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Spooky Books for Readers Looking for a Fright!

Carole Barrowman
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Author of Hollow Earth series, book reviewer, and spooky book lover, Carole Barrowman is here to discuss books that will make you sleep with the light on.

1. This Cursed House by Del Sandeen (Berkley)

Oh do I adore a scary story about a haunted house. The idea that a place of comfort and safety might be out to get you…chilling! In this case it’s not just the house, but the family inside. Set in the 1960s, this debut novel is a super creepy Gothic ghost story about a young Black woman from Chicago who accepts a job offer to work for an prominent family (they are Black but have been passing as white) in a small town in the south. Of course, the job isn’t what Jemma bargained for. Of course the family and the house are cursed. If you’re a fan of Jordan Peele’s films, you’ll love this novel.

2. Black River Orchard by Chuck Wendig (Del Rey)

As far as I’m concerned Chuck Wendig is equal to Stephen King in his creep factor, and his sinister supernatural plots. This is his best one yet. Wendig’s characters are regular folks in insidious circumstances (and this is as insidious as it gets). A small town becomes obsessed with a new species of apple grown in a local orchard. It’s delicious, juicy, and with something horrifying at its core. You may reconsider that apple pie for Thanksgiving after reading this.

3. Nibbles: The Monster Hunt by Emma Yarlett (Kane Miller)

This picture book is for the readers in your life who want to be part of Halloween, but in a gentle way. The story’s narrator loves books, especially ones about monsters, but when a monster named Nibbles escapes from its book and eats its way into several of the narrator’s other books, the narrator has to chase Nibbles through the pages. This is a pretty perfect read aloud with great illustrations and lots of punny jokes.