HA's 2018 Public Domain Challenge

[Feli]

I would read it with you, Latasha. When would you like to start? :)

[Latasha]

Anytime you want to is ok with me.

[Feli]

I will be finishing one of my current reads tomorrow, just a few pages left, so I'm ready to start after that, if you like :)

[Latasha]

Ok just let me know

[Feli]

Nearly done. Shall we start tomorrow, then? :)

[Latasha]

Ok, that works for me.

[Latasha]

I forgot Feli! sorry!

[Feli]

Latasha wrote: "I forgot Feli! sorry!"

No Problem, I'm just a few pages in. Started late last night :) And you're always reading faster then me, anyway 😅

[Latasha]

Black priest? Like evil...? I’m very superstitious so no worries about me digging up graves! This dude is oblivious 🙄

[Latasha]

Hmm.. Well.. I listened to the story at work but had to go back and read it cause I wasn't sure what happened. The guy telling us the story is a JERK. there was a couple creepy scenes in the story but I'll probably only give it 2 stars.

[Feli]

Latasha wrote: "Black priest? Like evil...? I’m very superstitious so no worries about me digging up graves! This dude is oblivious 🙄"

Yes, that's true. 💀
I like this story, it's really good so far (I've read chapters 1-3, just the last one left).
The names gave me a hard time, there are so many and I feel like "Hey, is this the beginning of the story? Who are all those people".
But I got it sorted out eventually 😅

[Latasha]

Yes, I could see that. All I knew was the loup-garou is a werewolf.

[Latasha]

I reckon they have them down in Louisiana 😝

[Feli]

Latasha wrote: "Hmm.. Well.. I listened to the story at work but had to go back and read it cause I wasn't sure what happened. The guy telling us the story is a JERK. there was a couple creepy scenes in the story ..."

Just saw your comment. It was posted while I was writing. I get what you mean; just listening to this story wouldn't have worked for me.
I'll tell you tomorrow what I think about the ending, can't read anymore, it's late 😴

[Latasha]

Feli wrote: "Latasha wrote: "Hmm.. Well.. I listened to the story at work but had to go back and read it cause I wasn't sure what happened. The guy telling us the story is a JERK. there was a couple creepy scen..."

sleep good!

[Feli]

Okay I'm done, too. I thought it was okay but the first chapter really was the best, after that it only became less interesting for me. I thought the 4th chapter would rescue the whole thing but that wasn't really the case. I liked the writing, though and the general idea of the story.

[Latasha]

for march I'm going to read or listen to The Boarded Window and The Minister's Black Veil if anyone wants to join me. I love, love, love some Ambrose Bierce! and Hawthorne, too but I prefer his short stories. I'm listening here:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/t...
#19
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/t...
#4

[Latasha]

for april i'll be reading Lilith it was written in 1895. wish me luck!

there is a free audiobook version as well!

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/l...

[Feli]

Latasha wrote: "for april i'll be reading Lilith it was written in 1895. wish me luck!"

Hope you like it!

I will read The King in Yellow next but am not sure if I make it in April. I hope so but maybe this will be my May read

[Latasha]

Feli wrote: "Latasha wrote: "for april i'll be reading Lilith it was written in 1895. wish me luck!"

Hope you like it!

I will read The King in Yellow next but am not sure if I ma..."

I hope you like it. I think I've read it? one that we read a while back and most of us was surprised at how crazy but good it was - The Monk i'll try to find the thread. it was crazy! it should be public domain.

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

[Feli]

Latasha wrote: "Feli wrote: "Latasha wrote: "for april i'll be reading Lilith it was written in 1895. wish me luck!"

Hope you like it!

I will read The King in Yellow next but am not..."

Crazy sounds good :D
I added it and maybe will read it later this year. Thanks for the suggestion, Latasha!

[Mixofsunandcloud]

I'm partway through Dr Faustus. He is such a shit magician. Sure the stuff is impressive, but he's just telling Mephistopholes to do everything.

[Latasha]

Hahaha!!! That’s hilarious.

[Annerlee]

I've just read The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and am half way through Frankenstein. Both are re-reads and better second time around.

I've also read The Black Tulip as part of a buddy read and At the Mountains of Madness. I've never tried any H.P. Lovecraft before - it was so weird, but so good - especially the freaky calls at the end..

Not sure what's next. Maybe this thread will give me some inspiration. My target was 6 books, so two to go. I've surprised myself.

[Latasha]

you can never go wrong with some Ambrose Bierce or Nathaniel Hawthorne!

[Robinson]

Creepy Time Vol1: Amazon Short Horror Stories
Robinson FowlerCreepy Time Volume 1: A Book of Short Horror Stories

[Rachel]

http://ew.com/books/scary-horror-stor...

EW just posted 20 scariest stories you can read online. sorry, it's a slideshow, but i have some of the links here bc i had them open in other tabs:

"The Doll" by Daphne du Maurier https://www.theguardian.com/books/201...
"The Willows" by Algernon Blackwood http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/11438...
"Patient Zero" by Tananarive Due ttp://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/fiction/pa...
"Shiva, Open Your Eye" by Laird Barron, Nightmare Magazine
"Abraham's Boys" by Joe Hill, fifty-two stories http://www.fiftytwostories.com/?p=597
"Puppet Boy" by z0mbies, Wattpad https://www.wattpad.com/175782749-pup...
"The Ash of Memory, the Dust of Desire" by Poppy Z. Brite, Nightmare Magazine
"Sunbleached" by Nathan Ballingrud, Nightmare Magazine
"The Tractate Middoth" by M.R. James, Wikipedia https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Tr...
"A Short Guide to the City" by Peter Straub, Nightmare Magazine http://www.nightmare-magazine.com/fic...

"The Empty House" by Algernon Blackwood, wikipedia https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Em...
"Premium Harmony" by Stephen King, The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/20...
"The Pale Man" Julius Long, Wikipedia https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Weird_...
“The Residence at Whitminster” by M.R. James, https://ebooks.adelaide.edu.au/j/jame...
"Philomel Cottage" by Agatha Christie, http://celine.klinghammer.free.fr/doc...

[Rachel]

I just read The Night Wire by H. F. Arnold and it's sooo good.

https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Ni...

[Chris]

Just read The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle. Amazing book no matter how many times I read it.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

As an aside, I was searching through YouTube the other day and saw an interview with Arthur Conan Doyle. My initial reaction was "no way!" since he was born in like 1850 although I was not sure when he died. Sure enough, it was a 1927 "interview." Not really an interview because no one was asking him questions. In what must have been a VERY early talkie, the man himself walked into what must have been his garden, sat down, and talked about how he came up with Sherlock Holmes, complained about how all that publicity had an effect on him, and talked about his fascination with seances. There were very interesting comments he made and I wouldn't want to spoil them.

The sound quality was high. His accent wasn't very strong. He sounded like Sean Connery. He was extremely interesting---and funny!

He died in 1930.

[Latasha]

That’s awesome! I want to see it!

[Chris]

Here it is

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWjgt...

[Latasha]

Thanks!

[Annerlee]

Well, I finished my 5 public domain books and have upped my goal to 10. I never thought I'd read that many. For my next 5, I'm going to steal some of your suggestions in the thread, and maybe re-read Dracula.

[Latasha]

I took a break. GR says I only have 4 to go so i set this aside for a bit.

[Melanie]

I just found this thread, how did I miss this one? I listen to public domain stories most of my week so I'd love to join in.

[Latasha]

Awesome! Make yourself at home.

[Melanie]

Rachel wrote: "I just read The Night Wire by H. F. Arnold and it's sooo good.

https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Ni..."

I listened to that recently online and it was a kicker! Loved it.

[Latasha]

Oh yeah! He’s great. My favorite is the tell-tale heart. Some of the readings of that are great.

[Latasha]

so usually around October I read A LOT of public domain stuff. well, I'm starting early this year lol. I already have Poe, M.R. James , (fingers crossed it's the full version) Daphne du Maurier and Washington Irving on my ancient ipod. But Natahniel Hawthorne is calling to me so he'll probably be added soon too. if anyone wants to read any of these classics with me, or listen, let me know or send me a message. I just know as soon as I listen to the fall of the house of usher i'll have to read Usher's Passing -_-

[Latasha]

the October Reading club on facebook has kicked off so i'll hit my goal of 12 this month. it's a great group if anyone wants to join. Craig assigns 1 public domain short story a week. and it's only for October. the first one is All Hallows by Walter De La Mare (1926). https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...

https://www.facebook.com/groups/20667...

[Melanie]

I'll be listening to it, but I'm not on FB so won't be joining in any conversations there.

[Latasha]

I can share the stories here if you want.

[Melanie]

Latasha wrote: "I can share the stories here if you want."

Thank you :)

[Latasha]

I really liked The Hallows. did you Melanie?

[Melanie]

Latasha wrote: "I really liked The Hallows. did you Melanie?"

I listened to it today, totally forgot to write the review! It was ok, I think I expected more after the M.R. James feast last month, it just didn't have the same creepy imagery as his stories.
Anyway, what's next?

[Latasha]

Not sure yet. I think Craig switched to 1 story a week. I liked it but was the dead being forced to rebuild the church for evil or was the evil that was taking over just killing them off?

[Melanie]

Pass. I thought it was the evil re-building it, but not sure.

[Latasha]

I think your right.

[Latasha]

Ok I was wrong, here’s the next story:

October 3
A Terribly Strange Bed by Wilkie Collins (1852)

Audio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nX4dY...

Text: http://www.lang.nagoya-u.ac.jp/~matsu...

Wilkie Collins was a protégé of Charles Dickens, and one of the iconic author's lifelong best friends. 'A Terribly Strange Bed' was written early in his writing career while he was on tour with Dicken's troupe of amateur actors in London.

In this story, we can see the first stirrings of the talent for crime/horror that eventually led to his famous 1868 novel 'The Moonstone' for which he earned his reputation as the 'father of the detective genre'. His works are considered a precursor to Sherlock Holmes. The most famous are the woman in white (1859) and the moonstone (1868).

[Latasha]

I’m going to listen to it on my way to work tomorrow.