I wish I was a pumpkin spice girlie, in love with spooky season and autumnal weather, but I fail on this front for two reasons. First of all, I am scared of almost everything. The dark, noises that happen in the dark, authority figures, doing my tax return, having to pretend I know about cars when I go for my MOT, you name it, Iāll overthink it. In my head, I pretend itās because I have an excitable, overactive imagination, but I wish I was that interesting.
The second reason I canāt claim āautumnā as my personality type is because when itās cold outside, itās hot inside. After 34 years on this earth I *still* fail to strike the cosy outside / clammy inside balance, and end up having to carry my coat and jumper around 90% of the time because I am sweating profusely. No cute knitwear for me.
SO, why are we actually here? I thought I would put together some October reading recommendations as Halloween approaches. These are either books I am excited to read and have picked out because they give me the spookiness I want without feeling too scary, or books I have actually read and enjoyed that I think would be great reads for this time of year.
Oh boy, a couple of classics to kick off the list, who does she think she is?! I am not really one for classics because I always feel like Iām not clever enough to really get whatās going on. From what I can gather, Rebecca has some pretty good spooky moments, so maybe this will be the Halloween that Iāll get her ticked off the old TBR.
See above. I do love Dracula as a character and how heās been portrayed on screen over the years, but again Iām intimidated by the fact this is a classic. I have seen this super fancy version of the book recently, so maybe if I bought this one Iād be more likely to read itā¦
I read Luckenbooth last month and enjoyed Jenni Faganās spooky, dark story set in Edinburgh.
The Manningtree Witches - A K Blackmore
Historical fiction surrounding the Essex witch trials of the 1600s, this reminds us that witch hunts were very much alive and well in the UK as well as in North America at the time. Dark, but so full of wonderful language, this book gives a voice to the persecuted and continues to drive home how much of being a āwitchā was rooted in patriarchal structures and the oppression of women and anyone who wasnāt a heterosexual, wealthy white man.
This is my current read and itās spooky enough that I have to have a back-up non-spooky book to read before I go to sleep at night. A multiple timeline story set overlooking the Bass Rock, definitely a good one for this time of year, especially if youāre familiar with the local area where the book is set.
The Secret History - Donna Tartt
For anyone into books with a dark academia theme, this one will be right up your alley. I was sceptical about The Secret History as I didnāt love The Goldfinch, the first of Tarttās books that Iād read, but I much preferred it. I will say the first 100 or so pages felt a bit slow for me, but it really ramped up from there. Also, TSH was published 30 years ago, so is now also available in a classy hardback, if youāre into that sort of thing.
The Ocean at the End of the Lane - Neil Gaiman
I read The Ocean at the End of the Lane earlier this year and loved it; I particularly enjoyed the illustrated version and what the illustrations added to the storytelling experience. It was my first Neil Gaiman book that Iāve read, and Iām eager to get my hands on Coraline next as Iāve heard great things.
The Devil and the Dark Water - Stuart Turton
I got this one in a subscription box last year and havenāt got round to it yet, but I have read Turtonās other book, āThe Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastleā so Iām expecting good things. Set on a boat sailing from the Dutch East Indies to Amsterdam in 1634, it sounds like mysterious devilry is afoot.
A Monster Calls - Patrick Ness, Siobhan Dowd, Jim Kay
You do not write your life with words, the monster said. You write it with actions. What you think is not important. It is only important what you do.
Despite the titular monster, this book isnāt what you would call a āscaryā one. The story of a teenager who is dealing with some pretty shitty things, I really loved A Monster Calls (and it made me cry).
Sheets and Delicates - Brenna Thummler
These are such brilliant ghosty books, and the colour palette is just *chefās kiss* I think graphic novels are a fantastic way of talking about serious topics, for me they are a lot easier to process rather than feeling overwhelmed by the black and white text on a page.
If thatās not enough for you, here are some books that I would (might?!) snap up this spooky season. Iām hoping I can find some of them second hand because Iām trying to tackle whatās already on my shelves before adding more. Several of these recommendations came from Alexandra Ramzās video about spooky books for beginners / scaredy cats, so Iām glad to learn that Iām not the only one out there.
Iām beginning to think my spooky happy place is āthings that are meant to be scary for childrenā. From what I know, this is a story about Coraline and how the grass isnāt always greener on the other side.
All I know that this is a love story between a vampire and a werewolf and I donāt feel like I need any more information than that.
The Saturday Night Ghost Club - Craig Davidson
I donāt know much about this one, but a couple of the reviews mention a coming of age story, so I already know Iāll love it. The reviews also say it was not what they expected it to be, so excited to get my hands on a copy.
Another one for the dark academia fans, I donāt know a huge amount about Babel, except that itās a book set in Oxford and itās about the power of language. Also maybe with some fantasy vibes?! Waiting for this one to come out in paperback.
A Discovery of Witches- Deborah Harkness
I read about this one in Dear Reader by Cathy Rentzenbrink where it was recommended as a series. Rentzenbrink says āImagine Harry Potter for grown-ups with extra helpings of history and science.ā To which I say ok, yes please.
Carmilla - Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu
Widely claimed to be the book that inspired Dracula, Carmilla is one of the early works of vampire fiction. It is described as āterrifying and eerieā so Iāll probably have to read it in broad daylight in a room full of people, but Iām willing to give it a go.
Thanks for reading as always team, and please let me know if you have any good recommendations. Iāll be elbowing my way into your inbox again next week with my October reading round up.
Hope you have a good spooky season, whether youāre dressing up and heading out or getting grumpy about the kids guising on your street. I will be doing what I do every year, buying all the Halloween themed tasty goods and eating them myself because I am child free and greedy.
Iona xx
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