Classic Horror Lovers discussion

I started doing a personal reading challenge three years ago in the month of October. I try to read mostly or only horror/scary/dark fantasy novels for the month of October.

If you're interested in participating, feel free to sign up.

Rules:
1. Select and read books that fall into the categories of scary or horror fiction for the month of October, October 1-31st. They don't have to be classic horror. Anthologies and short stories count.
2. Post your reading progress here.
3. If you select your books ahead of time, please feel free to list what books you plan on reading.
4. Winners get a pat on the back in congratulations.

I started doing this last October! It's a great idea.

Last October I read:

"The October Country" by Ray Bradbury
"Books of Blood: Volume 3" by Cliver Barker
"The Mist" by Stephen King
"The Dreams in the Witch House and Other Weird Stories" by H. P. Lovecraft
"Collected Ghost Stories" by M. R. James

I think I'll definitely try to do the same for this October. I'll have to have a think on what I'm going to read for it though...

Great, Simon. It's lots of fun. I look forward to seeing what you're reading. I have a partial list already, but I'm sure it will be longer than I actually have time to read. :)

I will definitely be doing it anyway apparently, since horror or dark fantasy is mostly all I read! But I will post a list here closer to October.
I am always excited for October, since it's when I can record tons of classic horror movies on my DVR! :)

Oh, me too. It seems like they don't show as many horror movies as they used to, though.

Good idea! I will get my list ready! :)

Crap, umm, I'll have to pick up some Stephen King from the library at school, all of mine is at my mother's house. I might re-read Dracula. I LOVE that book. Hi Amani!

Laura wrote: "Crap, umm, I'll have to pick up some Stephen King from the library at school, all of mine is at my mother's house. I might re-read Dracula. I LOVE that book. Hi Amani!"

I've been wanting to re-read Dracula myself. And then I want to check out Dracula: The Undead that was written my Stoker's nephew, Dacre. I haven't heard alot of positive stuff about it, but I'm curious.

My October reading list is going to looks something like this:

The Parasite by Ramsey Campbell
The Dead of Night: The Ghost Stories of Oliver Onions
The Night Land by William Hope Hodgson

Last year in October I read:

The Keep by F. Paul Wilson
Mystery Walk, Robert McCammon
The Reckoning, Sarah Pinborough
Halloween: An American Holiday, an American History, Lesley Pratt Bannerman

This year, I don't know yet! I have The Strain, but I already started it and will probably finish before Halloween. Definitely some short stories.

Dreamcatcher
Dracula.
I'll figure out others after I go get xrays for my finger.

I think I might participate in this, as well. I love horror of all types. I shall prepare a list.

Hmmm....I tend to plan for more than I can actually do in a specific period of time, but lets see...

Dracula by Bram Stoker
The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty
Monster Island by David Wellington
Night In Lonesome October by Richard Laymon
Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
The Kult by Shaun Jeffrey
Dark Water by Kuji Suzuki

Danielle's 3rd Annual October Scare Fest
Duration: October 1-October 31st
Reading Selections
Unnatural Selection by Tim Lebbon
The Nightmare and Other Tales of Dark Fantasy by Francis Stevens
Tales from a Gaslit Graveyard by Hugh Lamb
Bone Song by John Meaney
Bonechiller by Graham McNamee
The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
The Canterville Ghost by Oscar Wilde
Hex and the City by Simon R. Green

Lady Danielle "The Book Huntress" wrote: "Danielle's 3rd Annual October Scare Fest
Duration: October 1-October 31st
Reading Selections
Unnatural Selection by Tim Lebbon
[book:The Nightmare and Other Tales of Dark Fantasy..."

And I thought I was hoping for a big month! lol
Good luck! :)

Thanks! Fingers crossed. :)

That's an awesome list, Danielle!

I've yet to make my list, but I know that Dead Man's Song and Something Wicked This Way Comes will be on it.

I'm also considering Bone Song and Agents of Light and Darkness.

Dreamcatcher And what ever the school library can cough up.

Jason, I think you will find Agents of Light and Darkness to be creepy enough for a Halloween Month read. I hope to read Ghost Road Blues too, if I have time.

I am considering ordering Something Wicked This Way Comes, Ghost Road Blues, or Dark Harvest for the Halloween feel. But I still haven't decided!

My definite list so far is:
In Silent Graves by Gary A. Braunbeck
A Choir of Ill Children by Tom Piccirilli
Count Magnus & Other Ghost Stories by Montague Rhodes James
Teatro Grottesco by Thomas Ligotti

That's a good list, Martha. I'll look for your reviews.

Unfortunately, (or fortunately, I'm not sure) I went to Half Price Books the other day to trade in a few stinkers and I found way too many books to buy. I only earned a few dollars in trade ins, but I spent way more. So no Halloween-themed books this year. Oops!

That's too bad, Martha. I've been trying to stay out of HPB. I get in trouble. But then, there's Amazon.com. :(

I work at a bookstore and between my discount and we do sell used and remaindered books, I have to be strong not to spend my whole paycheck here on books! lol

I imagine, Kathy!

It's dangerous! lol

I'm dangerous around Amazon. I don't even want to look at that other book store you guys mentioned!

It's an addiction Jason. My "cart" at Amazon tends to sit with a few books in it till I can afford to order. (I wait till I can send for enough to get the "free shipping") I also haunt a couple of used book stores here in Nashville...and also some new book stores. Have I listed my favorite quote here?

To wit:
"When I get a little money I buy books; and if any is left I buy food and clothes" Desiderius Erasmus.

Like I said, an addiction. :) (LOL)

Great quote, Mike! That's one of my favorites! So true, so true! lol

Very true indeed!

It's ok, I still have the 4 I listed for October. Just can't order more Halloween-themed books. I should know better by now than to go to HPB!

Martha, why don't you just count regular horror/dark fantasy books? They count.

I've just bought Lisey's Story and Heart-Shaped Box, so they might be my next ones. Something Wicked this Way Comes is the choice of one of the other groups I'm a member of and I really want to read it but it's finding the time! I'm about a third of the way through another groups book so then it's decision time. Has anyone got any suggestions as to which i should try next?

Louisa, If you want a quicker read, I just finished The Picture of Dorian Gray. I thought it was very good.

Update: 10/5
Completed 1/10
Danielle's 3rd Annual October Scare Fest
Duration: October 1-October 31st
Reading Selections
Unnatural Selection by Tim Lebbon
The Nightmare and Other Tales of Dark Fantasy by Francis Stevens
Tales from a Gaslit Graveyard by Hugh Lamb
Bone Song by John Meaney
Bonechiller by Graham McNamee
The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde 10/2
Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
The Canterville Ghost by Oscar Wilde
Hex and the City by Simon R. Green

Lady Danielle "The Book Huntress" wrote: "Louisa, If you want a quicker read, I just finished The Picture of Dorian Gray. I thought it was very good."
Much to my shame as an Englishwoman, I've never read an Oscar Wilde novel, I might just read it in October. However, I'm thinking about Lisey's Story as it's ages since I read a Stephen King novel, in fact it's over eight years (stopped reading him when I was pregnant with my son).

Hey, don't feel bad. There are a lot of American classic authors I haven't read. It will be there when you're ready to read it.

Lady Danielle "The Book Huntress" wrote: "Hey, don't feel bad. There are a lot of American classic authors I haven't read. It will be there when you're ready to read it."

I've read alot of the American classic authors, I studied American Literature at college for both for my BA and MA. Read my first Edith Wharton only last year and I only read Grapes of Wrath last month, so you're right it'll be there waiting for me!

Hi Louisa, I'm not English...but in noted in my review of TPoDG that I'd been meaning to read it for 40+ years and only got around to it last month. It happens to us all, especially with the "classics".

Confession: I've never read Moby Dick, but don't tell anyone...

I tried to read Moby Dick once. All I have to say is, never again!

Well, I've run on people with both opinions and ....I really hate to say this.... I liked the movie. (grimace)

I think reading Billy Budd was about as much Melville as I care to read...

I'm told Moby Dick is better...but obviously don't know. :) LOL

I love Moby Dick, but it's sure not for everyone. It's a very eccentric novel.

Very much so. I could not get into Moby Dick, no matter how much I wanted to.

Right, thus far my October Scare Fest is looking something like this:

Ring by Koji Suzuki. Read already. Not really classic horror but still horror.

The Parasite by Ramsey Campbell. Read already. Again, not classic horror but still...

The Night Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko. Reading at the moment. Not classic, perhaps not even horror really; more dark/urban fantasy.

The Night Land by William Hope Hodgson. To read next. Definitely classic although as to whether it's more dark fantasy than horror I will have to find out.

In between these novels I am interspersing short stories from the collection The Dead of Night: The Ghost Stories of Oliver Onions.

That should see me through to the end of the month anyway.

Sounds like a good list, Simon. I have a mix of classic and modern horror, and dark fantasy.

Update: 10/14
Completed 6/10
Danielle's 3rd Annual October Scare Fest
Duration: October 1-October 31st
Reading Selections
Unnatural Selection by Tim Lebbon 10/13
The Nightmare and Other Tales of Dark Fantasy by Francis Stevens
Tales from a Gaslit Graveyard by Hugh Lamb 10/4
Bone Song by John Meaney 10/7
Bonechiller by Graham McNamee
The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde 10/2
Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson 10/14
The Canterville Ghost by Oscar Wilde
Hex and the City by Simon R. Green 10/7

I don't know how to do the cross-out thing. I feel so dumb saying that!! But wow, Danielle, you've really done well so far!

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