Unsurprisingly, October is my favourite month. Autumn sets in, the leaves change, pumpkin spice and caramel aromas take over, and Halloween is afoot. I really tried to capture that October feeling with my reading list, while maintaining that nostalgic, youthful feeling that comes with costumes and candy.

Books I Completed

The Agony House (Cherie Priest)

A YA ghost story that used a really interesting backdrop of post-Katrina New Orleans. The ghost mystery was fun in a Nancy Drew sort of way and the discussions about race, class and gentrification were well placed. I really enjoyed it. See my review here.

Coraline (Neil Gaiman)

An excellent one-sitting read. I appreciated that creepy, gothic atmosphere and was surprised that this children’s book was actually kind of scary (much more so than the movie, which I also adore). See my review here.

Stolen (Kelley Armstrong)

No, thank you. This adult-supernatural mystery didn’t quite land for me. I found the main character to be a let-down, I didn’t find anything redeeming about her personality, and the book didn’t do her any favours by sticking her in a toxic relationship. See my review here.

Edgar Allen Poe’s Spirits of the Dead (Richard Corben)

I gobbled up this graphic novel adaptation of a collection of Poe stories. It was fabulous, and re-reading The Raven inspired me to write A Poem for Lenore.

Halloween Party (R.L. Stine)

In full throwback mode, I returned to what was maybe the most defining series of my childhood – Fear Street. The book, from an adult perspective, was really formulaic and bad in that special way that is so much fun to read. See my review here.

Books Still In-Progress

Little Star (John A. Lindqvist)

I’m still reading this. It’s taking some time because every once in a while, I get so shaken up I need to put it down. I’m a big fan of this writer and the way he presents his “evil” characters with such eerie innocence in a world that’s so real and dark. It’s positively chilling. Stay tuned for my review!

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (J.K. Rowling)

I’m still in the process of working my way through the Harry Potter series for the first time. I decided to consume book 5 as an audiobook, and so far, it’s been a pretty good experience – 12hrs to go. I see why people love these books, but at my age I don’t think I’ll ever become emotionally attached.

Reading Goals – November

For November, I’m participating in NaNoWriMo, so I’m not sure I’ll crack many books. I intend to finish Little Star and Harry Potter, but apart from that I don’t think I’ll get far. The goal, though, is to work my way through The Haunting of Hill House (Shirley Jackson) and maybe even something by Michael McDowell, whom I’ve only recently learned of. It’s almost like I can’t let October go.

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How did your October reading list shape up? Did you get to everything you wanted to? Do you feel like you missed out? Let me know in the comments 🙂