It’s always tricky asking my friends for book recommendations. Knowing a lot of writers, reviewers and book lovers, I know if I ask for a recommendation I’ll open floodgates of books. I wrote a post about my ‘12 Favourite Books‘ and the minute I posted it I had my friends reminding me of so many other good books I had left off my list!
I spoke about Mildred Hubble and ‘The Worst Witch‘ (written by Jill Murphy) as part of Witch Wednesday yesterday. I really loved those books growing up. It was definitely my first experience of ‘fantasy’ and allowed me an escape into Mildred’s magical world which, although challenging seemed both similar and also more exciting than my own school experience.
I’ve read assorted books by horror authors over the years but recently I seem to have been enjoying short stories. I suppose that running around after a toddler and the other assorted demands mean my time is less (sadly no more Sunday afternoons lost in a book!) and my attention span is definitely shorter. However, there are so many fantastic short story writers out there, and for the purpose of this article, female short story writers.
Luckily for me, Adele Wearing, founder of Fox Spirit Books has always championed female writers and many of the assorted anthologies, including ‘Eve of War’ and the ‘Monsters’ series have been curated by women. Here’s a brief look at a two of my favourite Fox Spirit Femmes.
Chloë Yates: Chloë very kindly agreed to be interviewed as part of my ‘Big Interview‘ series where she spoke candidly of her battle with mental illness. She’s been a staple of a number of anthologies and I’ve always loved her work but it’s probably ‘Tuna Surprise!’ in ‘Under the Waves‘ which has stuck with me. Like all of her work, it’s unexpected, witty, dark and sharply written with a twist at the end.
KT Davies: another victim, sorry interviewee for my site. I raved about her debut novel ‘The Red Knight‘ and have been begging for a sequel. What I love about KT’s writing is her use of language – it’s so varied with a real mix of old English and more fruity swearing as well as her ability to write evocative fight scenes.
As part of their celebration for Women in Horror Month, Mental Floss created a list of 11 Female Horror Writers and I”m ashamed to admit that I’ve not read any of them. Have you? Who’s you’re favourite?