October ScaredyKIT - Real Life Monsters
Forum2021 Category Challenge
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1lowelibrary
This month we are reading about real-life monsters.
Those humans who do such unimaginable things that you cringe just thinking about it.
There are many different crimes to chose from (these are just a few ideas):
Child molesters like Jeffrey Epstein Perversion of Justice
Child killers like Wesley Allen Dodd Driven to Kill
Abusive parents A Child Called "It"
Kidnappings and Captivity My Story, Finding Me
Racially motivated crimes: Lynchings in Oklahoma, The Burning: Massacre, Destruction and the Tulsa Race Riot of 1921 , Killers of the Flower Moon
Homophobic crimes: The Book of Matt: Hidden Truths about the Murder of Matthew Shepard
Genocide: Auschwitz: A Doctor's Eyewitness Account, An American Genocide
Human Trafficking and slavery Sold, Up from Slavery
Poaching Ivory, Horn, and Blood and animal abuse Animal Abuse and Unlawful Killing
Or even
Historical figures like Vlad the Impaler, Infamous Lady (Countess Bathory), Life and Times of Gregorii Rasputin, Laughter for the Devil (Giles de Rais), and Attila the Hun
You can find all types of murderers and serial killers and other real-life monsters in my husband's true crime collection.
2Tess_W
Great kit! I'm going with Trials of Passion: Crimes in the Name of Love and Madness, which has been on my shelf for years.
3DeltaQueen50
I am going to read See What I Have Done by Sarah Schmidt. It's about Lizzie Borden.
4LibraryCin
Don't even know what I'll read yet, but I'm liking the sound of this one!
5luvamystery65
The Search for the Green River Killer by Carlton Smith is on sale at Audible for $5
Ann Rule also wrote a book about the Green River Killer.
Ann Rule also wrote a book about the Green River Killer.
6mstrust
I'll pick The Stranger Beside Me.
7Tess_W
>5 luvamystery65: I've read the Ann Rule version and it was very good.
8VioletBramble
I'm planning to read The Good Nurse: A True Story of Medicine, Madness, and Murder. I'm posting from my fire tablet and it looks like touchstones aren't working.
9LibraryCin
>8 VioletBramble: Sounds interesting from the title. I'll look forward to hearing what you think of it.
10Tess_W
I read Trials of Passion by Lisa Appignanesi which told of 3 trials of those who killed or attempted to kill in the name of love. A fairly good book, even though the author did digress a bit. 444 pages 4 stars
11DeltaQueen50
I have completed my read of See What I Have Done by Sarah Schmidt. This was a very atmospheric, chilling and dark story - perfect October reading!
12lowelibrary
>11 DeltaQueen50: Thanks for the book bullet. This is a Lizzie Borden story I have not read.
13sturlington
November thread is up: https://www.librarything.com/topic/335974
14JayneCM
>11 DeltaQueen50: That is the book I will be reading as well - great minds think alike! I love the cover.
15LibraryCin
I am considering Warren Jeffs a real life monster...
When Men Become Gods / Stephen Singular
4 stars
This is a history of of the Fundamentalist Latter-Day Saints (FLDS) – that is, the polygamous Mormons. It does give an entire history, but focuses on more recent events since Warren Jeffs took over as Prophet. Many women have left the FLDS in the past couple of decades due to all kinds of abuse; as well, many boys have been kicked out. The book was published in 2008, so it ends after Jeffs’ trial for accessory to rape (? something along those lines), with the main witness being Elissa Wall (who wrote “Stolen Innocence” about her life as part of the FLDS). She was the first person to bring charges against Jeffs.
I have read a lot about the FLDS already, so I’ve heard a lot of this. This one, though, gave me more insight into the behind-the-scenes investigating of Jeffs and investigating the issues with abuse (and money) within the community. As usual, when I end one of these books, I need to look up what is happening with Jeffs at the moment – he is still in jail, but he still has followers.
When Men Become Gods / Stephen Singular
4 stars
This is a history of of the Fundamentalist Latter-Day Saints (FLDS) – that is, the polygamous Mormons. It does give an entire history, but focuses on more recent events since Warren Jeffs took over as Prophet. Many women have left the FLDS in the past couple of decades due to all kinds of abuse; as well, many boys have been kicked out. The book was published in 2008, so it ends after Jeffs’ trial for accessory to rape (? something along those lines), with the main witness being Elissa Wall (who wrote “Stolen Innocence” about her life as part of the FLDS). She was the first person to bring charges against Jeffs.
I have read a lot about the FLDS already, so I’ve heard a lot of this. This one, though, gave me more insight into the behind-the-scenes investigating of Jeffs and investigating the issues with abuse (and money) within the community. As usual, when I end one of these books, I need to look up what is happening with Jeffs at the moment – he is still in jail, but he still has followers.
16sturlington
I started the planning thread for next year here: https://www.librarything.com/topic/336260
17mstrust
I'm a third of the way through The Stranger Beside Me. Very interesting but long. I'm trying to finish by Halloween.
18lowelibrary
Late start to the month. Too many funerals. I am reading Tiger, Tiger by Margaux Fragoso. I have always found those that can sexually abuse children to be the worst monsters.
19LibraryCin
Though, ultimately not the focus of the book, Michael Vick is, of course, our real-life monster here.
The Lost Dogs: Michael Vick's Dogs and Their Tale of Rescue and Redemption / Jim Gorant
5 stars
This is (primarily) a look at the rescue and rehabilitation of Michael Vick’s fighting dogs.
It starts off heartbreaking as we get the background of the dogs as they were kept in Vick’s yard. And there is some discussion of the trial, etc, but moreso it follows the investigation into what happened and all the behind-the-scenes stuff as they gathered evidence against Vick and the other men who bred and fought these dogs.
But the bulk of the story follows (some of) the dogs after they are rescued. These dogs, unlike other fighting dogs before them, were not immediately euthanized, There were rescues that came to help with foster homes and sanctuaries to see if they could be rehabilitated and the vast majority of them were. Many found forever homes and some (as of the publishing of the book in 2010) were living in sanctuaries where volunteers continued to work with them. It was hard to read about one of the shelters that took some of them in right away – it’s a rough shelter with not much in the way of amenities.
There are sad parts thrown in as if it’s from one dog’s point of view, as well. Some of the work with the scared dogs reminded me of my volunteering with shy/scared cats, to be honest. The end of the book did a “where are they now?” for both the dogs and the people involved. Of course, “now” was around the time of publication over a decade ago. I realized that none of the dogs are probably living now.
The Lost Dogs: Michael Vick's Dogs and Their Tale of Rescue and Redemption / Jim Gorant
5 stars
This is (primarily) a look at the rescue and rehabilitation of Michael Vick’s fighting dogs.
It starts off heartbreaking as we get the background of the dogs as they were kept in Vick’s yard. And there is some discussion of the trial, etc, but moreso it follows the investigation into what happened and all the behind-the-scenes stuff as they gathered evidence against Vick and the other men who bred and fought these dogs.
But the bulk of the story follows (some of) the dogs after they are rescued. These dogs, unlike other fighting dogs before them, were not immediately euthanized, There were rescues that came to help with foster homes and sanctuaries to see if they could be rehabilitated and the vast majority of them were. Many found forever homes and some (as of the publishing of the book in 2010) were living in sanctuaries where volunteers continued to work with them. It was hard to read about one of the shelters that took some of them in right away – it’s a rough shelter with not much in the way of amenities.
There are sad parts thrown in as if it’s from one dog’s point of view, as well. Some of the work with the scared dogs reminded me of my volunteering with shy/scared cats, to be honest. The end of the book did a “where are they now?” for both the dogs and the people involved. Of course, “now” was around the time of publication over a decade ago. I realized that none of the dogs are probably living now.
21LibraryCin
Now here - absolutely - is a real life monster...
Secrets in the Cellar / John Glatt
4 stars
In 1984 in Austria, Josef Fritzl (who had already been raping his middle daughter, Elisabeth, since she was 11-years old), imprisoned her (now 18) in a dungeon under his house that no one knew existed. He had spent six years building it. He kept her there for 24 years, and fathered seven children with her (he already had seven with his wife – Elisabeth being the middle/4th one).
This book does look at all the abuses toward his daughter that just went on and on. Not only that, but previous to all this, he had a history of sexual crimes, only one of which he was convicted and went to jail for. His wife knew nothing about what had happened to Elisabeth – he told everyone she had run away (which would have been no surprise, as she had run away a couple of times previous) to join a religious cult. He took three of the children upstairs to raise them with his wife as adopted/foster children, so he could get the money for them. So, three of the children were raised in the “real world” upstairs, while three others in the dungeon, never seeing sunlight, and rife with all kinds of health issues (the 7th child only lived a few days before dying when Josef refused to get him medical help).
What a monster! Omg, don’t read this if you are at all queasy. I don’t know if I remember this case. She got out with her kids in 2008, only a couple of years after Natasha Kampusch (and I do remember that one). Maybe I don’t remember as much because the entire family ended up changing their names/identities so they could try to get some peace and try to heal. Elisabeth and her children got out of the dungeon in 2008 and the book was published in 2009. The book still managed to get in much of the aftermath, though I did look up more (the trial and to see how Elisabeth and her kids were doing after the end of the book). There is some repetition in the book, but it was well-researched.
Secrets in the Cellar / John Glatt
4 stars
In 1984 in Austria, Josef Fritzl (who had already been raping his middle daughter, Elisabeth, since she was 11-years old), imprisoned her (now 18) in a dungeon under his house that no one knew existed. He had spent six years building it. He kept her there for 24 years, and fathered seven children with her (he already had seven with his wife – Elisabeth being the middle/4th one).
This book does look at all the abuses toward his daughter that just went on and on. Not only that, but previous to all this, he had a history of sexual crimes, only one of which he was convicted and went to jail for. His wife knew nothing about what had happened to Elisabeth – he told everyone she had run away (which would have been no surprise, as she had run away a couple of times previous) to join a religious cult. He took three of the children upstairs to raise them with his wife as adopted/foster children, so he could get the money for them. So, three of the children were raised in the “real world” upstairs, while three others in the dungeon, never seeing sunlight, and rife with all kinds of health issues (the 7th child only lived a few days before dying when Josef refused to get him medical help).
What a monster! Omg, don’t read this if you are at all queasy. I don’t know if I remember this case. She got out with her kids in 2008, only a couple of years after Natasha Kampusch (and I do remember that one). Maybe I don’t remember as much because the entire family ended up changing their names/identities so they could try to get some peace and try to heal. Elisabeth and her children got out of the dungeon in 2008 and the book was published in 2009. The book still managed to get in much of the aftermath, though I did look up more (the trial and to see how Elisabeth and her kids were doing after the end of the book). There is some repetition in the book, but it was well-researched.
22mstrust
I went a few days past the 31st to finish The Stranger Beside Me. Rule knew Ted Bundy first as a co-worker, then a friend, and continued to be in close contact with him during his trials and after his convictions. My edition was the 20th anniversary edition with an epilogue, an afterword, and a new final chapter, so it ran to 548 pages.
Bundy was truly a monster and I'm glad he was finally stopped permanently.
It was a coincidence that I came across a show a few nights ago that had three survivors of Bundy's attacks being interviewed. It's a relief to see that they went on to have good lives. Reading about such events always has me wondering what happened to these women afterwards.
Bundy was truly a monster and I'm glad he was finally stopped permanently.
It was a coincidence that I came across a show a few nights ago that had three survivors of Bundy's attacks being interviewed. It's a relief to see that they went on to have good lives. Reading about such events always has me wondering what happened to these women afterwards.
