Nightstand Reads: Royce Buckingham

Seattle writer Royce Buckingham is the author of Demonkeeper (“scary and laugh-out-loud funny” said a School Library Journal Review) and Goblins (“a riotously good adventure” said Kirkus Reviews) . We asked this imaginative writer of teen books what he’s been reading, but forgot to ask him where he got the t-shirt he’s sporting in the photo below. Here’s what he told us:

Okay, here’s what is, or was recently, on my nightstand and some of my thoughts.

• A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore
  Funny. Irreverent. I love Moore stuff. It’s adult, but goofy and fast moving. Who cares if he crams in too much for a tight read. It’s a sprawling, erratic experience that winds up satisfying the adult urge for craziness, swear words and monsters all in the same tale.
• Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
  This sequel to The Hunger Games is good, but can’t compare with the original. Both are SO different from her Gregor series. If you loved The Hunger Games, you will enjoy this follow-up and hate the cliffhanger. My best advice while you wait for the third installment is to rush out and find Stephen King’s novella The Long Walk.
• The Graveyard Book  and Coraline by Neil Gaiman
  Read each in a couple of sittings (or layings in bed). Quick and smooth stuff done by a pro. Spooky and vivid. These are the models my own book The Dead Boys, due out next Halloween, aspires to.
• Dragon’s Keep by Janet Lee Carey
  A beautifully written dragon tale. My nine-year-old son and I are half through. Slower and more deliberate than my usual monster fare, but worth the time.
• Cirque du Freak by Darren Shan
  Fast read. All story, no fluff. Simply written. Poisonous spiders, vampires and lots of exclamation points! Great literature? Nope. Did I like it? Yep.
• Blackbringer by Laini Taylor
  Again a beautifully written story. Again taking more time to soak up the prose. Hmm, sensing a pattern? I’m half through and love the main character.
• Cabal by Clive Barker
  Next on the nightstand. Adult book. Yay! Should be a fun diversion.