2024 I Read Horror Year-Round Challenge - Second Quarter Check-In

How did the second quarter of the challenge go for you?

For the Chilling Level, I read one book for the word "Dark" in the cover. That was Children of the Dark by Jonathan Janz. I'm planning to knock several out during Quarter Three. My planned reads below...

Animal Kingdom by Iain Rob Wright for Nature Gone Wild

Diavola by Jennifer Marie Thorne for Gothic novel

I Found Puppets Living in my Apartment Walls by Ben Farthing for Creepy Object

Lone Women or Don't Fear the Reaper for BIPOC author

I (try to) keep track of my yearly challenges over on my sister site, True Book Addict. There's a link to my 2024 challenge page in the menu above.

Fun reminder...Something Wicked Fall starts in just two months!! Trying to decide on a read-along selection. Maybe Stephen King.... Stay tuned.

I hope you're enjoying your horrific reading! Share your progress in the comments (update, links to posts/reviews, etc.)...

Jonathan Janz's Children of the Dark 2: The Night Flyers - Review

The long-awaited sequel to Children of the Dark is finally here! It was worth the wait. Once again, we are gifted with creatures of our nightmares...The Children and the equally horrifying Night Flyers. Most importantly though, it's the characters, with the spotlight going to Will, the good brother and loyal friend. It's sad that he blames himself for everything that happened in Book One, and continues to do so in this book. Clearly, how can any of it be his fault? But that is what trauma can do to a person. Unfortunately, Will isn't given the opportunity to heal due to bureaucrats more worried about a cover up than his recovery. 

Janz always writes with a nod to Stephen King. Particularly, the coming-of-age stories like IT and The Body. But there is also an element of Stranger Things. The kids fighting an evil beyond anyone's imagination. In no way though is he copying those styles. He has his own unique spin on the story. Because Janz knows family, and even if this is a horrific story, the very root of the story is the importance of family. Family by blood, and those who become our family. 

If you have been on the fence about his books, I suggest you remedy that right away. Because Janz has a catalog of excellent horror for devouring. My suggestion is to start your journey with Children of the Dark, and this, its sequel.

My reviews of other Janz works:

Children of the Dark

Wolf Land

The Dark Game

Buy the book on Amazon.

Visit Jonathan's website.

2024 I Read Horror Year-Round Reading Challenge - First Quarter Check-In

The first quarter of 2024 is in the books. So, how did it go?

I'm doing the Chilling level which is 12 books in a year. I'm doing well...I've already read four books!

• Witch, dark, blood, bone, or body in title
• Nature gone wild (when plants or animals attack)
• Creepy character/object (House, doll, child, etc.)
• Holiday horror (Christmas, yule, etc.)
• Short story anthology or collection - Out There Screaming, Jordan Peele, Editor
• Takes place during Halloween season
• Winter theme, or winter on cover - A Winter Haunting, Dan Simmons
• A book that is also a movie - I'm Thinking of Ending Things, Iain Reid
• By BIPOC author
• Classic horror novel
• Dark Academia novel (here's a list on Goodreads) - Ninth House, Leigh Bardugo
• Gothic novel

I keep track of my yearly challenges over on my sister site, True Book Addict. There's a link to my 2024

challenge page in the menu above.

Not sure what's up for me next, but my Spring into Horror Readathon is going on this month over on Seasons of Reading so I expect I'll get some categories knocked out. If you would like to join us, stop over there. You can still sign up.

I hope you're enjoying your horrific reading! Share your progress in the comments (update, links to posts/reviews, etc.)...

2023 I Read Horror Year-Round Reading Challenge - Wrap-up

Year three of the challenge is complete! Once again, I tried for the Chilling level. Didn't quite make it, but only three books shy. Here's what I read:

• Book by BIPOC author - My Heart is a Chainsaw, Stephen Graham Jones
• Title with Dead, Blood, or Bone - The Dead Path, Stephen M. Irwin
• Horrific cover - The Vessel, Adam Nevill
• Set in the past - The Green Man, Kingsley Amis
• Folk Horror - The Loney, Andrew Michael Hurley
• Winter theme or cover - Subhuman, Michael McBride
• Black, red, or white cover - Black Mouth, Ronald Malfi
• Zombies, Witches, Vampires, or Werewolves - Dracul by Dacre Stoker and J.D. Barker (I LOVED this book!)
• Something by Poe - The Fall of the House of Usher (click the title to read my write up).

How about you? Share your wrap-up in the comments, or link to a wrap-up post on your blog (or social media, shelf on Goodreads, etc.).

In case you missed it, sign up for I Read Horror YR 2024 is open. Here's the link to the post.
I hope you will join me again!