Spooky Books for the Season | The Source Weekly - Bend, Oregon

Spooky Books for the Season

Curl up by the fire and let these books take you on a journey

If you're a fan of things that go bump in the night, then this list of books geared toward all things spooky and Halloween-y should be right up your alley. . . your dark, doomy alley.

"Slewfoot" by Brom

If you're a fan of A24's "The Witch," we have the perfect book for you from Seattle artist and author, Brom. Set in Colonial New England, Abitha is a widowed outcast whose last chance for help is the ancient spirit living in the dark wood. Some call him protector, others call him Devil. Both Pagan and Puritan battle for the soul of the village in what feels like the perfect fall season read. Atmospheric, sometimes gruesome, and wonderfully spooky.

"Once There Were Wolves' by Charlotte McConaghy

A thrillingly dark murder-mystery dive into the ways we seek safety by cutting ourselves off from nature, each other, and our own emotions... and how doing so creates the exact opposite of what we intend. Full of wild tension and vicious teeth, it'll sit with you for a long time. 

"The Stars Did Wander Darkling" by Colin Meloy

If your creepy vibe veers more toward "Stranger Things," this is your read. Meloy (Wildwood, The Decemberists) is pitch-perfect in this suspenseful YA horror set in a fictional Oregon coast town. Archie is bored with life in Seaham but when his dad's construction company opens up the cliff beneath the old Langdon place, little things around town start to take on a sinister edge. When the adults in town start to act strangely, too, it's up to Archie and his friends to send this ancient evil back where it came from. It may be YA, but if you're a child of the '80s or you've ever watched "The Goonies," you'll feel right at home with Archie and his crew, and you'll be glad you're along for the adventure.

"Certain Dark Things" by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

A neo-noir crime thriller set in Mexico City with biohacking Aztec vampires. Re-released for the masses after five years of a strong cult following and a too-small print run.

"Nettle & Bone" by T. Kingfisher

In a gritty world where princesses are pawns and may be sacrificed for the greater good, one sister refuses to accept her family's fate and goes into the darkness to change it.

"House of Leaves" by Mark Z. Danielewski

A story within a story within footnotes within a house that is larger on the inside than the outside. And it keeps growing. Written over 20 years ago, Danielewski uses masterful prose and the physical space of the pages to make you, the reader, feel like you may be trapped in the house, too. Experimental at the time but now widely regarded as a horror masterpiece.

Spooky Books for the Season
Amazon

"Beatrice Likes the Dark" by April Genevieve Tucholke

For little readers, this is an enchantingly illustrated story about Beatrice, who likes the dark, and her sister, Roo, who likes the light.

"Ocean at the End of the Lane" by Neil Gaiman

Fantasy and horror collide in this darkly nostalgic coming-of-age tale, where family dysfunction is as terrifying as the very real monsters in the night. "Coraline" for adults.

-Find these books at Dudley's Bookshop Cafe downtown or in its online store.

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