Horror books have enjoyed increased popularity in recent years.
It makes sense to Angie Strathman, reader engagement librarian at the Mid-Continent Public Library. “Horror is a place where we can kind of safely explore some of our fears and our anxieties, and we can shut the cover when it gets to be too much.”
Justin Dickinson, a bookseller at Rainy Day Books in Fairway, has always loved the genre.
“I think horror is really creative, and it puts into perspective the things that really matter to you. Because fear is about losing those things.”
But if something more spooky than terrifying is your style, don’t fret – there are plenty of interesting titles to pick up right now, too. Dickinson, Strathman and Kansas City Public Library virtual resources librarian Diana Platt joined KCUR’s Up To Date to share their top reads this Halloween season.
Justin Dickinson, Rainy Day Books:
“Tapeworm” by A.P. Thayer (horror)
Parasitic vampires in the desert hunt and haunt a strained group of friends on a weekend trip. This book is spicy and really leans into body-horror elements. It’s a totally fun page-turner that has kept me engaged and entertained since page one.
“Scream with Me: Horror Films and the Rise to American Feminism” by Eleanor Johnson (nonfiction)
This series of essays unpacks the way six iconic horror movies influenced, or were influenced by, the rise in American feminism. I read this last year when I read and watched “Rosemary’s Baby” (one of the featured films), and it was kind of the perfect way to get into a spooky fall mood.
“Anna Karenina” by Leo Tolstoy, translated by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volohonsky (historical fiction)
In Imperial Russia, Anna's love affair with Alexei Vronsky scandalizes high society in St. Petersburg. This book is absolutely thrilling, funny, and best of all, it's easy to read. This book took Rainy Day Books’ staff by storm this year. One of our book clubs recently met to discuss the first half of the book and nearly 50 people attended!
“The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lions” series by Beth Brower (historical fiction)
This series is often compared to Jane Austen, Oscar Wilde and L.M. Montgomery. Emma recounts the goings-on of her estate in her sometimes scandalous, always charming diary entries. Nine self-published books have been picking up traction, but the remainder of the series has been picked up by Penguin Random House.
Diana Platt, Kansas City Public Library:
“The Everlasting” and “The Slantwise Histories” by Alix E. Harrow (fantasy)
These two works are perfect reads for fall. Anyone who grew up obsessed with Arthurian legend will love “The Everlasting,” which centers on the tale of an orphaned girl who becomes a knight and how her legacy is remembered centuries later. Meanwhile, “The Slantwise Histories” is a just-released collection of short folk tales and fairytales.
“Mystery Play” by Elizabeth Kostova (historical fiction, horror)
A family has been haunted, and hunted, by the history of Dracula for years in this follow-up to the gothic, atmospheric book “The Historian.” “Mystery Play” continues the story, but isn’t dependent on it, as a family of academics both search for, and fear finding, the vampire.
“Rotten Botany: Darkly Deceptive, Bizarrely Beautiful and Oddly Alluring Plants” by Varla A. Ventura (nonfiction)
This small and charming book highlights a variety of eerie plants that smell bad, look scary or could kill you. It’s a scientific examination of the plants’ history and how they were used throughout history. The illustrated cover immediately draws you in.
Angie Strathman, Mid-Continent Public Library:
“The Great Wherever” by Shannon Sanders (fiction, ghost story)
After Aubrey inherits a share of the Tennessee farm that has been in her family for generations, she meets with her fellow heirs to decide what to do with the property. In the process, the family learns more about the land and its history, beginning with its purchase by Aubrey’s great-grandfather, one of the community’s first Black landowners. The story is witnessed — and narrated — by the spirits of deceased ancestors who did not get to have a share in the land.
“Sublimation” by Isabel J. Kim (speculative fiction)
In this thought-provoking novel, crossing a border means “instancing” — leaving a copy of yourself behind, while another moves on. “Sublimation” follows two sets of instances in Korea and America. It’s a fascinating exploration of immigration, identity and belonging on the individual level, while also exploring the implications of borders and of technology on the societal level.
“The Infinite Sadness of Small Appliances” by Glenn Dixon (science fiction)
Scout is a sentient Roomba vacuum in a near future world overseen by the Grid. She shares a home with Harold, a recent widower, and a motley crew of other appliances. Scout’s curiosity about the humans she encounters and their emotional lives uncovers darker truths about the omnipresent Grid.
“I, Medusa” by Ayana Gray (mythology)
This novel reimagines Medusa’s story, showing her transformation from a young mortal girl with locs to a powerful, angry woman with a head full of snakes.
