Here Comes the Sun - Spring Challenge

[WendyB , Witchy Woman]

Everyone loves Spring. Sunshine, flowers, a warming breeze...
Here at Horror Aficionados we don't care. We like it dark and gloomy.
All the better to enjoy a frightening adventure in a book.

Your challenge is to read X number of books that deal with horror during any type of bad weather - ice, blizzards, thunderstorms, wind, hurricanes, heat wave, you name it.

Sign up here: https://www.goodreads.com/challenges/...

Use this thread to keep track of your books and to suggest books that fit the challenge to other HA members.

[Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥]

Hmmmm. I’m going to try just 5 with all the books I have going. Fingers crossed!

[Kasia]

I'm joining in, definitely a mood I'd like to partake in. 5 books for me as well.

[Rachel]

I'm in! 5 books....this could be hard! I have 'Summer Of Night' and 'Winter Haunting' by Dan Simmons to hand , going to need to deep dive for more I think!

[Rachel]

Rachel wrote: "I'm in! 5 books....this could be hard! I have 'Summer Of Night' and 'Winter Haunting' by Dan Simmons to hand , going to need to deep dive for more I think!"

OMG so obvious I overlooked it...'Strange Weather' by Joe Hill

[Jeff]

That link just takes me to my 2021 reading challenge. Can someone help me sign up for this challenge please?

[[deleted user]]

Count me in for 5 books as well, this sounds like a lot of fun :)

Thanks for the Joe Hill recommendation, Rachel! I have been wanting to try out some of his writing and 'Strange Weather' might be a great way to do that.

[[deleted user]]

Jeff wrote: "That link just takes me to my 2021 reading challenge. Can someone help me sign up for this challenge please?"

Hi Jeff,
My link got a bit goofy with wanting to do that when I was on the mobile app, but worked once I tried it on the desktop version. Not sure if that will help you or not, of if anyone else has another suggestion?

[Kara]

Though the link doesn't work right now, maybe later. I can add maybe 3 books to this type of challenge as we don't get many dark and stormy days or nights where I live.

[WendyB , Witchy Woman]

If you're having trouble with the sign up link, try going to HA's main page. The Spring challenge will the first one right under the books we are reading as a group.
See if you can sign up there.

[Ami]

Oooh! I want to join... going to have to research some titles though.

[Rachel]

Michelle wrote: "Count me in for 5 books as well, this sounds like a lot of fun :)

Thanks for the Joe Hill recommendation, Rachel! I have been wanting to try out some of his writing and 'Strange Weather' might be ..."

My pleasure! Looking up other novels has been fun, found 'The Fog' by James Herbert, 'Lightning' by Dean Koontz and am diving down to look for more!

[Connie]

I signed up for 6. Hopefully 3 per month. Good luck everyone. Sounds like a great challenge.

[Sixty]

I'm in for 10! Let's see how this goes!

[Kelly]

Totally down for this! I'll try for 5. Definitely going with Joe Hill's Strange Weather. May also try Stephen King's The Mist.
Last month, I read , it deals with snow / snow storms, etc. Pretty creepy read if anyone is interested!
I've also been wanting to read Dan Simmons so I might try

[Janet]

I'm going to try for 3 . Not a clue what to read though, so Ill be looking here to see what everyone else has on their list.

[Michael]

I like this idea, but going to go conservative on this one, since I'm already working three challenges. Going for FOUR!
1. TOTAL POWER by Vince Flynn/Kyle Mills - - terrorists shut down the entire American power grid during the winter. Pretty horrific if you ask me, considering this is an actual vulnerability. A real thriller. (finished April 06)
2. ARARAT by Christopher Golden - - adventure/horror as a group of explorers discover the remains of Noah's ark. A demonic presence threatens to unravel the group as they attempt to flee down the mountain during a dangerous blizzard. (finished April 10)
3. BASKETFUL OF HEADS graphic novel by Joe Hill with art by Leomacs. Prisoners escape from Shawshank and threaten a young girl during a heavy rainstorm that knocks out power and isolates residents of a Maine island community. (finished April 17)
4. LIGHTNING by Dean Koontz - - major lightning strikes that precipitate the arrival of time travelers. (finished April 26)

[Lisa]

Kelly wrote: "Totally down for this! I'll try for 5. Definitely going with Joe Hill's Strange Weather. May also try Stephen King's The Mist.
Last month, I read , it deals with sno..."

I second Kelly’s Dark Matter recommendation - it was a good one.

[Badseedgirl]

I'm in. I'm going to try for 3 books for this challenge. I'll start with my current read Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut Jr.. Trying to prevent the apocalypse by stopping the release of "ice nine" which would freeze the entire plant. I think that fits the challenge.

1.) Cat's Cradle - Kurt Vonnegut Jr. (New Ice Age, Hurricanes/tornadoes)
2.) This World We Live In - Susan Beth Pfeffer (Nuclear Winter/Tornado)
3.) The Hunger - Alma Katsu (drought/blizzard)

[Scott]

I'm going to try for 5 only (too many challenges going on at once), but since I'm in the middle of The Carrow Haunt right now which has thunderstorms going on in it. That will be #1

[Ami]

I'm going to try 6. I've always liked weather related horror so I have a bunch of titles on my TBR piles... Now I just need to narrow down which ones to pick!

[Denise]

This sounds fun. I'm doing a few other challenges this spring, so I'm only in for 3.

[Ami]

The Whispering Dead (out May 4) features a storm, and The Mist might be a good pick. I'm having trouble finding stuff that doesn't have to do with ice or snow. :D

[Denise]

I think I'm starting with Snow Bound.

[Montzalee]

I will try for 5.

[Trustno1]

Hmm...I´ll try to do 5, I know I have several snowy books on my want to read list but hope to find some other weather conditions too for a bit of a change :)

This is the list of books I consider for the challenge so far:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

[Lee]

Some good suggestions here. I have read most of them though. Dan Simmons Abominable is book I’ve wanted to read for a while so I might try that one. I once heard a professional critic refer to The Terror as Dan Simmon’s other cold book. With The Abominable being the first.

I really like the theme. I’ve am currently writing a short story that deals with what the world would be like if the sun inexplicably faded away. Good research to delve into some of the titles mentioned above.

[Rachel]

Last night I found 'Red Rain' by R.L Stine,'Lightning ' by Dean Koontz,'Monster' by CJ Skuse and not much else to do with sun, heat or anything other than snow/blizzards
Also another Dan Simmons one, Fires Over Eden which I think is to do with a volcano on Hawaii?

[Rachel]

'Water Shall Refuse Them is set during the heatwave of the 1970's, by Lucie McNight Hardy, a folk horror novel

[John]

read last month so don't get to count them but can recommend: Snowblind and Snowblind II: The Killing Grounds

[[deleted user]]

Sounds fun and some great recs! I’m in for 4.

[[deleted user]]

Rachel wrote: "'Water Shall Refuse Them is set during the heatwave of the 1970's, by Lucie McNight Hardy, a folk horror novel"

Sounds great. Thank you!

[[deleted user]]

Rachel wrote: "Rachel wrote: "I'm in! 5 books....this could be hard! I have 'Summer Of Night' and 'Winter Haunting' by Dan Simmons to hand , going to need to deep dive for more I think!"

OMG so obvious I overloo..."

I did too! Thanks for the reminder.

[Ami]

Writing down all off these titles... I love weather, nature and ecological terror, so I’m making a list of everything regardless of how I do on the challenge! :D

[terrence]

Maryjo wrote: "Rachel wrote: "Rachel wrote: "I'm in! 5 books....this could be hard! I have 'Summer Of Night' and 'Winter Haunting' by Dan Simmons to hand , going to need to deep dive for more I think!"

OMG so ob..."

'Summer Of Night' is thisanygood i saw it somewhere and was thinking about getting it

[WendyB , Witchy Woman]

Goodreads has a "bad weather" list that you might want to look over for ideas: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...

Not sure how many are horror but hey! it's all good as long as you are reading something you enjoy!

[Paul]

"Hell ship" by Ben Jones and The Devil's Inn by David Watkins. About an isolated pub cut off by a snowstorm.

[terrence]

I'll try five books

[Alcqueline]

I'll read four books.

[Badseedgirl]

Here is a nice short little Tor.com story to start us all off. It is called "The Weather." When I saw this challenge, this is the first story I thought of.

The Weather

[Kara]

I added 5 books to my reading challenge for this, it will be more challenging to get the stormy weather here to read the books during. Most likely will have to wait for summer, we get storms then.

[Laura]

I am in for 3! I will have to find some good suggestions...

[Monica]

Interesting. I have to check if I have something that matches. My library sucks!

[Monica]

Does The rising by Brian Keene have to do with bad weather? it's coming in the mail.

[Ami]

I’m starting with book one- Earthworm Gods by Brian Keene ( rain!)

[Kasia]

Ami wrote: "Writing down all off these titles... I love weather, nature and ecological terror, so I’m making a list of everything regardless of how I do on the challenge! :D"

Ecological terror, now that's a great topic! Makes me think of my beloved Annihilation.

[Badseedgirl]

I'm thinking of adding The Water Knife. Drought. Lack of weather is still considered weather, right?

[Elke]

I'll go for 3 books, though I have no idea yet which titles that could be...I do have a winter shelf which might be a good start, I will scan the list mentioned above and of course follow this discussion for recommendations.

1. Schwarzer Winter
2. What Blooms from Dust
3. The Weather

[Meg]

I'll shoot for 3!

0/3

1. Strange Weather by Joe Hill
2. Winter Haunting by Dan Simmons
3. Earthworm Gods by Brian Keene

[WendyB , Witchy Woman]

Badseedgirl wrote: "I'm thinking of adding The Water Knife. Drought. Lack of weather is still considered weather, right?"

I would say yes.
I'm in AZ and we're in a terrible drought right now.