Chapter 37 - Something Wicked This Way Comes

This is the time of year where I am often looking for something spooky to read. I was never a fan of the true Horror genre in books. In recollection, though, I've read the classics - Frankenstein, Dracula, and Edgar Allen Poe stories. I pretty much stay away from Stephen King, Dean Koontz and H.P. Lovecraft, for example. Psychological thrillers are really more my jam now although I will dabble in the supernatural periodically.

While I always recommend the classics listed above for an October read or reread, here are a few spooky books to help get your October on!

The Stranger in the Seine by Guillame Musso - I do have a tendency to gravitate towards books which take place in my favorite haunts. On a cold winter night in Paris, a young woman is pulled naked from the Seine River. While it appears she has amnesia, she has no injuries just a few odd tattoos. Turns out she is a famous pianist who died in a plane crash over a year ago and so the mystery begins. This is a scary and twisted tale.

How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix - The author of The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires has a new one and it is a good one. Louise finds out her parents have died and she doesn't want to deal with all the detritus that death brings - specifically cleaning out her parents house in Charleston. It is filled with tons of papers from her father's years as a professor and puppets and dolls from her mother's hobby. While her brother may be able to help her, it becomes clear early on that some houses just don't want to be sold.

The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James - In 1982 Viv Delaney works as the night clerk at the Sun Down Motel to pay for her move to New York City. She meets all sorts of people but soon she realizes something is not quite right about this motel. Years later, in 2017, Carly decides to try to find out what happened to her Aunt Viv who disappeared before Carly was born. As Carly follows in her aunt's footsteps will she unravel the mysteries of the Sun Down Motel?

The Surgeon by Leslie Wolfe - This is an unforgettable psychological thriller. Anne Wiley has it all - a great medical career, a husband who keeps her safe, a lovely home. In her 12 years as a cardio surgeon she has never lost a patient on the table. But what happens when a surgeon is asked to operate on the one person she hates? There is definitely a twist at the end of this story.

And for the middle-schoolers -

City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab - This is the first of a trilogy by the author of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. After almost drowning Cassie finds that she can see ghosts. When her parents start hosting a TV series about haunted places, things get even weirder as Cassie is confronted by spirits both good and extremely evil. This is shown as teacher's pick on Amazon and is spooky and not too, too scary.

Do you have any spooky books you'd like to share? Let me know!