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| Courtesy of Jasmine Becket-Griffith www.strangeling.com |
Have you picked your Halloween costume yet? While I try to preserve my teeth and my healthy glycemic index keeping that bowl of mini candy bars at a safe distance from my eyes and from my heart, I still have to decide on a spooky outfit to wear this year. I am not at a loss with Halloween reading ideas though! On All Hallow's Eve, instead of setting a dinner table for my friendly ghosts, I'll put my twist on the Celtic tradition and appease the spirits with my favorite kind of treats...BOOKS.
HARROWGATE by Kate Maruyama
Genre: mystery, horror, gothic, romance (Sept. 2013, 47north)
"Michael should be overjoyed by the birth of his son, but his wife, Sarah, won't let him touch the baby or allow anyone to visit. Greta, an intrusive, sinister doula has wormed her way into their lives, driving a wedge between Michael and his family. Every time he leaves the Harrowgate, he returns to find his beloved wife and baby altered. He feels his family slipping away, and as a malevolent force begins to creep in, Michael does what any new father would do?he fights to keep his family together. Kate Maruyama's debut novel, Harrowgate, is a chilling, richly detailed story of love, loss, and the haunted place that lies between."
Buy it on Amazon
THE SMALL HAND AND DOLLY by Susan Hill
Genre: horror, fantasy, paranormal, short stories, ghosts (Sept. 2013, Vintage)
"In The Small Hand, antiquarian bookseller Adam Snow is returning from a client visit when he takes a wrong turn and stumbles across a derelict Edwardian house with a lush, overgrown garden. Approaching the door, he is startled to feel the unmistakable sensation of a small cold hand creeping into his own, almost as though a child had taken hold of it. Plagued by nightmares, he returns with the intention of figuring out its mysteries, only to be troubled by further, increasingly sinister visits. In Dolly, orphan Edward Cayley is sent to spend the summer with his forbidding Aunt Kestrel at Iyot House, her decaying home in the damp, lonely fens. With him is his spoiled, spiteful cousin, Leonora. And when Leonora's birthday wish for a beautiful doll is denied, she unleashes a furious rage which will haunt Edward for years afterward."
Buy it on Amazon
BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA by April G. Tucholke
Genre: horror, fantasy, gothic, paranormal romance (Aug. 2013, Dial)
"You stop fearing the devil when you’re holding his hand…Nothing much exciting rolls through Violet White’s sleepy, seaside town… until River West comes along. River rents the guest house behind Violet’s crumbling estate, and as eerie, grim things start to happen, Violet begins to wonder about the boy living in her backyard. Is River just a crooked-smiling liar with pretty eyes and a mysterious past? Or could he be something more?Violet’s grandmother always warned her about the Devil, but she never said he could be a dark-haired boy who takes naps in the sun, who likes coffee, who kisses you in a cemetery... who makes you want to kiss back. Violet’s already so knee-deep in love, she can’t see straight. And that’s just how River likes it.Blending faded decadence and the thrilling dread of gothic horror, April Genevieve Tucholke weaves a dreamy, twisting contemporary romance, as gorgeously told as it is terrifying—a debut to watch."
Buy it on Amazon
THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF JACK THE RIPPER by James Carnac
Genre: non-fiction, biography, historical, mystery (Sept. 2013, Sourcebooks)
"In the Whitechapel neighborhood of London in 1888, five women were horribly mutilated and murdered by the infamous killer, Jack the Ripper. Though there were many suspects, no one was ever caught. This recently discovered memoir from the 1920s introduces a new suspect: James Willoughby Carnac, who claims to have been the Ripper. He describes the events and geography of Whitechapel in 1888 with chilling accuracy and gives a credible motive for becoming the murderer--and for ending the killings. Ultimately the reader must decide if this is simply one of the earliest imaginings of the case...or if it is the words of Jack the Ripper himself."
Buy it on Amazon
HELP FOR THE HAUNTED by John Searles
Genre: horror, paranormal, mystey, young adult (Sept. 13, William Morrow)
"It begins with a call in the middle of snowy February evening. Lying in her bed, young Sylvie Mason overhears her parents on the phone across the hall. This is not the first late-night call they have received, since her mother and father have an uncommon occupation, helping "haunted souls" find peace. And yet, something in Sylvie senses that this call is different than the rest, especially when they are lured to the old church on the outskirts of town. Once there, her parents disappear, one after the other, behind the church's red door, leaving Sylvie alone in the car. Not long after, she drifts off to sleep only to wake to the sound of gunfire. Nearly a year later, we meet Sylvie again struggling with the loss of her parents, and living in the care of her older sister, who may be to blame for what happened the previous winter. As the story moves back and forth in time, through the years leading up to the crime and the months following, the ever inquisitive and tender-hearted Sylvie pursues the mystery, moving closer to the knowledge of what occurred that night, as she comes to terms with her family's past and uncovers secrets that have haunted them for years."
Buy it on Amazon
AUTUMN GLIMMER by Pat McDermott
Genre: fantasy, paranormal, young adult (Sept. 2013, Createspace)
"Fairies living beneath the lake on the King of Ireland’s country estate? Janet Gleason isn’t surprised. The American teen and her royal friend, Prince Liam Boru, have met the Good People before. Just before Halloween, three of the fairies, Blinn, Mell, and Lewy, leave their watery home to fill a magical bag with the flowers their queen requires to keep a hungry monster asleep. Blinn decides she’d like to see the mortal king’s house. Lewy wants to taste oatcakes again, and Mell goes along on a tragic ride that leaves poor Lewy lost and alone. Can Liam and Janet help him find the flower bag before the monster awakens? Or will Lewy’s misguided glimmer trap the young mortals forever in the palace beneath the lake?"
Buy it on Amazon
Genre: mystery, horror, gothic, romance (Sept. 2013, 47north)
"Michael should be overjoyed by the birth of his son, but his wife, Sarah, won't let him touch the baby or allow anyone to visit. Greta, an intrusive, sinister doula has wormed her way into their lives, driving a wedge between Michael and his family. Every time he leaves the Harrowgate, he returns to find his beloved wife and baby altered. He feels his family slipping away, and as a malevolent force begins to creep in, Michael does what any new father would do?he fights to keep his family together. Kate Maruyama's debut novel, Harrowgate, is a chilling, richly detailed story of love, loss, and the haunted place that lies between."
Buy it on Amazon
Genre: horror, fantasy, paranormal, short stories, ghosts (Sept. 2013, Vintage)
"In The Small Hand, antiquarian bookseller Adam Snow is returning from a client visit when he takes a wrong turn and stumbles across a derelict Edwardian house with a lush, overgrown garden. Approaching the door, he is startled to feel the unmistakable sensation of a small cold hand creeping into his own, almost as though a child had taken hold of it. Plagued by nightmares, he returns with the intention of figuring out its mysteries, only to be troubled by further, increasingly sinister visits. In Dolly, orphan Edward Cayley is sent to spend the summer with his forbidding Aunt Kestrel at Iyot House, her decaying home in the damp, lonely fens. With him is his spoiled, spiteful cousin, Leonora. And when Leonora's birthday wish for a beautiful doll is denied, she unleashes a furious rage which will haunt Edward for years afterward."
Buy it on Amazon
Genre: horror, fantasy, gothic, paranormal romance (Aug. 2013, Dial)
"You stop fearing the devil when you’re holding his hand…Nothing much exciting rolls through Violet White’s sleepy, seaside town… until River West comes along. River rents the guest house behind Violet’s crumbling estate, and as eerie, grim things start to happen, Violet begins to wonder about the boy living in her backyard. Is River just a crooked-smiling liar with pretty eyes and a mysterious past? Or could he be something more?Violet’s grandmother always warned her about the Devil, but she never said he could be a dark-haired boy who takes naps in the sun, who likes coffee, who kisses you in a cemetery... who makes you want to kiss back. Violet’s already so knee-deep in love, she can’t see straight. And that’s just how River likes it.Blending faded decadence and the thrilling dread of gothic horror, April Genevieve Tucholke weaves a dreamy, twisting contemporary romance, as gorgeously told as it is terrifying—a debut to watch."
Buy it on Amazon
Genre: non-fiction, biography, historical, mystery (Sept. 2013, Sourcebooks)
"In the Whitechapel neighborhood of London in 1888, five women were horribly mutilated and murdered by the infamous killer, Jack the Ripper. Though there were many suspects, no one was ever caught. This recently discovered memoir from the 1920s introduces a new suspect: James Willoughby Carnac, who claims to have been the Ripper. He describes the events and geography of Whitechapel in 1888 with chilling accuracy and gives a credible motive for becoming the murderer--and for ending the killings. Ultimately the reader must decide if this is simply one of the earliest imaginings of the case...or if it is the words of Jack the Ripper himself."
Buy it on Amazon
Genre: horror, paranormal, mystey, young adult (Sept. 13, William Morrow)
"It begins with a call in the middle of snowy February evening. Lying in her bed, young Sylvie Mason overhears her parents on the phone across the hall. This is not the first late-night call they have received, since her mother and father have an uncommon occupation, helping "haunted souls" find peace. And yet, something in Sylvie senses that this call is different than the rest, especially when they are lured to the old church on the outskirts of town. Once there, her parents disappear, one after the other, behind the church's red door, leaving Sylvie alone in the car. Not long after, she drifts off to sleep only to wake to the sound of gunfire. Nearly a year later, we meet Sylvie again struggling with the loss of her parents, and living in the care of her older sister, who may be to blame for what happened the previous winter. As the story moves back and forth in time, through the years leading up to the crime and the months following, the ever inquisitive and tender-hearted Sylvie pursues the mystery, moving closer to the knowledge of what occurred that night, as she comes to terms with her family's past and uncovers secrets that have haunted them for years."
Buy it on Amazon
Genre: fantasy, paranormal, young adult (Sept. 2013, Createspace)
"Fairies living beneath the lake on the King of Ireland’s country estate? Janet Gleason isn’t surprised. The American teen and her royal friend, Prince Liam Boru, have met the Good People before. Just before Halloween, three of the fairies, Blinn, Mell, and Lewy, leave their watery home to fill a magical bag with the flowers their queen requires to keep a hungry monster asleep. Blinn decides she’d like to see the mortal king’s house. Lewy wants to taste oatcakes again, and Mell goes along on a tragic ride that leaves poor Lewy lost and alone. Can Liam and Janet help him find the flower bag before the monster awakens? Or will Lewy’s misguided glimmer trap the young mortals forever in the palace beneath the lake?"
Buy it on Amazon
HAVE A FREAKY HALLOWEEN!
Awesome list Mina! And I love the cat at the bottom. Looks like my own cat! Fun blog!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Maryellen! Spooky enough? I don't have a problem with black cats. I think they are adorable, just like any other pet :)
DeleteI can't read horror because I'm a chicken and they give me nightmares, and just the cover of THE SMALL HAND AND DOLLY gives me the heebie jeebies! Great list!
ReplyDeleteLOL! Monica, I don't know how I did it, but when I was younger, way way back, I could watch/read horror movie/book after horror movie/horror. I stopped when I became a mother. Today I'll read some milder stuff. A touch of romance makes horror/gothic more agreeable.
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