October 2026 - How Many?

Slow month for me (Just 14 books...), thanks to getting some of my comic collection ready to sell, and a murderous flareup or my disc-related nerve pain. The two combined to make me struggle to comprehend what I was reading at times. But I did manage to squeeze in some good Halloween reads.

The Land and Its People (9) David Sedaris' newest had me crying with laughter on quite a few occasions.

Magic & Mystery: Battle of the Round House (5) Novella by Tananarive Due, which really didn't do much for me.

Rom: The Original Marvel Years Omnibus, Vol. 3 (8)

Doctor Strange, Vol. 4: Mr. Misery (7)

Sickles, Studs & Stolen Cars: The Many Faces of Barry Darsow (9) Autobiography of famous WWE wrestler Barry Darsow, better known as The Repo Man & Smash of Demolition. A fun read. Darsow seems like a really good guy. 

What Moves the Dead (9) The first book of T. Kingfisher's SWORN SOLDIER trilogy gave a new spin to Poe's HOUSE OF USHER story. I really enjoyed this Gothic slow-burn.

Conan the Barbarian: The Original Marvel Years Omnibus, Vol. 10 (7)

The Visitors (9) Nathaniel Benchley's darkly-humorous haunted house story really scratched my Halloween itch for a good ghost story.

Archie 1000 Page Comics Delight (8)

Don’t Go There: A Tour of the World’s Most Sinister Spots (8)

Vampirella Archives, Volume Five (7)

Unannounced Book (4)

Vampirella Archives, Volume Six (7)

This Wretched Valley (9) Jenny Kiefer's liminal Horror story about a group of climbers and students trapped in a malevolent forest. I'm not usually a fan of stories like this, but Kiefer is one hell of a writer, and kept me hooked. Really looking forward to more from her.

Finished 8 in October, and for the most part they were all pretty good reads.

1.  Coffin Moon by Keith Rosson was a noirish vampire revenge tale set in the post Vietnam 70s.  This the third thing I’ve read by Rosson, and I’ve enjoyed them all.  5 / 5

2.  Ancient Tracks by Josh Reynolds was a collection of folk horror stories set in different English locales.  The stories take place in post WW I Britain and follow a young woman who is determined to complete her twin brother’s (who died in the war) book on English folklore and legends.  I enjoyed this collection, though in the second half the stories did start to suffer from some repetitious story set ups.  3.7 / 5

3.  Widows Point: The Complete Haunting by Richard & WH Chizmar was an expansion of their earlier novella Widows Point.  This one was really creepy at times, both the original novella and the newly expanded story.  Certainly my favorite among Chizmar’s novel length works.  5 / 5

4.  Gibbet Hill by Bram Stoker was a recently rediscovered story by the author of Dracula.  A man comes across three strange children in the English countryside.  This one had an interesting beginning, but I thought the ending was lacking.  2 / 5

5.  OctoberTown by Mia Dalia was a love letter to all things horror, Halloween, and Stephen King.  It’s also about grief and how we process loss, and how the real monsters in life maybe the people we live right next door to.  This is the third thing I’ve read by Dalia, and I’ve liked them all, but OctoberTown is by far my favorite.  5 / 5

6.  All Hallows’ Eve was a collection of Halloween themed stories edited by Ellen Datlow.  Overall this was a pretty good anthology.  Favorite stories were by Clay McLeod Chapman, Siobhan Carroll, and Theresa DeLucci.  There were also good stories by Michael Marshal Smith, Stephen Graham Jones, Alma Katsu, Garth Nix, and Richard Kadrey.  3.6 / 5

7.  Coming of Age by Douglas Clegg was a collection of three novellas, Purity, The Words, and The Attraction.  I liked all three, but my favorite was Purity, a psychological story of a misanthropic young man who tries to manipulate the lives of those around him, leading to horrific results.  Second favorite was The Words, in which a lonely young man befriends an eccentric outsider, whose outlandish tales just maybe true. The Attraction was a fun creature feature romp about a bunch of road tripping college kids who come across a strange roadside attraction.  I haven’t read anything by Clegg in awhile, so it was good to revisit his work.  4 / 5

8.  Joey Leonard’s Last Horror Movie Marathon by Kevin Lucia another of his Clifton Heights stories. After the closing of his beloved video store, the store manager discovers a mysterious cassette tape in his bin of low budget horror movies.  Needless to say he watches the tape and chaos ensues.  This one was a blast.  Had a definite cosmic horror / Lovecraftian feel to it.  5 / 5

B

Wait a minute. @dannyboy121070 and @brlesh ... isn't there a rule about not exceeding the number of books that the topic starter finished??? No? Well, there should be!!! 🤣 🤣 🤣 

Looks like I've got some more good recommendations for my TBR. Thanks!

Posted by: @rmquist

↑

Wait a minute. @dannyboy121070 and @brlesh ... isn't there a rule about not exceeding the number of books that the topic starter finished??? No? Well, there should be!!! 🤣 🤣 🤣 

Looks like I've got some more good recommendations for my TBR. Thanks!

HA!!

I think dannyboy blew that rule out of the water a couple of months back when he finished 50 some books in a month!

B

Posted by: @brlesh

↑

Posted by: @rmquist

↑

Wait a minute. @dannyboy121070 and @brlesh ... isn't there a rule about not exceeding the number of books that the topic starter finished??? No? Well, there should be!!! 🤣 🤣 🤣 

Looks like I've got some more good recommendations for my TBR. Thanks!

HA!!

I think dannyboy blew that rule out of the water a couple of months back when he finished 50 some books in a month!

B

 

🤣 🤣 🤣🤣 🤣 🤣