Clown in a Cornfield

This books is 80's slasher nostalgia. It reads as if it's a horror movie: lots of gore - light on story. Quinn Maybrook and her father have moved from Philly to the middle of a cornfield. Quinn is used the bustle of the city and now she has to listen to the rustle of the cornstalks in her new midwestern town. She and her dad just want a fresh start after the tragic death of her mother - but it seems like even that is too much to ask for. She quickly falls in with the wrong crowd and is convinced to go to a party in - you guessed it - a cornfield. Things start off promising: screwdrivers, good music, dancing - but suddenly the town's mascot (a clown named Frendo) - is outside killing people with a crossbow. How is this real life and why is it after the high school students?! Quinn's only hope is to make it out of the cornfield without a clown right behind her. She's definitely not in Philly anymore. Creepy and very bloody - I would love to see a movie version of this. 

Strange Weather

This might be one of my favorite short story collections and it may have beaten out The Fireman as my favorite Joe Hill book. I LOVED this collection. There are four short stories and all of them are simply amazing! I don't know which one I like the most? They are all so unique and inventive, and creepy, and all around insanely good. I know I'm gushing here, but I can't help fangirling all over this short story collection! It's money! There are four short novels in this collection.

Snapshot made my skin crawl. A nerdy awkward teenager confront a man who owns a unique Polaroid camera that has the ability to erase your mind one snapshot at a time.

Loaded will make you angry, it's a story we've all heard before, an innocent young black man was killed because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time and "looked guilty." Fast forward two decades and the witness to that crime is about to see a whole other gun drama unfold before her eyes. It's gripping and the end is maddening. You won't be able to stop thinking about it.

Aloft is about a skydiver who gets stuck on a cloud that is only trying to make friends. It's bizarre and imaginative and I LOVE the concept of this one!

Rain reminded me so much of Kurt Vonnegut's, Cat's Cradle! Instead of Ice 9, the sky starts raining needles. Denver is very nearly obliterated. The badd ass lesbian heroine in this might be one of my favorite characters. All around great apocalyptic novel.

Buy this. Read it. Talk to me about it. I'm in love!

The Night Gardener

A pretty solid book for upper elementary/ middle schoolers, and honestly it was soo well written and creepy, that I think this absolutely could be adapted into a creepy as hell adult horror book. Two Irish orphans find themselves in an isolated crumbling down house working for a sick family. They're not technically getting paid but at least they have a place to stay and food to eat. While working at this remote house, Molly and her younger brother, Kip, begin to realize that something is horribly wrong. Someone is breaking in at night, everyone has nightmares, and they're all slowly getting sicker. Plus, the tree next to the house is menacing AF. Slowly they learn about the ominous night gardener and realize that sometimes the scariest stories are the true ones, ones that you keep yourself from believing. Genuinely creepy at parts, this book will attract a variety of readers.

Something Wicked This Way Comes

I won't lie this wasn't my favorite of Ray Bradbury's but it did hold some charm for me. It definitely reminded me of "The Halloween Tree" which I enjoyed, but it was a tad slow moving in places. A carnival comes to a small town and Jim Nightshade and his friend Will, realize that something isn't right with the carnival folks, something seems evil. While snooping on the carnival they get caught and fear for their lives, they must find a way to stop the carnies or lose their lives. Definitely creepy and wonderfully written. I must admit, I am looking forward to seeing how well the movie aligns with the book.

The May Queen Murders

Cool concept, slightly creepy, and amazing setting, but this wasn't a slam dunk for me. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it and read it mostly in one sitting, but the ending was too intricate and over-involved for my taste. Rowan's Glen is an odd little community, almost cultish in their old beliefs and attitudes, but really, more old world and secluded. Ivy and her best friend Heather, have never had any secrets between them, but overnight that practically changes. Heather starts seeing someone and sneaking off with townies and Ivy gets concerned. Especially when mutilated animal corpses are becoming a common occurrence and the legend of Birch Markle re-surges. Many years ago the May Day queen was viciously murdered by the unstable madman Birch, and for years Glen folks have thought he had retreated into the woods for good. But when the mutilated animal carcasses appear, bad omens come, and Heather disappears, many believe he has come back for good. Ivy is determined to figure out what's going on, save her friend, and stay alive. Dark and creepy, this was a fun book to read at night. I wish I loved it more.