Welcome to my 10th annual Halloween Reads round-up! Ten years! Wow. I first started this in 2011, when I was a columnist on The Examiner website, as the Minneapolis Book Examiner (which I started doing in 2010; I wish I could send you to read all my book articles there, but they have disappeared into the ether).
Halloween Reads are my favorite seasonal reads. Every year, I look for the spookiest reads to capture the atmosphere of this time of year. These are capsule reviews of several titles that I think you will enjoy, if you just want a little taste of something that goes bump in the night. For the most part, these are not horror, because I am a bona fide chicken. These are creepy, dark, mostly fantasy, mystery and classic titles that will fit on any October reads list. I read about a hundred books a year, and I am always on the hunt for books for this particular post, so I hope that you find something here that will grab you (well, not literally, but, you know). You can always find my past Halloween Reads posts – I have housed most of them on this blog now (links are at the bottom). I’ve already got a list of reads going for next year, but if you have any suggestions for reads I haven’t already covered, I’m all ears!
Read on for the spookiest, ookiest, most Addams Family-esque reads I could find!
Fantasy
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
Gritty, dirty, otherworldly what-if that is a Wizard of Oz meets The Matrix kind of mind twist. If you like Gaiman, and haven’t read this one, go. If you have never read Gaiman, this is a grand place to start, as it is his debut solo novel (after the Sandman comics and then Good Omens with Terry Pratchett). Just know one thing: anything you thought is wrong. Preconceptions are the last thing that this world honors. There are some truly horrible characters, and some truly horrible things happen, but in the end, it is more steampunk than horror, albeit steampunk with demons (if, indeed, that is what they are), angels, and whatever the heck everyone else is. Highly recommend if you like things to be original and uncategorizable.
Mystery
The Pale Horse by Agatha Christie
An Ariadne Oliver mystery
If you follow along, you may know I’ve been on an Agatha Christie tear for the past two years. I have read all of Miss Marple and I am halfway through Poirot! I veered off course because I wanted to read this in advance of watching the show on Prime that released in the spring. I am glad that I did read the book first, but it really doesn’t matter (I am not going to say why because I want you to have the same experience I did!). If you watched the show, go ahead and get back to the source material. If you have done neither, pick up this occult thriller, an unusual direction for Agatha to take, but one which I think she succeeded at very well. I loved the main character, Mark, and his butting in to the strange mystery he comes across. Ariadne is only a side character in this, but she contributes some important information. I did like her, though. This was a surprise for me and something I would recommend for anyone who thinks that Agatha is a one-trick pony (it is not a locked-room variation, for starters, and one of the few titles of hers that features the occult). It’s decidedly creepier than many of her other works, and I’ve read about 30 of them in the past two years. If you find households of witchy women, séances, tarot and mysteriously dead ex-wives interesting, then this is for you!
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
This was a really intriguing mystery case, complete with case notes and book reports. Pippa is doing a school project, and bites off just a bit more than she can chew. But she doesn’t want to just do a project. She wants to solve a five year old murder case. And disobeying all limitations of her project, she enlists the brother of the accused murderer to help her do just that. It is fast and furious and I loved all the different ways that information was presented. I loved the methodical way this was presented, and the way that not just one suspect was the focus. The twists and turns were everywhere (so MANY suspects!), and I in no way saw the ending coming. A really great October murder mystery, and a good representative of the burgeoning YA Mystery genre.
Young Adult
My Plain Jane (The Lady Janies #2) by Cynthia Hand, Jodi Meadows and Brodi Ashton
This isn’t creepy so much as one of those classics reinvented – think Pride & Prejudice and Zombies. There are several things about this that make it more fun than the original version, besides the fact that it is just funny – including the author used as a character (and I really like Charlotte in this one), the authors introducing little asides with information about the society and rules of the time, and best of all, ghosts. It’s all very well done, and the ghosts and Charlotte are not just add-ons. The story is changed to such a degree that it flows effortlessly, and the changes don’t feel tacked on. It is funny with just a little tiny bit of spook, and perfect for anyone who loves Jane Eyre, but you don’t need to have read the original to enjoy this one. A lovely reimagined story of Regency England and the ghosts that only some can see.
Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas
Tears were shed. Laughter was heard. Hearts were softened. This was lovely. A really delightful, bittersweet, sad and joyful story. All the adjectives! Heart-warming, fascinating and dark. Thomas has done a service here, to his community, his culture, and his people. This is not only a great story, but it is the first novel about a trans character by a trans author to make it to the NYT bestseller list. I don’t say that for propriety’s sake. This is ground-breaking stuff. And hopefully, that means we will get lots more stories like this, though I think they will have quite a high bar to hurdle. I loved the descriptions of the cultural elements (the FOOD!), I loved the characters, and I loved the story. There was nothing here I did not love. The story is of Yadriel, a gay trans boy who just wants what his culture promises all boys like him – a chance to be a brujo. I don’t want to say too much, other than whoa Julian is a delight and I love Maritza and even little Luca. The ending of this was just knock-your-socks-off and I could go on about the messages but I mean, there are many. Suffice it to say that brujx live in the cemetery and spend their time “healing those who suffer and guiding those who are lost.” This is a great October read and a beautiful nod to Latinx culture and a wonderful addition to trans literature – and really, all literature.
Anna Dressed In Blood by Kendare Blake
A cult favorite among YA readers, published in 2011, this is one I had been hearing about for a long time. I dismissed it initially as just romantic fluff (I’m snobby like that), but I am so glad that I finally picked it up to read, because a friend gave me a copy at a book swap! I was drawn in immediately by its protagonist – the first chapter is just amazing. Then it just gets creepier and creepier, with a soft hint of romance thrown in. Anna herself is, well, wow. What can I say? This is one that I had to put off reading at night – I could only read it during the day, and still, it was creeptastic. It has a dreamy quality, with just a hint of sympathy for our ghost, that made the ending pop. Those who easily get the jitters may not care for its haunted house setting, but if you are looking for a really spooky read, this is it. Fans of Supernatural and Ghost Adventures will eat this up. Published in 2011, there’s a reason it has stuck around. PS There is a second one in this duology!
Classics
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
This was another one for a readalong and it was a tiny little novella! I was so surprised it was so short. But man, it packs a punch. We get mystery, murder, intrigue, nefarious characters, mysterious letters and will codicils, and inexplicable happenings. It really did rivet me from beginning to end. What was going on? What was going to happen? Who was this Hyde? What was wrong with Jekyll? If you are looking for a quick classic to round out your reading, I can recommend this one. Better if you have someone to discuss it with (as most classics are). There’s a reason these have stuck around so long.
Ray Bradbury – 100 years
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Ray Bradbury. Fahrenheit 451 is one of my favorite modern classics, and I was all set to read at least one of his other books. But I couldn’t get my hands on either of the titles I wanted for this post (Something Wicked This Way Comes or The Halloween Tree). There is at least one other fall-themed book in his oeuvre, and I hope to read one of the three before next year. So this isn’t a review, just a nod to one of the masters of fantasy and science fiction who paved the way for so many others. If you haven’t already, go pick up one of his works. Here is a story that ran on NPR in August, which gets to the heart of why his work still matters, and how close it is to all of us (includes an audio link).
Children’s Books
I always try to include children’s picture books in my Halloween Reads, but this year, with no book events, no trade shows, no indie bookstore browsing, I am at a loss for what the new releases even are. And since this is the type of things you like to take a look at before recommending, I cannot really recommend any spooky kid titles. I did buy my grandson two books, but they are more for the idea of the book than the story (he is only 15 months). However, I have a blog post here from Janssen Bradshaw, a blogger I’ve recently begun following, who has her finger on the pulse of all things kids and books. She has a list here of 31 Halloween books for kids that will surely help you find some kind of spooky or ooky reading for this time of year!
Ten for Ten
Ten years deserves ten more books! I am also sharing a post that rounds things out nicely. Check this post if you are looking for more YA witchy reads. YA tends to fit better in my wheelhouse of spooky but not too scary. I have worked with these bloggers (Briana and Krysta) in the past on Tolkien celebrations, writing guest posts for them. I know they never recommend something they wouldn’t enjoy themselves. So here is a list of 10 YA titles that feature witches. I have not read any of these! Several of them are on my list (I prefer the fantasy titles to the romance). There is a wide assortment here, from contemporary to fantasy to manga. Enjoy!
Finally
I always end up with a stack of half-read books that I had meant to include in this post, and it always goes up later than I had hoped. But this time, I’m going to save some of those for next year. I hope you have been able to read some spooky reads this month, and if you haven’t, I hope that this gives you a few ideas for something you can run out and grab.
I want to thank you for stopping by. If you have read previous posts (and here and here and here) (and here and here!), thank you very much! I don’t know if there is anyone out there who has been with me this entire ride. But when I realized this was my ten year post, I just got all misty. So thanks to anyone who reads, and those who comment, and the bloggers who have given me good content to link to, and the publishers who have sent me review copies (none for this post, but a girl can hope), and all of the other bookworms out there who know how it feels to just love books so much that it is hard to surface sometimes. This world is a mad, mean place and we can all use an escape from time to time.
And finally, I know it has been a long time since I’ve posted. I spent the spring and summer working in the dirt. It was the only way I could process all of the things going on in the world. I live near Minneapolis, so the death of George Floyd hit hard and close to home. My city is still healing. And the anxiety induced by the pandemic has taken its toll on an already fragile mental health situation (I received a depression diagnosis in February). So I planted. And now we have early snow so I am back at my desk. This is my favorite post of the year, and I had always intended to do it. But maybe now I can be present here a little more often. I hope this finds you well, and safe. Happy reading!
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