UK Book Club discussion

So time to gather round a roaring fire for a ghost story before winter ends. It's horror/gothic/ghost stories for March. Hmmm I will dig around my to read list and see what's lurking.

Anyone doing the round the world challenge and want to hit two challenges with one book?I really recommend Dark Matter by Michelle Paver, a decidedly chilling tale (in more ways than one) set in the arctic.

I didn't think I had much to suit this genre on my to read list, but I was wrong! Once again spoilt for choice. I could go for: The Historian, House of Leaves, I Am Legend, The Passage, Misery, The Anatomy of Ghosts, Florence & Giles, Dolly, Dark Echo.

Decisions, decisions.... Now if I could find something either set in a country I haven't visited yet, or a state I need to add, that would help my decision making...

House of leaves is a really strange and highly demanding book. I've attempted it once, and I intend to attempt it again some day. It's like... nothing else, really! I recommend it with the caveat that you should have a clear head and a clear schedule. It is not a casual read!

Leni wrote: "House of leaves is a really strange and highly demanding book. I've attempted it once, and I intend to attempt it again some day. It's like... nothing else, really! I recommend it with the caveat t..."

That's probably why it's stayed on my to read list for years!!!

I have a few books with short ghost stories:


Or I could read:

I just finished The Woman in White. I should have saved it for March. Then again, I've been meaning to read The Castle of Otranto, and I do need a book written in the 1700s for another challenge. Hm. Why am I talking myself into joining yet another challenge? I haven't even started the medieval book for the Time Traveller challenge yet! And then, in April there will be yet another genre, and another era to read books from. lol Then again, Castle Otranto is a short read, so I might as well. I'm also currently reading Lady Audley's Secret, which certainly has some gothic elements.

I forgot to ask, can I jump in mid-challenge? Or do I have to catch up on all the genres you've read already? o_0

I've got a couple to choose from; The Mist in the Mirror, a ghost story by Susan Hill, The Deep by Nick Cutter, The Phantom Of The Opera by Gaston Leroux.

Gwyl Dewi Sant hapus

I read Beloved for American Classics last month so that's out, but I have a long-term freebie that's awaiting one of the Yorkshire Ridings, Thores-Cross. Other long-term unreads are The Little Stranger, 314, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Breaking Dawn, Linked, Dark Realms, The Crowsmoor Curse, beats per minute, Bad Radio, Affinities, Dark Season: The Complete First Series, Panic, and Endings. The last named two are zombie novels and this month could turn into The Month of the Unread.

I enjoyed The Woman in White. The Turn of the Screw is another excellent classic ghost story.

I think I'm going to be reading The Woman in White for this month. I've just finished reading House of Leaves and while it is interesting I'm not sure I would recommend it as such. It walks a fine line between parodying a pretentious writing style and actually being pretentious.

Leni wrote: "I forgot to ask, can I jump in mid-challenge? Or do I have to catch up on all the genres you've read already? o_0"

Just jump in.

You could read by Sarah Waters or maybe by Stewart O'Nan.

I really like the sound of the latter so will most likely go for that.

All good suggestions so far but how's this for some quick decision making: The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories by Angela Carter - it looks suitably gothic to me!

I love Angela Carter. I love her take on Red Riding Hood. She also combined several of the stories in that collection into the screenplay for the cult movie "The Company of Wolves". <3 I want to read Angela Carter now... *sigh*

Good choice, Em ;) The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories is one my favourites. I think you'll enjoy it.

Laura, thanks for your opinion on House of Leaves, I think I may put it back on the pile and read something else this time around....

Mercia, I really enjoyed The Picture of Dorian Gray. The 1940's (?) film version is surprisingly creepy too...

Sarah Water's The Little Stranger is good too.

I have from the library and also ready to read. if I can manage anything else that will be good as I enjoy horror month.

The Loney's on my to read list too. Tempted to join you.

I went and ordered myself Angela Carter's collected short stories, . Not that I have time to read them this month! lol

I should take the opportunity to read as well as Castle Otranto.

And, of course, this challenge is the perfect excuse to re-read some Lovecraft. (What can I say, I like classic horror.) But... I'm already reading three other books and need to start my Time Traveller Challenge book!

Assuming that paranormal counts I've read Annie Bellet's Justice Calling or more accurately let the Google Play app read it out to me. It a freebie designed to get you to buy into the series, but there is not a great deal here in this very short novel. It is about a small town in America with a high level of shifters (wereanimals) and a sorcerer Jade Crow, who is the star of the series. Although I know Annie from online conversations, I'm not tempted to read more in the series.

A Prayer for the Dying was less a traditional horror story more a wonderfully written dark horrific tale set in rural Wisconsin just after the US Civil War. It was a great read and the very unusual second person narrative voice really draws you right into the drama. My favourite read of 2016 so far. Full review below:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show....

Liz wrote: "The Loney's on my to read list too. Tempted to join you."

I plan to read it over easter so i can enjoy the shivers.

was good, scary twins and a ghostly theme. also gets a new Scottish county.

Not doing too well with my next two: I abandoned because it was a bit too linked into having the big names of the angelic world in a contemporary ghost story with a mouthy MC and so not my scene. Then turned out to be a series of historical short stories given a reincarnation topping and tailing, so wasn't going back from the afterlife as I thought, but reflecting on past lives. So I moved that novel to the Medieval challenge instead as 2 of the 4 shorts are medieval.
Still ploughing through , which is good, but taking me time because its on the Kobo which is the kitchen device and so I tend to read other books quicker and of late have been using Scribd and Google Play Books to listen to books in the kitchen -naughty me.

Well, I've read The Castle of Otranto. It was definitely gothic, decidedly a ghost story, and certainly had some scenes of horror. It also wasn't at all scary. In fact, it was like a Vincent Price movie directed by Terry Gilliam and with the plot twists of a telenovela. I was tremendously entertained the hours it took me to read it, but I can't let it stand as my only read for this genre. Onwards to Le Fanu. Or to re-read some Lovecraft.

Probably not going to get round to reading The Woman in White as I've got too much to read at the moment so instead I've read the short graphic novel. A Sickness in the Family. It has some good ideas but it doesn't really explore them as well as it could and the characters aren't developed particularly well. The drawing style was also not really my cup of tea either.

I think I'm going to try

I went with Carmilla instead of Uncle Silas. Both because it's shorter, and I have too many long reads going on, and because Vampires! I'm a bit awed that he managed to get away with a lesbian vampire, not just before it was a trope, but before people even really admitted that lesbian sexuality existed. Actually, maybe that's how he got away with it.

Oh, and my daughter had me read to her. I'm not adding it my read books, but it does fit the challenge. :D

I went for The Greatcoat - Helen Dunmore, about a young doctor's wife in the early 1950's who gets involved with the ghost of an RAF pilot killed in the war. Not particularly scary which is good because I'm a total wimp. Also got me East Riding of Yorkshire for the UK counties challenge.

I've finally made up my mind and ordered Misery from the library. Handily, it will also give me Colorado for the US challenge :)

Leni wrote: "Oh, and my daughter had me read Ghosthunters and the Gruesome Invincible Lightning Ghost! to her. I'm not adding it my read books, but it does fit the challenge. :D .."

Strangely enough, we've just had a bedtime story book that fits the genre too: The Children of Green Knowe, is set in a castle haunted by the children that lived there 400 years ago. Lovely book. Just finished it yesterday.

Just finished The Phantom of the Opera which I enjoyed more than I thought I would. Shouldn't have read about the yellow eyes glowing in the dark just before I went to bed though!

Kate, I'm reading The Phantom of the Opera at the moment too and most enjoyable it is. A Victorian guilty pleasure!

I found it lurking in the recesses of my Kindle. Thought I'd read it while I wait for Misery to come from the library (which is taking AGES....).

The Phantom of the Opera was totally ridiculous, but surprisingly readable. Finally starting Misery.... 'I'm your number one fan!'

Liz wrote: "The Phantom of the Opera was totally ridiculous, but surprisingly readable. Finally starting Misery.... 'I'm your number one fan!' "

Ha ha yes I thought it was a bit silly at times Liz. But as you say it was readable and I thought it was quite humorous in places too. I read Misery last time we had Madness month. I'd never read a Stephen King before. I'd be keen to read more of his if they weren't horror stories!

Kate, have you tried The Green Mile by King? I've always avoided his books because I'm not a horror fan but I loved this. Not scary at all.
I've got Misery on my shelf waiting to be read but I keep putting it off in case my husband is lying when he says it's not scary :)

No I haven't read that Caroline. Thanks for the recommendation. Your husband is right, Misery isn't scary its just really tense!

Kate (Trojanhorse) wrote: "No I haven't read that Caroline. Thanks for the recommendation. Your husband is right, Misery isn't scary its just really tense!"

Cheers for that. His idea of scary and mine are very different so I'm never sure whether to trust his judgement. I might move it up the TBR a bit.

I also enjoyed The Phantom of the Opera many years ago. I'm currently slow reading Ghost Stories by Henry James.

I borrowed Alfred Hitchcock Presents: Stories That Scared Even Me for this challenge and have just read Guide to Doom by Ellis Peters which was very clever and very chilling. I chose that one out of curiosity having read a few Cadfaels by her but I'm not sure I can face any more from the collection! Horror isn't a genre I enjoy! As I've already read The Phantom of the Opera I think I've done enough this month!

Finishing the month off with Shirley Jackson, not read her before although heard her creepy short story The lottery on the new Yorker podcast last year so looking forward to a chiller.

Just squeaked in before the end of the month with John Harwood's The Asylum. Victorian gothic horror, with insane asylums, mistaken identity, wills, elopements, and all the rest of it. A solid four stars for me (reviewed it here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...) - not scary in the blood-and-gore sense, but he manages a subtler feeling of horror as the poor heroine tries to figure out who she is...

Not my sort of thing as a matter of routine, but I'm glad I read it.

Kate (Trojanhorse) wrote: "I think I'm going to try "

I love this book sooooo much. If you like it check out Leroux's other works, particularly the horror. Scared the bejesus out of me.

Caroline wrote: "Kate, have you tried The Green Mile by King? I've always avoided his books because I'm not a horror fan but I loved this. Not scary at all.
I've got Misery on my shelf wa..."

Misery has a lot of suspense but I wouldn't say it was scary. Disturbing yes - scary no. Christine gives me the hebeejeebies though.

Andrew wrote: "Finishing the month off with Shirley Jackson..."

I enjoyed that one. I'd describe it more as deeply strange rather than truly scary....

Just finished Misery and would definitely recommend it. Gruesome at times and tense. A real page-turner..... and surprisingly funny in places - the pastiche historical romance! Steven King must have had a blast writing those sections.

T. K. Elliott wrote: "Just squeaked in before the end of the month with John Harwood's The Asylum. Victorian gothic horror, with insane asylums, mistaken identity, wills, elopements, and all the rest of ..."

Sounds fun! I have his book, The Seance, on my to read list.

just finished Kindred Spirits: Tower of London by Jennifer C Wilson an unusual ghost story but what a brilliant idea...all the people ever executed in the tower haunting the place and becoming friends with each other.