reading list. I'm a bit behind at the moment. I was still finishing "the outsiders" at John's recommendation when "I am what I am" came out (Congratulations on its success). Loving every page of that but embarrassingly I'm only half way through, though in my defence I got distracted by visits to La Cage and a Torchwood convention ;)

Thanks for the suggestions. Loving the new look website!

Caron xx

[Kath]

Thanks for the recommendations :D Have always loved Vamp books, film's etc... I used to watch Salem's Lot on TV when i was younger, and was scared whitless !! So much so that i haven't read the book ! have read 'Interview with' though.
Congrats on the success of 'I Am What I Am' i've read it twice and started it again on the way back from the Torchwood convention last weekend.

Love the new look website :D
Kath
xx

[Nicole]

First, I love the new layout, (I know it's probably been this way for a little while, but I only check here once a week or so).

And I must say at least my local library is on the ball with some of these book picks. Now I must go head to the library and check a couple of these out :)

[Nancy]

Love the book blog, all your fall book club favorites sound absolutely fabulous! Thanks for the great suggestions. I have one-- I think your blog deserves a better name than Carole's Blog OR Shivers and Sucks (unfortunate negative connotation for non-vampire selections)