It’s time to get into the October mood. For some, this means pumpkin spice lattes, Halloween decorations, and sweaters, but for others it just means spooky books and movies (or preferably all of those things at once.) Here are some great books that will definitely help you ring in the season:
1. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
Why not curl up with a mystery/thriller classic this season? Originally published in 1939, this novel follows ten strangers who have nothing in common but secrets they’re unwilling to reveal invited to a private island. Their host is an eccentric millionaire whom none of them personally know— and who has also disappeared. As guest by guest is killed, you’ll wade through plot twists and red herrings to find out whodunit.
Agatha Christie revolutionized the mystery genre and you’ll certainly feel that when reading And Then There Were None; it reads exactly what you’d think of as a mystery/thriller.
2. Last Days by Adam Nevill
Maybe you’re more into cults and demons and massacres. In that case, you should read this novel, in which an amateur filmmaker is commissioned to shoot a documentary on the infamous Temple of the Last Days cult. Following the breadcrumbs of the case, the protagonist visits significant locations in the cult’s short history and interviews former members. However, a series of unexplainable events— the sudden, inexplicable death of interviewees, “nocturnal visitations,” among others— begin to haunt the shoots, raising the question of just what the protagonist has gotten himself into.
I read this novel two or three years ago and I’m not sure I’ve recovered.
3. From Here to Eternity: Traveling the World to Find the Good Death by Caitlin Doughty
This one is like a travelogue and a super cool science lesson all in one. Mortician Caitlin Doughty travels the world to examine other cultures’ treatment of the dead, from futuristic indoor cemeteries to Bolivian wish-granting skulls. Doughty turns a critical eye towards the American funeral industry and our frankly irrational fear of death, grieving, and corpses.
From Here to Eternity also features cool illustrations!
4. The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco
YA fantasy lovers should check this one out. In The Bone Witch, a girl named Tea accidentally resurrects her brother from the dead– just as he’s being buried. Tea’s gift for necromancy makes her a bone witch, feared and ostracized by most people. She is taken far from her rural hometown to learn to control her newly discovered powers.
This 2017 release features big, scary monsters, court intrigue, and lots and lots of magic.
5. A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay
This one is, in a way, the most horrific. In A Head Full of Ghosts, a family of four is torn apart when the eldest daughter, 14-year-old Marjorie, displays symptoms of acute schizophrenia. The doctors are unable to save her, and in desperation, the family contacts a local priest for help. With Marjorie’s medical bills climbing higher and higher, they also agree to be filmed for a reality TV show called “The Possession”. You won’t be able to look away as these factors come together to make a hair-raising tragedy.