Horror Books

Nora Roberts' Circle Trilogy is entertaining. I am not usually a fan of vampire stories, but the interesting mix of characters, as she develops them in the first book, caused me to want to read on. Because the first book seems to be filled with so much character information, it feels slow. Frankly, I might not have finished the first book as quickly as I did, except my daughter was insistent that I read the entire trilogy. She assured me that "it gets better". And, it did. The story began to flow in the second book and I couldn't put it or the third book down. An entire summer weekend was spent with an unending promise to myself of "just one more chapter." Book two and three are worthy of the time spent on book one. Again, once past the first book, which sets up books two and three, I can promise you an enjoyable read.

I wasn't sure about them when i started the first book, but then, about 15 pages in I couldn't put them down!!!

Fantastic, Superb! Can I say more. Devoured Ann Rices's Vampire Chronicles, & these also! Love NR romantic/susoense thrillers! Hated to see it end!

Thank you for making that comment, because I just ordered the set believing it to be different from the Circle Trilogy and now I've ended up with books I've got home already! I'm disappointed by the confusing information.

Ilove Nora Roberts but these books were a bit "out there" and not as entertaining as previous books.

I really didn't care for the first book in this trilogy, but I was encouraged to read the sequel by several fans of the series... GOOD CALL! Immediately, I was amazed at the difference in these two books... Where as the first book seemed to be just one huge relentless spanking with no real character development or story, this book truly developed each main character by explaining events from their perspective AND included a rather interesting story line!

Although I had never given much thought to what a BDSM relationship must be like, Rice's descriptions were mind blowing! I was amazed at the internal battles these characters faced, as well as the torment they endured for the sake or earning approval. I was blown away by the relationship that Tristan formed with his master, as well as the differences in Beauty's and Tristans perspectives on their slave lifestyle. And FINALLY, I actually cared about what was happening to these characters! I found I didn't want to put this book down because I just had to know what was coming up next!

The erotic scenes were SUPER steamy, especially those centered around Tristan, and they actually tied into the development of the characters and the story. The end of the book actually included a great cliff hanger, which made me wish I had already picked up book three!

WARNING TO CONSERVATIVE READERS: This book is VERY explicit and includes some male-male as well as male-female-female interactions. If you don't like these types of materials, you may wish to stay clear of all the Beauty books. Otherwise, if you are open minded and want to read something with edge, this is a most interesting and unique read!

Part two keeps the flames burning. I suggest you read it with your partner, when neither of you have to work the next day, or the day after.

Beauty's Punishment is not as good as the first book in this trilogy, and does tend towards the dull side through reasonable portions of the novel.

Beauty and Tristan, having been busted in the act, so to speak, are auctioned off and sent to separate places for a bit more extreme discipline, having not learned to do as they are told and keep their favours for their owners.

Well, I finally got a copy of this and the others in the series as well as East of Eden. I had seen the movie East of Eden and enjoyed dana delaney in that movie, but the book was not nearly as much fun. I am no stranger to the dominate submissive scenario, but believe me, the writings of Ms. Rice do not capture the flavor of what I consider to be fun, exciting and satisying. Everyone enjoys a good spanking and a bit of humiliation, but come on; Ms. Rice is one sick person who apparently feels that torture will titilate her readers. Certainly, performing various tasks in the nude and in compromising positions can be exciting and rewarding especially if you are doing it for someone you really care about. Scrubbing floors nude with a kneeling pad is quite logical and more comfortable without the confines of clothing. Getting spanked naked in the open and with others around is certainly liberating and fun, but having one's bottom abused and bruised crosses the line of fun and enters the realm of torture. I know these books are fiction, but even fiction should not be so cruel. What else would you call shoving a dildo in someone's bottom without lube, but torture. I can't imagine the character of anyone who would call this erotica and who would get off on it. I agree with other reviewers that it is fun to read erotica to others and have them read to you, but this trash is just too silly to read out loud. I am glad I read these books for I have now advanced my knowledge of how dark and cruel people can be. I hope I never meet up with Ms. Rice; fantasies are great to write about, but she is one disturbing dudess.

After finishing Claiming I immediately started on Punishment. I was glued. Punishment introduces some very interesting characters as well. It, like Claiming, left me wanting more!!

Hurley's book is a breath of fresh air. I would give this book my highest recommendation for all ages. It covers many themes that school age children and teens deal with every day in a humorous manner. It brought back many memories for me. Loved the cover and presentation of the book as well. Very unique! Buy this book now!!!

I had really high hopes for Tonya Hurley's novel ghostgirl after seeing an advanced reading copy of the novel due out in August 2008 (this despite the fact that the title is all lower case). The book design is really amazing: Taller and narrower than a mass market book, the novel immediately looks different. The dominant colors are pink and black. The cover features a silhouette in what looks like a coffin with a sash that reads "Rest in Popularity." Even the interior of the book is snazzy featuring a silhouette by Craig Phillips at the start of each chapter and a loopy border at the top and bottom of each page. In other words, this book looked really cool. Even its marketing campaign is cool. Just take a look at www.ghostgirl.com to see what I mean.

Despite all of that, I'm still not sure how I feel about ghostgirl. I was hesitant to put this novel as a CLW review at all. But, by the end of the story, it's clear that the main character is trying and she does change eventually and, since that's all anyone can ask, I decided to go with it.

And, now that I've set up the novel more than anyone would have thought possible, on to the review:

Charlotte Usher is virtually invisible at her high school. She's the kind of girl no one would miss if she disappeared suddenly. Even when she does exactly that. To be more specific, she dies. Because of a gummy bear.

Adding insult to injury, Charlotte was certain things were looking up before she died. After a rigorous summer campaign, Charlotte was finally prepared (mentally and physically thanks to intense surveillance and a makeover) to make a play for her crush, Damen Dylan-the guy every girl at Hawthorne High wants to date. Even Damen's snooty girlfriend Petula and her sidekicks, The Wendys, couldn't discourage Charlotte.

With that kind of tenacity, it's not surprising that Charlotte isn't about to let a little thing like being dead get in the way of her goal. Wandering town as a spirit with unfinished business, Charlotte decides to focus on living the life she was so close to having instead of dying with style. Much to the chagrin of her new "Dead Ed" classmates who are all waiting to learn their own lessons and finally rest in peace. What follows is a zany plot involving stalking, possession (don't worry, it's consensual), and a love triangle that has to be read to be believed.

As that description might suggest, this plot-like the book itself-has a lot of potential. Sadly, a lot of that potential is squandered. Charlotte is painfully invisible to her classmates before her death. Unfortunately she remains equally aloof from readers. At points I feel like I can see Charlotte, but not once in the novel did I feel like I knew her. (This is, to a lesser extent, a problem for the other characters as well.) While her desires are obvious throughout the novel, her motivations never quite manifest.

The actual narrative has its own shaky points. Hurley has several characters mention that teen-aged ghosts are too self-absorbed to miss their families, which seemed like an easy (too easy) way to write out an entire part of Charlotte's life. It also leaves the question of why no one tried to help Charlotte make friends before her death unanswered.

Finally, the tone of the novel is slightly erratic. The novel alternates haphazardly between morbid and flippant at breakneck speeds making the characters seem cartoonish with their odd situations and reactions to them (I'm not even talking about Charlotte being a ghost here)

Yet, I still finished ghostgirl and I still did enjoy parts of it. If you can get past the erratic writing and underdeveloped characters, this is an okay book even if it doesn't live up to the hopes created by its design.

Almost in spite of herself, Charlotte does learn her lesson and find peace by the end of the story as she begins to understand that, sometimes, there's more to life than being seen-even in high school.

"Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the Lord my soul to keep.
And if I should die before I awake,
I pray the popular attend my wake."

This is the year for Charlotte Usher. The year that she's finally going to be noticed. She's finally going to have what she's always wanted: to be a popular girl and fit in with the head cheerleader in the school, Petula Kensington. She feels that the first day of school will be the start of her new life. She'll finally have the attention of the most popular guy in school, Damen. Who is, of course, Petula's boyfriend.

In a way she does start a new life. Although it's actually her afterlife. Poor Charlotte chokes on a red gummy bear just before she leaves her first period physics class and dies. Her hopes of starting over fresh and finally being noticed for once are all crushed in an instant. Especially when she finds out that she still has to graduate even though she's dead! There's a whole class of students from her school who have died and are still attending classes there.

Charlotte isn't giving up, though. She's still determined to win over Damen. And with the help of Scarlet Kensington (Petula's younger sister) she's sure she'll be able to do it. Scarlet can actually see Charlotte and Charlotte isn't about to let that fact go to waste. She figures she can hang out in Scarlet's body and get through to Damen that way. But her new dead classmates aren't liking Charlotte's plans too much and are making it incredibly hard for her to get anything done. Plus, the more time Scarlet spends time with Damen (when Charlotte isn't in her body, that is) the more Scarlet is starting to like Damen herself.

Charlotte is determined to be noticed. She thinks that if she can just get noticed and be popular that she'll finally move on. But is popularity really what Charlotte needs? Or is it just finally realizing that you don't have to be the center of attention to matter?

This book was great. I couldn't really guess what would happen throughout the book, which I always like. Poor Charlotte has such a rough time! Especially in the beginning of her afterlife. But she pulls through and even learns a valuable lesson along the way. I loved Scarlet's character. The way she acts towards her sister is hilarious. They are total opposites in every way. I loved all the nicknames the other dead students have, too. And I thought the ending was cute. It might not have been totally realistic, but then again this book wasn't really all that realistic in the first place. So I thought the ending fit pretty perfectly. I highly suggest checking this book out.

Reviewed by: Breanna F.

Ghostgirl by Tonya Hurley
Ghostgirl won't be published until August of this year. It's such a fine read I couldn't wait to tell you about it.
Charlotte Usher, a teenager shunned by the popular crowd at her school, decides to start out the new school year on the right foot. Tired of being ignored, she changes her look to something more trendy and less frumpy, then dares approach the "populars" to try to get into their clique.
She quickly finds herself falling for the boyfriend of one of the most beautiful and popular, and of course thoroughly bitchy, girls in school. Determined to get close to this boy Charlotte volunteers to become his physics tutor, a subject he must pass in order to continue playing on the football team. Before they can have their first study session Charlotte very inconveniently dies, choking on a gummy bear in an empty classroom. Since no one really knew her well to begin with, she's very quickly forgotten.
After her death Charlotte's initiated into the world of dead teenagers, kids who still attend school but in a different dimension alongside their living peers. Before the children can go on to the "next place" they have to pass a test determining what they've left undone in their lives. Only once this is rectified will they truly be free.
Though the premise sounds grim, the reader quickly comes to accept the juxtaposition of dead and living characters. Parts of it are a little gruesome - especially the ghosts of the teenagers who died violently and have issues with skin falling off - but it's not prohibitively scary for children 12 and up. The book is like an Edward Gorey print brought to life, or a more fleshed-out version of the film "Beetlejuice." Though the thought of it is creepy it's done skillfully.
Author Hurley is an independent filmmaker, and it's no stretch to imagine this book being made into a movie. It has a lot of potential to be comedic, gross enough to satisfy kids, but still delivering the message about the importance of living life fully. It's a delightful read, grim but never completely morbid.

ghostgirl
Tonya Hurley. Little, Brown, $17.99 (336p) ISBN 978-0-316-11357-1
Hurley, an independent filmmaker, debuts with this glittering comedy, a prime exemplar of what might be called demento mori, a growing subgenre of satire about teens who will not or cannot die. Charlotte Usher's plan to catapult herself from the ranks of the invisible to the heights of popularity at Hawthorne High--no possibility for allusion goes unturned--hits a major snag on the first day of school when she chokes to death on a gummy bear. Sent to Deadiquette school along with other teen spirits, she skips out, still determined to woo her longtime heartthrob, never mind that "he doesn't even know I'm alive." The jokes stay sharp, from the goth girl who gives her a "make-under" to throwaway lines (caught breaking some cardinal rules, Charlotte mutters to herself, "I'm dead"). Plotlines raise the stakes, putting Hurley's consistent wit to the service of classic themes about claiming identity. While the author has a built-in fan base from her ghostgirl Web sites, high-impact design will ensure attention from casual browsers as well. An elaborate die-cut with stamped acetate on the cover dares readers to laugh at a silhouette of a cartoon girl in an open casket, an effect heightened by the extra-tall trim size; inside, pink-and-black graphics liberally adorn the margins, epigraphs to chapter openings, etc. And given the polished dark-and-deadpan humor, it's a natural fit with Gen Y, too. Ages 12-up. (Aug.)

One of Kirkman best Books besides Invincible. If your a zombie fan or just enjoy the genre The Walking Dead is for you. 5 out of 5 stars!!

This is the finest zombie horror series I have ever read. The depth of characterization is remarkable and the quality of the art is consistently good. This volume hardly contains any zombie action but I still could not put the book down and had to read it in one sitting. Start with the first volume in this series and read them in order. You won't be disappointed.

Can't really say anything bad about this series. I've been catching up with the larger volumes (Books 1, 2, and 3) and I had to pick this mini volume up because I am hooked and wanted to continue the story immediately. All of the characters are fully developed human beings with real problems. Excellent pacing and new innovative twists in the storyline at almost every turn. Can this series possibly keep getting better? I hope so...also, has anyone noticed the artwork in the this volume? In several panels, the humans themselves begin to appear as zombies more and more (sunken, black eye sockets) - very effective symbolic imagery!

You must read these!!!! Pictures so detailed!!! WOW and another book to go along with this is " Day by Day Armageddon" by J.L. Bourne
This is also a great book.
This Comic books have a great story line that it is very hard to put down.

Robert Kirkman, The Walking Dead: The Calm Before (Image, 2007)

Kirkman has finally achieved one of the goals he set for himself at the beginning of this series. Yeah, it's always been more about the people than the zombies, but The Calm Before is the book where the zombies are truly window dressing, despite one memorable scene where they take center stage; this is much less a book about the death and devastation of the world around the survivors than it is about their life. Don't get me wrong, I'm all about the zombies, but it's here where we've gotten to know the characters well enough that Kirkman could write an entire book without a zombie in it and we'd still be riveted to the pages. (Given the way The Calm Before ends, this is entirely possible in book eight.) This has been a strong series all along, and it's just getting stronger as time goes on. ****

If you like zombies and you like Kirkman, you'll enjoy the walking dead.

This series is very similar in tone to 28 days later. So, it isn't totally original, but i think it is well done.

This is book two of the hit zombie comic series. It collects issues 13 through 24 of the ongoing series. Kirkman doesnt shy from being frank and honest in his storytelling, and suprisingly, the focus of the stories are not the zombies, but the human survivors. Dont be surprised if this is made into a movie soon.

If you bought this book or are considering buying it, you've likely read the first volume (which collects the first and second story arcs). Furthermore, you were probably entertained or at least intrigued by what you read in Volume One. However, if you're at all like me, you probably noticed that the first six issues of the series are of a much higher quality than the next six. Well, seeing as this book collects the NEXT twelve issues, the main question of this review is if this book is better or worse than the first volume?

Worse. Ever since Issue 7, this series has been on a steady ride down to the pits of mediocrity, but as you trudge through the book, you'll notice that it's quickly surpassing mediocrity and heading for "just plan bad." I'll break it down with a list of problems and then a list of positives, and you can decide if those problems are enough to keep you from buying this or not.

NEGATIVES
- The characters are one-dimensional, mostly because of the wooden dialogue. The characters that might have had a bit of promise in the first volume are reduced to exposition machines. "Character-driven," Kirkman? Yeah. Right.
- The art is pretty bad. There are times when it gets good, but it just seems really rush. The fact that the series started with the much superior artist Tony Moore makes it feel like a tease.
- The story doesn't really go anywhere, but it does pick up a bit in the latter half of this edition.
- The sexism is ludicrous. And it's blatantly shoved in your face, so if you can ignore it... I would say "good for you," but really, if you can ignore such blatant and disgusting sexism, it's really not good for you at all.

POSITIVES
+ There are some good ideas thrown about. If they ever come to fruition, this series may become worth reading again. Not sure if I can stick it out long enough to find out, but only time will tell.
+ Rick is pushed into a pretty bad place, and its interesting to see his reaction.
+ There are glimmers of good story underneath the piles of bad dialogue.

Overall, you choose. I'd say buy the trade paperbacks just to see if you like where Kirkman is taking the story, because this volume costs a lot for a story that's more likely to anger you than entertain you.

4/10

This is my new fave series. Can't get enough. If you love romero, things undead, or just character based work, you'll really dig this. I've gotten all 3 hardcovers and now mope about till the new issue hits newsstands. Recommend getting the hc for easy access to all the gooey stuff inbetween. Cover art in the back is a plus. Just go ahead and order it already.

Our band of survivors has found a prison that looks like an ideal shelter for them. Unfortunately, it's infested with zombies and it has to be cleared out. In the process, they find an unexpected pocket of survivors in the form of four former prisoners. Rick and the rest of his crew struggle to make the prison safe and have to face both the threat of death from the zombies and the more insidious threat of harm from each other.

This volume reprints issues 13-24 of the ongoing comic book series. The same material can also be found reprinted in the paperback compilations The Walking Dead Vol. 3: Safety Behind Bars and The Walking Dead Vol. 4: The Heart's Desire. Much of the drama in this volume focuses on the struggle between surviving humans rather than battles with the zombies. After Rick's group of survivors moves into the prison, two young girls are murdered but the culprit is unknown. Suspicion falls on the prisoners, but there's no evidence against them. In addition, all of the survivors face incredible stress each and every day and the author goes to some lengths to show the effects. Relationships fray, some come apart at the seams, and the group struggles to decide what rules they should live by, if any. It's pretty weighty stuff, but the author does a good job of weaving it into the story.

The Walking Dead continues to be a no-brainer for any fans of the zombie horror genre but others should not turn away without giving it a chance. The characters seem both real and distinct from each other. The story is packed with dramatic tension and I give it my highest recommendation. I certainly wouldn't recommend starting with this volume, read The Walking Dead Book 1 (Walking Dead) first. But if you've read the first part of the story, then go ahead and keep reading.

Bram Stocker is still a classic read. It was very scary from time to time.

If you want lots of in-depth footnotes and many critical essays, than this is your book.

I've listened to Dracula from Audible.com. I downloaded it last month. It's the best of all the Dracula books I've read. Definitely worth the investment of time. It's incredibly suspenseful, full of well-drawn, unbelievably real characters. I wish the movies could capture the characters as well as the book.

I was surprised at the narrative style, which has no actual "scenes", because it's a collection of journals, letters, newspaper articles, etc. But Bram Stoker does an amazing job of pulling all of it together into one very scary, very exciting read. Don't miss this one.

I love Norton Critical Editions, but the footnotes in this volume are maddening. I'm puzzled that no one seems to have mentioned this. Example, a passage where Dracula appears in disguise and Bram Stoker obviously doesn't mean for the reader to have this bit of information yet. The footnote? "Here we see Dracula in disguise speaking wonderful German." I'm exaggerating, but you get the point. Another example: a passage describing Dracula's map of England (footnote: Here we see that Dracula has circled the city of X, where later in the story he will....and....and....until later....). Finally, there are even footnotes that engage the reader in conversation. Something like: "What do you think Dracula meant by that, curious comment, don't you think?" As with all Norton editions, there are some wonderful footnotes, commentary, etc. included, but still I would choose a different version.

This is still the best vamp book around, bar none. I was always upset with Coppola's movie because he used Stoker's name, and made the count into this loving anti-hero. THIS is Dracula. Pure evil.

Perfect for relaxation. Lots of authors with different approaches make for an interesting book to read while waiting, or to just calm down with.

If you like this genre, this compilation is a great introduction to some writers you may not have previously read!! If you like Sherrilyn & Charlaine you will find others to your taste also.

Ok, I will tell you the very best story was written by Charlaine Harris "Tacky", this was a great story (fun too). Then, second place is take by two, "Charmed by the Moon", Lori Handeland and "Something Borrowed" by Jim Butcher. Third place, Sherrilyn Kenyon and Susan Krinard. All were very good stories and all these authors I read alot. The rest, sad to say, not so good, at all. But, I would buy the book just for the above mentioned. I think everyone would agree when buying a "collection" of short stories this is always the case, some good and some not so good. No need to be disappointed, unless they all stink. So, buy it and enjoy the ones you will like best, which may not be the ones I liked the best.

Out of all the short novellas in this book, I liked may be 2-3 only. Some of the stories are too short to get into the author's world, and too brief to leave any lasting impressions. It's a good idea to read this anthology as an introduction to work of many talented authors presented in this book.

My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding is a fun concept, with contributions by some wonderful writers.

It's the perfect book to toss into your bag when your reading time is restricted to waiting on line at the bank, the dentist's office, etc.

Nothing heavy here, but some good supernatural laughs.

This is a unique book and well worth the read, even if you are not a "Supernatural" fan. It is purportedly written by Dean and Sam Winchester, and they, of course, cannot refrain from making smart remarks about one another. This makes the book fun to read, but what makes it truly interesting is the fact that writers didn't make up the stories for the TV series and then publish them in a book; this folklore, myths and legends have been around Man started putting sounds together to make words. As you read this book, you cannot help but wonder where such folklore and legend originated. What did someone see, hear or feel some dark night that lead to such tales as Bloody Mary, the wendigo, werewolves, hellhounds, sthriga, or the thousand other creatures or demons we've read about? I highly recommend this book for its uniqueness and its peek into that dark, frightened corner of the human mind.

I'd first heard about this book on a "Supernatural" fansite, and right away, I knew it would make a great read and it was the kind of book the series begged to have written: something that cataloged and expanded on the lore of the dozens of creatures which the Winchester brothers have tussled with over the course of the series -- and a few they *haven't* tussled with yet, which makes me wonder what lies ahead for next season! The first person POV makes it seem like the boys are relating their experiences to you first hand, and the excerpts from John Winchester's journal give you all the details you could ask for on the creatures he's dealt with and the life of a hunter. An excellent addition to an excellent series!

I thought this book was really cool, and being a huge fan of the show, it was awesome to see some of the back story associated with the creatures they encounter. It was a fun read, and having it told from Sam and Dean's perspective along with the snippits from their dad's journal was a great idea. It made me want to learn even more about the crazy monsters, spirts, demons and ghouls they descibe.

Ii is very cool because you will know every ( Monsters, Spirits, Demons, and Ghouls On Supernatural)I Recommend it

This book is awesome. It really helps you get a better understanding of the monsters, spirits, demons and ghouls that are a part of the show. If you are unsure about something or you are just curious to learn more about the monsters, then you should invest in this book. It's fun to read because later, when you watch the show, you can say "Hey! I know that too!".

Luna Nueva es el segundo libro de la saga por Stephenie Meyer y sin duda una buena y emocionante continuación para todos los amantes de estos libros.
La novela comienza en donde nos quedamos en Crepúsculo, con el noviazgo de Bella Swan y Edward Cullen, sin embargo, parece que las cosas entre ellos no van a funcionar tan bien como antes: un accidente en el cumpleaños de Bella hace que Edward se de cuenta que su presencia y la de su familia, es peligrosa e innecesaria en la vida de Bella. No les voy a decir qué resulta de esto, pero basta mencionar que el peligro sigue latente en la vida de nuestra protagonista y esta vez se van a unir a ella nuevos y viejos personajes que vienen a cambiar su destino de forma radical.
Verdaderamente, les recomiendo este segundo libro porque contiene la dinámica de Crepúsculo y ahora Stephenie nos añade sentimientos nuevos que nos hacen desbordarnos de tristeza, alegría, desesperación, terror y amor por el destino de nuestros personajes favoritos.