What are you reading?

ristow · **Posted:** Wed Jan 24, 2007 11:18 pm

Matt, call me Rich, by the way.

oldmanmike · **Posted:** Thu Jan 25, 2007 8:13 am

I will probably save the Beloved for an airplane read.

David T. Wilbanks · **Posted:** Thu Jan 25, 2007 10:04 am

I'm still reading Aickman. It's not a quick read, but I'm appreciating it.

Matt Cowan · **Posted:** Thu Jan 25, 2007 1:11 pm

I occasionally listen to a podcast called The Writing Show. They interview writers and give writing advice, ect. They did a series at Halloween time where they brought in several writers from the Austrialian Horror Writers Asscociation to read some of their work and then talk about it. A man named Leigh Blackmore read one of his called Cemetery Rose which was excellent. Afterwards he listed Ramsey Campbell as an influence. Several of the stories were quite good if anyone out there is interested.

deadpaul · **Joined:** Mon Aug 21, 2006 10:45 pm **Posts:** 7

AlwaysJudy · **Posted:** Sun Jan 28, 2007 9:53 pm

I just read Night School by Michael Paine. Anyone else ever hear of this guy or read that book? I thought it was extremely well written and gory!
Can someone help me re-think Richard Laymon? I have only read The Cellar but I didn't enjoy it at all. I feel like a traitor to the horror crowd. I know he is supposed to be a legend, but I didn't feel like he developed the characters or created any kind of atmosphere except for when he was describing the Beast House. Compared to other books I've read recently like Ketchum's The Girl Next Door and Horrorween by Al Sarrantonia, I just didn't think the The Cellar held up. I'm new to the genre, so I admit I have a lot to learn, please help me appreciate Laymon!
Blessings,
Ing

ristow · **Posted:** Sun Jan 28, 2007 9:58 pm

I have Night School and Stage Fright. I got 30 pages into stage fright and put it down for some reason or an other. I remember liking it, so I can't explain why I put it down. I just do that sometimes, which leads me to point where I'm reading like 5-10 novels all at the same time.

Matt Cowan · **Posted:** Sun Jan 28, 2007 10:42 pm

ristow · **Posted:** Sun Jan 28, 2007 11:08 pm

I agree with matt. Here's some skeletons out of my closet: I haven't read Layman, I haven't read Campbell (sorry, matt), I haven't read Ketchum, I've only read half of one Koontz nevel, . Paul Wilsonand the list goes on.

Here's my story. I was a big, big horror fan in the early 1990's. Then something strange happened. I went to college, and slowly, I left the genre behind. I began to read for pleasure only very minimally. Then, something worse happened. I went to grad school, twice. If anything kills your love of reading, it's being an English major and then going to to grad school, and being required to read lots of dense, boring, door stops of critical tracts. (Harold Bloom's book on Shakespeare is as thick as a telephone book.) My second time in grad school, which was an MFA in Poetry, I basically stopped reading fiction all together. Basically, for 6 to 7 years, the only novels I read were Harry Potter books. Then, last summer, I realized that I wasn't in college anymore, and hadn't been in the last two years, and that I didn't have to answer to my thesis director or worry about having to appear "smart" about poetry in front of an oral defense committee. I realized I was "free" for a change. And I've been reading genre fiction ever sense. Liberating. And, there's a lot to Catch up on. One might say, I took a 10 year break from horror. But I'm glad to be back.F.

Matt Cowan · **Posted:** Mon Jan 29, 2007 2:55 pm

Chadzilla · **Posted:** Mon Jan 29, 2007 3:28 pm

Matt Cowan · **Posted:** Mon Jan 29, 2007 7:59 pm

AlwaysJudy · **Posted:** Tue Jan 30, 2007 8:31 pm

I feel SO much better! Thank you so much, gentlemen! I was starting to think there was something wrong with me! I really appreciate yinz (Pittsburgh here) taking the time to share confess! Thanks! Do you read any Al Sarrantonio or Richard Chizmar?
Blessings,

ing

Matt Cowan · **Posted:** Tue Jan 30, 2007 9:39 pm

I have own two Al Sarrantonio books. His short story collection, Toy Box and his novel, House Haunted. I enjoyed both a great deal but am particularly fond of House Haunted. I consider myself somewhat of a fan of his based primarily on the strength of that book.

ristow · **Posted:** Wed Jan 31, 2007 10:09 am

I read All Souls Day. I have Horroween and one Sarrontonio's slim western novels on my to-read shelf

David T. Wilbanks · **Posted:** Thu Feb 08, 2007 10:20 am

ristow · **Posted:** Thu Feb 08, 2007 9:14 pm

Ghoul and Dead Souls. Reading them both at the same time.

Mark Justice · **Joined:** Mon Mar 14, 2005 1:28 am **Posts:** 1683

My latest horror read was They Hunger by Scott Nicholson. I jujst finished High Profile by Robert B. Parker (non-horror, but Parker is my second favorite author behind James Lee Burke). I'm also reading Mr. Monk and the Blue Flu by Lee Goldberg based on, of course, the popular TV series. My next horror read looks like it's going to be Lost Echoes by Joe Lansdale.

Matt Cowan · **Posted:** Sat Jun 30, 2007 1:25 pm

Raven Bowers book, Apparitions. I just started reading it but so far I 'm really enjoying it.

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Mark Justice · **Joined:** Mon Mar 14, 2005 1:28 am **Posts:** 1683

I'm reading The Devil's Paymaster, from the May 1941 Issue of The Spider pulp.

deusExMachina · **Joined:** Sun Jan 14, 2007 12:34 pm **Posts:** 546

Kreep · **Joined:** Fri Jan 26, 2007 1:19 pm **Posts:** 237

Back after a bit of an absence. My father-in-law suddenly passed away last week, so we had to make an unplanned trip to Connecticut. We were just up there the week before and he seemed the same as always. Then just a couple days later he died while sitting in his chair watching TV. Weird how those things happen like that.

Anyway, I'm currently reading:

And currently listening to:

Matt Cowan · **Posted:** Tue Jul 03, 2007 9:50 pm

Sorry to hear about your father-in-law, Ken.

Mark Justice · **Joined:** Mon Mar 14, 2005 1:28 am **Posts:** 1683

Same here, Ken.

Kreep · **Joined:** Fri Jan 26, 2007 1:19 pm **Posts:** 237

jjclpell · **Joined:** Thu Apr 26, 2007 10:22 am **Posts:** 13

Mark Justice · **Joined:** Mon Mar 14, 2005 1:28 am **Posts:** 1683

deusExMachina · **Joined:** Sun Jan 14, 2007 12:34 pm **Posts:** 546

"Horrorween" by Al Sarrantonio

Matt Cowan · **Posted:** Thu Jul 19, 2007 12:25 pm

Matt Cowan · **Posted:** Thu Jul 19, 2007 12:30 pm

I just finished Raven's book, Apparitions a few days ago and it is excellent! It's not just me that thinks so either. If you check Amazon she has a perfect 5 star rating from all four people who have written reviews so far (one of those is mine).

Here is a link:

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