OCTOBER 8: "Because you were home."

This movie was so scary I couldn't even watch it on my TV, I had to watch it on my tiny laptop screen and have other windows open on the screen that I could slide over the movie when I couldn't handle it. This is hands down the scariest movie I've ever watched by myself. Oh my god. "Because you were home."  Stop it. AND masks? Get out of here. But come back, so I can watch you again.*

Watch at your own risk, for sure. Even the trailer is scary.

*Maya and I, who both love all things scary (if you haven't noticed), were recently discussing the fact that people who don't like scary things assume that those of us who DO like scary things don't get scared. We do, though! We get so scared! We just like to be scared. How about you?

OCTOBER 8: "Because you were home."

This movie was so scary I couldn't even watch it on my TV, I had to watch it on my tiny laptop screen and have other windows open on the screen that I could slide over the movie when I couldn't handle it. This is hands down the scariest movie I've ever watched by myself. Oh my god. "Because you were home."  Stop it. AND masks? Get out of here. But come back, so I can watch you again.*

Watch at your own risk, for sure. Even the trailer is scary.

*Maya and I, who both love all things scary (if you haven't noticed), were recently discussing the fact that people who don't like scary things assume that those of us who DO like scary things don't get scared. We do, though! We get so scared! We just like to be scared. How about you?

OCTOBER 7: FLOPPY MASK OF FEAR

 

 

Let me tell you about the scariest thing in the world: a mask. A person wearing a mask in a place where people usually don't wear masks? Call 9-11. A man in a business suit and a mask walking down the street? RUN. It has been well documented that of all the masks in the world the scariest one is the floppy sack mask. Gah! Look at it! So horrifying! Do a google image search for floppy sack mask! I didn't even post the worst one!

 

In that spirit (woOoOoOoo--ghosty pun!) here's a great list of 20 of the Scariest Movie Masks. They are not all floppy sack masks, but some of them are almost equally horrifying (check out Alice, Sweet Alice.)

 

The list DOES leave off the scariest mask movie I've ever seen, so your spooky post tomorrow will be devoted to a movie so frightening that it took me several months to even watch the TRAILER all the way through.



OCTOBER 7: FLOPPY MASK OF FEAR

 

 

Let me tell you about the scariest thing in the world: a mask. A person wearing a mask in a place where people usually don't wear masks? Call 9-11. A man in a business suit and a mask walking down the street? RUN. It has been well documented that of all the masks in the world the scariest one is the floppy sack mask. Gah! Look at it! So horrifying! Do a google image search for floppy sack mask! I didn't even post the worst one!

 

In that spirit (woOoOoOoo--ghosty pun!) here's a great list of 20 of the Scariest Movie Masks. They are not all floppy sack masks, but some of them are almost equally horrifying (check out Alice, Sweet Alice.)

 

The list DOES leave off the scariest mask movie I've ever seen, so your spooky post tomorrow will be devoted to a movie so frightening that it took me several months to even watch the TRAILER all the way through.



OCTOBER 6: Ray Bradbury, "The October Game"

Ray Bradbury is one of my very favorite writers, and most certainly one of the thrilliest horror writers in history.  I especially enjoy reading "The October Game"* aloud to someone who has never heard this story before.

A couple's disintegrating marriage is the impetus for this shocking and disturbing tale.  Like the husband narrating the story, the reader must exercise patience while waiting for the October game's denouement.  But when it comes -- holy cats.




Don't turn on the lights.






* Other creepy reads in this collection: "The Veldt"; "Skeleton"; "The Jar"; "The Small Assassin"; and "Fever Dream"

OCTOBER 6: Ray Bradbury, "The October Game"

Ray Bradbury is one of my very favorite writers, and most certainly one of the thrilliest horror writers in history.  I especially enjoy reading "The October Game"* aloud to someone who has never heard this story before.

A couple's disintegrating marriage is the impetus for this shocking and disturbing tale.  Like the husband narrating the story, the reader must exercise patience while waiting for the October game's denouement.  But when it comes -- holy cats.




Don't turn on the lights.






* Other creepy reads in this collection: "The Veldt"; "Skeleton"; "The Jar"; "The Small Assassin"; and "Fever Dream"

OCTOBER 5: 26 Signs Your Place is Haunted

Courtesy of Buzzfeed.

OCTOBER 5: 26 Signs Your Place is Haunted

Courtesy of Buzzfeed.

OCTOBER 4: Childhood fears

If you read Ramona the Brave as a kid, you may remember the part where Ramona freaks herself out by looking at a scary picture of a gorilla in a picture book.  That gorilla scares the shizz out of her, but Ramona looks at it anyway.

I related to this 100%.  My scary thrill?  The picture of Dirty Dan that accompanied the Shel Silverstein poem "The Dirtiest Man in the World."

I had that page memorized so I wouldn't flip to it accidently.


Do you remember what frightened you as a kid?  Does it still creep you out now?  Sometimes what scared us when we were little makes no sense to us when we grow up.  Other times...

















Image: Shel Silverstein, Where the Sidewalk Ends. New York : Harper and Row, [1974]

 

I mean, COME ON.

OCTOBER 4: Childhood fears

If you read Ramona the Brave as a kid, you may remember the part where Ramona freaks herself out by looking at a scary picture of a gorilla in a picture book.  That gorilla scares the shizz out of her, but Ramona looks at it anyway.

I related to this 100%.  My scary thrill?  The picture of Dirty Dan that accompanied the Shel Silverstein poem "The Dirtiest Man in the World."

I had that page memorized so I wouldn't flip to it accidently.


Do you remember what frightened you as a kid?  Does it still creep you out now?  Sometimes what scared us when we were little makes no sense to us when we grow up.  Other times...

















Image: Shel Silverstein, Where the Sidewalk Ends. New York : Harper and Row, [1974]

 

I mean, COME ON.

OCTOBER 2: Bad things happen to nice (and not-so-nice kids)

Even though I love summertime best of all, October is one of my very favorite months.  Chilly enough for a sweater, but still sunny.  Cider donuts and apple picking.  And scary stories.  Lots and lots and LOTS of scary stories.

If you've got any scary book or movie suggestions, come talk to me!

While I was on vacation I finally got to enjoy Joe Hill's latest, NOS4A2.  Not since The Nightmare Before Christmas has there been such a mashup of gingerbready good times and bloody horror.  Since the incessant playing of Christmas carols gives me murderous thoughts anyway, I loved the sinister world of Christmasland, where all the children are happy.  Very, very happy.  Forever.

I also got an advance look at The Troop by Nick Cutter.  Five boy scouts and their scoutmaster are spending the weekend on a lonely island near Nova Scotia.  What should be a routine camping trip turns into a gruesome bid for survival when an very unexpected castaway shows up on the island.

Guys, this book was stomach-churningly gross*, and I mean that in the best possible way.  This one doesn't come out till February, but keep it on your radar.  Horror veterans Stephen King and Scott Smith have both vouched for it.








*Once you've read it, that description's gonna make you laugh.

OCTOBER 2: Bad things happen to nice (and not-so-nice kids)

Even though I love summertime best of all, October is one of my very favorite months.  Chilly enough for a sweater, but still sunny.  Cider donuts and apple picking.  And scary stories.  Lots and lots and LOTS of scary stories.

If you've got any scary book or movie suggestions, come talk to me!

While I was on vacation I finally got to enjoy Joe Hill's latest, NOS4A2.  Not since The Nightmare Before Christmas has there been such a mashup of gingerbready good times and bloody horror.  Since the incessant playing of Christmas carols gives me murderous thoughts anyway, I loved the sinister world of Christmasland, where all the children are happy.  Very, very happy.  Forever.

I also got an advance look at The Troop by Nick Cutter.  Five boy scouts and their scoutmaster are spending the weekend on a lonely island near Nova Scotia.  What should be a routine camping trip turns into a gruesome bid for survival when an very unexpected castaway shows up on the island.

Guys, this book was stomach-churningly gross*, and I mean that in the best possible way.  This one doesn't come out till February, but keep it on your radar.  Horror veterans Stephen King and Scott Smith have both vouched for it.








*Once you've read it, that description's gonna make you laugh.

Small Screen, Too

As you may know (from reading this blog, or living in the world) there are a TON of teen books being made into movies this year. Holy smokes.

I was just checking out the new fall TV lineup, though, and there was a surprising number of book adaptations there as well. Maybe not all YA books, but I think a lot of them might be OF INTEREST, if you know what I'm saying.

Let's take a look!

The 100 by Kass Morgan
CW Fall 2013
This book is being released at the same time (or around the time) that the show starts, and we have ARCs of it, so hurry and read it before the series begins! I think both the book and show look pretty good, although I'll admit I laughed out loud that the rallying cry for this new society is "WHATEVER THE HELL WE WANT! WHATEVER THE HELL WE WANT!" Hahaha.Take a look!

 

About a Boy by Nick Hornby

NBC Fall 2013

Have you read this book? Or seen the movie with Hugh Grant? They are both smart and funny and emotional and they both made me cry. The book also has the most accurate description of how and why people who talk to themselves talk to themselves. (I talk to myself so this is of special interest to me). Adult man-children are always frustrating to watch or read about, especially when they get huge pats on the back for acting like adults, which they should have been doing all along. BUT Nick Hornby is great, and he makes it go down easy. The show might be intersting?

 

Dracula by Bram Stoker

NBC Fall 2013

Who are we kidding, I'm totally watching this.

 

 

Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

You already know about this. Moving on.

 

 

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving

Fox 2013

I REALLY love this story, and I love the Tim Burton movie based on it, but man, I don't know about this.

 

 

And that's not even all! There is a new Vampire Diaries spinoff called Originals, a Once Upon a Time spinoff called Once Upon a Time in Wonderland, and a SUPER SCARY looking AMC show based on this SUPER SCARY looking adult book that I haven't read, but now I want to!

 



 



That's a lot of TV. Phew.

 

p.s. Happy first day of school!



Small Screen, Too

As you may know (from reading this blog, or living in the world) there are a TON of teen books being made into movies this year. Holy smokes.

I was just checking out the new fall TV lineup, though, and there was a surprising number of book adaptations there as well. Maybe not all YA books, but I think a lot of them might be OF INTEREST, if you know what I'm saying.

Let's take a look!

The 100 by Kass Morgan
CW Fall 2013
This book is being released at the same time (or around the time) that the show starts, and we have ARCs of it, so hurry and read it before the series begins! I think both the book and show look pretty good, although I'll admit I laughed out loud that the rallying cry for this new society is "WHATEVER THE HELL WE WANT! WHATEVER THE HELL WE WANT!" Hahaha.Take a look!

 

About a Boy by Nick Hornby

NBC Fall 2013

Have you read this book? Or seen the movie with Hugh Grant? They are both smart and funny and emotional and they both made me cry. The book also has the most accurate description of how and why people who talk to themselves talk to themselves. (I talk to myself so this is of special interest to me). Adult man-children are always frustrating to watch or read about, especially when they get huge pats on the back for acting like adults, which they should have been doing all along. BUT Nick Hornby is great, and he makes it go down easy. The show might be intersting?

 

Dracula by Bram Stoker

NBC Fall 2013

Who are we kidding, I'm totally watching this.

 

 

Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

You already know about this. Moving on.

 

 

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving

Fox 2013

I REALLY love this story, and I love the Tim Burton movie based on it, but man, I don't know about this.

 

 

And that's not even all! There is a new Vampire Diaries spinoff called Originals, a Once Upon a Time spinoff called Once Upon a Time in Wonderland, and a SUPER SCARY looking AMC show based on this SUPER SCARY looking adult book that I haven't read, but now I want to!

 



 



That's a lot of TV. Phew.

 

p.s. Happy first day of school!



August Readalikes: Z is for Zombie

The fourth book in Jonathan Maberry's Benny Imura series is coming out this month! In tribute, here are some dang fine zombie offerings from the Teen Room.*

 

 



*And this is just the tip of the undead iceberg. Read all these already? Come talk to me, I'll set you up with more.  P.S. I wanted to include this gem in the post itself, but with copyright protection, you are just going to have to click over to admire it.

August Readalikes: Z is for Zombie

The fourth book in Jonathan Maberry's Benny Imura series is coming out this month! In tribute, here are some dang fine zombie offerings from the Teen Room.*

 

 



*And this is just the tip of the undead iceberg. Read all these already? Come talk to me, I'll set you up with more.  P.S. I wanted to include this gem in the post itself, but with copyright protection, you are just going to have to click over to admire it.

Quick thrills

After October, summertime is my favorite time for spooky stories.  Maybe I'm getting ready for October, who knows?


Enjoy a fast scare with these 2-sentence horror stories.


Or these short films inspired by the time 3:07 in the a.m.

Quick thrills

After October, summertime is my favorite time for spooky stories.  Maybe I'm getting ready for October, who knows?


Enjoy a fast scare with these 2-sentence horror stories.


Or these short films inspired by the time 3:07 in the a.m.

Book & Movie Trailer Roundup!

It's getting so you can't tell 'em apart.  Please note how this one uses the omninous foghorn that started with Inception.  Catch up to the rest of us, book marketers! it's BEEN DONE [smacks upside head].

Still, I'm intrigued.  What's with that bracelet?  Will it track her, or explode off her hand if she tries to leave?

The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau




The City of Bones trailer is here in its extended glory!


Wow, now I don't have to watch the movie.  Although, is that Magnus Bane we're seeing there?  Holy hotness, Batman.  Plus the kid from The Misfits -- that is the most exciting casting ever.


Big big news for my fellow horror fans and anyone who finds Christmas kinda unsettling: Joe Hill's NOS4A2 will be on shelves at the end of the month.



While Mr. Hill is indeed too-cool-for-school kids, please please please wear a full face helmet while riding your motorcycle.

The Percy Jackson franchise is still...going strong?


OMG, you guys, they totally did the foghorn thing.  Logan Lerman, take the money and run!  Run your adorbs face into another indie picture!

Also, you guys are only worried about Kronos?  Because last time I checked, the entire Greek pantheon was made up of jerks and sociopaths.


And it wouldn't be a trailer roundup without the latest teaser of Catching Fire.

Get More: 2013 MTV Movie Awards, Latest Movie News, Jennifer Lawrence, Elizabeth Banks

Anything else out there that we should get excited about?

Weird and Worrisome Wikipedia

There's a huge display of terrifying books in the Teen Room right now. Do monsters scare you? We've got monsters. Do aliens scare you? We've got aliens. Do ghosts scare you? We've got ghosts. Do demons scare you? We've got demons. Do your fellow humans scare you? We've got plenty of humans who are up to no good.

If you want to read about real life scary things (or at least things that scare people in real life), just click on over to The Hairpin! They've made an amazing list of Wikipedia Entries to Read in the Dark. Dang. And here you thought Wikipedia was just for finding out where Channing Tatum grew up, or cramming as much knowledge about Alexander the Great into your head as you can before the big test. Oh, no, no, guys. It's also for being scared out of your pants.

The ones about haunted pets shook me up the most (especially the one about the haunted bridge where dogs commit suicide! Ahhhh!). But read through and decide for yourself. You think it's going to be like homework, then you're not going to be able to sleep....