Favorite Halloween Reads

As leaves turn to red and gold and the air turns crisp and cool, curling up on the sofa with a blanket and a good book becomes my evening routine of choice. And with Halloween just a few days away I’ve been looking for a new scary read. Here are a few of my favorites from past years. If you pick one up you may want to turn on all the lights before you begin reading!

Who doesn’t remember reading “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe in high school English class? Of all the Halloween classics, this is my favorite. First published in 1846, this tale is just as scary today as it was then.

Legendary ruins in an African rain forest–the setting of “Congo” is a bit scary on its own. But add Michael Crichton’s deadly story and it becomes a terrific Halloween scare. This was the second Crichton novel I read (after becoming a fan with “Sphere”) and it didn’t disappoint. Don’t let the awful movie turn you off from the book. The book is a winner.

“Pet Sematary” is still the scariest of Stephen King’s books that were made into movies. As movies go, this one is a fine adaptation. But the book is still better. Its not one of his massive thick book stories either but an easy read.

I don’t usually go for books featuring serial killers but if you’re going to read just one then “Kiss the Girls” by James Patterson is one that will keep your heart pounding into the wee hours of the morning. Patterson gets into the mind of his killers. You’ll never again go to bed without checking to see that the locks on your doors are locked tight.

James Rollins’ “Subterranean” is adventure at its best. Not as well-known as Clive Cussler, Cussler lovers will nevertheless fall for Rollins whose exotic tales give readers more great adventure reads to squeeze in between Cussler’s releases.

“Ghost Files: the Collected Cases from Ghost Hunting and Seeking Spirits” by Jason Hawes tells tales of two plumbers by day who spend their free evenings investigating stories of ghostly happenings. Yep, this is the same Jason and Grant from the popular “Ghost Hunters” TV show.

I read “Communion“many years ago when it first came out and I’ve never forgotten it. Author Whitley Strieber claims that it is the true story of one man’s repeated contact with alien visitors. Whether you buy the truth of UFO contact or not, this is one of the scariest books I’ve ever read and one I won’t forget.