Gothic Reading Challenge

While searching for a list of gothic romance novels, I came across an intriguing challenge -- Gothic Reading Challenge. I must give this challenge the credit for ultimately pushing me to create my own blog -- a definite challenge for a newly married, graduated lady on the move, literally. In the next two months I will be relocating to the Midwest, but 8 hours in the car should allow plenty time for reading, right?

Back to the challenge at hand. I recently read Jane Eyre for the very first time. I was almost offended that no teacher had required me to read this exquisite novel being that both my undergraduate and graduate degrees are in English education. Jane Eyre is one of the best books I had ever read. EVER.  Hungry for more scenarios like those in this novel, I began hunting for my next gothic novel. I was super excited to find one sitting in my very own living room. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield is a novel I have been aching to read over the past few years. School did not permit me to read as many outside novels as I normally would. Therefore many of the books I will begin blogging about will be novels that have accumulated on my To Be Read list. I must confess that it is very appropriate that I am just now able to fit this novel into my reading schedule because if I had read it earlier, I would have not been able to fully enjoy and understand the references to Jane Eyre.

Although I am joining this challenge late, I have read two gothic novels this year, and I am currently reading a third, The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova.

Here is the info:

There is nothing better than a great Gothic read - crumbling old castles, mysterious legends, shadowy characters, supernatural beings and unexplainable events, make for some of the most haunting and captivating reading imaginable.

There are four levels of participation to choose from:

A Little Madness - Read just 1 novel with Gothic elements.

The Darkness Within - Read 5 novels with Gothic elements.

A Maniacal Frenzy - Read 10 novels with Gothic elements.

Mad, Bad, and Dangerous to Know - Read 20 novels with Gothic elements.

MY GOAL: 20!!