Spooky Recs for a Spooky Girl Fall

Books, shows, and movies all to help you fully actualize the perfect fall. 

In my humble opinion, halloween is a mindset-- one that I try to maintain for a majority of the year. So if Christmas-lovers get to start decorating on the first of November, I don't see why us halloween-lovers can't start Halloween in September. To help you start your halloween right this moment, I've decided to put together some spooky suggestions to have a particularly spooky girl summer.

Horror novels written by Women: 

To start off my spooky recs, I wanted to highlight what I had originally aimed to do with this piece-- talk about the underrepresented women who write horror. I realize that a majority of horror lists on GoodReads are dominated by Stephen King, Dean Koontz, and Grady Hendrix, so for the first section of my spooky recs, we'll look at horror novels penned by women. 

 1. Near the Bone- Christina Henry                                            ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Admittedly, the cover of this book is what convinced me to read it, but I'm glad it did. This story follows a kidnapped girl as she tries to escape her captor and her isolated prison on the mountain, all while avoiding the mysterious creature that seems to be stalking them.

Henry wrote excellently and her plot was both well paced and intriguing. I read every single letter of these 320 pages in a single sitting and loved it. I like that Henry didn't use the classification of horror to sway her into forgetting to write and develop her characters (as some other horror novels I've read have) and each character felt like they're own person and out two final characters both felt developed from when we first met them. However, this novel also felt more like a thriller than the horror fiction that it is. But that may be from my own definition of what horror is. Typically, I just think of horror as a dark thriller with more visceral language-- which isn't what this novel was.

If I had to nit-pick, I would've liked it if Griffin could've lived to befriend our main girl and I wish we'd had an epilogue to see her healing and a happy life after her escape. Lastly, I wish we'd gotten some more info. While the limited imagery we get of the monster aids the mystery and intrigue of this ominous force, I wish we'd gotten to see it in it's full glory in their rearview mirror as they escape it. Hand in hand with getting an epilogue, I would've liked to see our main girl reconnecting with her sister. But overall, this was a favourite, and one I will struggle to find something better than this month.

5/5.

2. The Children on the Hill - Jennifer McMahon                                             ⭐⭐⭐.5

I genuinely guessed the twist for this book (that occurs nearly 300 pages in) on page 26.  Which is mostly fine. I still enjoyed the book for the most part, it just didn't have anything that made it special or really stand out for me. Otherwise, it was narratively strong. This is genuinely one of my most annotated horror novels because it 1) felt more like a thriller-mystery than a horror so I was picking out clues like I would a mystery and 2) it had a string of very clear and continuous themes and motifs throughout the novel. That being said, while it wasn't horror per se, it did have immaculate vibes for the spooky season. 

The Children on the Hill follows two timelines. In 2019, podcaster and monster-hunting-enthusiast, Lizzy Shelly heads to Vermont in order to investigate a teenage girl's disappearance and a monster sighting. In 1978, siblings, Vi and Eric's grandmother, Helen, bring home a mysterious new guest, Iris, from her work in the friendly, neighbourhood asylum. 

Overall, it wasn't a beautiful, perfect immediate five-star, oh-my-god-I-love-this-book-so-much, but it was a fun, pretty easy read. 

3. Dowry of Blood - S.T Gibson                                                                             ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

First and foremost, this book had some of the most beautiful writing I've read as of late. I loved it, although I might've loved it because so much of it sounds like something I would've read on Tumblr in 2014. I originally bought this book just for the cover, but I'm so glad I got it. It was a really intriguing book with more than just gorgeous language. The characters develop in such a satisfying arc, and their friendship becomes such a lovely experience. I think this book is going to be part of a series, mainly because on GoodReads it's listed as #1, which I'm perfectly okay with. I thought this book has a satisfying enough ending for what the book is (namely in it's message of abuse in relationship), but hearing even more of Constanta's story and life is something I can't wait for-- I truly love this character. 

The book is structured as a series of letters/journal entries to our main girl (Constanta's) abusive, vampire husband (who remains nameless throughout) as they live through different eras, and add two others into their relationship.

It's so rare for me to find a book that is both as narratively strong as this and as linguistically strong. The way she creates characters and connects them to Constanta is so thrilling to read. My only complaint of this book is it didn't really feel like a horror (which it is, I checked). If I were to pick the genre, I'd just call it a gothic novel. Nothing in this book is really scary or disturbing, but it does have the vibes of a gothic. I definitely will be reading more of Gibson's work. 

5/5

Special mention: Tender is the Flesh - Agustina Bazterrica                    ⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is one of the books I see floating around on many people's "most disturbing novels" lists. It basically follows a man who works at a meat processing plant, except this novel takes place after a virus has rendered meat inedible and they've started farming humans for meat. Near the start of the novel, our main guy receives one of these farming-people as a gift and the novel begins to follow their relationship and how his life changes as a result of this gift. It kind of felt more like a vegan propaganda novel (even though I'm unaware of the authors real-life position on the topic, but think I could guess) than a horror novel. Otherwise, I did enjoy the plot, it was fairly unique which means it stands out in my mind a lot better than both. It just didn't scare me because of how preachy it felt, and it really lagged around the middle. 

Originally I gave it a 4/5, but looking back I'd probably give it closer to a 3, maybe a 3.5/5. 

Double special mention: Kelley Armstrong

While technically not horror, the two Armstrong series I've read thus far are some of my favourite reads of the past few years. Her Omens and Rockton series are both amazing mysteries. The two series are both in a spookier genre, with a few darker topics (specifically in some of the deaths in Rockton), so they're not purely halloween-y, but are spooky enough for a halloween in July celebration. 

Omens takes a more supernatural form (especially early on in the series), which I enjoyed; it's also a bit more romance-heavy, as it features a love triangle that continues throughout the five books in the series. Essentially, the series follows adopted-heiress, Olivia, as she tries to use her new-found power to see omens in order to prove her birth parents innocent of the murders they were accused of. 

On the non-supernatural side, the Rockton series is seven books (in the main series) of big-city detective Casey who moves to the isolated town of Rockton, filled with people running from their crimes. Not only does Casey help to solve the increase in crimes in the town, but she also escapes her own criminal past. 

Armstrong also has a supernatural, werewolf series called Bitten, which has a TV series based off of it from 2014. While I've been waiting to read the series before I begin the show -- mostly because I'm a vampires over werewolves girlie all the way-- Armstrong's works are so good that I don't doubt that any adaptation of hers would be solid. 

Non-female-authored horror novels that are worth the mention: 

While the horror market is oversaturated with King and Hendrix (neither of whom are to my personal taste), there are some good horror novels that were written by pen. Both of these authors are established in the horror genre, and any and all of their work would be a perfect read for some spooky vibes. 

1. The Elementals - Michael McDowell

This book has me in a choke hold. It's got everything I love. Rich people with a litany of personal issues, spooky houses, and the American South. It follows long-time family friends, the McCrays and the Savages as they take a trip to their secluded vacation-mansions. However, unlike most secluded homes, these vacation homes are not in the forest, but rather on a island of sand that floods every night. Oh, and you can't forget the third house on their island that's progressively being drowned in the build up of sand. 

If you, like me, are disappointed in most of the haunted houses you read and see, definitely grab this novel. 

2. The Deep - Nick Cutter

It may just be because this novel takes place on the ocean floor, but this feels like it could be a very fun beach read to me. 

Films for Spooks. 

1. American Horror Story (2011)

American Horror Story (AHS) is one of those shows that you either love or hate -- there's no middle ground. Part of the reason it gets this range of reception is from the changes in each seasons themes. In other shows, you can get into the original premise then follow alongside the same characters as you go through the show, there's not a lot of changes to the actual plot of the show. 

That being said, creators Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk do a very good job on the show, overall. A majority of the seasons I've found to be very strong, with few exceptions. 

The 12th season has just begun airing, so if you haven't already, now is the perfect time to get into this series. 

2. The BBC's Sherlock (2010)

If you are more a dark-academia brand of fall, than a spooky-scary-skeletons kind of fall, person, Sherlock may be the perfect October show. 

While the show as a whole (but particularly the first three seasons) is perhaps one of the best TV shows I've ever seen, if you want a singular episode recommendation, I'd have to pick two episodes adapted from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's original stories -- Hounds of Baskerville (season two, episode two) and A Study in Pink (season one, episode one). 

The Hounds of Baskerville is pretty removed from the overarching plot of the series, so you don't much have to worry about missing parts of it, but it does have spectacular vibes. It also has some beautiful shots and one of the best mysteries of the entire show. 

Alternatively, the pilot (A Study in Pink) perfectly captures the vibes of the rest of the series. 

3 & 4. Scooby Doo (2002) and Scooby Doo: Monsters Unleashed (2004) 

For all those 90's and early 2000's babies, here's your dose of nostalgia that won't ruin your love for the original. 

These live action films star Sarah Michelle Geller, Freddie Prinze Jr., Linda Cardellini, Mathew Lillad-- AKA the perfect spooky Scoob casting. Don't forget James Gunn (of Thirteen Ghosts and Guardians of the Galaxy fame) giving his all to make these films as much of a romp for adults as the original cartoons were for kids. 

My personal preference is for the first film. I love the spooky amusement park vibes, I think it vibes perfectly with the rest of the franchise-- with both Mystery Inc and the 1969 cartoons having an episode set in similar amusement parks. 

These films capture the spirit of the franchise so well while also adding their own memorable piece to it. 

5. Beetlejuice (1988)

This film goes on my re-watch list every October, as well as being the inspiration for a large portion of my decor. 

Everything about this one is perfect-- the actors, the writing, the setting, the plot-- every. single. thing. 

I can't even describe it to you, just go watch it.