http://articles.paperbackandaudiobooks.com/rss.xml A blog about paperbackandaudiobooks.com daily 365 1901-01-01T00:00+00:00 http://articles.paperbackandaudiobooks.com/?a=36098 <p>by Gregg Hall</p><p>As a child, I couldn't read enough mystery books to satisfy my appetite for a good story. Nancy Drew's mystery books graced my mind first and became my first drug of choice. Thanks to those lovely school book drives, Mom started me on a habit that I still engage in today. That series haunted me, calling me, asking me to find more to give me that mystery fix. The Bungalow Mystery, The Mystery at Lilac Inn, the Haunted Bridge, it didn't matter which ones I had read, I just had to find another story to challenge my brain. <br /><br />In my teen years my fixation of mysteries advanced to mystery/horror stories, or what I viewed as more mature mysteries in general. I still remember when my eighth grade teacher had us read And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie. I thought that teacher was a goddess. Best of all, these books wouldn't let me sleep out of sheer terror, so I never went to bed before finishing the book I was reading that evening. I embraced these books, despite their insomniac qualities: The Mephisto Waltz, The Amytyville Horror, and even the Exorcist passed through my fingers at one time. <br /><br />Mystery book hounds each have their own favorite author, but all will recognize the classics. Some recommend Agatha Christie books above all others, and then those who have just picked up the bug might direct you towards Sue Graton. Those who like those freaky medical mysteries will steer you in Mary Higgins Clark's direction or Jonathan Kellerman's way. And while I consider myself a true mystery junkie, my tastes have grown to appreciate the detective and crime books in the literary world as well. John Sanderford, Stephen King, and even Sydney Sheldon have put out some great books along with many other authors. <br /><br />The mystery genre continues to grow. Thanks to mystery junkies like myself who recommend great mysteries to the unknowing and innocent readers in the world, mystery books will remain a solid genre for decades to come. New authors like Martin O'Brian, Craig Johnson, Melissa Swaim, Janet Evanovich, and Martha Grimes have made their names known in the mystery genre. Sites like MurderbytheBook.com also keep the genre alive by utilizing their independent sales skills to recommend great literature. <br /><br />Since the inception of the mystery genre decades ago, the term &quot;mystery&quot; has grown in scope dramatically. It now includes those crime dramas and medial mysteries. Bilbiophiles will leave room for other types of books to leak into the mystery genre like suspense, thriller, and even suggestive works. Obviously in the end, the reader makes the final choice. It just depends on how much creepiness you can tolerate and sleepless nights you can endure.</p><h3 class="popup">About the Author </h3><p>Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Florida. Find more about this as well as audio books at <a href="http://www.paperbackandaudiobooks.com/">http://www.paperbackandaudiobooks.com</a></p> 2006-10-18T00:36-04:00 http://articles.paperbackandaudiobooks.com/?a=36097 <p>by Gregg Hall</p><p>Candy corn, popcorn balls, and caramel apples along with pointy witch hats, sinewy spider webs, and fluttering ghosts all embody my favorite time of year. The smells, sounds, and tastes that surround Halloween have always drawn my attention. I can't wait for that one night of the year when children dress up in their favorite costumes and parents parade them around from house to house. <br /><br />Kids' eyes gleam with excitement as they bravely ring the doorbell and then scream out, &quot;Trick or Treat!&quot; And of course the receiving party has a gift to fill their plastic pumpkin pails. Some people these days freak out about Halloween, but I see it as pure fun. I enjoy every second of it with my son. He can't wait to hear the same Halloween stories over and over again in the same ghoulish voices that I procure. <br /><br />Reading stimulates imagination and creativity, and that's why I love reading to my son. He absolutely loves the voices that I create to accompany each character and the descriptions that pour from the pages and out of my mouth. He closes his eyes to imagine the scenes and soak in every detail. Some people might enjoy films, but with books, a person can gain so much more than just dumbly sitting in front of a box.<br /><br />Instead he exercises his brain, forcing himself to imagine the scenes and the action in the story. Films don't offer the same excitement because they already show the scene and the action. And a viewer doesn't even have to use his mind. How boring is that. Books flex the mind muscles. My son doesn't need to let his mind grow dull, and that's why I love reading to him, and why he loves when I read to him. <br /><br />R.L. Stine writes some of the best Halloween books that I've read thus far. His spine-tingling tales fill our bookshelves. I know for sure that these books have made an impact when my son opts to listen to a story instead of watching his favorite program or play a video game. <br /><br />Thanks to technology, we don't have to spend days trying to find the perfect book for Halloween. Instead we can just search the internet for the best thrills-and-chills story. Online bookstores have become especially helpful for finding just about any book a person could want. Classic tales like Washington Irving's The Legend of Sleepy Hollow can find their way to your house with just a couple of clicks and a credit card. And before you know it, you'll be hearing your own kids beg you to read them a story as well. <br /><br />The online bookstores offer not only variety, but competitive prices. Many times they will reference other stores with used books for much cheaper, so if you're not looking for a brand new book but just an old familiar story, you can save a bundle by shopping online.</p><h3 class="popup">About the Author </h3><p>Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Florida. Find more about this as well as paperback books at <a href="http://www.paperbackandaudiobooks.com/">http://www.paperbackandaudiobooks.com</a></p> 2006-10-18T00:32-04:00