Top Ten Books to Get in the Halloween Spirit

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

Well, this should be an interesting challenge, considering that I don't read much horror. Let's see what happens!

1. The Diviners - Libba Bray

I just happen to be reading this one right now, and I think it makes a great creepy read. I'm only about 75 pages in, but it's already got that eerie vibe down pat.

2. Velveteen - Daniel Marks

Pretty sure this is a perfect Halloween book. There are scary things, as well as tons of humor, which is what you want, right? Also, since they're all stuck in the clothes they died in, the characters probably all look a bit like they're demented trick-or-treaters, particularly the ones that died in costume.

3. I Need My Monster - Amanda Noll, Howard McWilliam (Illustrator)

If you're looking for a picture book to read to the kiddies on Halloween, you can't go wrong with I Need My Monster. A children's librarian recommended this to me for a storytime assignment in library school. In fact, Heather, a library school friend who was in my assignment group, will be reading this for storytime this week at her library.

4. The Witches - Roald Dahl

Roald Dahl just had to go on this list, because he's awesome and such an important part of my childhood, and Halloween just kind of takes me back. Plus, I'm pretty sure some scenes in The Witches scared me when I was younger. Also, what's Halloweenier than witches?

5. The Mediator series - Meg Cabot

Any opportunity I can find to recommend this series, I'm taking. There are ghosts, so that's appropriate, right? I'm going with yes. Funny, but with some dark, creepy scenes, this series could totally work for the Halloween spirit.

6. The Graveyard Book or Coraline - Neil Gaiman

What's Halloween without a little Neil Gaiman on your TBR pile? He's totally a proponent of giving out books on Halloween instead of candy, so why not read his books? They're dark, creepy and clever.

7. The Call of Cthulhu and Other Weird Stories - H.P. Lovecraft

Another option for your Halloween reads is to go back to the classics. Lovecraft was a pioneer of the horror genre. Many of the common twists and tropes started with this guy.

8. Before I Go to Sleep - S. J. Watson

This book creeped me out hardcore. Imagine waking up every single morning with no memory of your life since you were a teen. Imagine not knowing who you can trust. Imagine piecing everything together knowing you'll just forget it again.

9. Breathers: A Zombie's Lament - S.G. Browne

S.G. Browne's book totally fits my Halloween desires: a little bit horror, a lot of humor. Zombies = automatic Halloween awesomeness, I say.

10. Candyfreak: A Journey Through the Chocolate Underbelly of America - Steve Almond

And now for something completely different. What is Halloween without candy? People dressing up in silly costumes for no reason at all. This may be why I have trouble finding motivation to create a costume now that I'm too old to go harass the neighbors for candy.