October Offerings: Horror Movie Reads

I love horror movies. I always have, even when I was probably  too young to be watching them. But when your older siblings are babysitting and offer to let you stay up past 9 PM if you'll watch Pet Sematary with them, you don't pass up the opportunity! (Even if you spend the next few years thinking that every awful thing from the movie is living in your closet.)

With horror films as popular as ever, it comes as no surprise that there are an endless amount of books about horror movies published in the last few decades, from movie guides to behind-the-scenes memoirs and everything in between.  I've complied a selection of some interesting horror movie books, categorized by subject. Happy reading!

Essentials, Must-Sees, and Watch-Before-You-Die

Horror 101: The A-List of Horror Films and Monster Movies by Aaron Christensen

Essential Horror Movies: Matinee Monsters to Cult Classics by Michael Mallory

101 Horror Movies You Must See Before You Die by Steven Jay Schneider

The Horror Show Guide: The Ultimate Frightfest of Movies by Michael Mayo

Horror by Decade or Genre

The Slasher Movie Book by J. A. Kerswell

Universal Studios Monsters: A Legacy of Horror by Michael Mallory

Monster Mash: The Creepy, Kooky Monster Craze In America by Mark Voger

Sixties Shockers: A critical Filmography of Horror Cinema, 1960-1969 by Mark Clark

J-Horror: The Definitive Guide to The Ring, The Grudge and Beyond by David Kalat

Ten Years of Terror: British Horror Films of the Seventies by Harvey Fenton and David Flint

The Hammer Story by Marcus Hearn and Alan Barnes

The Very Witching Time of Night: Dark Alleys of Classic Horror Cinema by Gregory William Mank

It Lives Again! Horror Movies in the New Millennium by Axelle Carolyn

The Making Of...
Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday The 13th by Peter M. Bracke

Chain Saw Confidential: How We Made the World's Most Notorious Horror Movie by Gunnar Hansen

Crimson Peak: The Art of Darkness by Mark Salisbury

The Making of George A. Romero's Day of the Dead by Lee Karr

Jaws: Memories from Martha's Vinyard by Matt Taylor

Amicus Horrors: Tales from the Filmmaker's Crypt by Brian McFadden

Bits and Pieces

Danse Macabre by Stephen King

Monsters in the Movie by John Landis

Writing the Horror Movie by Marc Blake and Sara Bailey

The Horror of It All: One Moviegoer's Love Affair with Masked Maniacs, Frightened Virgins, and the Living Dead by Adam Rockoff

Hollywood Monster: A Walk Down Elm Street with the Man of Your Dreams by Robert Englund

The Monster Show: A Cultural History of Horror by David J. Skal

Monster Mash: The Creepy, Kooky Monster Craze In America by David J. Skal

Wes Craven: The Man and his Nightmares by John Wooley

Too Much Horror Business by Kirk Hammett

October Offerings: The Art of Mourning (Book Recommendations)

Widow's Weeds and Weeping Veils Revised Mourning Rituals in 19th Century America by Bernadette Loefell-Atkins

Widow's Weeds and Weeping Veils explores the culture of death and mourning that perveated almost every aspect of Victorian society. In the Victorian eera, mourning rituals and practices became more tangible and visible than in previous eras; from widow's weeds to various stages of social obligatory mourning periods--and everything in between--this book will take you on a tour through the complicated yet fascinating art of Victorian mourning.

In Death Lamented: The Tradition of Anglo-American Mourning Jewelry by Sarah Nehama

Mourning jewelry is not all that uncommon today (with necklaces containing creamted remains being the most common in the modern era) but at its heights in the 17th through 19th centuries, mourning jewelry was a cornerstone of the mourning process that utlized many different types of jewelry, artistic styles, and various social contexts. In Death Lamented explores how mourning jewelry developed from the 17th century through the 19th century and features photographs and historical commentary.

Fashionable Mourning Jewelry, Clothing, & Customs by Mary Brett

This Schiffer book is intended for collectors--it comes complete with price guides circa 2007 and a forward discussing the rising value of antique mourning pieces--but it is a treasure trove for anyone interested in mourning jewelry and other mourning pieces from the Victorian era. This full-color catalog features 300 pictures of everything from mourning jewelry, mourning portraits, mourning fashion, poetry and sympathy letters, antique death announcements, and more.

From Fiction to History: Book Recommendations ('Revolution is Not a Dinner Party')

I love historical fiction. Historical fiction I read in elementary school (willingly or not!) played a large part in encouraging me to become interested in actual history, and even today I find myself picking up non-fiction books to find out more about the real events and history behind some of my favorite fiction novels! In the same vein, I've decided to start a series of posts recommending some non-fiction reads based on historical fiction favorites. I was checking over my Goodreads 2015 Challenge earlier today and thought that the historical fiction I've read this year would be an excellent place to start.

Fiction: Revolution is Not a Dinner Party by Ying Chang Compestine

Ling, the central character of Revolution is Not a Dinner Party, is only 9 years old when the world around her begins to crumble due to the increasingly heightened policies under the Chinese Cultural Revolution; her parents, two wealthy surgeons who have provided their daughter with a comfortable life and education, find themselves under increasing suspicion and ultimately punishment for their perceived anti-revolutionary lifestyle and beliefs. Ling, too, is increasingly ostracized for being "bourgeois"--for having long hair, new clothes, and a comfortable life. The events in Revolution is Not a Dinner Party were drawn from Compestine's own experiences as a young girl in Wuhan.

History:  Life and Death in Shanghai by Nien Cheng

Life and Death in Shanghai is a deeply personal and detailed account of one woman's long, terrible imprisonment during the Cultural Revolution. Cheng's life made her the perfect target: she was the widow of an official of the last regime, formally educated in London, employed at Shell Oil, and enjoyed a comfortable, wealthy lifestyle. Cheng's imprisonment began after she refused to admit that any of this made her an enemy of China, and what followed were 6 years of horror--and many more years of seeking justice.

History: Blood Red Sunset: A Memoir of the Chinese Cultural Revolution by Ma Bo 

As a Red Guard, Ma Bo did not hesitate to do the work that Mao's government demanded of its soldiers: ransacking homes for anything that went against the party's guidelines, beating suspected anti-communists in order to make them confess, and even participating in . But when Ma Bo made a careless comment about a party leader, he found himself on the other side--imprisoned for eight years while enduring severe beatings, physical torture and psychological abuse. Blood Red Sunset is Ma Bo's memoir of those terrible years.