I tried to get started on my spooky season reading in August to get in
more books. I didn't get quite as many as I wanted but here's what I did read
this year.
Note: All title links below are Amazon affiliated where I may earn from qualifying
purchases.
Twisted Tales to Tell in the Night: A Halloween Horror Anthology is filled
with spooky stories by new trick or treaters to the big kids that know which
streets give out the best candy. All of these stories capture the
storytelling style of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark with each author's
own twist.
Does what it says on the box. It's an anthology. There's some hits, some
misses, and the rest fall between but they're all Halloween-centric.
After escaping from Dr. Finkelstein and marrying her true love, Jack,
Sally has become the realm's official Pumpkin Queen. But as much as she
adores her skeletal husband, the spotlight of popular attention and the
weight of her many new royal obligations have left Sally wondering if she
might have actually just traded one form of captivity for another. To make
matters worse, when Sally and Zero discover a hidden doorway leading to
the previously unknown Dream Town, the resulting cascade of calamities
threatens not only her new position as Pumpkin Queen, but also the very
foundations of her world!
I've had the e-book sitting in my Kindle TBR for at least a year. I picked up
the Graphic Novel adaptation and was so glad I did! They did an excellent job
with the art and having the visuals to go with the story really added to the
feeling of going back into the movie world. Looking forward to the sequel but
just might wait for the graphic novel.
When horror-obsessed Riley Lawrence and his group of college friends
arrive in the small town of Carousel for their Centennial Celebration, the
few decrepit cars parked in the street don’t scare them. But when they
enter a dimmed theater, the animatronic usher hands them each a ticket,
and the lights dim, Riley realizes they’ve entered the inescapable
patchwork of a horror movie set. And they’ve each been assigned an
archetype―Scholar, Athlete, Eye Candy, Final Girl―to play out as the
curtains rise.
This was a little slow to layout the groundwork but it was fun once
it got into the groove. The characters are essentially trapped in a realm of
horror movies where they're expected to act their roles. But they have the
meta knowledge that they're in a horror movie and have tropes (traits) to
help them survive. As a horror fan, it's fun to watch them figure out how to survive. I plan on continuing the series but wanted to explore
other things before Halloween.
&
On Halloween, it is always wise to expect the unexpected, but no amount of
planning could have prepared Eve for that particular night. Fleeing an
unpleasant orphanage, she’s saved by someone who she never believed was
real…the fabled Pumpkin King himself. Throwing caution aside, Eve
accepts the offer to become his daughter and is whisked away to the misty
Hallowell Valley—home to witches and vampires, ghosts and goblins, and all
that go bump in the night. But just when she believes she’s found her place
among the undead, a sinister scheme unearths itself, threatening to take
everything from Eve unless she can stop it.
On the other hand, I loved the first book so much, that I immediately dove
into the sequel. The books are aimed at the 9-12 set but I really enjoyed
them. They're not written to be scary but they have things that are usually
supposed to be scary. It's sort of like Nightmare Before Christmas'
Halloweentown. It's a fun kids adventure with cozy Halloween vibes.
When your great-uncle Lord Thornebury Vexley III dies, you inherit more
than his creepy estate—you inherit a challenge. Spend one night inside the
Haunted Manor, and the fortune (and the family name) could be yours. Sounds
simple, right? Except the house is bursting with ghosts, cursed objects, and
desserts that bite back. Every room forces a choice. Some draw you closer to
survival; others trap you forever in portraits, endless staircases, or
attics stuffed with regrets.
Obviously this is a Choose Your Own Adventure style book. I picked it up
because it's using a similar font to Disney's Haunted Mansion and the
similarities don't stop there. It doesn't follow the "story" of the ride but
there's definitely references that fans will enjoy like instead of 999 ghosts,
there's 499.
Still Reading
Collecting twelve original short stories first published on the
seasonal Halloween blog
Your Best Halloween Ever
with an exclusive thirteenth story that’s unlike any other, Thirteen Tales
for Halloween is filled to the brim with Halloween spirit like a
jack-o-lantern candy bucket packed with tricks, treats, and a few surprises
for good measure. Featuring stories with magic and frights both familiar and
new, these tales are bound to become Halloween favorites that you can
revisit again and again.
Almost done, I just started the 13th story this morning and I can already tell it's going to be my second favorite tale! From what I have read so far, I give it a high
recommend. There's a good variation between stories and they're all great at
setting a Halloween mood.
I
posted about this last month. It's an "advent book" with each of the 31 chapters intended to be read
every day in October. I'm surprised I've managed to only keep to one chapter a
day so far because a couple of them end with you wanting to keep reading!
Click the image to see the full list of Countdown to Halloween blogs!
