Hi hello ghouls and goblins and welcome to Blogtober day 10! Today, I'll be doing the Horror Film Book Tag created by Royal Reader. I did this tag back in 2020 and had so much fun with it so I'm really excited to be doing it again this year. If you'd like to see my answers and get some fun horror film and book recommendations, feel free to go check out my 2020 post here! Just like last time, I'll be answering each prompt with a book and a film just to add a bit more to the tag. Let's get spooky!
___________________________________________________________________________1. The Zombie Apocalypse
A book you would save when civilization ends
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab. I know, super predictable answer, but I can't help it. This is one of my favorite books of all time and I would absolutely save every copy that I own. Which at this point is, I believe, 15 copies? No, I don't have a problem! This book means the absolute world to me and I would definitely want to have it if civilization were to end. I could read it a million times and still cry and love it just as much as I did the first time I read it.
For a zombie film recommendation, I'm going with Army of the Dead! This is such a hilarious and gory zombie film and holy crap I loved it so much. I've watched it multiple times since it came out in 2021 and it's one that does not get old for me. I'm actually a big fan of Dave Bautista as an actor and I love seeing the different roles that he plays! But this is a really well-done zombie film and one I will continue to watch over and over when I need a bloody good laugh.
2. The Vampire
A book you would stake through the heart (in whatever sense)
Extasia by Claire Legrand. Y'all, this book. It put me in an absolutely horrible reading slump and I was so upset because this was on my most anticipated releases list for this year. It has literally all of the things that I love to read about but for some reason, it just didn't do it for me. I told my mom about how much of a slump it put me in and she wanted to read it and, plot twist, she ended up loving it. I'm wondering if I was just in a bad mindset at the time? This one might be a re-read for me at some point.
If you didn't know, before Buffy the Vampire Slayer was a television show, it was a film! I wonder if I'm showing my age by choosing this as my vampire film recommendation? But I rewatched this recently and it's still just as cheesy and wonderful as it was the last time I watched it! Buffy is so sassy and I love her one-liners, and Pike is a dork and I wish he ended up in the series somehow because he's such a great character. Highly recommend this if you haven't seen it yet! Just be prepared for some really cheesy dialogue and try not to take the film too seriously.
3. The Haunted House
A book that still haunts you
Petrified Women by Jeremy Ray. Now, this book is definitely creepy, I will give it that. But it just so happened that when I was reading this book at 2:30 in the morning, my doorbell rang. That made my soul evacuate my body because the timing could not have been worse. Not only was I creeped out by what was happening in the book, but my doorbell rings in the middle of the night?! This is absolutely cemented in my brain because of that experience and it was both frightening and memorable.
Allow me to introduce you to our lord and savior Florence Pugh and this amazing film that she's in called Malevolent. This is about a group that fakes paranormal encounters to scam people but they get a bit more than they bargain for on their latest trip. But it's so much more than that and I just cannot express how much I love this film. It's beautiful and haunting and it made me ball my eyes out. That may or may not be a positive thing for you, but it absolutely made me fall head over heels for this film. Plus, it has Florence Pugh in it. Need I say more when it comes to her?
4. The Psychological Thriller
A book with a twist you did not see coming
The House Across the Lake by Riley Sager. I'm pretty sure my answer for this prompt in 2020 was also a Riley Sager book so, hey, yay for being consistent, right? I know this one seems to be pretty controversial and a lot of people do not like the ending, but I loved it! I always have a fantastic time reading Riley Sager's books and I'm willing to bet that next year, I'll have his new book here.
I want to scream from the rooftops about how much I love Last Night in Soho, oh my gosh! I finally got to watch this not too terribly long ago and absolutely died over how much I enjoyed it. It was so twisty and weird and I definitely did not see the ending coming at all. I adore Anya Taylor-Joy and she was fantastic in her role. This is one that I could absolutely watch multiple times and catch something new!
5. The Creepy Doll
A book that seems innocent but isn’t
You wouldn't be able to tell just from the cover but The Beast by Katee Robert is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast and is anything but innocent. The whole Wicked Villains series is retellings of Disney villains and is heckin spicy! Definitely nothing like the original stories, that's for sure. But this is definitely one of my favorite series and I absolutely love Katee Robert.
The Boy is a nice refreshing change from your typical creepy doll film! I won't spoil it for anyone that hasn't seen it yet, but I liked the twist that happened toward the end because I definitely wasn't expecting it. And I may like this film more because of TikTok and if you know, you know and I am not ashamed. Maybe a little. But this is definitely a fun creepy doll horror film!
6. The Monster
A book you could barely tackle/defeat (in whatever sense)
House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski. I've seen so many people read this book in 2022 and I just want to ask them how?! I've had it on my shelf for years at this point and I just can't seem to pick it up because it's so intimidating. I want to read it, of course, but I just don't know if I'll be able to get through it, let alone really understand what's happening. And what if I don't enjoy it?!
I know A24 films usually tend to be hit or miss for most people that watch them, but The Monster is definitely a win for me. This follows a mother and daughter as they fight off getting attacked by, well, a monster. On the surface, it's a creepy monster movie but there is so much more to it than just the monster. It's about forgiveness and the bond between a mother and her child and love and it's both heartbreaking and spooky. Highly recommend it if you like a bit of emotion with your horror!
7. The Comedy-Horror
A book with mixed genres that worked (or didn’t)
I think this would be considered a mixed-genre book? I would consider it a mix of urban fantasy and horror because it can definitely get spooky at times! Something from the Nightside by Simon R. Green is one of my favorite books/book series and I'm well past time for a re-read. If you like easy-to-read urban fantasy, this is a series you should definitely pick up!
Another A24 film? Absolutely. I recently watched Bodies Bodies Bodies and oh my god it was hilarious. It was a great mix of comedy and horror and I think it's one of the more well-received A24 films that has come out but don't quote me on that. I loved how bloody it was and I honestly laughed so hard at all of the commentary that was thrown around with the dialogue. Also, the ending was so unexpected and it will definitely be one that I rewatch multiple times because it was so good!
8. The (Cliched) Teen Horror
A book you found super cliched/stereotypical
Tastes Like Candy by Ivy Tholen. Is it cheesy? Yes, absolutely. But it's a great blend of cheesy teen horror and like, you know, actual blood and gore horror. I was really shocked at the descriptions of the kills in this book because I wasn't expecting them to be anything special or gory. I also loved how it was marked as YA but didn't feel like it was YA, if that makes sense. I made this comparison in my review but I really feel like this gives off Scream vibes and that made me enjoy it a lot more!
I feel like Hellfest is a great teen slasher film to pair with Tastes Like Candy! They both take place in a carnival setting and have a masked killer stalking the characters around the grounds. They're also both cheesy but in the best sort of way! This is one film that I go back to constantly because it's a lot of fun to watch, especially around Halloween!
9. The Demonic Possession
A book so gripping you needed an exorcist to escape it
Riding the Headless Horseman by Milly Likovich! I read this pretty much in one sitting and holy crap I loved it. It was so cute, the main character Letta was hilarious, and it was the perfect amount of spice. I will absolutely be reading more from this author and I cannot wait to see what else she writes!
Jennifer's Body is an absolute classic and if you haven't seen it yet, what are you doing?! This is a teen demonic possession film and probably one of the greatest, in my opinion. It's another cheesy one but it has so many quotable lines and it's so funny. It's one of those films that wasn't fully appreciated until years after its release, but it seems to be getting the love that it deserves finally! Also, it has Megan Fox in it so I don't think you need any more convincing beyond that, right?
10. The Science Fiction
A precious book you would permanently sacrifice to aliens for the good of mankind
I have been on a romance kick lately and when I read The Dead Romantics, I wasn't expecting to love it as much as I did. Sure, it was cute, but I had no idea that I would be jumping up and down and literally crying my eyes out by the end. This is easily one of my all-time favorite romance books and definitely on my list of favorites for 2022! I would hate to sacrifice this book but I mean, hopefully, the aliens would enjoy reading it.
Apparently, Underwater is classified as science fiction/horror so I'm gonna take that and use it for this category recommendation! This is probably my all-time favorite creature feature film and if you haven't seen it yet, I highly recommend it if you like that kind of horror. Kristen Stewart is chefs kiss in this and I just love the entire aesthetic and concept that's present throughout this film. I had no idea what to expect when I first saw this so when it got to the ending, I was totally shocked! It's just so well done but if you're scared of being under the water or what's in the ocean, maybe skip this.
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And that does it for the Horror Film book tag! I tried to include some new books and new film recommendations from my previous post so hopefully, you found something new in this post. I'd love to hear some of your favorite horror films so please leave a comment down below and let me know what your go-to is for the Halloween season. Tomorrow is day 11 and I'll be doing the Spooky Scary Book Tag! Thanks for stopping by and I'll scare ya later!
