Halloween Reads 2016

I've got a whole rake of books on the go at the minute, including my New Orleans reads, but at this time of year I always compile a list of horrors to stack up and this year is no different. I may not get through these but it's worth the old college try!

Stephen King's It

I'm listening to this on Audible and at the time of writing this, I'm just over halfway through. That's a minor achievement right there as this is well over a thousand pages long which translates to just over 44 hours on tape. Pray for me. 

I've been working my way through King's back catalogue for a few years now but I've always held off on 'It' because the film version scared the bejeezus out of me as a little'un and I've never looked at clowns in the same way since. Anyway, the setting is small town Maine, jumping between a group of kids growing up in the 60's, being terrified by an evil that appears as their worst fears and tries to lure them to their deaths and the 80's, where they're now all adults and have to return home to fight the evil again. There are some genuinely horrifying moments in this book that have literally stopped me in my tracks (I listen to it walking on my way to and from work) and I can imagine it's only going to get worse.

Sing Me To Sleep by C R Simms

A young couple move into an isolated cottage in the peak district. All is going well until Laura begins to hear strange sounds. She thinks she's developing tinnitus but her doctor can find nothing wrong. An archaeological dig on a nearby hill uncovers some disturbing finds and things start to get scary for Laura shortly after that. I've had this one on my kindle for a while and I'm finally going to read it!

In Bitter Chill by Sarah Ward

This is the first in a series of books from blogger Sarah Ward that have been well received. It starts in 1978 when two schoolgirls are walking home. Both are kidnapped but only one is found unharmed and unable to remember anything except that her kidnapper was a woman. Flash forward thirty years later and the mother of the still missing Sophie has killed herself. This event reopens the case, revealing some very dark secrets. This may be more of a thriller than a horror but no harm in mixing things up a bit!

Roald Dahl's Book of Ghost Stories

This is a 1983 collection of ghost stories, gathered by the late, great Roald Dahl. As per the man himself, ghost stories should "give you the creeps and disturb your thoughts". Bring it on, Roald!

The Crucible by Arthur Miller

This is a play about the Salem witch trials in the seventeenth century. Based on these events and actual people from the time, Miller's drama has been described as a "searing portrait of a community engulfed in hysteria". We went to Salem last year and did a historical tour that covered all of the witch trials and aside from finding it horrifying, it was also really interesting. I've wanted to read up on it since but have yet to do so…until now!

A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay

Set in suburban New England, a family is distraught to learn that their fourteen year old daughter Marjorie has begun to show signs of acute schizophrenia. Things get worse when the doctors looking after her are unable to treat her apparent mental health problems and driven to despair, her parents approach a local priest for help. He decides an exorcism is the only way forward and contacts a television production company looking for stars of their new reality show, 'The Posession'. With mounting medical bills the family have no choice but to let the cameras into their house of horrors. Fifteen years later Marjorie's little sister is interviewed by a best selling author about this time in their lives. This has been described as a "mind bending psychological horror", but I'm mostly drawn to what a unique concept it is for a book! I'll report back!

That's the lot for now but I may still throw in a Point Horror for old times sake!

What's on your Halloween book list? Have you read any of these?

To the comments!

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