We have the perfect summer read for the Dreadful Tales Book Club this July (twenty-twelve is already halfway over!?), James Newman’s The Wicked. We’ve uttered the name Newman more than a few times around here and knew when we saw the cover for the reprint of The Wicked that this had to be the next Book of the Month. Well, it was actuallyRue Morgue Magazine’s Stuart FEEDBACK Andrews that put the bug in our ear, but it took very little convincing. Still, thank you, FEEDBACK!

Fans went nuts when they saw Jesse David Young’s artwork for Shock Totem’s revised and expanded edition. Reviews started rolling in shortly after the re-release with equal praise for the story promising that Newman’s book was bringing back the beloved horror heyday of the 80s.

I hope you will join us this sweltering July as we pull up a chair next to the window air-conditioner to cool off with a read that promises to deliver 80s horror nostalgia and a good scary story. This will actually be my first Newman experience, so it’s extra special for me.

You can get your copy from Shock Totem or Amazon in Kindle or paperback format. With a cover like that I had to have the real thing, so I opted for the worn looking paperback version which comes with faux grocery store price tag and all.

If you’re still wrapping up the June Book of the Month, Michael Louis Calvillo’s Lambs, don’t forget to stop by and share your thoughts at The Mortuary’s official thread here. For July’s discussion of The Wicked, you can connect with readers here.

Join usssssssssssss!

-Meli