October is officially here! September flew by so let’s take it one page at a time to make October last! This month we offer you magical portals, a mind bending thriller, and a dark ending. If you’d like a chiller read check out my September list here!
- Coraline by Neil Gaiman
Coraline tells the tale of a disinterested girl who seeks escape from a dull life of being trapped inside her new and seemingly empty home. When her parents show little interest in her, Coraline explores! As she explores her new house, she befriends neighbors who do not pronounce her name correctly, and meets a boy with a mysterious cat. After a day full of adventure, she explored until there wasn’t a sight left to see, or has she? Coraline discovers a portal that leads her to a magical dimension that turns her dreams into reality. Her new parents are attentive to her, she is served any dish she desires, and neighbors pronounce her name correctly! Although this “other” world is everything Coraline has ever wanted, it becomes her worst nightmare.
Coraline was immediately engaging! The book is small enough to start and finish in one afternoon. If you’ve only seen the film expect the book to be darker. If you like dark, then you’ll enjoy Coraline. The ideal time of the year to read Coraline would be mid-October, cold enough for a jacket, with the sky blanketed in grey, by a burning firepit. Or even better, on Halloween night. This book gives off a supernatural/spooky vibes that still gives me the creeps when I think about it. It may be a children’s book but it’s 200 plus pages of suspense and mind games.
Buy this book here for you or as a Halloween gift for a friend!
2. Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane
Shutter Island takes you into the depths of Ashecliffe Hospital for the Criminally Insane. U.S Marshals, Edward “Teddy” Daniels and Chuck Aule, are tasked with finding escaped patient, Rachel Salando, while preparing for a hurricane. When investigating her disappearance; the Marshals stumble upon a conspiracy involving the staff at Ashecliffe. Nothing is what it seems at this hospital for the criminally insane. There is only one truth at Ashecliffe: The lies being told. But who is the liar? Who is the missing patient? There is more to this story than a missing, murderess, Rachel Salando.
Reading this was a captivating experience! The almost 500 word novel took me a few weeks to read, but once I began a chapter I could not stop, as my eyes were glued to every page. This is an exceptional read for the upcoming spooky season. What’s more thrilling than a mystery on an Alcatraz-like island during a hurricane in a Hospital for the Criminally Insane?
Follow this link so you can start reading this great book!
3. Pet Sematary by Stephen King
Stephen King does an amazing job at mixing two distinct emotions, fear with grief. In Pet Sematary, we meet Louis Creed, husband, father, and Dr. Louis and his family move to a small Maine town (surprise) where he takes a new job as a doctor at the University of Maine. Seems like a setup for a nice feel good story, doesn’t it? Unfortunately, that is not the case. Louise and his wife, Rachel, have two children, Ellie and Gage. Ellie’s cat, Church, plays a major role in the story, as you may have foreseen based on the title. The Creeds’ live on a dangerous road. Their road is a hot spot for semi trucks, therefore it can be a potentially fatal place for the vulnerable. When tragedy strikes; Louise seeks the help of a peculiar neighbor, Jud Crandell. Jud shows Louise a place known that reverses tragedy, but creates an unimaginable nightmare.
Pet Sematary is an eye sinking novel. Desperation mixed with unspeakable circumstances provide for an even darker rabbit trail of events. Numbing pain courses through Rachel and Louise. Pain that isn’t easy to talk about even worse to read through. Pain never wished on anyone. The supernatural elements of this story are phenomenal. Stephen presents it naturally and casually, something that is meant to be there. Never forced. Although this book had its scary elements, this book broke my heart more than scared me. If you’ve seen the movies, this is a must read. The movies bring the tragedies to life but the book captures the essence of being human in a unyielding situation.
Finish October strong, buy the book here!