RIP: Readers Imbibing Peril

Carl V. has an interesting challenge/contest up on his site for September.

It is almost September and as summer turns to autumn I get in the mood to read old favorites like Dracula and other gothic tales. I have a number of these stories that I have not read in addition to others that I would like to reread….Starting this weekend through Oct 31st I am going to begin a quest to get through a number of gothic, scary, moody, atmospheric stories. Post an entry on your blog indicating that you are taking on the Readers Imbibing Peril (R.I.P.) Autumn Challenge (or post here if you are blogless) and pick out any 5 books that you want to read that you think meet the very open, broad criteria of being scary, eerie, moody, dripping with atmosphere, gothic, unsettling, etc. and vow to read them.

The prize? That most excellent edition of Dracula I mentioned yesterday! And, since I love a challenge, I’ve been looking for reads like this lately, AND I love prizes(!), I’m going to try for it! So along with my person goal to read more classics, I’ll be reading more spine-tinglers as well. My goal is 5 books like Carl. I’m tempted to count Rebecca since I read it this month, but I’m going to try to play fair.

My list of possibilities:

The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins since I was planning on reading it anyway.  I even glanced at it this morning!  I have The Haunted Looking Glass by Edward Gorey on hold at the library, so I’ll count it as well.  I love Poe, so I’d like to reread The Tell Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe to get a good case of the shivers.  I have never read any Stevenson, so The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyd by Robert Louis Stevenson should be a good place to start.  A Study in Scarlett by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle because I have only ever read The Hound of the Baskervilles and I want to start at the beginning with the good detective.  The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux is one of my favorite Broadway plays, yet I have never read the book!  So I’ll add it.  I loved Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley when I read it in college and it definitely fits the bill.  I’ll also add Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier. I’m assuming, since Rebecca was so gothic-ish that Jamaica Inn will be as well.  And lastly, The Mummy: or Ramses the Damned by Anne Rice. For some reason I loved this book when I read it as a teenager, I want to see if it holds up.  I’ll also include An Unpardonable Crime by Andrew Taylor, one of my currect reads, since I won’t finish it this month and, it’s main character being one Edgar Allan Poe should make it eligible for inclusion. 

Incidentally, have you seen The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes: The Novels? I want it and the Annotated short stories as well.  A quick search of Amazon brought up several new annotated books coming out soon.  One I covet greatly is the Annotated Pride and Prejudice.  SO want that.  

Good thing I have a doctor’s appointment today because I am really itching to go book shopping now!  It’s my first OB appointment and I am so nervous.  Good thoughts people, need those good thoughts!!