Top Ten Tuesday - Halloween Freebie

Ahhh, the glorious Halloween post!

I'm linking up with The Broke and the Bookish for my favorite meme in the blogging world, past, present, and I'm sure future! 

I like the dark Classics for Halloween better than the slash em ups of today.
I like a little more mystery in my mysteries rather than blood and gore or 85 different ways to torture/kill your victim that seems rampant in some of today's offerings.
How is that even fun?
You won't catch me at a Saw movie.
But give me Sleepy Hollow every year!

I have been a lover of all things vampires and witches since I was a little girl, so my selections today show that trend isn't going away anytime soon.

Without further adieu, I give you my Halloween favorite reads:

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

"As a historian, I have learned that, in fact, not everyone who reaches back into history can survive it.  And it is not only reaching back that endangers us; sometimes history itself reaches inexorably forward for us with its shadowy claw." (ix)

I read The Historian with Nat over at Coffee and a Book Chick.  It was my first readalong in the blogging world and a chunkster at that!  I couldn't get enough.  I'm linking my review above.

The House of Seven Gables by Nathaniel Hawthorne

"With what fairer and nobler emblem could any man desire to shadow forth his character?  Ah! but in some low and obscure nook, - some narrow closet on the ground-floor, shut, locked and belted, and the key flung away, - or beneath the marble pavement, in a stagnant water - puddle, with the richest pattern of mosaic-work above, - may lie a corpse, half decayed, and still decaying, and diffusing its death-scent all through the palace!  The inhabitant will not be conscious of it, for it has long been his daily breath!"

Give me classic American literature all day everyday and I may never show my face again.  A cold day, a blanket and my big fluffy socks, and a spooky old house...LOVE, LOVE, LOVE.
I'm linking my review of this one above as well.

Dracula My Love by Syrie James

"Some relationships, no matter how real and vital, are too extreme, too dangerous, too exhausting to survive." (457)

Dracula. My first foray into the horror genre and one I still can't get enough of.  I'll read just about anything that touches on the classic story...from different perspectives, with history, furthering the reach of the story, etc.  I'm not a fan of romance as its own genre usually, but I did like this one...it's much more than a romance.
My review is linked above.

Lady of Ashes by Christine Trent

"Because I could not stop for Death,

He kindly stopped for me.

The Carriage held but just ourselves

And Immortality.

-Emily Dickinson (1830-1886), American poet" (305)

I completely forgot about Violet Morgan, undertaker, until I was perusing my archives for today's post.  This is the first installment in this series and at the time of my review, there were no others.  Since my initial read, there have been at least 4 more published! Can't wait, can't wait!

My review is linked above.

Murder as a Fine Art by David Morrell

"Beyond Coldbath Fields Prison, the smoke from London's half-million chimneys mingled with the yellow fog spreading from the Thames, obscuring the city.  Ash drifted down.  But even without the concealing presence of the fog, the artist of death would not have attracted suspicion" (161).


Heads up, children! This is the way a murder mystery should be done!
Old London, fog, a murderer who actually hides, stealth, secrecy, Victorian society, clouded minds...yassssssss...AND, 2 more novels have been published since my review of this one! 
Whoop Whoop!
I'm filling up my Amazon cart with selections from my own list this week.
I'm linking my review above.

The Uninvited Guests by Sadie Jones

"Charlotte's expression, adoring - either those she gazed upon or herself - altered of a sudden to something like horror.  She could not disguise it.  Her fingers, which has been resting lightly on the doorknob, a crystal one, gripped it whitely, and she fixed her eyes on the gentleman traveller.

"You," she said.

"Yes." Their visitor's tone was easy, but his catlike stillness was menacing." (111)

The Uninvited Guests is another understated mystery...that will send chills up your spine when you start putting all the pieces together.  

My review is linked above.

We Have Always Lived in a Castle by Shirley Jackson

Oh Shirley Jackson, y'all.  If you haven't test these waters, go on and test them.
My review is linked above.


Dracula by Bram Stoker

I actually own this beautiful Annotated Hardback edition of Dracula...sure do.
A classic.
Read it.

Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay

"While the coffee brewed, I checked for the newspaper, more out of hope than expectation.  It was rare for the paper to arrive before six-thirty, and on Sundays it often came after eight.  It was another clear example of the disintegration of society that had so worried Harry.  Really, now: If you can't get me my newspaper on time, how can you expect me to refrain from killing people?"

(170).

Dexter is the only "serial killer" I give exception to...he's just a nice, likeable guy...and the only people he kills are people who deserve it.  If that's not a likeable serial killer, then I don't know who is. ;)
I did watch this entire series on tv but only read this first book.  Now that some time has gone by since the television series ended, it might be time to read through the rest of the series of books.
My review is linked above.


The Witching Hour by Anne Rice

Another chunkster...that I adored.  With Ann Rice, I tend to enjoy the first novel or two in her sets of series and then wander off.  That would definitely be the case here.  By Taltos in this series, I was done and truly disliked that particular "ghost" story.
But give me witches, like vampires, any day...I'll read about em.


Now I shall spend the rest of my day reading everyone else's list!!