Keep It Spooky, Captain
your resident giant wimp hits you with seasonal reads!
Hey friends, happy October! I think we can all agree that October is one of the best months, right? I mean, again, we’ve heard my summer vs fall rants, but objectively, October is a good time, and not just because of my birthday.
Okay, almost entirely because of my birthday. But whatever, birthdays are awesome!
Plus, of course, there’s the fun of Halloween. I’m the wimpiest wimp you know (I got nightmares for years from the trailer for Anacondas), but reading scary things is a little easier for me than watching them, because I can sort of turn my imagination off, you know?
That being said, I read the first two books on this list back to back and then had a legit coven based nightmare, so YMMV!
The days are getting shorter and so are these posts, so without further ado… read these!!
WITCHCRAFT FOR WAYWARD GIRLS by Grady Hendrix
Okay, this one is a super mean rec because it doesn’t come out until January, but I couldn’t wait that long to tell you all about it! I’ve been dancing around Grady Hendrix for years, but have always been too afraid his books will freak me out. But this book, about a group of girls sent to a house for unwed mothers in Florida in the summer 1970 who form a coven to control their own destiny, seemed like it MIGHT be less about the jump scares and more about the feminist vibes, so I gave it a chance, and I’m SO glad I did. Sure, there’s some concerning imagery, but overall, this book was one of those read-it-so-fast-you-barely-remember-it-happening books, and you HAVE to give it a go. Preorder it now, or if you’re a library person, get your request in ASAP - there’s going to be a long wait for this one. Hendrix fans - which should I dip my toes in next?
WE RIDE UPON STICKS by Quan Barry
I’ve been meaning to read this one for FOREVER and finally got around to it and boy, I’m so glad I did! Another ‘teen girls get a coven together’ book, but this one follows a terrible field hockey team in Massachusetts in the 80’s and is pure vibes. Biting and funny, but still with plenty of heart, you’ll never look at Emilio Estevez the same way again. This one is objectively not scary, BUT if you combine it with the Grady Hendrix and do them both in 48 hours, you might get a little overly-covened. But maybe that’s what you want???
Purrmaids #11: A PURR-FECT PUMPKIN by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen
Listen, sometimes, you want your October to be spooky. And sometimes, you just want a mer-cat who goes to a Paw-loween festival. Are you, too, a scaredy cat? Then this is your frequent reminder that Purrmaids is a perfect series for the early reader (or early reading enthusiast!) in your life, and you should probably buy five or six copies of each book and keep them in your house for when you might need them, just to be safe.
That’s all for today, friends! May your leaves fall and your pumpkins carve, and I’ll see you on the spooky side.
Peace, love, and all the books,
Amanda