Ten Horror Stories to Creep You Out

Here at Come Hither Books, I cover mostly science fiction and fantasy. But recently more horror has been sneaking onto my to read list. So here are Ten Horror Stories I’ve enjoyed in the last few years. Take a peek into the shadows with me.

Leviathan Wakes, James S.A. Corey
My review
Series: Expanse #1
Teaser: Leviathan Wakes starts out science fiction noir in a world of teeming spaceports and isolated outposts, then takes a turn into Lovecraftian horror as the plot races forward. Great cross-genre read.

Revival, by Tim Seeley
My review
Series: Ongoing graphic novel series
Teaser: The dead come back to life in rural Wisconsin. But they aren’t your standard zombies. The dead keep their memories and personalities. How do you make room for those you’ve already mourned? How do you move on if you’re stuck forever?

Wild Fell, Michael Rowe
My review
Series: Standalone
Teaser: For a hundred years, the townspeople of Alvina have prayed the darkness inside Wild Fell would stay locked away. Jameson Browning purchased Wild Fell to start a new life. But what lurks in the house is devoted to its darkness and guards it jealously. It’s been waiting for him.

Tokyo Ghoul, Sui Ishida
My review
Series: Ongoing Manga Series
Teaser: Ken Kaneki is thrilled to go on a date with Rize. But she’s only interested in his body—eating it, that is. When a morally questionable rescue transforms him into the first half-human half-Ghoul hybrid, Ken is drawn into the dark and violent world of Ghouls.

Bones and All, Camille DeAngelis
My review
Series: Standalone
Teaser: Coming of age with cannibals. Maren is on her own at sixteen, with a horrifying habit and nowhere to turn. She sets off to discover the truth about herself and finds a makeshift family of her own. Accepting who you are is hard enough, but it’s even harder when you’re a monster.

Through the Woods, Emily Carroll
My review
Series: Standalone, Graphic Novel Collection
Teaser: This collection of creepy illustrated stories for young readers shouldn’t be the scariest thing on this list. But it is. Through the Woods will remind you of the things that crept into your dreams after bedtime.

Dead Set, Richard Kadrey
My review
Series: Standalone
Teaser: After her father’s funeral, Zoe and her mother moved to the Big City to start over. But Zoe’s grief leads down a dark path. In an overlooked record shop, her father’s life is stored on a record and she can listen. For a price. First, a lock of hair. Then, a tooth…

The Madman’s Daughter, Megan Shepherd
My review
Series: Madman’s Daughter Trilogy #1
Teaser: A retelling of The Island of Doctor Moreau, with all the building horror and monstrous experiments you would expect, and the addition of a new narrator – Moreau’s sixteen year old daughter, Juliet.

Bunnicula, James Howe
My review
Series: Bunnicula #1
Teaser: Okay, fine. This series is more funny than scary, especially when reread as an adult. But there will always be room on my horror list for this kid’s classic. How can you not love the story of a sarcastic cat and loyal dog trying to defend themselves against a vampire bunny?

Anna Dressed in Blood, Kendare Blake
No review, but it’s the book that started my current horror trend.
Series: Anna #1
Teaser: Cas is a hunter, trained to kill ghosts like his father before him. But he’s never faced a ghost like Anna. Anna Dressed in Blood has killed every person who steps foot in her house. Until Cas.

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish. This week’s topic is books outside your comfort zone.

Ten Fantasy Books for Music Lovers

Music soothes the soul and draws us to dance. The beat works its magic; toes start tapping and heads bop along. With such an elemental effect, it’s no surprise that music has inspired many fantasy authors.

Here are ten books which capture the magic of music on the page. Be warned: lyrical prose and rhythms that leak off the page may have you humming along or seeking out songs online.

The Name of the Wind, Patrick Rothfuss
Series: Kingkiller Chronicles #1
Why: The son of traveling performers tells an epic tale of magic and adventure in the voice of a talented poet and natural musician. You’ll be spellbound.

Soul Music, Terry Pratchett
Series: Discworld #16
Why: If madcap comedy sounds to your tastes, try Soul Music. This zany tale of music with a mind of its own also works as a good entry point to the Discworld series.

Dragonsong, Anne McCaffrey
Series: Pern Series; Harper Hall #1
Why: For old school fantasy, try Dragonsong, where a young woman denied her music runs away to find her destiny, and ends up teaching wild dragons to sing.

Signal to Noise, Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Series: Standalone
Why: If urban fantasy is more your style, try this little-known gem. Signal to Noise tells a tale of musical magic in Mexico City. Read with the soundtrack, filled with classic jazz, rock and roll and 80’s pop, in both English and Spanish. Read my review.

The Hum and the Shiver, Alex Bledsoe
Series: Tufa #1
Story: In the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, the truth of the Tufa people hides in the music they’ve passed down for generations. Bronwyn Hyatt will have to reconnect to those roots if she is to stop the restless darkness rising in the hills. (Read with bluegrass soundtrack.)

Last Song Before Night, Ilana C. Myer
Series: Standalone
Why: Travel to a high fantasy world of bards and poets. This song-infused fantasy is told in flowing, lyrical prose that creates the feel of music on the page. This tale of poets off to restore enchantments to the land is the perfect read to bring your musical journey to a close. Read the review.

Seraphina, Rachel Hartman
Series: Seraphina #1
Why: Seraphina is a gifted musician who joins the court just as a royal is murdered. The investigation threatens to reveal the secret of her musical gift, which could endanger everything.

The Darkest Part of the Forest, Holly Black
Series: Standalone
Why: Ben has the gift of fae music and plays bard to his sister’s knight. But fae magic is hard to control, and he swears off music after a horrible accident. To save the day, he’ll have to face his fears and reclaim his magic. Read the review.

The Naming, Alison Croggon
Series: The Books of Pellinor #1
Why: Maerad is trapped in a hopeless life of slavery and war, until a bard selects her as his next student. But the two musicians have a long road ahead, filled with danger and dark forces.

City of Dark Magic, Magnus Flyte
Series: City of Dark Magic #1
Why: This bizarre, raunchy cross-genre read features Beethoven, espionage, time travel, sex and humor all rolled up into one weird story. Read the review.

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish. This week’s topic is Music & Books.

Top Ten Canon Couples

Alana & Marko, Saga Series by Brian K. Vaughan
They fell in love across a battle line, and that brutal war is nothing compared to what they’ll have to do to stay together and raise a forbidden child. They’re fierce, clueless, idealistic, naive and stubborn. I’m rooting for them against all odds.

Patroclus & Achilles, Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
You can’t find a love story more tragic than one out of a Greek epic, and Miller’s prose makes the world of the Iliad come to life. I knew how it would end, and fell in love anyway.

Rachel & Trent, The Hollows Series by Kim Harrison
My favorite series for character development over time, and nowhere is that better illustrated than through the eventual relationship of Rachel & Trent. They start as adversaries, then eventually friends and ultimately lovers. But it’s not hate turn to love. It’s personal growth, through a crazy series of hardships, that changed them both from what they were at the beginning. Their journey made them ready for love, and perfect for each other.

Amaranthe & Sicarius, Emperor’s Edge Series by Lindsay Buroker
Sicarius is a quiet, deadly assassin who everyone fears. Amaranthe is the goofy, slightly obsessive leader who dares to order him around anyway. She teaches him to smile and use his skills for a purpose. He stays at her side no matter what, and gives her the courage to take on the impossible. They’re just adorable.

Xena & Gabrielle, Xena: The Warrior Princess, TV show
They’re strong women in different ways, bring out the best in each other, and stay together to the end. What’s not to love? Plus, it proved awesome women could be surrounded by men without belittling or being threatened by them, and two women could find love without treating every man who came before as a place holder. Waaaay ahead of its time.

Darrow & Mustang, Red Rising Trilogy by Pierce Brown
NO BOOK 3 SPOILERS PLEASE!
He’s a damaged protagonist who needs her reminders to treat the people around him with kindness. She’s a privileged member of a brutal society blinded to some aspects of that society. They’re capable of violence and betrayal, and will break your heart again and again. But they complement each other so well that it makes me want for it to all work out in the end. (No guarantees.)

Lucius & Narcissa, Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
My love of this canon couple is based on fanfiction and art as much as on JKR’s books, but whatever. Slytherin love all the way.

Finnikin & Evanjalin, Lumatere Chronicles by Melina Marchetta
These two come together as refugees cast out of their kingdom, and have to reclaim a home for their people. But it’s seeing how they change and grow stronger together afterwards when they thought the hardships would be over that makes them one of my top canon couples.

Jamie & Claire, Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon (& TV show)
Theirs is a real marriage, with moments of doubt, fear and violent disagreement. They function as equals, in a time when that would be shocking, and their relationship is a constant series of negotiations and rebalancing. For all its swoon-worthy origins, I’ve never seen a more realistic portrayal of marriage over the whole series.

Vin & Elend, The Mistborn Trilogy by Brandon Sanderson
Vin grows from a paranoid street kid to a confident warrior, and Elend from a political theory geek to a wise leader. They see potential in each other long before anyone else, and bond for who they are on the inside.

What I learned:
I like my ships:
* Partnerships between equals
* Long-term relationships > Happily ever afters
* Series couples > Standalone romances
* Fantasy > Science Fiction
* Books > Television

The Fantasy > SciFi preference is mostly a side effect of reading more long series in fantasy. My science fiction picks are usually standalones, and less likely to contain a pairing at all.

Who are your favorite canon couples?

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish. This week’s topic is a freebie Valentine’s Day list.

Ten Tales of Old West Fantasy

I’ve spent most of my life west of the Mississippi, where ghost towns and ramshackle homesteads dot the landscape. It’s the history that lingers on in the land I know best. The Old West is a favorite setting of mine, especially when mixed with my favorite genres. Whether it’s weird western horror, steampunk adventure, western-influenced dystopia or historical fantasy, you’ll find something to hunker down with here.

Walk on Earth a Stranger, Rae Carson (2015)
Genre: historical fantasy, young adult
Series: Gold Seer Trilogy
When & Where: Gold Rush era, California
The story: Lee has the power to sense gold in the world around her, and people will do anything to control her. In California, where gold abounds, she can be herself for the first time.

Killer of Enemies, Joseph Bruchac
Genre: dystopian, fantasy, steampunk, cross-genre, young adult
Series: Killer of Enemies (2013)
When & Where: post-apocalyptic, American Southwest
The story: When tech stopped working, the monsters got loose, and Lozen started hunting. Her powers are tied to an Apache legend. As her ancestors foretold, Lozen is destined to be a hero.

Six-Gun Tarot, R.S. Belcher (2013)
Genre: steampunk, weird western, horror, historical fantasy
Series: Golgotha
When & Where: 1869, Nevada
The story: Golgotha, Nevada is a town of secrets, with monsters lurking in the shadows. But the abandoned mine hides a new threat. If it can’t be stopped, the darkness emanating from its depths will swallow everything.

Silver on the Road, Laura Anne Gilman (2015)
Genre: heroic fantasy, western, historical fiction
Series: The Devil’s West
When & Where: Old West era, Western Territories
The story: The Devil controls the Territories, making deals with mortals but always trading fairly. At 16, Isobel signs on to become the Devil’s left hand, unseen in the shadows.

Blood Red Road, Moira Young
Genre: dystopian, young adult
Series: Dust Lands Trilogy (complete)
When & Where: post-apocalyptic wasteland
The story: A girl sets out across the wasteland in search of her kidnapped twin brother. Along the way, she meets up with a girl gang of revolutionaries and the daredevil Jack. And finds the strength to take on a corrupt society from the inside. Perfect for fans of Mad Max: Fury Road.

Flash Gold, Lindsay Buroker (2011)
Genre: steampunk
Series: Flash Gold Chronicles
When & Where: Gold Rush era, Yukon territories
The story: Kali enters her steam-powered “dogless sled” in a race, whose prize money will let her escape forever. But fortune seekers and airship pirates want the secret of her father’s alchemy, flash gold.

The Gunslinger, Stephen King (1982)
Genre: horror, Western, fantasy, post-apocalyptic
Series: The Dark Tower (complete, 7 books)
When & Where: Western style fantasy world
The story: Roland Deschain is the Last Gunslinger, on a mysterious quest through a desolate world. Leaving death in his wake, he pursues the man in black, an evil being who can bring the dead back to life.

Karen Memory, Elizabeth Bear
Genre: steampunk, alternate history
Series: Standalone
When & Where: late 1800s, Seattle
The story: Karen guards the girls at a high class bordello. An injured girl arrives at their door, followed by a man with a mind-control machine. When a body turns up in the trash, it’ll take a lot for the ladies to stay safe.

Alloy of Law, Brandon Sanderson
Genre: epic fantasy, steampunk, magic
Series: Mistborn #4; #1 of followup series
When & Where: fantasy world
The story: 300 years after the Mistborn trilogy, the land is on the cusp of modernity. But Waxillium may not be able to put away his guns just yet. Alloy of Law works as the beginning of its own series, so don’t be afraid to give it a try whether you’ve read Mistborn or not.

Stranger, Rachel Manija Brown & Sherwood Smith
Genre: post-apocalyptic, western, adventure, young adult
Series: The Change
When & Where: future Los Angeles
The story: The area once called Los Angeles retains its cultural diversity, but its technological marvels have faded to legend. A teen prospector arrives with a bounty hunter on his trail and a precious artifact in his pack. Life in the frontier town of Las Anclas will never be the same. My review

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish. This week’s topic is historical settings.

If you like 5th Wave – 10 Tales of Alien Invasion

As 5th Wave hits theaters, it’s the perfect time to stay up late with an action-packed story of alien invasion and conspiracy. Each of these young adult stories features aliens on Earth. Whether they are friend or foe, strangers or the boy next door, you can’t miss with one of these great science fiction stories.

If you like 5th Wave, try one of these extraterrestrial tales today.

Ten Tales of Alien Invasion for Teens:

1. We Are the Ants | Shaun David Hutchinson
2. Illuminae | Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff
3. In the After | Demitria Lunetta
4. Ender’s Game | Orson Scott Card
5. The Knife of Never Letting Go | Patrick Ness
6. Shade’s Children | Garth Nix
7. Midnight City | J. Barton Mitchell
8. Rush | Eve Silver
9. Assault | Brian Falkner
10. I Am Number Four | Pittacus Lore

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish. This week’s topic is a freebie topic.

Ten New Books To Read

My TBR is all about looking forward, and many are not yet released. I’ve included release dates after each title to make things easier. Here’s ten of the books I’m looking forward to right now.

1. Into the Dim | Janet B. Taylor | March 2016
2. The Girl From Everywhere | Heidi Heilig | Feb 2016
3. The Abyss Surrounds Us | Emily Skrutskie | Feb 2016
4. Silver on the Road | Laura Anne Gilman | Oct 2015
5. The Steep and Thorny Way | Cat Winters | March 2016
6. A Criminal Magic | Lee Kelly | Feb 2016
7. Ghost Talkers | Mary Robinette Kowal | July 2016
8. Truthwitch | Susan Dennard | January 2016
9. Barsk: The Elephant’s Graveyard | Lawrence M. Schoen | Dec 2015
10. In Midnight’s Silence | T. Frohock | June 2015

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish. This week’s topic is Top Ten Books I’ve Recently Added To My TBR.

Review Formats & Blog Update

I’m back…

As you may have noticed, I’ve tweaked my book review formats recently.

Temporary Hiatus

Quick update:

A short trip out of town has stretched into a series of real life interruptions. There will be no posts while I sort things out. I’ll post when I can over the next few months, and be back to regular reviews in January.

In the meantime, you can keep up with my reading and reviews by following me on Goodreads.

Ten Diverse Books

Ten Books Featuring Diverse Characters

Five diverse books I’ve read in the past year and loved:
The Stranger
The Wrath and the Dawn
Signal to Noise
Saga
Ms. Marvel

Five more I want to read:
The long way to a small, angry planet
Shadowshaper
Three Parts Dead
El Deafo
Killing Moon

Late and graphics-free, because I’m running behind on life at the moment. But I love this topic too much not to participate.

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish. This week’s topic is Ten Books That Celebrate Diversity/Diverse Characters.

Top Ten Books of 2015 (so far)

1. The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making, Catherynne M. Valente
2. Saga, Brian K. Vaughan
3. Golden Son, Pierce Brown
4. Code Name Verity, Elizabeth Wein
5. Stranger, Rachel Manija Brown & Sherwood Smith
6. The Wicked + The Divine, Kieron Gillen
7. Rat Queens, Kurtis J. Wiebe
8. Goblin Emperor, Katherine Addison
9. California Bones, Greg Van Eekhout
10. Ms. Marvel, G. Willow Wilson

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish. This week’s topic is Top Ten Books I’ve Read So Far In 2015.

Most link to reviews here on Come Hither Books, one to my Goodreads review, and one I haven’t written yet so it just goes to Goodreads. Also, The Wrath and The Dawn belongs on here except I haven’t finished reading it yet, and therefore can’t decide where in the top five it belongs. 🙂