Books are a Uniquely Portable Magic — SK

As a librarian, I am often asked about my reading habits–what was the last book I read, how often do I spend reading, and who my favorite author is.  For the record the answers to the previous queries are: Keeping the Moon by Sarah Dessen,  about an hour a day (more on days off when I can sit in the sun and relax with a book), and Stephen King.

I LOVE Stephen King’s writing.  His short stories, novellas, and door-stop sized novels are always a joy for me to read.  You may be asking how horror novels can be a joy to read, but if you’re asking that you’ve probably never read SK.  In King’s writing the horror and supernatural elements are secondary to his wonderful characters and driving narratives–which isn’t to imply that the horror isn’t present…it absolutely is.  I freely admit that I love a good scare and I’m never disappointed with Stephen King.

I feel very lucky to count Stephen King as my favorite writer.  I immediately devour every new book of his that’s published, but I take my time savoring his back list of titles.  I’ve read 27 books by Stephen King and I always go back for another one when I need to be reminded how much I love reading.

For work (and my own personal interest) I read a lot of YA fiction.  I try to keep on top of award lists and titles that have garnered starred reviews, as well as recommendations from teens I speak with at the library.  Sometimes in the midst of all that reading I get a little overwhelmed and I start to experience the feeling that my reading is an extension of work instead of something I love to do.  Whenever I start to feel this way, I find a tattered SK paperback (I buy them at garage sales) out of  the horde in my closet and–the moment it’s opened–my love for reading is rekindled.

Who’s your favorite author?

~Tricia is the Teen Services Librarian at CPL and can’t wait to get  home and finish Different Seasons.

Something wicked this way comes.

I absolutely LOVE Halloween; the candy, the costumes, the scary movies, but what I love most is spending the month of October getting ready for the big day by reading lots and lots of horror. I love reading horror fiction anytime of the year, but it’s a little more satisfying on chilly nights, with the leaves rustling, and the wind howling…

Here are 10 new(ish) Teen Horror Titles*:

Bliss by Lauren Myracle: Openhearted Bliss desperately wants new friends, making her the perfect prey of a troubled girl whose obsession with a long-ago death puts Bliss, and anyone she’s kind to, in mortal danger.

Night Road by A.M. Jenkins:  After a century of wandering Cole may still look like a teenager, but he’s known in the heme community for being observant, meticulous, and controlled—a master of life on the road.

Midnight Twins by Jacqueline Mitchard: Meredith and Mallory realize they have each been given a gift: Mallory can see deep into the past; Meredith can see the future. But when they discover that one boy is not what they imagined, their lives will be changed forever.

Generation Dead by Daniel Waters:  Phoebe is just your typical goth girl with a crush. He’s strong and silent…and dead.

Prom Nights from Hell by Meg Cabot, Kim Harrison, Michael Jaffe, Stephenie Meyer, and Lauren Myracle:  Far from gauzy, rose-colored clichés, the prom nights depicted in this anthology are surreal, scary, and often populated with monsters and zombies.

All Hallow’s Eve: 13 Stories by Vivian Vande Velde:  Creepy and gruesome, these horror stories all take place on Halloween night when high-school characters bridge the gap between the living and the dead.

Daemon Hall by Andrew Nance:  Ian Tremblin, the “King of Teen Scream,” holds a short-story contest in which the five finalists spend the evening with him in a haunted mansion, Daemon Hall.

Bonechiller by Graham McNamee:  Danny’s dad takes a job as caretaker at a marina on the shore of a vast, frozen lake in Harvest Cove, a tiny town tucked away in Canada’s Big Empty. If you’re looking for somewhere to hide, this is it.

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare:  When Clary Fray witnesses three tattoo-covered teenagers murder another teen, she is unable to prove the crime because the victim disappears right in front of her eyes, and no one else can see the killers.

Tantalize by Cynthia Leitich Smith:  This gothic-horror comedy, set in an Italian restaurant reopening as a vampire-themed supper club, begins when someone murders the chef and more brutal killings follow, while our heroine Quince scrambles to keep the family business alive and to escape with her own soul intact.

And to bring the list to lucky number 13, here are 3 favorites from the Master of the Macabre*:

Salem’s Lot by Stephen King:  Considered one of the most terrifying vampire novels ever written, it cunningly probes the shadows of the human heart — and the insular evils of small-town America.

The Shining by Stephen King:  Little Danny Torrence can read thoughts, and the stories in his father’s mind scare him nearly to death.

Cell by Stephen King:  What if a pulse sent out through cell phones turned every person using one of them into a zombie-like killing machine?

Don’t forget to join us here at CPL for a Scary Double Feature on November 1st.  The program will be held from 6pm until 10pm.  We’ll have plenty of popcorn and candy, so just bring yourself.

~Tricia is the teen librarian at CPL and loves everything about Autumn (especially if it’s related to Halloween) and is currently reading Jenny Green’s Killer Junior Year and The Dark Half.

*Synopses taken from editorial reviews found at Amazon.com.