September is almost here and that means it’s time to prepare for one of my favourite reading events: Readers Imbibing Peril (better known as R.I.P), which is hosted this year by Capricious. The idea of R.I.P. is to spend September and October reading books from the following categories:
Mystery, Suspense, Thriller, Dark Fantasy, Gothic, Horror and Supernatural.
There are different levels to choose from, including a one-book option for those readers who don’t want to commit to too much. As usual, I am signing up for Peril the First, which means:
Read four books, any length, that you feel fit (our very broad definitions) of R.I.P. literature. It could be Stephen King or Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Shirley Jackson or Tananarive Due…or anyone in between.
The challenge is now in its thirteenth year; my first R.I.P was R.I.P V in 2010 and I haven’t missed one since! I usually end up reading more than four books that fit the R.I.P. categories and although I don’t make a list and rigidly stick to it, I do like to put together a selection of possible choices.
Here are some of the R.I.P-ish books I have on my TBR:
The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell was a birthday present from my sister in May, but I haven’t read it yet as I’ve been saving it for R.I.P. I’m sure it will be perfect.
The Craftsman by Sharon Bolton is one of the books I put on my 20 Books of Summer list and haven’t managed to read (I think 15/20 is the most I can hope for this summer). I love Sharon Bolton’s books and still have one of her others, Blood Harvest, to read as well.
A Gathering of Ghosts is Karen Maitland’s latest novel and I have a review copy which I really need to read soon.
Jezebel’s Daughter by Wilkie Collins is the only book on my Classics Club list that looks suitable for R.I.P.
Bleeding Heart Square by Andrew Taylor would also count towards my What’s In A Name? challenge – a book with a shape in the title.
And I already have Thunder on the Right lined up for September because Mary Stewart will be featuring in Jane’s Birthday Book of Underappreciated Lady Authors.
I loved The Strangler Vine by MJ Carter, so The Printer’s Coffin is high on my list for this year’s R.I.P.
So is The Sussex Downs Murder by John Bude, a British Library Crime Classic which will be my first book by Bude.
I also want to read Cruel as the Grave by Sharon Penman, the second book in her Justin de Quincy mystery series.
The Case of the Gilded Fly by Edmund Crispin is one of the books I’m considering for the upcoming 1944 Club, and possibly an Agatha Christie as well.
I often read one of Alan Bradley’s Flavia de Luce mysteries during R.I.P. and Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mew’d is the next one in the series.
And having read Allan Massie’s Death in Bordeaux last year, I would like to read Dark Summer in Bordeaux soon too.
~
Those are just some of the books I could decide to read – I do have more on my TBR, so don’t be surprised if you see me reading something I haven’t mentioned here. I like to have plenty of choice!
Will you be taking part in R.I.P. this year? Have you read any of the books I’ve listed above?
She Reads Novels 
Jezebel’s Daughter is great, as is the Edmund Crispin – happy reading! :))
That’s good to know. As I’ve enjoyed other books by Wilkie Collins and Edmund Crispin I have high hopes for both of those. 🙂
These all look fun! I’ve never joined in with R.I.P. before but perhaps I will…
I love the R.I.P. challenge. It’s fun just making a list of possibilities, even if you don’t actually read any of them!
I flipping love lists. Probably too much.
I’ve read The Sussex Downs Murder and the Flavia de Luce. I should think about whether I have anything coming up that could fall into these categories.
I hope you can find something that fits. I’m looking forward to reading the Flavia de Luce, although I was slightly disappointed with the previous book in the series.
Yes, I think the series goes downhill as she gets older, and I stopped reading it.
I’ve read and enjoyed the Mary Stewart, Alan Bradley and the John Bude book. I’ve never done this reading event – yet.
It’s one of my favourite reading events as I always have plenty of books on my shelves that fit the categories and autumn seems like the perfect time to read them. I’m glad you enjoyed those three books.
I have too many other books lined up already (needing to be read and reviewed for the providers of said books) to participate, but I think next year I”ll try and arrange to have a lighter load at this time so I can be in on it! I love horror and goth!
I’ve only read two on your list; “The Silent Companions” is excellent and creepy as heck; “Thrice the Brindled Cat Hath Mewed” is very good but not scary to me at all. It was my first Lucia de Flava novel and so I didn’t know her back story at all, which I think took some of the enjoyment out of the novel. At some point I plan to remedy that lack!
I love RIP, so I hope you’re able to take part next year. I’m looking forward to The Silent Companions, but I’m worried that it will be too creepy for me! And no, the Flavia mysteries aren’t very scary at all – I like them for the characters and the 1950s setting. The earlier books in the series are better, in my opinion.
Great list! I haven’t read any of them but would like to read nearly all of them! I have a copy of The Craftsman but doubt I’ll be able to fit it in in the next couple of months, but I’m hoping to read lots of spooky short stories this autumn – I have some lovely new anthologies to choose from! Enjoy – and remember to shut your windows at night so the monsters can’t get in… 😉
I was planning to read The Craftsman for my 20 Books of Summer challenge but haven’t had time, which is maybe a good thing as it’s probably more of an autumn read than a summer one anyway. Enjoy your spooky short story reading!
Ooo I was thrilled to see your post in my email list Helen, as I have so been looking forward to another R.I.P 😀 Good luck and happy eerie reading! You look like you have some great books to choose from. I am going to make my own list and post now, and it is very likely it will also include Karen Maitland’s A Gathering of Ghosts. 🙂
Thank you! I’ll look forward to seeing your list and I hope we both enjoy A Gathering of Ghosts. 🙂
I think Bleeding Heart Square is probably Taylor’s best book. I will be interested to see what you make of the Sharon Bolton though. For ninety percent of it I thought she was back on form after some pretty poor books; then I hit the ending!
I’m not sure why I still haven’t read Bleeding Heart Square as I’ve enjoyed all of Andrew Taylor’s other historical mysteries. I’ll have to make it one of the first books I pick up for the R.I.P. challenge. You’ve got me wondering about the ending of The Craftsman now!
Thanks for the list. The only one I have read is Thunder on the Right. Coming up in the next month or so I have Flight of a Witch by Ellis Peters and The Glass Cell by Patricia Highsmith. I think both would fit the category.
I haven’t read either Flight of a Witch or The Glass Cell but I’m sure both would be perfect R.I.P. books. 🙂
I have The Silent Companions to read in December; I moved it to year’s end hoping that if Warlight and The Overstory are shortlisted for the Man Booker, I would have read them.
You sound very organised. I hope we both enjoy The Silent Companions!
I’m so excited for RIP!! I read The Silent Companions for the event last year and really enjoyed it. Hope you do too!
I’m glad to hear you enjoyed The Silent Companions! I’m looking forward to it.