Horror Aficionados discussion

It's hard to believe but 2018 is already halfway over. So many good books have been read and there are so many waiting to be pulled off that enormous TBR pile.

Of the books you've read so far this year, what is your favorite book and why? And what book are you most looking forward to in the second half?

Kill Creek it was so damn good and The Broken Girls it was really good, too.

Oh boy, there are so many that I have liked this year. I don't think I can pick one clear favorite but I do have a few that rise to the top.

The Colorado Kid is one of my faves and it is because of the great characters and just flat out good storytelling.

The Ocean at the End of the Lane was so different and just beautifully written. Gaimen is such a whimsical writer and that style pares so well with tales about childhood.

And I will second The Broken Girls. There are lots of great books out there about the friendship between boys but not so many about girls. This is one of the best books that I have ever read revolving around a group of female childhood friends. There were also several moments that were so creepy that I got chill bumps which doesn't happen to me very often.

A few honorable mentions are The Outsider and The Hunger.

I've got two, one horror/bizarre and the other historical fiction:

and

I'm really looking forward to reading two of the books mentioned above, Kill Creek and The Broken Girls. I'm also looking forward to reading and .

I always have a hard time pinning down just one, plus I've read 84 books already, but I will say my top faves that I've read thus far this year are:

The Fisherman - John Langan's novel absolutely lived up to the hype around it, and is the best Lovecraft-inspired story that did not directly involve the Cthulhu Mythos that I've ever read.

Paperbacks from Hell: The Twisted History of '70s and '80s Horror Fiction - Grady Hendrix is even funnier talking about 'classic' horror books than he is in his own hilarious books.

The Little Stranger - An astounding Gothic ghost story and just phenomenal writing.

Annihilation - This book far exceeded expectations and was highly original and just as brilliant as, albeit very different from, the movie based on it.

The Ritual - Another book that was excellent and compelling, and at least as good as the movie that came out this year (although, again, quite different).

Bird Box - And another novel that exceeded expectations and lived up to the hype that surrounds it.

The Broken Girls - As mentioned above a really fantastic supernatural story that does a great job of bouncing between the 1950s and modern day.

Song of Kali - I finally got to read Dan Simmons' classic novel and am very glad as it was among his best books and creates such an incredible miasmic atmosphere that just sucks you in from beginning to end.

Also really enjoyed:
I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer
Into the Drowning Deep
The Devil Crept In
The Chalk Man
The Death of Mrs. Westaway
Harvest Home

There is going to be more than one book to post - lol!

- continuing series of the Metaframe War - I love this series as I feel like when I read the books I am smack dab in the middle of an action movie! There is nothing more satisfying than being able to gasp for breath with each turn of the page! :)

- Darcy Coates normally doesn't disappoint and this book was creepy.

- just got hooked on this series by Chelsea Cain. I couldn't seem to turn the pages fast enough on this book. So far, this is the best serial killer crime fiction I have read in awhile.

- this was a great book and this was my first book by Hunter Shea too. I loved the action all through the book.

Books I am looking forward too are:

- it is suppose to release sometime this year and continues on with the Metaframe War series.

- the third in the Chelsea Cain series - really looking forward to it after I finish reading the second book.

I think The Ritual has been my favourite new read so far, and I've just finished The Long Walk again and it kicked my ass again.

I've using a random number generator to chose my reads as I have too many on my TBR pile that I keep skipping past. I'm hoping more Simmons, McCammon and Lindqvist are chosen as I really enjoy their books.

So far,
, and

Read We Have Always Lived in the Castle earlier this year and it became my favourite book and Merricat became my favourite literary character, not sure what that says about me.

Looking forward to Bad Apple got it pre-ordered but its not released until august here in the UK, which kinda sucks but its not too far away now.

For me, it has been

What Hides Within by Jason Parent and

Mister Slaughter by Robert R. McCammon

McCammon has been one of my favorite authors for the last 30 years. Not a bad book in his whole catalog. And Parent has quickly risen in the ranks as a go-to staple. His last few have been fantastic.

2018 is also the year I started reading McCammon. My highlights so far:











(the whole trilogy was a highlight)


I am not sure if I should include Swan Song or not, since I have only read a butchered German edition, but I would say yes...

Yes! I would say yes too. Swan song is so great.

Yes, I just wonder if I can appreciate its greatness. It was an amazing read, even if the German version had Sister Creep s backstory deleted.

Oh, and I would rank Boy's Life the greatest of them all, because reading it was a magic experience. I also just realized I forgot to mention The Terror, which I d also rank on the top. It was impressive and transcended genre boundaries.

Creep by Jennifer hillier

Ekel wrote: "Yes, I just wonder if I can appreciate its greatness. It was an amazing read, even if the German version had Sister Creep s backstory deleted.

Oh, and I would rank Boy's Life the grea..."

I hear such great things about A Boy’s Life but still haven’t read it. We’re you able to find a full copy or the cut pieces online somewhere? I likedThe Terror too.

Yes, I did. I think I will just re-read the American edition sometime. Are paperbacks of the book hard to find?

No, I wouldn’t think it would be too hard to find. If I see one in a used bookstore, I’ll keep u in mind.

Sonya wrote: "Creep by Jennifer hillier"

I loved that one, too.

My 5 star rated books, so far, are:

Station Eleven

Afraid

Dark Matter

It again but closely followed by Leah Rimini's autobiography about Tom Cruise and Scientology and Demons Amongst by Laurence Cole.

WendyB wrote: "It's hard to believe but 2018 is already halfway over. So many good books have been read and there are so many waiting to be pulled off that enormous TBR pile.

Of the books you've read so far this..."

So far, Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman. I absolutely loved every word.

A very close second was Sleeping Giants.

I am looking forward to The Name of the Wind. Even though it has been hit or miss for readers; I am looking forward to it.

I’ve been binging on Stephen King chronological order of publication date so here’s the order I’ve come up with up to now;

1. The Dark Tower IV: Wizard and Glass
2. The Green Mile
3. Pet Semetary
4. IT
5. Different Seasons
6. The Stand
7. The Dark Tower: The Waste Lands
8. Dolores Claiborne
9. The Shining
10. Misery
11. Gerald’s Game
12. The Long Walk
13. The Dead Zone
14. Bag of Bones
15. Thinner
16. The Outsider
17. The Talisman
18. Cujo
19. The Eyes of the Dragon
20. The Dark Tower : The Drawing of the Three
21. Carrie
22. The Regulators
23. Needful Things
24. Insomnia
25. Salem’s Lot
26. The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger
27. Sleeping Beauties
28. Fire Starter
29. Night Shift
30. Skeleton Crew
31. The Dark Half
32. Desperation
33. Four Past Midnight
34. The Tommyknockers
35. Christine
36. Nightmares & Dreamscapes
37. Running Man
38. Rose Madder
39. Rage
40. Roadwork
41. Cycle of the Werewolf
42. Danse Macabre
43. Creepshow

Next up Storm of the Century.

My top reads this year are

My only 5 star read was the Thurgood Marshall book
Devil in the Grove: Thurgood Marshall, the Groveland Boys, and the Dawn of a New America.

My top horror read was
The Terror

Beth wrote: "My top reads this year are


"

yay! for Rebecca!

Marc-Antoine wrote: "I’ve been binging on Stephen King chronological order of publication date so here’s the order I’ve come up with up to now;

1. The Dark Tower IV: Wizard and Glass
2. The Green Mile
3. Pet Semetary ..."

uh oh, my current read is at number 33...I'm on secret window, secret garden and I'm struggling with it.

Skwisgaar wrote: "Read We Have Always Lived in the Castle earlier this year and it became my favourite book and Merricat became my favourite literary character, not sure what that says about me. "

One of my favourites as well! So I'd hope that says you have excellent taste.

As for my own reading this year, I've been really impressed by:

Darkly Dreaming Dexter, I started reading it because of the stylish writing was recommended to me.
Loving the wit, the charm, the psychological depth, the plot, and yes very jaunty cavalier writing which contrasts the horror nicely. Like a gunman shooting people in MacDonald's & looking into a camera & commenting on how good the burger is, and it's a commerical.
Funny/Horrific!

The Waste Lands, The Green Mile both by Stephen King and I’m Thinking of Ending Things by Iain Reid.

I'm so far behind on my 2018 Challenge that it's almost embarrassing.

Here's the best though:

A Fine Dark Line by Joe R. Lansdale

My favorite dark fiction so far,

Banquet For the Damned by Adam Nevill (admittedly, I still have about 50 pages to go)

My Best Friend's Exorcism by Grady Hendrix
Hollywood Nocturnes by James Ellroy (story collection)
A Coffin for Dimitrios by Eric Ambler

Not so dark,
The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. LeGuin

Stephen King: Revival

Skin Medicine by Tim Curran

Looking forward to reading The Endlands II by Vincent Hobbes, the first one is one of my favorite books.

Up until the last book I read which was kinda meh, I actually had a streak of 12 books that I really liked, giving each 3.5-5 stars.

Since my first post, I'd add these as some of the best I've read this year:

What the Hell Did I Just Read by David Wong. Wong's JDATE series' funniest entry yet.

The House Next Door by Anne Rivers Siddons. One of the best haunted (evil) house stories ever. This book really got under my skin like few have.

The Child by Fiona Barton. Her sophomore effort was twisty and unexpected much like her first novel.

The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay. Tremblay's best writing yet, and one of the best books, if not the best book of the year. I don't think I've ever read a novel where the author did as good a job of getting you emotionally connected to the characters.

The Grip of It by Jac Jemc. Another of the all-time great haunted house novels.

The Red Tree by Caitlin R. Kiernan, Yet another fantastic and different haunted house themed books. This must have been my unplanned haunted house novel year.

Black Mad Wheel by Josh Malerman. Another phenomenal and original book that really gets to you.

Since my last post which was in the beginning of July, I have a couple or more to add to my list:

by David Bernstein - this was a five star read for me as it was really good!

by Debbie Boek - this was another five star read - scary enough to give me bad dreams!

by Michael Cole - this was another five star read - the best shark book I have read in a long time

by John Everson - four star read and it was creepy with some major added flavor of gore tossed in for good measure.

I have one to add as well -
by Amber Dawn

Another one for me to add:

A Head Full of Ghosts


I loved everything about this one.

Boy's Life and The Boy on the Bridge

Enjoyed verything about them. When a book leaves you with wanting more it did its job

Boy's Life and Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mount Everest Disaster

Both these will take some beating.

I will be adding some of these to my to read list if they aren’t already on there.