Home Reads #03 – Maplecroft

Lizzie Borden fights Cthulhu with an ax.

That’s the elevator pitch for Maplecroft by Cherie Priest. I’ve had this book in my house since before it came out. I got an ARC last… August maybe? Something like that. I keep picking it up and then not reading it because I’m scared.
I mean… Lizzie Borden vs Cthulhu. That’s intense. And I like to sleep at night. Sometimes. At any rate, I have to get up very early every morning to go to school and read to small children (it’s a hard life.) So, reading something that is going to freak me right out is not the smartest thing to do.

But… it’s Lizzie Borden! I love Lizzie Borden and I realize that that’s a slightly creepy thing to say, but… Ok, fine, I’m slightly creepy. I am, after all, wearing a skirt with skeleton illustrations from antique anatomical texts today. And I told everyone at dinner Saturday that I loved teenagers because it was so easy to tell how old they were… from their bones. So, I’m a weirdo. And I love Lizzie Borden. Which reminds me, I need to go watch that Lizzie Borden TV movie with Christina Ricci.
Anyway! Maplecroft is essentially based on the premise that yes, Lizzie did kill her father and stepmother, but she had a really, really, really good reason. I’m only five chapters in so far, but it’s riveting so far. I’m also looking forward to the sequel, which just came out a bit ago. Chapelwood is set here in Birmingham and is based around a very odd murder that happened here just at the turn of the twentieth century.
I’ve also just done an interview with Cherie that will should be up on the Little Professor site. So, have a peak at that if you want to. ^.^
What’s your favorite scary story?