How is it already December??
Life has certainly been busy on my end, but I haven’t stopped reading. October is typically a big reading month for me. I like to plan it out to maximize the books I want to read for the Halloween season. This year I leaned heavily on horror anthologies (with mixed results) and some exciting new releases.
Check out notes on all of my October reads below (in order of loved to… least loved)!
Notes on October reads
A Haunting on the Hill / Elizabeth Hand
Elizabeth Hand was granted the unenviable task of writing a spiritual sequel to Shirley Jackson’s legendary The Haunting of Hill House, and in my opinion she crushed it. A genuinely scary vision of Hill House, and one that somehow never feels burdened by the pressures of Jackson’s creation.
Never Whistle at Night / edited by Shane Hawk and Theodore C. Van Alst Jr.
I read a lot of horror short story anthologies this October, and this was far and away the cream of the crop. Bringing together Native and Indigenous authors, there is limitless creativity on display, and the mix of established and new writers make this not just one of the best horror anthologies of the year, but one of the best ever. Side note: the introduction was written by my king, Stephen Graham Jones.
Black River Orchard / Chuck Wendig
Chuck Wendig is in the midst of a period of mind-blowing productivity, releasing his third 500+ page book in three years. More impressively, his batting average remains high, and Black River Orchard is not just great Stephen King pastiche (small town, cursed apple, the dark side of wishes), it’s the work of an author stepping out from the shadow of King and establishing his own voice. Some day soon horror fans (myself included) are going to have to drop the comparisons.
Delicious Monsters / Liselle Sambury
This is a big, messy, young adult horror novel that packs a lot of ideas into its pages. To its credit, it sticks the landing much better than I expected. It’s a Hill House-esque story that takes aim at who gets lost in our cultural obsession with true crime. I liked it!
Sign Here / Claudia Lux
Sign Here is just plain fun. It’s a late-capitalism take on Hell and signing your soul away to the devil, and it builds literal Hell as an office job. It’s fun!
The Stars Did Wander Darkling / Colin Meloy
This middle grade novel is darker and weirder than I expected, and the writing is much better than I anticipated. If you have a child in your life who is a strong reader and enjoys Stranger Things, give this to them and let them go wild. It’s the type of book my weird little 10-year old self would’ve devoured.
A Night in the Lonesome October / Roger Zelazny
This book, broken up into chapters that constitute a day of the month of October, is read over the course of the month as an annual tradition by many readers. This year I finally finished it and I loved it!
Becoming the Boogeyman / Richard Chizmar
Chizmar’s fictional meditation on the true crime genre continues to be a fun little series, and his attention to detail is immaculate. The magic has dimmed a little bit with this one, as it becomes less plausible that Chizmar is the center of all of this, but it’s still a fun read.
Creature Feature Short Stories
These free Amazon short stories were a fun way to kick off the month, with Paul Tremblay’s and Josh Malerman’s being my favorites.
Out There Screaming / edited by Jordan Peele
This was the big, buzzy horror anthology coming out this year, and unfortunately I found it all to be rather middle-of-the-road, with a couple of standouts. I’d still recommend it, however.
The September House / Carissa Orlando
This book was so close to employing my least favorite trope of all time, but then at the last second it doesn’t. I could never really figure out what this book was, though that’s not necessarily a negative thing. The ending, while a fun ride, falls apart under even the tiniest bit of scrutiny. Maybe I should just not think too hard about it.
The Veil / Rachel Harrison
I love Rachel Harrison. This one isn’t what I would call “required reading.”
The Beast You Are / Paul Tremblay
I love Paul Tremblay. This whole collection is a letdown.
The Halloween Tree / Ray Bradbury
This was going to be the horror/Halloween classic for the year, and I was very excited to read it. However, at a certain point I need to just admit to myself that Ray Bradbury isn’t for me (devastating).
Ravenfall / Kalyn Josephson
A fun, but forgettable, spooky romp for middle grade readers. I’m not going to punch down.
Screams from the Dark / edited by Ellen Datlow
A whopper of a horror anthology, with 27 newly published stories from the best writers the genre has working today. I only wish they all would’ve brought their best to the project…
Other Terrors / edited by Vince A. Liaguno & Rena Mason
It’s a skip.
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