Horror Novels, Spooky Podcasts, and Other Things That Go Bump in the Night
[Photo by Jack Gittoes from Pexels]
*The Quirk or Treat giveaway is now closed!*
Halloween is here, and we’re in that gorgeous seasonal sweet spot where it’s just as exciting to take a brisk walk in the leaves as it is to cuddle up indoors with a good book. Which is why we’re merging these two activities for the ultimate Halloween activity: spooky podcasts and horror novels. Now let’s get scared.
My Favorite Murder + My Best Friend’s Exorcism by Grady Hendrix
The horror comedy of My Favorite Murder pairs wonderfully with My Best Friend’s Exorcism by Grady Hendrix. Both share that perfectly balanced horror-comedy DNA that we love. (Perfect for scaredy cats like us.) And while the subject matter couldn’t be any more different – My Best Friend’s Exorcism centers on two teenage best friends grappling with the devil in 1988 and My Favorite Murder feels more like This American Life meets true crime – they’re wonderful compliments to each other.
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Alice Isn’t Dead + The Remaking by Clay McLeod Chapman
If spooky stories told around the campfire are more your speed, check out The Remaking by Clay McLeod Chapman, a story about the occult and the way lore and identity can span generations. The Welcome to Nightvale-adjacent Alice Isn’t Dead is the perfect tonal pairing for this mind trip of a horror novel – and perfect for long drives late at night. Whether you’re fascinated with the evolution of witch hunts over decades or the lengths one man will go through to prove that his wife is very much alive, these conspiracy-centric stories are to die for – pun intended.
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The NoSleep Podcast + Dracula by Bram Stoker
The anthology series The NoSleep Podcast is most terrifying when paired with Bram Stoker’s classic vampire novel Dracula. Both are guaranteed to keep you up at night. And, like the contradictions that we are, both are best consumed right before bed. The NoSleep Podcast boasts short, perfectly paced scary stories and Dracula is the perfect novel to wind down with while getting your heart rate going. Happy nightmares!
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Ghost in the Burbs + The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix
If your particular brand of horror lives squarely in the suburbs, you’ll want to drop everything and pick up The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires, while downloading the latest episodes of Liz Sower’s Ghost in the Burbs. These two pieces of media live, quite literally, in very different corners of the country. Ghost in the Burbs thrives on the ghost stories of Sower’s Wellesley, Massachusetts neighbors, while The Southern Book Club’s Guide calls Charleston, South Carolina home. But one thing’s for sure: Liz would fit right in at this book club.
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The Other Stories + Skeleton Crew by Stephen King
If short stories are more your style, check out The Other Stories and Skeleton Crew by Stephen King for a double whammy of horror shorts. The Other Stories boasts a full roster of narrators guaranteed to up the fear factor – with episodes short enough to listen to on your afternoon walk. And, like its podcast counterpart, Stephen King’s short stories are perfectly portioned for your daily dose of dread.
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You Must Remember This + American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis
Attention movie buffs! We have the perfect pairing for you. You Must Remember This explores the murderous side of old Hollywood and American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis…was also a movie. Okay, we admit this one is a bit of a stretch, but go on this journey with us. American Psycho centers on the violence and madness in the money-hungry world of Wall Street. And You Must Remember This is exploring the West Coast version of that world: the movie business. Fame, fortune, and murder. What more could you need?
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Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books A Million | Bookshop
Lore + Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
If you’re new to the genre, you can’t go wrong with the best of the best. That’s why we’re recommending pairing Lore with Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. Lore uncovers the very best true-life spooky stories. You’ll find yourself saying “Are you caught up on Lore?!” on every Zoom happy hour you attend. When it comes to reading, die-hard horror fans will agree that Frankenstein is the gold standard. It’s gothic to the core and wonderfully old school. And by old school we mean 19th century London, y’all.
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