Hey fellow book nerds! For Blogtober Day Three I thought I would share my favourite spooky reads with you and let you know what is currently sitting on my Halloween TBR.
The Classics
Dracula by Bram Stoker
Dracula might not have been the first ever literary vampire but he’s certainly the most well-known. There’s no better time to sink your teeth into this classic and transport your mind to nineteenth century Transylvania (for the first few chapters anyway!).
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
When it comes to Halloween classics, you can’t miss out one of the first ever works in the horror genre! The Creature is the original zombie and one with a heart, not that it will stop him from going on a rampage for vengeance. It’s creepy and a total must-read for any horror or Halloween fan.
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
Jane Austen might not be known as a spooky writer but she did indeed dabble in the Gothic. Inspired by the most popular creepy reads of her time, Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey parodies classic Gothic stories. The book features heroine, Catherine, as she finds herself in a creepy old house with a few chilling secrets to reveal… unless, of course, Catherine has just been reading one too many Ann Radcliffes.
Recent Recommends
The Familiars by Stacey Halls
This is a work of historical fiction that I fell in love with last year. The story follows young Fleetwood Shuttleworth as she becomes determined to defy her doctor’s estimations and make both her and her unborn baby survive her latest pregnancy. She enlists the help of a mysterious midwife with unusual remedies but as the Pendle Witch Trials grip the county, Fleetwood realises her new friend might need saving too.
My Sister, The Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
I’m not usually a thriller reader but something about the title of this book sucked me in and I am glad it did. When Korede gets a call from her sister, Ayoola, asking her to help clean up a murder Ayoola committed in self-defense, Korede runs to her sister’s side. That was the first time anyway. Now Ayoola is three murdered boyfriends down and Korede is getting suspicious. It’s when Ayoola starts dating Korede’s colleague that the bond of sisterhood is truly put to the test. If you like your thrillers with a slice of dark comedy, this is definitely the read for you this October.
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
This book is basically a masterless in how to write a modern Gothic story. After Daniel is taken to the Cemetery of Lost Books and told he may choose only one to cherish forever, he picks up a copy of The Shadow of the Wind by Julian Carax. After finishing the book, he aims to discover what happened to the elusive author but nothing is as it seems and when a figure with a sinister resemblance to the villain of the book starts following him, Daniel realises he might be in too deep.
TBR
The Deathless Girls by Kiran Millwood Hargrave
All I know about this book is that it’s a YA reimagining of the Weird Sisters or Brides of Dracula from Bram Stoker’s original novel. That’s all I need to know, I’m sold!
Dracul by Dacre Stoker and J.D. Barker
Ok, I know, it’s another Draucla-themed book but this one sounds great too! Dracul is a Gothic retelling of the life of Bram Stoker and if you clocked the authors’ names, you might be interested to know that Dacre Stoker is a descendent of Bram himself!
Wakenhyrst by Michelle Paver
All I know about this is that the cover is beautiful and it’s about a haunted house. Quite frankly, I don’t need to know anything more, it’s secured its place on the list.
What are you reading this Halloween? Let me know in the comments.
Georgia Haze 