Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s topic is a “Halloween Freebie” so I decided to write about some of the Halloween reads at the top of my TBR list.
What is a Halloween read, anyway? As with most types of books, I have trouble putting anything in neat boxes. For me a Halloween read can include anything that’s paranormal, frightening, or mysterious. That includes murder mysteries, fantasy, and science fiction. I found plenty in my TBR to put on this list, but I focused on the ones that have high ratings on Goodreads.
It’s nearly too late, of course, for Halloween reading, but there’s a long winter ahead, with plenty of time to curl up with a blanket and something warm to drink. Which one of these books do you recommend?
Click to view slideshow.1) Frankenstein by Mary Shelley: It’s a classic and a story that has influenced countless others over the years. I feel like I may have read it when I was younger but I’m not sure (so the answer is probably that I didn’t).
2) Winter of the Witch by Katherine Arden: I loved the first two books in this series. Arden’s writing is so atmospheric and I love her complex characters and use of Russian culture, history and mythology.
3) Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones: a book that’s so often recommended, I really need to read it.
4) Neverwhere or American Gods by Neil Gaiman: because I love nearly everything by Neil Gaiman, and these seem to be two of his most popular.
5) The Dry by Jane Harper: I heard about this book on the podcast What Should I Read Next, and then someone in my book club also recommended it. It’s about a murder in a small Australian town. I don’t read a lot of thrillers but lately I’ve really enjoyed Ruth Ware and Tana French, and I do like the idea of reading a book set in Australia.
6) Before Mars by Emma Newman: I loved After Atlas, though it was a bit gruesome and definitely disturbing. I need to read the rest in this series.
7) The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern: This is a book that so many people list as an all-time favorite. What’s holding me back is the feeling it won’t live up to expectations.
8) Ninth House or Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo: I adored Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom, so I need to read more by Bardugo, especially the other Grishaverse books.
9) Scythe by Neal Shusterman: this is a book I know little about but I’ve seen it highly recommended.
10) Clockwork Boys by T. Kingfisher: I’ve heard Kingfisher recommended, and I was definitely intrigued by the first chapter, enough to buy the book. So it’s sitting on my Kindle, waiting for a read.
11) Strange Practice by Vivian Shaw: also sitting on my Kindle. This series sounds like a lot of fun — urban fantasy about a doctor (Dr. Helsing) who treats the undead.
A few of these authors are favorites, but most are writers I haven’t read before. Which of these do you think I should read? And what’s on your Halloween TBR in the last few days of October?
