It figures that a book about people who are happy in their isolation would resonate with me. Shirley Jackson’s self proclaimed “paean to agoraphobia” gives of a sense of unease even during what should be the most mundane domestic scenes. Mary Katherine “Merricat” Blackwood, her sister Constance and their ailing uncle Julian are the surviving members of a once prestigious family. The surviving Blackwoods are hated and ridiculed by the surrounding villagers due to an incident which resulted in the death of Merricat and […]
Bow down
How the fuck did I get to my thirties without having read Shirley Jackson!? I feel like my teachers, parents, and book-loving friends have all let me down by not foisting her writing upon me. I feel like most people read The Lottery in school, but for some reason I didn’t have it assigned to me. Shame on my teachers! We Have Always Lived in the Castle is creepy as hell. Merricat lives with her sister Constance and ailing Uncle Julian in the large estate […]
For the night is dark and full of shadows
This is volume 3 in an ongoing story arc and really won’t make much sense to anyone beginning the series here. Start at the beginning with Vol 1: Welcome to Lovecraft. The three half-orphaned Locke children, Tyler, Kinsey and Bode, have already gone through so much horror and heartbreak, and it doesn’t seem to be letting up any time soon. Their mother is becoming less dependable, as she’s gradually descending further into alcoholism and madness, aggravated by the evil spirit haunting their lives. Kinsey is […]
I Promise I Tried With This One
Sometimes, a book shows up and you read it knowing full well it isn’t for you. This, friends, is one of those books. I’m participating in Book Riot’s Read Harder Challenge again this year since I’m usually looking for an excuse to read something different and I have been trying to expand my tastes. One of the challenges, number one in fact, is to read a horror book. Fear was struck into my heart because I don’t even watch horror movies, let alone read horror […]
A quick, creepy read that was just a bit sobering for me
Another day, another Mitchell! I bought Slade House not long after I finished The Bone Clocks because I didn’t want to stop living in Mitchell’s world. It ended up being the perfect accompaniment to Bone Clocks, almost like a side note into the world of Atemporals, souls who are able to live on for centuries in different bodies. Described as a “haunted house” book, Mitchell exercises his horror writing skills in describing Slade House, which is hidden behind a small black iron door down a narrow, winding alley. Nathan Bishop, […]
This book will chew you up and spit you out
What the fuck did I just read? I think I liked it? It definitely kept me guessing, that’s for sure. This book isn’t for the faint hearted. There’s lots of gore, violence, and even a little horror. I wouldn’t say it was a scary book per se, but a lot of crazy shit happens in The Library at Mount Char. The narrative flits back and forth between the main character, Carolyn, as an adult and as a child. As a child her parents were killed […]