A bumper crop of interesting books found their way into the Bride’s home this month.

I was very keen to get a hold of Heart Shaped Box by Joe Hill, especially once I saw the ringing endorsement from Neil Gaiman, always an attraction for me. Most people now know that Joe is the son of Stephen King, whose work I’ve been following since picking up a paperback of Carrie when I was a teenager. I’ve resisted the temptation to dip into this straight away, but I’m sure it will quickly find its way to the top of the reading pile.

The next two books are the result of information on other blogs. Come Closer by Sarah Gran is ” a scary novel about possession and insanity” so couldn’t be missed. The Green Man is edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, and I always enjoy their anthologies – it has the added bonus of Charles Vess illustrations as well.

On my way to the IMAX in London to pick up tickets for the Book God and I to see 300 (more of that anon), I finally managed to get to Crockatt & Powell’s bookshop in Lower Marsh, having seen it mentioned in so many other places. I could have spent a fortune, but managed to limit myself to three books. I already have the first volume of the Transylvanian trilogy by Miklos Banffy, and was thrilled to see volumes 2 and 3, which I snapped up as I’ve never seen  any of them in bookshops before. Perhaps I just go to the wrong shops. I also picked up The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop by Lewis Buzbee as I’ve never been able to resist books about books.

The Terror by Dan Simmons is about two ships which formed part of Sir John Franklin’s 1845 expedition in search of the North-West Passage. The ships are trapped in the ice, but there is something out there…….

Finally I succumbed to the recommendations of many others, including the Book Panel on Simon Mayo’s radio programme and bought What Was Lost. I’m looking forward to finding out whether it meets expectations.

It’s a bit of a horror and fantasy month as you can see, but a little variety as well. Now I just have to find the time to read them all!