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It’s September and that means it is time for Readers Imbibing Peril! Bring on the chills, the comfort cocoa and pumpkin everything! You may recall that horror gives me nightmares — it didn’t when I was a teen, I even watched Amityville Horror while babysitting (the kids were in bed) — so RIP for me is always horror-lite. In the past I have gone in for Victorian gothic but this year I am going to have some fun with twentieth-century psychological dread. My spine is tingling in anticipation!
I have two books currently lined up. The first will be The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith. I have been meaning to read this for years and years. Finally its time has come. The second book is The Sundial by Shirley Jackson. This one involves a crumbling old mansion, a funeral, a secret garden, ghostly visitation, fear, violence, madness and the apocalypse! Jam-packed goodness by the sound of it. If I zip through those two and nothing comes up to divert me, I will add Beyond Black by Hilary Mantel to the mix. A sociopath, the end of the world and possibly a psychic, what could be better?
Over the years elements in addition to books have been added to RIP and I have generally ignored them. But this year I am adding in some Peril on the Screen because I have just begun watching Stranger Things. I am a few episodes in on season one and something — Joyce thinks it is her son who has gone missing — is trying to push through the wall as though it were an elastic membrane. Totally creepy! It is just this side of nightmare inducing so as long as it doesn’t get any worse I will be fine. And I must say that Winona Ryder as Joyce is utterly amazing. I mean, she is owning the role and it’s intense. I haven’t seen her in anything in ages and I am so glad she is back on the screen. She’s from Minnesota dontcha know!
So there is the RIP plan for September and October. Any spooky seasonal reading or watching happening in your world?
I also do horror-lite. I get terrible nightmares from horror so avoid it. I love the gothic and psychological suspense – have a couple of domestic thrillers & an apocalyptic road novel underway….
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Melwyk, ooh apocalyptic road novel! That could be a whole genre unto itself. May you selections be creepy good 🙂
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I used to love horror films and stories but lately everything seems to be about demons and possession which is where I draw the line. Any who, you’re going to love Stranger Things. It’s very 80’s which I’m sure you’ve noticed by now. Some time this week I plan on posting my review of the show. It was so good. In case you or anyone else haven’t seen it I’ll do spoiler free at the top and spoilery at the bottom. I enjoyed reading this post. I’m not sure what spooky book I’ll read.
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Rabia, these days I just see a little clip of The Exorcist and I am a goner. I love the 80s setting of Stranger Things! Good to know the top of your review will be spoiler free! 🙂
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Oh no, I’ve never seen The Exorcist and have no plans to ever see it. I did see Linda Blair at a comic convention once but that’s my extent to that. Yes, the 80’s setting of Stranger Things was so enjoyable. I think it’s a good idea to have non spoilers at the top no one likes spoilers.
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The Exorcist was such a horrid film – I still can see some of the scenes though it is easily 30 years ago that `i watched it
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It’s that bad? I’ll definitely be staying away from that one. I’ve also heard The Omen is the same way.
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Horrid as in bad or horrid as in scared the pants off you? 🙂
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Rabia, if you don’t like demons and possession then definitely don’t ever watch The Exorcist! Or the Omen. Cool that you saw Linda Blair at a convention though. Since I was a teen in the 80s, the time period of Stranger Things is a hoot!
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I will most definitely be avoiding both of those!!Yes it was pretty cool and her booth was right next to Ernie Hudson which I thought was pretty funny. I bet it was quite a hoot. It must’ve been pretty nostalgic for you.
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Blair and Hudson next to each other is pretty funny! Stranger Things is less nostalgic and more “OMG I can’t believe I used to dress like that!” 🙂
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Yes, some people I told that to had no idea why that was funny but glad you picked up on that. Hahaha. I love that response. Some of those fashions stuck around for a while and others are making a comeback which in some cases I think is a mistake but sure. I really enjoyed Stranger Things did you hear there’s a season 2?
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I have heard there is a season t of Stranger Things. I think it is on Netflix along with the first season but I might be imagining that. I have seen some 80s fashions making a comeback and cringe 🙂
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Season two hasn’t been released yet. It comes back next year. I wish it was on Netflix now. Oh yes there’s definitely some ’80s fashion that are cringe-worthy.
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Ooooohhhh! Stefanie…how you tempt me!!! I was not planning to join RIP this time, simply because I have so much to read and then I look at your post and now I not only want to join RIP but also read The Talented Mr. Ripley and The Sundial with you!! What is the matter with me???!! Sob! Sob! Sniff! Ok…I am in!! Will put up a post soon!
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cirtnecce, give in to the temptation! Fall is the time for “scary” reading!
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Sounds tempting! I’ve not heard of RIP, but I’d love to read “The Talented Mr. Ripley”! I’ve got an anthology of Edgar Allan Poe {Including one of my favorites, “The Raven”!} lined up to share with my boys. Are you hosting a link up?
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RIP sounds great fun and what a great trio of unsettling writers! Shirley Jackson is a writer I really must around to. Highsmith is so brilliant though I am not so keen on the Ripley books. Beyond Black rather haunted me – though it is probably a bit too long- but it really showed the horror of banality in the Home Counties.
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Ian, RIP is a fun annual thing Carl at Stainless Steel Droppings has been doing for 11 years now. Jackson is brilliant and if you have never read her before you will not be disappointed! I’ve not read Highsmith at all and everyone always talks about Ripley so I want to be in the know! Oh, and now you are making me want to read Beyond Black for sure!
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bikurgurl, I’m not the host, Carl at Stainless Steel Dropping is. RIP link in the post will take you there 🙂 Poe is wonderful! I’ve read a number of his for the challenge through the years.
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I’ll have to check it out — thanks 🙂
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Nothing spooky here at the moment – except, I am in the process of selling my aunt’s house in Sydney. First the agent asked me whether anyone had died in the house, because people were asking. And then today, the solicitor, who is drawing up the contracts, asked whether there’s been any deaths or murders in the house! I said not during my association with it – through my grandparents and aunts – but I couldn’t attest for before!
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whisperinggums, how weird everyone keeps asking if anyone has died in the house. Are they worried it will be haunted?
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I think it’s for varied reasons , from that to thinking it’s bad luck. Never had this before, not that I’ve sold many houses, mind you! I certainly haven’t asked when buying!
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Interesting. I wouldn’t even think to ask if someone had died in the house. I am not sure that it what matter all that much to me unless there were bloodstains on the carpet and a secret walled up room with bodies in the basement 😀
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Or bodies in the garden?! But, no I wouldn’t think to ask either. What’s past is past. Then again I’m not blessed with a vivid imagination – maybe that’s a good thing sometimes!
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Oooh bodies in the garden! I haven’t found bodies in mine but I have found some really odd things – random pieces of silverware, kids toys, nuts, bolts, screws, random tools, broken bits of glass and pieces of things I haven’t been able to figure out.
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The urban archaeologist eh?
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The kids in Stranger Things are wonderful! I’m not sure what I’ll be reading for this years R.I.P. challenge, but I look forward to seeing the choices others are making.
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jenclair, the kids are all really good and so talented. I will be curious to see what you settle on to read for RIP 🙂
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I really need to read more Shirley Jackson!
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Kailana, that I what I said to myself when I was thinking of books to read for the challenge 🙂
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Ha ha, I am possibly going to read The Sundial for RIP as well! I have had it on my shelf for at least a year now. 🙂 This is my first RIP.
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Laila, oh that’s great! We can compare notes on it 🙂 And welcome to RIP!
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This sounds like a fun challenge, though I also tend to prefer horror-lite. Loved Stranger Things!
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kmsellers, RIP is very accommodating on the definition of scary 🙂
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I am always too weedy to join in with RIP. Midsomer Murders is enough to freak me out (if you don’t have MM in the States, it’s a jaw-droppingly crap detective series and it SHAMES me that I find it nightmarish). But I enjoy reading about everyone else’s experiences…
By the way, talking of horror, did you ever find the solution to the mystery on your bus?
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Helen, Midsomer Murders! Love that show. I have watched the first several seasons, up until Barnaby left and the first season after that. Then I gave up because I missed Barnaby too much even though John is pretty good. Oh the bus! Never found out what happened with that.
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I am going to pretend that I haven’t seen this challenge – I have way too many other things going on to commit to it. My husband has been reading the Ripley novels.the Talented Mr Ripley i think he rated but some of the others have been a bit lacklustre apparently
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BookerTalk, heh, sometimes you just have to look the other way 🙂 I’ve heard the Ripley books start out great but gradually go downhill. At the moment I only plan on reading the first one.
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Oh goody, The Sundial! I hope you like it! It’s well creepy and also very amusing.
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Jenny, I’m glad to hear that because that is just what I was hoping for!
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I’m not at all familiar with Stranger Things–TV is beyond me these days, but I might have to check it out. I do better with scary books than films–is it more suspense than anything else? If I can imagine it too vividly, I should maybe not watch it since I have an overactive imagination. Curiously it’s not the same with books, though I am with you on horror-lite. I prefer suspense than anything graphic. I like your line up of books–I really liked The Talented Mr Ripley and was thinking of reading something by Patricia Highsmith myself this year. I also like the sound of that Shirley Jackson, though I have another on my own pile. And tonight while eating my dinner I was looking at a couple of other potential RIP reads (I tend to stray from my original lists rather often…). Happy fall reading (now if the weather would just match, eh?).
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Danielle, so far Stranger Things has mild to moderate creep factor. Missing kid, another kid who escapes from a lab who can move things with her mind that kind of thing. It’s set in the 1980s and has a lot going on so while creepy it is also fun. I seem to recall you like the Talented Mr. Ripley. It’s always fun choosing books for RIP and if you don’t get to one this year from your list then maybe next year!
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All the Ripley books are so good. I read the Talented MR when the movie came out and immediately went on a search for the others. Tom is such a fantastic character. It’s always fun (and a bit confusing) when you find yourself rooting for the bad guy.
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Amanda, is the movie good? If it is maybe I will have to watch it after I finish the book.
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I think it’s a very good adaptation of the book. And it’s both gorgeous to look at and listen to. The soundtrack is good stuff.
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Oh Patricia Highsmith – I need to read one of her books one day! I keep hearing great things about Stranger Things but just haven’t gotten around to it. Enjoy your RIP reads and views!
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Iliana, with all your crime and mystery reading you haven’t read her? You will definitely have to get around to in one day then! So far Stranger Things is really good, it’s on Netflix right now so if you have that, check it out. 🙂
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Those are great choices; I’ve read them both and would like to read all of Jackson and more of Highsmith (maybe all, but I haven’t decided on that part).
At first I was planning only to participate in moderation, but then I glanced at the TBR stack and saw how many books would fit anyhow! Then, we went shopping for boardgames. *shrug* There are other things I will work to resist, but not this apparently!
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