October & Halloween Reads!

Happy October, everyone! I’m going to admit something. I used to hate Halloween. I know, it’s crazy, but it’s true. I mean don’t get me wrong, being a kid, dressing up and filling my pillowcase full with candy was always a highlight every year, but that’s about it. I hated anything scary. Most of it was due to a memory from one Halloween when I was a kid, that I couldn’t shake for some time. When I was 9, my sisters and I went to my aunt’s, who lives a town over, to go trick or treating with my cousins. They lived right next door to my grandparents, and every year we’d go and see my grandparents before we went out into the night in search of candy clad in various costumes. My grandfather would give my sisters and I each $20.00, candy, and a glow stick on a string to wear around our necks (so we wouldn’t get kidnapped because what better way to throw off a captor than a bright, shiny glow stick!?. Joking aside, my grandparents let us go out alone, just us cousins but wanted us to be safe all the same.

Once we had those things we were ready to traipse around the neighborhood and get as much candy that we could get our hands on. Everything was going fine that night. I got a decent amount of candy, even a bunch of change. We even found a house with a family outside grilling hot dogs and handing out sofa to trick or treaters table of hot dogs!  And then we came upon another house, about a block away. It was decorated and the lights were on. I seemed inviting; there was an bowl full of candy on the porch step, and next to it was a person, or maybe it was a scarecrow? I couldn’t tell. All I remember was watching my cousin, Jordan, walk towards the porch to grab some candy when the whirring of a chainsaw pierced the cool, night air and who I thought was a scarecrow, was actually the owner of the home. They  jumped up and began chasing trick or treaters down the sidewalk. I was mortified. I ran away. And ever since then, every house we went to I was terrified to grab any candy for fear that I’d be jump-scared out of my wits and chased down the driveway.

I hate being scared. I avoid haunted houses and haunted attractions. I don’t like scary movies. I do not like jumping out of my seat, close to wetting my pants due to a demon or ghost or what have you, popping out of the screen in front of me. I like creepy thrillers, but even then, there’s always a bang just a tad too loud that forces me to adjust myself in my seat to make it look like I wasn’t scared, I was just fixing my wedgie?

With that being said, I know it sounds like I’m a monster. But I do like Halloween. I like old, creepy movies. And as much as I like old, creepy movies, I like creepy books. Once October arrives, I scour Goodreads to find the book that will keep me up at night. I love scary books because yes, they may scare me, but they won’t make me jump or adjust myself in my seat.

I wanted to share the creepy stories I’ll be diving into this month. Some are scary, some are thrilling, and some are just full of monsters and things that will go bump in the night. I also started reading ‘Outlander’ to lift the mood a little. After I finish each I’ll post a mass review and share my thoughts!

The Women in the Walls by Amy Lukavics

Through The Woods by Emily Carroll

This Savage Song  V.E Schwab

Slasher Girls and Monster Boys by Leigh Bardugo and others

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon