So, you would think that given I have just completed a three month, 20 book challenge, that a new challenge would be the last thing I would want to dive into.
But…
I have a very soft spot for R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril which is now in its nineteenth year, hosted by the lovely @PerilReaders, and runs from now until Halloween. It’s a challenge I have done once or twice before and one that gets me firmly in an autumnal frame of mind.
I wasn’t going to participate this year, but I have seen a lot of your lovely (or should that be creepy?) posts detailing your plans and just couldn’t resist. Plus, this is a very relaxed challenge and you can read as much or as little as you like from the following genres:
- Mystery
- Suspense
- Thriller
- Dark Fantasy
- Gothic
- Horror
- Supernatural
There are several different levels of participation, so you can read as much or as little as you like.
I’ve had a look through the old TBR and Kindle backlog and have found 6 options. I am hoping to read at least four of the following before the end of October (click on the links for Goodreads descriptions).
Mindhunter by John Douglas and Mark Olshaker
Supposedly one of the definitive true crime books about serial killers, this is the book which spawned the TV show (which I loved).
Monstrilio by Gerardo Sámano Córdova
I am intrigued by the sound of Monstrilio, which explores grief through horror as a mother cuts out a piece of her deceased son’s lung and nurtures it into a sentient creature.
The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle
This has been on several of my Novellas in November lists and I’ve never quite got round to it. A retelling of H. P. Lovecraft’s story “The Horror at Red Hook” from the viewpoint of a black man, it sounds intriguing.
Confessions by Kanae Minato, translated by Stephen Snyder
I do love a Japanese crime novel, and this revenge thriller sounds right up my street. Translator Stephen Snyder is another draw, as his translations are always excellent.
Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Silver Nitrate had me at ‘long lost film which harbours a curse’…sounds great to me!
I only have two more books by Ira Levin to read, so I am spreading them out over time. Apparently much better than the Sharon Stone film adaptation would suggest, Sliver follows a group of mysterious people in a privately owned high-rise apartment building in New York City
I’m not setting any plans in stone to read all of these, I’ll just include them in my reading over the next few months. I’m looking forward to some dark evenings in front of a warm fire, cuddled in a blanket with these scary pals for company.
To follow along with the challenge, follow Readers Imbibing Peril on Twitter or Instagram (@perilreaders) and use the hashtag #ripxix
Do any of these take your fancy or are there any spooky reads you would recommend? Is anyone else taking part in the R.I.P. challenge this year?