A Spooky October TBR

I’m not the biggest fan of Halloween.

I have nothing against the holiday. You dress up, hang out with friends, and have an all-around good, themed time.

But where I grew up, it wasn’t celebrated as widely as it is in the U.S., and I think that’s part of the reason for my lukewarm feelings towards it. Another reason could be that it’s the last significant barrier to Christmas (the superior holiday). Sure, for us American folks, Thanksgiving is still there but… come on. After Halloween, it’s basically Christmas.

Nevertheless, I wanted to get into the spirit this year! And what better way to do that than with some spooky, atmospheric reads? Grab your popcorn, people. We’ve got witches, vampires, and murder mysteries coming at you.

The Lady Rogue by Jenn Bennett

Hello, historical romance about Vlad the Impaler, a.k.a everybody’s favorite vampire, Dracula. I’ve read very few vampire books, and I’ve definitely never picked up anything about this famed legend, so I’m intrigued!

I love Bennett’s contemporary writing, so it’ll be interesting to see if her historical fiction lives up to the hype as well.

Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin

A witch and a witch hunter, bound in holy matrimony.

I mean come on, how could I not have this book on my TBR? Everyone and their mother has read this and loved it, and why yes, I would like to hop on that bandwagon as well.

I’m crossing all my fingers and toes that this lives up to its hype! It seems like the relationship will have a similar dynamic to Nina and Matthias from Six of Crows (you know, the visceral “I hate everything that you stand for” kind of goodness), so I expect big things.

The Vanishing Stair by Maureen Johnson

I finally listed to the audiobook of Truly, Devious last month and enjoyed it so much more than I expected. I gave it a full five stars and have been not-so-patiently waiting for October begin so that I can start this one.

Truly, Devious had such a compelling plot, characters that I had no problem getting invested in, kept me guessing, as any good murder mystery should, and left me wanting more, more, more.

The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw

This book got a lot of buzz when it first released last year, and I was really looking for something to give me all the fall vibes. Even though it’ll probably still be 80 degree weather down here in Florida, hopefully the book will be able to transport me to a more atmospheric setting.

From what I can tell, this book is about the spirit of three witches who possess young girls’ bodies every year in order to drag some unsuspecting guy to his death? Sounds very spooky.

The Wicked King by Holly Black

Ah yes, The Wicked King. Cardan and Jude, I shall return to you soon. I finished The Cruel Prince this past January and while I don’t think I loved it quite as much as everyone else did, I definitely still had a good time reading it and want to pick up this next installment before the finale releases in November.

Not Even Bones by Rebecca Schaeffer

This is the only true horror on this list. I adore reading mysteries, and the occasional thriller, but I don’t read a lot of horror books because I don’t really like horror movies, so I just avoid the genre in general. However, this is my book club’s October selection, so I do want to give it a shot this month. Will probably read it with the lights on.

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I’m gonna keep my “spooky” books for this month at five. While I would love to read more than that this month, school might make that impossible. And if I do get the chance too, I’ll probably read a contemporary or two, just to spice up all the paranormal/fantasy/murder stuff.

What books are you hoping to read this October? Looking forward to anything with autumn or spooky vibes? How do you feel about Halloween? Tell me in the comments! 🙂

Stay bookish,

Jordyn

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