Ghosts, Zombies and Horror: Books to Read for Halloween

Reviews from librarians Jennifer Niederhausen, Dona Stein and Heather Timko
, Adult Services Division
, Strongsville Branch Library:

‘Tis the season for some ghoulishly good reads! We hope you will come to the library to check-out one of these great reads for a dark and stormy night. 

Happy reading!

Charlotte Markham and the House of Darkling By Michael Boccacino, July 2012, 296 pages. 

This creepy tale begins very Jane Eyre-like with the murder of the nanny requiring the new governess to take on full care of her two young charges (two boys, in this case). Their mother has recently died and the father has no time for them. During an outing in the woods though, they find themselves crossing over into The Ending, where the boys’ late mother, has been waiting. She invites them into the ominous House of Darkling, a wondrous, dangerous place filled with enchantment, mystery and strange creatures that appear to be, but are not quite, human. Fans of Neil Gaiman and Edgar Allen Poe should find this gothic novel a treat.

Ghosts: Recent Hauntings By Neil Gaiman et. al, September 2012, 384 pages.

The spirits of the dead have walked among our legends, myths, and stories since before recorded history. Ghostly visitations, hauntings, unquiet souls seeking the living, vengeful wraiths, the possibility of life beyond the grave that can somehow reach out and touch us are some of literature's most enduring icons. Now, in the twenty-first century, we are no less fascinated with phantoms than our cave-dwelling ancestors or our Victorian-age forebears. Thirty modern masters of fright and fantasy fill this anthology with shivers, chills, and spooky explorations of both sides of the veil. Be prepared to keep a light on all night!

Devil’s Wake By Steven Barnes and Tananarive, July 2012, 278 pages.

Noted science fiction writer Steven Barnes and his wife, author Tananarive Due, have teamed up to write a zombie series, the first volume being Devil’s Wake.  Life in a small town after an infection creates creatures very much like the walking dead. The focus in this book is on a group of teenagers seeking safety on a disaster-ridden road trip in a rickety school bus. Fans of the TV series The Walking Dead and other Zombie fans should give this book a try.