by Sophie
The American Women’s Club of Amsterdam (AWCA) is a vibrant and diverse group of over 300 women, ranging from newcomers to long-time residents of the Netherlands. They embrace life abroad while staying true to their American roots, and strengthen the bond between the Netherlands and the United States through public outreach, activities, and cultural events.
One such activity is reading, and lots of it! Every month the AWCA plans to highlight several books around a central theme, which we’ll share with you right here on the ABC blog as AWCA Page Turners. Because we love it when people are passionate about their reads, and no one’s TBR is ever big enough!
October theme: Oh! The Horror!
The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones
This book is so good and so scary that you could miss the important story it tells about the foundation of the US. The story unfolds on two timelines — 2012 and 1912 — tensely revealing the massacre of Blackfeet, the simultaneous destruction of the buffalo, and the repercussions of all this murder in the modern US. – AWCA member Jana B.
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
This is the book that perfected the haunted house genre. The characters stick with you and you’ll never be quite sure where the evil came from. Light a candle, get under a blanket, and enjoy the season. – AWCA member
A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay
This Bram Stoker Award winner is the perfect mix of domestic novel and abject terror. It’s another book where you aren’t sure if the haunting is real, but in the end, it doesn’t really matter. – AWCA member
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
A classic for a reason! Reading Oscar Wilde for the first time is a revelation; his prose, his unmistakable style, and that brilliantly sharp and hilariously savage wit are unmatched. Oscar Wilde’s dark masterpiece follows a vanity-driven aristocrat who remains flawlessly young while his painted portrait rots in the attic from the sins of a secret life. Short, fast-paced and spooky, this book is a cautionary tale of self-obsession, exploring the terrifying cost of pursuing endless pleasure while expecting zero consequences. – AWCA member Jill D.
