Top 5 Horror Books

With October coming to a close it’s time to look at my top 5 horror books.

  1. IT by Stephen King

This was number 1 on my list because it is one of my favourite Stephen King novels. It is a good horror book with the iconic Pennywise.

  1. The Woman in Black by Susan Hill

The story drags the reader in, and it’s written brilliantly.

  1. Dracula by Bram Stoker

A good horror classic. The character of Dracula is superb, and the epistolary nature of the book gives the different points of views of all the characters.

  1. The Fifth Child by Doris Lessing

Brilliant and unnerving. Very different from the others on this list. Starts off with the ‘perfect’ family when there is an arrival of a new child.

  1. Carmilla by Sheridan La Fanu

It is a novella with a female vampire. Quite eerie but very good.

‘Why She Wrote’ by Lauren Burke and Hannah K Chapman

Why She Wrote is a graphic history of the lives behind some of the greatest works of literature. It is just over two hundred pages long but it is not long enough. The book is split into six chapters with three female writers per chapter. Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Bronte each have their own chapters. This is refreshing as they are usually grouped together despite being individual women with their own novels which are brilliant in their own right. Why She Wrote covers well-known writers such as Jane Austen and Beatrix Potter but also covers writers that may not be more well-known such as Edith Maudie Eaton, Alice Dunbar Nelson, and Frances E.W. Harper.

The illustrations by Kaley Bales are brilliant. Each writer has their own unique characteristics. It is easy to see who is who as some writers turn up in different chapters. A good example is Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Bronte. As they show up in each other’s chapters it is easy to see who each of them is without having to look back at the previous chapters.

It is very enjoyable to read and a good way to get the reader to research more about all the amazing women in the book. It is very informative and nicely presented.

‘Persuasion’ by Jane Austen

‘Persuasion’ is one of Austen’s later novels and follows the story of 27-year-old Anne Elliot. Anne was engaged when she was younger but was forced to break it off. Years later she runs into Captain Frederick Wentworth, the man she was previously engaged to who is now quite rich and single.

It is a tale of lost love, knowing your own mind and second chances. Like much of her other works Austen can create a story and despite it being written 200 years ago you have such relatable and humorous characters that would fit nicely into a 21st-century setting.

‘Persuasion’ is not as well known as ‘Pride and Prejudice’ and ‘Sense and Sensibility’ but it has a charm that allows it to hold its own among other works of literature. Anne is not as outspoken as Elizabeth Bennet but she has an inner strength that can make her shine all on her own.

‘The Shopgirl’s Forbidden Love’ by Jenni Fletcher

I have been given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

‘The Shopgirl’s Forbidden Love’ is the fourth and final book of the Belles of Bath book series. The previous books in the series are ‘An Unconventional Countess’, ‘Unexpectedly Wed to the Officer’ and ‘The Duke’s Runaway Bride’. I enjoyed reading the other books and I have really liked how far Nancy MacQueen has come from being a background character to the heroine of her own story.

We see Nancy shine as her own person throughout the previous books albeit having a minor role but in this one, she takes center stage. Nancy works in a biscuit shop in Bath and it is great to see a strong businesswoman who does not need a man especially as it is set in the 1800s. Nancy realises that she is in love with a neighbouring shopkeeper called Jem only to find that he is engaged to another woman.

The book has relatable characters and they all have their own charms. Nancy’s drive and ambition to give herself a better life than what is dealt her really puts her ahead of many heroines of the genre. Her strong will and outspoken nature can get her into hot water but she is always able to get herself out of trouble again.

Just like the previous books, this is enjoyable to read. Five stars.

The Crowns of Croswald by D.E. Night

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

‘The Crowns of Croswald’ is a brilliant book. The world-building is fantastic and really makes the reader picture the different places. The main character Ivy Lovely is a funny and relatable character.

The story follows Ivy who works as a scaldrony maid in a castle looking after the dragons that heat/cook the food enjoyed by the rich family living in the castle. Ivy has a few mishaps and ends up being fired. She finds herself being accepted into the Halls of Ivy school for people who can use magic.

Ivy finds that things are not always as they appear when simple classes turn into dangerous and mysterious incidents. Ivy needs to find the scrivener Derwin Edgar Night and unlock the mysteries surrounding him.

‘The Crowns of Croswald’ has a collection of funny and interesting characters and is a great book that keeps you turning the pages.

So This Is Love By Elizabeth Lim

‘So This Is Love’ is one of the twisted Disney book series. Each book takes an aspect from the Disney film, changes it slightly and shows what can happen to the characters when these changes happen.

In this novel, it is looking at Cinderella and what would happen if she didn’t have her trusty mice to help her get out of her locked room and try on the glass slipper to have the happily ever after ending. As there are no mice to help her Cinderella ends up locked in the room and when being sold, she manages to run away and finds work at the palace.

At the palace she has to avoid being found by her stepmother, stop a murderous plot and to avoid being seen by the prince.

Elizabeth Lim shows the inner workings of Cinderella’s character and to show her inner strength to take what life has given her and make the proverbial lemonade.

In recent years Cinderella has been thought of as a weak character as she is saved by her mice and then the prince. The Cinderella of Lim’s story could not be further from that idea. We see what Cinderella would do had she not been saved and had run on her own two feet (minus the glass slippers).

It’s a great story that was very difficult to put down and with relatable and funny characters. It is a treat for lovers of fairy tales.

Dr Stone Volumes 1,2,3 and 4 by Riichiro Inagaki

When stone birds fall from the sky no one knows what will happen next. Soon the whole human race is covered in stone with seemingly no way of getting free. 3700 years later a high school student called Taiju has managed to break free from his stone prison. While looking at his surroundings he finds his science loving friend Senku has managed to break free a few months prior. The world they once knew has drastically changed with animals and nature taking over the planet. Senku and Taiju must try to free everyone and with the use of science to rebuild the human race.

Dr Stone is a manga series of which so far there are twenty one volumes. It shows an interesting perspective on what would happen if humans just stopped. Senku uses a lot of science in each volume to produce things that they would need in order for them to keep going. They make things such as explosives, electricity and antibiotics. With each volume we meet new characters who have their own ideas on how the new society should be run.

Dr Stone is very enjoyable as it has a nice blend of excitement, mystery, danger and humour. Being a manga series it allows more development of characters and has a unique way of telling the storyline with the use of speech and thought bubbles as well as the visuality of the facial expressions of the characters.

My Fake Rake by Eva Leigh

‘My Fake Rake’ is a humorous book with a strong female lead who prioritises knowledge over getting married.

As the book is set in the early 1800’s most eligible young ladies would be searching for a man to marry however Lady Grace Wyatt is more at home at the public library than in the ballroom.

I enjoyed the reversal of roles from the play ‘Pygmalion’ by George Bernard Shaw. In ‘Pygmalion’ professor Henry Higgins takes the common flower girl Eliza and turns her into a perfect lady of society. In ‘My Fake Rake’ Lady Grace Wyatt turns the bookish and socially shy Sebastian Holloway into a dashing and charismatic rake. The reversal of roles gives power to the female character in a world where she would have little if any.

This book has interesting characters and I am looking forward to learning more about them in the rest of the series.

A Match for the Rebellious Earl by Lara Temple

This is a great book with lovable and relatable characters. Kit Carrington, having spent years running away from his imposing family is forced to return when he becomes Lord Westford and head of the household.

Now forcing to have tea and parties with all the eligible ladies of society Kit encounters the intelligent and managing Genevieve Maitland.

‘A Match for the Rebellious Earl’ is filled with humour and a very enjoyable book to read.