Library roundup

The public library is a place for more than just books, but collecting books and fostering reading are still some of our primary functions. One of the subtle services of the library is to encourage browsing and exploring a variety of types of books.

Join fellow horror fans at The Midnight Society book club

One of the literary genres that has exploded in recent years is horror. Our horror book club, The Midnight Society, meets on the second Thursday of every month at 6 p.m. – the next meeting is July 9, and we’ll be discussing “The Invited” by Jennifer McMahon. The Midnight Society has steadily drawn a group of folks with macabre interests: if you’re interested in joining us, call or stop by the reference desk and we can add you to the list.

There are several reasons why horror is appealing; one is that it allows for a safe exploration of the world’s darkest threats and concepts. While horror can be thrilling just in terms of getting adrenaline pumping, it can also be satisfying to venture into the psychological depths of stories that feel dangerous or taboo in a form that is socially acceptable and nonthreatening.

One of the goals of the club is to read a wide variety of types of horror and focus on a range of authors, including some who are not always considered to be horror writers. Some authors the club has read over the past several months include Stephen King, Marcus Kliewer, Grady Hendrix and Joyce Carol Oates.

Horror book reccomendations from the library

If you’re interested in exploring some of the macabre items that were recently added to the library’s catalogue, we have some recommendations: “Nothing Tastes as Good” by Luke Dumas tells the tale of an overweight man who begins taking an experimental weight loss drug. While the drug works and he notices people start treating him better, he also finds himself losing stretches of time and experiencing strange cravings. As people who treated him cruelly and he learns of reports of a cannibalistic killer, he fears he may be becoming a monster.

“Wolf Worm” by T. Kingfisher is the story of a woman in 1885 who finds herself assisting a scientist by illustrating parasites and flesh-eating bugs. She soon learns that there is some strange and insidious about the insects of the woods. Library Journal’s review says it’s “For fans of mad scientist horror [...] who also crave visceral details”

“Sisters in Death” by Eli Frankel is a nonfiction true-crime book that claims to solve infamous Black Dahlia murder from 1947. This book connects the murder of Elizabeth Short to a more obscure murder victim: Leila Welsh, a wealthy heiress from Kansas City. Even though it is not a fictional story, fans of dark stories will be fascinated by this exploration of brutal killings.

Remember that no matter how unconventional your reading preferences might be, the library is here to help connect you to your next book!