Ghostly Reads

There’s just something about fall, isn’t there? Something that makes the world seem a little stranger, something that makes magic suddenly seem real. Growing up, every October I could feel that magic tugging at me. I wanted to run into graveyards in search of ghosts, or sit on my roof and listen for witches flying by in the dark. I wanted to dance with the Devil, fight a hoard of vampires or have tea with the monster I just knew was under my bed.

And even now, as crazy as it is, I still want those things. At 26 years-old I can still feel that fall magic. I think that’s why I always catch myself reading more fantasy once the leaves start to change—I’m living vicariously through the characters, experiencing everything wonderful and reckless I wish I was doing for real.

This fall, I’ve read 8 books so far. They’re all spooky stories for kids and teens, because my own story is for ages 12 and up, and it’s about a girl and one very angry ghost. I thought I’d post a bit about each story here—you know, so you can check them out too. And then if you want you can share some spooky stories you’ve read in the comments, and we can all discover them together.

It’ll be like book club but better than book club. Because no one gets mad if you don’t read the books, for one. And you don’t have to wear pants.

‘The Lockwood & Co. Series’ by Jonathan Stroud

The Lockwood & Co. Series follows three young operatives of Psychic Detection Agency as they battle an epidemic of ghosts known as the ‘Problem.’ There are 5 books in total, and each one is just stuffed with everything I like: creepy scenes, excellent worldbuilding, funny banter and British Characters Doing Very British Things. Like drinking excessive amounts of tea, for instance. Or creating special protocols to ensure everyone gets an equal number of biscuits. The most memorable part of the series for me, though, is the relationship between the protagonist (Lucy Carlyle) and the ghost she carries around in a jar. It’s delightfully evil, and always gives hilarious (but really morally incorrect) advice.

Read more about ‘The Lockwood & Co. Series’ here.

‘Anna Dressed in Blood’ by Kendare Blake

Cas Lowood travels North America with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat, hunting down the unquiet dead. But then he meets Anna Korlov—a ghost who’s just too powerful to destroy. Trapped in her deserted home since 1958, she can create horrifying illusions, move uncannily fast and literally rip people in half. Yet, for reasons unknown, she spares Cas’s life. That intrigue (and Blake’s darkly beautiful imagery!) kept me reading into the wee hours of the night. Anna Dressed in Blood is just so much fun.

Read more about ‘Anna Dressed in Blood’ here.

‘The Night Gardener’ by Jonathan Auxier

The Night Gardener begins quietly, drawing you in with it’s gorgeous prose and classic premise: two plucky siblings travel to work as servants in a old English manor. But pretty soon it becomes clear that the manor’s owners aren’t what they seem. They’re terrorized by a ghastly spirit that walks the halls at night—a spirit wearing a ratty old top hat and carrying a watering can it fills with god-knows-what. And with every page, things just keep getting spookier and spookier. It reminded me so much of the horror classics I loved as kid! Read it with the lights off for maximum wiggins.

Read more about ‘The Night Gardener’ here.

‘Unrest’ by Michelle Harrison

Ever since the accident that nearly killed him, Elliot Drake finds himself waking up outside of his body at night. Even worse, every time he’s forced to witness the gruesome death of his apartment’s former tenant. Frightened and desperate for answers, he takes up a job at a supposedly haunted museum. There he (a.) unwittingly discovers a terrible secret and (b.) attracts the attention of one very vengeful ghost. A ghost trying to steal his body for it’s own sinister purposes.

Such an intriguing concept, right? Since my book also includes ghostly possession I was pretty excited to read this one. And I was so glad I did—Harrison’s vivid prose made the horror feel raw and real in the very best way.

Read more about ‘Unrest’ here.

Your turn, guys. What spooky stories have you read? You don’t have to stick to ones for kids and teens—adult fiction is more than welcome. (Even the extra dark kind! I’m ever-searching for a read that truly scares my socks off.)