Pick-a-Shelf discussion

"Gothic literature is typically grouped with Romanticism and is recognized as a subset of it. The Gothic genre, which began with Horace Walpole's The Castle of Otranto, typically includes elements of the supernatural, fantasy, and mystery, but is not merely a sensational genre, as many believe. Gothic fiction places the reader in interesting situations and settings…such as subterraneous chambers and ancient castles. The reader becomes a character within these texts. Gothic pieces tend to use many psychological elements that force readers into examining themselves and their societies. The true source of the Gothic’s horror is its reflexive nature; the Gothic genre is frightening because its reflective narratives force readers to become one with the plot, characters, and narratives, which, in turn, leads to reader to measure him or herself against both the normal and abnormal. The Gothic is about examination, which is its most terrifying aspect. ~ Jesander

What did you read this month?
Did you tend to find it a bit ridiculous? Or did you finding rather frightening? Did you find it reflective & force you to examine yourself & those around you?



In addition, don't forget to post:
*link to the book you've read
*a star rating -see below for template you can copy & paste ;)
*shelf nomination (see Shelf Lists for what has been and cannot be nominated)
*link to any PAS challenge/s you've fit this book into

Remember:
#Your nominated Shelf must have at least 1,000 books to qualify
#Entries for your nominated shelf will be calculated as follows;
+1 - posting the book you've read for this Monthly Shelf & star rating
+1 - word review (at least 3 sentences of your thoughts/feelings on the book)
+1 - link to another PAS challenge* where you've included this book

Star template:
★
★½
★★
★★½
★★★
★★★½
★★★★
★★★★½
★★★★★

I've read The Colour Out of Space by H.P. Lovecraft, which has been shelved as "gothic" by 2 people. I have actually shelved it as weird fiction, which I think explains more accurately what this book is all about. Or maybe horror. But gothic...? Not really, I'd say.

I had read most of Lovecraft's stories as a teen but I decided to revisit them, or at least some of them, namely the most famous ones. My feelings are mixed, but I'm enjoying most of them, and this one definitely falls in the category "great stories". I gave it 4 stars. It's really horror-filled, the atmosphere is stifling, I couldn't put the book down. My boyfriend was trying to talk to me towards the end of the book and I think I might have replied a bit harshly, lol! I would definitely recommend this book to all those who like horror and want to know its forefathers.

My shelf nomination is 20th-century.

I read Marina by Carlos Ruiz Zafón ★★★

I loved Zafon's The Cemetary of Forgotten Books series but I must say I wasn't that captivated at all by this book or the other YA of his I've read, The Prince of Mist.

Marina is told from the point of view of a 15 year old boy, Oscar Drai. A rather unassuming boy who stumbled after one strange circumstance after another. So the book was filled with other stories that he heard over a few months. On the one hand, it's an adventure of a growing boy. On the other, they were just the strangest stories one ever heard. When the secret was revealed, I couldn't help but rolled my eyes... I just wasn't impressed with these creatures (view spoiler)[who are sort of robotic Frankenstein... (hide spoiler)] And the ending (not unexpected) so very unsatisfactory.

I've used this for MM19 & PnM (Own TBR)

Nominating coming-of-age

I read The Bell in the Fog & Other Stories by Gertrude Atherton ★★★

Some of these stories were really good, namely "The Dead and the Countess", "The Greatest Good of the Greatest Number", and my favorite, "Death and the Woman". That is to say that I especially liked the stories that dealt with death, although not necessarily in a supernatural way (the only supernatural story among the ones I've mentioned is the first one). On the other hand, the majority of these stories was weak at best. Some of them had some interesting points, for instance "The Tragedy of a Snob", which is the story of a young man whose only dream is to be part of the high New York society. But I can't say that I was really fond of most of them. I especially didn't like "The Bell in the Fog", which introduces us to a pedophile in disguise - a platonic one, to be sure, he would never touch a child, but still quite clearly a pedophile. I can't stomach such stories, however platonic.

My shelf nomination is once again 20th-century.

I read Anna Dressed in Bloodby Kendare Blake
I had this on my shelf for quite some time. I was told it was like supernatural which I love that show. Cassio-Cas is a ghost hunter that goes around killing ghosts and demons. His father did the same thing until he was killed. Cas feels the need to avenge his father's death if he ever encounters the ghost. When he goes after Anna, Cas thinks it will be like any other vanish. He didn't plan on having feelings for her or helping her. He also enlists the help of some new friends. I will be reading the sequel soon.

4 stars

nominated shelf -ghosts

used for Pick N Mix-Genre Shelf

I read Named of the Dragon by Susanna Kearsley [13-sep-19] ★★★


I like Susanna Kearsley's books, but this one disappointed me. While I enjoyed it, not everything made sense and the plot had elements that were far-fetched. This took away from the enjoyment, hence the 3 stars.

Used for stage 3
Moving mountains

Nominated shelf: kick-ass-heroine

I read White is for Witching ★★★½

I found it very creepy. It took elements of the traditional Gothic story and put them into a contemporary setting. Some of the writing seemed a bit experimental, where at times the author used a word to connect two different streams of thought (I don't think that I've expressed that very well) and there was a lot of switching between POV's and first and third person narratives. I must admit that it is the first book I have ever read where one of the narrators is a racist house!

I used this for Pick'n'mix - protagonists

I nominate witches because I like to like my nominations to the books read.

I've read Don't Look Now and Other Stories [15-sep-19] ★★★


This is a collecction of short stories. I like the writing of this author. She is good at making a story feel atmospheric and sometimes creepy. The first story, Don't look now, is my favorite.

Used for stage 3
Moving mountains

Nominated shelf: witches

note: I forgot to add that I also used Named of the Dragon for Moving mountains

I read The Small Hand by Susan Hill ★★

Nice & short... though I didn't particularly enjoy it. I just found it a bit too stereotypical in its trope (abandoned house, again?!) and therefore, rather predictable ending. *sighs*

Used for PnM (Stage 3)

Nominating ghost-stories

I read The Taxidermist's Daughter. It was a bit grisly for my taste, but then I suspect almost anything on this shelf would be. And the author, Kate Mosse, is a terrific writer. I found I was able to get caught up in the characters and the plot and, above all, the haunting descriptions of the locale, and sort of skim over the parts that would make me not be able to see the movie if one is ever made from this. I give it 3.5 stars.

I'll use it for Pick 'n Mix, publication.

I nominate Refugees

I read The Turn of the Screw for this month. unfortunately it just didn't work for me - it was short (thankfully) at only 121pgs, but i just didn't feel like there was any character development or plot - maybe these classics just aren't for me. 2 stars

i used it for Pick'n'Mix - Own TBR

Nomination Shelf: 19th Century

I read (or rather, listened to) the Audible original The Darkwater Bride by Marty Ross.



Late Victorian London. When the most respectable of Scottish businessmen is pulled, dead, from the Thames, his daughter is drawn into an investigation which reveals a whole world of secrets and corruption and leads all the way to the tragic truth behind the ghostly legend of The Darkwater Bride.

An epic drama combining the genres of the Victorian mystery thriller with the equally classic Victorian mode of the ghostly tale.

Crap writing (especially dialogue) and crap characters to be honest. This lacks the subtlety needed to make it a successful gothic read.

★★

I nominate alternate history

Read The Complete Poetry by Edgar Allan Poe - can't say I particularly enjoy it nor hate it... I just don't understand it. I don't think I'm made for poetry lol

★★

Used this for PnM (publication)

nominating 19-th century

I've read: Cruel Beauty [21-sep-19] ★★


This book was very strange. I don't think I understood everything and am not sure what to think of it. It was confusing and weird.

Used this for:
- Bookopoly
- Pick-a-shelf stage 12

Nominating: witches

I've read No Name by Wilkie Collins ★★★★½ (shelved as "gothic" by 18 people).

Having now read 5 books by Wilkie Collins, I can safely say I really like this author. This is my favorite among the ones I've read. I couldn't put it down, I had to know what would happen to Magdalen next. It is a sensationalist novel in the true sense of the word. I couldn't help but feel for Magdalen, whom I didn't see as a bad person at all - she had her motives, with which one may or may not agree, but she's an inherently good character in my opinion. And I don't think the author wanted to portray her as evil or perverted at all. A very good and readable novel.

My nomination: 19th century

I read I Am Not a Serial Killer by Dan Wells ★★★★ (also useful for my Seriously Serial '19 challenge).

John Wayne Cleaver is 15 years old and obsessed with serial killers and corpses. Since little, he's helped in the family business, a mortuary ran by two twin sisters- his mother and aunt-, being especially happy when he's allowed to help during the embalming process. He's lonely and convinced he's a psychopath, so he's set himself many rules to curb his obsessive behaviour and avoid the danger of enacting his thoughts. The strategy seems to work, until someone in his small town is gruesomely killed and he can't help being drawn to the matter...

I found the book very entertaining and, though it can be read as a stand-alone, I'll definitely pick the next one in the series. It vaguely reminded me of the Dexter series but with supernatural touches, a story that's less complex and a main character that, unlike Dexter, still hasn't got his priorities in order. Here and there we get small glimpses of sociopathic behaviour that, curiously, end being more disturbing than the few gory descriptions the author places here and there to shock the reader.

Rating: 4 stars

Shelf nomination: Mystery

Marina (Sonnenbarke) wrote: "I've read No Name by Wilkie Collins ★★★★½ (shelved as "gothic" by 18 people).

Having now read 5 books by Wilkie Collins, I can safely say I really like this author. This..."

I liked this one as well. I have liked two of his and discarded one that I just did NOT like. Overall, though, I like his writing.

Karin, I'm curious - which was the one you didn't like?

I've had Basil in my tbr shelf for some years but everyone keeps recommending The Woman in White and the Moonstone :)

Elvenn wrote: "I've had Basil in my tbr shelf for some years but everyone keeps recommending The Woman in White and the Moonstone :)"

I haven't read Basil, but I can tell you that The Moonstone is my second favorite. On the other hand I was a bit disappointed by The Woman in White, but that's only because everyone seems to rave about it so my expectations were very high. To me it's a good book, but nothing more than that.

For this month's shelf I also read two short stories:

Pickman's Model ★★★★ An enjoyable short story by Lovecraft where a man describes the strange circumstances in which he last saw a friend famous for his grotesque paintings. Perhaps the introduction could have been shorter for more effect. There's a part about the older parts of the city and its tunnels that I found fascinating.

The Mark of the Beast by Rudyard Kipling ★★★★ I think I had read this one before. It's a classic and a moral story about the importance of respecting the beliefs of different cultures, no matter how atavistic we may find them.

Am I allowed to nominate with short stories...? In case I am ~~> Shelf nomination: Supernatural

I've also read The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Other Stories (1886) ★★★★

I found it very interesting, though I would have wished not to have had the story spoiled by all the abridged editions I had to read for school when little! I especially enjoyed how we learn about what happens in an indirect fashion, by witnesses and letters. Perhaps I would have liked it even more if I had gone into the story without knowing the plot. The mystery would have been quite surprising! In the time of its publication many found it disturbing. My edition had very few notes, some more useful than others.

The volume had other stories about whose quality I was skeptical (many times I've read a good central well-known story to discover it followed by uninteresting obscure short stories by the same author). But this wasn't the case. So, the stories included:

The Suicide Club (1878): I was surprised by this narrative of three stories in one, written as if part of New Arabian Nights. They have some characters in common: Prince Florizel of Bohemia, his confidant and Master of the Horse, Colonel Geraldine and the President of the Suicide Club. But each of the three episodes starts with a different character as protagonist. The stories are quite modern in how they've been written- in parts they reminded me of Sherlock Holmes'- but the age ends showing in the actions of the characters. The gaps in the narrative are a bit frustrating but really help to keep our attention focused on what's happening.

Thrawn Janet (1881): I liked this one a great deal: A story set in superstitious times, in the Scottish countryside. But I would have liked it even more if it hadn't been written in Lowland Scots!

The Body Snatcher (1884): The usual story about physicians and body snatchers but interesting nonetheless.

Markheim (1884): A story that tries to answer what it takes for a man in open descent to sin to repent or condemn himself more after his last coup.

Rating: 4 stars

Shelf nomination: Translated

I read Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. It had been on my TBR for quite a while, but I never seemed to get around to it.

It is the story of a young man who thought his grandfather's tales of his youth were made-up stories. A search for the meaning of his grandfather's dying words teaches him not only who he is but who his grandfather was. Loved the mix of fantasy and reality in this story.

Rating: 4*.

Nomination: I second the Supernatural nomination above.

I also read The Distant Hours by Kate Morton ★★★★

In this book, an editor starts delving into her mother's past after hearing her cry when reading a letter lost for 50 years. As her mother avoids the subject, she travels to Milderhurst Castle- which happens to be the setting of her favourite childhood book (and a very creepy one)- home of the sender of the letter, to find answers, but she finds the castle dilapidated and its three inhabitants alone and seemingly trapped in their past. Intrigued, she widens her research to try to discover what happened to the Blythe sisters and if it had something to do with what inspired Raymond Blythe to write his book and with some strange events related to the castle. Her point of view is complemented with episodes in the lives of some of the characters in 1910, 1939, 1941, etc.

I've only read The House at Riverton and The Forgotten Garden by the same author and this book has been my favourite: The story was very interesting, full of Gothic touches and mysteries that made me want to keep reading until late at night. In spite of this, I felt the book wasn't perfect and would have benefited from more time in the oven... One simply wants the protagonist to find all the answers and forgives the author when the reasons for the character's research aren't so tight to begin with, when there are weird hypotheses involved, the protagonist is allowed to meddle in everyone's life unhindered and some loose ends are tied by simply describing what happened from the point of view of a long dead person. The book has many characteristics in common with other Morton stories: children's books and traumas, secrets, women looking for answers 50 years from the events, which made me wonder if with each new Morton book you get diminishing returns. I'll just have to get my hands on The Secret Keeper and see!

Rating: 4 stars

Shelf nomination: Latin America

And finally, my last read of the Gothic month: The Sorrows of Young Werther (1774), which felt more Romantic than Gothic. A tragic tale of obsession with a main character that feels intense emotion about everything (even nature, rivers and peasants) whom I found quite egocentric, idle and vain but, mostly, exasperating. It was an interesting read with a lot of information about life in Wahlheim (Germany) in 1771 and I liked how Werther's acquaintances keep us guessing about their intentions. The story is a classic but not much happens in most of its pages, so I can see how many may find it boring.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Shelf nomination: Space...?

Elvenn wrote: "I also read The Distant Hours by Kate Morton ★★★★

In this book, an editor starts delving into her mother's past after hearing her cry when reading a letter lost for 50 years. As he..."

Thanks for your review, Elvenn, I've added this book to my TBR, sounds right up my alley! 😊

I read Sula by Toni Morrison on 9/23/19 and rated it *3 STARS*.

Man this was dark and depressing. I have to admit that I haven't read Toni Morrison before. That is a failing on my part. She captured the desolation of the time period. The way the hopefulness of youth can be stamped out so easily by oppression.

I wish we had gotten more of what Nel and Sula were up to during their times apart. I felt like there was something fundamental that was missed there. There was something seriously wrong with Sula. She was broken. And she had no problem letting that brokenness infect others did she?

I felt so raw after finishing this. I felt like so much was left unfinished. I didn't feel any hope and just Nel's realization at the end made it that much more worse.

But damn if it didn't have me thinking. I know that this story will stick with me for a while. And ultimately I know I'll have to delve into more of this author's work.

Nominated shelf: Kick-ass Heroines

Wow!

I just finished shelving all our books from this month, and it's the largest number of books &/or short stories we've read in a long time. Twenty-two different items shelved.

That's awesome!