My All Hallow's Read by Steve Feasey (author of the Changeling series)

At the beginning of the month I blogged about Neil Gaiman's fantastic All Hallow's Read idea. Judging by the number of times it is getting mentioned on Twitter it sounds as if the 'tradition' is really taking off this year, especially over in the US. My All Hallow's Reads gifts have been dispatched to various households around the UK, and I know that many others have been doing the same. Perhaps we can make this just as big on this side of the Atlantic over the next few years.

What would you All Hallow's Read be? Changeling author Steve Feasey has kindly joined us here on The Book Zone to tell us about his choice.

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The book that I’m going to recommend for All Hallow’s Read is Falling Angel by William Hjortsberg. I read this book while on a caravanning holiday with my family when I was about 14. I was reading a mixture of books at the time, and I thought this would be the perfect thing to bridge the gap between my love of horror and my newly blossoming liking for crime thrillers.

During the holiday, my family would often go to the club on the caravan site, and having seen my mother do the Birdy Song dance once was enough to make this teenage boy decide to boycott the place for the remainder of the stay. I found myself alone in the caravan with Hjortsberg’s book. To say the experience of reading it alone there, with the sea wind rocking the entire structure back and forth, added to the fear the book instilled in me would be the understatement of the century!

It’s a brilliantly written novel, and having seen the film adaptation, Angel Heart, since reading it, I was extremely glad that the book came to me before the film. Written in a Chandleresque, hard-boiled detective novel style, the basic premise is that a private eye is hired by an enigmatic and sinister client to find a missing person. The investigation quickly turns into a living nightmare as our hero, Harold Angel, gets drawn into a world of dark forces that he can’t even begin to understand.

The twist at the end is, for those who haven’t seen the film, simply brilliant.

Not an easy read, but well worth the effort for lovers of dark fiction.

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Spooky Reads For Hallowe'en

'Tis Hallowe'en tomorrow and I thought it would be a little remiss of me if I didn't highlight some of the great spooky reads that I have had the pleasure of reading over the past year or so. Naturally, the books I discussed this time last year are still must-reads for all young horror fans, and you can read about them here. And if you're not a horror fan, or have read them already, why not give one as an All Hallow's Read.


Department 19 by Will Hill

In a secret supernatural battle that's been raging for over a century, the stakes have just been raised – and they're not wooden anymore.

When Jamie Carpenter's mother is kidnapped by strange creatures, he finds himself dragged into Department 19, the government's most secret agency.

Fortunately for Jamie, Department 19 can provide the tools he needs to find his mother, and to kill the vampires who want him dead. But unfortunately for everyone, something much older is stirring, something even Department 19 can't stand up against…

I do not think I will ever get tired of shouting about just how brilliant this action horror story is. If you have not yet discovered it then where have you been hiding since April? The sequel, The Rising, is out next March - I wonder how many times I will have re-read this by then?

Dancing Jax by Robin Jarvis

At the end of a track, on the outskirts of an ordinary coastal town, lies a dilapidated house. Once, a group of amateur ghost hunters spent the night there. Two of them don’t like to speak about the experience. The third can’t speak about it. He went into the basement, you see, and afterwards he screamed so hard and so long he tore his vocal cords.

Now, a group of teenagers have decided to hang out in the old haunted house. Dismissing the fears of the others, their leader Jezza goes down into the basement… and comes back up with a children’s book, full of strange and colourful tales of a playing-card world, a fairytale world, full of Jacks, Queens and Kings, unicorns and wolves.

But the book is no fairytale. Written by Austerly Fellows, a mysterious turn-of-the-century occultist, it just might be the gateway to something terrifying…and awfully final. As the children and teenagers of the town are swept up by its terrible power, swept into its seductive world, something has begun that could usher in hell on earth. Soon, the only people standing in its way are a young boy with a sci-fi obsession, and his dad – an unassuming maths teacher called Martin…

Robin Jarvis is a legend and this is just the latest in a long line of outstanding books by him. He doesn't really see his writing as horror but Dancing Jax will hit you on a psychological level and haunt your thoughts for weeks afterwards. I had the pleasure of meeting Robin at a HarperCollins bloggers' tea last week and it is hard to believe that such a nice man could write such scary books. If you have not yet read his Tales from the Wyrd Museum trilogy then make that a priority as well - the books are in the process of being re-released and every one of them is a great scary read.

Long Lankin by Lindsey Barraclough

When Cora and her little sister Mimi are sent to stay with their elderly aunt in the isolated village of Bryers Guerdon, they receive a less than warm welcome, and are desperate to go back to London. But Auntie Ida's life was devastated the last time two young girls were at Guerdon Hall, and now her nieces' arrival has reawoken an evil that has lain waiting for years.

A haunting voice in an empty room ... A strange, scarred man lurking in the graveyard ... A mysterious warning, scrawled on the walls of the abandoned church . . . Along with Roger and Peter, two young village boys, Cora must uncover the horrifying truth that has held Bryers Guerdon in its dark grip for centuries - before it is too late for Mimi.

An old-school ghost story that is guaranteed to scare your socks off. I know a number of other bloggers who have struggled to sleep after making the mistake of reading this one at night.

CRYPT: The Gallows Curse by Andrew Hammond

Meet Jud Lester: Star agent with CRYPT, the Covert Response Youth Paranormal Team.

When a crime is committed and the police are at a loss, CRYPT is called in to figure out whether something paranormal is at work. Jud is their star agent.
Jud, unwillingly paired with new recruit Bex, has just landed his biggest case yet ... people have been disappearing in mysterious circumstances while others are viciously attacked - yet there are no suspects and a complete lack of hard evidence. The only thing that links each attack is the fact that survivors all claim that the culprits were 17th century highwaymen.

Can Jud and Bex work out what has caused the spirits of these dangerous men to return to the streets of London before they wreak more death and destruction?

This is the first in a series from debut YA author Andrew Hammond and comes packed with some great action scenes as well as enough gore and horror to keep fans of the genre salivating for more.

The Shadowing: Hunted by Adam Slater

Its head was a mass of wet, gleaming veins and cartilage, muscle and teeth - a face without skin or form. The creature held Callum's gaze with its unblinking eyes. And then the hideous face changed. Every hundred years the gateway opens between their world and ours. The hunt is on. No one is safe. The Shadowing is coming . . .

Another 'first in a series' book and I loved it. What's more, the sequel, Skinned, has already been released and is even better and scarier than the first book.

Rot and Ruin by Jonathan Maberry

Nearly fourteen years ago a freak virus swept across the world turning those infected from the living into the undead. Benny Imura has grown-up never knowing anything different; his last memories of his parents tainted by the image of them becoming zombies. Now Benny is fifteen, and his brother Tom wants him to join the "family business" and train as a zombie killer. The last thing Benny wants is to work with Tom --- but at least the job should be an easy ride. Then the brothers head into the Rot and Ruin, an area full of wandering zombies, and Benny realises that being a bounty hunter isn't just about whacking zombies. As he's confronted with the truths about the world around him, Benny finds his beliefs challenged and makes the most terrifying discovery of all, that sometimes the worst monsters you can imagine, are human...

If you like zombie stories then this is a must buy for you. If you don't like zombie stories then this is still a must buy - yes it has some gory moments, and the occasional swear word, but it is much more than a horror story - it is a tale about two brothers working together to overcome a great evil, and a fantastic study in what makes us human in a world gone crazy. I have not yet read the sequel, Dust and Decay, but I can see it on my shelf screaming "read me or else....".

Blood Ninja by Nick Lake

Taro is a boy from a coastal village in rural Japan, fated to become a fisherman like his father. But in just one night, Taro's world is turned upside down - and his destiny is changed forever. Skilled in the art of silent and deadly combat, ninjas are the agents of powerful nobles who rule sixteenth-century Japan. So why did a group of these highly trained assassins creep into a peasant's hut and kill Taro's father? And why did one ninja rescue Taro from their clutches, saving his life at enormous cost? Now on the run with this mysterious saviour and his best friend Hiro, Taro is determined to learn the way of the ninja to avenge his father's death. But if they are to complete their perilous journey, Taro must first evade the wrath of the warring Lords, decipher an ancient curse, resist forbidden love - and come to terms with the blood-soaked secrets of a life lived in moonlight.

I can't believe I didn't include this is last year's list of Hallowe'en recommended reads. Ninjas + Vampires + Samurai = lots of bloodsplattering win! I have just read the sequel, Lord Oda's Revenge, and it is just as good, and even more gory, then the first book. Watch this space for my review.

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If you love your horror then I hope there is something there that appeals to you. Have a great Hallowe'en!

Second Blogoversary (with Bumper Hallowe'en Book Giveaway to Celebrate)

The Book Zone (For Boys) is two years old today. It has been another year with some incredible highs, but also one or two lows where I have almost packed the whole thing in due to the pressures of work. I look back over the past year and I am still disappointed when I see months where I couldn't write as many reviews as I wanted to, and I feel like I have let down some of the incredibly generous publishers who sent me books around that time. I guess this is a feeling I will have to get used to though as writing this blog has become almost like an addiction and I'm not sure I could pack it in for good. maybe it is time to find someone else to  give me a hand?

As ever, my huge thanks go to the authors and publishers that have made this past year so enjoyable again by keeping my supplied with books and taking the time to answer my interview questions, as well as to the other bloggers out there who have been a constant source of inspiration and guidance. However, (and please forgive me for repeating the words I used twelve months ago) my greatest thanks go to the readers of this blog, whether you are boys, girls, parents, teachers, librarians, book lovers, or a combination of the above - thanks you for reading and I hope you will stay around for another year at least.

As a special birthday celebration I have a fantastic prize up for grabs, and as it is nearly Hallowe'en it just had to be horror related. I have been sorting through my books and seem to have a number of double copies, and so one lucky reader of The Book Zone could win the following:

Department 19 by Will Hill (signed copy)

Dancing Jax by Robin Jarvis (signed copy)

The Dead Ways by Christopher Edge

CRYPT: The Gallows Curse by Andrew Hammond

Long Lankin by Lindsey Barraclough

White Crow by Marcus Sedgwick

The Dead of Winter by Chris Priestley

Crawlers by Sam Enthoven
Birth of a Killer by Darren Shan


and possibly more. I am going to continue adding to the list as I sort out more books from the piles around the house.

To be in with a chance of winning all of these books just fill in the form below by the competition deadline of 8pm GMT Friday 28th October 2011.

Contest open to UK residents only.
Neither the author or I will not be held responsible for items lost in the mail.
I hold the right to end a contest before its original deadline without any prior notice.
I hold the right to disqualify any entry as I see fit.
I will contact winning entrants for their postal address following the close of the competition. Winners have 48 hours to reply. Failure to do so in this time will result in another winner being randomly selected.

All Hallow's Read

Image from www.allhallowsread.com

What book will you give as an All Hallow's Read?


With less than four weeks to go until Hallowe’en I thought now would be a good time to bring this great ‘tradition’ to your attention as I am sure that many of my UK readers at least may not have heard about it. I am a huge, huge Hallowe’en fan and love the way it is celebrated in the US, and it is a shame that as a nation we don’t manage to do it in quite the same way over here. Thus, I was really excited when I read about All Hallow’s Read, and decided that it was something I would definitely be doing, and encouraging others to do, this year. 

All Hallow’s Read is the brainchild of Neil Gaiman, writer of one of my all-time favourite books, Neverwhere, amongst many, many others. His ‘modest proposal’ first saw light of day on his blog here and soon afterwards another website was set up to bring the idea to a wider audience. The principle is a simple one: in the week of Hallowe’en, or on the night itself, you give someone a scary book. That’s it. Brilliant isn’t it?! You can never have too many excuses to give people books in my opinion. The books don’t have to be new, this is more about ‘making a holiday tradition of book-giving’. I have a feeling this is going to grow and grow in the coming years, and I am already following the buzz on Twitter with the #allhallowsread hashtag.

As well as encouraging my work colleagues to take part I have also emailed a number of the authors and publicity people who have been so good towards The Book Zone over the past two years and hopefully I will be able to tell you what some of their All Hallow’s Reads would be, but in the meantime I have already decided on the books I am going to give to friends and relatives this year (yes… books plural, why limit it to just one?). Amongst them will be:

Long Lankin by Lindsey Barraclough

One of my favourite books of this year and a truly chilling read to boot. It may have been written as a YA book but this one will be going to a horror-loving adult and I know it will terrify her, and she will love me for it.

‘Salem’s Lot by Stephen King

I came very late to horror and even later to the work of Stephen King. My good Twitter friend Lara suggested 'Salem's Lot as the ideal place to start. To say I loved it may be a little odd as I felt creeped out almost from the very first page, and it plagued my thoughts for several weeks afterwards, but for me it is one of the best horror books I have ever read.

Department 19 by Will Hill

Still my favourite book of 2011, a copy of this will be winging its way to my godson who loves action and horror. My other godson totally loved this book and keeps on asking me when the sequel is due out.

Mr Mumbles by Barry Hutchison

The first book in his brilliant Invisible Fiends series and perfect for my godson’s younger brother who is just beginning to show an interest in the horror genre.

Scream Street: Fang of the Vampire by Tommy Donbavand

I mustn’t forget the boys’ younger brother of course, and Tommy’s books are simply the best way to introduce kids to the classic movie ‘monsters’. If you have not yet discovered the Scream Street books and you have a 7+ year old boy then try Fang of the Vampire on him, and then be prepared to buy the next twelve books in this series.

and, of course, one of my lucky friends will be receiving a copy of Mr Gaiman's book The Graveyard Book. There is a reason this book has won so many awards - it is simply brilliant!

Unfortunately I only have so many pennies in the bank so I will also be scouring my local charity shops over the next couple of weeks looking for other classic or unusual horror books that will then find themselves with unsuspecting new owners come Hallowe'en.