The Halloween season is rapidly approaching, and for all of you book lovers out there who appreciate a good scary story to read during October, I have a few recommendations.
My first recommendation is “The Picture of Dorian Gray” by Oscar Wilde. Personally, I never pass up the opportunity to pick this book up during the Halloween season, as it always succeeds in scaring the absolute living daylights out of me. If you enjoy terrifying imagery and a healthy dose of murder in your reading habits, this might just be the book for you!
Another must-read for October is Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein.” When I read this book for the first time, I was terrified by the story but also deeply impacted by the hidden philosophical messages throughout. This is definitely the kind of book you want to read with a flashlight in the dark (or under the faint glow of candlelight if you are feeling particularly dramatic).
It definitely goes without saying that the short stories and poetry of Edgar Allan Poe are essential to read at this time of the year. As an avid Poe fanatic, I suggest that works like “The Tell-Tale Heart” and “The Raven” be read in the woods while creepily caressing the skull of your sworn enemy (but that could just be me).
My final book recommendation for the Halloween season is “Carmilla” by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu. If you are a fan of sexy vampires and LGBTQ+ subtext, this is a good scary read for you! “Carmilla” walked so that “Twilight” could run — that is all I have to say on the matter.
Although horror movies can be fun to watch at this time of the year, nothing beats reading a good scary book during the windy and bone-chilling days leading up to Halloween. Try not to freak yourselves out too much!