Are you looking for a great book to get you into the spooky spirit? Try one of these!
Hold Me Closer, Necromancer by Lish McBrideSam is a going-nowhere dropout fry cook at the local fast-food joint who has never really felt like he belonged. After a strange encounter with a strange man, Sam begins to unravel his past – he is a necromancer, but his powers were bound in his infancy to conceal him from the local necromancer who jealously guards his power. Sam is a funny, laid back and quick-witted and his relationships with his coworkers and friends shine – even when one becomes a talking decapitated head! This is a fun supernatural story for those who are looking for action and humor, with the barest hint of romance.
You may also enjoy
Sabriel by Garth Nix – another tale of necromancy in a more fantastical setting, or
The Forest of Hands and Teeth, a post-apocalyptic zombie story with a much higher chill-factor!
Locke and Key Volume 1: Welcome to Lovecraft by Joe Hill and Gabriel RodriguezAfter witnessing the tragic and graphic murder of their father, the Locke children move with their mother back to the old family home in Lovecraft, Massachusetts. The sprawling mansion, (called Keyhouse) is a mystery in its own right, but when the youngest Locke finds a key to a door that allows him to leave his body behind, the three siblings find themselves in discovering even deeper secrets while still dealing with the death of their father. This superb graphic novel is for mature audiences, but may yet keep you up at night!
Other creepy graphic novels include
The Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman and
In the Shadow of Edgar Allan Poe by Jonathon Scott Fuqua. For a younger audience, try
Coraline by Neil Gaiman, adapted and illustrated by P. Craig Russell.
All Hallows Eve, 13 Stories by Vivian Vande VeldePick up this creepy collection of short stories all set on October 31. From a haunted house actress getting haunted for real to a possessed car trying to get its owner killed, to parents dressed as vampires offering their daughter’s date a drink – A, B, or O negative, these stories all draw to a spine tingling conclusion. This would be a great pick for a scary read-aloud for teens and adults too old for trick-or-treating!
For other short story collections, try
The Living Dead with stories by greats like Neil Gaiman, Sherman Alexie, Clive Barker, Laurell K. Hamilton, and Stephen King.
Los Gatos Black on Halloween by Marisa MontesOn the lighter side, you may also be looking for fun October reads for little ones. Los Gatos Black is a great bilingual picture book that explores the traditional Halloween characters, symbols, and customs in a rhyming text that is interspersed with Spanish words and phrases. The illustrations are a bit eerie and atmospheric, but the story includes touches of humor that lighten the mood. The book includes a glossary of the Spanish terms and their pronunciations.
Some other fun picture books include
The Halloween Kid by Rhode Montijo or
Skelly the Skeleton Girl by Jimmy Pickering.
Ant and Honey Bee, A Pair of Friends by Megan McDonald is a tale of getting your costume just right!
I hope these inspire some spooky nights under the covers!
