Halloween is upon us again, and with it comes one of the newest traditions associated with the holiday celebrating all things spooky: All Hallow’s Read. Created by author Neil Gaiman in 2010, All Hallow’s Read asks participants and horror lovers to give books on Halloween. Whether it’s to a friend, a child, or a complete stranger, the only rule is that the book must be scary.
“I propose that stories by authors like John Bellairs and Stephen King,” said Gaiman “and a hundred others change hands- new books or old or second-hand, beloved books or unknown. Give someone a scary book for Halloween. Make their flesh creep.”
To help readers get into the spirit of All Hallow’s Read, a few members of The Journal staff have given their picks for horrific books you should get for your friends or family this Halloween.
“Something Wicked This Way Comes” by Ray Bradbury
This just might be the quintessential “October” book. While leaning more on the side of fantasy than horror, there are plenty of creepy and unnerving passages and scenes to warrant giving it to a lucky friend as an All Hallow’s Read gift. “Something Wicked” has all the ingredients for a classic Bradbury story: a small Midwestern town, protagonists leaving childhood and entering adolescence, and dark, otherworldly forces. Plus, there’s a traveling carnival in October and a carousel that can alter the rider’s age. Check it out.
-Nathaniel Dunaway, Entertainment Editor
“John Dies at the End” by David Wong
This book is seriously wacky. It is unlike anything I have read before, but I enjoyed it so much. “John Dies at the End” is fun, ridiculous, and freaky in the strangest ways. The conglomeration of creepy-crawly and nightmarish other-dimensional creatures throughout the book make it a well-suited Halloween read. Any friend interested in the bizarre and the hilarious should get a real kick out of this book. If you love it, check out the sequel, “This Book is Full of Spiders.”
-Shannen Brouner, Photo Editor
“It” by Stephen King
“It” is a book that literally had me checking behind doors and shower curtains when I was finished reading it. It resonated within me even months afterwards; this book is definitely not one that should be read alone in a dark house at night. Keep your lights on when you read it, folks. You’ll regret it otherwise. But as scary as it was, “It” was phenomenal and a great novel to read during Halloween. If you like deranged, psychotic thrillers that twist and warp your mind, this book is for you.
-Jennifer Halley, Campus Life Editor
“Obedience” by Will Lavender
This book is probably one of the weirdest books I’ve ever read. It’s about a group of college kids in a Logic and Reasoning class, and their assignment becomes disturbingly real about a murder that may or may not have actually taken place. It was a great book that made me slightly paranoid the whole time I was reading it…and kind of scared to go to college.
-Amanda McMasters, Copy Editor
