Top 5...Wednesday: Horror Books

I know Halloween seems like it’s forever away, but Pumpkins at the Park begins in just over three weeks. For me, this means that 50 to 90 hour workweeks start next week and won’t stop until I get through the event. That being said, after this week, I’m going to need to take a hiatus until the first week in November. I have a few book discussion posts ready to go, and I’ll post those over the next month or so, but I won’t have ANY time to write new content.

So for this last Top 5 Tuesday Wednesday before my break, I thought I’d give you my Favorite Horror Books!

1.     The Shining, Stephen King

I was bound and determined to choose only one Stephen King book for this list (which wasn’t easy), but The Shining HAD to be my choice – it’s one of my favorite books of all time and my favorite King book (if you don’t count any of the Dark Tower books, anyway). I love the story of Jack Torrance, a man slowly driven insane by otherworldly forces. Everyone knows the story thanks to Stanley Kubrick’s film, but the novel is so much better (isn’t that always the case?). Jack Torrance is not a great man, but the horrible things that happen to him at the Overlook Hotel aren’t really his fault. I mean, his alcoholism and temper force his family to move to Colorado, but the spirits within the hotel take over Jack so completely that at the end, Danny doesn’t even recognize Jack as his father anymore. Jack Torrance is not a man driven insane, per se. Rather, he’s a man being acted upon and influenced by his surroundings with horrifying results.

2.     The Silence of the Lambs, Thomas Harris

I’ve got to say it: I like Red Dragon better as a story, but I think The Silence of the Lambs makes for a better horror novel. There are so many good horrific things in this book (I mean, really. The skinsuit? Try not to let that one get to you), but the best thing that Thomas Harris gives us is Dr. Hannibal Lecter. Hannibal Lecter is the consummate gentleman, right up until he eats your face off. And that’s what is so damn unsettling about him – he’s smart, cultured, and refined, but a complete psychopath at the same time. Harris introduces us to Lecter in Red Dragon, published some 7 years previously. And while The Silence of the Lambs follows a very similar approach (in both novels, Dr. Lecter is creepy as hell and helps an FBI Agent/trainee catch a serial killer), it doesn’t feel like a rinse and repeat of Harris’s earlier novel. Oh, and also, MOTHS. If anyone ever murders and skinsuits me, PLEASE don’t shove a moth down my throat. Let’s not add insult to injury.

3.     The Exorcist, William Peter Blatty

I first read this book when I was in elementary school – I know, that’s not normal – and it scared the hell out of me. That was also back when I was convinced demonic possession was a real thing, so that might have contributed to my initial reaction. At any rate, the story of the possession and exorcism of Regan MacNeil is as terrifying as it is shocking. Not only is Blatty’s description of Regan’s physical decay stomach-churning, but the things this little girl says and does while possessed are downright unsettling (like crab-walking down the stairs, masturbating with a crucifix, and using every manner of swear word known to man). When an author is able to leave readers with those kinds of images – unpleasant though they may be – he’s done his job well.

4.     The Amityville Horror, Jay Anson

I can still remember the first time I read this book. I was in 6^th grade and couldn’t sleep, so I pulled it off my “to read” shelf (what were my parents thinking?) and stayed up half the night reading. And then I stayed up the other half of the night too scared to sleep, since the book is about a freaking possessed house where all sorts of weird shit happens. The thing that’s stuck with me the most is one of the Lutz kids’ imaginary friends – a pig-like demon named Jodie with glowing red eyes (which, by the way, I convinced myself I could see through my bedroom window). At any rate, the things that happen to the Lutz family are deeply unsettling, especially because some of those things do happen in real life (odd whiffs of perfume or thinking you’ve heard a door slam).

5.     The Pillowman, Martin McDonagh

As I think I mentioned previously, this is the only play to ever give me nightmares (and pretty much nothing has scared me enough to give me nightmares in the last 10 or so years). The thing that makes The Pillowman so scary is the imagery McDonagh uses. Events are described in gory detail, but it doesn’t come across the same way a horror novel by, say Stephen King would. King (and lots of other great horror writers) love to use detail in describing scenes, which is fantastic for providing the reader with a more authentic experience. With a play, though, the author can’t spend a lot of time describing things unless the characters are using descriptive dialogue. The stories Katurian and others tell during the course of the play are far more chilling than almost anything I’ve ever read, partially because they evoke such strong visuals, even though nothing gory is being directly depicted. It’s hard to explain, but it’s almost like the horror gets in your head and refuses to go away, making it all the more terrifying.

Alright, folks, on that cheery note, it’s time for me to take a Top 5 Tuesday Wednesday Some Day break for a few weeks. I’ll be back after Pumpkins, but, as always, leave your responses in the comments!

Mischief Managed,

Slim Pearl Silver-Feather

Currently Reading: Looking for Alaska by John Green

Books Read in 2012: 23

Top 5 Tuesday: Children's Books

If you’ve been following this blog for very long, you’ll realize that my taste in books is broad and multi-faceted. I love to read all sorts of things, but this week, I’m going to focus on somewhat of a “specialty” area – children’s books!

1.     The Lorax, Dr. Seuss

You knew this was going to be #1, right? I love, love, love The Lorax! So much so, in fact, that I’m going to be the Lorax for Halloween. While this was definitely one of my favorite books growing up, my deep and unending love for The Lorax only really developed once I became a zoo educator. This book is so amazing for showing kids the environmental consequences of our actions, and that one person’s drive for change really can make a difference. I also love talking with kids about the Once-ler – how he wasn’t really a bad person, just someone who made bad decisions (and his remorse is his redeeming quality, of course). And there’s the part where I have the entire book memorized (don’t tempt me or I’ll tell you the whole story). Besides, how could you not love a book that has this message: “unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better – it’s not.”

2.     The Serendipity Series, Stephen Cosgrove

This was my favorite book series when I was a kid, and I still have all of them in my parents’ basement. Each book (like most children’s books) contains a positive message for kids wrapped in an easy to read story about an animal or other creature. More than anything else, I love the illustrations – they’re just so cute and mostly realistic (except for the mythical creatures, of course). My personal favorite books in the series are Muffin Muncher (about a poor town famous for muffin making visited by a muffin-hungry dragon), Fanny (about a 3-legged farm cat who befriends a puppy named Ruby), Banglee (in which the titular character tries to convince his fellow kritters to abandon their messy ways before the dreaded Grunk arrives to punish them), and Rhubarb (a puppy who gets tuckered out when all of her friends want to play with her at the same time).

3.     Are You My Mother?, PD Eastman

This is another of my favorites from when I was a little girl. Mostly, I just loved the way my mom read it to me, complete with giggle-scream inducing “SNORT” noises. As an adult, though, I actually use this book for education programs for preschoolers. It’s a great way to talk about how animal moms take care of their babies and to open up dialogues about how you know your mom is your mom. Plus, reading it to kids is super fun, especially when they answer the oft repeated “are you my mother?” or when they laugh hysterically at the baby bird thinking a plane or boat could be his mother. I also love that Serenity looks almost exactly like the kitten in the book, so sometimes when she’s being quiet, I describe her as “the kitten who looked and looked but did not say a thing.”

4.     The Little Bear series, Else Holmelund Minarik

This book series was one read to me by my grandparents. My favorite is definitely Little Bear’s Visit, in which Little Bear goes to visit Grandmother and Grandfather Bear. Little Bear’s grandparents reminded me a lot of my own (my grandparents were my childcare when I was little because both of my parents worked). I love the story of “Mother Bear’s Robin”, where she finds a lost baby robin, raises it, and has to let it go when it years to fly free as an adult. However, the part that is most memorable for me is Grandfather Bear’s “Goblin Story” about a scaredy-cat goblin who jumps out of his own shoes that chase him.

5.     Hairy Maclary from Donaldson’s Dairy, Lynley Dodd

This is another book that I had at my grandparents’ house that they read me quite often. It’s a pretty simple story about a scruffy little dog named Hairy Maclary and his other canine friends as they encounter Hairy’s arch-nemesis, Scarface Claw the cat. The story is told in rhyming verse, which lends itself to easy memorization, which is exactly what I did when I was little. This was one of the first books I can remember memorizing (though my parents tell me that I learned to read by memorizing my bedtime stories), and I think it is super cute.

Well, there you have it! If you have a Top 5 suggestion, leave it in the comments!

Mischief Managed,

Slim Pearl Silver-Feather

Currently Reading: Nothing – catching up on blogs and other life stuff

Books Read in 2012: 23

Top 5 Tuesday: Non-Human Characters

Sorry about missing last week’s Top 5 Tuesday – I had some work stuff come up that kept me busier than expected. But I’m back this week with a fun (I hope) topic – my favorite non-human characters.

1.     Oy of Midworld, from The Dark Tower by Stephen King

This one was a pretty obvious choice, if I do say so myself. This little billy-bumbler bounced in to Roland’s ka-tet and stole my heart. He, more than any other member of the tet, is able to bring a modicum of lightheartedness and innocence to King’s story. Rather than being a very smart pet, Oy displays an amazing capacity to learn, emote, and interact with his human friends, especially Jake. And even though King made me read about the many, many horrible things that happened to characters I loved, what happens, in the end, with Oy, touched me more deeply than almost anything I’ve ever read. (No spoilers, Jason – you’re welcome!)

2.     Dobby the house elf, from the Harry Potter series by JK Rowling

You guys, I love Dobby so much I almost can’t stand it. Even if his methods are sometimes questionable (sealing Platform 9 ¾, enchanting a bludger to nearly bludgeon Harry to death, etc), his heart is completely in the right place. Try to find a more loyal friend than Dobby in the Potterverse. Can you? I mean, Dobby goes against everything in his genetic legacy to warn Harry about the dangers facing him in Chamber of Secrets and puts his life at risk to save Harry and his friends from Malfoy Manner in Deathly Hallows. Along the way, Dobby helps Harry survive the second task of the Triwizard Tournament, helps Dumbledore’s Army find a practice room, and proves himself as loyal as any Order of the Phoenix member. And maybe that’s why Dobby’s death comes as such an emotional blow – in a way, Dobby was more human (for sure more humane) than so many of the wizards we met, including non Death Eaters.

3.     Bartimaeus the djinni, from the Bartimaeus Sequence by Jonathan Stroud

Ever since reading the first Bartimaeus book, The Amulet of Samarkand, in Karen’s class my senior year, I was a huge fan of Bartimaeus. Sure, he’s an abrasive, mouthy braggart, but there’s something endearing about him. I love that he claims to have no regard for human life, but has his feelings betray him more than once. Bartimaeus has no shortage of faults (including an enormous ego), but he does, in the end, do the right thing. Being in the service of Nathaniel has a tremendous impact on both magician and djinni. By the end of Ptolomey’s Gate, the two come to a much deeper understanding of each other’s character. Even if Nathaniel’s sacrifice doesn’t wholly restore Bartimaeus’ faith in the human race, it goes a long way in repairing what was done to him.

4.     Adrian Ivashkov from the Vampire Academy and Bloodlines series’ by Richelle Mead

Okay, Sierra, you win. Sort of. Adrian Ivashkov is a carefree party boy spirit-using Moroi (good vampire) we meet in Frostbite, the second of Mead’s Vampire Academy novels. Over the course of that series and in the Bloodlines sequence (which isn’t done yet), Adrian’s character develops better than almost any other character Mead writes. By the end of the Vampire Academy series, I feel for Adrian, I really do. What happens to him is absolutely not fair and completely heartbreaking. At the same time, though, I can’t possibly side with anyone against Dimitri, ever, so that’s where my loyalty lies. Over the course of the first two Bloodlines novels (the third comes out in February!), I have come to possibly see why someone could be drawn to Adrian. Yes, he can be an incredibly frustrating, but he’s so passionate and caring that it’s almost surprising. So while he’s no Dimitri, Adrian is pretty freaking awesome.

5.     Thor, Supreme Commander of the Asgard fleet, from Stargate

Okay, okay, he’s not exactly a character from literature or anything, but I had to include my favorite little grey dude. The thing about Thor (and all the Asgard, really), is that he actually cares about the fate of humanity. We meet so many other advanced alien races over the course of the Stargate franchise that either want to enslave or use humans (like the Goa’uld or the Wraith) or don’t really care what happens to them (like those good for nothing Ancients). Thor recognizes the value of the Earthlings and develops relationships with the members of SG1. Plus, he shows up and gives Kinsey what for, which makes him more badass than anyone ever.

So there you have it! Have something you want me to write about? Suggest it in the comments!

Mischief Managed,

Slim Pearl Silver-Feather

Currently Reading: Nothing – in between books at the moment

Books Read in 2012: 22