6 Spooky Season Reads
“The whole spirit of Hallowe'en is, of course, one of "spooky" gayety and light-hearted ghastliness. Witches and ghosts run riot; corpses dance and black cats howl. "More work for the undertaker" should be the leitmotif of the evening's fun.” ― Donald Ogden Stewart, Perfect Behavior
It's almost October, so for most people that means Spooky Season is already here or it's fast approaching! Although we don't make all of our books season-themed, we do like to add some books to our TBR pile that fall in line with whatever season it is. If you're like us and like to read season-themed books, then you're in luck! We've curated a list of 6 Spooky Season books just in time to get into the mood for Spooky Season!
1. Orange World and Other Stories by Karen Russell
Orange World and Other Stories was one of the books on the Book Battle list, and we're glad it was or else we never would have been introduced to this book. It is full of short stories that test the imagination, yet still capture the inner turmoil we often face throughout our lives. Story topics include a woman becoming infected with the spirit of a Joshua tree, a devil, ghosts, and more. A personal favorite of this book is "The Gondoliers." It's a perfect read to head into Spooky Season.
2. The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James
If you're looking for a more traditional Spooky Season read, then add The Sun Down Motel to your TBR list! Viv is working at a local motel to earn money to move to New York City, same as her aunt back in the day. Except that her aunt went missing and no one has seen or heard from her since. As Viv continues working at The Sun Down, she learns things just aren't right. She's determined to figure out the motel's secrets, but will the motel allow her to learn them or will The Sun Down doing anything to stop her?
3. Dark Places by Gillian Flynn
To me, Dark Places can be considered one of the scariest books on this list because it all could really happen. Are our memories real, or did trauma recreate our memories to help us cope? Or even worse, are we going against our true memories because we want what we no longer have? In Dark Places, Libby is trying to figure if her brother truly massacred their entire family. If he didn't, then who did? As Libby tries to sift through her memories and figure out what is truth and what is fabricated, she learns that the truth can often be far more complicated than we believe.
4. A Discovery of Witches (All Souls #1) by Deborah Harkness
I have been wanting to read the All Souls trilogy ever since my sister first mentioned it to me earlier this year, and now is the perfect time of year to dive in! I love all things supernatural, fantastical with heroines finding the confidence and strength within themselves. Throw in a little romance, and you have me hooked! A Discovery of Witches is a tale centered around Diana Bishop, who is a scholar and a descendent of witches, though she tries not to remember that side of herself. Diana discovers an enchanted alchemical manuscript buried deep in the library at Oxford. With its discovery, a fantasy underworld reappears that Diana begins to navigate through and learn as she becomes the center of a plethora of supernatural beings. She needs all the help she can get, and she gets it from Matthew Clairmont who is a geneticist, and a vampire, as he stands by her side, even at the cost of a supernatural war.
5. The Book of Accidents by Chuck Wendig
I had not heard of this book until I was browsing #thrillerbooks on Instagram. When I read the synopsis, color me intrigued! I feel like this book definitely will make me think of the bumps in the night we all thought and dreamt about as kids!
The Book of Accidents follows Nathan and Maddie. Long ago, when they were children, Nathan lived in his country home with an abusive father. At the same time, Maddie was playing with dolls in her room when she witnessed something she shouldn't have. Nathan never shared with his family what happened at his home, and Maddie is using sculpting as a way to remember the trauma she went through. Present day, Nathan and Maddie are married with a son of their own, and have moved back to their hometown in rural Pennsylvania where long ago something sinister seeped and walked through the tunnels, mountains, and coal mines in this town. Now, what happened long ago is happening again, and it is happening to their son. It is a fight of good versus evil in the presence of this dark magic, and their family must fight for survival of their family, and for the world even. All they have is their secret weapon.. love for one another.
6. The Outsider by Stephen King
Can it even be Spooky Season without a thriller written by Stephen King?? I do not read his books often, but I try to read at least one by him every year around this time. This year's pick is The Outsider which I feel is going to be such a scary read as I feel that it definitely can, or even has happened, in real life. A little boy's corpse is found in the town park, and the evidence found points to a popular, well-liked citizen who has such a hand in the town - he is the Little League coach, a teacher, a husband, and father. A public arrest occurs quickly, and even though Terry Maitland has an alibi, evidence in the case seems ironclad. Or does it? Shocking twists, and horrifying answers is what Stephen King is best at, and the suspense of whodunit will pull you in. Will Mr. King shock us as he tends to when answers finally come to light?
What books would you add to a Spooky Season TBR list? If you’d like to see what we are reading now, check out our Goodreads profiles (Kelli and Chelsea) or follow 2 Girls Bookin' It on Instagram and Facebook! If you’re excited to see what other topics we’ll be covering in the coming months, make sure to subscribe. Thanks for reading with us!