October 2015 - Spooky Setting / Atmosphere

[Travis]

I'm well into Dead Man's Song you just can't find a better October read than the books in this trilogy. Pine deep i a town where Halloween is the big tourist attraction. Taking place in October, the whole series takes place over course of month to build up to whatever will go down on Halloween in the final book. We are starting to discover the truth in the lore of Pine Deep as well as the type of monsters that lurk in the night.

[KimeyDiann]

Okay, Sarah, you convinced me, I have added a book about cockroaches to my TBR. I never thought I would say that, LOL!

Travis, Pine Deep sounds interesting too. I have added the first of the trilogy to my TBR as well.

I'm still working through Dracula and enjoying it quite a bit more than I expected to. It is definitely much more spooky that my first choice for this month's theme.

[Lynda]

I'm liking The Strain so far. One of my big draws to it was the fact that it's written by Guillermo del Toro, being that he's such a visual artist. I feel like that talent translates to his writing. He paints a very strong visual picture, and goes into the minutia of what his characters are doing and their areas of expertise.

Ron Pearlman is a good narrator. He's not someone who has a large vocal range, but he doesn't try to push it. Which is something of a relief - I hate it when narrators go full-camp with the voices. Also, I think his dry delivery adds good humor to the dialog, which feels natural.

Still early goings.

[Sarah]

That's good to hear Lynda. It's actually the main reason I was drawn to the book too - Guillermo del Toro is very talented. I NEED to finish my current chunkster though before I can start that one. Is it a quick read though despite it's length?

[Ariane]

I saw that we could read The Passage for this and I am happy because it is quite creepy. It is a chunky book but it is really well written and the world we're discovering is well constructed, as well as the story. I hope I will finish it by the end of the month

[Sarah]

Ariane wrote: "I saw that we could read The Passage for this and I am happy because it is quite creepy. It is a chunky book but it is really well written and the world we're discovering is well con..."

Yes it certainly counts as spooky Ariane. Just putting the link to the buddy read here https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/... to remind me as there are a few of us reading and discussing it.

[Lynda]

Sarah wrote: "That's good to hear Lynda. It's actually the main reason I was drawn to the book too - Guillermo del Toro is very talented. I NEED to finish my current chunkster though before I can start that one...."

It's about an 11 hour audio book, but it doesn't feel laborious. I am making a point of listening to it more often then just in and out of the car, which only totals about 50 minutes a day.

[Sarah]

I'd have thought it would have been longer considering its nearly 600 pages. Perhaps I shouldn't pay too much attention to what my kindle tells me - it's been wrong before.

[Amanda]

Kristie wrote: "I just finished Little Girls. . . . What did you think? "

I agree with you, Kristie. I've had a couple of days to think about it now and I've gotten a little bit upset over it actually. Partly because (view spoiler)[ the father had a "bad feeling" and returned to the house in time to save the mother's life, but then idly sleeps through his daughter's screams? So then I began to think that maybe she fell into the well and was tormented by Sadie but may actually possibly be still alive? Only, sort of crazy now, thanks scary ghost girl! (hide spoiler)]

[Kristie, Moderator]

Amanda wrote: "Kristie wrote: "I just finished Little Girls. . . . What did you think? "

I agree with you, Kristie. I've had a couple of days to think about it now and I've gotten a little bit up..."

Yes!! (view spoiler)[ The whole book he has this almost unnaturally close relationship with Susan, then he leaves before the biggest meeting of his career due to a bad feeling and just leaves her next door and half sleeps through her screams? I think Abigail was really Sadie and pushed her into the well just like she said she was going to.

I can't just assume Laurie is crazy because her father said certain things, the night caretaker heard things, and Abigail even said weird things to & threw rocks at Ted. I also have to question the footprint in Laurie's father's ashes & think she really was in the house. (hide spoiler)]

[Amanda]

To Kristie - Yes! Why would the author go to such great lengths to show (view spoiler)[ the relationship between Ted and Susan and how the main character was jealous at the closeness and ease of it, and then have Ted think he's just dreaming about his daughter screaming without even bothering to rouse himself... I can see why it needed to happen that way for the book. Because it had to happen while Laurie was away at the hospital so she couldn't help out. And it had to happen when Ted was feeling relief over saving Laurie. And it had to be vague and open ended so readers could draw their own conclusions. And I know I've slept through times when my son has had a nightmare or something and my husband took care of him and I only heard about it in the morning. So yeah, it could happen like that. But definitely to have Ted leave his meeting for a feeling about his wife... Then it seemed like he had to be very intuitive about people he loved. Oh, wait, never mind, he's not! And, like you, I do not believe that Laurie was going crazy. Too many other people were afraid of the house. I do think that Sadie was sort of possessing Abigail. Like when Sadie was speaking and Laurie could hear two voices, like Abigail and Sadie blended together. Oh, I DID really like how Laurie went to apologize, thinking she was merely mistaken, and the girl responds. As Sadie. Creepy!!! (hide spoiler)]

[Kristie, Moderator]

Amanda - (view spoiler)[ I liked that apology part too. Creepy! I was wondering if the 'sleeping through the screaming' part was partly why the author kept harping on how much Ted was drinking. I kept waiting for the drinking to have some greater significance. People do sleep more deeply after consuming alcohol...? (hide spoiler)]

[Amanda]

Oh, Kristie, good point!

[Lynda]

Sarah wrote: "I'd have thought it would have been longer considering its nearly 600 pages. Perhaps I shouldn't pay too much attention to what my kindle tells me - it's been wrong before."

Yeah, when you mentioned 600 pages, I was expecting a longer audio file, too. Goodreads lists it at only around 400, so I'm guessing the Kindle pages must be off.

[Bella]

I read The Devil and Winnie Flynn by Micol Ostow- among other places it's set in an insane asylum. I would rate this book 2 1/2 stars. (To clarify that, about 90% of the books I read fall into the 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 star ratings. I go by the GR's star explanations which means that 2 stars is okay. So 2 1/2 stars, to me, is a better than ok book.)

The reason I rate many books, including this one, as 2 1/2 stars is that they are basically good books marred by technical issues. In the case of this book, it has a lot of transcripts of interviews, diary style entries, film transcripts, etc. I read another book, The Dead House that does this too- and they both have pictures. It just seems awkward and gimicky- I'm sure it could work, it just doesn't in these two books.

[[deleted user]]

I finished The Passage by Justin Croninlast night and really enjoyed this book. It is a chunkster at over 960 pages but it was definitely worth it. I discussed this book as part of a Buddy Read, link is here https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/....

This book is a journey through time and over various locations. For me, there were two locations in particular that I found super spooky/creeper.

The first was the compound, where the virus is tested on humans. The description of those infected is excellent (view spoiler)[ "Subject Zero glowed...Even his crap glowed. His hairless body, smooth and shiny as glass, looked coiled...and his eyes were the orange of highway cones." Zero's teeth also fell out making a "tinkling sound on the audio." (hide spoiler)]

The second was the Haven. The Haven is a small community of people, but nothing is as it seems and as a reader you can tell something is not right. There are very few men and all the women appear to be pregnant. There is a foreboding about the place.

I was also spooked by the way the virals move; at night and up in the trees and the atmosphere described gives you a tingle - you are just waiting for something bad to happen.

I gave this 4 out of 5 stars and will definitely be reading the second in the series, The Twelve.

[[deleted user]]

I did my discussion for Pines in the reporting thread, not here, oops!!! Sorry.

[[deleted user]]

Lynda wrote: "I'm liking The Strain so far. One of my big draws to it was the fact that it's written by Guillermo del Toro, being that he's such a visual artist. I feel like that talent translate..."

Ron Pearlman would make an interesting narrator. I listened to I Am Legend and Other Stories, that narrator, not sure of the name, went full-camp more than once, almost made me want to stop listening!

[Tasha]

I'm planning on reading The Night Sister for this theme once the toppler is finished.

[Janice, Moderator]

I finished reading Inamorata which would fit this category. It's creepy in several ways. There are twins with secrets and a connection that makes you suspect incest, though it's never really confirmed. As they gradually revealed the horrors of their childhood, the creepy meter was rising. Then, there's the atmosphere of Venice in the 19th century, with it's shadows. But the creepy part is Odile, the seductress over whom men lose themselves, their talents, their minds, and sometimes their lives. I had not read a novel of a succubus before. Time is running out - for the monster that is Odile and for the twins.

Love, passion, obsession, and characters with deep and dark secrets kept me turning the pages. The story haunts me.

[Tammy]

I finished The Hound of the Baskervilles. I partially read and partially listened to the book. I have not read a Sherlock Holmes book before. It was an interesting mix of mystery and spookiness. The (view spoiler)[ book is set in the moors of England. Areas where the fog rolls in and makes for a creepy/spooky setting. Also, spooky is the "hound", which has paranormal reputation. All characters involved in the story are suspects in a murder. (hide spoiler)]. I'm not a big mystery reader, but did enjoy the book.

[Lynda]

I'm reading Baskervilles for the Toppler and my serial killer challenge...didn't think that it would fit this theme, also!

[Lynda]

Set aide my toppler books to read Locke & Key, Vol. 6: Alpha & Omega. This series made a great fall/October read, and the last book brought the story to a natural and dark conclusion. It was a satisfying series that I couldn't put down.

[Sarah]

I'm glad you enjoyed it as much as I did. About the ending in vol 6 (view spoiler)[I had to re-read the bit which explains how bode found his way back in to bodily form as I was confused. So I've taken it that the bird gave his life for bode, boxer's soul entered the bird, found his brother who put him in the fixing cupboard and hey presto bode is back. is that what you got from it? how did the fixing box remain intact after the fire?! That was the only bit I didn't like in this whole series. (hide spoiler)]

[Lynda]

Re your spoiler, Sarah, I was also confused, so was going to re-read that part again tonight. I will let you know if it becomes any more clear.

[Sarah]

Pleased to hear I wasn't the only one Lynda :-)

[Lynn]

I read A Monster Calls

Beautifully written but so achingly sad. I went into this blind, I've just read / seen a large amount of people recommend it. 614 users on Goodreads have tagged it horror, it's definitely atmospheric but horror? I wouldn't class it as that. Has anyone read it on here and what did you think?

[Lara]

Lynn wrote: "I read A Monster Calls

Beautifully written but so achingly sad. I went into this blind, I've just read / seen a large amount of people recommend it. 614 users on Goodreads have tagg..."

I've had it for a while, mainly because so many have said wonderful things about it. However, I never started it and think it's because some part of me realized it couldn't be a happy book.

[Tasha]

I'm starting The Night Sister. I hope it's good and creepy.

[Lynda]

Lynn wrote: "I read A Monster Calls

Beautifully written but so achingly sad. I went into this blind, I've just read / seen a large amount of people recommend it. 614 users on Goodreads have tagg..."

I've had it on my TBR for a while. I really liked Patrick Ness' Chaos Walking series.

[Sarah]

@Lynn - what was spooky about your book?

[Lynn]

Sarah wrote: "@Lynn - what was spooky about your book?"

Well that's exactly what discussion I was hoping for if someone else had read the book. The young boy in the book has a visit from the 'monster', a large yew tree that comes to life (at 12.07 most nights) and can be rather destructive to property and even people. It's hard to explain more without giving the point of the book away. As I said, atmospheric definitely, spooky could be used to describe it but I'm really confused by why so many people have tagged it as Horror. I just didn't see it that way within the context of the story.

[Sarah]

I finished Shadowshift. It was a surprising story. It had so much scope. I think it would have made a fantastic longer book with the characters, their backgrounds and their powers fleshed out more. It was good as it was but it could have been better and I was left wanting to find out more about them. The book starts and ends with two guys who aren't the main characters but it makes you curious about their involvement - I'd have liked to have known more about these guys and the ending could have been padded out too as I felt that the climax of the story when it's a life or death moment, was rectified way too quickly. But it was a book with under 200 pages so what can I expect?! To be honest, I really thought this book was going to be crap. I'd never heard of the author or the book before plus I got it free on NetGalley to review. But I was pleasantly surprised and ended up giving it 4 stars.

[Camilla]

Sarah wrote: "I finished Shadowshift. It was a surprising story. It had so much scope. I think it would have made a fantastic longer book with the characters, their backgrounds and their powers f..."

Isn't it nice when you end up liking a book that you hadn't any especially high expectations about?

[Sarah]

Camilla wrote: "Sarah wrote: "Isn't it nice when you end up liking a book that you hadn't any especially high expectations about? "

Totally! I often avoid books because I don't want to be disappointed (I want every book I read to be amazing - I know, I have high expectations.) I guess it comes back to the old adage - "Never judge a book by it's cover/length/price". It's good to reminded of this.

[Lisa]

I was going to read Bird Box but I wasn't in the mood for it so I have started reading Naomi's Room instead.

[Sarah]

Lisa wrote: "I was going to read Bird Box but I wasn't in the mood for it so I have started reading Naomi's Room instead."

I don't know whether you've peeked in the Bird Box thread but there were mixed thoughts on the book. I hope you enjoy your pick Lisa.

[Ariane]

I just finished The Passage. I didn't know what to expect from this book and I absolutely loved it. It's a chunky one and the middle can seem pretty long but it is necessary to the story.
The atmosphere and some locations of it are really creepy, like the compound and the haven, like Anna said.
But for me, the spooky feeling comes essentially from the atmosphere created by the story and the writing. And really, to me, a mountain covered with snow during the night, when you know monsters are out, what's spookier than that?
I will definitely be reading the sequel.

[Sarah]

I am glad you enjoyed it Ariane. It is a true fit for this theme. I've already bought the sequel even without having finished the book yet!

[Camilla]

I finished my book for this month last weekend. It was The Mammoth Book of Monsters, quite a chunkster too. As usually, the content was varied, some stories I liked more than others. None were truly scary though, a few were a bit creepy. It contained short stories from many established horror writers (e.g., Ramsey Campbell, Thomas Ligotti, Brian Lumley, Tanith Lee, Clive Barker...), so if somebody wants to "test" the style of different writers, this book would serve well in that sense.

[Lisa]

Sarah wrote: "I don't know whether you peeked in the Bird Box thread but there were mixed thoughts on the book."

I did take a look at a few of the posts and saw that opinion was divided. I read the first few pages on my kindle yesterday and it didn't do much for me at all which is why I decided to go for something else. I think it is a book that I will want to read one day but not at the moment.

[Kristie, Moderator]

Sarah wrote: "I am glad you enjoyed it Ariane. It is a true fit for this theme. I've already bought the sequel even without having finished the book yet!"

I did the same thing with that book. Now, I've been waiting years for the third book to come out! They keep pushing out the expected publication date. I'm going to have to re-read The Passage and The Twelve once it is actually published.

[Ariane]

Kristie wrote: "I did the same thing with that book. Now, I've been waiting years for the third book to come out!..."

I think I'll wait a bit to read the second, so that I won't wait too long to read the third, which is expected for May 2016...

[Kristie, Moderator]

Ariane wrote: "Kristie wrote: "I did the same thing with that book. Now, I've been waiting years for the third book to come out!..."

I think I'll wait a bit to read the second, so that I won't wait too long to r..."

Yes, I'm hoping that date sticks! It was October 2014, then October 2015, then December 2016....I'm hoping that since they moved the date earlier this time that it's a good sign.

[Joan]

Camilla wrote: "I finished my book for this month last weekend. It was The Mammoth Book of Monsters, quite a chunkster too. As usually, the content was varied, some stories I liked more than others. ..."

Camilla, thanks this sounds like a good book for me as I am new to scary stories... the cover sort of scared me though.

[Lynda]

I finished The Strain tonight. I had to renew the book, just to listen to the last 40 minutes. I would have been super bummed if I hadn't been able to renew it.

I liked it, but didn't love it, and doubt I'll finish the series. Here's my review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

It's not something I would typically read, but it was well-written. As I've said before, it's primarily because it's from Guillermo del Toro that I picked it up. I think the pacing might be a factor for some people. It didn't bother me, but it did affect any sense of urgency. The "spook" factor really lived in the descriptive scenes, which at times were visceral.

[Camilla]

Joan wrote: "Camilla, thanks this sounds like a good book for me as I am new to scary stories... the cover sort of scared me though."

LOL, I think the cover was the scariest part of the whole book! I have to admit I found it a bit repulsive, so I usually turned it upside down on my bedside table.

[CFDeeDee]

I'm reading Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children I wasn't sure if I could join in, but the book somehow worked out for everything ! Will be back for reporting ..

[Sarah]

@Camilla - what kind of monsters were involved? Did the usual vampires and werewolves show up or were these completely different?

@Lynda - I'm glad you liked it, although not enough to continue with the series. I'll let you know what I think when I get to it.

@CFDeeDee - I'll be curious to hear what you think of the book.

[Kerri]

I read The Waiting Room, a story about a derelict railway station waiting room that was used to transport troops during the Great War. At night, the ghosts of different people who once passed through there come back and haunt it.