Reader beware! Our library staff have recommended their favorite spin-tingling titles (and one cozy magical romance) for the spooky season.
Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
Two boys’ lives are changed forever when a sinister travelling carnival stops at their Illinois town.
“It’s the perfect atmospheric read for ‘spooky season’ because it’s set in October and involves a sinister carnival.” ~ Mallory, Wenatchee Library
The Turn of the Screw by Henry James
The classic ghost story about a high-strung governess and the two young children who may–or may not–be plotting with the diabolical Peter Quint.
“It’s unnerving, beautifully written, and a perfect example of just how terrifying Victorian literature could be.” ~ Jonathan, Moses Lake Library
The Hacienda by Isabel Canas
Mexican Gothic meets Rebecca in this debut supernatural suspense novel, set in the aftermath of the Mexican War of Independence, about a remote house, dark secrets, and the woman pulled into their clutches
“New favorite author and a really creepy book.” ~ Amy, Waterville Library
An Ordinary Sort of Evil by Kelley Armstrong
After travelling 150 years into the past into the body of a housemaid, modern-day homicide detective Mallory Mitchell is once again drawn into a mystery much more puzzling and dangerous than it first seems.
“Anything by Kelley Armstrong would be a good fit for YA or adult reads.” ~ Karen
A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
In this tale of passion and obsession,a young scholar and a descendant of witches discovers a long-lost and enchanted alchemical manuscript deep in Oxford’s Bodleian Library. Its reappearance summons a fantastical underworld, which she navigates with her leading man, vampire geneticist Matthew Clairmont.
~ Recommended by Ashley, Cashmere Library
The Night Eaters Vol 1 by Marjorie M. Liu
When Chinese American twins Milly and Billy are forced to help clean up the house next door ―a hellish and run-down ruin that was the scene of a grisly murder ―they are in for a nasty surprise. A night of terror, gore, and supernatural mayhem reveals that there is much more than meets the eye.
“This is my favorite graphic novel horror trilogy that I go back to every spooky season.” ~ Jeanna, Quincy and George Libraries
Old Soul by Susan Barker
A fearlessly bold and genre-defying tale about predation, morality and free will, and one man’s quest to bring a centuries-long chain of human devastation to an end.
“It’s a fantastic literary horror that’s sort of about vampires. Sort of. It’s not super scary but it is deeply unsettling.” ~ Gracie, Leavenworth Library
Through the Woods by Emily Carroll
Discover a terrifying world in the woods in this collection of five hauntingly beautiful graphic stories.
~ Recommended by Annika, Winthrop Library
One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig
Elspeth Spindle needs more than luck to stay safe in the eerie, mist-locked kingdom she calls home–she needs a monster. She calls him the Nightmare, an ancient, mercurial spirit trapped in her head. He protects her. He keeps her secrets. But nothing comes for free, especially magic.
“A perfect gothic romantasy!” ~ Emma, Omak and Okanogan Libraries
Smoke Gets In Your Eyes & Other Lessons from the Crematory by Caitlin Doughty
An eye-opening memoir showing how our fear of dying warps our culture and society, and calling for better ways of dealing with death (and our dead).
~ Recommended by Ellen of the Cashmere Library
Hide, the Graphic Novel by Kiersten White and Scott Peterson
A high-stakes hide-and-seek competition in an abandoned amusement park comes to life in this graphic novel adaptation of the bestselling thriller.
~ Recommended by Ellen, Cashmere Library
Bad Dreams in the Night by Adam Ellis
A collection of original horror tales is packed with urban legends, terrifying twists, and delightfully haunted stories.
~ Recommended by Esmeralda, Mattawa Library
The Cafe Between Pumpkin and Pie by Marina Adair, Kate Angell and Stacy Finz
On Halloween night in Moonbright, Maine, three single women, with autumn leaves swirling about and the fragrance of fresh-baked pie in the air, fall for the most tantalizing trick-and the most delightful treat – the magic of true love..
~ Recommended by Evynn, Soap Lake Library
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