Meet Kevin, Horror Expert and Cat Hypnotist

Describe what you do at RD books in 6 words.

I help connect people with stories.

What was the last book you read that you loved?

Mary Jane by Jessica Anya Blau.  It’s an accurate depiction of growing up in the 70’s, and discovering found families.

What was a book you read on a recommendation from someone else that you wouldn’t have picked up otherwise?

All the Lonely People by Mike Gayle.  I think people will love this book because it speaks to the loneliness that we all experience, and how we can overcome it and help others to do the same.

Favorite reading spot?

My chair with my cat either on my lap or on the arm of the chair.

Book you re-read every year?

I used to reread Stephen King's The Stand almost every year. This year however I have started a new tradition: Re-reading the entire Murderbot Diaries series. 

Favorite part about working at the store?

The people. Either my colleagues or our customers. 

Do you have any good author stories?

I guess my conversation with the aforementioned Mike Gayle. It was a lovely conversation that ranged from writing styles to weather patterns and even Ozzy Osbourne & Motorhead.

How did you come to Rediscovered Books?

I was mostly recovered from treatment for cancer. I was looking for something and my wife, Kim, saw that the bookstore was hiring. It sounded like exactly what I needed. I applied for a part-time position, and it transitioned into what I'm doing today. I'm still there, still happy. 

Why Do I Love Horror?

Usually, this question is akin to asking the person to lie down on the couch and explain why they’re a disturbed individual. But, to me at least, there is far more going on than staring at a roadside wreck. Tales of horror are a chance to connect with larger issues, most notably, our own demise. Death, the last great unknown, can be safely examined and hopefully brought to an uneasy truce. It allows us to view our final act with something like equanimity. No other genre can do this so effectively, or in so many ways. In doing this, horror actually celebrates life, not death, as many would have you believe. 

Here are some of my all time favorite books from this genre:

The Shining- Stephen King

A horrifying battle between external evil, internal demons, and a family trapped between them. The scariest book I’ve ever read, in my 57 years. DO NOT READ ALONE WHILE LIVING IN THE COUNTRY. Just sayin’.
 

My Heart is a Chainsaw- Stephen Graham Jones

Get ready for a Master Class in slasher films. Jones is a brilliant new voice in horror and you owe it to yourself, especially at Halloween, to give the next master of horror a try. He does not disappoint.

Heart Shaped Box- Joe Hill

Find out what happens when an over the hill rock star, who collects macabre paraphernalia, buys the wrong thing: the Heart Shaped Box. Soon, he and his half-his-age girlfriend are on a terrifying run for their lives. Hill is terrifying, subtle, gory, and funny. He has obviously learned much from dear old Dad-Stephen King. 

The Book of Accidents- Chuck Wendig

Brilliantly plotted and epic in scope, we are treated to a multi-verse which may or may not all come crumbling down, based on the decisions and power of a young boy. Mind-bending, with beautiful characters that really make you care. This is an interesting treat that will hang in your consciousness for a long time.