paced reading horror and thrillers discussion

Hi everyone,

I'll get the ball rolling for our challenges with the A-Z. I know a few of you enjoyed this over the last couple of years and you can do either books, authors or both.

Have fun and don't worry about the harder letters, just include them in the title.

This is my spot.

27/27

#The 45% Hangover 5* 17/5
AAbandon 4* 26/12
BBirthdays for the Dead 5* 13/1
CClose to the Bone 4.5* 11/5
DThe Devil's Detective 4* 2/5
EThe Elementals 4/5* 9/10
F The Flesh Market 4* 31/1
GThe Girl on the Glider 5* 3/5
HHarrison Squared 4.5* 20/2
IThe Ice Twins 4* 27/4
JJacked 3* 25/11
KKrabat 3.5* 9/5
LLittle Dead Red 4* 17/59
MMidnight Solitaire 4* 14/2
NNight Show 4.5* 2/3
OOmerion: 4* 25/11
PPoisoning Eros Book I & II 3.5* 2/9
QQuicksand House 4* 30/12
RThe Rising 4* 21/8
SSlowly We Rot 4* 29/2
TTo Wake the Dead 2* 22/7
UUnit 731 4* 25/2
VVision in Silver 5* 30/12
WWe Have Always Lived in the Castle 4* 15/2
XStrange Sex 3* 11/12 (Title has X in it)
YThe Yellow Globe 1* 29/12
ZZom-B Underground 3.5* 28/12

Thanks Kate!!! Love this challenge.

Some ideas...I may try to do an a-z for anthologies, too, there's so many I want to read. I've merged the anthos into the general list, didn't look like I was going to make much progress on the second list! Maybe next year...

27/27 Woohoo, all finished!

# - 14 by Peter Clines ★★★★☆ 2/19
A - Antique Dust: Ghost Stories by Robert Westall 4.5* 2/24
B - Birthdays for the Dead by Stuart MacBride ★★★★★ 1/18
C - The Calm Before the Swarm: A Novella by Michael McBride ★★★★☆ 1/3
D - Dying Light by Stuart MacBride ★★☆☆☆ 3/9
E - Experimental Film by Gemma Files ★★★★★ 2/14
F - The Flesh Market by Richard Wright ★★★☆☆ 1/19
G - The Girl on the Glider by Brian Keene ★★★★★ 3/4
H - House on Fire by Arch Oboler ★★★☆☆ 1/16
I - The Ice Twins by S.K. Tremayne ★★☆☆☆ 4/16
J - Judas Goat by Greg Gifune ★★★★★ 5/17
K - Kingdom of Shadows by Greg Gifune ★★★★★ 4/20
L - Little Girls by Ronald Malfi ★★★☆☆ 2/12
M - The Magpies by Mark Edwards ★★☆☆☆ 6/5
N - Nocturnes by John Connolly ★★★★★ 1/31
O - Oasis of the Damned by Greg Gifune ★★★☆☆ 4/22
P - Pennies for the Damned by Edward Lorn ★★★★★ 7/7
Q - The Queen of Bedlam by Robert McCammon ★★★★★ 3/3
R - Ratman's Notebooks by Stephen Gilbert ★★★★☆ 3/22
S - A Song for the Dying by Stuart McBride ★★★★☆ 1/25
T - Toplin by Michael McDowell ★★★★☆ 2/3
U - Unit 731 by Craig Saunders ★★★★☆ 7/5
V - The Visible Filth by Nathan Ballingrud ★★★★★ 4/18
W - The Woman by Jack Ketchum ★★★★☆ 1/19
X - X's For Eyes by Laird Barron ★★★★☆ 1/11
Y - Yesterday's Gone: Episode 1 by Sean Platt and David Wright ★★★☆☆ 6/2
Z - Zero by Michael McBride ★★★★☆ 1/15

My first A-Z challenge!

26/26

A--ANTIQUE DUST, Robert Westall (4.5*)
B-- The Bazaar of Bad Dreams: Stories, Stephen King (4*)
C--THE CRANE HOUSE, various (5*)
D--THE DEVIL'S WOODS, Brian Moreland (4*)
E--EVIL INTENT, Bernard Taylor (3*)
F--The Flesh Market, Richard Wright (3*)
G--THE GIRL WHO COULDN'T COME UP WITH AN ORIGINAL TITLE, The Behrg (5*)
H--HOUSE ON FIRE, Arch Oboler (3*)
I--THE ICE TWINS, S.K. Tremayne (3*)
J--THE JERSEY DEVIL, Hunter Shea (4.5)
K--THE KING IN YELLOW & OTHER TALES, Robert Chambers (4*)
L--LITTLE SECRETS, Megan Hart (2.5*)
M--THE MOONLIGHT PATH and Other Ghost and Horror Stories, Ambrose Bierce (4*)
N--NIGHTWALK, D. Nathan Hilliard (4*)
O--A Little O chre Book of O ccult Stories, Karl Edward Wagner (4*)
P--PHANTOM EFFECT, Michael Aronovitz (3.5*)
Q--Q: Are we not human? We are corpses! (3.5*)
R--Real Ghosts, Restless Spirits, and Haunted Places, Brad Steiger (3*)
S--STRONG STEPS, Ronald Kelly (4*)
T--TOPLIN, Michael McDowell (4*)
U--UNIT 731, Craig Saunders (4*)
V--THE VAGRANTS (4*)
W--The Wards, Alan Ryker (4*)
X--SI X DEAD SPOTS, Gregor Xane (4*)
Y--YEAR'S BEST HARDCORE HORROR VOLUME 1, various (4.5)
Z--ZERO LIVES REMAINING, Adam Cesare (4.5*)

Yay Kimberly! You'll crush this one no problem.

I'm in!

0/26

A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z

Titles
26/26

A: The Atrocity Archives by Charles Stross - 1/1/16
B: The Black Dahlia by James Ellroy - 2/27/16
C: The Concrete Jungle by Charles Stross - 1/2/16
D: The Deep by Nick Cutter - 4/4/16
E: Empire of Sin: A Story of Sex, Jazz, Murder, and the Battle for Modern New Orleans by Gary Krist 1/31/16
F: The Flesh Market by Richard Wright - 2/26/16
G: The Girl in 6E by A.R. Torre - 3/19/16
H: Hellspawn #1 by Brian Michael Bendis - 1/3/16
I: In Sunshine Bright and Darkness Deep: An Anthology of Australian Horror by Cameron Trost - 2/6/16
J: Johannes Cabal the Necromancer by Jonathan L. Howard - 9/28/16
K: Kane and Abel by Jeffrey Archer - 1/10/16
L: Little Girls by Ronald Malfi - 1/31/16
M: Magic Rises by Ilona Andrews - 1/4/16
N: Naked in Death by J.D. Robb - 5/11/16
O: Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz - 1/18/16
P: Psycho by Robert Bloch - 5/25/16
Q: The Queen of the Damned by Anne Rice - 10/25/16
R: Room by Emma Donoghue - 2/21/16
S: Suspended by Sarah Noffke - 4/18/16
T: The Terror by Dan Simmons - 3/12/16
U: Unseemly by Jason Parent - 2/27/16
V: Valentine Terror Tales: Scary Stories of Dark Romance by Kevin M. Folliard - 8/14/16
W: The Witches: Salem, 1692 by Stacy Schiff - 5/19/16
X: Massacre of the Dreamers: Essays on Xicanisma by Ana Castillo - 5/31/16 (x-xicanisma) (genre isn't mystery, thriller, or horror)
Y: Yeitso by Scott M. Baker - 4/26/16
Z: Zom-B by Darren Shan - 10/15/16

Authors: First or Last Name
22/26

A: Magic Rises by Ilona Andrews - 1/4/16
B: Hellspawn #1 by Brian Michael Bendis - 1/3/16
C: The Deep by Nick Cutter - 4/4/16
D: Room by Emma Donoghue - 2/21/16
E: The Black Dahlia by James Ellroy - 2/27/16
F: Valentine Terror Tales: Scary Stories of Dark Romance by Kevin M. Folliard - 8/14/16
G: Blackout by Mira Grant - 5/22/16
H: The Painted Girl: A story in the world of The Dark Ability by D.K. Holmberg - 5/29/16
I
J: The Witchcraft of Salem Village by Shirley Jackson - 9/15/16
K: Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz - 1/18/16
L: Cold: A Ghostly Tale of Revenge by H.A. Larson - 5/30/16
M: Little Girls by Ronald Malfi - 1/31/16
N: Suspended by Sarah Noffke - 4/18/16
O: The Third Policeman by Flann O'Brien - 5/31/16
P: Unseemly by Jason Parent - 2/27/16
Q
R: Naked in Death by J.D. Robb - 5/11/16
S: The Terror by Dan Simmons - 3/12/16
T: In Sunshine Bright and Darkness Deep: An Anthology of Australian Horror by Cameron Trost - 2/6/16
U
V: Mother Night by Kurt Vonnegut - 8/30/16 (genre isn't mystery, thriller, or horror)
W: The Flesh Market by Richard Wright - 2/26/16
X
Y: The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey - 5/23/16
Z: Whodunnit? Murder on Mystery Island by Anthony E. Zuiker - 5/30/16

This seems like a pretty cool challenge. How does it work? You read a book or a book from a author in alphabetical order?

Adamus wrote: "This seems like a pretty cool challenge. How does it work? You read a book or a book from a author in alphabetical order?"

Hi Adamus!

For this challenge the order in which you read doesn't matter. It is to collect (if you choose the TITLE challenge) titles, each beginning with a letter of the alphabet, until you've read A through Z. Certain letters are difficult, such as X and Q, so if you can find a title that just contains those letters, that's fine too. Some of us choose a slightly different variation on the challenge, choose A-Z authors' names, something like that.

Maxine wrote: "Adamus wrote: "This seems like a pretty cool challenge. How does it work? You read a book or a book from a author in alphabetical order?"

Hi Adamus!

For this challenge the order in which you rea..."

Hey Maxine!!

Thanks for explaining that sounds like a pretty cool challenge. Is there a certain time length on it or is it just whenever you finish?

Adamus wrote: "Maxine wrote: "Adamus wrote: "This seems like a pretty cool challenge. How does it work? You read a book or a book from a author in alphabetical order?"

Hi Adamus!

For this challenge the order i..."

It start on the 1st Jan and ends December 31st so you have all year to complete it. Hope you join in.

I definitely might give this challenge a shot it sounds really interesting so count me in! I have a lot of books from the same authors so I will probably be doing it by name I'm in the a few buddy reads rite now where by next week I will be done with at least 3 or 4 books so then I could make the list

Kimberly wrote: "My first A-Z challenge!

11/26

A
B-- The Bazaar of Bad Dreams: Stories, Stephen King (4*)
C--THE CRANE HOUSE, various (5*)
D--THE DEVIL'S WOODS, Brian Moreland (
E
F--The Flesh Market, Richard Wri..."

Kimberly, you are a beast!

Maxine wrote: "Kimberly wrote: "My first A-Z challenge!

11/26

A
B-- The Bazaar of Bad Dreams: Stories, Stephen King (4*)
C--THE CRANE HOUSE, various (5*)
D--THE DEVIL'S WOODS, Brian Moreland (
E
F--The Flesh Ma..."
Too bad I've read so many that start with the same letters already this year! ;)

Keep a secondary list, you can probably do it twice over!

Maxine wrote: "Keep a secondary list, you can probably do it twice over!"

Hmmmmm.....

Kimberly wrote: "Maxine wrote: "Keep a secondary list, you can probably do it twice over!"

Hmmmmm....."

I bet you'd manage to do it 3 times over, you're a reading machine. ;)

Kate wrote: "Kimberly wrote: "Maxine wrote: "Keep a secondary list, you can probably do it twice over!"

Hmmmmm....."

I bet you'd manage to do it 3 times over, you're a reading machine. ;)"

Yes I could see Kim triple-crushing this one. I've come close to twice over but once I get close to the first once over, I start focusing on other challenges. The Zs, Qs and Xs can be challenging too.

Maxine wrote: "Thanks Kate!!! Love this challenge.

Some ideas...I may try to do an a-z for anthologies, too, there's so many I want to read. I've merged the anthos into the general list, didn't look like I was g..."

Only 5 to go, nice work! :)

I found a handful of novellas with the letters I needed, and I have a few more to go. I've collected far too many Darkfuse novellas, and I can get them kindle unlimited for free, so I'm trying to knock some out!

Some of these are really difficult to come by! Now that it's coming to the final few, I realize that I've read half a dozen "D"'s, etc...and can't find Q, etc!

Kimberly wrote: "Some of these are really difficult to come by! Now that it's coming to the final few, I realize that I've read half a dozen "D"'s, etc...and can't find Q, etc!"

Just pick a title with Q in it, not as the first letter.

Yeah, Q and X are always the hardest, but just pick one with the letter in the title if need be. I think last year I read Quarry. There's also Queen of Blood, The Queen of Bedlam, The Queen of the Damned.

Yaaaay! I finished the title challenge! I'm going to start a second A-Z list, just to keep going!

There's been a lot of overlap and I doubt I'll get another Q or X read in again, but here it goes...

16/27
# -
A - Annihilation by Jeff Vandemeer ★★★★☆ 5/22
B - Burden Kansas by Alan Ryker ★★★☆☆ 4/17
C - Cold Granite by Stuart MacBride ★★★★☆ 1/28
D - The Doorkeepers by Graham Masterson ★★★☆☆ 7/23
E -
F - The Fireman by Joe Hill ★★★★★ 6/9
G - The Great God Pan by Arthur Machen ★★★★★ 11/11
H - The Hoard by Alan Ryker ★★☆☆☆ 5/1
I - In Perpetuity by Tim Lebbon ★★★★☆ 8/25
J - Johannes Cabal the Necromancer by Jonathan L. Howard ★★★★☆ 9/5
K - Kayla and the Devil by Bryan Smith ★★★☆☆ 6/21
L - Lords of Twilight by Greg Gifune ★★★★★ 5/4
M -
N - The Night of the Long Knives by Fritz Leiber ★★★☆☆ 7/9
O -
P -
Q -
R - Revenge by Yoko Ogawa ★★★★☆ 1/26
S - A Song for the Dying by Stuart MacBride ★★★★☆ 1/24
T - Those Who Hunt the Night by Barbara Hambley ★★★★☆ 5/3
U -
V -
W - The Wolf's Hour by Robert McCammon ★★★★★ 4/1
X -
Y -
Z -

Maxine wrote: "Yaaaay! I finished the title challenge! I'm going to start a second A-Z list, just to keep going!"

Nice one, Maxine!! :)

Maxine wrote: "There's been a lot of overlap and I doubt I'll get another Q or X read in again, but here it goes...

GREAT job, Maxine!!! I'm missing three so far, but have SO MANY overlapping ones! The "x" I used "siX dead spots", but otherwise I got the first letters. Still missing O and Q....

Kimberly wrote: "Maxine wrote: "There's been a lot of overlap and I doubt I'll get another Q or X read in again, but here it goes...

GREAT job, Maxine!!! I'm missing three so far, but have SO MANY overlapping ones..."

Yes, since we've been doing this one for at least three years, I've noticed you get to a point, usually around 14 to 16 reads, and then everything is overlap. At the beginning of the year, while I have all my motivation, lol, I try to read the hard letters...also, I've slowed down my reading this year. Last year I think I read over 200 books but I was reading a lot of shorter works and this year I wanted to read longer books, and a lot more sci fi/fantasy...

Kimberly wrote: "My first A-Z challenge!

25/26

A--ANTIQUE DUST, Robert Westall (4.5*)
B-- The Bazaar of Bad Dreams: Stories, Stephen King (4*)
C--THE CRANE HOUSE, various (5*)
D--THE DEVIL'S WOODS, Brian Moreland..."

Nice one, only Q to go!! :)

Kate wrote: "Kimberly wrote: "My first A-Z challenge!

25/26

A--ANTIQUE DUST, Robert Westall (4.5*)
B-- The Bazaar of Bad Dreams: Stories, Stephen King (4*)
C--THE CRANE HOUSE, various (5*)
D--THE DEVIL'S WOOD..."

And I'm going crazy trying to find one!!! LOL!

Just pick a title with Q in it. There's only so much you can do with some of the letters.

Short story freebie - https://smile.amazon.com/Are-Not-Huma...

Kate wrote: "Short story freebie - https://smile.amazon.com/Are-Not-Huma..."

Thanks for that Kate!

Kate wrote: "Short story freebie - https://smile.amazon.com/Are-Not-Huma..."

LOL!!! Thank you--I just added it to my kindle!!! :D

I finished my A-Z title challenge but for authors I have 4 more to go. (I, Q, U, X)

Nice one Rachel. :)

Still have 4 more to do, not sure I'm going to make it.

2 more to go, just V and Q. :D

Kate wrote: "2 more to go, just V and Q. :D"
Just finished thanks to the update on the freebie for Q--Q: Are We Not Human? A: We Are Corpses!

Free, and a short story! Thanks, Kate!

Kimberly wrote: "Free, and a short story! Thanks, Kate!"

No probs, Kimberly.
Was it worth the read?

Woohoo, only 1 more to go. I think I just might make it! :D

Yes, you can! :)

I finished the A-Z books but I put up the white flag for authors, I will not read for books from now to the end of 2016.

RachelvlehcaR wrote: "Yes, you can! :)

I finished the A-Z books but I put up the white flag for authors, I will not read for books from now to the end of 2016."

That's pretty impressive for this year. :)

FINISHED!!! :D

Kate wrote: "Kimberly wrote: "Free, and a short story! Thanks, Kate!"

No probs, Kimberly.
Was it worth the read?"

Actually, quite an interesting concept!