Book #885 – Bird Box by Josh Malerman

I was sitting in the Library, and thinking “You know what would be awesome to add to the Halloween thrills? An M. Night Shyamalan movie when he could still do an amazing twist at the end.” Well, I couldn’t really find anything that matched the ghostly story of Sixth Sense, so I settled for something approaching his later works, The Happening. That’s right, I’m talking about Bird Box, which took social media by storm last Christmas despite having nothing to do with Santa. It’s on my Netflix to watch at some point, but so are like a hundred other movies and tv series.

Originally published in 2014, the novel actually had a movie deal before it reached book shelves. The novel was met with mostly positive reviews, though some critics thought Malerman bit off more than he could chew with his debut novel. Despite this, the novel received a nomination for the Bram Stoker award for Best First Novel (it lost to a relatively unknown novel called Mr. Wicker). Note to self: find copy of Mr. Wicker. It could be argued that this was more post apocalyptic than horror, but there are certainly moments when the terror of the characters eeks through the pages.

Book #181 – The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Well, now that I’ve read about a couple vampires, a monster or two, and a haunted hotel, how about some Neil Gaiman? After all, his story about evil witches chasing a fallen star made last year’s list. And really, so many horror stories end up in graveyards at some point: Night of the Living Dead, The Omen, Pet Semetary… It’s a Wonderful Life. (What do you mean that isn’t a horror story? Have you seen Pottersville? That’s terrifying.) In this case, the story begins and ends at the graveyard gates and gives voices to those that are no longer among the living.

The book was published in the United Kingdom in September of 2008, but what really made me think the book belonged on this year’s Halloween list was that it became available in the United States on October 31, 2008. I would have been in my freshman year of college at the time, and sadly, in a bit of a reading slump, which may explain how it escaped my noticed until now. However, it certainly didn’t escape the notice of the literary world, winning both the Newberry Medal and the Hugo Award that year. It’s also been docked for a movie since 2009, but has seen a massive shift in studios and directors since then, so no idea if that will ever come to fruition.

October’s Spookfest: Return of the Books

Welcome back to the Library of 1000 Books. I know this year I’ve been sort of spotty with updates, and I do apologize. It’s been a crazy year, but I’m getting back on track to bring you more book reviews and commentary. And to kick that off, I’m revisiting the spooky and paranormal books that make Halloween time so much fun. Check out these great spooky, horrifying, and supernatural reads!

Book #409 – The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

The fifth installment of the Sherlock Holmes was published in 1902, and is likely one of the most known of Holmes’ adventures. That might be just because it was introduced me by a Jack Russel terrier in a deerstalker cap. (I can’t be the only one that watched Wishbone as a child?) I also have A Study in Scarlet (the first Holmes adventure) on the List, so I’ll eventually be reviewing it as well.

This particular Holmes case is set in the moors at the family estate of the baronet Baskerville. There is a legend that a horrible hound haunts the line of Baskerville men after one terrorized a young woman some generations ago. A new Lord Baskerville has just come back to England to inherit the estate, and Holmes has been called in due to the mysterious death of the previous Lord Baskerville. Not only is the book mostly set in this week of October, it’s got the spooky setting of the moors and a ghostly hound, too!