Movies and Books for the Halloween Spirit

As Halloween approaches, you will want something to get you into the spirit of the holiday. These books, movies, graphic novels, and short story collections will have you scared, laughing, and maybe even rethinking the ways in which you view the world.

The list contains a nice mixture of new and veteran writers, directors, and artists. Neil Gaiman is always a great choice for an escape from reality. Jermaine Clement continues to establish himself as a cult comedy star in What We Do in the Shadows. Vera Brosgol’s debut graphic novel Anya’s Ghost is a poignant criticism of teenage dreams.  Sarah Pinborough has been praised by Steven King.

Books:

Behind Her Eyes
by Sarah Pinborough
Only two can keep a secret if one of them is dead. David and Adele seem like the ideal pair. He is a successful psychiatrist, she is his picture-perfect wife who adores him. But why is he so controlling? And why is she keeping things hidden? As Louise, David's new secretary, is drawn into their orbit, she uncovers more puzzling questions than answers. The only thing that is crystal clear is that something in this marriage is very, very wrong. But Louise cannot guess how wrong--and how far a person might go to protect their marriage's secrets.

“Give this intense book to patrons freely, but especially target those who are fatigued with the current spate of female-driven psychological suspense. It will be enough to shake things up for them.”—Booklist

Little Heaven 
by Nick Cutter
A trio of mismatched mercenaries is hired by a young woman to evaluate the safety of a boy who may have been taken against his will to a New Mexico backwoods settlement, where the mercenaries encounter paranoia, mistrust, and insanity in the shadow of a monolithic idol.

“This book is sure to win over horror fans, but there is also a powerful underlying philosophical aspect here which ponders the meaning of family, love, and community.”—Booklist



The Boy on the Bridge
by M.R. Carey
Once upon a time, in a land blighted by terror, there was a very clever boy. The people thought the boy could save them, so they opened their gates and sent him out into the world. To where the monsters lived.

“Plausible science and solid prose and characterization elevate this dystopian thriller above similar works. In the same alternate future as Carey's The Girl with All the Gifts, a fungus, Cordyceps, which began as an insect parasite, has infected people, repurposing their brains and turning them into "hungries," mindless creatures with an appetite for human flesh.”—Publishers Weekly

Movies:

Get Out (DVD and Blu-ray)
A young black man meets his white girlfriend's parents at their estate, only to find out that the situation is much more sinister than it appears.

Train to Busan (DVD and Hoopla)
While a zombie-virus breaks out in South Korea, a couple of passengers struggle to survive on the train from Seoul to Busan.

What We Do in the Shadows (DVD and Hoopla)
Vulvus, Viago, and Deacon are vampires who live here, among us. They are real vampires; undead, immortal creatures who stalk the night and search for human blood, preferably virgins. Witness the many horrid, abominable aspects of vampire life, such as hunting and feeding, vampire rivalry and fighting with werewolves, as well as normal night-to-night aspects that make them not so different from us - like keeping the flat clean, jobs, shopping, meeting people and trying to fit in.




Graphic Novels:

Anya’s Ghost 
by Vera Brosgol
Anya, embarrassed by her Russian immigrant family and self-conscious about her body, has given up on fitting in at school but falling down a well and making friends with the ghost there just may be worse.

“Brosgol's two-toned purple-and-black images have a bold, cartoony flair, underscoring her knack for comic timing and pacing, and making nearly every stance and facial expression her characters adopt at least a little bit funny.”—Publishers Weekly


The Walking Dead: Compendium One
by Robert Kirkman, Charles Adlard, Tony Moore, and Cliff Rathburn
An epidemic of apocalyptic proportions has swept the globe causing the dead to rise and feed on the living. In a matter of months society has crumbled— no government, no grocery stores, no mail delivery, no cable TV. In a world ruled by the dead, we are forced to finally start living.







Short Story Collections:

Trigger Warning
by Neil Gaiman
Trigger Warning explores the masks we all wear and the people we are beneath them to reveal our vulnerabilities and our truest selves. Here is a rich cornucopia of horror and ghosts stories, science fiction and fairy tales, fabulism and poetry that explore the realm of experience and emotion.

“Both enthusiasts of short fiction and fans of Gaiman's longer works may approach this volume with confidence. Full of small and perfect jewel-like tales, this collection is a thrilling treasure.”—Publishers Weekly


Tales of Horror 
by H.P. Lovecraft
Chills and thrills abound between the pages of this book as the stories show Lovecraft at the height of his powers. The slipcase features a full-color portrait of the horror master, and the enclosed book is embossed in silver lettering on red cloth, for a classic look and feel.

Interior Darkness: Selected Stories
by Peter Straub
An American icon renowned for his bestselling novels, Peter Straub displays his full and stunning range in this crowning collection. He has consistently subverted the boundaries of genre for years, transcending horror and suspense to unlock the dark, unsettling, and troubling dissonances that exist on the edges of our perception. Straub's fiction cracks the foundation of reality and opens our eyes to an unblinking experience of true horror, told in his inimitable and lush style with skill, wit, and impeccable craft.

“This is a must-read for the author's fans and a perfect introduction for anyone new to Straub's brilliantly original and unsettling brand of fiction.”—Booklist

- Andrew P., Ewing Branch