5 Books To Add To Your TBR List Just In Time For Halloween!

5 amazing reads sure to give your Halloween a fright!

Hello everyone, I hope all is well! As we near the end of September I’ve been willing the season of fall in with an iron fist. I’ve busted out the decorations, thrown on some Halloween classics in the background, and added some thrillers to my TBR list.

I’m not much of a horror reader but I am branching out of my comfort zone this year, and the variety of picks below have come highly recommended.

So if you're looking for stellar book reads for October I’ve got you covered below!

Kicking us off with -

Blood Child and Other Stories by Octavia E. Butler

I’ve been really into short stories lately so Blood Child and other stories are at the top of my list. This set of stories comes from none other than legendary Queen sci-fi writer Octavia Butler! Her other infamous works include Kindred, *Fledgling (a must-vampire read), Parable of the Sower, and Wild Seed.

Blood Child and Other Stories are about the parasitic relationship between hosts and humans, a concept that’s always fascinated and terrified me.

The feature story centers around Gan, a young boy chosen before birth to carry the eggs of a female Tlic named T'Gatoi. Octavia was inspired to write these short stories based on her fear of her body being ingested by a parasitic fly (bot fly to be exact). It’s a poignant read about the human condition (or lack thereof) and explores cultural norms about gender and pregnancy.

Blood Colony by Tanarvie Due

Keeping in line with Blood and Affected Humans Blood Colony by Tanarvie Due is next. Tananarive Due's work is new to me but she’s a prolific horror writer. This book is part of a larger trilogy set along with The Living Blood and My Soul To Keep.

Blood Colony is set during the AIDS/HIV pandemic, with the only cure in the hands of African immortals, also known as the Blood Colony. Together they work tirelessly against the odds to distribute the cure to those who need it.

This title intrigues me. I love how Tanarvie weaves in narratives affecting the black condition and its intersection with the Aids/HIV crisis.

If you’re looking for a more traditional house-hunting read look no further than Due’s The Good House.

The Good House is one of Due’s most recommended horror titles. The novel is set in Sacajaegwa, Washington, and follows Angela as she races against time to rid a spirit that's haunted her family for generations. On all accounts of those who have read it, it's by far one of our time's scariest and surrealist novels. Take that as you will. 

Blackula: Return of the King by Rodney Barnes

Moving out of blood and haunts to ghouls and vamps, Blacula by Rodney Barnes is a graphic work I can’t wait to sink my teeth into. I learned about Rodney Barnes at a comic book panel at Dragoncon this year.

Rodney Barnes is a veteran storyteller with some of the largest Film/TV titles credited to his name. Inspired by the 1970s blaxploitation film, Rodney Barnes’ Blacula: Return of the King takes place right after events in the movie.

I’m super excited about this title because graphic novels are a great medium combining mixed-media and dynamic storytelling. Fun fact I discovered Rodney Barnes has a substack! I always love finding authors I’m reading on Substack. Even when they’re promotional I still think it’s a cool way to discover easter eggs.

Get Out Annotated Screenplay - Jordan Peele 

As a filmmaker and huge Jordan Peele fan, I SCREAMED when I found out there was an annotated version of the Get Out screenplay.

Even if you aren’t in the film world Get Out was an ingenious concept and as I mentioned above, it’s worth it to break out of your traditional reading norms.

When Peele’s breakout film hit theaters in 2017 it changed the horror genre forever. The movie expanded the horror territory by utilizing surrealism to convey the heavier messaging of racism and its sinister effects. I can’t wait to read the screenwriting notes and tips in this version of the screenplay learning what made this film tick.

If you enjoy this read Jordan Peele also released the annotated screenplay to his other horror film US!

A Devil Went Down To Georgia by Deb Miller Landau

I couldn’t have a thrilling reading list without including a true crime title and this one hits incredibly close to home.

A Devil Went Down To Georgia is a true crime story detailing the murder of Lita McClinton, a black socialite from my hometown of Atlanta, Ga. Author Deb Miller Landu covered the case in Atlanta Magazine when it first happened. The book explains the harrowing accounts of Lita’s murder from the day it happened to the day the culprit was caught.

I don’t consume a ton of true crime content because the majority of them feature the ruin of a woman but I couldn’t put this one down. It’s a quick weekend read that’ll leave you thoughtful and floored.

That’s it for this reading list! Please comment if you plan on picking any of these up, and of course, if you have any Halloween recs yourself!

Happy Reading :)