Freak Show Read Alikes Published on Metropolitan Library System (

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1 [1] Posted by: Todd Podzemny on Thursday, October 2nd, 2014 [2] Can t wait for next week s premiere of American Horror Story: Freak Show? Neither can we! Check out one of these great books about spooky circuses, creepy carnivals, or the real-life history of the carnival sideshow! [3] A Curious Man: The Strange and Brilliant Life of Robert Believe It or Not Ripley by Thompson Neal [3] The life journey of the man who went from an unknown sports cartoonist to the world s undisputed master of the weird is as strange as anything in his cartoons and museums. Ripley brought the spirit of the sideshow into the 20th century with his famous cartoons, and at one point was voted the most popular man in America. Page 1 of 6

2 [3] Mechanique: A Tale of the Circus Tresaulti by Genevieve Valentine [3] In a world powered by steam and ravaged by war, the Circus Tresaulti is a haven of wonder and respite. The performers, augmented by copper bones and clockwork muscles, provide an unearthly spectacle. However, hidden rifts between the performers endanger the fabric of the circus, and the mysterious motives of the ringmaster may endanger them all. [4] The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern [4] The Circus of Dreams, a wandering magical circus, serves as the backdrop for a lifelong rivalry between magicians Prospero the Enchanter and Mr. A.H. Their respective young protégés, Celia and Page 2 of 6

3 Marco, find themselves used as pawns in their competition, even as their own magical powers and relationship grow. [5] Side Show: My Life With Geeks, Freaks & Vagabonds in the Carny Trade by Howard Bone [5] Howard Bone spent 40 years as a traveling magician in a variety of carnivals and sideshows. In this conversational and endlessly entertaining memoir, he shares some of his favorite stories from a lifetime in the deeply strange world of the roving entertainment business. [6] Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury [6] Teenage friends Will Halloway and Jim Nightshade are excited to visit Cooger & Dark s Pandemonium Shadow Show. However, Page 3 of 6

4 while the enigmatic Mr. Dark promises to fulfill the deepest desires of the carnivalgoers, it soon becomes clear that something more sinister is behind the strange carnival. Ray Bradbury s classic tale has inspired horror writers and filmmakers for over half a century. [7] The True History of the Elephant Man: The Definitive Account of the Tragic and Extraordinary Life of Joseph Carey Merrick by Michael Howell [7] John Merrick the Elephant Man is one of the best-known figures of Victorian England. His severe deformities prevented him from living a normal life, but allowed him to earn a living by exhibiting his body as a curiosity. His life has been fictionalized many times, but this history does an excellent job of portraying him as a human being rather than a medical curiosity. [8] Page 4 of 6

5 Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen [8] As a penniless orphan in the Great Depression, Jacob Jankowski joined the circus as an alternative to starving. Struggling to find his way in a new life filled with odd people and incomprehensible rules, he finds himself falling in with two unlikely new friends: Marlena, the beautiful trick rider and Rosie, the untrained and contrary elephant. [9] Wonder Show by Hannah Rodgers Barnaby [9] Portia Remini can t fit in, even in a group of traveling misfits. On the run from the cruel master of McGreavy s Home for Wayward Girls, she seeks refuge with a traveling freak show. Even as she struggles to find a place as a nominally normal girl among human curiosities, she has to keep one eye out for her former jailer and try to solve the mystery of her father s disappearance. Audience: Teen [10] Young Adult [11] Adult [12] Seniors [13] Library: All Libraries [14] Tags: Books [15] Fiction [16] Nonfiction [17] Blog Category: Suggested Reading Page 5 of 6

6 Source URL: Links [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] Page 6 of 6