Horror Books

This book was always keeping me interested, not just about Laurie Jenkins but about Joanna and Penn. This book keeps you guessing until the last page and makes you crazy for wanting to read the sequels. If you love a book that has a mix of romance and mystery than you will love this book because it has all of that and more.

This trilgy of stories is the reason I love to read so much! I remeber back in 7th grade, I picked this book up on a whim, and I couldn't put the darn thing down until I read every single word! I highly recommed this one, as well as the other two in the series.

Walking through my local bookstore one afternoon in December (lots of years ago) I found this book on a dusty old shelf.. and decided to buy it.. This normally isn't the kind of book I would grab but I was delightfully suprised.. I couldn't put this book down.. I read the whole book in 48 hours.. I would HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone wanting to read a suspenseful novel without blood and gore.. This book will definitely keep you on the edge of your seat. I haven't read the 2nd or 3rd in this series but I am expecting them soon. . . . .

Joanna just moved to live with her father in a new place where she doesn't know anyone. When she starts to fit in with a certain group she learns that this group has a secret. While falling in love with Penn, a member of the group, she doesn't realize how much trouble she is getting herself into until it is too late and she already knows their deep and dark secret.

After her parents' divorce and her mother's emotional breakdown, seventeen-year-old Joanna goes to live with her father in a small North Carolina town. Joanna learns a girl her age, Laurie Jenkins, dissapeared a few weeks ago. Joanna meets four of Laurie's friends, Penn, Casey, Stephen, and Tessa. Because she is in love with Penn, she ignores her growing suspicions about the group. But she better start trusting her instincts, or she could end up like Laurie - or worse. I highly reccomend this series to teens who enjoy thrillers. It was a very exciting page-turner.

The title of this book is Strange matter toy trouble by Marty M.marty ray barns jr..it is a fictional fantasy and is volume 13#in the strange matter series.I would suggest this book 5#,6# graders.I liked this book a lot it was a very good book.

I'm with everybody else. This is the best series of "scary" books ever. It's way better than Goosebumps.

This book is one of the best books I've ever read and so are all the other StrangeMatter books. I am suprised that they aren't as popular as Goosebumps and I think that Strange Matters might be better than Goosebumps. Everyone who likes horror books should read this and every other Strange Matter book if they like Horror books. Overal Strange Matters and Engles & Barnes rule!!!!! and they should make more books and put their website back up.

I think this is a great book for young readers. There is no killing, but the main characters get hurt. This is definitely the best book I have ever read.

This was my first Strange Matter book that i read. It was awesome especially when Karen was talking to the 8 ball and the jester scared the (...) out of me. Strange Matter books emit emotions and have that wierd feeling that you want to read more.
Ive been looking for years for Engle And Barnes. These are better than Goosedumps.

Unusual Destiny is a firmly gripping tale that can suck you right in. Well-written and well-paced, it's difficult to set this book down. Not neccessarily the ideal book for children, it might put a chill down your spine. But that's what good horror is for, and this is good horror.

This is the second release of Unusual Destiny, and this edition has a much nicer cover design and a much more attractive cover price. Highly reccommended for horror lovers, or anyone wanting a read off the beaten path.

This version is currently out of print, but as the book did sell well, some bookstores still have inventory. To get to the newer Aventine Press Editon of Unusual Destiny, please click on "All Editions." You may have to click on "See More Product Details" to see this clickable link. Thank you for patience. Diane J. Newton

I thoroughly enjoyed the on-the-edge quality of Unusual Destiny.
I read it in bed with all the lights on, and my 38 special under the pillow. Reading between two worlds is the kind of experience devote's of this genre will enjoy. I have only one question for Ms Newton: When can we expect a sequel?

A must read for the serious mystery fan. Anna is a tough talking, street smart investigative reporter with a demanding editor who wants everything yesterday. She refuses to be intimidated by strange people and strange events, which interfere with her getting the story. Along the way she meets a handsome stranger who makes her heart flutter and an elderly lady who warms it. A rich feast for lovers of suspense.

I was captivated by the adventures of Anna Freeman. The paranormal activity in this page turner kept me in suspense until the last page. A GREAT read.

The stories in this book are dark. They also run the range of disturbing, creepy, sweet, stark, touching, and horribly beautiful. Though some stories are stronger than others, really, every one of them is a winner. Fans of dark sci-fi hit the jackpot with this collection.

This is an amazing book! It's social relevant and very interesting, exploring both science fiction and humanity. If English classes read books like this more kids would be true reading die hards.

Pelland speculates about the future and cuts to the core of the human soul with a collection of story that should be required reading.

Wow. I was blown away by this collection. It kept me turning pages long into the night. Each story got better and more intriguing than the last. Not for the faint of heart, a dark look at human fears, motives and a thoroughly thought provoking ride. Can't wait to see what's next.

UNWELCOME BODIES is the perfect blend of science fiction and horror, a walk through futures alternately beautiful and hideous, with characters we can see, hear and yes, touch. Pelland's clear, concise style draws us in without distraction and twists on a single note. Much like its striking white cover, this collection is something far different than the usual fare. I will definitely be looking for more of Pelland's work in the future.

[...]

One of the author's primary motifs is isolated environments. One of her primary themes is isolated souls. She handles both of these very well over the course of this collection. Whether looking at college-age and twentysomethings discovering the depths of their strange new worlds, or limning hopeful-but-precarious connections in desperate futures, the stories are generally very involving. "Captive Girl" fully earns its acclaim, and several other pieces here aren't too far behind.

There is not much plot to Vegetation. It is a tale of the vengeance taken against Bertram Luce for the murder of his wife, pure and simple. Except that the avenging party is not a bereaved family member, is not even human, but rather happens to be the collective flora of the world. Even so, it is apparent from the start exactly where Vegetation is headed.

So the pleasures of Vegetation do not lie in intricate plotting, although the plants devise many clever means of attack. Rather, the fun -- and there is much fun to be had -- comes from two sources. First, there is author Mark LaFlamme's dry, darkly humorous writing. LaFlamme's omniscient narrator is almost another character in the novel, stepping in to further belittle Bertram and almost giving a voice to the plants who, of course, are unable to actually speak for themselves. For example, when Bertram feels wronged by a bank teller early in the novel, he longs to drive away dramatically after verbally harassing her. But as the narrator makes clear, Bertram is not quite up to the task: "He was so angry, he even considered squealing his tires to add exclamation to his dissatisfaction. Sadly, he did not know how it was done." And again, the narrator laughs with us (and with the plants) in setting the stage for another floral assault in Bertram's own bathroom: "Two things he learned very quickly: the rigid, pointed leaf of a Mother-in-Law's Tongue was as capable of piercing flesh as a combat knife. And a cactus does not belong in the bathroom."

Vegetation's other amusement, while perhaps more base, is no less genuine. For Vegetation is a novel for those of us who can admit that, on some level, we enjoy seeing evildoers suffer. Sure, some might argue that finding amusement in the torment of another, regardless of whether that person can be said to "deserve" his fate, only deadens the soul and begets more violence. And perhaps those people are right. But regardless of whether it is ennobling, the desire for vengeance is powerfully present in the human psyche. Watching it played out, even (or perhaps especially) in a fictional context (where no one is truly harmed), can be very cathartic. And seeing the pompous, amoral Bertram Luce increasingly harassed by the plants -- the novel makes clear that they are proponents of playing with their victims -- on the road to his ultimate punishment is, to be frank, emotionally satisfying.

But Vegetation actually is not quite so simplistic. LaFlamme goes out of his way to give us the background of Bertram's wretched childhood, so we can better understand the man (and the murderer) he grows up to be. As a result, we are not allowed the unfettered glee of uncomplicated justice. We know how Bertram came to be a monster, and so, even while applauding the plants' revenge, we also sympathize with the boy he used to be.

Yet LaFlamme's sympathy for Bertram, in turn, also is not quite so simplistic. LaFlamme comments on one occasion (after an incident during which Bertram has been brought especially low) that, if Bertram could only maintain the fleeting feelings of empathy and contrition he has been forced to experience, the plants might back off of their retribution. Bertram, however, is incapable of real change. So perhaps we are meant to understand that Bertram is beyond redemption after all, and that his punishment truly is deserved. I don't know if there is a right answer. But I credit Vegetation for being smart enough to raise the question, and nimble enough not to let it detract from the novel's overall fun.

I read the Pink Room, so when I found out that Mark LaFlamme had another novel out, I promptly whipped out the credit card, then waited by the mailbox. The excitement spent on waiting for this book was not wasted because this book was worth every penny! Just like the Pink Room, Vegetation had me on edge from the first page to the last. Yes, LaFlamme has done it again and once more, I'm impressed. A man who has murdered his plant loving wife and the plant kingdom is after him for revenge? Now that is genius! And these plants are unrelenting as their pursuit of the main character, Luce, intensifies by the page. The things these plants do to him will have you giving any form of vegetation some cautious glances. The part that affected me the most out of this novel was when Luce was in one of his countless violent battles with the plants, and he was fighting with an African violet. "The African violent, still anchored to it pot, was...pulling itself across the floor." The visual it gave me was stunning, vivid, and quite unsettling. Vegetation had my adrenaline pumping and I loved it. Thanks for another good read, Mark LaFlamme!

Cosmic justice has many faces, and this time it has the face of plants...

For egotistical, arrogant Bertram Luce, life couldn't get any better. He's a famous author. He's rich. He lives in a gorgeous mansion and drives luxurious, expensive cars. Oh yes, and he's also gotten away with murdering his kind, plant-loving wife. That is, until the world of vegetation decides to avenge her death and make him pay; and pay he will, in the most bizarre, unusual way possible...

In the beginning, Luce believes the strange incidents to be coincidences, but it's not too much later when he realizes the 'accidents' he's been suffering have a lot more to do with premeditated acts than with mere chance. But is he going insane? For how can a tree branch or an orchid mean him any harm? Is there such a thing as a unified, vegetative consciousness? Or is this simply his own guilty conscience playing tricks on his psyche?

Vegetation is an unusual, enjoyable read, one filled with bizarre and sometimes downright hilarious scenes. The writing is crisp and vivid and the pace flows well. In spite of the attacks of plantlife on the protagonist being a bit repetitive at times, the author keeps a strong sense of suspense and, to be fair, it takes ingenuity to create so many segments where Luce is attacked by the various plants and flowers. Since the protagonist is such an unsympathetic character, the reader will perversely enjoy all that befalls him until the very satisfying, surprising ending.

LaFlamme continues to prove his talent and skill as a horror writer. His first novel, The Pink Room, which I also had the chance of reviewing, makes for compelling reading as well.

---Mayra Calvani, The Dark Phantom Review

After watching most of my plants die from my black thumb over the years, I am not sure I'll ever be able to own another live plant again after reading Vegetation. What a SUPERB read. I was lured into this from the very beginning and couldn't wait to see what would happen to Luce next. It was like a roller coaster for Luce that we all got to ride along with him. Brilliant writing, must like LaFlamme's first book, Pink Room. Keep them coming, I can hardly wait for the next book to come out.

or whatever it is that plants use to kill people.

The plot line is simple: rich, successful, arrogant Bertram Luce kills his wife and gets away with it. Bertram's wife was an important environmentalist. Like all of us, Bertram was surrounded by plants, all in his case intent on vengeance for her death.

LaFlamme did intensive research on the plant kingdom, more challenging research he says, than he needed on string theory for his first book, The Pink Room. LaFlamme did his research well. It's astonishing how many ways plants found to exact their vengeance: gardens, trees, food, clothing, you name it, Bertram learns about them first hand.

I read about LaFlamme in a Review by an Amazon Friend. There are no LaFlamme books in the entire 62 library Bergen County system. If this book is any indication, that oversight will soon be corrected.

Robert C. Ross 2008

This should be considered a modern classic. I think I like the book more than my son but he enjoys it as well. I bought a copy for every parent and grandparent I know.

This is hilarious light reading with excellent illustrations.

The conversations we've had with our kids about how they become baby elephants, and vultures, in their manners and behaviour has been a treasure.

A delightful light allegory about growing up and parenting.

I buy this book for my grown kids who are expecting their first "zagazoos" so they'll get a glimpse of what it's gonna be like. Really great perspective from the parents and kids point of veiw.

I love reading this book to my 2 year old because he thinks it is funny and interesting and I chuckle to myself about all the various stages of wild animal that we have yet to experience! It makes me sentimental for the times my husband and I had together before our Zagazoo came along! It is sweet. It is a great book that I will send to all the parents I know.

We took this book out of our local library, and I am now online to purchase 5 or more copies to have on hand to give to all my friends as they become parents. This book appealed to me particularly as a parent, because in a clever and amusing, albeit heartfelt way, it relates the feelings and thoughts a parent experiences as their child grows and develops.

I loved everything about it - the humor, the pathos, the simplicity of the storyline, and the colorful illustrations by Mr. Blake. My child really enjoys it - and he didn't mind my explaining the parts to him he didn't understand - or won't - until he, too, becomes a parent!!

In the vein of Shel Silverstein.

Just great.

Amanda Bynes is my favorite actress. She rocks in this book. So does Penelope. Although, I wish there were more pictures of Amanda in it.

Hi. I had no idea that there was a book on Amanda but I found this on the web and ordered it. It's really phat! I brought it to school and spent the whole lunch hour doing the games with my friends. We were rolling. I hope there's another book on the way! Penelope is great and Jenny Kilgen must be an Amanda fanatic too to write a whole book togethre. GO AMANDA AND MORE BOOKS----PLEASE!

I love the show but this book was totally awesome. The games and puzzles are really fun but the best is getting all the great information on Amanda. Anyone who loves Amanda MUST get this book. It's like bringing the show with you where ever you go. I would definitely buy this for a great stocking stuffer for anyone who loves Nickelodeon and THE AMANDA SHOW.

i love Amanda! i've totally been looking everywhere to find a book on her. i read this book and think it is 'da bomb, so phat, and really cool!

Penelope Taynt amanda bynes's #1 fan tells the story of how she
has loved amanda since she was 1 second old.You will see how much
penelope loves amanda and how she should be amanda's best friend
to why amanda should eat lunch with penelope!Discover what it is like to film a episode of the amanda show to what is in amanda's
garbage to how penelope tries to break up amanda's friend ship
with a girl named Annie.
this book is soo funny and i hope you like it!!

I consider myself an avid reader and have a personal library in my house. A frend tipped me off to this new author and I'm on the edge of my chair waiting for his next book. It is packed with gripping suspense. It's a fast-paced thrill ride. YOU MUST READ THIS ONE.

The strongest element of this story is J.A. Leary's ability to transport the reader to time and place. I've visited the Notre Dame campus for a brief tour when I attended a christening many years ago, but it was nothing compared to the exquisite details portrayed in this mysterious tale. (I confess what made the strongest impression on me was "touchdown Jesus!") But now I want to go back and see the grotto--the setting at the center of The Angel Hunter.

Short chapters weave together the characters--Victoria and her babies, as well as her mother, the FBI agent investigating the disappearance of her twins, the priests embroiled with the history and goings on of the grotto, the doctor looking into the presumed case of postpartum depression to name a few. Leary's disciplined writing is rich in detail and feeling. The story moves forward quickly, laying out the details in a way that makes what is actually a bizarre tale highly believable.

Reading this novel was an interesting departure from a summer filled with memoirs and women's fiction. It was both creative and intelligent and J.A. Leary is clearly a talented novelist. I'm really looking forward to next book.

The Angel Hunter kept me intrigued from the very first page! I am now reading this book for a second time and find so much depth in this novel! The story weaves it's way through so many levels and leaves the reader wanting more! I can't wait for the sequal, or better yet, I can't wait for the movie! J.A. Leary is destined to be an author who will become a household name some day!

I just finished your book. It took me a while to read it, as I had to
stop and think about some of it quite a bit. My comment is WOW! I
have done a lot of reading and am familiar with some of the books you
had mentioned. I also believe the premise that we only "reap what we
sow" in this world of ours. But now I have to go out and get hold of
a couple more so that I can answer some of the questions your book has
raised.

My hope for your book is three-fold. One, I hope everyone enjoyed it
as much as both my husband and I did, two, that it makes people stop and think about their beliefs, and their lives and the world we live in,
and three - that it's a fantastic seller!

Anyway, we both really enjoyed it, and have had a few conversations
about it. I really can't wait for The Tantalus Key.

Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (3/08)

Victoria Hunter has not had a good year. First, her beloved husband dies in a tragic skydiving accident. Shortly afterwards, miraculously, she finds out that she is pregnant with twins. When they are three-months old, she discovers that she has intruders in her home. They are there to kidnap her babies. She fights for them, but there is a strong evil presence involved and she loses them. The evil makes her forget them. When Victoria's mother discovers they are gone, she calls the police. Victoria realizes that there is something wrong, and she struggles to remember. She gets placed in a mental institution. At first they think she has post-partum psychosis, but when chilling events occur, her psychiatrist knows there is something happening on a deeper level.

Victoria is desperate to find her babies. She feels called to Notre Dame in Indiana. There is a grotto there on the campus that is supposed to contain the souls of the damned. The grotto has been breached; a priest there heard their cries and knows that Victoria's babies have passed through. Victoria's creation, and those of her twins, was not the typical one. She has to enter into the grotto to find her children. Entering into this hell-like place, she discovers her inner strength and has to fight the evil trying to suck her in and destroy her.

"The Angel Hunter" is an incredible story. On a scale of 1 to 5, it is a ten. J. A. Leary has done a remarkable job with writing this supernatural thriller. He uses science, psychology, history and a touch of the divine to pull the reader into his world. Many times I found myself with chills and goose bumps as I read. As a supernatural thriller, this is a phenomenal book, yet underneath it all is an even greater message to be conveyed to the reader. The message teaches us about the divine that is in us all, and the pain that comes when we distance ourselves from it. I absolutely loved this aspect of "Angel Hunter," because it made me reach beyond the story to look within myself and where I am at.

In the appendix of "The Angel Hunter," Leary lists books that the reader can use as resources to help with their own awakening. He states that Victoria's story is a journey, "of enlightenment coming through extreme suffering...her pain is something that we can all identify with on some level." I cannot wait to read further books by this author.

This book is amazing. You will find yourself peering at every full-color nook and cranny for days. There are so many historical, book, and film references, you'll find yourself taking endless notes for things to look up later.
If you consider yourself even the slightest of sci-fi/fantasy/horror fans, you will cherish this book.
It is quite a tome, however. Be sure to work up your bicepts before trying to lift it.

First off I think you should know that this wonderful book's 768 pages weigh a bit over ten pounds. It is a reprint of three very popular Collectors Press 20th Century series, Science Fiction, Horror and Fantasy. I bought this copy because I'm interested in visual popular culture and I was very impressed with the historical scope of the subject matter, the 1300 colored illustrations include not only book jackets but covers of magazines, comics and nicely, film posters.

With so many illustrations you can search out your favorites, I like the work of Hannes Bok, Kelly Freas and Jeff Jones and there plenty of examples of their work. Running through all the images the three authors contribute a popular history of each genre but it is the huge collection of covers that make this a knockout book for me.

***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover.

BTW, I bought this big book at a huge discount and I suggest you take the trouble to check the title out on the comparison shopping book websites, you'll be surprised at price variations.

If ever there was a book that's a treasure trove of images and information, this is it. An incredible array of pulp, comic, paperback and other art of 20th century science fiction, horror, fantasy and the like. The production values of this mammoth book are great, with familiar and totally obscure titles shown and explicated. Buy this book!

Being a professional artist, and a mondo horror fan, I was craving to get my pencil smudged paws on this book. Over 700 pages of lavishly illustrated science fiction and horror history. Art of Imagaination brings to attention the works of the great artists who have worked in this field for over a century. Anyone with even a minor interest in thsi subject would find this text a true page turner. Highly Recommended.

This book is a must have for anyone who is creative. If you've lost your sense of wonder, this book will bring it back. You cannot help but be inspired by this fine tribute to the illustrators and art directors of fantastic art. You will not be disappointed buying this book. No cheap black & white stroll through memory lane here. It's a full color journey spotlighting the creative talent of imaginative artists from days gone by to today. High quality paper and binding are the icing on the cake. A tip of the hat to the authors and publisher for such an authoritative volume on a thinly treated subject.

The Barn is truly a spin-chilling, thought provoking and riveting short novel! This book will keep one on the edge of his or her seat and the reader will find it difficult to put down. Suspense is a word that irrevocably holds true in this original masterpiece! I feel that Brandon Swarrow is absolutely a great up-and-coming, new age author. I can't wait for his next!

Coming from someone who doesn't read all that much, this book was great. I read from cover to cover in one sitting without putting it down. Short chapters, great flow and suspenseful. Defintely something i would read again and look forward to reading more from the author.

As a former coworker of Mr. Swarrow's, and a current friend, I absolutely had to read this as soon as I heard about it. I was not disappointed! This book is fast-paced and full of action. No only that, but the underlying theme of family really gives this book a heart! Make sure that you pick up a copy A.S.A.P.! You won't regret it!

66 pages of action-packed thrills and chills! Plan on reading cover to cover when you pick it up, because you won't want to put it down. The tale of Danielle Reese and The Barn will keep you guessing and leave you shocked. This is the kind of suspense thiller that will be retold around campfires until the end of time.

When I first heard that my 11th grade engligh teacher Mr. Swarrow had written and published a book, I was very unsure of how I would feel about it, especailly since I am not big on reading. After purchasing the book I found I was totally wrong. The barn is a true thriller that will send chills down your spine and keep you on the edge of your seat. I could not put the book down because I just had to know what was going to happen next. I was so into it that I actually read the book in one night. If you are someone who enjoys a good scary read, I highly recommend purchasing and reading "The Barn". It it well worth the money and will leave you satisfied and wanting more of Swarrow's future books.