The stories of my life on a little island in the middle of the Mediterranean sea ... and my occasional adventures beyond these shores.

Monday 17 October 2016

Books for a spooky Halloween

Halloween is just two weeks away and I can barely believe it's that time of year again, when one holiday will follow relentlessly on the heels of the other until we pop the spumante at the chimes of midnight on December 31 and ring in another year in this journey we call life. But for now, Halloween looms and it is time for me to take out the few knick-knacks with which we tentatively decorate the house during this season. Despite the fact that my husband is American, Halloween is a low-key affair in our house. We take the Mischief Maker trick or treating - but strictly to family only. Halloween is not a traditional feast in Malta but, during the past ten years or so, it is increasingly becoming part of the local calendar. Whether that is good or bad I cannot say. For the time being, most people still celebrate the traditional feasts of All Saints and All Souls, that fall on November 1st and 2nd respectively, but I have a feeling that this will change in the not too distant future. The world is what it is. Change is constant, not matter how much we may resist it.

But there are other ways, apart from decorating the house and trick or treating, that can help conjure up that spooky Halloween mood. And I find that one of the best ways to do it, if you are so inclined, is to plop down in a comfy armchair with a mug of hot chocolate, a plate of Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies, the obligatory candle ( I love Yankee Candle's Cinnamon Stick and Pumpkin Pie at this time of year) and, of course, a spooky book. I am aware that there is a never-ending list of books in the horror genre and what may scare the living daylights out of me may leave you unfazed, but I thought it would still be fun to share the books  that have given me many a sleepless night. So here they are, in no particular order, the books that should guarantee a spooky Halloween to all those that choose to read them.

Dracula by Bram Stoker

This has to be the quintessential horror book of all time and, while I am sure that it needs no introduction, let me just say that Dracula is not one of these affable vampires that seem to be all the rage these days. Count Dracula is a malevolent, evil vampire. His impulses and desires are so horrifying that I could not help but feel appalled at his very existence  - although he only ever existed on the pages of the book. But Stoker's imagery is so masterful that I could almost feel the most famous vampire of them all breathing down my neck. 

    “I want you to believe...to believe in things that you cannot.”

A  Portrait of Barbara by Robin Squire

Charlotte, a young bride,  is abducted on her wedding night by a madman and taken to a derelict house in a desolate, moorland wilderness. Here she is kept prisoner, with a decaying corpse for companion, and a portrait of a lady called Barbara. But who is Barbara and what plans does she have for Charlotte? This book is quite horrifying and the climax is truly something out of the worst possible nightmare. A Portrait of Barbara is definitely not a tale for the faint-hearted.

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The Ghosts of Malta by Joseph Attard

This book is a compilation of ghost stories that are part of Maltese folklore. I had heard quite a few of the stories before actually reading the book but that didn't make it any less scary to read - Mmybe it's because, give or take a couple of miles, most of the haunted places mentioned in the book are not more than 20 miles from my house. So that made it so much more personal, which may explain the number of sleepless nights that I went through while I was reading it. It's my fault of course, because in spite of my skepticism, my imagination ran away with me and kept creating apparitions behind every closed door even though I kept telling myself not to be so silly and superstitious.

 

Ghosts and Haunting by Dennis Bardens

This book is also a collection of short stories - except that this time it is about the ghosts of the British Isles. There is one particular story in this book, involving a black skull, that I thought was particularly scary and is imprinted in my brain to this day - which does not mean that the rest of the stories were less spooky.

 

Misery by Stephen King

After a traffic accident, writer Paul Sheldon is rescued by Annie Wilkes, a nurse who describes herself as his number one fan. There's nothing wrong with that except that Annie is very angry with Paul Sheldon because he has killed off her favourite character: Misery Chastain and, by hook or by crook, Annie is determined that Paul will revive Misery. This book is a reminder that horror stories do not have to be of the spirit kind. Misery is a study in psychological horror, the sort of horror that human beings can inflict on each other without the need to resort to vampires and grinning skulls. 

“I am in trouble here. This woman is not right.”

So what do you think? Is your curiosity piqued? If you haven't already, would you read any of these books? Or do you prefer something less horrifying for your entertainment?

To be honest, horror is probably my least favourite genre but, every now and then, a good, spooky book is the best thing to get my heart racing. On second thoughts, maybe I should consider taking up jogging.

13 comments:

  1. It's exactly like that here in Belgium. It tries to get through but mostly for kids at school. I don't decorate the house, nobody does, and as nobody is coming either, I won't do that only for the two of us, especially Mr. G. doesn't care at all ! I don't like this year end period with all the forthcoming festivities ! Wished it would be January !

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    1. On the contrary I love this time of year, especially Christmas. December always makes me happy.

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  2. Thank you for the list
    The scariest book I've read is Stephen King's, "Salem's Lot." I haven't seen the entire movie because I won't watch the scary parts.
    Halloween is surprisingly very popular here in Vermont, even for adults. You don't have to travel far to find a few contests for best costume.

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    1. I hardly ever watch scary movies because I will end up having to face many sleepless nights.

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  3. Dear Loree your list of books for a spooky Halloween look like they will do the trick: )! I have seen the movie Misery. Probably doesn't do justice to the book but it is quite a tale. Hope Mischief Maker finds s few treats nearby. As always I so enjoyed your post sweet friend. Hugs!

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  4. Dear Loree your list of books for a spooky Halloween look like they will do the trick: )! I have seen the movie Misery. Probably doesn't do justice to the book but it is quite a tale. Hope Mischief Maker finds s few treats nearby. As always I so enjoyed your post sweet friend. Hugs!

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    1. I try not to read spooky or scary books these days. I prefer books with positive vibes.

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  5. NO SPOOKY BOOKS FOR ME!I ALREADY HAVE A HARD TIME SLEEPING!!!!!!!!!
    XX

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    1. There are days when I have a hard time sleeping too. I read all of these books many years ago so they don't cause me any sleepless nights anymore.

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  6. NO horror books for me!! Ever! I love reading but not that genre. I also love your blog. I shall return for a more pleasant topic soon!
    Farm Gal in VA

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  7. Great collection of spooky books - haven't read Bram Stoker's Dracula, but perhaps this Halloween I should!

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  8. I read 'Misery' a long time ago - what an amazing book!!

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  9. I'm not a big fan of scary books (sleepless nights!) But, I would be interested to read the ghost stories of Malta (or my own neighborhood, for that matter.) As to whether I would VISIT those places after reading the book....

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Thanks for stopping by. I read and appreciate every one of your comments. I will do my best to reply whenever I can.

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