Some scary sweet Summerween bookish suggestions

As we approach the end of June and the beginning of July, the mid seasonal phenomenon known as Summerween  is now upon us.

Granted, this concept is still rather new to me yet, I figure why not? The whole Christmas in July deal is so widely accepted that even the Hallmark channel makes TV movies for it, so why not have the perfect excuse to dive into horror during heatwave season?

With that in mind, I have a few reading suggestions for those seeking a good scary book in their trick or treat beach bags-first up is the newest offering from Chuck Tingle, Fabulous Bodies.

Our leading lady is Poppy, fashion influencer by day, grave robber by night (more of a Door Dash for the recently deceased, if you will).

While she’s less than thrilled about that particular side hustle and is looking to get out of that situation as quickly as can be, there’s one last job that Poppy thinks might be the one to cash out on.

That gig has her snatching the body of flashy rock star Eddie Michaels, one of her favorite singers. All goes well until Eddie rises up and insists that Poppy help him finalize a certain supernatural deal before dawn. They always say, don’t meet your heroes but Poppy is about to discover just how horribly true that can be!

The novel is due out in early July but since Summerween can extend into that month, it should definitely be worth the wait:

If you’re seeking something more readily available, Marion by Leah Rowan is out and about now.

This reimagining of the classic Psycho book and film has Marion Crane staying at the Billings Motel in upstate New York when her bus breaks down on the highway.

Her encounter with the current manager, Norm, who also takes care of his ailing mother, seems pleasant enough yet when surprised in the shower later that night, it’s Norm who winds up with his life swirling down the bathroom drain instead.

As Marion is already in enough trouble after stealing money from her boss in Manhattan in hopes of rescuing her sister from a toxic marriage, this unexpected mess is another obstacle to clean up. However, that turning of the tables gives her a sinister spark to the fuse of her inner fury that goes off in quite a deadly direction.

This just sounds great, even if you haven’t seen Psycho,as this particular twist of the genre knife to such an iconic template of terror can be fearfully refreshing indeed:

 

For something a little more on the gothic side of scary, there’s plenty of good word about Melissa Albert’s The Children .

Guin and her brother Ennis are best known as the inspiration for their late mother Edith’s popular fantasy novels, ironically the very work that she neglected them for.

Their response to the ongoing fandom is Guin writing a glowing memoir about her childhood but when Ennis creates an art piece that hits a little too close to home, the ghosts of their mutual past come forth to haunt them, perhaps in more ways than one.

Readers and critics alike do seem to agree that Albert’s take on the emotional impact of art in good ways and bad does make for a compelling story here. It’s already a book club favorite and who knows, it could be a chilling movie someday but for now, this certainly should do well in the theater of the mind:

Well, happy Summerween to all who celebrate and may you frolic in the fear factor you have chosen!

As for me, I’m still working on my science fiction reading challenge but perhaps next month, I can treat myself to a couple of vampire novels on my TBR that I have been meaning to get to. Vampires are perfect for summer fun after all, with the whole “Up all night/Sleep all day “ deal and very popcorn friendly…with fangs of course!: