September’s offering for “Tea and a Book” is Jacob Kerr’s The Green Man of Eshwood Hall (2022), a disquieting mystery steeped in folk horror. This novel features a child as the protagonist, but the story is for adult readers. From the publisher: Eshwood Hall is a...
For July's "Tea and a Book" I'm recommending The Wild Hunt, published in August 2022 by Tin House. Author Emma Seckel is a Canadian photographer and writer who has studied at St. Andrews and Cambridge. (No slouch, this one! Check out her website.) Seckel's debut novel...
June's offering is a novel I devoured a couple of years ago and lately was tempted to reread, particularly because of its folk horror elements. (I didn't know much about that genre when I first encountered the book.) I so enjoyed revisiting In the Night Wood and was...
Here I am again at the last minute with May's horror reading recommendation. Continuing with last month’s theme of folk horror, I offer a mysterious and romantic tale set in Cornwall shortly after World War II. Check out this synopsis from the publisher: In a Cornish...
This month I have another Gothic offering to enthusiastically recommend: Wylding Hall, by Elizabeth Hand. [Is the above the UK cover? The PB edition? Not sure, but I like it.] Synopsis (from the publisher): When the young members of a British acid-folk band -- known...
Before I tell you about this wonderful new book, I wish to celebrate the fact that I've read more this month than I have in a long time. I've struggled to focus on novels for a while now, and in most cases it was very slow going. This month, however, things have...
It's a brand new year for Tea and a Book! This year I didn't choose a particular genre or time period. As it turned out, every book I read this month was wonderfully GOTHIC. My favorite of the bunch was Wakenhyrst (2019) by Michelle Paver. In Edwardian Suffolk, a...
I just wrapped up my 2022 Spooky Film Recommendations, but there's more I wish to share. In case some of you are planning a bit of horror viewing over the weekend, I've listed my favorites from 13 years of blogging horror. I put the films in easy-peasy categories,...
Today I offer my second and final group of horror film recommendations for 2022. As before, these were chosen for their Gothic themes and content, and I am very pleased with the variety of characters and conflicts you will encounter . . . if you dare to watch them!...
This year I'm focusing my Spooky Film Recommendations on Gothic Horror. It's my favorite category, and I consider myself a writer of Gothic fiction. Gothic is so central to my imagination that I wrote a rambling blog post explaining what it is and why I love it, so...
The Uninvited -- originally known in the UK as Uneasy Freehold -- was published in 1942 by Irish author Dorothy Macardle and was adapted to the screen by Dodie Smith in 1944. Go here for my post about the film starring Ray Milland and Ruth Hussey. I'm pleased to say...
Continuing with women's fiction from the early 20th century, today I'm pleased to share Frances Hodgson Burnett's The Making of a Marchioness in a gorgeous paperback edition from Persephone that includes its sequel. The publisher has this to say: "Little Lord...
April’s “Tea and a Book” continues its focus on the early 20th century by recommending Rachel Ferguson’s THE BRONTES WENT TO WOOLWORTHS. Rachel Ferguson (1892-1957 — not to be confused with last month’s author, RUBY Ferguson) was a journalist, author, biographer,...
The final category of this year's horror collection is my favorite -- Grief and Alienation. For me, the most gut-wrenching horror is not about terror. It's about loss. My standard disclaimer: I prefer horror about people and relationships, with stories that emphasize...
This collection of films features protagonists with a strong will to live. The characters must dig deep and use their brains and brawn to negotiate the horror landscape. Ultimately, their stories are more about survival than transformation. A reminder: I prefer horror...
