What came first, the scary movie or the scary book?  Depends on the author or producer.  Sometimes, books can be scarier and linger longer than movies.

An example of book scarier than the movie:  Stephen King’s Salem’s Lot.  I don’t think it’s too much of a spoiler for a book that was published in 1975 to tell you why this is one of the scariest books I’ve ever read:  good doesn’t triumph over evil.  The mere thought puts a dent in my eternal optimist armor. I also happened to be reading it in a rented second-story apartment on a windy night with a tree branch scraping my window.

An example of a book that lingered:  Thanks to Dean Koontz’ book, Phantoms, I am a bit uneasy in a public restroom by myself.

King and Koontz are tops for giving me the creeps.

Many of my favorite horror genre books really aren’t that scary, but are stories about “supes’, to use a Charlaine Harris word to describe witches, werewolves, shape changers, vampires, fairies, time travelers, etc.  My favorite series are the Sookie Stackhouse series and Grave series by Charlaine Harris, the Vampire Chronicles and Lives of the Mayfair Witches by Anne Rice, and All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Harkness.

Post-college, reading The Vampire Lestat, I wanted Lestat to be real.  I think I still want him to be real, although Stewart Townsend in the movie, Queen of the Damned, came pretty damn close.  I mourned Lestat and the Mayfair witches when Anne Rice started writing in a different genre, but as you’ll learn in the next paragraph, my mourning for the sensual vampire is over.  I mourn less the closure of the Sookie Stackhouse story than waiting for the next book in the series.  The HBO adaption, True Blood, was more of an expansion on the existing stories, but I am grateful we got to see Alcide played by Joe Manganiello.  Both the Graves and All Souls Trilogy were short and sweet and left me wanting more.

Currently unread in my Nook are Price Lestat by Anne Rice, The City by Dean Koontz and Midnight Crossroad by Charlaine Harris.  Midnight Crossroad is the first of the Texas series.  Lately, work has taken much of my leisure reading time, but seeing these titles is a bit like seeing old friends.  And realizing how I’ve missed them and how I need to escape for a couple of hours here and there and catch up.  The only one missing is Stephen King, but he has a new book, Bazaar of Bad Dreams, coming out Nov. 3.

So, what’s on your nightstand?  What are your favorite horror genre books?  Drop me a line in the comments below.  I’m always looking for a good escape.  Until next week, you might want to leave the lights on.

Coming Up

  • What’s not scary?  Purchase a Young Living Essential Oils Premium Starter Kit from me through Oct. 31 and get $30 back.  Click on “Order Oils”.
  • Check out Gemama Vintage Jewelry at the Junior League of Murfreesboro’s Holly Day Market Place, Miller Coliseum, Dec. 4-5.  I’ll be posting some pics of my fav pieces that need new homes.

Halloween blog

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