Halloween

[LGWalker]

Any recommendations for Halloween books? It's supposed to get chilly in Connecticut later this week, which makes me think of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow", which makes me wish I had something new to read this fall.

[Divia]

Do you like short stories? I have a collection of Victorian Ghost Stories. Oxford edition, I think. I know there are others out there too.

[LGWalker]

Victorian ghost stories? Are you kidding? Sounds fantastic! BTW, where are you in upstate NY? I grew up in Webster, outside of Rochester.

[Misfit]

Edith Wharton has a collection of ghost stories. I own it, but haven't got around to reading it. Dumas also has what's called One Thousand and One Ghosts.

[SonjaMarie]

They were putting out the candy at the store today, yeesh!

SM

[Vanessa]

Susan Hill has written some good ghost stories - Woman in Black, Man in the Picture and The Small Hand.

[Madeleine]

There's a great short story collection by M R James - some of them are very creepy, although they do get a bit samey after a while, but as they're only quite short you could read a few at a time, and then read something else in between.

Also "Through a Glass Darkly" by Sheridan Le Fanu is a collection of half a dozen or so creepy stories.

Elizabeth Gaskell also has a collection of ghost stories.

And there's the classic novella "The Turn of the Screw" by Henry James, which is very atmospheric.

Wilkie Collins "The Woman in White" is also quite creepy, although not a ghost story.

Or if you want something not Victorian, John Harwood is quite a good contemporary author. I've read 2 of his books, "The Seance" and "The Ghost Writer" - both very creepy, although I thought the endings of both were a bit of a let-down.

And lastly - Sarah Waters' "The Little Stranger" is pretty spooky - set in a big decrepit house in the English countryside jsut after WW2.

[Brenna]

Wow, I'm not into creepy books per se, but I'm liking the recommendations!!

[Madeleine]

If you don't want a ghost story, but something which is a great winter read, then "The American Boy" by Andrew Taylor is great for curling up with on a cold night. It's set mainly in London, and the English countryside, in the early part of the 19th century and features the young Edgar Allan Poe in a supporting role, and although not a spooky tale as such it's very atmospheric and sinister. It's also beautifully written, although a little slow to get going. But I loved it and it's one of my all-time favourites.

[LGWalker]

Many thanks to everyone, especially Madeleine .... what a list! I'm off to the library to see what I can find.