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Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Oooh Scary

I don't generally read a lot of scary books. I tend to like fiction that is more realistic, so things like monsters, vampire, zombies, and lawn mowers that come to life don't really work for me. But every October I try to read something scary. And there are scary books out there that terrify me. The best I have ever read was Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris. It was awesome. And every horror book I have read since has tried to scare me that much, and so far none have.

This October my scary book of the month is Those Across the River. It's the first novel by Christopher Buelman. And though not as scary as Silence of the Lambs, I am enjoying it nearly as much. It is a carefully woven story that brings in history, atmosphere and interesting characters together in a chillingly satisfying novel. In 1935, Frank Nichols moves his wife Dora to Georgia to research a book on his Grandfather who was the last slaveholder to let go of his slaves after the emancipation. Upon arriving Frank is warned not to cross the river, but that is where the plantation resided.

I don't want to give too much away. But if you like a scary story mixed with some interesting history, this is a great read.







4 comments:

Jenny Schwartz said...

I loved scary books as a kid--I still remember the story of the girl who wore the green ribbon as a necklace. They seem to have become extinct in my adult reading queue. I probably should pick another one up in the spirit of Halloween. Thanks for the suggestion!

Unknown said...

The theme of slavery and the Gothic is really interesting. Sounds like a great read!

Fiona Dinwiddie said...

I agree with you about Silence of the Lambs or at least about Thomas Harris. The scariest book I ever read was his Red Dragon.

Linda K. said...

Stephen King is one of my favorite authors for scary stuff. In fact, the picture at the head of this blog reminds me of "The Mist" one of my favorite, and shorter, Stephen King books. Another one is the play he wrote "Storm of the Century" both in written and movie formats that is one scary story!

Happy Halloween!

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