LibraryCin's Horror reads in 2015

January: Traditional/classic Gothic works
February: Supernatural
March: Victorian Gothic
April: Graphic novels & short stories
May: Women & non-English
June: (Gothic) Pulp & weird fiction
July: Hauntings/ghost stories
August: Psychological
September: Southern Gothic
October: Slasher/thriller
November: Light/humorous
December: Contemporary/modern Gothic

January: Traditional/classic Gothic works

Options:
- The Hound of the Baskervilles / Arthur Conan Doyle

I'm hoping this fits?

I used a tag search (on shelfari, I know how to do it better over there!) using "horror, classics, gothic" (and my own tag so I know what's on my tbr) and also came up with :
- It / Stephen King
But I'm not sure it really fits. "It" would be a reread.

Hi! :) I'm glad you joined. I'm not sure if It would fit in traditional/classic gothic works. I wish it did, because you're right: it'd be a great reread. :) I'm struggling with January, too.

some of us are reading The Monk and it is free at Project Gutenberg

>4 ccookie: Thanks for the suggestion. I was hoping to work off my tbr, but we'll see. Is it a short book? I'll look into what it's about, as well.

>4 ccookie: Project Gutenberg is a great idea. I may try it, but I'm trying to read more of my own books. Do you know of any Traditional/classic Gothic works that are super, super short?

>5 LibraryCin: I plan on doing that as well--working off my own TBR pile. And I don't mean to butt in, but The Monk is 416 pages (going by the edition found on Amazon).

I don't but probably Monkey does!

Ok, thanks! :) I'll ask her.

Thanks everyone! And thanks for checking the page count, Sara!

You're welcome. :) Do you know if LT has an area where the page #'s are listed? I've never seen it.

>10 saraslibrary: I'm not sure, Sara. I usually check shelfari for that kind of thing...

Good idea. (I haven't used my Shelfari account in ages, though.) I usually click on the Amazon link on the main book page.

Shelfari is still my main/preferred site. Amazon has been letting it degrade (not fixing bugs) for a while now, but I (along with others) keep hanging on. This is my next-preferred site, but only having been here for just under 2 years (vs. 7 or 8 at shelfari), I just don't know it as well, or where to find things, whereas I just know where to look over there.

Wow. Now that makes me want to check Shelfari out again. :) Anyway, welcome to LT! Hopefully you'll be able to navigate a little better as time goes on.

>14 saraslibrary: I guess part of it is all the people I know there, but I really like the "look" of shelfari better than any of the other sites. I also like the "nesting" that we get in the groups. Makes it a bit easier to follow along in some conversations (though there is only one level of nesting, but it helps). Leafmarks has the nesting (multiple levels), as well, but the site overall doesn't look as nice, and the "shelves"/"tags" look like Goodreads and I think are clunky.

>14 saraslibrary: And thank you! I'm sure navigation will get easier. I have been here almost 2 years (in March, I think), but the first year was really just attempting to back up everything I have on shelfari. Still have some catching up to do of that; I don't think any of the reviews copied over. I only got involved in groups at the start of 2014, though. But, there is so much on this site - it's a big learning curve!!!!

>10 saraslibrary: Sometimes Page numbers are listed on the book information page e.g The Night Watch where it is listed just under the title at the end of the publishing information - however, this is edition specific and you may find that the number of pages vary quite drastically between the editions - it's also not always entirely accurate. It's also on the book details page in the publication details. They aren't listed for every edition of every book though.

>15 LibraryCin: I think "nesting", etc is way over my head. :D But I do like that Shelfari's connected with Amazon.com, so signing in is pretty easy. Well, it should be, except I've forgotten my password and am waiting for their auto-thingy to shoot me an email.

>16 LibraryCin: You'll still find new little things on LT. Believe me, I've been here 9+ years and I still go, "Ooh, looky that!" ;) I just wish I could keep track of stats a little better on here. Oh, yes, the first year is basically "moving" all your data into LT. I remember doing that the first couple years; in fact, I'm still adding books I've forgotten I had, ha! Oh, man, adding reviews--that's got to be tedious. I don't think LT has a quick-upload for that. :( Best of luck! It's slow work, but loads of fun. :) (Just remember to always backup your library, just as a precaution.)

>17 Peace2: Oh, wow! Hey, thanks for that. :) I think I remember seeing that by accident, but as you mentioned, they're not listed for every book. Oh well. Thanks for showing that to me. It might help me gather stat info quicker.

>18 saraslibrary: Yes, I need to remember to back up more often. But, the good news is my leafmarks import went really well and pretty much everything (including reviews) seemed to import over there. I should still continue to backup shelfari, though. It will be the most up to date if anything is ever missed somewhere.

>17 Peace2: Thanks so much! Good to know!

Ok, I took a closer look at some of the suggestions for this month. I have no idea what the book is about, but I thought I'd see if something is available on audio. I thought that might be easier for me to work in something not on my tbr. Lucky for me, the library not only has The Castle of Otranto (although it's currently checked out; I've put it on hold), but it's short!!!! It says unabridged, but it's less than 4 hours to listen to. Looking up the page numbers via shelfari, it's less than 200 pages (depending on which edition, it ranges from 125 - 176 pages), so Sara, or anyone else who might want to try something shorter, maybe take a look at it and see....

Even better, hoopla has it available in two unabridged versions + one abridged. I think I can check it out from hoopla without waiting, so I might just do that (once I'm done my current audio). I'm curious about the different narrators/productions, though. Not sure which to choose...

>20 LibraryCin: I'm going to be reading The Castle of Otranto this month (I found a copy lurking from when I was a student and used it for some comparative research with the Gormenghast Trilogy!). My copy is only 115 pages long with two prefaces that take up 12 pages and explanatory notes at the end that take up 5 - which would put the actual story under 100 pages long!

>22 Peace2: Oh, even better for length! :-)

>19 LibraryCin: I'm glad everything uploaded! :)

>20 LibraryCin: I will definitely keep that one in mind! Thank you. :)

Hmmm, looks like I forgot I did this separate thread for my own reads! Oops. It's late tonight, but I'll try to remember to come back and post my review for The Castle of Otranto. Then, hopefully I'll remember this thread when I finish February's books, as well!

>25 LibraryCin: :D I know how that goes. I have 4 threads going, and the only way I'm able to manage them is by putting a link of them on my profile page. Good luck with your reading! And I'd love to read your review of The Castle of Otranto. I didn't like it, but some people do. *shrugs* :)

>26 saraslibrary: Oh, a link on my profile page is a good idea! Thanks for the suggestion!

>27 LibraryCin: You're very welcome! :) I hope it helps.

Oops, I still need to post my Otranto review here.

February/Supernatural

The Hound of the Baskervilles / Arthur Conan Doyle
3 stars

When Charles Baskerville is found dead at his home, his next of kin, Henry, returns home. Watson accompanies Henry in hopes of figuring out what happened to Charles. The rumours include the mysterious ghostly hound that haunts the grounds.

The book was ok. Unfortunately, I just can't say I enjoyed it any more than the Sherlock Holmes short stories I've read. I'd hoped I'd enjoy a Holmes novel more. I just couldn't really seem to focus much on the story, so I was never completely pulled in or all that interested, though parts were interesting. However, writing this review only a day after finishing, I've forgotten even the parts I was finding interesting at the time.

January/Classic Gothic

The Castle of Otranto / Horace Walpole
3 stars

This is considered the first gothic horror novel, originally written in 1764. Conrad is found dead, just as he was to marry Isabella. Manfred (Conrad's father) then decides to divorce his wife and marry Isabella instead. Isabella is horrified and runs away with the help of a mysterious stranger...

It was ok. It started off better for me, but I was listening to the audio and as does sometimes tend to happen with audios with me, I get distracted and miss parts of the story, which unfortunately is what happened here. I wonder if I would have liked it more if I'd read it in print? It was set in a creepy gothic castle, so the setting was fun.

Good job! :) You're doing very well. I'm still trying to figure out the supernatural book I want to read. Actually, I'm in the middle of Night Mary by Rick Remender (a graphic novel) and am really loving it, but I'm not sure if entering dreams as a profession is really considered supernatural. Yes, maybe?

>31 saraslibrary: Thank you!

Supernatural was actually a pretty easy one for me. I have so many monthly challenges, though, that I'm not sure I'll get to all three I chose, but I could have chosen many more than what I did.

I'll also be listening to Jaws / Peter Benchley and I hope to read Horns / Joe Hill.

>32 LibraryCin: Depending on what kind of supernatural books they are, you might be able to save the ones you don't read and read them in, say, July: Hauntings/ghost stories, etc.

Good luck with both Jaws and Horns! :) *secretly wonders if they'll play the Jaws theme on the audiobook* I doubt it. ;) It's probably copyrighted and all that.

>33 saraslibrary: True! I'm sure a number of them will overlap into something else!

hahaha on the Jaws theme for the audio! That would be great!!! But, you're probably right about the copyright.

>34 LibraryCin: If it's not on the audio, you can always hum it to yourself. :)

>35 saraslibrary: haha! So far, it's not on the audio (I'm only about an hour in, though). Good idea! :-)

>36 LibraryCin: Oh, bummer. :( But how's the story so far? Honestly, I don't remember much of the story of Jaws, just bits and pieces of the movie (no pun intended ;).

>37 saraslibrary: So far, I'm quite liking it. It started off where the music would have been appropriate, and now we are into some background about the police and the town.

February/Supernatural

Jaws / Peter Benchley
4 stars

When a girl is killed by a shark at Amity, Long Island, the chief of police, Martin Brody, wants to shut down the beach, but he is pressured by the mayor to keep it open, so as not to lose the summer residents altogether, as they keep the small town alive. Until more people start dying...

I really liked this. It was quite suspenseful. I listened to the audio (but had to provide my own Jaws theme music!) and it was done quite well, I thought. It's been too long since I've seen the movie to compare. There was one extraneous part in the middle of the story that I didn't think was necessary and wasn't really interested in, but overall, I really enjoyed it. I hate to see sharks (or any animals) vilified this way, but it was definitely an entertaining story.

Nice review! :) I'm glad you liked it. I saw on the book page there were a couple sequels after it. I wonder if they're novelizations of the movies or if Jaws really was a series. Do you know? Btw, I thumbed your review. :)

I'm not sure. I am debating about whether or not to read the sequel. I can't imagine it will be as good. Maybe I should look at some of the reviews.

Thanks for the thumbs up. Those are always nice! :-)

So, I just took a look at the other reviews there for this one (not the sequels). Most people were comparing the book unfavourably to the movie. Maybe it's a good thing it's been so long since I saw the movie! :-)

And now looking at reviews of Jaws 2 (shelfari first, then I'll check them out here). The people at shelfari mostly seem to like it, but then it also looks like the people at shelfari, in general, also liked the first one better than the reviews here. Looks like it's a different author. I think I'll add it to the tbr.

>41 LibraryCin: Yeah, sometimes sequels aren't as good, but if you liked the first one enough, it might be fun. And you're welcome! :)

>42 LibraryCin: I did a quick read of some of the reviews and the book/movie comparisons really varied. I guess it depends on what you're looking for. Action: go for the movie. Character/story: go for the book. Now I think I do want to rewatch bits of Jaws. :D It's been ages since I've seen it. Even when I was in a swimming pool, I was terrified there was something at the bottom.

>43 LibraryCin: Good luck if you read Jaws 2! :) It definitely looks interesting. I'm not sure where it would fit in the other horror categories. October maybe, since it has a "thriller" tag on LT. It'd definitely make a fun summer read. ;)

I am also thinking I'd like to rewatch the movie. :-)

Ah, October might work... or it could be years before I get to it! That happens sometimes, too. :-)

>45 LibraryCin: That would be fun--have a Jaws marathon or something. ;) I thought I had a copy of it, but I'm not finding it. Maybe wishful thinking? ;)

LOL! Yay, someone with my own reading style. I know what you mean. "I'll get to that book" can sometimes turn into months or years. No worries. You get to it when you do. It's not going anywhere. ;)

>46 saraslibrary: Exactly! There are others that have already been waiting years, so I sometime like to try to get to them first (sometimes!). Generally it all depends on what all my various groups are doing each month what I get to next.

Doesn't fit this month's theme (but would have last month, if I'd gotten to it then!), but:

Horns / Joe Hill
4 stars

26-year old Ig wakes up one day after an evening of drinking to find he has grown horns! What's even more surprising is people don't really seem to notice. Not only that, people start spilling their worst secrets to him.

His girlfriend of ten years, Merrin, had previously been raped and murdered. Now, Ig is able to learn more about what happened... and he is bent on revenge.

I really liked this. It is told from different points of view and also in flashbacks, but it's not difficult to follow, I didn't think.

March/Victorian Gothic

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde / Robert Louis Stevenson
3 stars

People have been wondering where Dr. Jekyll has been disappearing to and why the horrible Mr. Hyde seems to be such a good “friend” to Jekyll.

This was ok. It might have been better if I didn't know what was going on, just for having heard what the story's about. But then, maybe not. It just wasn't really holding my interest. At least it was short and quick to read.

A pleasure reading your reviews! I'm currently debating reading NOS4A2 which has been sitting on my bookshelf since Christmas. It is deceivingly long, so haven't gotten around to starting it yet. I've seen a few people on here reading Horns, and most seem to rate it a solid 4 stars. Are you planning to watch the movie?

I also listened to the audio book of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. While "reading," I realized that I actually didn't know much about the plot before reading, and it was surprisingly dull. I agree with you - it was just ok.

>49 LibraryCin: Agreed: at least Jekyll and Hyde was short and quick. :) I actually liked already knowing about the story beforehand; otherwise, it wouldn't have held my interest as much. I kept flashing on certain movies of it instead. In that case, the movies are better than the book (imho).

>50 skrouhan: I liked NOS4A2 a lot when I read it last year. Better than Horns, although I liked that too. It's long but it's a pageturner.

I saw the movie Horns recently, and I thought it was fine, but there was something lacking. I'm not sure what it was that didn't translate well to the screen.

>50 skrouhan: Thank you!

I'm not sure at this point whether or not I'll watch the movie, Horns.

I quite liked NOS4A2, as well. I think I rated it 3.5 stars (good), but that's going from memory. I also listened to to it on audio.

>51 saraslibrary: That's funny. I wonder if you're right. If I didn't have an idea of the story, if it would have held my interest at all. I just kept waiting to find out when everyone else would finally find out what was going on!

Doesn't fit the monthly them, but... I guess it would have fit in December.

This House is Haunted / John Boyne
4.5 stars

It is the mid-19th century. When Eliza's father dies suddenly, she answers an ad to be a governess. She is accepted on the spot, so travels out to Gaudlin Hall, where she will be the new governess to two children. Odd, though – when she arrives, their parents are no where to be found and no one will answer Eliza's questions about what's going on.

I really liked this. I thought it was very creepy and I wish I would have had longer stretches of time to read it all at once (including just before bed... when I had the time, but I couldn't stay awake – but that was nothing to do with the story!). I certainly wanted to keep reading to see what was going on! It will likely make my favourites list for the year.

>55 LibraryCin: It's a Gothic, set in Victorian times - sounds like it fits this month's theme to me ;)

>55 LibraryCin: That one does sound good! :) I'm glad you liked it.

>56 Moomin_Mama: Good point! I was thinking it had to be written in Victorian times! But hey - set then, that sounds good, too!

April/Graphic Novels

Locke & Key. Vol. 1: Welcome to Lovecraft / Joe Hill
4 stars

After a guidance counsellor is murdered, his family moves to another state, to the house where the man had grown up. The three kids begin to discover the secrets of the house. The youngest boy, Bode, has discovered a key to a door... when he goes through the door he becomes a ghost and when he comes back through the door, he goes back into his body. There are also secrets in the well, more sinister secrets.

I really liked this. I was pulled in from the start, though at the beginning because there was a lot of back and forth in time, it took me a bit to get a handle on what was happening and who was who. The artwork (it's a graphic novel) was very well done (it is graphic, with blood and violence). I will definitely continue with the next in the series.

April/Graphic Novels

From Hell / Alan Moore
3 stars

This is a fictional graphic novel, suggesting one Jack the Ripper theory.

To be honest, I was a bit disappointed. It was ok, but there was a lot of info that had me wondering what it had to do with anything. I got bored during some of these parts. I also wasn't crazy about the artwork. There were some panels with no dialogue and it was hard to tell what was supposed to have been happening. I was impressed with the very extensive/detailed author's note at the end, though. Overall, I'm rating it ok.

Holy! Apparently I've been forgetting to update this thread! I will come back with my reviews from May, June and July!

This one, I've just read now, but I'd hope to read it in July for ghost stories:

Homebody / Orson Scott Card
3.5 stars

When Don buys a run-down, falling apart home to restore it, he is surprised to find a squatter living there. He learns more about the house from the squatter and the neighbours and things don't quite go as planned.

I enjoyed it, mostly, but I was hoping for creepy and I really didn't find it creepy. I can't say I liked the end, either. Hmmm, my comments don't make it sound like I enjoyed it, but really I mostly did!

May/Woman and NonEnglish

The Lunatic Cafe / Laurell K. Hamilton
4 stars

Vampire hunter, Anita Blake, is dating werewolf Richard. While they try to sort out their relationship, Anita is called to alpha werewolf, Marcus, to help find out about some missing werewolves.

I am really enjoying this series (at least for now – I know that will change later). It does remind me a lot of Sookie Stackhouse (though I know Anita Blake actually came first). This book didn't seem as dark (that is, gory) as the others have been (to be honest, I don't remember them real well, but I took a look back at my reviews for a reminder), but there was plenty of action (especially at the end) and I am enjoying Anita and Richard trying to figure out where they are going.

June/Pulp and Weird

Joyland / Stephen King
5 stars

In 1973, when Devin's girlfriend breaks up with him in the summer between years at university, he is crushed. He takes a job at an amusement park, Joyland, and tries to forget Wendy. A few years earlier, at Joyland, a girl was murdered and her ghost is said to still haunt the ride where she was killed. The murderer was never found. Devin makes some good friends at Joyland and one of them helps him try to figure out what happened to the murdered girl.

This one is actually pretty short for a King novel. Even so, Stephen King is so good at characters and atmosphere. Right from the start, I was pulled into Joyland. King does an amazing job describing it all and we even learn some of the carny vocabulary while we're at it! Most of the first half of the book does not actually focus on the mystery of the murdered girl, but introduces us to Joyland and the characters and gives us some background. The mystery becomes more of a focus in the second half, but I really enjoyed all of it.

June/Pulp and Weird

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children / Ransom Riggs
4 stars

Jacob's grandfather used to tell Jacob fairy tales when Jake was a kid, but he presented them as being real. His grandfather, as a (Jewish) child, was sent away from Poland at the start of WWII to a home for children on an island in Wales, where he would be safe. After his grandfather dies, due to some things he said to Jacob as he was dying, Jacob feels he must get to Wales to find this orphanage his grandfather lived at.

I really enjoyed this. I love that it was based on real old photographs and I loved that they were included in the book (a bit dark in the ebook, but I could make them out). I loved the creepiness of the old house when Jacob first comes upon it. It's not action-packed (though there's more of that at the end), but I really liked the story, overall.

June/Pulp and Weird

Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter / Seth Grahame-Smith
4 stars

This is the story of Abraham Lincoln as a vampire hunter. As a boy, when he learns both his grandfather and his mother were killed by vampires, he vows to hunt every vampire in America down and kill them. When he meets a vampire who is willing to train him, he becomes the best vampire hunter in America.

I really liked this. I will admit that I don't know American history very well, so what I know about Lincoln is only the very basics. I do suspect much of what was in the book did really happen (but I can't say for sure) – except, of course, all the stuff about vampires! I didn't find it fast-paced, as it followed him on his travels for both work and vampire-hunting, but I really enjoyed it.

July/Hauntings and Ghost stories

Locke & Key. Vol. 2: Head Games / Joe Hill
3.5 stars

Luke, who supposedly died 30 years ago, is recognized by a few people, looking just like he did then. He is pretending to be a cousin to the woman who was once his girlfriend. Bode Locke has discovered another key – this one opens up his brain, where he can look at and pick out memories. Unfortunately, the older Locke siblings trust Luke and he learns of this key...

It was good, but I didn't like it as much as the first one. It ended on a “cliffhanger”, but I was already planning to read the next one in the series, anyway. The illustrations are very well done. There is a section at the back where the illustrator explains his process, which was kind of interesting. It ends with a beautiful gallery of illustrations, as well.

Some good stuff you're reading!

>67 drneutron: Yes, I guess the past few months have been a pretty good run for the horror I've been reading!

Not for a HorrorKIT, but:

The Haunted Hotel / Wilkie Collins
2.5 stars

Mr. Ferrari has disappeared and right around the same time, Lord Montberry has died of an illness. Lady Montberry is having a hard time dealing with things and Mrs. Ferrari is worried about her husband.

There did actually seem to be a lot of activity in the book and it initially seemed like I was going to enjoy the writing style, but I got lost early on with so many characters and I had trouble figuring out who was who. It temporarily picked up for a bit in the second half, as the hotel was opened and the haunting(s?) happened. But then, I sort of lost interest again as the story wrapped up.

The main plotline above IS the main plotline, which is what I remember, but being worried I was missing something, I looked it up after I finished reading, only to discover I missed some of the wrapup at the end (though I was happy I did catch the main plot)! I caught some of it (the wrapup), but missed some of the important bits. Most classics for me are hit or miss. This one sounded intriguing, but unfortunately it was a miss for me.

>69 LibraryCin: Without giving any spoilers, was there any haunting going on at the hotel?

>70 Moomin_Mama: Yes.

August/Psychological

The Ruins / Scott Smith
4.5 stars

When four friends take a holiday in Mexico, they meet a few others and decide to go after their new German friend's brother, who has followed a girl out to an archaeological site. What they find at that site, however, will leave them fighting for their lives.

Wow, definitely creepy! I was on the edge of my seat for most of it, wanting to know what was going to happen, so I wanted to just keep reading. I was happy to finish the 500 page book in two (weekend) days.

>71 LibraryCin: Short and sweet! I did say no spoilers :D

>73 Moomin_Mama: lol! exactly!

>70 Moomin_Mama: & >71 LibraryCin: & >73 Moomin_Mama: & >74 LibraryCin: Very funny. :) Nice updates btw!

Looks like I've been forgetting to add my books to my own thread again. I see nothing for September (though I haven't missed a month). I'll have to check back and add it in...

In the meantime, for
October/Slasher/Thriller

Doctor Sleep / Stephen King
4 stars

Danny Torrence (the little boy in The Shining) is all grown up now. He still has a bit of that “shining” in him he had when he was a child, but it's not quite as strong. When Abra gets in touch with him via his mind/the shining when she's just a baby, little does he realize how dangerous this will be for them once she's a teenager.

Another really good book from King. The point of view changed between Dan, Abra and the “bad guys”. I didn't find the “bad guys” POV as interesting, but I did enjoy reading about Dan and learning about Abra and how strong her shining was and what she was able to do with it. I also liked that SK mentioned a character from one of his son, Joe Hill's, books. Not sure it's in the plans, but now I'm interested in Abra when she's all grown up!

September/Southern Gothic

Those Across the River / Christopher Buehlman
3.25 stars

When Frank and Dora inherit a house in rural Georgia that's been in Frank's family since plantation days, even though they are warned away from moving in, circumstances dictate that it's the best plan to just move in. But when the town decides to stop offering a sacrifice to whatever it is that's across the river, whatever it is isn't happy...

It started really slow for me. The entire first half was merely ok, so I did seem to skim over some of it, since it wasn't holding my attention. However, the second half really picked up and did hold my interest. It still wasn't quite enough to increase my overall rating to “good”, however, so I'm giving it that ¼ star that it wouldn't have gotten if I didn't end up liking the second half.

November: Light/Humourous

How to Survive a Horror Movie / Seth Grahame-Smith
5 stars

What would you do if you ever found yourself trapped in a horror movie? First, you must determine that you ARE in a horror movie, then determine what subgenre of horror it is (and Grahame-Smith helps with all of this). Then, he has all kinds of tips that will help you make it all the way to the end credits (then you just have to hope you don't end up in a sequel!).

This was hilarious!!! I found myself smiling, giggling, laughing, and even nodding in agreement! It's a quick read. I was reading the ebook ; there were a few cartoon illustrations here and there, and I would be curious to know if they are in colour in the print book. It would have been nice to see them a bit larger, as well, but it didn't take away from the hilarity of the rest of the book! So much fun!!

December: Contemporary/Modern Gothic

Vittorio, the Vampire / Anne Rice
2 stars

Vittorio is telling a tale of his life 450ish years ago, in the mid-15th century in Italy, before he was turned into a vampire. His family was slain, but he was left to live by a beautiful vampire, Ursula.

Not great. Initially I thought it might be ok, but with the angels and such, boring. In fact, I kind of missed when he became a vampire (that is, I thought he had before he actually did). Between this and Memnoch the Devil, I think I'm finished with Anne Rice. At least it was quick and I can get the book out of my house.

Memnoch was the super religious one, right? I thought it was interesting in that (as a not-really-practicing Reform Jew) I had no idea about a lot of those details of christianity, so learning them through a novel with a character I enjoyed was a good way to go about it, but yeah the story was pretty meh. I did keep reading though, I enjoyed the character Armand and reading his history was interesting, and then after that was when she started doing the witches combined into the Vampire Chronicles. I think I read the next three and only have Blood Canticle left (plus her new Lestat one, eventually, heh). But it's been over a decade, I think I would have to at least go back to Merrick and read those three over again before Blood Canticle. The original vampire line I think I could suffice without refreshing memory on, since I don't think they're really even involved with the witches' storyline much after Merrick is introduced.

>80 .Monkey.: Yes, it was. I had read the first four in that series years before, and I finally got around to Memnoch. I was soooo bored! I've heard the books are better again after Memnoch, but I never went back to it. Now, after Vittorio, I'm thinking I just won't bother!

I'm impressed that you've kept going with so many of them!

The Island / Clarissa Johal
4 stars

Emma's grandmother disappeared from her private island 7 years ago. Emma and her father have finally decided to clean up the place to sell it, but her father has had an injury so Emma heads out to the island on her own to do the clean-up. There are rumors that the island is cursed. As Emma soon finds out, there really are weird things going on on that island...

I really enjoyed this. It pulled me in right away and I wanted to keep reading until I finished. It was short enough (under 200 pages) so that I was able to finish in one day. There are a couple of side stories with Emma's friend Paisley and with a budding romance, but I enjoyed those, as well. I thought the “secondary” characters were well done.