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Showing posts with label Stephen King. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Stephen King. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 29, 2024
Top Ten Tuesday: Halloween Reading for Wimps (Me)
Here in the U.S., we're gearing up for Halloween, which kicks off our much-anticipated holiday season. Personally, I'm not a fan of Fright Night. Although I'm always happy to take a fun-size Reese's Peanut Butter Cup for the team, I've never been much for dressing up or braving haunted houses or even watching scary movies. Creepy books, though? I was a big Stephen King and John Saul fan as a teen and young adult. Old age has made a big wimp out of me, so these days, my Fall/Halloween reading is more about eerie, atmospheric books. I still dig a good Gothic chiller or a shivery ghost story, but I mostly prefer realistic mystery/thrillers with tense, heart-pounding plots and close, claustrophobic settings. When I saw that today's TTT topic is a Halloween Freebie, I started thinking about my favorite authors who capture the vibes I described above. I made a list of ten, but it felt so familiar that I checked and...yep, I crafted the exact same list for a Halloween freebie back in 2021! Some things never change. I almost just copied and pasted the old list since I'm lazy and I'm always looking for readalike recs based on my favorite authors, but I did come up with something else for this year. If you have a minute, though, check out my 2021 list. If you have any ideas for creepy(ish) books/authors I might like, I'd love to hear them. For now, here's my list of mysteries, thrillers, and a few supernatural spine-tinglers on my TBR that feel perfect for Halloween reading:
(As always, Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely Jana over at That Artsy Reader Girl.)
Top Ten Halloween-ish Reads on My TBR List
1. Gothictown by Emily Carpenter (available March 5, 2025)—Carpenter is one of the authors on my 2021 list. She's written a handful of books, all of which I've enjoyed. It's been a few years since she's published one, so I was excited to see that she has a new one coming out. It's about a woman living in a cramped apartment with her husband and daughter in post-pandemic New York City. Eager to embrace life again, she jumps at the chance to accept an unbelievable opportunity—for just $100, she and her family can buy a spacious home in a quaint Georgia town that's desperately trying to boost their economy. After one quick visit, the family makes the move. It's not long, though, before they realize something isn't quite right with their new town. There's a sinister presence that lurks under all the Southern hospitality, something that has them all in its clutches and doesn't want to let go...
2. The Haunting of Moscow House by Oleysa Salnikova Gilmore—When a group of Bolsheviks take over the Golitevas' ancestral Moscow home in 1921, the family is forced to move into the mansion's cramped attic. Sisters Irina and Lili find escape in volunteering with the American Relief Administration to help ease some of their comrades' desperate needs. In the middle of it all, the house starts whispering to the young women, hinting at its traumatic past. Then, one of the officials living in their house dies, leading them to wonder what exactly caused his demise. Was it natural causes or something...otherworldly?
3. The Highgate Cemetery Murder by Irina Shapiro—When her brother leaves her cryptic clues to a double murder, nurse Gemma Tate is roped into investigating the deaths. She's not any keener on working with police inspector Sebastian Bell than he is with her, but it will take both of them to stop a dangerous killer.
4. The Act of Disappearing by Nathan Gower—Julia White is getting nowhere with her writing career, her romantic relationship is on the rocks, and she's losing the battle against the mountain of medical bills she needs to pay somehow. When a famous photographer makes her a tantalizing proposition to research a mysterious death, she's both curious enough and broke enough not to refuse. Soon, Julia is embroiled in a shocking mystery that she's determined to solve.
5. Under the Surface by Diana Urban—A party in the Paris catacombs goes horribly awry in this YA thriller/survival story. While a group of trapped teens tries desperate to escape their underground prison, their friend aboveground races to save them. Will the kids make it out of the catacombs alive? Or will their bones join all the others lying beneath the City of Light?
6. Something in the Walls by Daisy Pearce—Mina is struggling to get her foot in the door in her new career as a child psychologist. A journalist in her grief counseling group makes her an offer she can't afford to refuse. He wants her to live in the home of a 13-year-old girl who claims she's being haunted by a witch and treat her on-site. Curious and confident, Mina takes the job. It's not long before she's wrapped up in the affairs of a strange town that's obsessed with superstition and witchcraft. The more she learns, the more terrified she grows. How can she help her distressed patient to feel safe when she can't even help herself?
7. Bitter House by Kiersten Modglin—When Bridget's parents died, she was taken in by her grandmother, Vera Bitter. The cold-hearted old woman did her duty, but kicked her granddaughter to the curb as soon as she graduated from high school, and never contacted her again. Bridget is stunned, then, when Vera dies and leaves her home to Bridget. Not surprisingly, the oppressive house is filled with secrets, mysteries, and danger. As Bridget starts to unravel them, she realizes that nothing at Bitter House is as it seems...
8. The Curse of Morton Abbey by Clarissa Harwood—As a female solicitor in Victorian England, it's nearly impossible for Vaughan Springthorpe to be taken seriously. So, when she's hired sight unseen by a mysterious employer who offers her a suspiciously large amount of money to ready his Yorkshire estate for sale, she can't afford to say no. Not only does Vaughan find the village surrounding the estate strange, but odd things begin happening to her inside of the building. Is the old abbey haunted? Or is Vaughan going mad? What secrets does the crumbling pile keep?
9. The House by the Cemetery by Lisa Childs—As the daughter of the town undertaker, River Gold was constantly teased about being a ghoul. The town gossip hinted that she wasn't even a true Gold. When she fled at 17, River had no intention of ever returning to her insular hometown. Then, her father dies, her mother is accused of his murder, and she is unwittingly trapped once again in a hostile place overrun with secrets and lies. Can River clear her mother's name? Figure out who really killed her father? Find her way out again?
10. The Midnight Hour by Eve Chase—Twenty years ago, a recently widowed mother of two walked out the door of her home, blew a kiss to her children, and vanished without a trace. Two decades later, the home's new owner starts digging out the basement. What will they find and what will it tell them about what really happened to Dee Delancey all those years ago?
There you go, ten mystery/thriller novels that wimpy me wants to read sometime soon. Have you read any of them? What will you be reading during spooky season? I'd truly love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog. I also reply to comments left here.
Happy TTT!
Tuesday, March 29, 2022
Top Ten Tuesday: Baby, You're So Classic...
How would you define a classic? A dusty tome no one ever reads written by some old white guy everyone has forgotten? A long, boring tale that's more symbolism than story? I've defined classics that way before! It's true I'm not a huge fan of "real" literature or even literary fiction. While I appreciate beautiful writing, no matter how long ago it was penned, that's not enough to get me to read a book. Nope, I want the whole shebang: intriguing characters, a compelling plot, skilled prose, and that something special that makes a book stand out from its peers. To me, a classic has all of these elements. It also has a sense of timelessness that makes it relatable to people in any era. Most importantly, it's a book that people actually want to read, not one that has to be forced upon them.
Today's TTT topic asks which books written in the 21st Century we think are destined to become classics. Since most of the titles that came to my mind for this prompt are a *teensy* bit older than that, I'm going to do just a wee twist on the topic and go with books with classic potential that were written in my lifetime. Since I was born back in the Dark Ages (1975), this should give me plenty of books to choose from.
First, though, be sure to click on over to That Artsy Reader Girl and give our hostess, Jana, some love. If you're in a listy kind of mood today, join in the TTT fun. It's a great way to discover new blogs, drop in on old favorites, and find even more books for your toppling TBR pile.
Top Ten Books Written in My Lifetime That Are Destined to Become Classics
Children's/YA:
1. The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling (published between 1997 and 2007)—These children's fantasy books are already classics and no wonder—they're utterly charming.
2. The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins (original trilogy published between 2008 and 2010)—Although dystopian books existed before anyone ever heard the name Katniss Everdeen, I feel like this is the series that really made the genre popular. Copycats are still being published constantly, but nothing can really compare to this very original series.
3. The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak (2005)—Poll any group of World War II fiction lovers and this beloved book will come up. It's unique, moving, and enduring.
4. The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate (2012)—I'm not big on stories told from animal viewpoints, but this lovely novel is a big exception. It's touching and beautiful. I adore it.
5. The Giver by Lois Lowry (1993)—Another much loved book, this one has a simplicity to it that makes readers ask themselves big questions. It's thought-provoking and unique.
Adult:
1. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah (2015)—This gorgeous novel is another big favorite among lovers of World War II fiction. It would definitely have a place on my list of Top Ten Favorite Novels of All Time (a list I've never actually made, but which I totally should).
2. The Inspector Armand Gamache mystery series by Louise Penny (2005)—This is my favorite crime series ever written. Not only does it feature a quaint little village, but it's a place that is teeming with life and color. The characters are memorable, the mysteries are intriguing, and the books are all suffused with a quiet wisdom that makes them irresistible.
3. The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown (2013)—This is the only book on this list that I haven't read, but it's absolutely on my TBR list. Whenever I see lists of favorite non-fiction narratives, this one is on there. If it's this popular now, chances are it will continue to be a winner.
4. The Help by Kathryn Stockett (2009)—I realize this well-loved Southern story has some issues. I still love it, though, as it makes me laugh, cry, cheer, and think.
5. The Shining by Stephen King (1977)—Published when I was just a toddler, this horror novel is King at his most iconic. I'll never see twin girls or read "murder" in the same way again!
There you have it, ten books penned in my lifetime that I think are on course to become classics. What do you think of my choices? Which titles did you pick for you list? I'd truly love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog.
Happy TTT!
Tuesday, March 01, 2022
Top Ten Tuesday: To All the Books I've Loved Before...
Feeling listy? Be sure to join in the TTT fun by visiting That Artsy Reader Girl, then making your own list, and hopping around the book blogosphere to share the love. It's a good time, I promise!
Top Ten Authors I Used to Love, But Haven't Checked In With Recently
- in alphabetical order -
1. Piers Anthony—I went through a brief sci-fi/fantasy phase in high school in a futile attempt to impress a boy. SFF has never been my favorite genre, but I did fall in love with Anthony's Incarnation of Immortality series. It's been years since I've read it and occasionally I get the hankering to revisit it just for nostalgia's sake. Now in his late 80s, Anthony is still publishing books. He's had a remarkable career, even if I haven't kept up with it.
2. Mary Higgins Clark—My dad introduced me to Clark's clean, compelling murder mysteries when I was in junior high school and I quickly became a rabid fan. In the ten or so years before Clark's death in 2020, my enthusiasm for her books started to wane. They just didn't hold my attention like they had in the past. Still, I'll always love Clark for those many nights her books kept me up way past my bedtime racing through the pages, desperate to see what was going to happen next.
3. John Grisham—Like Clark, Grisham's books from the 1990s kept me absolutely spellbound. His newer titles just haven't had the same spark for me. I did tackle The Reckoning a couple years ago, but that one was such a disappointment that I haven't picked up a Grisham book since and don't plan to do so again.
4. Stephen King—When I was a teenager, horror was the only genre it was acceptable to be seen reading in public. Horror was cool, so I read a lot of it. King was my go-to guy for spooky stories long after high school. Apparently, I've gotten much wimpier with age because I can't handle his books now. They're just too gory and too disturbing for this old lady with her delicate constitution!
5. Dean Koontz—Like King, Koontz is an author whose books I devoured back in the day. I'm still a fan, even though I haven't read anything of his since Odd Thomas a number of years ago. I really should pick up the next book in the series one of these days.
6. Jodi Picoult—Up until about House Rules in 2010, I inhaled everything Picoult wrote. Her stories sucked me in, kept me turning pages, and made me think. I tuned out about the time she started writing YA novels with her daughter since those didn't interest me. She's published a handful of novels since then that I probably should check out eventually. I'm not rushing, though, which is weird since I used to be such a devoted fan.
7. Christopher Pike—Pike is another author for whom I went absolutely crazy in the 1990s. He was my hands-down favorite, even though he never did answer any of the fan letters I sent him as a teenager! As of a few years ago, he was still writing scary books for teens. I wonder what I would think of his creepy tales now?
8. Ann Rule—I used to read a lot of true crime back in the day. Rule's books are well-researched and interesting, so I flew through a number of them in the late 1990s and early 2000s. These days, I just can't stomach the genre, which is ironic since it's gotten so crazy-popular!
9. John Saul—This is another author I adored during my horror-reading phase. His last novel was published in 2009, but I haven't read him since high school (which was a looonnnggg time ago).
10. Adriana Trigiani—I've long loved Trigiani's warm, Italian-themed women's novels. For some reason, though, I haven't picked up anything by her in about a decade. I really need to check out her newer books as I'm sure I've missed out on some good ones.
There you have it, ten authors I've loved in the past but haven't really kept up with in the present. Have you read any of them? Which authors fit this category for you? I'd truly love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog. Please note that I will be out of town from tomorrow until Saturday, so you won't see comments from me until I return. Thanks for your patience.
Happy TTT!
Tuesday, July 07, 2020
Top Ten Tuesday: My Most Read Authors
All of us have favorite auto-buy (or at least auto-read) authors. Some of them publish dozens of books, all of which we clamor to consume. This week's Top Ten Tuesday topic—Top Ten Authors I've Read the Most Books By—made me think about the writers I've loved over my 44 years of life and how many of their books I've read. Using Goodreads, Fantastic Fiction, and my not-very-reliable memory, I managed to come up with a list that's fairly accurate (I think).
Before we get to that, though, I want to encourage you to click on over to That Artsy Reader Girl and give our host, Jana, a little love. If you want to join in the TTT fun, her blog has all the deets.
Top Ten Authors I've Read the Most Books By
1. Mary Higgins Clark (20+ books read)—I've mentioned this grand dame of mystery many times on my blog. My dad is a big MHC fan; he's the one who introduced me to her. As a junior high/high schooler I inhaled her engrossing suspense novels (many times late at night, long after I was supposed to be asleep). I haven't been as impressed by her more recent offerings and haven't actually read her for a number of years. Still, the recent passing of this mystery maven made me sad.
2. Jodi Picoult (21 books read)—Picoult's books rarely fail to engage me, so it's no wonder I've read almost everything she's ever written.
3. Kathy Reichs (19 books read)—I love Reichs' forensic mysteries starring Temperance Brennan and have read every book in the series. As of yet, I haven't tried her YA series, Virals, which she pens with her son, Brendan.
4. Maeve Binchy (15+ books read)—Binchy's recent-ish death is another I was saddened by. She was a wonderful Irish writer whose novels I've enjoyed greatly over the years.
5. Judy Blume (12+ books read)—Like many girls of my generation, I grew up reading books like Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret; Super Fudge; Deenie; and Blubber. Although I haven't read a Blume book in decades, I zoomed through a whole bunch of them as a kid.
6. Adriana Trigiani (13 books read)—It's been a little while since I've read anything by this Italian-American author, but I've enjoyed a number of her books. Her Big Stone Gap series is my favorite.
7. Sharon Bolton (12 books read)—Although her British crime novels can be super dark and disturbing, I can't resist Bolton.
8. Jane Casey (12 books read)—Ditto this Irish author of crime fiction. I'm especially enamored of her Maeve Kerrigan series.
9. Stephen King (11 books read)—Reading wasn't considered very cool when I was a teen, so I generally hid my bookwormish tendencies from anyone who wasn't family. If I did risk being seen reading in public, I made sure it was with a socially acceptable author, of which King was definitely one. I'm a lot wimpier now than I used to be, so I haven't read anything from the "Master of Horror" in a decade or so. Still.
10. Christopher Pike (10+ books read)—Pike is another author I loved as a teen. His YA thrillers kept me up way past my bedtime on many a night.
There you go, the top ten authors whose books I've read most throughout my life. What do you think? Do we have any in common? Whose works have you consumed most? I'd truly love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I'll return the favor on yours.
Happy TTT!
Tuesday, September 26, 2017
Top Ten Tuesday: Literary Twins
Today's topic is: Top Ten Books With __________ Characters. I decided to fill in the blank with "Twin." My mother is an identical twin; maybe that's why I've always been fascinated with twins. Whatever the reason, I read a lot of books with such characters, so here's a list of the first ten that came to mind.
Top Ten Books With Characters Who Are Twins/Multiples
1. The Shining by Stephen King—In honor of Halloween, I had to include one of the most iconic—not to mention creepiest—literary/movie twins of all time. Redrum!
3. The Bobbsey Twins series by Laura Lee Hope—I adored these books as a child!
4. Sweet Valley High series by Francine Pascal—Here's another blast from the past. I inhaled these silly high school stories about Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield, twins who are identical but have very different personalities. Their various dramas kept me thoroughly engrossed as a young reader.
5. Two Little Girls in Blue by Mary Higgins Clark—I haven't read much MHC in recent years, but I used to be a mega fan. In fact, this book is one of the first I reviewed after starting this blog. It's about a couple whose 3-year-old twin girls are kidnapped from their home. The story is a mystery/thriller about the race to find and save the children.
6. How the Light Gets In by Louise Penny—I love the Armand Gamache series and this book, the ninth installment, is my favorite so far. The story revolves around the puzzling murder of a mysterious woman. The victim and her siblings are based on a real group of multiples who were cruelly exploited by their parents. It's an engrossing mystery that asks some important questions.
7. In the Woods by Tana French—The Irish writer's debut mystery/thriller features a young murder victim who is a twin. French's books are always can't-look-away compelling.
8. The Distant Hours by Kate Morton—Like most (all?) of Morton's novels, this one features a crumbling old house and the eccentric people who live there. In this case, it's a pair of spinster twins. Morton's books are always great reads.
9. The Ice Twins by S.K. Tremayne—This shivery psychological thriller is about a couple grieving after the death of one of their identical twins. When the surviving daughter claims she's her dead sister, things start to get a little strange ...
10. Untwine by Edwidge Danticat—I haven't actually read this one yet, but it sounds excellent. It concerns a teen girl who wakes up in a hospital after an accident and has no idea what has happened to her parents or her twin sister.
There you have it. Have you read any of these? Which awesome twin books am I missing? Who are your favorite literary twins/multiples? Leave me a comment and I'll gladly return the favor.
Happy TTT!
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