Haunting tales for Halloween

Here are some books to get you into the mood for Halloween.

Frankenstein
by Mary Shelley

If you've never read Frankenstein, you need to. This book is nothing like the movies. The story is told in layers. First is the tale of Victor Frankenstein, who is on the run from the creature he created. The next layer tells the story of young Victor and his experiments into finding what creates the spark of life. The inner story tells of the monster Victor creates. Yet the book makes you wonder who the true monster is - the man or the creation. This is a fabulous classic that I feel everyone should read at least once.



I, Strahd: The Memoirs of a Vampire
by P.N. Elrod

This book is written like a memoir. It tells the story of Baron Strahd Von Zarovich, his forbidden love, and the hard choices he makes that eventually lead to his being transformed into a vampire. This book is actually part of a series, but I feel it works well as a stand alone book very reminiscent of Dracula. I've also listened to the abridged audio, and I can definitely recommend it.


Kitty and the Midnight Hour
by Carrie Vaughn

This is the first in a series about Kitty the werewolf (she was Kitty before she was bit by a werewolf, so the name is not her fault). Kitty is a DJ for a nighttime talk show called The Midnight Hour. None of her listeners know she is a werewolf. One night she decides to ask her listeners if they believe
in paranormal beings. Then a vampire calls the show to say he does exist, and ends up asking for advise. The next thing you know, Kitty is running a radio program focused on issues in the supernatural community, and her ratings are skyrocketing.

Some people think what she is discussing is fake; others believe it is real. Unfortunately, not all of the paranormal community is happy to have their secret discussed on the radio, and they try to get her to stop - permanently.


World War Z: An Oral History Of the Zombie War
by Max Brooks

This is an amazing book that follows the global spread of a zombie virus and the eventual fight for the survival of mankind. The book is written like a non-fiction: the author's forward tells why he compiled these stories from survivors, each story is told in a different voice, terms have footnotes, etc. It is extremely gritty, eerily true to life (minus the zombies, of course), and extremely well written.