Happy Tuesday, everyone! It’s time for another Top 10 Tuesday list. This is an original weekly blog meme created over at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week, there is a new bookish topic for bloggers to create a list about. If you want to know more about Top 10 Tuesday, click here!
I can’t believe we are already reaching the end of October! This week’s Top 10 Tuesday topic is a Halloween themed freebie; we can make up any Halloween related list that we want. Because I couldn’t decide between two topic ideas, I decided to include the second as a bonus part to this post. The first list is ten fall/Halloween reads that are not necessarily spooky but are still perfect for this time of year. The second part is my top ten favorite creepy book covers.
Part One: Fall/Halloween Reads
1. A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness – I picked this up last fall and it is definitely one of the best novels I have ever read. This novel ended up being absolutely nothing like what I had originally suspected it would be. I picked this to read near Halloween because it seemed like it would be a scary story focusing on ghosts or other supernatural monsters. Instead, it deals with a very different but equally frightening type of monster. It is a very dark and sad but ultimately beautiful story. This is a very surprising, creative, and absolutely gorgeously written novel that I cannot recommend enough.
2. The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman – This would not be a true Halloween themed list if I did not add at least one Neil Gaiman novel to it! He is one of my favorite authors and really, any of his books could be put on a list such as this; however, this is my personal favorite and the one I would recommend the most. The Ocean at the End of the Lane really had that tone that I always look for in my reads at this time of year. Though I did not find it particularly scary, it’s strange and a bit dark and creepy, and the story is extremely captivating. It’s an incredibly unique tale and reads sort of like a myth or legend, which made it even more intriguing.
3. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn – As the weather cools and the days grow shorter, there’s nothing like reading a good mystery novel. Gone Girl is an incredibly dark and disturbing story, full of surprising twists and unreliable narration; it’s a picture of insanity with frighteningly realistic characters and scenarios. This may not be a typical Halloween ghost story rooted in the world of the supernatural, but it shows that the natural world can be equally as chilling. Click here for my full, spoiler-free review.
4. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie – Of course Agatha Christie has to make the list! And Then There Were None is a story about ten strangers, each with a secret, who are brought together on a private island for a weekend by an anonymous host and are killed off one by one. In this novel, everyone is a suspect. This is not only one of my favorite novels of all time, but one of the best examples of a creepy story, perfect for Halloween, that doesn’t involve the supernatural.
5. Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury – By this point, I’m sure you are seeing a pattern: here is another one of my all time favorite novels! This story focuses on two young boys whose town is visited by an evil carnival that appears suddenly one night. It brilliantly captures the mood of fall, and the plot fits the Halloween season well with its various oddities and magical realism. This novel is a spectacularly written tale, one that everyone should read at least once in their life; and what better time to read it than the end of October? I would very highly recommend checking out the film as well!
6. The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman – Switching gears for a minute, I thought I would throw in one of my favorite, creepy short stories. This is an intriguing story, the ultimate psychological drama. It is told in a journal format, a secret journal kept by a woman whose doctor and husband have forbade her from writing. She is being confined to her room, not permitted to doing anything but sit there, and she begins to imagine a world that’s hiding behind the yellow wallpaper covering her walls. This is such a gripping and eerie story, very fitting for the season.
7. Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie – I just had to add another Agatha Christie novel to this list because not only is she one of my favorite authors, but also her novels are truly perfect for Halloween. This is a story starring her famous detective, Hercule Poirot, and is probably one of her most well-known and loved works. It is about a train that is stopped one night by a snowdrift, and in the morning, a man is found stabbed in his cabin, the door still locked from the inside. It is a fascinating mystery and one that definitely has a creepy, Halloween mood!
8. 1984 by George Orwell – 1984 portrays a dystopian world that is absolutely terrifying to imagine. This novel is also a bit frightening due to its relevance and connection to society today. Though it is unlikely that we will ever reach the point that the world has reached in this story, there is just the right amount of realism and personal narrative in it to make it something that the reader can connect to and imagine easily.
9. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle – I chose The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes because it’s my favorite so far, however, any of the Sherlock Holmes novels would work. This is one book that may seem a little out of place on this list, but I personally think that fall is a wonderful time of year to be reading these stories. As I’ve already said, it’s the perfect time to be reading a good mystery, and these are some of the best. Full of suspense and intrigue, this is a novel that is wonderful to curl up by the fire with in the cooler months. Click here for my full, spoiler-free review.
10. Hamlet by William Shakespeare – This may seem like another strange one to add to this list, but I feel like this tale has the perfect atmosphere for this time of year. There’s mystery, insanity, murder, revenge, a ghost, everything you could possibly want for a good fall/Halloween read. Plus, it’s one of the best, if not the best, plays of all time.
Part Two: Favorite Covers
- Shutter by Courtney Alameda
- Asylum by Madeleine Roux
- A Madness So Discreet by Mindy McGinnis
- The Supernatural Enhancements by Edgar Cantero
- Through the Woods by Emily Carroll
- Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
- Slasher Girls and Monster Boys edited by April Genevieve Tucholke
- A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
- Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake
- The Diviners by Libba Bray
What are your favorite Halloween reads? Any creepy cover designs you like? Let me know in the comments!
-Ariana
Great lists! Everyone seems to have A Monster Calls. I need to read it! Here’s my list: https://anovelglimpse.wordpress.com/2015/10/27/top-ten-tuesday-ten-great-booksseries-with-witches-ghosts-werewolves-and-vampires/
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Thank you! Yes definitely pick it up; it is absolutely fantastic! 🙂
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What brilliant choices! I love Agatha Christie and Arthur Conan Doyle. Supernatural Enhancements has recently been added to my TBR! Really looking forward to reading it!
My TTT
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Thank you so much! 🙂 Agatha Christie and Arthur Conan Doyle are two of my all-time favorite authors; they are absolutely fantastic. I got a copy of The Supernatural Enhancements last and it’s one that I’m hoping to get to really soon. I haven’t heard many people talking about it so I’m really excited to see what it’s all about!
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I hope you enjoy it!!
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You too! 🙂
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I love The Ocean at the End of the Lane. It’s one of my favorite novels by Gaiman, too. Also, The Yellow-Wallpaper is such a great short story. I read it back when I was still in university for my Art of Critical Reading course. Definitely works itself into your mind.
I did like Gone Girl, but I wasn’t a fan of the ending. I did, however, love The Girl on the Train, which is a psychological thriller told from an unreliable narrator prospective like Gone Girl, only I thought it was better and the ending was more satisfying and foreseeable.
I’m a big fan of Agatha Christie novels (I’ve read both of the books you’ve mentioned in this post and I definitely rank them both up there with my top favorite reads). Also, Sherlock Holmes stories/novels are the best. I have the omnibus of all of Arthur Conan Doyle’s works/novels on my nook.
As much as I love Ray Bradbury, I haven’t read Something Wicked This Way Comes. I feel like I need to change that soon, though.
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The Yellow-Wallpaper is such a thought-provoking read. And it was one of my favorite stories I ever had to write an essay about in any of my English courses; it’s so interesting to dissect and discuss!
I know what you mean about the ending of Gone Girl; it’s definitely not the most satisfying ending ever. For me, it was something that I actually originally didn’t love but that grew on me the more I thought about it in the weeks after finishing the book. I have The Girl on the Train on my TBR. It sounds fantastic and I’m really eager to read it! I’ve really been dying to read more psychological thrillers with unreliable narrators lately! 🙂
I’ve been reading Agatha Christie ever since I was a little kid; her stories are wonderful! I have recently been working my way through the Sherlock Holmes novels and I’ve completely fallen in love with them. I’m attempting to read them slowly enough that, by the time I’m done, I’ll be ready to go back and reread them right away! Haha 😀
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I like this list! I’ve only read a few of these, so I’ll have to check out the others. I just go The Diviners at a library sale – have you read it? I’ve heard such good things!
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I actually just got a copy of The Diviners a few months ago. I’ve heard nothing but amazing things about it 🙂 I’m really looking forward to starting it!
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Did you get the HC? The inside under the dust jacket is GORGEOUS!
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Unfortunately no! My bookstore didn’t have that edition. If I enjoy it, I think this may be one that I’ll buy again so I can have that hardcover version. It’s beautiful! 😀
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I loved A Monster Calls and The Ocean at the End of the Lane! And I LOVE spooky covers! There’s a lot in that list that I still need to read!
Here’s my Halloween TTT
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Those are definitely two of the best novels I have ever read. I am constantly telling people to go read them! Haha 😛
Yes! Spooky covers are the best! 😀
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I have Nineteen Eighty-Four on my TTT ( http://readitornotreviews.com/2015/10/27/top-ten-tuesday-creepiest-books/ ), too. It was definitely creepy. Nice list! 🙂
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I didn’t know there was a tie-in novel for Sherlock, but it seems obvious to me now that marketing would do that. So it’s some of the original short stories with commentary?
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There are tie-in novels for seven of the nine Sherlock Holmes novels (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 8). They are the original novels and each have a forward written by one of the cast members or show creators! 🙂
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That sounds like a great way to bring viewers to the original stories!
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I like a lot of the books on your list, especially the golden oldies. Thanks for sharing.
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Absolutely brilliant list(s)! Gone Girl and 1984 are two of my favourite books, though I never really considered them scary stories, more “get under your skin and freak you out” stories.
Here’s my TTT.
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I really like the Yellow Wall-paper and find the whole thing about Perkins Gilman not being “allowed” to write both horrible and sad!
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Gone Girl is a great book! It’s mystery and dark, but when I finished it I have very pleasant feeling that I’ve already read good book! 🙂
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