Horror Films With Great Sequels

Posted on September 18, 2026September 1, 2026 by Sydney Anderson

Believe it or not, it’s almost October, and if you’re a horror fan, that means you’re probably already thinking about all the scary movies you’re going to watch. Today, I thought I’d take the opportunity to explore an underappreciated niche of the horror genre: the truly great sequel. If horror movies have been unfairly maligned until quite recently, horror sequels have had it even worse. I thought it would be fun to take a stand against the stereotype by showcasing some films that were later followed up by sequels that are, in my opinion, just as good or better than the originals. Interestingly, both of these stellar sequels happen to work as standalones – it’s not necessary to watch the original in order to follow the plot or to appreciate the movie as a whole. Maybe that says something about the importance of creating something that can stand on its own, even when making a sequel. That being said, seeing the original of course always helps. As such, I’ve presented both sequels alongside the originals that inspired them. Enjoy!

Cloverfield

Definitely dating myself here, but I remember the mystery surrounding Cloverfield’s release. Nobody knew what the movie was about, or even what the title meant – and of course, that only made everyone eager to find out. I didn’t have the opportunity to see Cloverfield in theaters, but I got it on DVD not long after, and I think I was just as surprised as everyone else by the movie we got – a fusion of found footage horror and alien invasion disaster film, in which a group of friends’ scramble to survive an extraterrestrial attack on New York City is captured on a personal camera. Those two genres might not sound like they go together on paper, but think again. Alien invasions are an old trope, but Cloverfield makes that idea scary again by narrowing the focus. By placing the audience alongside a single group of characters and limiting what we can see to what their camera can capture, Cloverfield makes us feel the terror of their helplessness in the face of the unknown. Cloverfield took audiences by surprise and revitalized two genres everyone thought they knew backward and forward, and even now, there’s still not really any other film like it.

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Adult, Fiction, Historical, Horror, LGBTQI+, Thrillers

Found At Book Club

Posted on July 31, 2026July 29, 2026 by Sydney Anderson

Sometimes, I feel silly that I took so long to join a book club. I think since I have a somewhat idiosyncratic taste in books, I was afraid that joining a book club would entail reading a lot of books I disliked. Not only was I wrong, I was missing the entire point of being in a book club. In a book club, even if you end up disliking the selection, you still get the satisfaction of venting about why you disliked it. This is just one of the ways book clubs turn the normally solitary activity of reading into a social one, and I think the value of that really can’t be overstated. I’m also happy to report that since I started attending the Sheboygan County LGBTQ Alliance book club, I’ve liked or loved far more of the selections than I’ve disliked, and many of the ones I’ve loved the most were books I probably wouldn’t have picked up otherwise. Unfortunately, there are too few hours in the day and too few days in the week for me to get involved in all of the amazing book clubs you can participate in through Mead Public Library. We have book clubs for readers interested in mysteries, nonfiction, readers who want to make art based on what they read, and so much more. Consider this blog post a snapshot of the amazing experiences I’ve had with a book club, and an invitation to try one that matches your interests and see what you might discover.

Affinity by Sarah Waters

Sarah Waters is famous for two things: her beloved trilogy of historical novels portraying the experiences of lesbian women in the Victorian era, and her mastery of the art of the plot twist. Affinity delivers in both departments. The story follows Margaret Prior, a woman struggling with a stifling family environment and severe depression, and her relationship with Selina Dawes, who is serving time in prison for conducting fraudulent seances, one of which led to the death of one of the participants. Since Margaret is, as far as anyone knows, a law-abiding gentlewoman, her visits are intended to aid in Selina’s moral rehabilitation. However, as the pair become closer, Margaret becomes captivated by Selina’s magnetic presence and convinced that her abilities as a medium are entirely real. Affinity is probably the most underdiscussed of the Victorian Trilogy, possibly because it’s easily the bleakest and most pessimistic in tone. At times, it reads like a descent into the psychological underworld – and I devoured every page of it. If you’re craving a merciless historical thriller that never lets up for a moment, complete with a tragic gut-punch of an ending, Affinity is your book.

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Fiction, Horror

What’s Scared Me Lately?

Posted on May 15, 2026May 14, 2026 by Sydney Anderson

Being a horror fan is weird sometimes. Every so often, I’ll finish a book or a movie that was well-crafted and thematically compelling, but for all that, just wasn’t scary – and there’s just no replacement for those shivers up your spine, that urge to look over your shoulder, that sinking feeling in your stomach. The books I’m going to talk about today don’t have that problem. Though they represent many different subgenres and settings, every single one of these books gave me the genuine creeps, and I mean that as the highest compliment. Let’s get started!

Helpmeet by Naben Ruthnum

I’m fascinated by the thematic depths that can be found in the very best works of body horror. These stories delve into how unfair it is that our bodies and those of the people we love are fragile and finite, and into what might lead a person to embrace a metamorphosis that others perceive as “horrifying”. Naben Ruthnum’s Helpmeet unites all of these threads of body horror into a novella made of emotional dynamite. Set amidst the restrictive backdrop of the 19th century, Helpmeet is told from the perspective of Louise Wilk, a former hospital worker who caused a scandal by marrying a man of a higher social station. Since then, Louise has endured the infidelity of her husband Edward and the scorn of society at large. When her husband contracts mysterious disease that eats away at his body bit by bit, Louise becomes his primary caretaker. Louise believes she is about to watch her husband die, until she discovers that what is taking place may not be a disease at all, but rather a metamorphosis for both of them. The characterization in Helpmeet is just as masterful as the body horror, inviting the reader at every turn to sympathize with these deeply flawed characters. This is a book that stayed with me long after the final page was turned.

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Adult, Staff Picks

Adventures in Reading (March 2026)

Posted on March 27, 2026March 12, 2026 by abbiebourelle

Books are amazing. Just think-in reality a book is a rectangle of bound paper covered in printed words. Yet this simple object and the words within allow the reader to be transported to different times, fantastical places, and situations you would never interact with in the real world. Dear reader, did you know that the brain actually thinks you are experiencing what you are reading? If you are experiencing something in real life or just reading about it, the same areas of the brain are active. Article link: (https://www.oedb.org/ilibrarian/your-brain-on-books-10-things-that-happen-to-our-minds-when-we-read/) How cool is that! Books really are portals that allow us to escape our everyday lives and engage in a world that is completely different.

In the past month my reading journey has taken me to the cold extremes of the polar north, a planet inhabited by dragons and dragon riders, a decaying cemetery ship in the void of space, and the darkness of our own human mind. Join me, dear reader, as I share these journeys with you in my reading recommendations list for this month.

The Terror by Dan Simmons

I have a small spot reserved on my bedroom bookshelf for my ultimate favorite books. (The other books are ordered by genre and series). It is very unusual for me to add a book to this shelf of ultimate favorites. The book had to have some meaningful impact on me. It had to make me think or capture my imagination in a way that completely obsessed my thoughts. Dear readers, this book: The Terror, has joined the ranks of The Princess Bride, The Phantom of the Opera, The Lord or the Rings, and The Symphony of Ages series on my special shelf of beloved books.

“The men think it is no animal,” says Fitzjames. “They believe its cunning is something else, is preternatural, supernatural, that there is a demon out there on the ice in the dark.”

The Terror is a fictional retelling of The Franklin Expedition. Dan Simmons uses historical fact and Inuit mythology to weave a tale of survival, courage, betrayal, and (of course) terror. As if starvation, bitter cold, and disease were not enough for the stranded crews of the ships Erebus and Terror to contend with; they are also stalked by a mysterious creature that lurks out on the ice. Despite the dire circumstances, the crews of both ships show remarkable strength in their battle for survival. They face trials within and without dealing with mutinous and murderous crew members, scurvy, negative degree cold, starvation, and disease. Through all of this turmoil they are constantly hunted by “the thing on the ice”, a cunning creature that they suspect to be supernatural in origin. The characters were very real and well written. I felt attached to all of them-even the villainous ones. The setting was breathtaking and the author does well making you feel that you are in the far north in all of it’s icy beauty. The horror scenes were rewarding. Honestly, I loved the creature as much as the crew. The mayhem it caused was so much gory fun.

Why this book ended up on my favorites shelf is because it has unlocked an obsession in me about The Franklin Expedition. As soon as I finished The Terror I went and compiled a list of all kinds of non fiction books about the real people and the real expedition. I have a lot to read through and am looking forward to it. The Terror delves deep into matters of the spiritual, especially towards the end. It was truly a book that captures the mind. It will live within me forever.

If you find you enjoy the book, it was also made into a TV miniseries that we also have on DVD. It was really well done!

Click HERE to request The Terror

Click HERE to request The Terror DVD miniseries

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Adult, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror

Great Speculative Fiction from 2025

Posted on January 9, 2026January 7, 2026 by Sydney Anderson

It’s that time of year again! Last year, I surveyed a sampling of the years’ greatest sci-fi, fantasy, and horror. You can read that post here – all of those books still come highly recommended. Now the time has come to do the same for the new releases of 2025. The same caveat from last year applies: I’m only one person, I can only read so many books in a year. Therefore I couldn’t possibly include every amazing new speculative fiction release from the past year, no matter how much I might like to. I’d also be remiss if I didn’t point out that 2025 has been an absolute banner year for horror, and this list leans a lot more towards that genre than last years’. With the preamble out of the way, let’s get started!

The Works of Vermin by Hiron Ennes

In the city of Tilliard, opera is bloodsport, perfume is politics, and one person can have many names over the course of a life. We view this city through the eyes of Guy Moulène, one of the rank and file of Tilliard’s pest control companies. On a routine job, Guy discovers an insect the size of a dragon – one that may be even more dangerous after it’s slain. Guy’s story entwines with that of Asteritha Vost, perfumer to Tilliard’s elite. When Aster becomes entangled with Mallory vont Passant, a newcomer to Tilliard with a past shrouded in mystery, she unearths secrets that may shake the city to its core – that touch upon the past of her ruthless employer, Grand Marshal Maximian Sorav. As a work of horror fantasy, The Works of Vermin is no less than the total package. Tilliard’s atmosphere of rotten beauty is pitch-perfect, calling to mind Jeff Vandermeer’s Ambergris and China Miéville’s New Crobuzon. Innes also delivers on pacing and plot – there’s a sequence of plot twists about three quarters of the way through that literally made my jaw drop. Prospective readers should definitely exercise discretion about content, as this story goes to some extremely dark places. That said, it’s also suffused with some welcome macabre humor: when things get that bad, sometimes there’s nothing to do but laugh. The Works of Vermin was a privilege to read, a book over four-hundred pages that I wish was longer. If Ennes ever wants to return to the Tilliard setting, I’ll happily come along, bugs and all.

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Adult, Fantasy, Horror

Let’s Get Gothic

Posted on November 7, 2025November 4, 2025 by Sydney Anderson

October may be over, but I don’t think there’s ever a bad time to recommend something gloriously grim. When you’re craving the decaying splendor and unspeakable secrets of a gothic novel, nothing else will do. Each of these selections puts a unique contemporary spin on the gothic genre, and all will be an excellent accompaniment to the cold days and long nights coming right around the corner.

The Death of Jane Lawrence by Caitlin Starling

Jane Shoringfield is aware that her hasty marriage to Dr. Augustine Lawrence is highly irregular. Dr. Lawrence insists upon certain unusual rules – particularly that Jane never set foot in Lindridge Hall, the Lawrence family’s ancestral home. But when Jane finds herself with no choice but to break her husband’s prohibitions, she realizes her marriage comes with more than she bargained for: magical secrets and the very literal ghosts of Augustine’s past. In The Death of Jane Lawrence, Caitlin Starling has deftly crafted a gothic novel that feels like the classics while speaking directly to what modern readers want. At first, this book appears to be a fantasy-influenced homage to gothic mainstays, such as Rebecca and Jane Eyre. But gradually, alongside the heroine, the reader comes to realize that this is in no way the story that they were expecting. The ending was one of the best twists I’ve had the pleasure of reading this year. Naturally, I wouldn’t dream of spoiling it.

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Film, Horror

Just Some Good Horror Movies

Posted on October 24, 2025October 9, 2025 by Sydney Anderson

There’s nothing like watching a scary movie when fall is in the air. Every year, horror buffs look forward to the countdown to Halloween, when it’s socially acceptable to binge-watch as many horror movies as you want, and even the squeamish might give the genre a try. Today’s list isn’t complicated. It’s just a selection of horror films, all available at Mead, that I really liked, and that I hope you’ll like too. One quick note: these are the preferences of a long-time horror aficionado – viewer discretion is advised for all of these selections. With that out of the way, let’s get started!

Stopmotion

Stopmotion follows Ella, creative assistant to her mother Suzanne, a celebrated stop-motion animator. Ella yearns to find her own artistic voice, but she’s been smothered by Suzanne’s personal and professional mistreatment. When Suzanne’s health takes a turn for the worse, a mysterious young girl begins to haunt Ella. The apparition encourages her to abandon her mother’s unfinished film and tell a different, very macabre story. Ella thinks she’s found her chance to come into her own – until the film begins to haunt her. Stopmotion is a brilliant work of psychological horror – I was literally on the edge of my seat by the end. I really appreciate how the film doesn’t overexplain itself. It’s left up to interpretation whether the haunting represents Ella’s abusive upbringing, the toll of her devotion to art, fear of mortality triggered by her mother’s failing health, or something else entirely. Furthermore, the stop-motion animation sections of the film impress, both on a technical level and in scare factor. Stopmotion is a good story well told, capable of sending shivers up a jaded horror buff’s spine, and it absolutely deserves a place on your watchlist.

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Film, Horror, Uncategorized

Vampire Cinema

Posted on September 19, 2025September 16, 2025 by Sydney Anderson

In my opinion, it’s never too early to start thinking about the scary movies you’re going to watch in the lead-up to Halloween. Vampires are having a bit of a moment right now, so there’s no better time to explore the history of one of the most iconic and enduring subgenres of horror cinema. Unfortunately, it would be pretty much impossible to cover the entire history of vampire movies in a single blog post: there are just too many great ones! So, with the acknowledgement that any short list of vampire movies will also necessarily be an incomplete one, I’d like to use this space to talk about a few of my favorites. Let’s get started!

Bram Stoker’s Dracula

Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel Dracula is indisputably the grandfather of the modern vampire story, and I thought for a while about which of its’ many, many cinematic adaptations should go on this list. Should I spotlight F.W. Murnau’s Nosferatu, the loose adaptation of Dracula that invented the vampire film genre as we know it today? Or should I highlight the legendary performance of Bela Lugosi? How about Christopher Lee? While those are all great options, in the end I decided on this 1992 adaptation by Francis Ford Coppola. Forget what you’ve heard about Keanu Reeves as Jonathan Harker, because this movie also features excellent performances from Gary Oldman as Dracula, Anthony Hopkins as Van Helsing, Winona Rider as Mina Harker, and Tom Waits (!) as Renfield. This take on the story departs from Stoker’s novel in that it explores the idea of a potential romantic connection between Dracula and Mina Harker. No matter how you feel about the adaptational changes to the original story, this film is undeniably stylish. With Coppola’s directorial touch, a haunting score by Wojciech Kilar and gorgeous Oscar-nominated costumes by Eiko Ishioka, Bram Stoker’s Dracula is nothing short of an unforgettable cinematic experience .

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Adult, Horror, Mystery, Staff Picks, Thrillers

Thrills and Chills: My July Thriller and Horror Reads

Posted on August 22, 2025August 6, 2025 by abbiebourelle

I have found that while I read a bit from just about every genre under the sun, I tend to go through what I like to call “genre phases”. Last year I was in quite the science fiction phase and the bulk of my reading was focused in that genre. This summer has seen me in quite the horror and thriller phase. Like a ravenous undead beast I have found myself devouring whatever dark tome I can get my hands on. The following recommendations are books that I have digested over the month of July. Please, enjoy the menu!

Dead Silence by S.A. Barnes

S.A. Barnes is a wonderful author that skillfully blends the genres of science fiction and horror. In this particular novel we find ourselves with a scrappy crew of astronauts who work at the outer edges of explored space repairing communication relays. They are due to return to the company soon and be shipped off to different assignments. Before that can happen, they follow a strange distress beacon to a discovery that embroils our crew in a decades long unsolved mystery.

The Aurora was one of a kind. No ship was built like it before or since. It was supposed to be the Titanic – but in space: a state of the art cruise vessel for the rich and famous. It disappeared years ago and no one alive knows what happened to it. Hoping that the find will bring them fame and fortune, our crew boards the Aurora. The scene aboard is one of blood and violence. What happened on the Aurora that drove the passengers to their doom? Are there survivors lurking on this ghost ship? Read Dead Silence and prepare for a wild ride full of jump scares and horror worthy of a big screen movie. This is exactly what I want when I pick up a horror novel!

Click HERE to request Dead Silence!

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Adult, Fantasy, History, Horror, Music, Mystery, Staff Picks, Teen & Young Adult, Thrillers, Uncategorized

Abbie’s Recent Reads for July

Posted on July 18, 2025July 5, 2025 by abbiebourelle

Dear readers, welcome back and thank you for letting me share with you the books that I have been enjoying. As usual, I delight in a diverse range of genres. This month’s reads come from the genres of non fiction, fantasy, and horror. I greatly enjoyed reading these titles and I hope one of these catches your eye!

FantasticLand by Mike Bockoven

A shout out to my fellow librarian, Aubrey, for recommending this title is in order. Thank you Aubrey! If you are looking for a book that stays with you long after the closing page, this one is it! It has been a week or so since I finished this book, but I still find myself thinking about it. Dear reader, this book is a work of fiction, but it could very easily be set in the real world present day. FantasticLand is a theme park in Florida built by an eccentric billionaire. What sets FantasticLand apart is that it is designed to be many mini theme parks in one. There are different sections of the park. All are designed to be their own unique world. There are places like The Pirate Cove, The Fairy Prairie, and so on. Everything is great until a super hurricane hits. In theory, the staff that stay behind to care for the park should be fine. There is enough food and water for everyone. Dear reader, if that were the case we would not have a story. What results is something that resembles a slasher movie as the young people trapped in the park turn on each other. Each faction fights for dominance as supplies dwindle. The sordid tale is told from the point of view of interviews with those who made it out alive. Only the survivors can tell the tale of what REALLY happened inside FantasticLand. What keeps me thinking about this book is that this is no ordinary slasher. It poses psychological questions about the effects of phone addiction on our young population. Yes, it is a fiction, but it makes one wonder.

Click HERE to request FantasticLand!

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