Monday, October 31, 2011

Happy Halloween!

In honor of the spookiest day of the year, we've collected a few of the staff's memories of books that had them checking under the bed at night. Have you ever been spooked by a story? If not, there's no better night to have the hair on the back of your neck raised!

"When I was younger (middle school) I was really into Stephen King’s short stories. But I couldn’t read his novels because they were too violent. That kind of encounter scared me more than one with ghosts or unseen creatures. Probably because by that age I understood just how violent the world really was and how that type of brutality could really happen. Now, I can’t pick up a scary book. The most creepy thing I read is US Weekly!"
-Beth Chandler, Marketing Manager

"When I was in an education class in college, I had to read a Fear Street book. The elementary ed students had to read a Goosebumps book, which didn’t seem fair at all. I wasn’t jealous of the word count or reading level—I was afraid that R.L. Stine’s YA line might be too scary for me. Somehow I made it through the book in the end, even if I had an elevated heart rate the whole time."
-Jennifer Gravley, Publicity Manager

"Growing up, my mom wouldn't let me read the Goosebumps series (see Jennifer's post) because she knew I'd get too scared. By the time I reached middle school, though, I had autonomy over my book selection. I wanted to read a thriller, so I picked out a Mary Higgins Clark novel and it definitely delivered. I can remember looking over my shoulder and double checking the locked doors for quite a while after finishing it. I guess that goes to show you that mother knows best."
-Emily Ronco, Publicity Intern