I have created a TBR list of horror. It's varied--classic and new, men and women, novels and short stories. The only common denominator is that I haven't read these particular works yet--and I ain't getting any younger, so it is time to begin, Gentle Reader.

 

Wanna play? http://booklikes.com/apps/reading-lists/267/horror-expansion

 

Nonexhaustive list of authors included:

Dan Simmons

Clive Barker

Joyce Carol Oates

Shirley Jackson

F. Paul Wilson

Richard Matheson

Harlan Ellison

Greg Chapman

Simon Clark

Bentley Little

Angela Carter

Chuck Palahniuk

Joe R. Lansdale

John Collier

Douglas Clegg

Ramsey Campbell

John Shirley

David V. Schow

Caitlin R. Kiernan

Poppy Z. Brite

Christa Faust

Graham Masterton

Robert W. Chambers

Elizabeth Massie

Kathe Koja

John Farris

Graham Joyce

Michael Slade

Fritz Leiber

Charles Beaumont

T. E. D. Klein

Peter Straub

Neil Gaiman

Gregor Xane

Jonathan Carroll

Steve Rasnic Tem

John Skipp

Francesca Lia Block

H. P. Lovecraft

Saki

Ugh. I picked this up because I needed a break from The Singapore Grip and its endless discussions of markets and rubber plantations. I love Lord Peter Wimsy, but there were WAY too many bicycles and train timetables involved and too much indecipherable Scottish dialogue. The chapter where each of the police officers elaborate their theories of the crime was painful.

Also, not that I realized this until I had painfully plowed my way through half of the book, but towards the beginning, Lord Peter compiles a list of five suspects which -- in conjunction with the title -- is a major clue. Maybe the book was purposely stuffed with dense timetables and what not so that the reader's brain gets so fogged, they won't realize five suspects were virtually eliminated in the third chapter.

Also, negative stars for that ending.

**Click on this book and see the BookLikes version of author(s) LOL

 

 

 

bookshelves: winter-20102011, mystery-thriller, published-1935, poison

 " Dorothy L Sayers' mystery with Ian Carmichael.

Based on the covers of any of these editions you'd be forgiven for mistaking the title for "Sappy's Angel". They're all rather precious. The title itself was a bit off-putting for me: I was afraid it was going to being something cloyingly religious, with perhaps, a good lesson about character through suffering. Not hardly. Thankfully, the book it most reminds me of is [b:The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy|266904|The Penderwicks A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy|Jeanne Birdsall|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1320508900s/266904.jpg|2564478].* Both are stories about four siblings, with one old enough for crushes, and one quite young. Both have an old-fashioned episodic style, although the characters themselves are quite modern, secular, and eccentric. Both have loving but distracted parents who largely leave the kids up to their own devices because they have their own things to do. Both have intimidating rich women. Both are about the importance of family who are actually loving, if negligent in appearances.This one has a herd of guinea pigs in lieu of Hound, and lots and lots of art as craft and career, which is interesting and in keeping with the overall bohemian feel. And I'm sure it doesn't tell you anything about me that the mother is a crappy cook.*Saffy's Angel is several years the elder, but alas, I came to it later.Library copy.

This is an interesting set of stories, a good addition to her other stories and would also be a good introduction to the type of story that she writes. Divided into three parts, the first a set of Lord Peter Wimsey stories, the second a set of Montague Egg (a working-class salesman-sleuth) and the third a set of unaligned stores which range from cosy to almost horror. These stories are very evocative of their time and great fun read.