Spooky Scary Reading List

I just spent some time working on a piece about feeling a vast array of feelings this week (my best friend’s wedding this week! hurricane Milton! perfect weather in Nashville! terrible news!) and then I decided that I’d rather wait on sending that one.

Right now I’m just digging in to my October reading list and I thought I’d share, despite having shared an abbreviated version in the past. My list is narrowed down, and what I’m recommending to you is expanded.

What I’m Reading

Youthjuice by E.K. Sathue - This makes the list because I’m too afraid to watch The Substance. 

Ghostroots by ‘Pemi Aguda - Horror stories set in Lagos, Nigeria. 

Weyward by Emilia Hart - A witchcraft story across time. 

Creation Lake by Rachel Kushner - Dark humor with a secret agent!

The Devil Takes You Home by Gabino Iglesias - People describe this book as a nightmare and then give it five stars. 

Bury Your Gays by Chuck Tingle - Described as joyous, gay, bloody monster horror. Thrilled to read this. 

What I Think You Should Read

Graveyard Shift by M.L Rio - A novella perfect for anyone who loves a cigarette break. 

This Thing Between Us by Gus Moreno - A plot point of this book is a haunted Alexa-like technological device and yet it still manages to be scary in a way that will make the hair stand on your arms. 

The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix - Look up the trigger warnings for this one, but it is MUCH scarier than the title would suggest with one of the most horrifying vampires I’ve ever experienced.

Hum by Helen Phillips - Speculative fiction about what could go wrong with surveillance tech in a not so distant future.

Horror for Weenies: Everything You Need to Know About the Films You're Too Scared to Watch by Emily C. Hughes - A perfect answer to the question “Why do people like horror movies?” that includes explanations and context for 25 horror films and their influence in pop culture. 

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson - A dark slow burn of a novel about possibly murderous sisters. 

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson - The book that made me think horror literature is for me. The book that made me want to write about books. One of my favorite books of all time. I’m sure I’ve rec’d this book before. If you read anything on this list, please read this one!

Our Wives Under The Sea by Julia Armfield - If your worst nightmare involves a submarine and a marital cold war, this book will scare the shit out of you. 

The Night We Lost Him by Laura Dave – A family thriller about familial secrets and a patriarch who has been keeping a secret over 50 years.

What’s on your reading list for October? Share in the comments or reply to this email!

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