At the beginning of October, I talked about how I love reading books at just the right time of year or season of life. I asked for any suggestions you had for great Halloween/fall reads, and several of you shared your ideas, plus I gathered a few more of my own:
The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America by Erik Larson was suggested by AJ and Mel. My book club has actually almost selected this book for the last two Octobers, but in the end, we all just get so creeped out and scared by the idea of a serial killer that we nix it.
The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry - This was the title that ended up being selected for October book club instead. It was set in present-day Salem, Massachusetts, so it was flavored by the history of the Salem witch trials. I ended up not finishing it though. It was pretty depressing and the writing was confusing.
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee was suggested by my dear friend, Sarah. I thought this was a really excellent suggestion. Maybe not what you normally think of as a Halloween read but with the climax happening on Halloween night (with Scout dressed up as a ham, no less), I think it would be perfect.
Dracula by Bram Stoker was suggested by Mel. There really are a lot of creepy classics out there, and this is one of them.
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley - another terrifyingly-appropriate classic
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman was suggested by Robyn. This won the Newbery a few years ago. I haven't read it, but by all reports it is a bit frightening.
How They Croaked: The Awful Ends of the Awfully Famous by Georgia Bragg - Mike's cousin, Jill, mentioned this a few days ago on her blog, and I immediately wrote it down to remember it for next year.
The Eyes of Amaryllis by Natalie Babbitt - I saw this book on Inhabiting Books, and Megan said it would be a great read for this time of year.
Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens was suggested by Alicia, one of my very favorite friends. I think a lot of Dickens' works provide just the right spooky edge.
The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aiken - I have wanted to read this book for a long time. Maybe I will save it for next year.
Nine Coaches Waiting by Mary Stewart - I remember Sarah mentioning this one a long time ago, and I think it would definitely fit into the spooky category.
The Witches by Roald Dahl - I said this was on my October reading list. Well, I read it, and I loved every word of it.
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier - Oh, my. I don't know if there's any way to capture my feelings for this book. But I'll try in a soon-to-be-coming review.
The Aviary by Kathleen O'Dell - On a whim, I decided to read this book this month, and despite being set in the summer, the creaky old house and enchanted birds made it a great read for this time of year. Full review coming soon.
And that's it. If you have any more suggestions, feel free to share and I'll add them to the list. And make sure you save this list so you'll know just what to read next October.
Tomorrow I will be talking about my reading plans for November, so get thinking about your favorite cozy/yummy/grateful/historical books to read this time of year!
Now I can't wait for your coming soons!
ReplyDeleteAnd, just hopped over to Good Reads to read the blurb on "The Eyes of the Amaryllis" and I could swear I saw a movie version of that as a child... or maybe I read it and it was THAT vivid, hmmmm. Do you know if there is a movie version? It could have been made for TV.
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