The A to Z April Blogging Challenge 2013 is almost coming to an end. Did you enjoy it? I’m co-hosting it on Amlokiblogs, so drop me a comment there if you have something to say about the challenge itself. On this blog, I’ve been featuring mostly indie-published book excerpts for all of April. I love reading, and supporting author-friends, and this is a good way to do both.
Today, for U, I give you an unusual horror novel: 100 Unfortunate Days by Penelope Crowe. According to Penelope, it is “a daily account of the inner thoughts and musings of a woman with a very different and possibly mad point of view. It is written in diary form, and each day depicts her thoughts—some are dreams, some gripes, some opinions and some rants”.
Elevator Pitch: Warning: This book might not be for you.
It is dark, creepy, and written like a diary. Not for the faint of heart.
If you stumbled upon the diary of a stranger you might be compelled to read. If you stumbled upon the diary of a madwoman–how could you turn away?
Excerpt:
Day 23
Once there was a little girl. She went into her grandmother’s special cabinet and took out all the scarves. Some were bright pink with gold coins sewn to them, some were square and some were rectangular, one had the bright eyes of many foxes, but all were silk. She knew the scarves were magic, and she brought them outside with a basket of clothes pins. She hung the scarves on the weeping willow tree in the back yard all around the low-hanging outside branches, and formed a beautiful house with windows and a big door that opened and closed.
As she clipped the last pin to the last scarf the house filled with gold furniture, and the fox jumped off the scarf and became her pet. She could hear music in her head and could light fire with her fingertips. She looked up into the night sky and she knew how old the stars were. Her eyes were the clear green of the ocean and she did not have to blink. She knew all the languages of the world, and as she lay on the ground the earth swallowed her. It held her as she slept and in the morning she left her scarf house with the fox and went in to the woods. She took her pocket knife and carved her name in a tree that grew the wood that would someday form her coffin. She cut her hand on the knife and her blood dropped on the ground.
A crow flew down from the sky and landed at her feet near the blood. “Go home,” it said and flew away. She followed a trail of poisonous mushrooms deeper into the woods and fell to her knees at the sight of the moon in the distance. She closed her eyes and went home to her silk house. Her parents missed her very much, and her grandmother was not even mad anymore that she played with her scarves without asking. But she did not know this, and she did not miss them. She cut the lemon tart that was her breakfast and picked raspberries from the bush next to the weeping willow tree. One day she missed her parents and she went home, but they did not know her…she was not a little girl any more.
Day 33
There are days when I can find nothing good in the world and I hate everyone.
Day 34
I may have the ability to kill people or things with my thoughts. I think I’ve done it several times.
Are you a horror fan? Would you buy this book?
Thanks Kristen! It is creepy and dark–perfect for certain–too weird and freaky for others. I’d love to know what you think if you read it.
XO
Totally creeped out now! Looks like a great read!
#atozchallenge, Kristen’s blog: kristenhead.blogspot.com
Very intriguing read,stopping by from atozchallenge
Leslie from http://Chipsofftheoldblock.blogspot.com
Thanks for stopping by!!
Going to check out your stuff too. 🙂
XO
Pen
I have the ability to kill people with my words, and I do it almost daily!
Most definitely a fan of horror.
Love this post,
Nice to meet you via the A to Z Challenge
Ha Yolanda!
I have found a kindred murderer! Keep up the good work and thanks for stopping in–funny comment. 😉
XO
Pen
This was such a unique read; I’ve read the book in its entirety and couldn’t put it down. I highly recommend the works of Penelope Crowe. I’m a beg fan!
Thanks Brooklyn! So glad you liked it.
XO
Thanks for stopping in!
Pen
I read this a while back – it’s definitely haunting and, perhaps, best consumed one dark, demented day at a time (rather than the way I gobbled it up in a few sittings). 🙂 If you’re ready to stare into the dark, 100 Unfortunate Days is the way to go. (But bear in mind – sometimes, the dark stares back.) 😉
Some Dark Romantic
Thanks Mina!
Glad you stopped in–especially since you read it.
Amazon does not have the catagory of DARK MEMOIR–how would YOU catagorize this book–help!
And did you think it was scary??
Love to know your thoughts. XO Pen
Scary and disturbing. Very, very disturbing. I can see how it’s tricky to categorize, though I’m not sure dark memoir fits, exactly, seeing as it’s fictional. (It is fictional, right?????) 😉 Off the top of my head, I might say it’s psychological horror. Or, you know, life. 😀
Hate and darkness make for interesting writing and reading. It’s hard for me to read about hatred, though mad people make for very interesting characters.
Thanks for stopping in!
It is true–anger and hate are very powerful and fun to read SOMETIMES–but tough to stomach in large amounts. 100 Days is not all hate–it is mostly madness and a descent into depression and a lack of reality at times.
Hard book to catagorize.
XO Pen
So very intriguing! I hate horror movies, but maybe a book won’t be that scary…will it?!!
Interesting read ,will definitely procure the book.
Thank you!
I will be interested to know what you think Sharmila!
Glad you came by.
XO
Pen
I think this is beautifully written. She brings out into the open with a deft hand, our dark archetypal fears whether for our selves or of others. So far I don’t think I would put it in the horror genre..
Susan Scott’s Soul Stuff
Our archetypes shape us and are too often ignored.
Thank you so much for your lovely comment–it made my day and me want to explore what you write also. 🙂 May I suggest a book called Women Who Run with Wolves–it is gorgeously written and talks about how we as a gender have diminished our wild natures for far too long. Thank you for stopping by. XO Pen
Wow! Think i might have to add this one to my wish list 🙂
xx
Thank you Vikki!
Those words will always thrill me. XO
Glad you stopped by–
Pen
Mysterious – yet I’m intrigued.
Thanks Renee!
Always interested in comments from other writers–I LOVE the feedback.
Glad you stopped in.
XO
Pen
I’m thinking about buying it and yes horror fan in the house.
Thanks Sheena-kay!
I am always nervous and interested when people tell me they may read it. I hope you like it if you decide to read it–it is ….ODD!!
XO
Pen
Not a book I think I’d enjoy. The challenge has been great fun, I’m enjoying visiting blogs which I never would have found before and meeting lots of new people.
This is really a terrific blog–I agree!
Glad you stopped by.
XO
Pen
Yes, that is somewhat creepy…..but interesting…..If I like it…..does that make me crazy too??
Oh no!!
Just the fact that you question it leads me to believe you are quite sane. 🙂
Fun comment!
XO
Pen
While dark and creepy is not my thing, I like the concept behind the book.
Thanks!
And it IS dark–
XO
Pen
I’m not a fan of horror at all! But the scarf house bit really grabbed me. I could see it so clearly and it’s beautiful. I liked up until the part where she went back home but I suppose I would have to stop there. I think the part that I have read so far is far better than any fairy tale I have ever read. It’s all so imaginative! So unusual and different. I love the picture of the earth holding her while she slept.
Thank you thank you. XO
The book is hard to fit…not really horror, although some say there are scary parts. It is dark and psychological.
I wish I could list it is a DARK MEMOIR.
Thank you for the lovely comment.
XO
Pen
Haunting is the word that comes to mind. I read a fair mix of books, horror included, and will add this book to my to-read list.
Thank you Christopher–I hope you enjoy it.
As you can probably tell from the blurb it is dark.
xo
Pen
Creepy and cool!
Thanks so much.
I love the dark side of life–find a strange comfort there.
XO
Pen
Day thirty-four was creepy.
Thank you for reading Alex!! Day 34 was part of a dream I had when I was very young. It was clear as a bell and remember waking and not being able to discern reality for a bit. I love creepy.
Thanks for the comment too.
XO
Pen