Recommended Reading: Shane's Picks

Kris and I are book gluttons. We inhale books, gorge ourselves in stories and bathe in all their glory, so it's only natural that we share some of our favorite works with you:

• "The Gold Bug" (or pretty much the complete works) by Edgar Allan Poe
• Coraline by Neil Gaiman
• Fear Hall: The Beginning and Fear Hall: The Conclusion by R. L. Stine
• Black Hole by Charles Burns
• Masterpieces of Terror and the Supernatural Selected by Marvin Kaye
  
• Grimm's Fairy Tales
• Sharp Objects: A Novel by Gillian Flynn
• The Best American Erotic Poems from 1800 to the Present Edited by David Lehman
• On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King
• The Poet's Companion by Kim Addonizio and Dorianne Laux
• On Writing Horror Edited by Mort Castle
• Zombie Haiku by Ryan Mecum
• Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
  

Man, I could go on. Those are a few off the top of my head. For my full list, please visit my Web site. I'll continue to update them as I continue to read. What are your favorite books? Do you like any of the books on my list? What do you look for in a good book? (Personally, I'm a sucker for characters. If the character is believable, you can put them in any situation--even if it sucks.)

Next time I'll give you my favorite short, horror stories. But until then, sing along with me: "Butterfly in the sky..."