With shorter days and colder temps, it’s the perfect time to curl up by the fire with a great book — and we’ve got four fantastic picks for you.
Though Halloween has sadly come and gone, it is safe to say that Autumn is here! With the changing of the seasons come the cool winds, colorful leaves littering the ground, and the lower temperatures calling for comfort. Thus, we have the perfect reading weather. As luck would have it, I have more must-read titles for all of you looking to extend the Halloween season a little longer.
1. Bug Spray: A Tale of Madness by Felix I.D Dimaro
Tybalt Ward is a young businessman living his life to get to the top, and willing to leave behind broken hearts and broken lives along the way to get there.
Writer of the short story collection How To Make a Monster (Aug. 2019), Dimaro is a self-published author out to make a name for himself with hard to tell tales about human monsters, morality, and theology. This approach is shown in its full glory with his first full length novel.
Bug Spray is a The Twilight Zone-esque style narrative that tells a story of karma and self-destruction. By taking a man who is, by all intents and purposes, aiming for perfection at any cost, we see the price that such a life demands.
Dimaro has the talent of writing “horrible” well. The writer’s work features horrible characters, situations, and hard, horrible chunks of dense prose that don’t allow the reader to breathe, all the while captivating the reader in a tale they must continue.
You can get the Kindle or paperback edition of Bug Spray here.
2. The Final Act of Mercy Dove by Becky Wright
This is the story of Mercy Dove. This is a story of secrets. This is a story of corruption. This is a story of scandal.
Released on November 13, 2020, The Final Act of Mercy Dove is a Victorian gothic erotic horror story from the author of 2019’s Mr. Stoker & I, Becky Wright.
A master at evoking the ambience of the gothic worlds she molds and shapes with ease, Wright returns with another coup de maître.
Though a short novella, Wright easily crafts characters who immediately bond themselves to the reader as well as each other, creating a dynamic that is equal parts lustful and horrifying. The story dances around the readers’ expectations, guiding them with teasing hands all the way to the climax.
Wright’s prose is beautiful even in the face of all that is not, creating a haunting effect on the reader. Always one to create a turn of phrase that’ll send shivers and leave the reader in awe, Becky Wright is at the top of her game with The Final Act of Mercy Dove.
You can get the Kindle or paperback edition of The Final Act of Mercy Dove here.
3. The Spirit in the Crypt by Alexander Lound
Fifteen-year-old Jonathan Roberts never expected to be forced to go into a crypt by his friends. He never expected to hear a voice screaming at him. He never expected to be caught in the middle of a ghost story.
For those interested in something more within the YA genre, The Spirit in the Crypt is the first in the Jonny Roberts book series that was published on June 10, 2019.
A story of mystery, ghosts, and supernatural abilities, Alexander Lound does a wonderful job of towing the line between the dark happenings in the cemetery and the rather serious dealings in his everyday life, all the while keeping it an acceptable read for the younger audience. The plot of the story is a simple but intriguing one, unraveled from the point of view of Jonny Roberts.
The Spirit in the Crypt slowly opens the world for future installments while never losing focus on the current narrative.
You can get the Kindle or paperback edition of The Spirit in the Crypt here.
4. Abyss by Darren Gallagher
The abyss is there, right there in front of us. We all see but no one dares approach. We are afraid of what is in there, afraid of what will happen when we cross that barrier and enter the world unknown.
Published in August 2018, this collection of short stories works to showcase the many talents of Darren Gallagher.
Abyss is comprised of thirteen stories that span the many sub-genres of horror from dark comedic fantasy to intense horrors and B-movie camp.
The entirety of Abyss is truly enjoyable, with a nice flair in Gallagher’s writing that allows for high amounts of tension placed within each installment.
You can get the Kindle or paperback edition of Abyss here.
There we have four books that cover all the horror needs one might have across a variety of sub-genres. Bring yourself a cup of warm chocolate, toss some marshmallows in, tuck your feet under you, and treat yourself to some dark reading in this perfect post-Halloween season time.
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