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House Next Door
House Next Door | Anne Rivers Siddons
28 posts | 33 read | 43 to read
An unparalleled picture of that vibrant but dark intersection where the Old and the New South collide. Thirtysomething Colquitt and Walter Kennedy live in a charming, peaceful suburb of newly bustling Atlanta, Georgia. Life is made up of enjoyable work, long, lazy weekends, and the company of good neighbors. Then, to their shock, construction starts on the vacant lot next door, a wooded hillside they'd believed would always remain undeveloped. Disappointed by their diminished privacy, Colquitt and Walter soon realize something more is wrong with the house next door. Surely the house cant be haunted, yet it seems to destroy the goodness of every person who comes to live in it, until the entire heart of this friendly neighborhood threatens to be torn apart.
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review
Rissa1
The House Next Door | Anne Rivers Siddons
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Pickpick

I wouldn't say this book was scary but it is definitely eerie. I am not sure how I feel about the ending. don't hate it, don't love it.

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keithlafo
The House Next Door | Anne Rivers Siddons
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Pickpick

The definition of a slow-burn, but it ends in dramatic fashion with horrifying stakes and a brutal insinuation.

Lots to love here, especially for those who are fond of gothic horror, haunted houses, and mysterious families.

batsy Yes! I loved this one; it kind of took me by surprise. 13mo
8 likes1 comment
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khooliha
The House Next Door | Anne Rivers Siddons
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Pickpick

2022 is a hell of a time to read this book! Hello you middle class Georgia people, with your multiple homes and your seemingly infinite vacations, and your evil house next door. Rooted in 70s norms, this book needs you to extend it some grace. Still, sometimes a book is a series of unfortunate events and I liked it!

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khooliha
The House Next Door | Anne Rivers Siddons

After hearing good things about this book for half of forever I'm finally getting to it! So far this house kills animals and makes you gay, so a mixed bag!

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TheLudicReader
The House Next Door | Anne Rivers Siddons
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Pickpick

A nation-wide internet outage yesterday meant that I could read without distraction. My July #bookspin is a dated but compelling haunted house story. By today‘s standards, there‘s nothing scary or horrifying in this tale, but it‘s so well-written (cringe-y references aside) that it was easy and enjoyable to read.
@TheAromaofBooks

CindyMyLifeIsLit I read this book years ago and loved it! 2y
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 2y
DivineDiana “The Stephen King Horror Library “ New to me! 2y
TheLudicReader I‘d never heard of it either, @DivineDiana. Apparently there were only ten titles in the series: https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/stephen-king-horror-library 2y
DivineDiana Thank you for the information! 🙂 Turns out that I did read at least one! (edited) 2y
28 likes5 comments
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TheLudicReader
The House Next Door | Anne Rivers Siddons
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@TheAromaofBooks here‘s hoping I fare better with my selections than I did in June.

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! Good luck!! 2y
24 likes1 comment
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Andrea4
The House Next Door | Anne Rivers Siddons
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Pickpick

Well, that's done!
Absolutely great! This is that kind of supernatural mystery that makes you wonder- it is really happening or has fear just unwound a few people? It's filled with shocking events but nothing is gruesomely detailed. It does not rely on that sort of horror for its suspense.
Do you ever just have a feeling about a place?
Bonus, I thought this narrator was fantastic!

Bookzombie I haven‘t read this, but love Barbara Rosenblat. 2y
Andrea4 @Bookzombie is she just a narrator or does she write too? I don't think I can search books narrated by her on my apps unfortunately...but I'll try! Haha 2y
Bookzombie As far as I know she is just a narrator and actress. You can Google her and find some lists probably. I really enjoyed listening to her read 2y
Andrea4 @Bookzombie I will have to do that! 2y
15 likes4 comments
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Andrea4
The House Next Door | Anne Rivers Siddons
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Still really enjoying this- never heard of this author before yesterday and I'm pretty sure I'll take a gander at her other works. Also this narration is on point, at least IMO.
But a note, a work written in 1978 about affluent (mostly white) people in southern USA undoubtedly comes with particular tones and views. The first most table is in regards to homosexuality. However, treated not as badly as one might expect?

robinb I think I have and have read most of her books (being a southerner 😊). But it‘s been so long since I‘ve read any that I don‘t really remember much…except I think I liked them?? 😂😂🤷🏻‍♀️ 2y
Andrea4 @robinb well that's still a positive review! Also, as only a southern-ontarian (hahaha) I enjoy stories set in southern USA. Especially when they come with insights and perceptions about the people therein :) 2y
robinb @Andrea4 👍 I enjoy most US southern stories as well (surprise! 😂). And if I‘m remembering correctly I think her books reminded me a little of Dorothea Benton Frank‘s…another good writer, hers mostly set in South Carolina. 2y
robinb @Andrea4 Just let me know if you‘d like me to recommend any southern books/authors that I‘ve enjoyed. Either here or you could email me at robinb.litsy@gmail.com . 😊 (edited) 2y
Andrea4 @robinb that's so sweet of you! I will email you (maybe easier?) 2y
18 likes5 comments
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Andrea4
The House Next Door | Anne Rivers Siddons
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Just picked this one up today and I'm quite enjoying it. I wanted to find something scary, chilling, supernatural, thrilling, atmospheric, or something like that for the season 🎃 and I just googled some good, Halloween books and this popped up!

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KindleAddict
The House Next Door | Anne Rivers Siddons
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I read this book 20+ years ago (one of my moms old books) and i remember really liking it...love that i found the same cover thanks to #thriftbooks...excited to re-read this

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LeslieO
The House Next Door | Anne Rivers Siddons
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#HauntedHouse from my #TBR. I haven‘t read an Ann Rivers Siddons in years! #LitsySpringBreak

LeahBergen I read this years ago. I remember liking it but nothing else about it. 😆 3y
batsy I loved this! So creepy. 3y
TheKidUpstairs I like that the cover looks sweet and lovely, for a creepy, scary tale. 3y
32 likes1 stack add3 comments
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quietjenn
House Next Door | Anne Rivers Siddons
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And for my Halloween aesthetic! I'm calling it campy, cartoony, Midwestern Gothic. I feel better versed in horror as a film genre than as a literary one, but I like stories about ghosts, haunted houses (and motels and camps), urban legends, the underbelly of small towns and polite societies, and weird unexplained phenomenon.
#hhs #hauntedhollowswap

monalyisha I love the image on the middle-right! 🎃 4y
batsy Haunted houses and the underbelly of small towns = irresistible, really 😆 4y
Chrissyreadit Ohh! I love it! 4y
Chrissyreadit I love it! 4y
45 likes4 comments
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johncadams
The House Next Door | Anne Rivers Siddons

“The bluff heartiness, the posturing, the inflamed face, the badinage were missing. He was gray-white and his eyes were swollen and bloodshot.“

#WomenInHorrorMonth #WiHM

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johncadams
The House Next Door | Anne Rivers Siddons

“'I found this guy standing out on the lawn admiring his handiwork,' Lucas Abbott said. 'I thought he was rooted to the ground...I didn't know architects got opening-night nerves.“

#womeninhorrormonth #wihm

Reggie What? There‘s a women in horror month? That‘s cool! I just didn‘t know about it. 4y
johncadams @Reggie I know, right! So many wonderful authors to enjoy! 4y
31 likes2 comments
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DavidDiamond
The House Next Door | Anne Rivers Siddons
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Pickpick

I could not put this book down that came highly recommended by Stephen King.
Because it was written in the 70's some of the attitudes & social norms are a bit dated &out of touch for our woke times, but that did nothing to damper the experience in reading this story about Colquitt (seriously, is that a real name or a collection of Scrabble tiles), her husband Walter & the various families that move into THE HOUSE NEXT DOOR! (see what I did there?)

batsy Her name! Yes 😂 I enjoyed this one a lot, too. 4y
erzascarletbookgasm 😁 Love your review. I‘ve already got this stacked! 4y
14 likes1 stack add2 comments
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batsy
The House Next Door | Anne Rivers Siddons
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Faves of 2019 #adventrecommends Dec 13 & 14

Two very different but incredibly creepy & effective haunted house books. For me, Jackson edges out with the sheer quality of her prose & vision, but the Siddons book is also well-written & constructed. Both leave you with a sense of dread because of the ever-relevant questions about the nature of ghosts/hauntings/darkness, & how the mind works.

@emilyrose_x

68 likes1 stack add
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batsy
The House Next Door | Anne Rivers Siddons
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Pickpick

I only learned about this book after the author's recent death. It's the perfect follow-up to The Haunting of Hill House. It's unnerving & progressively creepy/sad, & without revealing too much it raises questions about class war & 70s suburbia. It's like WASPy horror/Southern Gothic; the fear of the outside invading a life of comfort. The story is a slow-burn; reads like cosy middlebrow fiction about the well-to-do, then smacks you in the face.

batsy I love the incongruity of this cover and the actual story. 4y
Cathythoughts Your review has sold me ... stacking 👍🏻♥️ 4y
rubyslippersreads I didn‘t realize she‘d died. I read a lot of her books years ago, but I think I missed this one. 4y
See All 22 Comments
KathyWheeler Stephen King said this was one of the best haunted house books he‘d ever read. I‘d never heard of it until then. I liked it too. 4y
cathipink What a fantastic review - never would have gotten any of this vibe from the cover or title. I'll be looking for this one! 4y
Lcsmcat What @cathipink said. I‘ve read Siddons back n the day too, @rubyslippersreads , but hadn‘t heard of this one. Stacked. 4y
erzascarletbookgasm I like the sound of it! 👍 That cover would have fooled me. 4y
batsy @Cathythoughts @cathipink @Lcsmcat @erzascarletbookgasm I hope you guys like it if you give it a go! 🙂 One of those stories that kind of stay with you for awhile, and kind of a different take on the haunted house trope. 4y
batsy @rubyslippersreads I've heard of her but have never read any of her books; I know she used to be very popular. Only found out about this one because of twitter :) 4y
batsy @KathyWheeler Oh, that's cool! I think I saw a blurb by him on one of the editions I looked at online but didn't know that he said that. 4y
saresmoore Lady, you know how to make me read a book! 4y
KathyWheeler @batsy He wrote a non-fiction book about horror fiction — Danse Macabre. He talks about that book in there. 4y
LeahBergen I read this years ago! And another great review. 😘😘 4y
batsy @LeahBergen Thank you 💜 4y
Reggie How funny, I was checking out a list of the 10 best haunted house books earlier tonight and this was on there. I admit I laughed a bit because of the cover but now your intriguing review has made me stack it. (edited) 4y
batsy @Reggie I know, I hadn't heard of this before but now that I've googled it I see that it's very well-regarded. I laughed at the cover too! And then story is just like, WHAM SHIT GOT REAL. Lol 4y
mcipher I *love* this book - I think I‘ve read it half a dozen times! Her others are pretty standard sweeping Southern family/romance, but this one is so different and so very creepy and unsettling. I really want to read it again now!! 4y
Sace Your post reminded me I had one of her books on my shelf. Peachtree Road is very different but I read a page yesterday and I loved the writing. 4y
batsy @mcipher I love hearing that! This seems to be the only horror/creepy book she's written, if I'm not mistaken? It's so well done from start to finish! 4y
batsy @Sace Yes, it seems like the rest of her oeuvre is pretty different from this one haunted house book ? I enjoyed the slow, meticulous build-up of her writing. Very detailed but not "crowded". 4y
RohitSawant This has been on my radar ever since I read about it in King's Danse Macabre and it kinda took a back seat, as often happens, but reading your review has catapulted it to the front again. Wow. 🙌🏼 4y
batsy @rohit-sawant I'd love to know what you think of it! It's just so weird and strange and there's a lot of stuff percolating in the book's "unconscious" mind, if that makes sense. I was thrilled to learn that SK rated it quite highly ? 4y
83 likes11 stack adds22 comments
review
lahousewyfe
The House Next Door | Anne Rivers Siddons
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Mehso-so

A couple watches a beautiful house bring built next door, not knowing what horrors lie within. The slow burn of this book slipped into my mind and will stay with me for a while. Not scary or spooky, but definitely horror.

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catsuit_mango
The House Next Door | Anne Rivers Siddons
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I had not done this for a long time but back to bed after breakfast to get back to reading... Lazy saturday

8 likes1 stack add
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BooksBikes12
The House Next Door | Anne Rivers Siddons
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Starting this one next. Will this be a buy or sell of a book ? We will see !

MStew This is awesome, and this is actually supposed to be a really good read!!!!! King added it to the "Stephen king library editions" you found a awesome retro paperback?? 6y
26 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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MrBook
The House Next Door | Anne Rivers Siddons
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#TBRtemptation post 4! Don't let the bright, pretty cover fool you into thinking this could be a Hallmark movie! It's a tale of Gothic horror and suspense. Colquitt and Walter enjoy lazy weekends and neighborly gatherings on manicured lawns and patios. A beautiful home gets built on the empty lot next door. And that's when the strange accidents & inexplicable happenings begin. It's as if the house drives people...mad. #blameLitsy #blameMrBook 😎

Alfoster I love her!😍 6y
Pamwurtzler @Alfoster I do too!! 6y
Alfoster @Pamwurtzler I met her at a book signing and she was SO gracious! 6y
Gissy Yes! 😍 6y
77 likes9 stack adds4 comments
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nikirtehsuxlol
The House Next Door | Anne Rivers Siddons
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Reading a haunting book, waiting for my bibimbap before I go see Solo solo.

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nikirtehsuxlol
The House Next Door | Anne Rivers Siddons
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This book cover does it no favors, but I‘m really loving the story and characters. I love a book with great characters 😍

RaimeyGallant Nice to know. :) 6y
2 likes1 comment
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Hyzie
The House Next Door | Anne Rivers Siddons
Pickpick

Things I learned from this book:
1. Haunted houses do not like animals. :(
2. Upper middle class people basically did nothing but sit around and drink genteelly in the '70s, even when horrible stuff was happening.
I did enjoy this, but it was one of those "scary if you were there" books versus being scary to actually read.

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ApoptyGina69
The House Next Door | Anne Rivers Siddons
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Straight up analog, y'all. #tbt from this time last year. Restaurant industry around the holidays=lucky you can remember your own name. I remember grabbing this scary old favorite for a re-read to get through the madness.

RealLifeReading Thanks for sharing this! Love seeing people's reading lists, especially when it's handwritten! 7y
52 likes1 stack add1 comment
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mollymay
The House Next Door | Anne Rivers Siddons
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Haunted house books for October! If you're looking for something scary but not gory, The House Next Door by Anne Rivers Siddons is an underrated classic.