Is Book 2 Better than the First?? You Bet!!

Although my original intent was to finish reading Rises the Night by Colleen Gleason (352 pgs, Signet) for Carl's RIP Challenge, I missed the mark by about a week!! There just aren't enough hours in the day anymore! But as with the first, I am certainly glad I decided to pick up this book!

One year after the battle with Lilith, Queen of the Vampires, Victoria is finally getting her life as a Venator back to normal. Or as normal as a Ventator's life can be. But when Lilith left London, it seems that she took all the vampires with her. But Victoria still keeps up her patrols. It was the only thing that kept her feeling alive. One night, she decided to go see the remnants of the Silver Chalice. And ran smack dab into a vampire AND a demon. After the dust clears on the ensuing battle, Victoria finds a small pendant with a strange design.

After some research, it is discovered the design is the new insignia for the Tutela, a group of mortals that protect vampires. Victoria also learns that Max has been missing for almost 8 months! And now, Nedes, Lilith's son, has in his position an ancient object that can wake the dead. If he succeeds in activating it, all hell will break loose....literally! So, it is up to Victoria to infiltrate the Tutela, find Max, and save the world...again!

From London to Italy, this book is almost non-stop action. We learn more about the shady, but extremely sexy Sebastian. In fact, we learn more about most of the main characters in this book. Colleen Gleason has taken it up a notch with the darkness of this book, and gives us a wild ride! There are more twists and unexpected turns than in Book 1, and by the end, I was blown away! This book is truly original, exciting, and deeply sexy. I for one, can not wait until the release of Book 3!! 4.5/5

RIP II Challenge Wrap-up

On this late Halloween evening, I am putting an end to the RIP II challenge. This is going to go down as one of my favorite challenges. Although I didn't read nearly as many books as I would have liked, I did read enough to successful complete the Peril that I choose!

Peril the First:
Read Four books of any length, from any subgenre of scary stories that you choose.

Additional Perils:
For those of you who have never done so, or want those who want to do so again, choose one or more of the following books to read after you have completed your other peril of choice:
1.Dracula by Bram Stoker

2. A collection of tales by Edgar Allan Poe

3. The Mystery of the Sea by Bram Stoker

4. Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman

The four books that I completed are:

Marked: A House of Night Novel by PC Cast and Kristin Cast

World War Z by Max Brooks

Betrayed: A House of Night Novel by PC Cast and Kristin Cast

The Rest Falls Away by Colleen Gleason

and of course, Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman.

Thanks Carl, for hosting such a wonderful challenge!!

Short Story Sunday.....on Monday Final Week (for Fragile Things)

Well, this is the final installation of Neil Gaiman's Fragile Things. So if you are tired of me blathering on about it, then fear not! I am finished. If you like reading the posts, then hang on till next week. I may start a NEW Neil Gaiman book of Short Stories!!

John, from The Book Mine Set also asked me to host this week's Short Story Monday! So if you read a short story this week, just leave me a link to your review!! That way, we can all enjoy it! (I'd use Mr. Linky, but frankly I just don't feel like the hassle!)

"If you ask me," said the little man to Shadow, "you're something of a monster. Am I right?" And so begins The Monarch in the Glen, the final story in Fragile Things. It is a short Novella, and it features Shadow, from the book American Gods. This story takes place 18 months afterwards. Shadow has been on the road since then, and is now in a small village in Scotland. He was approached by a man called Dr. Gaskell. The little grey man had a proposition for Shadow. He was looking for a big guy, a "monster", to work at a weekend party. He was needed to be a "bouncer" to keep the locals away from the rich, weekend guests. The pay was large for a weekend. And Shadow was chosen for a reason.

The story is filled with fables and tales of Grendel and hulders and Norse Gods. Gaiman has a way of taking legends and making them his own. With this one, he weaves a wonderful tale about a monsters -- and asks the question, Who really is the Monster? Before I read this story, Shadow was one of my favorite literary characters. And he still is!! This was the perfect way to bring Shadow back, and I'm really hoping that some day there will be more to Shadow's story.

That's it for Fragile Things. It was a fantastic book filled with stories about ghosts and legends, monsters and men. It has cemented Neil Gaiman as one of my very favorite authors! If you are looking for short stories that bite, definitely pick this one up!!

Don't forget to leave a link, if you have a short story to add to this week's Short Story Monday!!

Not Just Another Vampire Tale......

After visiting Colleen Gleason's blog many times, I FINALLY made the attempt to read her first novel, The Rest Falls Away (368 pgs, Signet). I picked it up because of the RIP Challenge, and I'm certainly glad I did!! This is an excellent 1st novel in the Gardella Vampire Chronicles.

In every generation a Gardella is called to accept the family legacy. That legacy is to be a Venator -- vampire slayer. And this generation it is Victoria Gardella Grantworth that was chosen. Her Great-Aunt Eustasia, the former Gardella Venator, is now her teacher. Not only is Victoria learning to hone her skills as a vampire slayer, but she is also about to debut! Her mother, who knows nothing about Victoria's legacy, is trying to make a suitable match for her daughter. So she has to fit in a little vampire slaying between balls and musicales!

Phillip de Lacy, the Marquess of Rockley and London's most eligible bachelor, has his eyes set on Victoria. When he announces his intentions to ask for her hand in marriage, Victoria is ecstatic! She has fallen hopelessly in love with Rockley and would love to be his wife. But how is she supposed to keep her life as a Venator secret from her beloved?? Especially now that Lilith, queen of the Vampires, has arrived in London searching for the Book of Antwartha? This book is supposed to contain powerful spells and incantations that will allow Lilith to raise demons at will by the legion. If that happens, the world will never be safe again.

When you through in Maximilan Pesaro, another veteran Venator, and Sebastian Vioget, a rather slimy but seductive man who knows more about vampires than the average man, you have a cast of characters that will thrill you to no end!! This book was such fun, although the ending was a lot darker than I expected. Victoria turned out to be a strong character and a fierce fighter. And the Victorian setting really worked. I think this is a great start to a very exciting series and I can't wait to read book two! 4/5


Also reviewed by:
Marg @ Reading Adventures
Chris @ Book-A-Rama

Short Story Sunday.....on Monday Part VI

Yes, indeedy! It's Monday, and time for my next-to-last installment of Neil Gaiman's Fragile Things! And this week, the stories were very good! Aliens and Zombies and even a Phoenix. Oh my!

How to Talk to Girls at Parties is the story of Enn and his friend Vic. Enn is quite and shy and doesn’t understand girls in the least. Not Vic. He’s charming and lovable and the girls all flock to him. When Vic gets them an invitation to a party, Enn is worried that he won’t be able to talk to any girls that are there. After losing the address to the party, the boys walk up and down the street until there hear music. When they get to the party, it is filled with girls. Of course, these girls are different. They are “visitors” to the area! This story won the 2007 Locust award for Best Short Story, and it leaves a lot to your imagination!

The Day the Saucers Came is a remarkable little poem that gives a little insight into what happens to a person if he spends his (or her) life waiting around for someone else. It's an absolute gem!

Sunbird is an attempt by Gaiman to write a story in the style of R. A. Lafferty. It’s a tale of the Epicurean Club, and 5 of it’s members. The Epicurean Club has been around for many centuries. The Epicurean’s get together and feast on everything. From beetles to tigers, Mammoths to pandas, this group must try everything! And just when they think there is nothing left to try, Zebediah T. Crawcrustle, one of the oldest members, thinks of just one more thing they haven’t eaten. The Suntown Sunbird. It can only be found in Suntown, an area of Cairo, Egypt. So the group sets out to capture the elusive Sunbird.

Inventing Aladdin is a poem written by Gaiman in an attempt to show an example of how folklore or fairy tales come into being.

Once again, I am amazed by Gaiman. He's so creative, and can completely capture you imagination in just a few words (which is good, since the very nature of the short story is to be brief!) Although I thought Sunbird was rather strange, it was indeed engaging. And How to Talk to Girls at Parties was fantastic! It leaves you with just enough information, and then it's up to your own imagination! The last installment of this WONDERFUL book will be next week, when I review the last story, the short novella The Monarch of the Glen!

Short Story Sunday.....on Monday Part V

Yes, folks. It's that time again!! Time for another installment of my Neil Gaiman Short Stories from Fragile Things! I really hope I'm not boring you....and that you aren't logging on just to say, "Lord, is she ever going to FINISH this book!!" I'm just trying to follow through with the RIP II challenge and read short stories on Sunday! I'm enjoying it so much, it may be a tradition I continue!

Feeders and Eaters is actually a rather scary little tale. Gaiman said it started out as a nightmare for him, and I can understand why! A man is at a dirty little diner in the middle of the night waiting for his train. As he's sitting there trying to go unnoticed, a man calls out his name. He doesn't recognize the man, but soon finds out it's someone he used to work with, named Eddie Barrow. But Eddie doesn't look like the man he once knew. The old Eddie was tall, strong and handsome. This man is thin, gray and looks like he's been to hell and back. Eddie starts to tell him the story of what has happened to him, and it all leads to a little old woman that lived in the room next to his. A woman who has a need to FEED.

Diseasemaker's Croup was written as an entry to a book of imaginary diseases. It's a strange little entry that is full of babble and really big medical terms!! Not my cup of tea, but interesting.

In the End is a one-page filler that is apparently Gaiman's attempt at writing the last book of the Bible. It's pretty much a reversal of In the Beginning from the Book of Genesis. And I have to say I liked it alot.

And finally Goliath, which was actually written to be a part of the website for the movie The Matrix. This story takes place in London, and is about a man that is very tall....almost 7 feet. He has just been rejected by the RAF on account of his height. One day he's working at his boring job of bookkeeper, and all of a sudden, the world starts to melt and drip away. Colors are becoming puddles, and everything goes black. He meets a bespeckled man that tells him that everything will be back to normal soon. The world is under attack by aliens and missiles have taken out a central processor. Then....like nothing ever happened, the world is back to normal!! He thinks that it must have been a dream, but the memory of that time stays with him until he meets the man in glasses again 15 years later!

I'm a huge fan of the original Matrix movie!! It blew me away when I first saw it. But Goliath is great story that blends in nicely with the concept. Actually this story is probably better than either of the Matrix sequels! Feeders and Eaters is a great short story for the Halloween season. Dark, scary and leaves a person wondering. I keep asking myself, "How does Neil Gaiman come up with this stuff?" He really has a knack for inventing worlds and stories in just a few sentences. Actually, I think I have a total literary crush on the man. Stay tuned for the final 2 installments in the coming weeks!!

Short Story Sunday.....on Monday Part IV (But on Tuesday!)

Yes, I'm late with this one. Sorry. Yesterday I was pretty under the weather. I feel slightly better today, although not great. Damn, these headaches are killers, aren't they?

This week's readings for Short Story Sundays were a mixture of the odd, the weird, and the eerie! A perfect way to celebrate this October RIP season!

The first story I read was Harlequin Valentine. It's a strange little tale of Harlequin, inspired by Commedia dell'arte and the Harliquinaide pantomime. It is Valentine's Day, and Harlequin has found his Columbine, who is actually Missy. He decides to give her his heart for Valentine's Day. Literally, by nailing his own heart to her door. But it seems that the trick is actually on this trickster Harlequin, because Missy is a pretty shrewed gal!!

Locks is a poem about telling stories....this one is about Goldylocks and the 3 bears, as he is telling it to his daughter.

The Problem with Susan is a remarkable short story about Susan Pevensie, the girl from the C.S. Lewis Narnia tales. What really happened to the girl who wasn't allowed Paradise because she was 'too fond of lipsticks and nylons and invitations to parties'? Gaiman will tell you his interpretation!

Instructions is the coolest poem!! According to Gaiman, this poem gives you the instructions about what to do when you find yourself in a fairy tale!

How do You Think it Feels? is a small tale about a gargoyle. This gargoyle was not created to guard a building. It was created to guard a man's heart.

My Life was a poem that was written to accompany a picture of a sock-puppet in a book called Sock Monkeys. Sounds strange?? Yep. It is.

Finally, Fifteen Painted Cards From a Vampire Tarot". I really don't even know how to describe this. It wasn't really a story. Not really a poem. Just kind of a description of the Tarot cards. Strange, but rather intriguing.

Yes, I'm still enjoying this. I even like the poetry. I don't know how much more I can gush about it. I was pleased with each of the stories this time, although I think I liked Harlequin Valentine the best. Sorry, I'm not more wordy today. I think it's the headache still lingering. Hopefully my review of The Giver that I will post tomorrow will be better!

Short Story Sunday.....on Monday Part III

Yes...it's that time again. Time for another installment of short stories from Neil Gaiman. Fragile Things, as you all know is the title of this compilation of stories. Last week, most of the stories I read were ghost stories. Not so much this week. How to categorize them? I really can't answer that. But they were all good. (maybe not as good as before, but still definitely worth reading!)

Bitter Grounds tells the story of a man who was driving to the store one day...and just kept driving. The first line of the story pretty much tells it all: "In every way that counted, I was dead". Pretty nifty opening line, wouldn't you say? On his journey, he meets a man in need of a ride. "People come into your life for a reason." It's a premise that follows him around the entire story. A story that takes him to New Orleans, involves him in discussions with a High Priestess of Santeria, and introduces him to the Zombie coffee girls. It's a strange little tale with a strange little ending.

Other People is a mere few pages and seems to me to be Gaiman's personal definition of what Hell really is.

Keepsakes and Treasures is one of those short stories that left me wanting more. I want to know more about these people. Mr. Smith and Mr. Alice. Or at least that's what they are called today. Mr. Smith was taken in by Mr. Alice at an early age. Mr. Smith was born to a woman in an asylum. He was placed in an orphanage, where most of the little boys were abused and used for the personal gratification of the director. The director that incidentally committed "suicide" when Mr. Smith was 12 years old. Mr. Alice requested a meeting with the boy, and realized the potential he had....the potential of a sociopath. The story itself describes only snippets of a much larger story, a story that Gaiman needs to write.

Good Boys Deserve Favors is a story of an uninspired young boy that joins the school orchestra. Does he ever gain inspiration? Maybe. Was it magic that he played the way he did when he was asked to one day? Only you can be the judge of that.

The Facts in the Case of the Departure of Miss Finch was probably my favorite of this week's readings. When a group of people go to the Theater of Night's Dreaming circus, not everyone comes back. In an eerie turn of events, Miss Finch is "chosen" from the audience to gain her desires from the "Cabinet of Wishes Fulfill'd". Who knew the outcome of her desires would end in such a strange fashion??

And finally, Strange Little Girls is basically the liner notes that Gaiman wrote for Tori Amos to use in her cd. Although I'm a huge fan of Tori Amos, the addition of this to Fragile Things just seemed a little out of place and basically just a few pages of filler.

Although, I wasn't nearly as thrilled with this week's readings, I am still impressed with Gaiman's ability to catch a reader in just a few sentences or pages. He really has the knack for writing short stories, because the grip he holds on the reader is immediate. I'm looking forward to next week's installation already!

Incredible Alternate History of Zombies and Life

Carl's RIP II Challenge was the perfect opportunity for me to justify reading another "Zombie" book so soon after Monster Island. And I'm so glad I did!! I've had a few people recommend World War Z by Max Brooks (352 pgs., Crown), and for a very good reason: It's such a unique way to tell a story!!

The subtitle of this book is "An Oral History of the Zombie War". And that's exactly the way it's written. A few years after the Zombie World War, a UN postwar Commission Report was written. The author (unnamed) was upset because the report he submitted was not the report that was presented. All the "human" element was removed. This book is a compilation of that human factor. Divided into sections detailing different aspects of the war, the author gives us a look at what happened through interviews with survivors. We learn a little about the initial outbreak of the Zombie epidemic that started in China and spread rapidly worldwide. We hear horror stories from survivors of the "great panic", and what each had to do in order to be telling the tale today. We learn about different countries and how they chose to turn the tide of the war. And we learn about heroes worldwide and how they stepped up to help their fellow man survive an attack like the world has never seen.

It's hard to review this book, because there are no central characters, no plot lines, no big finishes. It is written as if it is a documentary, detailing events and people all the way down to little footnotes of "historical" fact. And it is indeed chilling. Early on, I had expected this to be a funny book, taking a stab at the paranormal genre. What else would you expect from the son of Mel Brooks, but something of a parody?? But it isn't like that at all. It is a well-thought-out and carefully plotted book, that goes into such detail, it's hard to believe World War Z is just fiction!! Each little "interview" tells it's own little story, and Brooks ties them up nicely in his presentation. Not too much drama, but just the facts. Brooks also throws in a lot of political references in how he perceives the world would change if such a catastrophe occurred. Can you imagine a world in which Cuba is the new commerce capital? And yet, he does it so smoothly and believably, it's really hard to see it as fiction! Kudos to Brooks for such a unique and down-right fascinating book!! If there ever IS a Zombie epidemic, I know who's doorstep I'm going to show up on!! Max Brooks can lead us to Victory!! 4.5/5

Short Story Sunday.....on Monday Part II

I think there was a meme out there one time that asked "How do you prefer a story to begin: Once Upon a Time or It was a dark and gloomy Evening?" As much as I am a fan of the fairy tale, my very favorite genre is the eerie and the paranormal. So I immediately went for the Dark and Gloomy Evening scenario. This week's Short Stories in the form of Neil Gaiman's Fragile Things fits the bill perfectly!! Ghost Stories seemed to be the writings this weekend...and you may detect a little gushing when you read this!! I'm serious LOVING this book!!

The first story I read yesterday was Forbidden Brides of the Faceless Slaves in the Secret House of the Night of Dread Desire. (And yes, I do realize that is certainly a mouthful!) I really don't know how Gaiman does it. He can suck a person into a story in the opening line! "Somewhere in the night, someone was writing." The story goes back and forth between a writer and the story he is creating. Without spoiling this wonderful story for anyone, I will just say, it's filled with talking Ravens, the undead, family curses and an elderly aunt chained in the attic!! This story which Gaiman wrote 20 years prior was snubbed by a couple of editors and stuffed away in a box. He pulled it out a few years ago to submit it for an anthology called Gothic! and was awarded the 2005 Locus Award for Best Short Story. (I certainly hope those editors are now working in other industries!)

The Flints of Memory Lane is more of a 4 page memory. It was written for a anthology of true life ghost stories, and is not "story-shaped" as Gaiman so eloquently puts it.

Going Wodwo is a poem written by Gaiman for Terri Windling and is about a wild man of the woods.

And finally, Closing Time is another Ghost story. One late night, years ago, several men were sitting around a London "club" telling stories, when somehow the topic of ghost stories come up. After a couple of "urban legends" are told, one of the men tells a story from his youth. He said it didn't happen to a friend of his. It actually happened to him...and he remembers it as if it were yesterday. The story is about a nine-year-old boy that met up with some other kids on the way home from school one day. They all decide to go to an abandoned mansion called the Swallows. 4 boys started out, but only 1 comes back! An eerie twist at the end is surely what won Gaiman the 2004 Locust Award for Best Short Story!

OK.....here's my gush: You must read this book!! I have let it be known my utter lack of interest in the short-story. Many times. But with Gaiman telling the tales, I'm going to do a complete 180 and whole-heartedly recommend them!! You are immediately drawn in and although your time is short, completely enthralled!! I can't wait until next Sunday!!

Short Story Sunday.....on Monday

For the RIP challenge at Stainless Steel Droppings, Carl added a "Peril" that is called Short Story Sunday. The goal is to read a Short Story that falls under the RIP category of books on Sundays during the challenge. Another "peril" includes reading the book Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman. So I'm combining both perils by reading Fragile Things on Sundays!!

A Study in Emerald is the first story. Fantastic!! In the introduction, Gaiman says he wrote this story for an anthology in which he was requested to write a "story in which Sherlock Holmes meets H. P. Lovecraft." Our "hero" returns home from Afghanistan and meets a man that will soon be his roommate. His roommate, he finds out later, is a consulting detective and is called upon by many police officers to help solve mysteries. Taking a page from the Sherlock Holmes tale, A Study in Scarlett, our detectives are asked to look into a case in which a member of the Royal Family was brutally murdered and found in blood on the wall was the word "Rache". This is where the H.P. Lovecraft twist sets in. The Royal family isn't actually human. They are creatures that defeated humanity in a bloody war seven hundred years earlier. The "Great Old Ones" have ruled ever since.

From the moment this story started, I was completely turned around. The "twist" in the end, proved just that!! And while I was completely off on the actual characters, Gaiman writes a very compelling story that was well deserving of the Hugo Award it received in 2004.

Since I couldn't stop at just one, I went on to read October in the Chair. This story was dedicated to Ray Bradbury. It begins as the 12 months of the year are congregated together for a meeting. October is the leader this time around, and stories are told by the months. October's story is about a boy called The Runt by his family. He feels unwanted at home and decides to run away. He comes upon the ghost of a boy called Dearly, and finds with him the acceptance he never received from his own family. Again....this story was wonderful, if a little creepy. And it deserved the 2003 Locus Award for Best Short Story.

In between each story were poems entitled The Fairy Reel and The Hidden Chamber. One was fantastical and one was dreary and Gothic.

Last week I tried to read Poe, and just couldn't get into it. Short stories have never been my thing! I like sinking my teeth into plot and character development, and the short story just doesn't have the time to provide either. But Neil Gaiman is another creature all together!! Even though I spent most of my day watching football (Da Bears!), I picked up this book and didn't think I would be able to put it down! I don't think I can say this enough times.....I LOVE Neil Gaiman!! His writing is simple and fantastic. And I can't wait to read more of his stories!!

Book Giveaway and the RIP Challenge

Since Carl's RIP Challenge is so much fun and he's so giving with his prize packages, I thought I would pass along the first book I read for this challenge!! If you haven't read my review yet, you can check it out below. Marked: A House of Night Novel is the first book in a new series by PC Cast and her daughter Kristin. It's marketed to YA, but I found it to be a very good addition the ever-growing paranormal genre.

My copy is an ARC and it's a soft-covered trade paperback. The drawing is open to anyone, anywhere!!

So....if you need something to add to your list of RIP Challenge books, this one is a great one!! Or, if you aren't in the challenge, but just want something new to read, here you go!! I will be drawing for a winner on Sept. 13th, so sign up now. All you have to do is leave me a comment that you want to be entered!!

Great New Series!

I like vampire books, okay? Sue me! When I saw that Marked: A House of Night Novel by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast was available for review, I jumped on it. This book is the first in a new young adult series about vampires.

One day, Zoey Redbird is an average, 16-year-old schoolgirl, worrying about her ex-boyfriend’s drinking and her upcoming Geometry test. Then it happens. A Vampyre Tracker “marks” her, and life as she knows it has ended. When you receive the “mark”, a crescent-shaped tattoo on your forehead, it means that you have been chosen to become a vampyre. And you will, if you can survive “the Change.”

From that moment, all things are different. Her best friend looks like she’s scared to death of Zoey. Her own family, led by the sanctimonious step-monster John, thinks she has done something evil to deserve it. And being Marked means that she will have to leave her own home and move to the House of Night, the vampyre finishing school that will train her as a fledgling to go through the Change and become an adult vamp. But Zoey is destined to more than just any fledgling. After a fall in which she hits her head, Zoey connects with the Vampyre Goddess Nix and is told she is special. She is to be the Goddess's eyes and ears in the modern world, destined to have great Goddess powers. When Zoey awakens, her Mark is colored in, something that doesn’t happen to fledglings.

With Neferet, a high-priestess of Nix, as her mentor, Zoey starts her new life as a fledgling. Her roommate, Stevie Rae is great, and she is given an invitation to join the Dark Daughters, the school’s most elite club (although the leader of the group isn’t at all what she appears to be). How bad can life be?

In the first book in a series, we are introduced to a new world - a world in which vampyres are real and are usually the most successful and famous people around. A world in which the People of Faith are taught to be frightened of them. And we are introduced to the House of Night and the ways of the vampyre population of today.

I was completely hooked by the first chapter; P.C. Cast has done a fantastic job of laying the groundwork for an exciting series and, with the help of her daughter, Kristin, has made a very believable character in Zoey Redbird. The mother-daughter writing team has done a wonderful job capturing the essence of a 16-year-old girl: scared, looking for acceptance, and trying to fit in. Isn’t that what all 16-year-olds want out of life? In my opinion, Marked is definitely above average in the emerging “teen” paranormal genre, a genre that is growing at a lightning speed. This book isn’t a bloody horror novel by any means. It is much more than that. I found it to be exotic, engaging, and just plain fun, and I highly recommend it. 4.5/5

(copyright 2007 by Stephanie Toland for Curled Up With a Good Book)

It's FINALLY here: RIP2!!!

Anyone who knows me will understand that Autumn is my very favorite time of the year!! I love the brisk feel of the weather, the changing of the leaves, but most importantly I love Halloween and the goblins and ghouls associated with it! Enter Carl's RIP II Challenge!! RIP stands for Readers Imbibing Peril, and is the Autumn Reading Challenge. Since I wasn't around the blogging world for challenge number one, I'm more than excited to join in on Challenge #2!

According to Carl, "R.I.P. II is a September 1st through October 31st celebration of all tales gothic, eerie, creepy, and dark. Tales that one reads in the dark of night, experiencing delicious shivers of terror and suspense at each creak of the floorboards or each gust of wind."

He has even outlined certain "perils" to sign up for:
Peril the First:
Read Four books of any length, from any subgenre of scary stories that you choose.

Peril the Second (Otherwise known as the Obese Book Peril):
As you may know, some books are scary not just because of their subject matter but because of their size. Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke is 737 pages of small type, for example, and Gordon Dahlquist’s Glass Books of the Dream Eaters is 637 pages long with type so miniscule it makes Strange’s look like large print!
For this peril simply read two weighty tomes during the challenge period.

Peril the Third:
If you think you have it in you, this third choice of perils is the Scary Sandwich Peril…choose two large books like those described in Peril the Second and read a smaller qualifying tale in between.

Peril the Fourth (Otherwise known as Just a Bit of Peril):
Some of you wonderful readers, or would-be readers, may have a tendency to shy away from this genre, thinking it is just not your cup of poisoned tea. However, it wouldn’t be a challenge if I wasn’t challenging you.

This peril is for those of you who want to take a chance. Simply choose one book that you feel meets the criteria for Readers Imbibing Peril II and, well, imbibe it!

Additional Perils:
For those of you who have never done so, or want those who want to do so again, choose one or more of the following books to read after you have completed your other peril of choice:
1.Dracula by Bram Stoker
2. A collection of tales by Edgar Allan Poe
3. The Mystery of the Sea by Bram Stoker
4. Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman

I realize my list is long! And since I suck at completing challenges, I don't think I will be able to finish all the books that I want to read. So what I'm going to do is enter Peril 1, with a couple of additions. Then list the last few books I would like to read, if I have the time, or later on in the year:

Peril 1:

• Dracula by Bram Stoker
• Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman
• World War Z by Max Brooks
• Twilight by Stephanie Meyer
• The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly
• Moon Called by Patricia Briggs (Mercy Thompson, book 1)
• Storm Front by Jim Butcher (Dresden Book 1)

Alternative and Additional books:

• Angel of Darkness (Key Book) by Charles de Lint
• Touch the Dark by Karen Chance (Cassandra Palmer, Book 1)
• Glass Houses by Rachel Caine (Morganville Vampires, Book 1)
• The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters by Gordon Dahlquist
• Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
• The Terror by Dan Simmons
• Summer of Night Dan Simmons
• 13 Bullets by David Wellington
• The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allen Poe
• The Monk by Matthew Gregory Lewis
• Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
• Lisey's Story by Stephen King
• Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris (Southern Vampire Book 1)

There you go. 20 books that I'm DYING to read!! Click on the links if you'd like to know more about each book. Join in with this challenge!! It's going to be fun!