It is time once again for Carl V’s Readers Imbibing Peril Challenge from September 1 through October 31. Yeah! Obviously I have put way too much thought into this because I have put together a pool of books far longer then I will be able to get to in the next two months. Nevertheless I am signing up for Peril the Second which means that I will read at least two books but hopefully more.Definitely reading:
House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski. I read this when it first was published in 2000 and it has always stuck with me as the scariest house I have encountered. I bought a new copy last year for the RIP III and was very disappointed that I didn’t get to it.
Hell House by Richard Matheson. He wrote I am Legend which I just loved.
Planning to Read:
Turn of the Screw by Henry James. I cannot believe that I have never read this classic and I have it downloaded on my new Kindle.
Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield which I have in audio on my ipod.
Short Stories:
This genre seems to lend itself to short stories and I currently have on my Kindle and hope to dip into short story collections by M.R. James, Algernon Blackwood, Ambrose Bierce, Sheridan Le Fanu, Edgar Allen Poe and a collection of Famous Ghost Stories by various authors.
I am also intrigued by Japanese Tales of Mystery and Imagination by Edogawa Rampo which of course would also tie in nicely with the Japanese Literature Challenge.
Other Novels that look good:
Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov
Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
Great and Secret Show or Damnation Game by Clive Barker - I loved his Weaveworld.
The Stand by Stephen King - cannot believe that I have never actually read it.
The Terror by Dan Simmons
Pride Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith
The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova - which has been sitting on my shelf since it came out.
We Have Always Lived In the Castle by Shirley Jackson - I loved Hill House.
The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe
The Ghost Writer by John Harwood - also been on my shelf since it came out.
4 comments:
Its great to see you taking part in RIP IV!
A few of us were just talking about House of Leaves earlier today and how it intimidated all of us. Interesting that you liked it so much you want to read it again. That makes me want to read it even more.
I too have many more books than I can ever hope to read this year, let alone over the next 2 months. But that's half the fun of challenges, putting a list of potential reads together.
Thanks for being a part of this again this year.
wow.. i can only wonder what the thirteenth tale sounds like in audio.. it sure was a good book to read, so I would want a really good audio to make me feel the same feelings!
the Historian was a good read too!
Carl V. - thanks for hosting a great challenge. House of Leaves is an odd book. When I first read it I was frustrated with it and spent a lot of time talking aloud to it. If you asked me on the day that I finished it I would have said the story was compelling but the author was so caught up in being clever that it took away from the story. But over the years the house itself really stuck with me and has become the gold standard for creepy houses to which I compare all other houses.
And as the years have gone by I have developed more of an appreciation for authors playing with the form of the novel. Indeed, I recently read City of Saints and Madmen that I absolutely loved, especially because it was not a straight forward narrative.
I do not normally re-read books but I am looking forward to re-reading House of Leaves and seeing what my reaction will be this time. I hope that you get a chance to read it as I would love to hear your thoughts on it.
DesLily, I usually only listen to audio books on my ipod when I am traveling (it is perfect for airplanes) and I started the Thirteenth Tale in January. I didn't get very far into it but the narrator was very good. I am going to be doing some traveling in the next couple of months and I am looking forward to starting it over again.
I have wanted to read the Historian since it came out but it is such a big heavy hard cover that I have that it never seems convenient. I may just have to buy the Kindle edition.
The only book I have read from your list is the Shadow of the Wind which I loved. I look forward to your reviews.
P.S. I live in a warm tropical climate too and September is the hottest month. Sometimes I find that is the best time to read something set in a cold climate. I have Dan Simmon's The Terror set in Antarctica on my list.
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