RMFAO (Reading My Frigging A** Off) discussion

Hello everyone,

October is here and so is one of the most awaited genre months of Genre Challenge - Horror. Keeping in step with the month of Halloween, we dedicate this month to horror reads that are creepy, scary and utterly disturbing. Supernatural and paranormal becomes a substantial presence in every reader's days and nights throughout this month and so clearly, this month is not for the faint-hearted! Though, if you're new to the genre or just a casual reader, then do join us on this amazing month-long reading spree because it is wise to read these dark and scary reads in numbers. As usual, you can join anytime during the entire month and read as many books as you can manage, no restrictions whatsoever!

Here is the DEFINITION for this month's genre:

Horror: Horror fiction is fiction in any medium intended to scare, unsettle, or horrify the audience. Historically, the cause of the "horror" experience has often been the intrusion of a supernatural element into the everyday human experience. Since the 1960s, any work of fiction with a morbid, gruesome, surreal, or exceptionally suspenseful or frightening theme has come to be called "horror". Horror fiction often overlaps science fiction or fantasy, all three of which categories are sometimes placed under the umbrella classification speculative fiction.

-->>Please Note: There are absolutely no limits so you can interpret this genre in its broader sense and include other similar genres and/or subgenres that you feel might have a wee bit of similarity with the main genre. You can also include books that are not particularly centred around the main genre but has its components or elements somewhere in the story.

Here's a quick summary of the levels:

Level 1: Casual Reader: 1 book (easy)
Level 2: Frequent Reader: 2 books (moderate)
Level 3: Bookworm: 3 books (mildly strenuous)
Level 4: Bibliophile: 4 books (strenuous)
Level 5: Bookiopath: 5 books or more (challenging)

Please mention what type of books you'd be reading:

PB: Paperbacks
HB: Hardback
EB: E-Books
AB: Audio Books

Please feel free to announce your to-read books along with the level you are targeting for below.

PLEASE READ (for new members):
1. You can read any number of books for the respective genre each month in one particular month.
2. Take your time and go through your entire TBR-list before deciding the books to read.
3. You can join the challenge at any stage (in any month.)
4. You can drop out of the challenge any time you like.
5. You can select different levels every month.
6. Use this discussion board to share your reads with other members of the group.
7. Please be active and don't hesitate to ask questions or recommend books.

Note: The main intent of this challenge is to incorporate different kinds of books and genres in our normal reading routine to make the experience more fun and entertaining. Please do not lose yourself in the technicalities as we all know how literary genres can be confusing.

If you have any doubts or questions, then post them below and we'll be happy to answer/discuss them.
Happy reading!

Finally, we are here. Humour month was one hell of a long slog and I'm so happy that it is over (and that we're never having a Humour only month ever again!)
I'm planning to read a couple of classics this month by SK and one book by Dean Koontz that I had previously tried to read and ended up DNF'ing because it was too creepy. So, my list of books for this month is:
1. Strange Weather
2. Bag of Bones
3. The Shining
4. 77 Shadow Street
5. The Mask Shop of Doctor Blaack
6. Home to Roost
7. One Night's Stay by C.B. Collins

I've had Lincoln in the Bardo in my sights for a while and might go for this in October. It's on some lists as horror, creepy, or paranormal. I think it certainly might qualify as speculative fiction. I'm looking forward to it. I'll see what else I might add in--maybe a classic horror novel. I've almost finished my goal of 40 mysteries in my mystery group, and 60 books overall for the year, but now I'm hoping to finish 75 books overall for the year.

If I have time, I should try to fit in some H.P. Lovecraft--my son would be thrilled! One of his favorites, and one of yours too, Dagny, if I remember correctly.

Thanks, I'll have to see if he's aware of it. He and his friends are into board games, and they love playing Call of Cthulthu and Arkham Horror--he has a whole wall of board games! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arkham_...

I have a few horror books on hold at my library, so I should get them within a week or 2. I won't name anything yet, in case I don't like those books after I get them. I find that I have better luck with books the less planning I put into it. (Sometimes the anticipation of reading a certain book gives me too high of an expectation, which is too hard for the book to live up to and leaves me disappointed.)

Cheryl wrote: "I have a few horror books on hold at my library, so I should get them within a week or 2. I won't name anything yet, in case I don't like those books after I get them. I find that I have better luc..."

I can relate to this, Cheryl. Same's been happening with me since the last couple of weeks. That's the reason I'm trying not to get too excited about Strange Weather too. I hope it doesn't turn out like Sleeping Beauties.

Donna wrote: "Thanks, I'll have to see if he's aware of it. He and his friends are into board games, and they love playing Call of Cthulthu and Arkham Horror--he has a whole wall of board games! https://en.wikip..."

Donna, I love those games! Even us oldies but goodies enjoy them. I have been playing them since the 1990s.

Heena wrote: " I can relate to this, Cheryl. Same's been happening with me since the last couple of weeks. That's the reason I'm trying not to get too excited about Strange Weather too. I hope it doesn't turn out like Sleeping Beauties."

I've already read Strange Weather. I will say that it's not all horror, but all of the novellas are scary in their own way. They are horror, thriller, science fiction/fantasy, and dystopian. It's a quick read, too.

Kathy wrote: "Donna wrote: "Thanks, I'll have to see if he's aware of it. He and his friends are into board games, and they love playing Call of Cthulthu and Arkham Horror--he has a whole wall of board games! ht..."

I'm another board gamer and am the GM for our Call of Cthulhu group. It's a great hobby.

Also, I've also given up trying to figure out what I am going to read in advance. I just go where the books take me!

Adelaide wrote: "Kathy wrote: "Donna wrote: "Thanks, I'll have to see if he's aware of it. He and his friends are into board games, and they love playing Call of Cthulthu and Arkham Horror--he has a whole wall of b..."

Kathy and Adelaide, that's great to hear that you are board game enthusiasts, and that you play Call of Cthulthu, Adelaide. My son will enjoy hearing about that! I'm looking forward to reading some Lovecraft in October.

Thanks for the interesting recommendations, Dagny. Please share more if you come across some more such titles.

Heena wrote: "Thanks for the interesting recommendations, Dagny. Please share more if you come across some more such titles."

Those who like Lovecraft might also want to try stories by M. R. James. Project Gutenberg has 3 of his ghost story collections. You might want to start with this one:
Ghost Stories of an Antiquary
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/8486

Cheryl wrote: "Heena wrote: "Thanks for the interesting recommendations, Dagny. Please share more if you come across some more such titles."

Those who like Lovecraft might also want to try stories by M. R. James..."

So many good suggestions--this will be a fun month!

Cheryl wrote: "Heena wrote: "Thanks for the interesting recommendations, Dagny. Please share more if you come across some more such titles."
Those who like Lovecraft might also want to try stories by M. R. James..."

Thanks for the reccs., Cheryl. I'll definitely check them out.

Well, I read about 75 pages of Lincoln in the Bardo and decided not to finish. It was seriously weird in an intellectual way, and after 75 pages, I realized I just wasn't enjoying it very much. I was disappointed because so many people had given it five stars, but I noticed there were also many people who didn't finish it! Just not my taste, I guess.

Donna wrote: "Well, I read about 75 pages of Lincoln in the Bardo and decided not to finish."

Donna,

Bravo! No one should have to finish a book they do not like. I have felt bad in the past for not liking some 5 star books on Goodreads, but not anymore. Everyone has different tastes, and you are entitled to your opinion. Maybe you'll even taken a look at it again in the future? Sometimes I'm just not in the mood for certain books.

Cheryl wrote: "Donna wrote: "Well, I read about 75 pages of Lincoln in the Bardo and decided not to finish."

Donna,

Bravo! No one should have to finish a book they do not like. I have felt bad i..."

I'm 66, and I figure I'm getting too old to read books I don't like, haha. There are too many good books out there waiting to be read!

1) Ring by Koji Suzuki. 4 stars. Pretty enjoyable. It's been awhile since I watched Ringu, so I am not sure how the book and movie compare. I'll probably watch it during my month long horror movie fest. (I watch at least 31 horror movies during October. BEST MONTH OF THE YEAR.)

Adelaide wrote: " I'll probably watch it during my month long horror movie fest. (I watch at least 31 horror movies during October. BEST MONTH OF THE YEAR.) "

You are a real horror fan! My brother has probably seen every horror movie ever made, from old black and white ones through the new releleases. October is his favorite month, too.

1.) The Strain by Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan
2 and a half stars. Ok, but nothing special.

1. I read a Kindle download of Ghost Stories of an Antiquary by M.R. James, and enjoyed it. It's been so long since I've read horror or ghost stories of any kind--it was fun! I gave it 4/5.

Donna wrote: "1. I read a Kindle download of Ghost Stories of an Antiquary by M.R. James, and enjoyed it. It's been so long since I've read horror or ghost stories of any kind--it was fun! I gave ..."

I'm so glad you liked it, Donna. M. R. James is one of my all-time favorite authors.

2.) The Dark Horse Book of Monsters
2 and a half stars. A graphic novel collection of short stories about monsters. It could've been alot better. The last story was pretty well-done, both visually and plot-wise. I'll have to check out that author's Beasts of Burden series.

Cheryl wrote: "Donna wrote: "1. I read a Kindle download of Ghost Stories of an Antiquary by M.R. James, and enjoyed it. It's been so long since I've read horror or ghost stories of any kind--it wa..."

I'll have to look for more--this is a new author to me!

3.) Black Spirits and White: A Book of Ghost Stories by Ralph Adams Cram
4 stars. Very good collection of ghost stories from 1895. Those who like M. R. James might also like this one. My review can be found here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

4.) American Vampire, Vol. 1
Graphic novel. 2 and a half stars. Too much about vampire politics (two rival vampire groups.)

1. Souls of the Dark Sea - 3/5
It was a good read, dark (as promised), well-written, good storyline and didn't feel like it was a part of a series (as the blog tour promised) but I think I would have appreciated the characters in this book more had I read the previous book.

2) Crooked by Austin Grossman. 3 out 5 stars. Turns out Richard Nixon was fighting eldritch forces. I would have enjoyed this more had I not recently learned that he probably beat Pat up. (She features heavily in the book.)

2. One Night's Stay - 3/5

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

5.) Nightflyers by George R. R. Martin

2 and a half stars. A mix of horror and science fiction, set aboard a starship. The writing could've been better. This was actually written in 1980, but reissued in illustated book form in anticipation of the SyFy Channel series adapted from this story. (The series premiers December 2, 2018.)

1. The Trench by Steve Alten. Rated 3.25 stars. Horror in the ocean. Think prehistoric shark.
2. Kill Creek by Scott Thomas. 3.5 stars.
3. Summer of Night by Dan Simmons. 5 stars. A group of friends fight evil during summer vacation.

Kathy wrote: "1. The Trench by Steve Alten. Rated 3.25 stars. Horror in the ocean. Think prehistoric shark."

That sounds like a fun one, Kathy!

It was! The series is about prehistoric marine animals trapped in the Mariana Trench. This book pitted pehistoric shark against prehistoric crocodile. Man mainly got in the way. I also picked up The Loch by Steve Alten but haven't read it yet. You can probably guess what Nessie is!

3) Spiral It's the sequel to Ring, 3/5. It's okay, but not as good as the first book.

Dagny wrote: "2. The Frankenstein Papers by Fred Saberhagen
The story of Frankenstein's "monster" told mainly from two points of view - the subject in a journal and Benjamin Franklin's son via letters to his fat..."

Dagny,

Is this book part of a series, or can you read it as a stand-alone?

I just picked up We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson a couple of days ago from the library, but didn't have time to read it in October. I'm looking forward to reading it in November anyway--looks like a fun read.

3. Strange Weather - 3/5

It didn't turn out to be as spectacular as I was expecting, but was a decent read.

I wasn't able to read as many books as I planned this month (which includes the 2 books I was planning on buying that Cheryl recommended on 'Find Me A Book' thread,) os I'll be continuing reading horror books this month as well.

Sorry for posting this late: The thread for November's challenge (Historical or Steampunk) is here: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...