Ah, Bradbury. The undisputed king of October. The very first page of his dark carnival story puts you in autumn and bombards your senses with the sounds and smells of a brisk afternoon. It revolves around two boys, Will and Jim, whose town is visited by a mysterious carnival. They begin to notice the adults … Continue reading
If it seems like there’s a lot of witchy shit on the countdown, that’s because there is. And nothing shrieks witchy quite like Salem, MA, especially during Halloween. This is another nonfiction pick that was written by one of the spookiest guys out there. Basically, he records his time in Witch City during Halloween while … Continue reading
A few 2019 releases are going to make this list and this is one of them. It’s a nonfiction about the female authors who started and invigorated the genres we devour today. It’s lighthearted but educational and it puts you in the mood to explore abandoned castles and search for ghosts because a large portion … Continue reading
Halloween through and through, that’s what this book is. From the cover to the last page of the last segment. Each story is a piece of candy in a pail; a different texture, a different taste, or a completely different type but still an important contribution to the medley that is the holiday. And it’s … Continue reading
I doubt you’ll find a more charming or ghostly YA story than The Graveyard Book. It’s about a baby named Nobody who is raised by ghosts in a graveyard after his family is brutally murdered. Quaint, right? It’s the trademark fantasy/wonderful weirdness that Gaiman is known for (and less of the severe complexity that he’s … Continue reading
The Headless Horseman is iconic and eerie, and he sprang right from the pages of this timeless short story. Countless adaptations followed (many improving the entertainment value) but there’s still that earnest, superstitious quality from the original. It’s almost a literary tour of Tarrytown, NY and it really does feel like you’re reading about local … Continue reading
Straub is a powerhouse of ideas. Ghost Story put him on the map and for good reason. It’s a substantial book that is admittedly laborious at times but also so heady with its many layers and nods to literary giants. It slips into the same vein of terror as the likes of Rosemary’s Baby, and fans … Continue reading
