Ah, August, your love is as unforgiving as an oven and a splash of grease from the griddle. Like your nefarious cousin July, your vendetta against humans of the Northern Hemisphere is uncalled for and bothersome. Would it be too much to ask for a reprieve? No? September, you say. Bah. If that's so, then I can wait another day. I'm sure the battle 'twixt the two of you will be heated (pun alert!) and fierce, but there's no doubt that September will prove victorious. And with her vict'ry comes Autumn.
Autumn, of course, brings about deep stirrings in the heart. The rush of summer dies (there are no dog days, alas) and the calming, dying, beautiful season of Fall begins. One cannot help but turn to books of a darker nature in these times, and this is where the R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril Challenge comes in. For the last five years, Carl has hosted this "challenge" for the purpose of enjoying the darker types of writing. Mystery. Suspense. Thrillers. Dark Fantasy. Horror. Gothic. Supernatural. The things that keep you up late at night, afraid to turn a page, but unable to stop.
Last year was the first time I participated in a RIP challenge, and it proved fun and contagious. There was no doubt I would be signing up again. Even without Carl's challenge, this is the season where this type of reading calls to me strongest.
I am officially signing up for Peril, the Second. The challenge is to read two books that meet the classifications (of which are widely variable). I intend on dipping into Poe or Lovecraft for some short stories, as well, and possibly some graphic novels, too. (Carl, methinks there should be a Peril, the Graphica or something...) With a new baby, I can't say for sure whether or not I'll meet the challenge, but I think it should be no problem.
To Be Read Imbibed
House of Leaves, by Mark Danielewski
In Cold Blood, by Truman Capote
The Walking Dead Volumes 11-14, by Robert Kirkman
House of Leaves has been on my TBR shelf for a double-plus long time. I'm a sucker for unique formats, and idly flipping through the book a few years back I knew I'd have to read it at some point. Likewise, Capote's In Cold Blood is such a defining work of art in the "true crime" genre that I've wanted to read it for a while. I suspect this will be the most horrifying of all that I read, knowing that the accounts therein are true and could very well happen again. I also hope to continue in Robert Kirkman's bleak-but-hopeful Walking Dead series, as it's been a while since I last dove into these waters.
If your heart has an affinity for the darker side and you'd like to join in the fun, you can check out Carl's post for a full set of instructions. Or, if you'd rather just read people's reviews and get some more books for your TBR pile, you can do that to.
