DC Public Library discussion

Halloween is right around the corner! Anyone have any horror to recommend? Any fans of the genre?

I LOVE psychological thrillers and cerebral horror, and I also like a lot of dystopian scenarios.

However, things that mess with the human body (like intentional deformities or lobotomies (Geek Love), human centipedes, and forced organ transplants(Unwind)) are too scary, or the wrong kind of scary, for me.

What kind of horror do you like? What books would you recommend?

Some of my favorites:
The Walking Dead, Book One
The Passage -- the sequel is coming soon!
Horns

I am a fan of Sara Gran and just quickly read her book Come Closer - which was terrifying!!!! Different than her other detective thriller murder mystery books. Also it was a super super quick read - maybe took me an hour or a bit more. The premise is a young woman who realizes she is becoming possessed by a demon named Naama - and it is impacting her work and home environment. It was so freaking scary but didn't get super gross really.

Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi is more dystopian sci-fi adventure, than horror/thriller but it has a creepy, edgy, graphic and suspense-filled storyline.

Maria wrote: "Halloween is right around the corner! Anyone have any horror to recommend? Any fans of the genre? ...."

What perfect timing Maria! I was planning on a Things That Go Bump in the Night theme for the October book discussion. The book list I've been working on is a little light on true horror because that isn't a genre I read very often (I'm a total wuss), so I'll be sure to add some of these.

Thanks for the recommendations!
Bobbie, it looks like DCPL doesn't have Come Closer, which I wanted to order and read! Is Claire DeWitt and the City of the Dead good too?

I'm thinking of reading some Stephen King this month-- either the The Shiningor The Stand. I absolutely loved 11/22/63, but it wasn't exactly scary. More of a suspenseful love story.

Maria - I read Come Closer when I was visiting Denver Public Library...too bad we don't have it! Claire DeWitt and the City of the Dead is the first Sara Gran book I read and I LOVE it. It is a mystery with elements of the supernatural but it isn't really horror? Read it anyway!

I know it's a book for younger readers, but The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman is a great spooky read. Gaiman's inspiration for the book was to write the Jungle Book only set in a graveyard. The first line follows suit too. "There was a hand in the darkness, and it held a knife." Awesome.

Here are a few lists of scary books I came across:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mark-e-...

http://www.flavorwire.com/337538/10-t...

Slice of Cherry

A coming of age tale, but not for the faint of heart. While this tale is aimed at the YA crowd, the complex and dark nature of this story is definitely for mature audiences only.
A lot of kids want to follow in their parent’s footsteps, but when your father is a convicted serial killer, it makes your situation…difficult?
But not for sisters, Kit and Fancy Cordelle. They are used to feeling like outsiders, and that’s just the way they like it. But in Portero, where the weird and wild run rampant, the Cordelle sisters are hardly the oddest or most dangerous creatures around.
Certain that they have learned from their father’s mistakes, and with a guaranteed fail safe, these girls start off with mutilation, but aren’t satisfied for long. Sisterly squabbles, growing pains, boys, and their mother work to thwart their murderous prospects. As the sister’s are forced to interact with society, they develop a perverted sense of right and wrong. So, of course, the sisters decide not to kill just anyone, only the people who truly deserve it. And embark on a sort of justified homicide quest. But the girls have learned from the mistakes of their father, and know that a shred of evidence could get them caught.
Full of tension and a dark sense of self, this is a great read, for those that can get past the gore.

Lesley Mason
Children/Teen Librarian