Halloween is almost here, but what will it look like this year? Maybe you’re like me and feel that we’ve been experiencing a version of Halloween ever since the pandemic started. Scary times indeed.
Because 2020 has been so strange and disturbing, I wonder if some spooky October reads will act as a welcome distraction or an unpleasant association with our current reality? It could go either way, so I’ve decided to offer comforting and spine-tingling reading and viewing recommendations.
If you’re firmly in the comfort camp, I’ll bet comfort food is a must-have right now, so be sure to check out “Autumn: From the Heart of the Home” and “The Best Comfort Food on the Planet” for yummy and oh-so-comforting recipes. Animals can be a great comfort, too, so keep the warm-fuzzies going by reading about very special dogs in “Extraordinary Dogs: Stories from Search and Rescue Dogs, Comfort Dogs, and Other Canine Heroes.” And who doesn’t need a laugh right now? Check out Mel Brooks’ “Young Frankenstein” for a very funny, Halloween-themed movie. Just beware of anyone named Abby Normal.
Now for the spine-tingling side of things. Haunted houses can be fun/scary when created for Halloween parties, but a house that is really haunted can be terrifying. “The Amityville Horror” tells the true story of a New York family who moved into a house on Long Island and 28 days later fled their home in terror. The book has been out for a long time, but it’s still a very creepy read. Like scary movies? I don’t, but I also haven’t completely avoided them. I realize that stuff that scares me may not scare you and vice versa which means tingles may be in the spine of the beholder. But I will share with you that Francis Ford Coppola’s version of “Dracula” and the original “Halloween” movie starring Jamie Lee Curtis scared the you-know-what out of me. Finally, a spine-tingling reading list wouldn’t be complete without spooky stories, so get ready for tingles with S.E. Schlosser’s “More Spooky Campfire Tales.” Boo!
