As spooky season is in full throttle, some people may be wondering what costumes pieces they need to be ordering or what movies they should be renting for a night in with friends. What they should be worried about is searching for that perfect book to curl up with a blanket and a snack while biting their nails because they’re so scared.
Ghosts, killer clowns and psychological mind games are all on this reading list. So, whether you’re the romance type of person, or you can’t for the life of you pick up a book and read it from start to finish, these books will surely get you in the Halloween spirit
- 20th Century ghosts
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This book, written by Joe Hill, is a collection of short stories ranging from from ghost stories to clowns. Clowns? Does that ring a bell at all? That’s right. Joe Hill is Stephen King’s son, and he’s following in his father’s footsteps. Hill inherits his father artfulness in constructing a tale. At times, his stories are gentle and elegiac, but then he hits you with a gripping and chilling horror fiction with the next short story. This collection of stories will have you crying and checking for monsters under the bed.
- The Violence
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This a novel by Delilah S. Dawson is one that is truly soul crushing, shocking, unique, and has a one of a kind plot that terrifies and affects you deeply, but you cannot put it down even though the things you read are hard to digest. It’s a brilliant take on the trauma of abuse and an inspiring story of self-discovery, resilience and hope, and a page-turning thrill ride that will leave you breathless. It is definitely a violent gem, so make sure you have the stomach for it.
- What Moves the dead
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This retelling of Edgar Allan Poe’s classic “The Fall of the House of Usher,” by T. Kingfisher, will hook you with its fast pace and bizarre events. The novella starts off pretty closely to the original Poe classic, but deviates along the way to give the tale its own flair. This is definitely a short, one sit, addictive paranormal fantasy/mystery/thriller/horror. And don’t necessarily have to read Poe’s work to enjoy this one.
- Such a pretty smile
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A freakish and edgy entry to the psychological thriller genre, this eccentric novel by Kristi DeMeester bends to the supernatural and horror spheres. This is a devastating and unflinching look at the way women are forced to make themselves smaller, quieter, nicer – all that nonsense – so men can feel better about themselves and it may fill you with rage. It is a horror/thriller/mystery hybrid. Definitely unnerving, so stay hyper alert and always wondering where it is headed.
With Halloween upon us, it’s important that you run to your nearest book store (or Amazon cart) fast to get your spooky reading fix. But please keep in mind that some of these books do have unnerving parts to them, so make sure that you do further research before buying and reading. The authors do provide trigger warnings where necessary, so that will help you if needed. That being said, happy reading and Happy Halloween!