This week’s Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, is a freebie so I decided to list some of the books that I think are perfect reading during this spooky season.
In my opinion, Halloween is the absolute best time of the year despite the weather growing colder. I’m a huge fan of this holiday, which everyone in my town now knows because my house has been transformed into a haunted house inside and out. Halloween isn’t as big over here in the UK, but as an American I don’t let that stop me.
I’m Mexican-American so this time of year is host to another important holiday for me, Dia de Muertos. Today I’ll be constructing my altar, or ofrenda, to honor my deceased loved ones. I can’t visit their graves considering I’m thousands of miles away, but I will be having a feast in their honor. Pictures to come soon!
Happy Halloween everyone!
It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown by Charles M. Schulz
What would Halloween be without this classic Peanuts story? It was the first book that came to mind when I started thinking about this week’s TTT topic.
The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury
A whimsical Halloween tale for younger readers, written by one of the greatest science fiction authors of all time.
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz and Stephen Gammell
If you didn’t read this as a kid and scare yourself to death, were you ever even a kid? I’m looking forward to seeing the Guillermo del Toro movie adapation even though I’m still haunted by some of those stories over two decades later.
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
The Hugo Award winning YA fantasy novel by Neil Gaiman is an obvious pick for this week. It’s darkly charming and humorous in that way only Gaiman can achieve, making this tale about Bod Owens and his ghostly guardians a true delight to read.
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
The classic tale by Mary Shelley. I have several cheesy Frankenstein’s monster decorations around my house and yes, I am that person who always says “Frankenstein was the name of the doctor.” Sorry/not sorry.
Dracula by Bram Stoker
Another classic horror tale, one that again has lent its hand toward the cheesy decorations around my house. Be sure to read my blog post about my very Dracula day at Whitby Abbey with my batdog, Zorro.
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving
One I read years ago and keep meaning to re-read. I absolutely adored the television show that was loosely based on the story. The Johnny Depp and Tim Burton movie is a good one to watch this spooky season, too!
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
Even though this isn’t my favorite work by Shirley Jackson (the eternally creepy The Lottery holds that title), The Haunting of Hill House is thoroughly unnerving and one I wouldn’t recommend reading alone at night.
Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
Ray Bradbury strikes again with another scary tale aimed for younger readers. It also has one of the best titles I’ve ever come across which is why it made my last TTT. Read that one here: Top Ten Tuesday: Extraordinary Book Titles.
Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu
Hopefully I’m not the only one, but I didn’t know about this book. It’s a Gothic vampire tale that pre-dates Bram Stoker’s Dracula. My husband bought it for me for my birthday after we got back from a trip to Transylvannia and I have been saving it for this week. I’ll let you know how it is!
Have you read any of these? Which topic did you pick for this week’s TTT Freebie? Let me know in the comments!
A Little Nerd Told Me 
A classic list! The last book is completely new to me, though I guess it is a classic of a sort, too. I have one book in common with you on my list. I have Hispanic roots, too, so I love Halloween just like you.
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It’s a fantastic time of year!
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Great list! The only one on here that I’ve read is Graveyard Book. Gotta love Gaiman! The others though… I think I’m way too chicken for that; in fact, one of these was on my list of “books I’d read if I wasn’t a chicken” for this week’s freebie 😂
My TTT post
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These are all great Halloween picks! I still need to read Dracula and Haunting of Hill House. And I really should check out Bradbury…
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I started Dracula in the tub one night with just candles for light. I got to a thoroughly terrifying scene that took place during a storm at sea and without realizing it I had shifted in the tub, causing a few loud splashes of water.
Yeah, I screamed a little. Haha.
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Haha- that’s a great anecdote!
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The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is such a great story. Happy Dia de Muertos!
My TTT.
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Thank you! 🙂
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Day of the dead is one of the BEST celebrations ever!
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I absolutely agree! I know there’s some grumbling about appropriation and people not understanding what it’s really about, but that doesn’t make me enjoy it any less. Plus the popularization of the aesthetic makes it a lot easier for me to buy decorations over here in the UK!
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They just need to watch Coco! I think it’s a super sweet Celebration. Last year I did a road trip through Mexico and celebrated!
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I read Something Wicked This Way Comes, among some of these other books, and I remember it being pretty good. I just love the title too.
-Lauren
http://www.shootingstarsmag.net
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It’s seriously one of the best titles ever IMO.
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I still have my childhood copy of Scary Stories. I love that book. The illustrations are so weird!
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Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark! SO GOOD. It’s so funny to me that all of these years later those stories have stuck with all of us so much!
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A generation of kids scared by the same book, haha.
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Love your little introduction! And also, UGH, I AM STILL SCARRED FROM Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark all these years later. My friend and I were just talking about how those stories, Goosebumps and Are You Afraid of the Dark? really left impressions on us when we were kids and we’re like, why on earth did we continue reading them? Haha! (I hope you enjoy the film. I have to see it still myself!)
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Omg Goosebumps and Are You Afraid of the Dark. I still get, well, goosebumps when I think about some of those stories. I think I heard somewhere that Are You Afraid of the Dark is getting a reboot?
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All of these are great choices! I need to read all the Ray Bradbury one!
Here’s my TTT!
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Definitely recommend doing so, as well as reading pretty much everything else he wrote!
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