Books I Read in October 2022

I only read two books last month, one of them being Stephen King’s 600-page Fairy Tale. For October I read one fantasy reference book and shorter horror books that have been on my to-be-read pile.

 

The Complete Guide to Middle Earth (1979) by Robert Foster

An excellent reference book for the world of the Lord of the Rings. Entries are listed alphabetically. I didn't read every entry, but I used it quite often while watching The Rings of Power.

The Haunting of Hill House (1959) by Shirley Jackson

A classic gothic horror novel. This started out pretty slow then got really interesting. My full review is here: 

We Learn by Writing: The Haunting of Hill House: The Book by Shirley Jackson and the Series by Mike Flanagan

Hammers on Bone (2016) by Cassandra Khaw

Lovecraftian cosmic horror meets hard boiled noir. Private investigator John Persons is hired by a ten-year old boy. The boy says his stepdad is a monster. As the reader soon learns, John Persons knows all about monsters. 

Like most crime noir, things aren’t always as they seem. Things don’t go as planned and our P. I. has to deal with them. It’s a dark story in that it’s cosmic horror but also in that the story comments on domestic violence and abuse. It’s all well done and very creepy. 

While I enjoyed the Raymond Chandler-like hard boiled prose and 50s slang, at times it seemed like it was too much. Also, there’s a reveal in the Interlude that threw me off and made me wonder how reliable the narrator was going to be for the rest of the book. 

I’m up for reading more stories about John Persons. The epilogue seems to set up things to be explored in future stories. I see there is a second book in the series, but John Persons isn’t the central character.

Nothing But Blackened Teeth (2021) by Cassandra Khaw

Five thrill seeking friends rent out an old Japanese mansion for a wedding. It was chosen by the couple getting married because it’s supposedly haunted by a ghost bride.  

I liked the setting and all the references to yokai. Unfortunately, I didn’t really care for the characters. While I liked some of the descriptions and metaphors that were used, there were times where it felt too wordy.

Mapping the Interior (2017) by Stephen Graham Jones 

A modern ghost story that explores loss, grief, and memory. Junior, a young Native American boy, lives with his younger brother and widowed mother in a small house. Junior begins to believe that the ghost of his father is walking through the house wearing full Blackfeet regalia and tries to catch glimpses of him. 

Great opening line. I liked the narration by Junior throughout. The prose was smooth, and the story flowed well. Starts out atmospheric and haunting then moves to creepy.

Night of the Mannequins (2020) by Stephen Graham Jones

A teen prank involving a mannequin doesn’t go as planned. Then the bodies begin piling up. This fast-paced novella was like an 80s horror movie with dark humor. 

This is the second book I’ve read by Stephen Graham Jones and the second time he’s gotten my attention with a great opening line. He then kept my attention with engaging narration from the protagonist even though the story got as crazy and dark as it did. I’m looking forward to reading more of this author’s work.

The Hellbound Heart (1986) by Clive Barker 

A man seeking ultimate pleasure opens a puzzle box that summons beings called Cenobites. Things get bloody. 

Fast paced and creepy. I liked the writing. For example, there are some paragraphs where Barker describes the passing of the seasons that were just lyrical. An interesting contrast to the darker parts of the story. 

This novella was made into the 1987 film Hellraiser. 

Cycle of the Werewolf (1985) by Stephen King 

Each chapter covers one month of a year in which a werewolf is terrorizing a small town. This was originally planned as a calendar with illustrations by Bernie Wrightson and short vignettes by King, but King decided to expand it into a novella instead. 

The first few chapters set up the story and then as the months pass, we get to know more of the townspeople. The story really gets going in July when we meet young Marty and his uncle. I really liked the interaction between the two. Things get wrapped up rather quickly in the last three chapters, but I enjoyed it. 

Each chapter has three illustrations by Wrightson: a black and white double page spread, a color illustration, and a small b&w spot illustration. The double page spreads that open each chapter are gorgeous. The details are outstanding.

A Night in the Lonesome October (1993) by Roger Zelazny 

Thirty-one chapters of mystery, adventure, horror, and humor, narrated by Snuff the dog. Snuff is the companion to a knife wielding gentleman named Jack. Together they are players in “The Game.” As the story progresses day by day, the reader discovers more players (The Count, the Doctor and his Experiment Man, and the mysterious Larry Talbot being some examples) and more details about “The Game,” leading up to the final confrontation on October 31st. 

This is one of my favorite books. After I discovered it I learned that many people re-read it every October. This was my third read. 

A Night in the Lonesome October

"Reading is the nourishment that lets you do interesting work." - Jennifer Egan

Around the middle of October I learned about a book called A Night in the Lonesome October by Roger Zelazny with illustrations by Gahan Wilson. This is the last book that Mr. Zelazny wrote before he passed away in 1995 at the age of 58. I’ve read some of his short stories and I may have read Damnation Alley when I was in high school but I don’t remember for sure. I bought the first five books of the Chronicles of Amber quite a long time ago but still haven't read them. The bookstore where I bought them, like a lot of bookstores, no longer exists. 

After reading The October Country and The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury (both quite excellent) I was interested in reading something else that fit the season. When I discovered this book I figured that I’d give it a try. I’m very glad that I did. 

The story is narrated by Snuff the dog. Snuff is the companion to a knife wielding gentleman named Jack. Together they are players in "The Game." But they aren’t the only ones. There’s also the witch, the mad monk, the druid, the vicar, a couple of hermetic occultists, the doctor and his experiment man, the Count who sleeps by day, and a mysterious stranger named Larry Talbot. Most of these characters have animal companions as well. There’s also the Great Detective, observing and investigating. 

Roger Zelazny dedicates this book to Mary Shelley, Edgar Allan Poe, Bram Stoker, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, H. P. Lovecraft, Ray Bradbury, Robert Bloch, Albert Payson Terhune (author and dog breeder), and the makers of a lot of old movies. This gives you an idea of what kind of story you’re in for. 

There is one chapter where I thought the description suddenly got a little too wordy. Snuff and Graymalk the cat find themselves on a  journey through a dreamlike world with a majestic city. As I was reading I thought about H. P. Lovecraft and realized what the author was doing. It worked. 

At the start of the book Snuff introduces himself and gives the reader some background information. After that the chapters are titled by date, beginning with October 1st and ending with October 31st. As the story progresses the reader discovers more about "The Game" leading up to the final confrontation on October 31st. 

There's mystery, adventure, horror, and humor. I loved the characters, the storytelling, and the illustrations. One of my favorite books of the year. I learned that it’s become tradition to read this book every October, one chapter a day. I plan on reading it again next year.