Horror reading in 2007

[AuntiePam]

I just read The Woman in Black by Susan Hill. Got it yesterday and read it in one sitting. Left a bunch of lights on when I went to bed.

My gosh but this is good! I'm not sure where I heard about it -- maybe here.

I think what I liked best about it was the main character. He's extremely likable, but more than that, I could relate to him. He acted like most of us would act when strange things happen. Skeptical at first, but when it becomes obvious that there's a haunting going on, he accepts it. He doesn't put himself in danger unnecessarily, but when circumstances demand that he do something, he does it.

I also like the premise of the haunting. If people do come back from the dead, this one had a reason -- it was believable.

Sometimes it's hard to put myself in a book, to imagine myself being haunted. I think that's because I don't do the kinds of things that would get me haunted. I'm not Ebenezer Scrooge, or those men in Ghost Story who killed a young woman -- I don't deserve haunting, it couldn't happen to me.

But the premise of The Woman in Black was such that you could put yourself in that story, either as the haunted or the hauntee. Very effective, IMHO.

[AuntiePam]

I'm all alone in this thread!

Currently reading Five Mile House by Karen Novak. It's a haunted house story with a 100-year-old mystery and witches.

I'm an old fuddy-duddy, as well as a cranky old broad, and I'm not liking the main character. I liked her at first but now she's cheating on her husband. This will make it easier for me if she ends up dead.

I'm not saying adulterers deserve to die, but I have zero sympathy for them.

I like the book. Novak writes good dialogue.

Edited to add:

Ugh! Novak's writing is fine but the plot fell apart. Many unresolved questions, and it just didn't hold together. I want those two hours back.

Authors: If you're going to write a twisty plot, find a way to summarize what happened. There are lots of ways to do it. In this book, the main character could have explained her actions to her husband, or even the police. Show us the aftermath, at least. In this book, it appears that people broke the law without repercussion. They just walked away. Very unsatisfying!

[Ray Ray]

Re-reading Bram Stoker's Dracula.

[TopDragon]

Currently reading "Into the Fire" by Richard Laymon. Sor tof like watching a train wreck...I want to kep reading, drawn to it even, but not for any noble reason. I guess it's the same for any other Laymon book I've read.

[Konrad]

Read the first 100 pages of The Shining today and it started really good.
REDRUM REDRUM

A little sad about having watched the movie first but I'll probably get a few surprises if they have changed as much in the movie as they did with It and Dreamcatcher.
I'll try to write something after finishing the book.

[ravenlynne]

Just finished Nothing True by James Herbert and am halfway through Haunted by the same author. Very quick reads. Not very scary though.

[JamesL]

I'm currently reading The Secret of Crickley Hall by James Herbert. Not really a horror novel, more a supernatural chiller. I'm enjoying it so far.

[Konrad]

I have now read The Shining and I would recommend it to every living soul.
Didn't get scared though...

[AuntiePam]

Currently reading Heart Shaped Box by Joe Hill. An aging rock star who collects weird objects buys a ghost.

I'm really enjoying the book. Joe was interviewed on my local NPR station last week. I'm glad I was listening. Hearing what he had to say about the characters and motivations adds to the experience.

[CiciTj]

I just read The Woman in Black by Susan Hill. Got it yesterday and read it in one sitting. Left a bunch of lights on when I went to bed.

My gosh but this is good! I'm not sure where I heard about it -- maybe here.

I think what I liked best about it was the main character. He's extremely likable, but more than that, I could relate to him. He acted like most of us would act when strange things happen. Skeptical at first, but when it becomes obvious that there's a haunting going on, he accepts it. He doesn't put himself in danger unnecessarily, but when circumstances demand that he do something, he does it.

I also like the premise of the haunting. If people do come back from the dead, this one had a reason -- it was believable.

Sometimes it's hard to put myself in a book, to imagine myself being haunted. I think that's because I don't do the kinds of things that would get me haunted. I'm not Ebenezer Scrooge, or those men in Ghost Story who killed a young woman -- I don't deserve haunting, it couldn't happen to me.

But the premise of The Woman in Black was such that you could put yourself in that story, either as the haunted or the hauntee. Very effective, IMHO.

I did the play and was the woman...even I got scared a bit during the production! Its such a good story and I love that there doesn't need to be blood and gore to scare you!

[CiciTj]

I just read Dracula and was COMPLEATLY blown away, I grew up with the naff and cheesy TV Dracula with a cloak and white makeup. I immediatly went on ebay and bought the Francais Ford Copella movie with Gary Oldman which I watched last night, also compleatly amazed by how cool, sexy, and romantic the story was.

Does anyone know any other good books by Bram Stoker? Or similar style stories?

[Luke_B]

Currently reading Heart Shaped Box by Joe Hill. An aging rock star who collects weird objects buys a ghost.

I just finished this. I enjoyed it too, but was a little disappointed. If this were any other debut novelist's book I would have been really excited about this guy's promise, but I expected more from Hill. One reason being that he is the son of Stephen King, which is perhaps a bit unfair. But also, I'd heard so many great things about his short story collection Twentieth Century Ghosts. I really liked the characterisation. Jude is beautifully realised, Craddock is damn creepy, and Georgia is lovely. I can also see why he would be a good short story writer. He has a great eye for descriptive detail and knows how to set up a scary scene. However, the plot and themes were a big let down. There were some plots threads that didn't go anywhere, Bammy and her ghost for example. The ending was predictable and lame, which interestingly, is a problem I've had with King's books too. And the major theme, how the dead drag you down, was a bit ham-fisted. I'll certainly read Hill's next book and hope he further develops these aspects of his writing.

Moving onto to another horror novel now; The Terror by Dan Simmons.

[ravenlynne]

Just finished Brother Odd by Dean Koontz. I love Oddie, but not so much love for this book.

[Wolverine]

Currently reading Waking up Screaming by H.P. Lovecraft

[Zsinj]

I went to my local used bookstore and bought "Seven Footprints to Satan" by A. Merritt and the sequel to Mark Frost's "List of 7", "The 6 Messiahs". I haven't read the List of 7 yet, but it looks really good, and I was wondering is this the beginning of a series that's gonna count down from 7 to 1 in the titles?