HugeHorrorFan's 2011 Challenge

Welcome back!

>1 Huge_Horror_Fan:...cat got your tongue? Or, since you're into horror, zombie got your tongue? ;-)

Glad to see you back, Paulo!

Thanks everyone. It is great to be back. I added the thread late last night and I only had this to say...

--yawn-- ;o)

But I still had to reserve a spot in this great group.

I finished making my bookshelf two weeks ago and got the books to be read all organized last night. I can actually see them all now as before they were just one big heaping pile. I always had to get one from the top. Forget about actually trying to find something I felt like reading.

It is going to be a great year!

Hello there!

#5: It is going to be a great year!

Yes, it is!

#3 *snorkles* I love that richard person!

#8: Yeah, we all do. But do not tell him! :)

#1 Insomnia By Stephen King

What a way to start the year

Well, I started off my year with insomnia too, but I did not write a book about it :)

#11 - It was not too bad. I was not expecting a tie-in to his Dark Tower series, so it was quite a surprise. I still have a long way to go to catching up on King novels.

#12 - LOL. Careful you do not start seeing little bald doctors or you might want to give King's novel a try.

#2 The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo By Stieg Larsson

#13: I enjoyed that one very much. I hope you did too!

I am reading The Girl with The Dragon Tatto right now, just about 200pages left and then moving on to the 2nd one in the set.

It was really good. I am about half way through The Girl Who Played With Fire and I think it is even better than the first. I might take a little break from Larsson before reading the third. The introduction to the characters in the beginning of both novels is a little slow, but once it gets going, they are both proving to be a great set of novels.

#16: I rather liked the first better than the second, but only marginally so. I still need to read book 3.

#3 Mustaine: A Heavy Metal Memoir By Dave Mustaine

#18: No idea who that person is, so I am going to say that it is not a book for me :)

LOL...it is obvious that we were born in different eras.

He is the mastermind, lead guitarist, rhythm guitarist and vocalist for one of greatest heavy metal bands in the world: MEGADETH. He started out as the lead guitar and co-songwriter for METALLICA (another influential heavy metal band) until he was booted out. There has been some angst and rivalry between the bands since then.

He is amazingly talented, if you are into that kind of music...of course.

Metallica I have heard of, believe it or not. Never heard of Megadeth. I cannot listen to heavy metal music - I never have been able to - the one time I tried I had the worst nightmares ever and just decided it was not for me :)

Aww, Megadeth is my partner's favorite thrash metal band.

"Hello me, it's me again - a credit to dementia."

Was the memoir any good?

YES! "Sweating Bullets" is the name of the song and I fine one indeed. In fact, the entire "Countdown To Extinction" album is pure genius. Man, I can't name how many times I heard "Symphony Of Destruction" and "Skin o' My Teeth". I pretty much wore out the CD and had to buy a new one.

The bio is not too bad, but I was hoping for a more introspective look at his life. It went a little bit into it, but not nearly as detailed as some of the other bio's on rock musicians that I have read. It goes through the motions of most rock stars. You know...sex, rock&roll and drugs. He was no exception, but in the end he came out ok. For Megadeth fans, it is still highly recommend.

"Countdown to Extinction" is the only album that I personally own, although Michael has all of their work. I think they were just here this fall, although Mike opted not to go. *Shrug*

Thanks for the heads-up!

#4 The Girl Who Played With Fire By Stieg Larsson

#5 The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest By Stieg Larsson

Hi Paulo, I am new to the group, but followed your thread in a lurkey manner last year to get ideas for new horror books to read. What did you think of The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest? After finishing book two I have been unable to find the motivation to pick this one up off the shelf. Is it worth the read to close out the series?

Nice to finally cross paths with you. I took a look through your library and it seems like our taste in books are very similar. I hope you don't mind that I do some lurking as well... ;-)

Although I am a bit out of touch in Fantasy, I like reading the genre quite a bit. I noticed you recently added Magician: Apprentice. It was one of the first fantasy novels I read and they start out really strong, especially if you are enjoying Eddings. I never read him yet, but they seem to write along the same level and target YA in comparison to fantasy writers. Anyway, I digress...

For your question, it is a definite yes. If you enjoyed the first two in the series, The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest will not disappoint. It wraps things up pretty nicely to a satisfying conclusion. The third one more closely matches the first novel in tempo. You can't leave it for too long because as you well know, the second one leaves off at a pretty big cliff-hanger.

I'm looking forward to the movies at this point.

#6 Rose Madder By Stephen King

#28>Thanks for the info on Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest. I found the ending of the second book to be a tad beyond the bounds of reality, but the draw of Lizbeth will bring me back to finish the third. I preferred the tempo of the first book, so I think this one will be moving up the list to be read sooner rather than later.

As far as the Fantasy genre, I have mostly read book from the Dragonlance series, but over the past year I have been trying to branch out to other authors. I had given Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series a try, but could not get through the sixth book. So as far I am concerned, the WoT series stops after book five :) I am currently reading Edding's Pawn of Prophecy and really enjoying it so far!

Once I get past a few books I want to get off my shelf in the near future do you mind if I stop by for Horror recommendations? I have been in a bit of a rut in this genre as of late... Happy Reading!

Any time. Have fun reading Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest.

Funny enough, I stopped just a couple of books after you with Jordan. I think I dropped the series about half way through The Path Of Daggers. However, I have been reconsidering starting all over when the series is wrapped up, and reading it straight through.

As far as horror recommendations, feel free to stop by any time. If you want, let me know of a few books that you liked in the past so I can get a feel for what type of horror you enjoy. I can make recommendations based on those novels.

#7 Mr. Monster By Dan Wells

Is Mr. Monster a teenaged Dexter?

John Wayne Cleaver will remind you of Dexter quite a bit in his sociopathic ways. The Wells novels take a supernatural turn compared to the Dexter story line which is quite enjoyable. It is a great series. If you are going to read it, make sure you start with I Am Not A Serial Killer.

I am really looking forward to the new one next year.

I will. Thanks.

I brought home A Am Not A Serial Killer from the library a few days ago. Not sure it is my cuppa, but I am going to give it a shot.

I think you are going to love it. I was roaming around Amazon and discovered that the third is actually due this Spring. Bonus!

#8 The Universe in a Nutshell By Stephen Hawking

#9 The Mysteries Of 2012: Predictions, Prophecies and Possibilities By Various Authors

#10 Fear By Ronald Kelly

#11 Gateways, Repairman Jack #7 By F. Paul Wilson

#41: I see you are enjoying Repairman Jack. I really need to get back to that series!

The RJ series has to be one of the greatest series out there. The plotline does get much darker as it progresses and no matter how much Jack tries, I am just getting a sense that he is heading for a tragic ending. I hope I'm wrong because I am so vested in this character and the poor guys has already gone through so much.

In this one he meets up with his dad who lives in an exclusive retirement home in Florida. His father had a tragic accident and is in a coma at a nearby hospital. No one is quite willinging to go see after his affairs including Jack's brother. So the reluctant Jack is forced to travel up there. He had been avoiding seeing his father for years and there is much history there (that you will learn from previous books) that I do not want to spoil.

Needless to say, this was a great entry. You get answers to some questions, only to bring on other questions. There is a surprise at every corner and the plot thickens at a steady pace. Gateways really puts the arching storyline with THE ADVERSARY CYCLE into perspective.

I'm hopping over to the next one: Crisscross

#43: I do not think I have gotten any further than book 3 in that series. I really must round up my books and see what's what!

#12 Slain In Spirit By Melanie Tem

#13 Crisscross, Repairman Jack #8 By F. Paul Wilson

I really need to get moving on the Repairman Jack Series. I am so behind!

When you have the chance, you'll be wondering what took you so long. You will not regret investing the time.

I am wondering why I still have not gotten back to them. . .

All this talk of Repairman Jack made me wonder what series I have been missing out on. After doing a little research, it seems that this is right up my alley and has moved near the top of my to-read list. Unfortunately, the Kindle edition of The Tomb does not come out until March 11th, so I will impatiently wait...

#50 - I think you will love them. They only get better as they move along too. You experience not only a strong progression of the characters, but F. Paul Wilson gains confidence and momentum with each book. Really good stuff.

#14 Twisted Tumbleweed Tales By Paul Victor Wargelin

#15 Infernal, Repairman Jack #9 By F. Paul Wilson

#16 Long Horn, Big Shaggy By Steve Vernon

#17 Harbingers, Repairman Jack #10 By F. Paul Wilson

#18 The Two Dead Girls, The Green Mile Book #1 By Stephen King

I love The Green Mile! I read it when he was releasing it in installments. I wanted to loose my mind!

I was wondering by the used book store last year (I think), and I saw all the books in serial format bound by an elastic. I thought it was pretty neat and rare, as the novel was released in full volume some years ago. I will be reading the instalments in between other reads, so I am hoping to get the same effect as when they were originally released.

All the books only cost me $3. Pretty good bargain.

#19 Diablero By Toby Tate

#20 The Mouse On The Mile, The Green Mile Book #2 By Stephen King

#21 Coffey's Hands, The Green Mile Book #3 By Stephen King

#22 Bad Death Of Eduard Lacroix, The Green Mile Book #4 By Stephen King

#23 Night Journey, The Green Mile Book #5 By Stephen King

#24 Coffey On The Mile, The Green Mile Book #6 By Stephen King

#25 Bloodline, Repairman Jack #11 By F. Paul Wilson

What did you think of The Green Mile? I just loved that book(s).

I have to be bad and point out your typo in post #61. It made me laugh!

What--? You mean it was not his bad breath that did him in? Hehehe. I fixed the typo. Thanks for the good catch.

You were very right, by the way. My challenge was to read each book in between other reads. I had planned to read one a month, but I could not hold off. I could not imagine having read them as they were being released, forcing you to have to wait until the next installment. What torture, and I had watched the movie too, so you would have thought I could have held my end.

I was one of the people that read King’s early horror novels but when he began to branch off, I dropped him altogether in my teens. Within the last year, I decided to pick off where I stopped and plan to read the rest in bibliographical order. My next stop with him will with the novel Desperation. Anyway, I am digressing…

The Green Mile had everything that I love in King Novels. A large and very developed cast of characters, strong plot, entertaining dialogue and I love the strong symbols and archetypes within the story. It all came together in this one like it was planned from the beginning, but we all know that King does not write that way. If this was a tribute, of sorts, to Charles Dickens not only on how it was published, but in the ingenuity to keep all the details together and working them out--I think King did it in spades.

My favorite non-horror novel by King is still The Eyes Of The Dragon up until this point, but this one trails behind by a small fraction.

I was also impressed with the movie. It was very similar to the book. When I read it's like a movie in my head and when I see the movie I'm usually disappointed with it. They got the casting, the atmosphere, everything right in that movie!

#26 Gator Kill By Bill Crider

#27 By The Sword, Repairman Jack #12 By F. Paul Wilson

#28 The Scream By John Skipp and Craig Spector

#29 Ground Zero, Repairman Jack #13 By F. Paul Wilson

#30 V By Kenneth Johnson, A.C. Crispin, among others

#31 Nightmare Child By Daniel Ransom

#32 Little Graveyard On The Prairie By Steven E. Wedel

Boy, I have really got to catch up to you on the Repairman Jack books!

#33 The Wise Man's Fear By Patrick Rothfuss

76>Huge_Horror_Fan, so did you enjoy your thousand plus page journey through Part II of The Kingkiller Chronicles?

Yes, immensely. Fantastic fantasy series with lots of heart, and very character driven. The main character is a hero, but not necessarily always heroic. He is flawed, just the way I like it. Often being a victim of circumstance, he can be depicted as a villain or a hero by mere rumors/stories/songs written about him. Rumors that are embellished from the real facts or sometimes, they are so far off, that they are completely far from what actually happened.

Kvothe, now an adult, sits down with a Chronicler to set the record straight about his life and he became legend in Day II.

I can’t wait for the third installment.

I need to get that book! I really enjoyed the first book in the series. I just wish that it hasn't been so long since I read it.

#34 Futile Efforts By Tom Piccirilli

#79: It will all come back when you get into the second one. It starts off exactly where it left off. But yeah, it did take a bit long for it to come out, but it was worth the wait.

#35 Fever Kill By Tom Piccirilli

#82: Poor teddy bear :(

Do you want to know who did that cover? Our very own David (DaddyGoth). We work collectively in editing e-books from Crossroad Press, and he has ventured out in doing some of the covers.

Btw, it is not the the teddy bear that is bleeding, but the little kid that was holding it. Another great and very gritty noir Piccirilli novel. Man, that boy knows how to write!

Very cool! I didn't know you two did that.

#86: It is. We both enjoy it very much.

#36 Harlan By David Whitman

#37 A Minor Case Of Murder: A Cassie O'Malley Mystery By Jeff Markowitz

#84: That is so cool, Paulo!

#38 Jack: Secret Histories, Repairman Jack Prequel #1 By F. Paul Wilson

Congratulations on hitting the halfway point of the challenge!

Tell me more about Harlan (wrong touchstone)! The cover alone makes me want to read it.

#39 The Way Of Shadows, Book #1 Of The Night Angel Trilogy By Brent Weeks

#40 I Don't Want To Kill You By Dan Wells

#90: Thank you!

#91: Harlan was an awesome and very solid story, that I ready in e-format.

Harlan is a story about a confused, yet highly intelligent teen who sees past social trends that so much shadow the lives of kids that age. His introverted and rebellious attitude does not sit well with many of his peers and superiors, leaving him with very little friends. Not that he cares very much. People to him have diseased, or lack of, personality equivalent to puppets acting solely on the latest fad.

He is fed up that people live like trained robots and can't take it anymore. He decides to set a date for his suicide in a year's time. The story is witnessed by reader through his diary during that last year that he had decided to take his life.

I highly recommend it.

I just picked up I Don't Want to Kill You, but I've been hesitant to actually start it. What did you think?

Ok, I must ask! Why the hesitation? Was it from something that bothered you from the first two?

The third installment was a solid five-star rating for me. It is a bit different than the first two in the sense that this time he takes the fight to "them" (trying to avoid spoilers for the the ones that have not read any of the books yet). It is the most supernatural of them all, but it fit perfectly on following from exactly where book two left off. I read that this was a planned trilogy, but I hope that this is not really the end yet. If you enjoyed the the story so far, you are going to LOVE the third one.

Hey, Paulo! Just waving as I head through the threads.

96 - I've had mixed feelings about the first two. I loved the first one ... up until the big reveal. I almost felt like it was cheating a little bit to resolve the story the way he did. However, I was prepared for that with the second one, so it wasn't as much of a surprise. With that ringing endorsement, though, I think I'm ready to pick it up!

#41 Blood & Gristle By Michael Louis Calvillo

#42 Locke & Key Volume 3: Crown Of Shadows By Joe Hill

42> Huge_Horror_Fan, I just finished the first volume in this series a few days ago. I have never really given graphic novels a chance, but I thought Welcome to Lovecraft was great. How does the rest of the series compare to the first? I think I am just going to go ahead and order the next two in the series tonight!

If you liked the first, you will not be disappointed with the next two. I think volume IV should be up for grabs this Summer as well. As you are a horror fan, are you going to NECON this year? I'll be heading down to Rhode Island on Thursday morning for the retreat until Sunday afternoon. Great author appearance this year.

Yeah, I agree. All three volumes have been top notch.

Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez play off each other extremely well. The art captures the story perfectly and it almost tells a story of on its own.

Me and Brian Keene at Necon 31. I had such a great time, that I am really thinking of going again.

Me and and the great John Skipp:

102> Huge_Horror_Fan, Just catching up on my threads... I read your response and my first question was "What the heck is a NECON?" So, no I was not there. I did check out the NECON site and it sounds like a pretty cool event. Now, I see you posing with Keene and Skipp! You lucky, lucky guy. Did you meet any other heroes of horror?

Nice pics! One day I hope to get to travel around to the various cons. No such luck until I get the next spacecraft off the ground... :)

108> If you get to go to just one, this has got to be it for horror. Next spacecraft off the ground? You can do that by the end of the month, you are Dr. Neutron after all. Then come next year...hehehe. Not but on a serious note, it was lots of fun.

102> Yes, I did. I met up with friends in a horror forum that I have been chatting with for nearly ten years. That in itself was a great rewarding experience. Other authors I got to meet were Jack Ketchum, Sarah Langan, although Jack Laymon has passed away I met his wife and daughter, Christopher Golden, Rick Hautala, Mary Sangiovanni, Heather Graham, James A. Moore, Jonathan Maberry, F. Paul Wilson...amongst others. There were also people there that participate in the genre in other ways such as artists, publishers, editors and that sort of thing. It was an amazing experience.

#43 By Bizarre Hands By Joe R. Lansdale

OK, that is a weird looking cover, I must say :)

#111 - I have to agree, as well as it is darn imaginative.

#44 Shadow's Edge, Book #2 Of The Night Angel Trilogy By Brent Weeks

#45 House Of Leaves By Mark Z. Danielewski

#46 Whalestoe Letters By Mark Z. Danielewski

#47 Hunters By Chet Williamson

So, what are your thought on Danielewski? I read HoL in college and loved it, but was very disappointed by Only Revolutions when it came out, and WL last year...

#48 Prodigal Blues By Gary A. Braunbeck

#49 Velvet Dogma By Weston Ochse

#116 - Hey Luxx. I liked House Of Leaves and its experimental style. I think it served the story very well for the most part. It does get tedious at some points, which was one of the reasons I read it during the Summer holidays when I knew I would have time to commit to such a read.

The details about The Navidson Record had me captivated. When Will Navidson's first experienced the tunnel was the highlight of the novel for me. It was like I was transported there. I think I would have been startled at any loud noises .

No out twin two owl outcast bridal assimilate druid oust frailty A neverland outer vile elephant livid.

Know what I mean?

I do indeed!

I dare any one to read Prodigal Blues and not have their eyes water, or maybe even shed a tear. I thought I had read a powerful novel with The Girl Next Door but this one takes the cake. Wow, talk about scarred for life!

#121: I do not think I will even attempt that one :)

I hope you have a terrific book picked out for #50, Paulo!

I am so behind this year. I am only getting to #50 now, middle of August! I think as the three little ones grow up (my oldest is now 6), more evening time is going towards them. I find that I am now only reading from 9pm on when everyone is sleeping. I am getting really good at braiding barbie dolls though...Ha!

#50 Nothing To Lose By Steve Vernon



This would have been a perfect read, if it would have just been longer. It need to be fleshed out, as it was way too short. More refinement of Captain Nothing would have been welcome. It was like taking your first flight lesson, starting the engine, only to hear your instructor say, "Well that is lesson #1, firing it up. Please shut it off and see you next week, where you can learn how to test your flaps."

Good thing there is a sequel, but it is just as short. I'll be reading that one next.

I am getting really good at braiding barbie dolls though...Ha! A skill worth having, sir!

There are certainly worse reasons to have less reading time. My only "guaranteed" reading time is when we go to bed ourselves, and all too often I find that I have to grade papers then instead. I guess it's still reading. ;)

#51 Nothing Down By Steve Vernon

#52 Messenger By Edward Lee

#53 Mandibles By Jeff Strand



Wow! Giant fireant mayhem ensues in Tampa Bay, Florida for total carnage. Extreme fun that took me back to some of the horror reads from the 80's. Jeff Strand has yet to disappointment me, after three very solid reads from him now.

#54 Jack: Secret Circles, Repairman Jack Prequel #2 By F. Paul Wilson

#55 Jack: Secret Vengeance, Repairman Jack Prequel #3 By F. Paul Wilson

I did not realize that there are Repairman Jack prequels!

Only the three of them, and the last one just came out this year.

#56 Floating Staircase By Ronald Malfi



If you have not read Malfi before, this is a good place to start. Fantastic. For those damn critics who think that horror cannot be literary, or authors who write horror are hacks...Eat this!

#131: Thanks for letting me know. I will start looking for them - next year, when the book buying ban is over.

#57 Instant Celebrity By Jonathan Lowe

#131 That's sounds great!

#58 Blindness By José Saramago

#59 A Lower Deep By Tom Piccirilli

Hey HHF, I always find your reading choices interesting and along the lines of my tastes. Sorry, I'm always lurking but rarely post anymore. What did you think of A Lower Deep? I've loved everything I've ready by Tom Piccirilli but had a hard time with Nightjack with it's otherworldly, mythological characters. A Lower Deep looks to delve much deeper in that area.

#60 The Last Four Things By Paul Hoffman

#137 - Hi Tim, ditto on your reading choices and tastes. Whenever I see your books on connection news, I always pay close attention on your ratings and books you are adding to your library. And you are a Tom Pic fan! Yay, as sometimes Tom does not seem to get the following that he deserves. A much underrated author in my opinion.

I have not read all of his novels and unfortunately, Nightjack belongs to that bunch. I am unable to compare, but by your description, A Lower Deep does seem to belong in the same vein. It delves heavily into Judeo-Christian history and it does get into some myths, and some very whacky characters. The story is seen through a necromancer and he has a demonic voice that speaks to him called SELF. It is essentially the character’s evil side of his personality with a consciousness of its own, always tempting and bating him to act on its own impulses. You might have to suspend your belief quite a bit, if you are unfamiliar with this character. I know Tom has written about SELF in the past through short stories in the small press. I never read them, and I felt myself wondering how SELF came to be, but no such explanation is provided within this book. You just have to go along with it, but it felt like some answers were missing.

The story itself is not bad, but it does sometimes feel disjointed.

All in all, I would pick this one up if you really like Pic and want to read everything he has put out. If you are looking for Pic when he is at his best (ex. his noir novels), then you might really think about skipping this one. I am surprised that Amazon ratings are as high as they are with 4.5 stars. It is rated as high as his Choir For Ill Children, which I thought was a much superior book.

#61 Vicious Romantic By Wrath James White

#139 - Thanks Paulo. I'm a huge Pic fan and most likely will pick A Lower Deep up sometime. I can't help myself. Just not before I read some of his others.

I hear there is a digital release coming up soon with Crossroad Press... ;o)

#62 Sloppy Seconds By Wrath James White

Hello! I just opened your thread for the first time and kind of wish I hadn't, I think I added 10 more books to my ever growing wish list!
You have some great books listed here! :)

After a long hiatus, I am back. I am hoping to meet the 75 books read mark still, but it is going to be tight.

#63 The Kill Riff By David J. Schow

Hi Paulo. Just thought I would drop by and say Welcome Back!

#146: Thank you!

#64 Harbor By John Ajvide Lindqvist

#65 The Nudger Dilemmas By John Lutz

#66 Lord Foul's Bane By Stephen R. Donaldson

#67 Sympathetic Magic By Wrath James White

Wow, that's an interesting cover. How was the book?

It was just an e-book short story and I have loved everything put out by this author so far. His full fledged novels are more satisfying though. Wrath puts his characters through extreme (and I mean extreme) horrific events. Beware.

If you enjoy extreme horror, he will topple to the top your top list in no time.

#68 Murgunstrumm & Others By Hugh B. Cave

#69 People Are Strange By James Newman

#70 Desperation By Stephen King

Wow, some good stuff in the list there, Paulo! Then again, I knew about a third of them before anyone else ;-)

I never put up my 75 books list this year due to time, but will try to squeeze in just a list in the next few days. I think I'm at 127 books read for the year.

Regarding the cover in post 82, I didn't do that one. However, I did do the ones in #86, 115, 125 and 133. Those are among the 150+ covers I've done in the past year and a half.

I have been hitting around 120 books the last couple of years. With the trip to business trip to India this year, it really put a damper on things. I am still going to try to make it to 75 with The Walking Dead series that I have been meaning to get to for awhile.

You sure did fantastic this year though!

#71 Days Gone Bye, The Walking Dead Volume #1 By Robert Kirkman

#72 Miles Behind Us, The Walking Dead Volume #2 By Robert Kirkman

#73 Safety Behind Bars, Walking Dead Volume #3 By Robert Kirkman

#74 The Heart's Desire, Walking Dead Volume #4 By Robert Kirkman

#75 The Best Defense, Walking Dead Volume #5 By Robert Kirkman

Done for this year! Disappointing at 75, but here is to a better 2012!

Congrats! I've read the first volume, but haven't read the rest. OTOH, the wife and I are really into the TV show. :)

See you over in the 2012 group!

Congrats!