May – Dracula Month 
| Dracula – Bram Stoker | |
| Hosted by: Ellie Start Date: Fri 1st May 2009 Sign-up here | |
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When Jonathan Harker visits Transylvania to help Count Dracula with the purchase of a London house, he makes a series of horrific discoveries about his client. Soon afterwards, various bizarre incidents unfold in England: an apparently unmanned shipis wrecked off the coast of Whitby; a young woman discovers strange puncture marks on her neck; and the inmate of a lunatic asylum raves about the ‘Master’ and his imminent arrival. In Dracula, Bram Stoker created one of the great masterpieces of the horror genre, brilliantly evoking a nightmare world of vampires and vampire hunters and also illuminating the dark corners of Victorian sexuality and desire. Book Discussion Here |
| Fevre Dream – George RR Martin | |
| Hosted by: Nabs Start Date: 13th May 2009 Sign-up here | |
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Abner Marsh has had his wish come true – he has built the Fevre Dream, the finest steamship to sail the Mississippi. Abner hopes to race the boat some day, but his partner is making it hard for him to realise his dreams. Joshua York put up the money for the Fevre Dream, but now rumours have started about his the company he keeps, his odd eating habits and strange hours. As the Dream sails the great river, it leaves in it’s a wake one too many dark tales, forcing Abner to face down the man who made his dreams become reality. Book Discussion Here |
| The Vampire Lestat – Anne Rice | |
| Co-Hosted by: Kittystyles & LizSara Start Date: 20th May 2009 Sign-up here | |
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Once an aristocrat in the heady days of pre-revolutionary France, now Lestat is a rockstar in the demonic, shimmering 1980s. He rushes through the centuries in search of others like him, seeking answers to the mystery of his terrifying existence. His story, the second volume in Anne Rice’s best-selling Vampire Chronicles, is mesmerizing, passionate, and thrilling. Book Discussion Here |
June – Faerytale Month
| Enchantment – Orson Scott Card | |
| Hosted by: Jerseygirl Start Date: Mon 1st June 2009 Sign-up here | |
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The moment young Ivan stumbled upon a clearing in the dense Carpathian forest, his life was forever changed. Atop a pedestal encircled by fallen leaves, the beautiful princess Katerina lay as still as death–while a malevolent presence stirred in the hidden depths below. Now, years later, Ivan is compelled to return. He finds the clearing just as he left it. This time he does not run . . . Book Discussion Here |
| Grimm’s Grimmest | |
| Hosted by: Snapesgirl Start Date: Mon 8th June 2009 | |
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Murder, kidnapping, cruel and unusual punishment, violent revenge—these are not the bedtime stories mummy used to read. Newly reissued with a fresh cover, Grimm’s Grimmest presents nineteen original, unsanitized, wholly unholy tales as they were first collected by the Brothers Grimm circa 1822—all fiendishly illustrated. The tales harken back to a time when travelers risked roasting or worse, and bad manners yielded frightful consequences. An insightful introduction makes sense of the mayhem, shedding light on how the Grimm brothers went from macabre to mainstream in fairly short order. From the true horror of Aschenputtel (the original Cinderella story) to Rapunzel’s dark secret, Grimm’s Grimmest features the authentic stories born long ago in the land of the Black Forest, at a time when fairy tales never ended happily ever after. Book Discussion Here |
| The Bloody Chamber – Angela Carter | |
| Hosted by: Ellie Start Date: Mon 15th June 2009 Sign-up here | |
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From familiar fairy tales and legends – Red Riding Hood, Bluebeard, Puss in Boots, Beauty and the Beast, vampires and werewolves – Angela Carter has created an absorbing collection of dark, sensual, fantastic stories. They include “The Company of Wolves”, on which the prize-winning film of the same name was based. Carter relates traditional fairy tales through her own unique perspective. The mind of the modern feminist unravels the mysteries of the subconscious and its related symbolism. Book Discussion Here |
