About Books & Literature: A Little Something Spooky

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Books & Literature From Megan Romer, your About Books & Literature Editor I can't watch scary movies, because my brain acts like a DVR, recording all of the most horrible moments, and then replaying them to me in my dreams. Usually with me inserted somewhere in the action, for good measure. No, I have to get my scary fix via books, and this is just the time of year to do it. Read "The Monkey's Paw" If horror is what you seek, you cannot go wrong with a classic, and "The Monkey's Paw" hits all the right marks... it's short, so it can be easily read in one sitting, and it's oh-so-eerie. What is the Best Stephen King Book? Or perhaps you'd like something a little bit longer? We asked our readers to tell us their favorite novel from the king of contemporary horror, and nearly 200 people have already replied. Perhaps you'd like to add your favorite to our growing list, or maybe you'd just like to scan it and get some terrifying book recommendations. 13 Creepy Comics and Gruesome Graphic Novels Do you have the stomach for illustrated horror? If you do (I don't, because I am the world's biggest wimp) here is a guide to some fabulous frightening tales from the world of manga. Best Halloween Books for Children Or perhaps you'd like something that is really low-grade spooky -- black cats and jolly witches and the like -- and, just to be safe, doesn't contain too many big words. Here are some ideas that your children, and any adults you know who (ahem) act like children, will love. Books & Literature Ads Classics Books Spooky Story Camp Spooky Literature Urban Fiction Books Featured Articles Marvel's Greatest Superheroes 'Great House' by Nicole Strauss The Tempest in 2010 The History of Comedy in Ancient Greece Jonathan Swift on Style Miguel de Cervantes Quotes   More from About.com Is it a Cold or the Flu? Knowing whether you have a cold or the flu can help you treat your symptoms more effectively. More > Concerned About Your Drinking? This short quiz can help you identify whether or not you have a drinking problem. Take the quiz now >   Sign up for more free newsletters on your favorite topics You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the About Books & Literature newsletter. If you wish to change your email address or unsubscribe, please click here. About respects your privacy: Our Privacy Policy Contact Information: 249 West 17th Street New York, NY, 10011 © 2010 About.com   Poems for Halloween "The Apparition" by John Donne "Ulalume" by Edgar Allan Poe "The Haunted Oak" by Paul Laurence Dunbar Advertisement

About Books & Literature: New Books from Jennifer Weiner and Philip Roth

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Books & Literature From Megan Romer, your About Books & Literature Editor This week, we've got reviews of new releases by favorite authors Jennifer Weiner and Philip Roth, and two very different reviews of the new independent film Howl, about Allen Ginsberg and his famous poem. Jennifer Weiner - 'Fly Away Home' Jennifer Weiner is beloved by women around the world for her funny and poignant female characters and the dramatic (and sometimes hilarious) tales of their lives. Her latest book, which tells the story of a politician's shamed wife and her two very different daughters, will surely please Weiner's fans. Philip Roth - 'Nemesis' Nemesis is Philip Roth's thirty-first novel, but according to our reviewer, it's not his best. Though it covers some common Roth themes and eras -- Judaism in America, the 1940s, and so on -- it isn't the best prose he's ever produced. Still, it might be worth a read for die-hard fans. 'Howl' From One Perspective... Bob Holman, our About.com Guide to Poetry, loved the new movie Howl, about Allen Ginsberg and his famous poem, which rocked (and shocked) the world. ... and 'Howl' From Another Our independent film reviewer Peter Richter, on the other hand, didn't love it so much. The one thing they agreed upon? James Franco as Allen Ginsberg. He is by all accounts fabulous, as though he was made for the role. Books & Literature Ads Books New Ya Books Books and Authors Fiction Audio Books Good Novel Books Featured Articles If You Like Harry Potter, You Might Like... E.B. White's List Trick Shakespeare in Klingon? Books About Bullying For Kids and Teens Great Comic Investment: Drawerboxes How to Cry on Cue   More from About.com Is it a Cold or the Flu? Knowing whether you have a cold or the flu can help you treat your symptoms more effectively. More > Concerned About Your Drinking? This short quiz can help you identify whether or not you have a drinking problem. Take the quiz now >   Sign up for more free newsletters on your favorite topics You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the About Books & Literature newsletter. If you wish to change your email address or unsubscribe, please click here. About respects your privacy: Our Privacy Policy Contact Information: 249 West 17th Street New York, NY, 10011 © 2010 About.com   2010 NY Comic-Con Photo Highlights Sonic the Hedgehog Cosplay Svetlana Chamakova Yen Press Crew Advertisement

About Books & Literature: Honoring Nobel Laureates in Literature

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Books & Literature From Megan Romer, your About Books & Literature Editor The 2010 Nobel Prize Winners were announced this week, and the Nobel Prize for Literature has been awarded to Mario Vargas Llosa. Nobel Prize Winner Mario Vargas Llosa Llosa, a Peruvian writer, was chosen "for his cartography of structures of power and his trenchant images of the individual's resistance, revolt, and defeat." Trust the Nobel committee on this one and get yourself some of his work. My own recommendation would be The Green House, but you really can't go wrong. Mario Vargas Llosa Biography Complete List of Nobel Laureates in Literature Toni Morrison on Writing Toni Morrison, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1993, is one of America's most beloved writers (pun intended), and in this selection of quotes from past interviews, she sheds some light on her art. Review: Toni Morrison's A Mercy Toni Morrison Bibliography Pablo Neruda Profile Pablo Neruda, who took home the wreath in 1971, was a prolific Chilean poet who was known as "The People's Poet." His poetry was such a strong voice for the oppressed in his country that he was exiled for over a decade... poetry can be powerful! Pablo Neruda - The People's Poet Take a Day Trip to Neruda's Home on Isla Negra The Best Plays of George Bernard Shaw In my opinion, George Bernard Shaw, who became a Nobel Laureate in 1925, was the funniest person ever to receive the honor. He was a notorious misanthrope who liked to find humor in inappropriate places and mock people mercilessly. I think we would've gotten along swimmingly. "She Would Have Enjoyed It" - Shaw on his Mother's Funeral Read all of Pygmalion Books & Literature Ads Literature Literary Books Fiction Books Books English Writing Books Featured Articles How to Introduce Others to Comic Books Honoring Mr. Ferlinghetti Shakespeare's Death Mask? The Most Controversial Plays of the 20th Century How Robert Benchley Broke the Block Demon Sacred Vol. 1 and 2   More from About.com Is it a Cold or the Flu? Knowing whether you have a cold or the flu can help you treat your symptoms more effectively. More > Concerned About Your Drinking? This short quiz can help you identify whether or not you have a drinking problem. Take the quiz now >   Sign up for more free newsletters on your favorite topics You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the About Books & Literature newsletter. If you wish to change your email address or unsubscribe, please click here. About respects your privacy: Our Privacy Policy Contact Information: 249 West 17th Street New York, NY, 10011 © 2010 About.com   New and Noteworthy From Female Authors 'Fly Away Home' by Jennifer Weiner 'Escaping the Tiger' by Laura Maniyong 'Trespass' by Rose Tremain Advertisement

About Books & Literature: 'Before You Suffocate your own Fool Self' and More

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Books & Literature From Megan Romer, your About Books & Literature Editor The theme of this week's newsletter? Books with remarkably long titles, which seem to be rolling out across multiple genres this week. 'Before You Suffocate your own Fool Self' - Danielle Evans This book, with a hilarious title that clocks in at seven words, is a fun new collection of short stories that focus on the experience of young women of color in the modern world. Funny, poignant, and often shocking, it's a bold debut from Evans. 'Super Sad True Love Story' by Gary Shteyngart Only five words in this title, but the heavy book (which is indeed super sad, in a depressing and bleak kind of way, not a box-of-tissues kind of way) makes up for it. It's a dystopian novel, and if you're not a fan of those, you probably won't like this. 'My Monkey's Name is Jennifer Volume 2' by Ken Knudtsen Another long and funny title (five words if you don't count "Volume" and "2," seven if you do), this one as quirky as the graphic novel contained within its cover. This book contains "a crazy girl, a monkey in a dress, a mad scientist, a laser-shooting T-Rex, and time traveling cough syrup." Intrigued? Read on. 'Hanako and the Terror of Allegory Vol. 1&2' by Sakae Es These two volumes of horror manga are long on title and short on actual scariness, according to our reviewer. If you're looking for something super-scary, perhaps a different horror manga might suit your needs better. And yes, we have some suggestions... Books & Literature Ads Books Black Author Books Literature LapBook Free Story Books Self Help Books Featured Articles 'The Age of Reason' by Thomas Paine - A Summary 'Blithe Spirit' by Noel Coward - A Review 'The Hunger Games' by Suzanne Collins - A Review Evan Esar Quotes Language Lessons from the Simpsons Shakespeare and the Renaissance   More from About.com Is it a Cold or the Flu? Knowing whether you have a cold or the flu can help you treat your symptoms more effectively. More> Concerned About Your Drinking? This short quiz can help you identify whether or not you have a drinking problem. More>   Sign up for more free newsletters on your favorite topics You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the About Books & Literature newsletter. If you wish to change your email address or unsubscribe, please click here. About respects your privacy: Our Privacy Policy Contact Information: 249 West 17th Street New York, NY, 10011 © 2010 About.com   Great Villanelles "Theocritus, A Villanelle" by Oscar Wilde "Villanelle of Change" by Edwin Arlington Robinson "Pan, A Double Villanelle" by Oscar Wilde Advertisement