To get myself in the spooky way, this October I piled on the scary books. Though I am sure these selections may be considered only mildly creepy by some, to me, they are chilling. They are all under 300 pages, written by women, and perfect for a light, literary fright.
Read MoreHigh school reading lists are the subject of debate, outrage, and, frequently, chagrin. Everyone from teachers to preachers to parents to politicians have strong opinions on what teenagers should or should not be required to read in school. Rather than haggling about titles and content, students want to know two things:
How long is the book?
Is it remotely interesting?
Despite finding the movie Young Frankenstein hilarious, I suspect it, along with the many other parodies and adaptations of the monster I had seen in pop culture, contributed to my aversion. The story seemed to be totally outside of what would compel me. I assumed it had no character development, thin plot, and an oversized dose of horror. By the time I learned the author was a woman, my ignorant opinion on the matter was fully formed and unassailable; that the monster’s father was actually a woman meant nothing.
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