Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Trick or Treat
All those affected by Hurricane Sandy, I hope you're doing okay out there! I am just fine over here in the DC area - I've had my fair share of experiences with intense storm systems, and my power even hung in there this time. And I don't have to go into work today, so I have some time to catch up on blogging.
Anyway. What even was this month, you guys? I had planned to celebrate Halloween the way I always do - by babbling about it all October-long - but life supremely got in the way. And by life, I mean a time-consuming new job, the sinus infection from hell (and subsequently, an antibiotic that made my symptoms worse and then made my tongue swell up), submission drama, more submission drama, and trying to find time to write all through this.
So to make up for the rec-fest that never was, we will condense it. Because I am holding Halloween right here on this blog, and inviting y'all to come Trick or Treat!
So here's how it goes. Ring my doorbell, and request a medium (movies, tv shows, books, webcomics, campfire stories, etc) and a scariness-level (anywhere from 'mildly creepy' to 'balls-out terrifying,' or just 'non-scary Halloween-themed' if lying awake at night isn't your thing.) You can throw in an optional detail if you so desire, such as your favorite thing that goes bump in the night. And taking your preferences into account, I will find some great Halloween entertainment for you. Because everyone knows the best part of Halloween is the stories we tell!
Ready, set, go!
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Okay, I'll bite. :) I'd like a book that's keep-you-up-at-night scary that isn't House of Leaves.
ReplyDeleteOhoho, I'll give you three! One middle grade, one YA, and one adult urban fantasy.
DeleteTHE CAVENDISH HOME FOR BOYS AND GIRLS by Claire Legrand: I assume you've read CORALINE already, and this is definitely its spiritual successor. When perfectionist Victoria's best friend and "project" Lawrence goes missing, she tracks him down to the titular home, where children go in one way and come out another - if they come out at all. Eerie, surreal, thoroughly original middle-grade horror.
THE PRICKER BOY by Reade Scott Whinnem: I'm still trying to get this book the love it deserves. It had me afraid to look over my shoulder while I was reading it. It follows a group of friends just on the cusp of abandoning the campfire stories and urban legends that propelled their childhood in a New England lakeside community - until those legends come back for them. But whether it's a monster stalking them, or the all-too-real horrors that have started to seep into their adult lives, Whinnem keeps you guesses.
SMOKE AND MIRRORS by Tanya Huff: This one is hilarious AND terrifying. It's the second book of a really sharp, funny urban fantasy trilogy about Tony Foster and his attempts to balance his job (a crew member on a syndicated vampire detective show), his hunt for a normal boyfriend, and his connection to all things paranormal. Needless to say, meta abounds everywhere. The first book is decent and not scary, the third book is great and not scary, but the second book, a classic haunted house story, is awesomely terrifying. I stayed up all night reading it because I was too scared to put it down!
Wow, thank you! I've never head of any of these; time to go to the library.
DeleteI'd like a Halloweenish movie that is family-friendly, but entertaining enough to keep the attention of a four-year-old AND a fifteen-year-old boy (the boy is goofy and not above kid-stuff...for example, he enjoyed watching the first Alvin & the Chipmunks movie with his little sister). Thanks!
ReplyDeleteHey Jess! Sounds like you've got quite the balancing act to contend with every time you pick out a movie! That's so sweet that the fifteen-year-old is not above movie night with his little sis, though. So since you said HalloweenISH, I will stay away from the straight-up Halloween stuff.
DeleteHave they seen Monsters Inc yet? Pixar movies were pretty much made to straddle the age gap: there's plenty that would keep older brother occupied, too. If not, their newest movie, Brave, just came out on DVD, and there are enough supernatural goings-on to keep it within the realm of Halloweenish.
This might be pushing it for the fifteen-year-old if he's not a fan of "girlier" movies, but my four-year-old host sister in Tokyo was obsessed with the movie Kiki's Delivery Service, which has an English dub version in the States. It's really sweet and light fun, and the protagonist is a witch, so it's still seasonally appropriate!