A Halloween To-Read List, Courtesy of Your Local English Major
Have I mentioned before that Halloween is my favorite holiday? Probably not more than once or four times…
We have Halloween rituals in our family that have carried on through the years well into adulthood. Or at least what reasonably passes for adulthood in my case.
Every year we bake and decorate pumpkin cookies to look like jack o’lanterns.
Every year we watch a twenty year-old compilation VHS – taped from TV of course – of the Bugs Bunny Halloween special, It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, and the first ever Simpsons Halloween special.
Every year we decorate the house and carve pumpkins, too.
Yes, I am twelve years old.
And every year, I try and read at least one scary book. This is where my two favorite worlds merge: horror and reading. Together at last.
A million years ago, when I was an editor of my high school’s puny monthly newspaper, I would take charge of compiling entertaining seasonal movie lists; “Seven Movies to Scare You this Halloween,” “Five Unexpected Christmas Movies to See This Season” and “10 Movies to Make You Feel Less Alone on Valentine’s Day” were some of the classics. I always took extra care with the Halloween list, seeing as it was a holiday near to my heart and I take my scary-movie recommendations seriously, yo! I saw it as my duty to educate my peers on the history of horror cinema at a time when The Blair Witch Project was cutting-edge and most kids hadn’t heard of The Changeling (not the one with Angelina Jolie, the one with George C. Scott. Completely different movie).
It never occurred to me to make a Halloween reading list for the Newstorch though, partially because when I was in high school no one except me read books. Also, most of the books I had read up to that point were written by Stephen King, so that list would have just been titled “My Twelve Favorite Stephen King Novels.”
Having broadened my horizons a bit in the decade+ since high school, I have expanded my repertoire of reading material, and have a few different suggestions to bring to the table.
I will, however, throw in a little King because…well, you know, Master-of-Terror and all.
The below list are just my favorites – I realize some of them are well-known and well-loved (and hated). Additionally, my definition of horror is looser than many’s – I prefer a disturbing atmosphere and an sinister psychological/supernatural story to typical blood-and-guts conceptions of “scary ” favored by the kids these days. Saw never would’ve made any of my top-ten lists in high school.
- Your House is on Fire, Your Children All Gone, Stefan Kiesbye
This year’s read for me was originally in German, translated into English. Granted, I’m no expert on German literature, but every time I’ve read a horror story by a German author, it’s usually based on the creepiest of simple premises, made more terrifying by the subjective tone and aided by eerily effective pacing. Kiesbye’s story is no different, and definitely did not disappoint in its unsettling effect. In a nutshell, children come of age in a small village that hides terrible secrets of human depravity and supernatural evil – and none of them escape the fate of those doomed to live there. The cover is creepy, too, in a Children of the Corn kind of way, so this book is the whole package.
- The Historian, Elizabeth Kostova
- Interview with the Vampire, Anne Rice
- The Exorcist, William Peter Blatty
- It, Stephen King
I don’t think a book has ever given me more sleepless nights. Every child’s worst nightmare – a shape shifting clown (clown! CLOWN!) turns children’s fantasies into their worst nightmares. I just wrote a sentence of why this book is so terrifying, but realized what a spoiler it was so just TRUST ME. Scary business going on. Although overly long and a bit overheated at parts, for sheer terror It has no rival. And I still have residual fear of sewer-systems and bathtub drains after having read it.
Yes I know these images are from the movie, but my fear of the book is inextricably linked to my phobia of Tim Curry…
So there you have it; assigned reading from your favorite blogger. You know, in case you end up having nothing better to do on the scariest night of the year.
What are some of your favorites?
14 Comments
Erica Schatz
I love your book reviews, ’cause I’m always looking for new books to read. I’ll definitely check out at least one of these this Halloween season. Also, your picture of It in the sewer drain made me shudder and squeal. I literally had to pass my laptop to Greg to scroll it out of sight. haha! To this day, I WILL NOT walk in the street next to a sewer drain! That said, I’m kinda interested in reading the book since I love a good scare, and It is pretty much the scariest thing to me. 🙂
Natalie the Singingfool
Don’t read It, then – it will terrify you for life! Unless you WANT to be that scared…
Lindsey
Perfect! Thank you for this list! I’ve not read much horror at all, but I love me some good thriller/horror movies, so it’s a little sacrilegious that I haven’t cracked many a spine-o-horror. I’m very interested in the German one at the top, it looks creepily wonderful. Happy Halloween 🙂
Natalie the Singingfool
YES! Read that one! It’s they most literary on the list, and so utterly horrifying – I think you’d like it.
Mia
I just started The Midwich Cuckoos, the book Village of the Damned was based on…but I might have to give Your House is on Fire a shot, too. German horror might be too good to pass up.
Natalie the Singingfool
Ooo, one I haven’t read! I’ll check it out!
And no, you shouldn’t miss it – it’s truly fabulous and horrifying!
Vic
The Shining is also an excellent read. This is true even if you have seen the movie(s). As an added bonus, anyone reading it prior to March will be up to speed in time for the release of the sequel, Doctor Sleep. More King I realize, but he is the undisputed master.
Natalie the Singingfool
The Shining is one of my ALL TIME FAVORITES, but I was trying to keep it to one King novel…I also almost included Salem’s Lot…
And sequel??? I all of a sudden have high hopes…
Karen
I LOVE Halloween too! I’ve never made cookies, but after seeing yours, I’m going to add it to my list of future Halloween rituals.
I haven’t been able to read Horror books since I was about 15, because I can never seem to get those images out of my head.
P.S. Those clown pictures are terrifying.
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Ice Scream Mama
Happy halloween! love the cupcakes! i made spiders and ghosts. so fun! and those are great book choices… if you like scary books. i don’t, they freak me out. although, i did read the historian and thought it was very good. It has no chance here. i like happy endings. 🙂
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that cynking feeling
Just as I was looking at those creepy clown pics, my husband sneaks up and tickles me.
I almost peed my pants after almost punching my husband.
that cynking feeling recently posted…I’m sailing away
Daniel Nest
If watching Simpsons makes you a twelve year old, then I am 12 and proud of it!
Also, I am not a big fan of horror in general, but scary clowns are terrifying as hell.
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Stacie
King I’d definitely my go to scary guy. I also like Greg Isles.
Ken
I’m not a very big fan of having the crap scared out of me. But if you want to freak kids out, you probably can’t go wrong with German literature. Some of that is messed up stuff!
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