Literary Horror discussion
Monthly Reads
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Monthly Read Suggestions
I loved The Call of the Wild, though it's been many years since I've read it. I would read any of the books suggested above, though I have already read and enjoyed Ashes and Entropy. An additional suggestion: A Nest of Nightmares
Janie wrote: "And anything by Bernard Taylor..."Hmm, this Bernard Taylor probably? There's more than one BT. Sweetheart, Sweetheart
Janie, could you pick one or two for the poll? Thanks.
Thanks to Dan and Janie for the nominations! In general, please keep in mind that availability can be an issue for voters. I usually try to nominate items that have e-book editions, or inexpensive copies offered online.
Bill wrote: "Janie wrote: "And anything by Bernard Taylor..."Hmm, this Bernard Taylor probably? Sweetheart, Sweetheart
Janie, could you pick one or two for the poll? Thanks."
I actually just began Sweetheart, Sweetheart. The Reaping and The Moorstone Sickness look good, too. But not Introduction to Management Science by Bernard W. Taylor III.
Bill wrote: "Thanks to Dan and Janie for the nominations! In general, please keep in mind that availability can be an issue for voters. I usually try to nominate items that have e-book editions, or inexpensive copies offered online."
Fortunately, The Pack by David Fisher is available as a book, eBook, or ePub through Valancourt at a reasonable price here: http://www.valancourtbooks.com/paperb... The other four books on that page look really cool too. Grady Hendrix and Will Errickson sure do have good taste!
Oh, cool, I didn't realize that The Pack was a Valancourt book. It looks like it will be available on March 20th.
Oh. I was under the impression March meant next week. Well, that won't do. I withdraw my nomination. Thanks, Janie.
Surely there's another book you can nominate, Dan. We can vote on The Pack for the April read.
I am totally up for a Bernard Taylor read (or reread in my case, as I think I've read most of his work). Sweetheart, Sweetheart is his best known work and probably the most acclaimed. The late, great Lucius Shepard named this book and Henry James' "The Turn of the Screw" the two most terrifying horror stories he'd ever read and I'm pretty close to agreeing. Both are extremely tense, spooky works that rely on character and setting as much as action. Another book, a new book, I'd like to mention for a possible group read in future is Rebecca Lloyd's most recent novel The Child Cephalina Lloyd is one of the prime movers behind Tartarus Press and a remarkable author all on her own. This particular book sounds really fascinating and I plan to read it soon. If anyone else is interested, it would be lovely to read it as a group or buddy read.
Looking back further into this thread, I'd love to read the Nicole Cushing book and the anthology Ashes and Entropy. The Stoker Award nominee Nox Pareidolia is another anthology I have interest in. I also think Randolph proposed some excellent choices earlier in the thread and I'd be happy to read any of those.
I have only read one book by Bernard Taylor before - Mother's Boys, which was a shocker (a good thing for me). I am loving Sweetheart, Sweetheart, and will be happy to join in a group read for discussion if it is picked. Any of the author's other books would be fine with me, too.I would definitely be up for a read of The Child Cephalina.
I also would like to read the Nicole Cushing book or Nox Pareidolia. Decisions, decisions...
Janie wrote: "Surely there's another book you can nominate, Dan. We can vote on The Pack for the April read."You're right! I've also been wanting to read A Lush and Seething Hell: Two Tales of Cosmic Horror by John Hornor Jacobs. This book is roughly equal parts Horror and Weird by my estimation.
That's a good choice, Dan. It is on my tbr list.
Thanks for all the intriguing nominations. Time to narrow down the list a bit. So far I see these (grouped into novels and collections/anthologies):Novels/short novels:
Nicole Cushing, The Half-Freaks
John Honor Jacobs, A Lush and Seething Hell: Two Tales of Cosmic Horror
Kathe Koja, The Cipher
Rebecca Lloyd, The Child Cephalina
Bernard Taylor, Sweetheart, Sweetheart
Melanie Tem, Wilding
Collections/anthologies:
Christopher Jones, The Porcupine Boy and Other Anthological Oddities
Lisa Tuttle, A Nest of Nightmares
Robert Wilson, Ashes and Entropy
Robert Wilson, Nox Pareidolia
Let's try to cut to 2-3 novels, and 1-2 collections/anthologies. Please share your thoughts on your high priority items. I'd like to have the poll up before the weekend.
For novels/short novels, I am most interested in The Child Cephalina and A Lush and Seething Hell: Two Tales of Cosmic HorrorFor collections/anthologies, I'm between The Porcupine Boy and Other Anthological Oddities and A Nest of Nightmares.
Maybe we can divide the choices between the monthly group read and the monthly buddy read.
Janie wrote: "For novels/short novels, I am most interested in The Child Cephalina and A Lush and Seething Hell: Two Tales of Cosmic HorrorFor collections/anthologies, I'm between The Porcupine Boy and Other Anthological Oddities and A Nest of Nightmares."
I'll second these novel choices and add that I'd also like to read Koja's 'Cipher'. A Nest of Nightmares is my first choice for collections/anthologies. I don't know enough about the Jones' collection to choose it but as I have both the Wilson anthologies, either of those seem like good choices for me.
I'm flexible, though, as nearly everything on this recent slate looks intriguing to me.
I've loved Lisa Tuttle's stuff so I would be interested in A Nest of Nightmares. Just wish they'd put a new cover on it!
Scott wrote: "I've loved Lisa Tuttle's stuff so I would be interested in A Nest of Nightmares. Just wish they'd put a new cover on it!"Ha ha! I know what you mean about the cover (it's hideous!) but I think for this series Valancourt is deliberately using the original covers as a selling point.
Janie wrote: "Maybe we can divide the choices between the monthly group read and the monthly buddy read."Yup. If we take the poll winner for the monthly read, usually the runner-up becomes the buddy read. Or if the results are murky (umm, don't try to actively muddy the waters, please), I'm sure we can come to some kind of reasonable arrangement.
Last call for comments on the longlist. I'd like to have the poll up by Friday late afternoon/evening.
Poll is up!https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/1...
Remember, if you vote, and your choice wins, you are committing to participate in the forum discussion.
Bill wrote: "Remember, if you vote, and your choice wins, you are committing to participate in the forum discussion."What an excellent expectation! I have sometimes participated with a group read I didn't vote for and have been pleasantly surprised at what a good experience it turned out to be.
Dan wrote: "Bill wrote: "Remember, if you vote, and your choice wins, you are committing to participate in the forum discussion."What an excellent expectation! I have sometimes participated with a group read..."
Books I haven't considered before have often surprised me.
Janie wrote: "Books I haven't considered before have often surprised me."That's why I'm here!
When friends, whose tastes I trust, recommend a book, or put it on their year-end "best of" lists, I take a closer look. That's where quite a few of my monthly nominations come from.
Bill wrote: "Janie wrote: "Books I haven't considered before have often surprised me."That's why I'm here!
When friends, whose tastes I trust, recommend a book, or put it on their year-end "best of" lists, I ..."
This is how I find many good new reading choices as well.
Last call to vote on our March monthly read! Thanks to all voters so far. Poll closes tonight:https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/1...
Vote counts are very close. I wish they allowed ranked-choice voting on this site. (Ranked-choice voting has totally changed the local political landscape in San Francisco.)
Please remember: if you vote for a book and it wins, you are committing to participate in the upcoming discussions.
Due to a heavy reading load this month already, I have decided to participate this month ONLY if my book wins. We're 20% of the way to the next month and the book we're to read has yet to be decided. Then there is the time it will take to procure it... If you make this April's poll, I can participate whichever book wins.
Bill wrote: "Last call to vote on our March monthly read! Thanks to all voters so far. Poll closes tonight:https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/1...
Vote counts are very close."
Wow! You're not kidding on that very close bit. I'd be happy to read any of the top three contenders. In fact, I might just read all three this month!
Dan wrote: "Due to a heavy reading load this month already, I have decided to participate this month ONLY if my book wins."I don't recall anyone suggesting that supporters of losing monthly read books should have any obligations.
And anyone can get together with a buddy (or five) and organize a buddy read. Just because most buddy reads here so far have proposed by me and Marie-Therese, doesn't mean you need anyone's approval. More buddy reads -> a more active group.
There's actually a few on here I'd like to read this time. I voted for a Nest of Nightmares, but if anyone else is up for reading A Lush and Seething Hell or The Cipher, let me know. I would be happy to participate in a buddy read.
Join us for our March 2020 monthly read: Lisa Tuttle's A Nest of Nightmares!Please post comments here:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Also, Marie-Therese and I have selected Kathe Koja's The Cipher, one of the narrow poll losers, as our March buddy read:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
(Remember, anyone can organize buddy reads. Just reach out to a buddy and go for it...)
It's that time of the month! Please nominate books for our April monthly read.This finished close to the top for March:
Rebecca Lloyd, The Child Cephalina
I'm keen to read:
Michael Kelly, Shadows & Tall Trees 8
And:
Leonor Fini, Rogomelec
Please post nominations by late Tuesday. Thanks!
Bill, where can we get the English version of Rogomelec? I like the sound of it.
Bill wrote: "It's that time of the month! Please nominate books for our April monthly read.This finished close to the top for March:
Rebecca Lloyd, The Child Cephalina
I'm keen to read:
Micha..."
Thank you for mentioning Shadows & Tall Trees 8. I liked Shadows & Tall Trees 6 but up to now I thought that the series was discontinued.
Janie wrote: "Bill, where can we get the English version of Rogomelec? I like the sound of it."Hmm, I believe the Kindle version is in English, but I haven't checked. I know the sample on amazon is not in English.
I see it's only 50+ pages, probably a bit short for a monthly read.
Bill wrote: "Janie wrote: "Bill, where can we get the English version of Rogomelec? I like the sound of it."Hmm, I believe the Kindle version is in English, but I haven't checked. I know the sample on amazon ..."
The Kindle version is described as a French edition. Bummer. I'll wait for the English paperback. Meantime, Shadows and Tall Trees 8 sounds good to me.
Wakefield announced a few days ago that the English translation of Rogomelec is now out in paperback. However, they've had to close their office due to the pandemic so fulfillment of direct orders from their site will be 'spotty'.
S̶e̶a̶n̶ wrote: "Wakefield announced a few days ago that the English translation of Rogomelec is now out in paperback. However, they've had to close their office due to the pandemic so fulfillment of direct orders ..."The book will also be available on Amazon on 4/21. It would be awesome if things are running smoother by then.
Eeek, good to see the enthusiasm for Rogomelec, and sorry it probably won't work for April. Let's hold off on that.
I'm good with either 'Shadows and Tall Trees 8' (glad to see the series continue!) or 'The Child Cephalina'. Or both! The Fini is definitely something we should consider later on. Perhaps as a buddy read, since it is so brief.
I agree with Marie-Therese. I'd like to read Shadows and Tall Trees 8 and/or The Child Cephalina (which I recently purchased). When Rogomelec is available, it would be a great buddy read. Any of these books would be a great buddy or group read.
Last call for April monthly read nominations! I'd like to set up the poll later today.
April 2020 poll is up!https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/1...
Since we only had two nominations, I took the liberty of including a couple items from the last two polls.
Please chime in by Saturday. Again, please keep in mind that if you vote, and your choice wins, you will commit to participating in the discussion.
Time to plan for our May monthly read!A couple books mentioned last month:
Leonor Fini, Rogomelec
Rebecca Lloyd, The Child Cephalina
From my to-read list:
B.R. Yeager, Negative Space
Let's hear more nominations by the weekend!
I've just finished The Child Cephalina. I liked it very much, finding its evocation of Mid-Victorian London vivid and persuasive but I'm not sure what the rest of the group would think. I think this might work best as a buddy read. I'll put on my thinking cap and come up with some more possible nominations by this weekend. Hope others chime in as well!
I don’t know if any of these have been done before, but here’s a few possibilities. A Lush and Seething Hell: Two Tales of Cosmic Horror
Sweetheart, Sweetheart
The Silent Companions
I nominate The Pack (1976) by David Fisher. It is now available at Valancourt. I love the cover. Nice doggie! http://www.valancourtbooks.com/the-pa...
Dan wrote: "I nominate The Pack (1976 - that's the spirit!) by David Fisher. It is now available at Valancourt. I love the cover. Nice doggie! http://www.valancourtbooks.com/the-..."Honestly, that sounds like a blast.
Thanks for the nominations, everyone! Marie-Therese has also indicated she might throw an item into the hat.Tim, could you consider cutting one of your three? (I'll cut one or two of mine as well, probably Child Cephalina.) Would make the poll more manageable. Thanks.
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In honor of The Call of the Wild, opening at theaters nationwide today, the scariest dog story ever, one you should read only if like me you believe a sound night's sleep is overrated: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9...
It's out of print and hard to find, but I was pleasantly surprised to see Valancourt books just reprinted it: http://www.valancourtbooks.com/paperb...
It was in my Chicago suburb high school library, but removed at parental request a month or two after I read it. It is NOT a YA book.