In keeping with the Halloween festivities, I’ve assembled a reading list that’ll make you want to curl up in bed and close your blinds. Any picks you’d want to see in a part two of a Halloween reading list? Any themes you’d like to see in further columns? Email me at [email protected].
Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead
by Olga Tokarczuk
Translated from Polish by Antonia Lloyd-Jones, this whimsical yet dark thriller takes you into the mind of a recluse as she and her town reckon with a series of murders. Scores a 4/5 on Goodreads.
The Changeling*
by Victor LaVelle
Reminiscent of classic faerie cautionary tales, following a new father whose wife begins acting very peculiarly after the birth of their child. Scores a 3.8/5 on Goodreads.
Annihilation
by Jeff VanderMeer
The first book in the science-fiction Southern Reach trilogy, that confuses, scares, and forces you to confront your deepest fears head-on. Scores a 3.8/5 on Goodreads.
The Z Word*
by Lindsay King-Miller
A cheeky, queer take on the zombie apocalypse. Scores a 3.5/5 on Goodreads.
We Have Always Lived in the Castle*
by Shirley Jackson
A gothic horror classic from the master of getting under your skin. Scores a 3.9/5 on Goodreads.
The Icarus Girl*
by Helen Oyeyemi
Drawing on the uncanny and themes of doppelgangers, this debut novel will make your hair stand on end. Scores a 3.7/5 on Goodreads.
Something Wicked This Way Comes
by Ray Bradbury
Two young boys encounter a mysterious carnival that threatens to destroy their friendship and their town in this 1962 classic. Scores a 3.9/5 on Goodreads.
The Left Right Game
by Jack Anderson
Originally published online, this story follows a reporter as she plays the titular game with a hunter of the paranormal. Scores a 4/5 on Goodreads.
My Heart is a Chainsaw*
by Stephen Graham Jones
The first installment in the Indian Lake Trilogy picks apart the tropes of the slasher genre while remaining a veritable gorefest. Scores a 3.5/5 on Goodreads.
Ring*
by Kōji Suzuki
Translated by Glynne Walley and Robert B. Rohmer, this novel inspired the movie(s) of the same name and remains a horror staple. Scores a 3.8/5 on Goodreads.
Future Home of the Living God*
by Louis Erdrich
The horrors of this dystopian novel are all too relevant, focusing on themes like reproductive rights, evolution, and U.S. totalitarianism. Scores a 3.6/5 on Goodreads.
The Night Circus
by Erin Morgenstern
— A spooky, fantastical romance that follows magicians Celia and Marco, two members of Cirque des Rêves. Scores a 4/5 on Goodreads.
*: To be completely transparent, I have not read these particular books yet, but I hope you will join me in adding them to your ever-growing reading list. Happy reading!
