Scary Stories

During October (Halloween month or #31daysofHalloween), I love curling up with a few spooky stories to get into that Halloween mood. I love all of these books, and they have that perfect vibe. Haunted houses, witches, zombies, and demons. Happy reading.

Do you have any suggestions for me?

Mexican Gothic – Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Mexican Gothic follows a 1950s debutante to a spooky old mansion in the mountains of Mexico. It was a weird, wild ride, and I loved all of it. I heard rumors it will be a miniseries soon, and I cannot wait.

The Rules of Magic – Alice Hoffman

The Rules of Magic is the second book in Alice Hoffman’s Practical Magic series (The third book, Magic Lessons, is due out this month). This is a prequel, telling the stories of the aunts, Frances and Jet Owens, witches who lead emotionally complicated lives. I could NOT put this book down and was so invested in the characters. Sometimes I catch myself sitting around thinking about their story. Plus, there is a little New York City and Paris mixed in.

Warm Bodies – Isaac Marion

So, what if zombies in all of their zombiness still held on to some of their humanity? And what happens if one zombie just happens to start falling for a live girl? Ok, so this one may not be entirely scary, but it is sweet and funny. Also, the movie version is a fantastic watch too.

Horns – Joe Hill

In Horns, Ig wakes up one morning with horns growing out of his forehead and some strange powers. This story starts out hilarious, but it does get pretty dark and weird. This is a man dealing with his demons, and I loved that it wasn’t conventional. Bonus that Daniel Radcliffe is Ig in the movie version.

The Secret Circle – L.J. Smith

The Secret Circle is a series, not a book, but I flew through the books. To be fair, this one is all teen melodrama: teenage witches, partying hijinks, love triangles, and unleashing darkness on their town. If you’re the type of person who loves these kinds of books, this series is especially entertaining. Also, the CW did a pretty good take on this show after the success of The Vampire Diaries (the books were written by L.J. Smith and are better than the show).