What to Read in October (2024)

It is spooky season, which is what T. Kingfisher called it at the Fright Night author event I attended in September. We’re going to be hearing more about that event later. But it is spooky season. If you are one of those readers who just plows ahead in October with their usual reading and ignores the spooky, there are plenty of recommendations below. But I lurve Halloween. And I go all in. Here are some of my fave spooky season books:

The Harry Potter series, J. K. Rowling (I am a huge fan of the series. It can be read at any time, but not only does it feature Halloween scenes now and again, it is full of magic and all things witch-y and wizard-y.)The Graveyard Book, Neil Gaiman (I read this book last Halloween and really enjoyed it. A good recommendation for a younger reader.)Among the Shadows, L. M. Montgomery (A lesser-known book of the Anne of Green Gables writer, it’s a book of spooky short stories written in early 1900s Canada and actually a lot of people love this as a Halloween read.)Lincoln in the Bardo, George Saunders or North Woods, Daniel Mason (I list these together because they are much more than fall reads, but they are both amazing books that feature ghosts and have a grit to them.)The Witches, Roald Dahl (Another one for even younger readers, but I love to read Dahl even as an adult.)Frankenstein, Mary Shelley (I have read several of the horror classics over the past few years, but Frankenstein remains my favorite. Plus, I reference it constantly. If you haven’t read it, it may not be what you are expecting.)The Hound of the Baskervilles, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Definitely the most Gothic of the Sherlock tales, this one might even feature some supernatural elements.)

As for books that I have not read yet but would fit into the spooky season well, I am going to concentrate on titles that are, ahem, already sitting on my shelves. My TBR is a little backed-up.

Rebecca , Daphne du Maurier (I have heard this is not really that spooky or Halloween-y, but I meant to read it last Halloween and didn’t get around to it. I am a spook-lightweight, anyhow.)We were told at this Fright Night thing that horror novellas are very hip. And when they mentioned it, I was like, oh my goodness, yes. I have been seeing them everywhere and I should have noticed because usually novellas are a really hard sell. I even have some already in my possession, like The Brides of High Hill by Nghi Vo. (Technically this is the fifth in a series that begins with The Empress of Salt and Fortune but I was told it can be read as a stand-alone. This might not be categorized as horror, but there is haunting.)The book that we bought with our ticket to Fright Night was What Feasts at Night by T. Kingfisher. (This might be a little scary for me, but I am curious because I like Kingfisher. It is technically second in a series but I already heard her read the first chapter. The series begins with What Moves the Dead .) When Among Crows , Veronica Roth (Another book that I procured with a ticket to an author event. I have no idea what to expect, as she is most famous for Divergent.)We have now left the novellas. Ninth House and Hell Bent, Leigh Bardugo (I am a big Bardugo fan, so I am willing to go with her into her scarier stuff, at least just to see… Hell Bent is the one, you know, with the creepy-as-heck rabbit on the cover) Weyward , Emilia Hart (I heard about this book on a podcast and for some reason it really struck my fancy.)Preludes & Nocturnes, Sandman vol 1, Neil Gaiman (This is a graphic novel classic that has a reference in the novel I’m writing. The series of award-winning, compiled comics goes on for five more books.) Hollow Kingdom and Feral Creatures, Kira Jane Buxton (Technically I have these because they count as research for one of my cryptid projects… maybe.) Devolution , Max Brooks (Another book I have for research and one that is probably a little gorier than I would normally read.)Scythe, Neal Shusterman (I don’t know how spooky season this is, but it looks it, right? And there is quite a bit of death? The Arc of Scythe continues for two more books.)

Beyond my shelf (which I will definitely not make it past), here are some other books you might want to consider this spooky season. Recall that I have not read any of them:

Haunt Sweet Home , Sarah Pinsker (She read from this for Fright Night, but I did not take home a copy. It’s a great premise, especially if you like HGTV. And ghost stories.) A Fall in Autumn and Perishables, Michael G. Williams (I don’t know if these are scary enough to be here, but this author stepped in at Fright Night at the last second to cover a sick author. He is local and he read something from a horror novel he is currently working on. It was ah-mazing. So even though he doesn’t have tons of reviews, these are two of his books that are currently available. Perishables is first in a series.) North American Lake Monsters , Nathan Ballingrud (A book of short stories that was recommended at Fright Night.)

The list of anticipated books that are being published this month is not enormous. Or I don’t want it to be, maybe that’s it. Here’s some options:

The House at Watch Hill, Karen Marie MoningThe Message, Ta-Nehisi CoatesThe Mighty Red, Louise ErdrichAmerican Scary, Jeremy DauberThe Elements of Marie Curie, Dava SobelAbsolution (Southern Reach #4), Jeff VanderMeerGood Reasonable People, Keith PayneThe Universe in Verse, Maria PopovaThe City in Glass, Nghi VoBe Ready When Luck Happens, Ina GartenRevenge of the Tipping Point, Malcolm GladwellWhat I Ate in One Year, Stanley TucciDogs and Monsters, Mark Haddon

Sometimes I just run across a book or a title that really sparks my interest. Here are the things I have come across in the past few months, in no particular order.

Whalefall, Daniel Kraus (Somewhere I heard something about this book. The cover just pulls me in so much.)Half-Life of a Stolen Sister, Rachel Cantor (An experimental novel about the Bronte sisters? Well, I wouldn’t want to miss out. Has pretty terrible reviews.)America Fantastica, Tim O’Brien (Two decades later, O’Brien has published another book. And somehow I missed it. Doesn’t have great reviews.)Piranesi, Anna Clarke (This is everywhere. And everyone has been recommending it. Okay, maybe not everyone.)Storyland: A New Mythology of Britain and Wild, Amy Jeffs (mixed reviews)Heroes and Troy, Stephen FryThe Book of Japanese Folklore, Thersa MatsuuraThe Mythology Book, DK, Big Ideas Simply ExplainedFlame Tree series: Aztec Myths & Tales, Irish Fairy Tales, Lost Atlantis Short Stories, Babylon & Sumer Myths & Tales, Persian Myths & Tales, African Myths & Tales, Scottish Folk &Fairy Tales, Gods & Monsters Myths & TalesThe Emotion Thesaurus, Ackerman and PuglisiThe Conflict Thesaurus, Puglisi1,000 Character Reactions from Head to Toe, Valerie HowardThe Psychology Workbook for Writers, Darian Smith (Not exactly what I’m looking for, but I couldn’t find anything closer.)

This is what I’ll be reading this month for the thousand book clubs I am in:

The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store, James McBrideHell Followed with UsMidnight’s Children, Salman RushdieHouse of Suns, Alistair ReynoldsTrue Biz, Sara NovicThrough the Night Like a Snake

I will be attending other events this month, for which I would like to have read:

Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky (for Kwame Alexander event)Slaughterhouse Five and Breakfast of Champions and Sirens of Titan, Kurt Vonnegut (for Atlanta Writer’s Conference)

A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking , T. Kingfisher The Chocolate War , Robert Cormier North Woods , Daniel Mason (emphatically)The Ministry of Time, Kaliane Bradley (with caveats)Tom Lake, Ann Patchett (also with caveats)Our Town, Thornton Wilder

Sometimes, just for funsies, I write about movies. My movie reviews are largely movies that have something to do with writing or with a book, but I also love to blabber on about holiday movies. Here are some possibilities for your October, especially if you are a scary-lightweight like me.

Movies I actually haven’t seen. But would like to this year. Don’t judge:

ClueThe Rocky Horror Picture ShowWhat We Do in the Shadows

Great spooky season flicks:

Beetlejuice (and now Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice)Lisa FrankensteinHaunted Mansion (2023)The Nightmare Before Christmas (and The Corpse Bride and Frankenweenie)CoralineSuper 8Cloverfield (scarier than the others, and the related movies)Warm Bodies (gorier than the others, but campy)The X-Files (TV series, etc.)Rear WindowGhostbusters (and one or two of the later movies)GoosebumpsWednesday (TV series)The whole Harry Potter series of eight movies