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samwisethewitch · 2 years

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Spooky Books I've Been Enjoying Lately

(Yes, this is a break from witchcraft/paganism-related content. It's been a long week and my brain is tired, so we're going to talk about other hobbies that require less research.)

Does anyone else feel like Halloween has totally crept up on them this year? This is my favorite holiday, but I feel like I just have not had time for spooky celebrations. It's like it was mid-August, and then I blinked, and then it was late October.

The one thing I have been doing to celebrate spooky season is reading horror novels. I love horror generally, but around Halloween I crave a certain kind of horror story. It has to be supernatural, it has to be atmospheric, and it has to be creepy. Realistically, it also needs to be pretty short because I've been crazy busy this year.

I thought I'd share the spooky books I've enjoyed lately, in case any of y'all are looking for something to read in the week leading up to Halloween. In no particular order, they are:

Thirteen Storeys by Jonathan Sims

I have been looking for a good "haunted apartment building" type of story for so long, and this book is exactly what I wanted.

This is? not quite a short-story collection, but also not quite a novel?? As the title implies, it's thirteen short stories set in the same apartment building, but the stories overlap in some places and do come together into one big narrative in the last couple of chapters. It reminded me of horror anthology movies like The Mortuary Collection or Trick 'R Treat where the different stories are revealed to all be connected at the end.

The anthology format allows Sims to fit several different horror subgenres into a single book without it feeling like there's too much going on. The first chapter is a pretty straightforward ghost story, the third chapter is sci-fi horror about technology gone wrong, the fifth is psychological horror, etc. I really enjoyed this approach, because it really keeps readers on their toes and keeps things feeling fresh. Usually in short story collections there's a couple of standouts and a couple of duds, but I really enjoyed all of the stories in this book.

One of my favorite things about this book is its explicit anti-capitalist themes. The apartment complex was built by a billionaire and is funded by some of his business ventures, and many of the hauntings are tied to human rights violations, worker abuse, and illegal dealings in those businesses. Maybe I'm just a cynical leftist, but I felt like this helped ground the horror in real-world issues. And without getting into spoilers, the way these themes get wrapped up at the end was really satisfying.

(And yes, this author is that Jonathan Sims, the writer and narrator of The Magnus Archives. But for what it's worth, I'm not a TMA listener and did not buy this book because of the podcast, and I fucking loved it. I think Sims is a really excellent horror writer.)

*******

The Lost Village by Camilla Sten, translated by Alexandra Fleming

I was a little disappointed with this one, but it's not really the book's fault. This was recommended to me by someone who said it was similar to The Blair Witch Project, which I think set some unrealistic expectations going in.

This is a story about a documentary team investigating an old mining town where the entire population disappeared in the 1950s. Because this is a horror novel, things do not go as planned. Equipment breaks or malfunctions, distrust starts to build between team members, and of course, they start to suspect that the town isn't as empty as they thought.

This is also, in the author's words, "a book about how society views women suffering from mental illness." There are three women in this book living with mental illness -- one who has recovered, one who is in recovery, and one who never had access to treatment. There's explicit discussion of this in the book, including mentions of a suicide attempt and of sexual abuse. If either of those topics is a trigger for you, you may want to skip this one or read ending spoilers before deciding if it's for you.

Interpersonal relationships also play a big role here. Friendships, ex-friendships, and romances are all part of the equation, and feelings definitely get hurt along the way. That's not a bad thing, but I'd definitely say this is a character-driven book, not a plot-driven one.

This is a translation of a Swedish novel, but there wasn't any translation-awkwardness that I noticed. I'm sure there's things I missed because I didn't know the cultural background, but I thought the translator did a good job.

My biggest issue was the ending. No spoilers, but it was not what I wanted and I personally felt like it was kind of a let down. That's definitely just a personal preference thing, though.

*******

A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay

I think this might be the most disturbing book I've ever read.

Which may seem odd, because as far as horror novels go, this one is actually pretty tame. It's nowhere near as gross or nasty or viscerally unsettling as other books I've read, and yet this book got under my skin in a way that gorier, scarier, more action-packed books haven't.

Maybe it's me. Maybe as an older sister and survivor of religious trauma with close friends and family who have bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, I am uniquely positioned to be freaked out by this story of an older sister with schizophrenia whose father decides exorcism is a better option than psychiatric help. (Okay, I'm not being totally fair. Technically it's never made clear whether Marjorie is possessed or just mentally ill, and the fact that I lean hard into believing she's experiencing a psychotic break says more about me than about this book.) Maybe it's because this book is a little too real and hits a little too close to home for anyone familiar with real-life cases of religious abuse. Maybe Paul Tremblay is just really good at his job.

I would describe A Head Full of Ghosts as a meta horror novel. It reminded me a little bit of House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski -- both follow a "story within a story" structure, although A Head Full of Ghosts is definitely less intentionally confusing than House of Leaves.

Let's break it down a little: When Merry was a child, her family was on a very popular reality show that revolved around her older sister's demonic possession. The book is framed as a series of interviews with adult Merry, who is telling her side of the story to a biographer. The book also includes a series of blog posts from a horror blogger who analyzes the episodes of the reality show through the lens of horror fiction. I really liked the blog posts, because that's where the author gets to be more self-aware and tongue-in-cheek.

I like that this book works both as a straight-forward modern possession story and as a deconstruction or commentary on the possession horror subgenre. I think horror nerds would really enjoy this book.

*******

The Carrow Haunt by Darcy Coates

Sometimes I just want to read a classic, simple, straight-forward ghost story, and Darcy Coates absolutely delivers on that front. I've been hearing a lot about Coates lately, and I chose to start with The Carrow Haunt because the synopsis reminded me of The Haunting of Hill House, with a bunch of people coming together to investigate a Very Haunted House which, of course, goes very badly almost immediately.

I've heard people describe Darcy Coates books as "bingeable," and I can definitely see why. Although I sadly didn't have the free time to binge this book in one sitting, I think I would have if I could have. It was definitely a page-turner, and I did finish it pretty fast even though I was mostly reading it in the mornings before work.

Again, I really like how simple this story is. It's a very classic ghost story, and it doesn't have a lot of subplots and extra drama like The Lost Village does. The story mostly stays focused on the haunting. It's also a bit more fast-paced than traditional gothic novels, so if you're someone who likes haunted houses but doesn't like waiting for things to start happening, I think you'd enjoy this book.

One thing that surprised me was that this book actually has explicit rules for how ghosts work. Most supernatural horror leans into the unknown and mysterious, but this book takes a very scientific (or at least pseudoscientific) approach. Several of the characters are experts on paranormal activity, and they talk about different classifications of spirits, the environment and energy required for a ghost to be able to manifest, etc.

My biggest gripe with this book is the ending. Without getting into spoilers, I felt like there was a very abrupt change in tone right at the end of the story. It felt inconsistent from what had come before, and in that way it left me feeling unsatisfied.

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morb1dcan1d · 1 year

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"I wanted to drop to the floor in a boneless heap and weave myself into the fibers of the throw rug, to disappear under everyone's feet and to be forgotten"

#🍂#inspired by a book i finished recently #A Head Full of Ghosts #love having multiple hobbies #very happy I have gotten back into reading #got most of the vibe conveyed #quite pleased bout that #human #book inspired #eerie?#horror

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brokehorrorfan · 1 year

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The Beast You Are, the latest book from author Paul Tremblay (The Cabin at the End of the World, A Head Full of Ghosts), will be published on July 11, 2023 via Harper Collins.

The 352-page short fiction collection features 15 stories, including the titular novella. It will be available in hardcover, e-book, and audio book. The synopsis is below.

Paul Tremblay has won widespread acclaim for illuminating the dark horrors of the mind in novels and stories that push the boundaries of storytelling itself. The fifteen pieces in this brilliant collection, The Beast You Are, are all monsters of a kind, ready to loudly (and lovingly) smash through your head and into your heart.

In “The Dead Thing,” a middle-schooler struggles to deal with the aftermath of her parents’ substance addictions and split. One day, her little brother claims he found a shoebox with “the dead thing” inside. He won’t show it to her and he won’t let the box out of his sight. In “The Last Conversation,” a person wakes in a sterile, white room and begins to receive instructions via intercom from a woman named Anne. When they are finally allowed to leave the room to complete a task, what they find is as shocking as it is heartbreaking.

The title novella, “The Beast You Are,” is a mini epic in which the destinies and secrets of a village, a dog, and a cat are intertwined with a giant monster that returns to wreak havoc every thirty years.

A masterpiece of literary horror and psychological suspense, The Beast You Are is a fearlessly imagined collection from one of the most electrifying and innovative writers working today.

Pre-order The Beast You Are by Paul Tremblay.

#paul tremblay #knock at the cabin #the cabin at the end of the world #a head full of ghosts #horror #horror books #horror fiction #stephen king #harper collins #book #gift #the pallbearers club #disappearance at devil's rock #survivor song

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funeral-pyree · 4 months

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my recent reads if anyone is wondering !!! all audio books ! HIGHLY recommend the ‘the woman in black’ audio book on audible !! not only is the narrator fantastic, but it includes background sounds like chatter and any noises described in the book !!!! made it an incredibly immersive experience and genuinely scared me at points which is very hard to do with most horror media!!

#lucy reads #the woman in black #a head full of ghosts #things have gotten worse since we last spoke #come closer

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bookcoversonly · 10 months

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Title: A Head Full of Ghosts | Author: Paul Tremblay | Publisher: William Morrow (2015)

#books #A Head Full of Ghosts #Paul Tremblay

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maybewecanrun · 1 year

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resisting the urge to make the family from a head full of ghosts in the sims to give them a happy life

#a head full of ghosts #paul tremblay #merry marjorie and sarah deserve better #john not you #wild that my new boss is named marjorie #anyway

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bekah-reading · 2 years

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44/50

5/5

I was worried going into this book that maybe I was reading it too soon after just finishing another possession story, but I am so glad that I enjoyed it.

This is my first Paul Tremblay book, and wow I need to pick up more. I do own The Pallbearer’s Club and I am looking forward to it even more after this.

I love this writing style and the atmosphere of this book.

A Head Full of Ghosts is about a girl who is the younger sister of a possessed teenager. And now the family has a camera crew following them 24/7.

This book is written in a way that it’s left up to the reader whether or not Marjorie (the teen) is possessed or just declining mentally. Whether you think she is or not, you can’t help but feel creeped out and feel bad for this family. Especially for Merry (Narrator and Main) the younger sister who is for sure experiencing a traumatic moment.

Paul Tremblay has the potential to be a favourite author for sure.

#booklr #booktok #reading #2022 reading #horrorbooks #2022 reading challenge #reading challenge #paul tremblay #a head full of ghosts

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withfeelingthistime2232 · 2 years

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So I've finished a few books already from the disturbing novels iceberg and ill say a little bit about how I felt

first off The boy in the striped Pajamas, I've already seen this movie multiple times and have cried many more, reading it was a bit different though in my opinion watching the movie and the book is just matter of taste in entertainment

I read As I Lay Dying next and its was an ok book, kind of boring and hard to read as the words were written in dialect form so i had to read out loud to understand what was being said most of the time. and even reading out loud was still troublesome as it felt that the book just kept repeating the same things in different ways quickly making it annoying.

the second book I read was A Head Full Of Ghost which was a very entertaining read! I finished it very quickly and it had the effect of watching a tv show with ever chapter, my own opinion on the book would be I hated the way the main character talked in her blogging tone and the ending of the book itself was very to the point and dropped but a good read

I've read Animal farm back in highschool and I enjoyed it but also at the same time didn't really care for it (maybe blame it on the school aspect of it) but i enjoyed the characterization of the animals and how they thought about the certain order in the way the farm should be and i remember siding with the female horse little bit "yeah I probably would also get sick of sticking it out here and would just want my luxuries at a certain point lol" all in all a good book to read on your own if you have the chance. i think school might bring it down abit.

A Modest Proposal was just a very quick read since it was just a satirical letter addressed about the poor people and the number of children they had and they joked about just giving your children away for food and money since you all have so many.

Currently I'm on Clockwork Orange but it is immensely pissing me off lol, It makes me sad honestly because I've been meaning to read this book for a long time now as I've herd it referenced in many things but you see the thing is now one told me there's an entire language I had to learn in order to understand every god damn thing this character was saying. If it was just the sentences I could over look it no problem but its in the characters POV so everything he's describing is in a language called Nadsat an i have to take 5 minutes to try and understand ever line of what's being said. I've only made it to 2 chapters and already feel left out in what's going on lol ( I think they stole some ciggerates and beat up an old guy but that's all i can understand so far overall bad guy.

i herd alot of people sudjest watching the movie first then trying to read the book if you have processing difficulties and maybe ill do it like that but if im still having so much trouble then ill probably read a synopsis then move on the Carrie

Anyway guys if you have and opinions you'd like to share let me know! send me an ask I would love to talk about some more of the books

#Disturbing Novels Iceberg #A Clockwork Orange #A Modest Proposal #A Head Full Of Ghosts #As I Lay Dying #The Boy In The Striped Pajamas #Animal Farm #Book Club #book reveiw

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ravencrowsatdusk · 6 months

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Traveling today and got my book for my flight layover!

#a head full of ghosts #paul tremblay

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yi3248 · 25 days

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a peace offering for my last drawing

#call of duty #gary roach sanderson #cod roach #ghost cod #simon ghost riley #cod mw2 #ghostroach #my art #ghost true height EXPOSED #idk i like to think roach is just a wee bit shorter than ghost #just a tad #ghost still needs to tiptoe to have a full head on him #22ghost though... yeah that fella has more than a head on him

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rebeckaomalleywriter · 1 year

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FANCIFUL FEATURE | Book Bracket Jan-Feb 2022

We are going to spend the next week or so figuring out, through a good old fashioned bracket system, what my favourite book of the year was! Today we pit January against February!

Well Fanciful Friends, we are coming up on the end of the year, and boy it was a wild one. Personally, not the best year I’ve ever had, with my back, ending up in the ER, physio, and strong pain meds, but reading wise? Not bad! We are going to spend the next week or so figuring out, through a good old fashioned bracket system, what my favourite book of the year was! I shall be going through two…

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#a head full of ghosts #book bracket #books #caitlin doughty #dead silence #Fanciful Feature #february #from here to eternity #horror #january #nonfiction #paul tremblay #reading #sa barnes #simone st james #the fanciful reader #the haunting of maddy clare #Wrap Up

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tiktaalic · 8 months

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wait. sorr.y. i think its just setting in now. 3 years late.r . that bobby you're a better man than your daddy ever was. singer. said your mom and dad are down the road with a smile on his face

#roll the head full of ghosts grandpa in heaven quote #etxt #spnwatch

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crooked-hourglass · 11 months

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Some RainDrop artwork for the lovely @alwaysjustmina for her fic The Perfect Surprise. Go read it! It’s got kittens doing cute things!!

Thank you for trusting me with this <3

{More Artwork | Socials and Prints}

#Look! Two original characters! In full colour!#With lighting!#I'm so happy with this and for once the picture in my head made it on to the page :')#my artwork #nameless ghouls #rain ghoul #dewdrop ghoul #sodo ghoul #raindrop #ghost #the band ghost #ghost the band #unmasked ghouls #ghoul oc #fic rec #digital art #artists on tumblr #ghost fanart #ghost art

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ghostdrinkssoup · 1 year

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no one understands the gallery scene in s3a actually changed me it’s like tasting ambrosia and it fucking up your tastebuds forever so you can no longer eat normal food like how can I ever look at any romantic scene the same way ever again nothing else can compare I feel ruined like I’ve been left out on the sidewalk to suffer in the rain under the moonlight

#hiiiiii !!#so I started watching hannibal edits again right #as you do #and I am so insane and unwell I forgot how intense the gallery scene is #and I can viscerally feel the fixation returning to me #unwell and sick in the head feeling full-body shudders rn #hannibal #nbc hannibal #hannigram #will graham #ghost speaks

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sitzfleischh · 4 months

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