Cover of "Something Wicked This Way Comes...

Cover of Something Wicked This Way Comes

The air is starting to get crisp, the leaves are changing and one of the most enjoyable holidays of the year, Halloween, is right around the corner.

If you’re like me, you like to get yourself into the holiday mindset in advance. But while jingle bells and decking the halls get you in the Christmas spirit, I like to do some reading to get me in the proper Halloween mood. There’s a great Twitter discussion going on using the hash tab #allhallowsread where people are sharing their favorite Halloween related reads so I thought I’d share my top five Halloween favorites.

  1. The Turn of the Screw by Henry James
    I was listening to this audio book while working and the sun set without my noticing. I was left in a house that was totally dark other than the light from my computer screen and I had to go to the bathroom… insanely bad. But I was too scared to leave my office so I waited two hours until my husband came home to save me. I would call this the scariest thing I ever read but I actually got so freaked out that I couldn’t finish I Am Legend so… yeah.
  2. Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
    There’s just something about the language of this book that manages to make this one of my must reads when I want to seriously creep myself out.
  3. Coraline by Neil Gaiman
    The movie is cute but nothing beats the book for raw creepiness. Buttons for eyes, dark hallways, and (if you listen to the audiobook) insanely disturbing singing mice. One of my annual Halloween must reads.
  4. Bunnicula by James and Deborah Howe
    God, I love this book. More comedy and kids stuff than genuine thrills, I’ve had this in my Halloween rotation since I was a kid. I usually read the first three in this series since they are short. Fun fact! I actually took a selection from Howliday Inn to a forensics speech competition one year and trophied with it. Also? The Celery Stalks at Midnight may be the greatest book title ever.
  5. Through the Flashlight’s Beam: a collection of classic scary stories for reading aloud
    I’m totally cheating by listing this book so I can call this a “Top Five.” Because this one has a bunch of my must reads for Halloween all in one volume: Dracula (LOVE!), Frankenstein, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, The Raven, Fall of the House of Usher, The Monkey’s Paw… yeah, I know who publishes it but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s one of the books I reach for every Halloween to get me in the spirit of the holiday.
What about you? What will you be reading this autumn to get yourself in the mood for Halloween?