The Bibliophile's Bookshelf

This week’s Top Ten Tuesday theme is Halloween! Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by Jana over at That Artsy Reader Girl.

In all honesty, I don’t read a lot of Halloween or horror books. I have read some horror, paranormal, and mystery books that give me Halloween/fall vibes.

Here’s my Top Ten:

The Monstrumologist series by Rick Yancey

This series is one of my favorite series. Pellinore and Will Henry are interesting characters and have a spooky story. Rick Yancey did a wonderful job of making me question what was real and what wasn’t. I will say I didn’t love the ending; you could see where this was headed, but it was still sad and unsatisfying.

The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein by Kiersten White

I had read Frankenstein before this book, and I have to admit I liked this book better. This is told from the perspective of Elizabeth, who was neglected in the original and it gave a more satisfying end.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

I don’t like classic books, nor do I enjoy horror books. However, this book wasn’t too bad. I didn’t necessarily love this book, but I did enjoy it.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

I did not like this book. It was confusing and hard to get into. I understood the gist of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde before going into this book, but I don’t think I would have understood the story had I not known it. On a side note, the Monster High musical on Paramount+ gave an interesting take on Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde that I enjoyed.

Lockwood and Co. series by Jonathon Stroud

I haven’t read this series in years, but I do look back on it fondly. It takes place in London, where it is infested with ghosts. Only children and teens can see and fight them. There are major agencies that employ people for this very purpose. Lockwood and Co. is a small business, only employing three people. This story follows Lockwood, Lucy, and George as they fight different ghosts. It was also made into a Netflix series, although it was canceled after one season.

Skullduggery Pleasant series by Derek Landy

Skullduggery Pleasant is a long book series that has an interesting magic system, takes place in Ireland, and one of the main characters is a skeleton. It’s a overall a fun read, though a bit long!

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

I absolutely love A Monster Calls, both the book and the movie. When I first found out the genre of this was horror, I was shocked. I had read this book twice and I didn’t think it was scary for one second. This is one of the few books that can make me cry; the ending gets me every time. I also think the synopsis is misleading, this book really isn’t about a monster, the monster is actually there to help the main character deal with his grief.

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black

This is one of those books that I wished I didn’t read. It was about vampires and that’s about all I can tell you. I really didn’t enjoy this book.

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson

I typically don’t like mysteries, but I did enjoy this one. It kept me riveted, but I am a sucker for romances or relationships in general, and I really enjoyed the relationship in this one.

One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus

I read One of Us Is Lying quite a while ago, but I did enjoy this book. Five people went into detention, only four left. Similar to A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, I was engrossed with the mystery, but also really enjoyed the relationships throughout the book. What happened at the end was actually really shocking!

Well, there’s my Top Ten! I hoped you enjoyed them.

What are your favorite Halloween reads?