Halloween Recommendations

TELL ME TUESDAY is put on by La La in the Library. It is a weekly feature where we talk about what we are reading and why. So tell us!

Scary Book Recommendations

I love Halloween! I go to haunted houses, dress up and hand out candy, and decorate my house with pumpkins, skulls, and cobwebs.  I also love to read scary and creepy books.  These are the ones I have most recently read that gave me goosebumps and prickles on the back of my neck.

 

“Stories are wild creatures, the monster said.  When you let them loose, who knows what havoc they might wreak?” I saw the preview for this movie and of course had to read the book first.  There may be some spoilery type comments here so I caution you if you continue reading.  “You know that your truth, the one that you hide…is the thing you are most of afraid of.”  This is what the old yew tree outside Conor O’Malley’s window tells him in his sleep.  Conor has been having a rough time lately; his mom is sick so his grandma comes to visit, his friend Lily told the whole school his mom has cancer, and he is being bullied at school by Harry and his lackeys.  Worst of all, he has the same nightmare every night.  This book is so beautifully written(and illustrated) and explores how we deal with grief, denial, and our fear of being invisible to the world.  The author captures how  accurately we sometimes deny our fear of the truths we don’t want to face.  This story convicted me  about how I tend to talk to people that are dealing with loved ones who are dying.  Sometimes, it is uncomfortable to talk about it so I error on not talking about it which I believe is worse for the person dealing with it.  I absolutely loved this book and can’t wait to see the movie in a few months.

 

I don’t read scary books or mysteries very often so this was out of the norm for me and I really enjoyed it.   I am not going to go into too much of a review because I don’t want to give away what happens.   This book kept me guessing until the very end.  I had no idea what was going on (in a good way)! Also, there were parts so creepy that I got goosebumps so that is an extra bonus. The author’s writing style was very unique. For example, there were different points of view, journal entries, and poems throughout the book to keep me engaged and trying to look for clues.

It has been a long time since I have read a Vampire book so I was excited to read this one.  First off, I really liked how this story was told.  There is the present day story and then the journal entries from 100 years ago to present day.  The main character, Karen, is physically abused by her husband and with the help of her friend ,Melissa, leaves her husband secretly and move across the country.  Melissa’s family has a house in Oregon that has been in the family for years.  This is where the two friends first discover a journal that was left by one of Melissa’s ancestors.  The writer of the journal, Allison, says she is a vampire and goes on to tell the story of how she became so.  Her story is similar to Karen’s.  Allison’s sister was abused and murdered by her husband.  I loved how the two stories mirrored each other. Oh and by the way, Allison’s last entry was to Karen and Melissa the night they moved in!  The story has more characters and plot twists but I don’t want to ruin it for you.  I think one of my favorite lines from the book is in the dedication.  Ms. Coulter writes, “I dedicate this book to all the women who have ever known abuse in their lives.  No one should ever have to suffer in an abusive relationship.  You are beautiful, your are strong, and you are so much more than they deserve.”

 

What are your Halloween recommendations?