Scare Up a Good Read

I was first introduced to the horror genre in my 9th grade English class when we were assigned Stephen King's short story collection Nightmares and Dreamscapes. As one prone to nightmares, I was a little wary about reading anything remotely scary. But after I finished "The End of the Whole Mess," I was hooked and quickly plowed through the rest of the collection.

Since then, I've learned that there are many, many different kinds of horror. There are the classic masters - Poe, Stoker, Lovecraft - whose stories have frightened generations of readers. There are books that explore the darkest reaches of the human mind, and those that deal in supernatural forces. Of course, tales of vampires, werewolves and zombies have always been part of the genre, as are those books that poke fun at the things that go bump in the night.

Classic horror - Classic doesn't always have to mean old (though there's certainly nothing wrong with that!) Covering many horror subgenres, the classics are those that have both stood the test of time and that have defined and shaped the genre.

The Complete Stories of Edgar Allen Poe  - "The Raven," "The Tell-Tale Hart," "The Fall of the House of Usher," and many more classic gothic horror tales by the master.
The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty - The classic tale of demonic possession that inspired many movies.
Dracula by Bram Stoker - The quintessential vampire novel. Try to read it and not hear Bela Legosi's voice.
Frankenstein: Or, The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelly - Shelly's misunderstood monster still lives on today in books, movies and thousands of Halloween costumes
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson - Eerie and menacing, Jackson's tale of a 80-year-old haunted mansion will stay with you for months afterwards.
The Island of Dr. Moreau by H.G. Wells - Wells' tale of genetic engineering gone horribly wrong was decades ahead of it's time, and is even more frighting today.
Psycho by Robert Bloch - Norman Bates and his mother. Need I say more?
Tales of H.P. Lovecraft - "The Call of Cthulhu," "The Dunwich Horror," "The Outsider" and more in this collection of Lovecraft's more suspenseful and horrifying tales.

Psychological horror - What darkness lies in the hearts of men and women? These books explore monsters and horror that we inflict upon each other.

Abandon by Blake Crouch - Investigating the bizarre and abrupt disappearance of every citizen from a gold-mining town over a century earlier, a history professor and his daughter embark on the journey aware that the last team that attempted to solve the mystery was never heard from again.
A Dark Matter by Peter Straub - Old friends try to come to grips with the darkness of the past--a secret ritual that left behind a gruesomely dismembered body--and find themselves face-to-face with the evil they helped create.
The Devil in Silver by Victor LaValle - Landing in a budget-strapped mental institution after being accused of a crime he does not remember, Pepper is assaulted by a monstrous creature that has been attacking patients but that the hospital staff does not believe exists.
Misery by Stephen King- Rescued from a car crash by a psychotic woman claiming to be a fan, novelist Paul Sheldon becomes a captive invalid in her secluded Colorado farmhouse.

And more ... (click on the title for a description)
Promise Not to Tell by Jennifer McMahon
The Terror by Dan Simmons (my review of this book is here)
What the Night Knows by Dean Koontz
Your House is on Fire, Your Children All Gone by Stefan Kiesbye

The Occult - The supernatural, spirits and black magic are staples of the horror genre. These books will give you chills, night or day.

Carrie by Stephen King - A repressed teenager uses her telekinetic powers to avenge the cruel jokes of her classmates. A remake of the classic 1976 movie based on the books is due out next year.
Hide Me Among the Graves by Tim Powers - In 1862 London, the ghost of John Polidori, the one-time physician of Lord Byron, is determined to possess the life and soul of an innocent young girl, and a group of mismatched allies must enter into a supernatural underworld in order to stop him.
Horns by Joe Hill- After his childhood sweetheart is brutally killed and suspicion falls on him, Ig Parrish goes on a drinking binge and wakes up with horns on his head, hate in his heart, and an incredible new power which he uses in the name of vengeance.

And more ... (click on the title for a description)
Mister B. Gone by Clive Barker
The Thirteen by Susie Moloney
Those Across the River by Christopher Buehlman

The Funny Side of Horror - Are you more Shaun of the Dead than Dawn of the Dead? The horror genre is ripe for parody, and these books take full advantage. Although humor certainly doesn't mean you won't have your pants scared off!

Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith - Reveals the hidden life of the sixteenth U.S. president, who was actually a vampire-hunter obsessed with the complete elimination of the un-dead, and uncovers the role vampires played in the birth, growth, and near-death of the nation.
Bite Me: A Love Story by Christopher Moore - Goth girl Abby Normal and her brainiac boyfriend pursue a vampire cat and his minions, but things become even more complicated with the arrival of three ancient vampires intent on getting some payback.
Jane and the Damned by Janet Mullany - Jane Austen, turned into a vampire against her will, joins a group of English vampires in putting their superhuman strength and speed to the service of their country and thwarting a French invasion.
This Book is Full of Spiders: Seriously, Dude, Don't Touch It by David Wong - The sequel to John Dies at the End in which our heroes find that books and movies about zombies may have triggered a zombie apocalypse, despite a total world absence of zombies. It takes you on a wild ride with two slackers from the Midwest who really have better things to do with their time than prevent disaster.

And more ... (click on the title for a description)
Allison Hewitt is Trapped: A Zombie Novel by Madeleine Roux
Paul is Undead: The British Zombie Invasion by Alan Goldsher
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls by Steve Hockensmith

Zombies and Werewolves and Vampires, Oh My! - The staples of the horror genre are the creatures of our nightmares made real. While vampires and werewolves have been the classic manifestations, zombies are gaining popularity among writers and readers of horror alike.

Bitten by Kelley Armstrong - On the eve of her marriage, Elena Michaels learns that her fiancé has been concealing his secret life as a werewolf, and, as a bonus, he has made her into one also.
Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist  - Twelve-year-old Oskar is obsessed by the murder that's taken place in his neighborhood. Then he meets the new girl from next door. She's a bit weird, though. And she only comes out at night.
Zone One by Colson Whitehead -  In a post-apocalyptic world decimated by zombies, survivor efforts to rebuild are focused on Manhattan, where civilian team member Mark Spitz works to eliminate remaining infected stragglers and remembers his horrifying experiences at the height of the zombie plague.

And more ... (click on the title for a description) 
I Am Legend by Richard Matheson
Petrified by Graham Masterton
Raising Stony Mayhall by Daryl Gregory
'Salem's Lot by Stephen King
The Strain by Guillermo del Toro
The Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman

~ Allison, Adult Services

Graphic Novels for People Who Don't Read Graphic Novels

I recently had the opportunity to butt my nosy self into a conversation two co-workers were having about graphic novels. Bill, who reads all sorts of superhero comics, was attempting to explain their appeal to Michelle, who has no experience with or interest in graphic novels. It wasn't going well.

"It's like being 8 again," said Michelle, obviously not interested in indulging her inner child.

"No," said Bill, "some of them are really quite grown up."

Michelle remained skeptical, so I jumped into Bill's corner. "It's a hugely varied format," I argued. "I bet I could find some things that you'd like: graphic novels for people who don't read graphic novels."

Mirdza, another librarian, popped her head out of her cubicle and into the conversation like an eavesdropping prairie dog. "I'd like to see that list! I've read bits of graphic novels I've liked but never knew where to start."

Thank goodness for Mirdza, because Michelle was having none of it. She let out a bit of good-natured grumbling and went back to work. I shifted my lecturing to Mirdza, not wanting to waste a good head of pedantic steam.

"It's important to remember that graphic novels are a format like DVDs or audiobooks, not a genre like fantasy or mystery. Just as one may make a DVD about any number of subjects, a graphic novel can deliver memoir or journalism as easily as it delivers a superhero story."

Somewhere during those opening remarks Bill slipped out of the workroom and Mirdza sat back down, pretending I wasn't there. I've worked here long enough that folks understand they must sometimes ignore me if they're to get anything done. Like any dumb beast, I'll eventually forget what I was doing and wander away.

But my failures as an ambassador don't change the fact that there are all sorts of great graphic novels being published these days! All the superheroes you remember are still around and are still lots of fun, but that's just the tip of the iceberg. Here's a short list of suggestions for a variety of readers.

For the memoir fan:

Special Exits by Joyce Farmer
The author unflinchingly relates her attempts to care for her elderly parents as their physical and mental health deteriorates. Bring tissues.

Or Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

For the non-fiction reader:

Palestine by Joe Sacco
Groundbreaking journalism hidden away in the graphic novel section. Sacco shows us a uniquely personal view of the Palenstinian people.

Or Students for a Democratic Society: A Graphic Adaptation by Harvey Pekar

For the sci-fi fan:

Saga by Brian K. Vaughan
Vaughan was a big name in comics before he ever wrote for TV on Lost. His new sci-fi series is equal parts epic space opera and intimate family story.

Or Finder: Voice by Carla Speed McNeil

For the foodie:

Oishinbo by Tetsu Kariya
A manga series whose thin plot is little more than an excuse for some expertly-drawn and highly informative discussion of Japanese cuisine.

Or Get Jiro! by Anthony Bourdain

For the fantasy fan:

I Kill Giants by Joe Kelly
A young girl escapes troubles at home by losing herself in a terrifyingly real fantasy life.

Or Conan by Roy Thomas.

For the artist:

Building Stories by Chris Ware
An experiment in form from an established master. Ware's work is always expertly composed, great to look at, and full of soul-crushing ennui and isolation.

Or Asterios Polyp by David Mazzucchelli

For the mystery/thriller fan:

Blacksad by Juan Diaz Canales
A collection of classic noir private eye stories in which the detective happens to be an anthropomorphic cat. Great art, atmosphere, and tough guy antics.

Or Queen and Country by Greg Rucka

For those interested in a fiction with religious themes:

Buddha by Osamu Tezuka
Tezuka's so important to Japanese comics that it's ridiculous to pick just one of his titles, but his tale of the founding of Buddhism is a personal favorite.

Or Habibi by Craig Thompson


I'll end there, as I have to end somewhere. Did I not address a genre or topic you're interested in? Did I not name a graphic novel you'd love to see more people read? Speak up in the comments!

~Andrew

Best Seller Read-Alikes for the Week of October 21st

Can’t wait to get your hands on the latest best-seller, but the hold list is too long? To tide you over, every week we’ll offer similar titles and authors to the week’s fiction and nonfiction best sellers.

Fiction

At #1 this week in fiction is J.K. Rowling's much-anticipated novel The Casual Vacancy. Rowling's first venture into adult fiction centers on the small English village of Pagford and begins with the sudden death of a councilman. The empty seat on the council set off a fierce fight between the haves and the have-nots, the differing cultures and between the generations of Pagford. A darkly humorous satire, Rowling explores the far less magical battles between good and evil in small-town life. 

Books similar to Rowling's The Casual Vacancy include:

A False Sense of Well Being by Jeanne Braselton - After eleven years of marriage, thirty-eight-year-old Jessie Maddox finds herself in the middle of a midlife crisis as she begins to experience a number of dark fantasies about her husband's untimely end. Black humor suffuses Jessie's attempts to explain and alleviate her boredom as she confides in other women and finally return to her hometown in Alabama, searching for some kind of comfort.

Below Stairs:  The Classic Kitchen Maid's Memoir that Inspired 'Upstairs, Downstairs' by Margaret Powell (Biog. Powell)- A memoir written by a kitchen maid in 1920's England, detailing the daily drudgery of domestic service, the inequities between social classes and the dynamic between the family of the house and those who served them. Powell writes with unsentimental wit and bluntness that is refreshing and entertaining.

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson - Set in the small British village of Edgecombe St. Mary, where Major Ernest Pettigrew (retired) leads a quiet life until his brother's death sparks an unexpected friendship with Mrs. Jasmina Ali, the Pakistani shopkeeper from the village. Drawn together by their shared love of literature and the loss of their respective spouses, the Major and Mrs. Ali soon find their friendship blossoming into something more. But will their relationship survive in a society that considers Ali a foreigner? An engaging love story that explores the social and politcal boundaries of small-town life.

Click here for more fiction bestsellers... 

Nonfiction

At #1 in non-fiction is Killing Kennedy: The End of Camelot, Bill O'Reilly & Michael Dugard's follow-up to their bestseller detailing President Lincoln's assassination (Killing Lincoln: The Shocking Assassination that Changed America Forever). O'Reilly and Dugard take the same route here, retelling the events leading up to the assassination of President Kennedy and how the event affected the nation and the world.

Books similar to Killing Kennedy include:

Reclaiming History: The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy by Vincent Bugliosi (973.922092 BUG) - Best known as the prosecutor of the Manson murders, Bugliosi presents a thorough analysis of the assassination of JFK and its surrounding conspiracy theories draws on forensic evidence, key witness testimonies, and other sources to explain what really happened and why conspiracy theories have become so popularized.

Jack Kennedy, Elusive Hero by Chris Matthews (Biog. Kennedy) - Based on interviews with some of his closest associates, Matthew creates a portrait of the thirty-fifth president, discussing his privileged childhood, military service, struggles with a life-threatening disease, and career in politics. More thoughtful that shocking, this biography delves deeper into the personal life of JFK.

The Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Medicine, Madness and the Murder of a President by Candice Millard (973.84 MIL) - A narrative account of James Garfield's political career offers insight into his background as a scholar and Civil War hero, his battles against the corrupt establishment, and Alexander Graham Bell's failed attempt to save him from an assassin's bullet.

Click here for more nonfiction bestsellers ...

If you'd like more recommendations, stop by the Recommendations Desk on the first floor, check out NoveList Plus on the library's website, or visit W. 11th & Bluff next week for more reading suggestions. Or submit a Personal Recommendations request, and we'll create a reading list just for you!