Sick Day Reads

The cold and flu season is upon us, and unfortunately I’ve already been infected. I used a sick day on Monday to try to reduce the severity and longevity of a cold I acquired (I don’t think it worked), and doing so allowed me to catch up on some reading in between sleeping and eating soup. Here are a few of the things that I read in bed:

The House of Lost Souls by F. G. Cottam — F. G. Cottam’s debut horror novel is a recent addition to our horror collection. It’s the story of a man fatefully bound to the Fischer House, an old Victorian mansion haunted by a demon summoned by Aleister Crowley in the 1920s. I’ve been in the mood for reading horror books in the “hauntings” genre ever since I finished Caitlin Kiernan’s amazing The Red Tree, so this book really hit the spot. Excellent pacing, interesting historical references, and the feeling of H. P. Lovecraft meets The Exorcist made this book a winner for me.

Angel: After the Fall, Vol. 1 by Joss Whedon and Brian Lynch — After my seven month stint of watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer, I jumped right into its spin-off television series, Angel. This graphic novel picks up where the television series ends and it doesn’t disappoint.

The Once and Future King by T. H. White — This one has been on my must-read fantasy backlist for some time now. My edition of T. H. White’s famous retelling of the legend of King Arthur includes a blurb on the back that describes it as “the fantasy masterpiece by which all others are judged.” Pardon my sacrilege, but so far I find the book a bit boring. While I can certainly see why others might find it great, so far it hasn’t gripped me like other fantasy books have; maybe it needs more blood and guts. Of course, I’ve only just begun to read it, so maybe it will improve.

Have any books sitting around waiting to be read on your inevitable sick day?

–Wes