Ghouls Just Want to Have Fun - Spooky Reading Recs & My October TBR

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Hi!

I'm taking part (or trying to) in the Grimdragon Spooktober photo challenge on Instagram, and the prompt for today was the title of this post - Ghouls Just Want to Have Fun. I thought I'd do a round up of some of my favourite spooky reads and tell you the ones I'm most looking forward to reading this month. 

A HEAD FULL OF GHOSTS

Paul Tremblay

A tale, essentially of two sisters. Marjorie and Meredith went through a very harrowing experience fifteen years ago during the filming of a reality TV show based around a possession, and now one of the sisters is telling her side of the story to a horror blogger.  I love a story about sisters anyway, but throw in Reality TV and possession and I was hooked. It also made me think about how women with mental illnesses were treated by the church and society and often labelled as being possessed or inhabited by demons.

Kindle | Dubray Books | Reserve at the Library

REBECCA

Daphne du Maurier

What better ghost is there than the one of a former lover? In this book, the second Mrs de Winter lives so much in the shadow of her husband's first wife, Rebecca, that we aren't even told her name. The real main character in this novel after Rebecca is the house. Manderley is full of atmosphere and has just the right amount of spookiness going on to give an uneasy feeling throughout. Mrs. Danvers contributes to that too, she's a great villain. I also listened to this on audio and would recommend the Anna Massey version. 

Kindle | Dubray Books | Audible| Reserve at the Library

THE DEAD SUMMER

Helen Moorhouse

After her divorce, Martha McKenzie moves to a small village in the English countryside with her baby daughter. But her dream of a quiet life is interrupted by the presence of something strange in her new home - footsteps, scratching, and a general uneasiness that soon develops into some very scary occurrences. Martha begins to unravel the awful history of the house, but will she be too late to save herself and her daughter? This was SO creepy. It's a modern-day gothic horror, and very much worth a read. 

Kindle | Kennys | Reserve at the Library 

THE UPSTAIRS ROOM

Kate Murray-Browne

Eleanor and Richard are having trouble with their dream home, a Victorian townhouse in London. The name "Emily" begins appearing in random places, and their daughter Rosie begins to exhibit strange behaviour. They take in a lodger, Zoe, who starts to have strange dreams. Is there a spirit in the house, and what does this mean for the residents? Spooky but with a contemporary edge due to Zoe's arc, I enjoyed this one a lot, I'm a big fan of a creepy house.

Kindle| Kennys | Reserve at the Library 

 

THE WOMAN IN BLACK

Susan Hill

I read this book for the first time the night before I had my twins, in 2013. An odd choice for someone preparing for childbirth, but one that takes me right back to that cold, damp Autumn night and another creepy house. Everyone has probably seen the film version at this stage, but I'd really recommend that you give the book a go too. It's deliciously creepy. 

Kindle | Kennys | Reserve at the Library 

PRACTICAL MAGIC

Alice Hoffman

The film version is one of my favourites, it reminds me so much of my sister. Thankfully, it stayed fairly true to this beautiful novel of two sisters, witches descendant from a long line of sister witches. I also highly recommend the prequel The Rules of Magic if you want to find out more about who the Aunts were when they were younger. 

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MY OCTOBER 2020 TBR

I've owned two of these books for ages but just haven't gotten around to reading them, the others I really want to buy or borrow as soon as I can. 

Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill

A horror story about an ageing rock star who collects really weird, disturbing artefacts. He buys a box that supposedly contains a ghost - and indeed it does, one hell bent on vengeance. I've only read one other Joe Hill book (Horns) but I really enjoyed his writing. I've owned this on my Kindle for years and will read it this month.

Kindle | Dubray Books | Reserve at the Library

Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman

A prequel of a prequel, this is the third book in the Practical Magic series. I have read and loved both of the others so I can't wait to read this. I missed this one on Netgalley but will be buying/borrowing when it's released on October 6th. Shoutout to Rare Opal Reads for reminding me of this one with her recent TBR post on instagram!  

Kindle | Gutter Bookshop | Reserve at the Library

The Familiars by Stacey Hall

A fictionalized account of the Pendle witch trials in Lancashire in 1612. I bought this way back when it was released but just never got to it, so I've bumped it to the top of the list for this month. 

Kindle | Kennys | Reserve at the Library

The Haunting of Alma Fielding: A True Ghost Story by Kate Summerscale

The true story of a woman at the centre of a poltergeist story in London just before World War II and the team who tried to determine whether or not she really was experiencing a haunting. I've heard a bit of buzz around this book recently, so I'll be buying or borrowing this one. 

Kindle | Gutter Bookshop | Reserve at the Library

Have you read any of the above? Or are you planning on any spooky reads for October? Would you like a children's version of this post? Let me know what you think below!

Halloween Book Ideas for Adults and Children

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Hi!

It's that time of the year again - last year I set myself huge reading challenges for Halloween, but it didn't work out as planned (the second half of Dracula made me lose the will to read). This year is faring much better - I'm on book 12 of the month (my Sky+ planner is full to the gills of stuff I haven't watched) and hope to get through a few more that I've been saving up for this time of the year. I'm going to give you some adult suggestions along with a couple of young adult and children's books, hopefully there will be something here to suit everyone, and you might find a book you'd like to read for Halloween!

Stephen King

Stephen King - my favourite horror writer. He's not perfect, but I love that he reads as much as he writes. He just lives and breathes books - there are many of us who started reading his books way too young, but I feel like I've grown up with him. I can personally recommend The Shining, Carrie, Misery, IT, and Revival. Any or all would be a great choice this October, although none mention Halloween in particular. The Shining is one of my favourite books of all time. If you've already read it, check out Doctor Sleep, in which we revisit Danny as an adult. Sometimes I forget that others aren't familiar with King's books, so here's a brief idea of what each book is about:

• The Shining: A writer and his family move to a remote hotel for the winter where he takes up the position of Caretaker, but finds himself slowly going insane with a little help from some former residents. 
• Carrie: A young girl with a very religious mother has the power of Telekinesis - she is subjected to horrible bullying incidents at school, but she gets her own back..
• Misery: Writer Paul Sheldon has just written the conclusion for his very popular book series when he is involved in a car accident and rescued by his biggest fan Annie Wilkes. But Annie is not quite ready for her favourite series to be finished, or for Paul to leave her. 
• It: An epic 1,000 page plus novel about growing up in a small town inhabited by pure evil, and a group of friends coming together one last time to defeat it once and for all. 
• Revival: A boy keeps coming into contact with a Preacher at various stages of his life. Their lives intertwine until a final, terrifying conclusion is revealed. A story about addiction and obsession. 

Shirley Jackson

Shirley is someone I only discovered a year or two ago. In The Lottery, a short story just a few pages long, she delves into the concept of The Chosen One and turns it on its ear (a concept reproduced many, many times since). If you've seen the horrible movie version, you'll know this story - but it's definitely worth a read. I haven't read any of the other stories in that collection yet but hope to get to them this year. In We Have Always Lived in the Castle, we meet two sisters, one of whom has been declared insane by the villagers after an incident she was blamed for. When a cousin turns up and threatens the girls' way of living, it's up to eldest sister Merricat to get rid of him.

Young Adult

Horror is a genre that has always been popular in the YA world - how many of us cut our fangs on R.L. Stine's Goosebumps or Point Horror series? Goosebumps is still popular (in this house anyway), car boot sales and charity shops are goldmines. There are a number of Point Horror books available on Kindle, but in my opinion it's worth tracking down the old paper version, it just doesn't feel the same on a Kindle. Some other YA horror that I enjoyed are:

Bad Girls Don't Die by Katie Alender: a story about a 15 year old girl full of attitude trying to help her younger sister after she is possessed by an evil spirit.

The Doll by JC Martin: a short story about a creepy (and real) Mexican island that worships dolls, and what would happen if one left the island.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs - a young boy suffers a terrible family tragedy and ends up in a small, strange Welsh village where he encounters strange children in an even stranger building. Littered with amazing vintage photographs, they're creepy and definitely worth a look.

This is a Film Too

I love reading books that were later turned into films - or in some cases, books that were written to tie in with films. Here are a couple of books-to-movies that would work great for Halloween

The Amityville Horror by Jay Anson: I was a bit disappointed that this story of the legendary 1975 Amityville haunting wasn't scarier, but some of you might enjoy it more. How much of it is true? Well, the names are the same, but I would approach with an open mind!

Halloween by Curtis Richards: Written after the movie, this expands on the history of Michael Myers and gives us a better insight into his character. The paperback of this is very hard to find, so if you see it anywhere, pick it up! It's very easy to find a digital copy online, give me a shout for the link.

Rosemarys Baby by Ira Levin follows a young New York couple as they move into their dream home and become involved with some very scary people. When Rosemary find out the truth, it's already too late.

If you enjoy a horror movie, have a look and see if you can find a book. Nine times out of Ten, the book came first - The Omen, Psycho, Ring, The Exorcist, The Other, Children of the Corn, The Haunting, Frankenstein, Dracula - all books.

Halloween Books for Children

Demon Dentist by David Walliams - for children 10 and up, this is a favourite with my 11 year old. It's about a demon masquerading as a dentist in order to pull teeth from the mouths of children, leaving them grotesque 'presents' under their pillows instead. Approach with caution - some events may upset young or sensitive children.

Coraline by Neil Gaiman - a story about a young girl who finds an alternate reality in her home, including an alternate set of parents. But is the grass always greener? Talking cat alert! Readers 8-12 would be well able for it.

Meg and Mog  by Helen Nicoll and Jan Pienkowski - suitable for toddlers and up, Meg and Mog (written in 1975!) is the story of witch Meg and her cat, Mog. They intend on going to a great Halloween party, until Meg's spell goes wrong and turns all the other witches to mice. Great fun to read aloud.

The Witches by Roald Dahl - I read this around age 7 or 8, but it's up to parents if they think their children are old enough for it, it could be scary for younger readers (I always found the Quentin Blake illustrations scarier than the actual story). This story of a boy who infiltrates a convention of witches is still one of my own personal favourites.

And Finally...

A couple of other books I enjoyed -

The Crucible by Arthur Miller - originally a play, this is set during the Salem Witch Trials and draws on true events to create a story of paranoia, hysteria, and injustice. The book is great - but for the love of god, avoid the terrible film version.

Bird Box by Josh Malerman - a dystopian thriller/horror about a young woman who finds herself all alone with her two children five years after a terrible unknown event in Russia spread worldwide - people see something, then they go insane, killing each other and themselves. The only way to avoid it is to remain blindfolded. Now the woman has to make a decision - in order to escape to safety, she must leave her home with her children and go outside where she knows 'they' watch her. A really good psychological horror, the baddies are as scary as your imagination can make them.

Hopefully I've covered a wide range here, and that you can find something to enjoy over the rest of October and get you in a Halloweeny mood!

Black Cats and Witches and Stuff - An Ode to Hocus Pocus

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Hi!

To really kick off my Halloween theme here on the blog, I decided to have a ramble about my all-time favourite Halloween movie, Hocus Pocus.

Released in 1993, it wasn't supposed to be a big hit. It was intended to be a Disney Channel Original Movie and was a box office flop - but became a cult hit through home video. I first saw it around 1995/1996 on video. It was one of the first films I ever remember crying at (the end where Binx whispers in Dani's ear) and I have been in love with it ever since. I'm not exaggerating when I say I have seen it at least 50 times. At least.

Sarah Jessica Parker

The cast is just perfect. There isn't one dud. Not one. Thora Birch is fantastic as the slightly bratty Dani, Omri Katz was a huge crush of mine as a child after seeing him on Eerie, Indiana, and the three sisters couldn't have been played by anyone else. Sarah Jessica Parker irritates me in nearly everything she is in, but she is my absolute favourite Sanderson Sister. The movie could have been very different - Leonardo DiCaprio turned down the role of Max to do What's Eating Gilbert Grape? and Rosie O'Donnell turned down the role of Mary as she "wasn't comfortable playing a character who killed children."

The Best Mondegreen of All Time

Everyone can sing along with I Put a Spell On You - "I say, it's a pie, up and baby, up and die!" - right? Nope. Here's what she's really singing:

Ah say ento pi alpha mabi upendi

Ah say ento pi alpha mabi upendi

In comma coriyama

In comma coriyama

So that solves the mystery of why a song about babies and pie would make people dance until they died. 

It Started as a Bedtime Story

If you're a fan of the movie at all, watch this video. It's just under a half hour long, and it's a panel discussion held for the 20th Anniversary featuring Omri Katz, Vinessa Shaw, Kathy Najimy, Thora Birth, Doug Jones and David Kirschner, who came up with the idea from a bedtime story he told his daughters.

Billy

Source

See those moths flying out of Billy's mouth? They were real moths. Actor Doug Jones couldn't swallow them because of a type of mouth guard. Gross, yes? Also - no need to feel like a weirdo if you thought Billy was probably once a little bit hot. He was supposed to be. He also ad-libbed his famous "Wench! Trollop! You buck-toothed mop-riding firefly from hell!" line. All he was originally supposed to say was "Bitch!" but he deemed it unsuitable for a Disney movie.

The Four Things That Still Annoy Me

This doesn't ruin my viewing - I can literally recite the entire film dialogue when watching it - but these four things still occasionally WRECK my head.

- How does the tub of salt last that long?
- At the start, the teacher tells the entire story and THEN says "so, the Sanderson sisters were HANGED!" but we had already seen them be hanged.
- How does anyone know that Binx was turned into a cat? The only people who witnessed it were the Sanderson sisters, so who knew he was a cat??! Why didn't he talk to his father?!
- When Dani meets Allison at her house, she says "There's a museum about 'em?" and then in the same conversation says "Max, I'm not going up there, my friends at school told me about that place" - why didn't she tell Allison that instead of pretending she didn't know?!

I'm pedantic. I know. It's a disease.

Was Venetian Princess Emily Binx? (NO)

This is like that Marilyn Manson in The Wonder Years rumour was - it will not die. Even IMDB credits the role of Emily Binx with Amanda Shepherd, said to be youtube star Venetian Princess' (now Ariella Grace) acting name - she has cleared it up multiple times, but still.......nobody listens.

There is NO Sequel

Sorry folks, it's not happening. Not yet, anyway. However, Sony ARE remaking The Craft, which I am disgusted about.

These Nails

This nail art by Madam Luck Nails is the best Hocus Pocus art I've ever seen - I made my own stab at it but it pales in comparison, this is just my absolute dream Halloween nail art. 

Satan and Medusa

Remember these? They have what is probably my favourite exchange in the whole film:

Satan: They call me master!
Medusa: Wait 'til you see what I'm gonna call you...

Well, they're brother and sister in real life. Penny and Garry Marshall. Garry was the director of both Princess Diaries movies, Pretty Woman, and Beaches (among others). 

I'll Just Leave This Here

Really genuinely going to watch it right now.