“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers,” said Anne Shirley in L.M. Montgomery’s beloved Anne of Green Gables, opens a new window series. I also share Anne’s sentiment and am ready to embrace all that October has to offer, from pumpkin patches and crunchy leaves to good hair days and plaid flannel shirts. And, of course, all things scary! While I love a good ghost story year ‘round, it’s almost mandatory to binge on horror during the month before Halloween. Here are some shiver-inducing tales to embrace the darker side of one of the most wonderful times of the year.
The Unseen, opens a new window by Ania Ahlborn
Still mourning a terrible loss, Isla Hansen finds a strange, silent child near her family’s isolated Colorado farm. She welcomes the boy as a miracle, but his arrival triggers a series of inexplicable and frightening events. As the disturbing incidents mount, Isla’s husband and their five children realize the boy is not a blessing but a harbinger of an unimaginable horror that has followed him home.
The Possession of Alba Díaz, opens a new window by Isabel Cañas
While Cañas’s latest is a slow burn, the dual narrators make the audiobook especially captivating. In 1765, Alba Díaz and her fiancé’s family flee a plague, seeking refuge at an old silver mine in Mexico. But the mine holds its own sickness: a demonic entity that seizes Alba, causing hallucinations, sleepwalking, and convulsions. As Alba deteriorates, her fiancé's cousin, Elías, is the only one who recognizes the supernatural evil at play. To save Alba’s soul, the two must confront the occult, unearthing secrets that pit them against both the Church and the demon vying for control.
Salt Bones, opens a new window by Jennifer Givhan
On the desiccated edge of the Salton Sea, Malamar Veracruz is haunted by the decades-old disappearance of her sister. When another local girl vanishes in the same eerie fashion, Mal is plunged back into the nightmare. Her search for answers is guided by unsettling visions of a horse-headed figure from local folklore, pulling her and her two daughters into a web of family secrets, environmental decay, and ancient magic.
The End of the World as We Know It, opens a new window edited by Christopher Golden and Brian Keene
In this officially authorized anthology, today's leading voices in fiction return to the post-apocalyptic world of Stephen King's The Stand. 34 original short stories expand upon the lore of the "Captain Trips" pandemic, exploring the struggles and horrors faced by new characters in a world scoured by plague. This collection is an unforgettable companion piece to the original, offering fresh and terrifying perspectives on King's iconic vision of society's collapse and rebirth.
Listen to Your Sister, opens a new window by Nina Viel
Calla is overwhelmed as the guardian for her reckless younger brother, Jamie, and is plagued by prophetic nightmares of his death. When one of Jamie’s protests goes wrong, the siblings are forced on the run, taking shelter in a decrepit, remote cabin. Calla, Jamie, and their brother, Dre, soon learn that their isolation is a trap, as the monstrous force from Calla’s nightmares becomes terrifyingly real, forcing them to fight for a reality that is rapidly unraveling.
Someone You Can Build a Nest In, opens a new window by John Wiswell
Shesheshen is a shapeshifting monster made of sticks and bones who needs a human host for her eggs. After being rescued from monster hunters by a kind woman named Homily, Shesheshen believes she’s found the perfect nest. Complications arise when she starts falling for her intended victim, who, ironically, is on a quest to slay the monster that cursed her family. This darkly humorous romantic fantasy is told from the monster’s perspective, who must now hide her true form while trying to win the heart of the woman she plans to have her babies eat from the inside out.
Halloween isn’t just for kids! Celebrate at Central Rappahannock Regional Library with ghost stories, a horror movie discussion club, a Halloween murder mystery, and more. Visit librarypoint.org/halloween, opens a new window for details and more reading suggestions.
Tracy McPeck is the Director of Adult Services at Central Rappahannock Regional Library. This column first appeared in the Free Lance-Star newspaper.
