5 spooky books to put you in a festive mood

Spooky season is upon us. Give me your frightening, scary, disgusting, startling, or just plain weird. I’m here for it all year round. Horror and terror always have a special place in my heart, but when October arrives, the rest of the world starts craving a scary story or two to celebrate the occasion. In honor of the most wonderful time of year, here are five books most likely to set the mood and give you the creeps.

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We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

Merricat, Constance, and their Uncle Julian live in isolation on a Vermont estate, and their family has a murderous secret. Published in 1962, Jackson’s short, unsettling story masters the art of rich nuance, with the characters’ personalities subtly shifting to become more and more unhinged. I read this book while camping in the woods, and I worked myself up, merely walking to the bathhouse late at night.

“My name is Mary Katherine Blackwood. I am eighteen years old, and I live with my sister Constance. I have often thought that with any luck at all, I could have been born a werewolf, because the two middle fingers on both my hands are the same length, but I have had to be content with what I had. I dislike washing myself, and dogs, and noise. I like my sister Constance, and Richard Plantagenet, and Amanita phalloides, the death-cup mushroom. Everyone else in our family is dead.”

White is for Witching by Helen Oyeyemi

Oyeyemi puts a spin on the traditional haunted house story and tells a mystical tale about family. It is as elegant as it is creepy. Miranda is a teenage girl suffering from pica, a disorder causing victims to crave substances other than typical food. Her family moves into their ancestral home, which her parents converted into a bed-and-breakfast. The spirited house has its own ideas, frightening off the help and commanding to tell its own side of the story.

“But then, maybe “I don’t believe in you” is the cruelest way to kill a monster.”

Through the Woods by Emily Carroll

I am intensely attracted to the sequential-art narrative found in horror comics. Carroll’s bold, imaginative illustrations shine in these five chilling stories. Neither gory or graphic, the stories are unsettling in a quiet way. This is the perfect book for the spooky season, just don’t read it after dark.

“It came from the woods. Most strange things do.”

My Favorite Things is Monsters by Emil Ferris

One of my top favorite books of 2018, this debut graphic novel by Ferris is full of beautifully drawn monsters. It also tells a slightly less chilling story. Set in the late 1960s Chicago, the B-movie horror fanatic main protagonist, Karen, tries to solve the murder of her upstairs neighbor and uncovers the interconnectedness of those around her. From the impressive art, this hefty beast of a graphic novel offers a visceral reading experience I have yet to encounter again.

“Sometimes a thing happens that’s so bad that it feels like things should be made to look on the outside, the way they feel on the inside.”

Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Marie Machado

Strange and experimental, Machado’s feminist collection of short stories straddles the lines of horror, science fiction, comedy, and fantasy. Both unsettling and mesmerizing, Machado illustrates the violence and desire projected onto women’s bodies. With an extraordinary voice, Machado leaves you with unforgettable stories you can’t stop thinking about long after they are read.

“I once heard a story about a girl who requested something so vile from her paramour that he told her family and they had her hauled her off to a sanatorium. I don’t know what deviant pleasure she asked for, though I desperately wish I did. What magical thing could you want so badly they take you away from the known world for wanting it?”

What are your favorite spooky books?

My summer reading list

Summer is here! In fact, we're already digging our toes into the dog days of summer. It's hot and sticky, and the days are long. Usually the long days mean lots of reading outside - by the pool, near the ocean or in the park. With all these longer days you would think I'd have read more books by now. Yet, I've only managed to finish reading two. My reading list is heavy on the non-fiction lately. I'm excited to change things up with a stack of fiction reads for the rest of summer. Here's my summer reading list:

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain • Ever since I heard Susan Cain's powerful TED talk, I've wanted to read her book. She made me realize while I may have trained myself to act like an extrovert in social situations (let's face it, it's an extrovert's world out there), deep down I'm truly an introvert and draw energy from moments of solitude.

The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi • TIME magazine named this book one of the top 10 books of 2009, but I think it was a Wired magazine bookshelf Instagram that turned me on to the author. Set in future Bangkok, the novel suggests what life might be life if calories were currency and bioterrorism was real.

I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban by Malala Yousafzai • Malala captivated me with her grace and humility during her interview with Jon Stewart. She bravely stood up to the Taliban and fought for her right to an education.

The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith • After it was revealed that Robert Galbraith was really a pseudonym for Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling, I wonder how many people actually read the book description before they dove into this book? It's juicy crime novel encompassing an investigation into supermodel's suicide, and I've heard nothing but praise around it.

The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith • J.K. Rowling is on a roll publishing her second crime novel in this series. It makes sense to read them back to back, no?

The Good Luck of Right Now by Matthew Quick • From the author of The Silver Linings Playbook comes a story about a man who has lived with his mother for 38 years until she gets sick and dies. Now he's flung out into the world attempting to create a life of his own. Quick is said to have beautifully weaved a story around his characters that is not only humorous, but also inspiring.

The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker • I am fascinated by post-apocalyptic fiction in bizarre way that I don't even understand. Like the R.E.M. song, it's the end of the world as we know it (and I feel fine).

The Leftovers by Tom Perrotta • Who isn't talking about HBO's new TV series The Leftovers? I feel compelled to read the book before I dive into yet another series.

The Vacationers by Emma Straub • I read an excerpt from this book and discovered it was set in Mallorca. I can't help but feel nostalgic when anyone mentions the beautiful Balearic island, and, better yet, it sounds like the perfect summer read.

#GIRLBOSS by Sophia Amoruso • Amoruso shares how she grew her vintage clothing business on eBay into a $100 million fashion retail business with 350 employees that ships to 60 countries. It helps that she's upfront and cheeky about her whole experience too.

Euphoria by Lily King • Based on the adventures of revolutionary anthropologist Margaret Mead, Euphoria tells the story of three anthropologists and their tumultuous relationships. I'm in it for a peek at other fascinating cultures and a good read, of course.

Hard Choices by Hillary Clinton • There was much fanfare around Hillary's latest book. I figure if Hillary is to run for president in 2016, I'm interested in getting inside her head and better understand her motivations. Not saying I'm voting for her.

What are you reading this summer?

Happy National Poetry Month!

In honor of National Poetry Month, I thought I'd share an old poem I wrote back in college called "the city that sleeps with the fishes." I wrote it in fixed verse form like a sestina but with my own special touch. The poem has so much personality, and it still is one of my favorites. It was published in Shoofly Literary Magazine at Kutztown University.

the city that sleeps with the fishes

hustling, boisterous commuters blur finger-smudged camera lenses murky rain puddles line curbs splashing unsuspecting pedestrians

finger-smudged camera lenses cars swim down the passing lane splashing unsuspecting pedestrians bowing down for a sweet swan song

cars swim down the passing lane backstroke, breaststroke, freestyle, butterfly bowing down for a sweet swan song bursts of laughter erupt from within

backstroke, breaststroke, freestyle, butterfly asphyxiated Mother of Exiles bursts of laughter erupt from within cruising and schmoozing in my super yacht

extinguished golden flame of Exiles chemically marinated catfish navigate cruising and schmoozing in my super yacht submerged buildings can’t scrape the sky

chemically marinated catfish navigate murky rain puddles choke curbs submerged buildings can’t scrape the sky hustling boisterous commuters vanish

My current and mostly normal obsessions

How often must something occupy your mind before it becomes an obsession? Two times? Ten times? Who designates this obsession threshold? My obsessions consist of a lot of strange things, most of which you probably care nothing about like Belgian waffles, stegosauruses and crafting the perfect sentence. But what about things normal people care about? What do you care about? Music, apps, books? Good. Read on my normal friends. Here are the latest and greatest things I can't stop thinking about. I'll save my stegosaurus and sentence-loving stories for another day.

Album

Yellow & Green by Baroness

Baroness Yellow & Green music

Yellow & Green is an oddly majestic metal album with a glimmer of indie rock. Think of the wistful vocals of Fleet Foxes and then pair it with infectious, schizophrenic sounds of metal. While distinctly different from Baroness' previous albums, it's one of the few two-disk albums out there worth the ambitious 75-minute listen. And then a few more listens after that because it's that damn infectious. With a melodic and smart guitar sound, writing while listening to this album is truly sublime. Fun fact: This band was the inspiration for Beer Baroness, a Tumblr documentation of my craft beer adventures.

App

Solar : Weather

Solar weather app

As a self-proclaimed weather fanatic (I blame my family's incessant Weather Channel watching), acquiring attractive new weather apps is a favorite pastime of mine. Freud would probably say my app collection is my way of compensating for unfulfilled sexual desires or something equally wild, but I just think it's fun. It's like a modern-day stamp collection awaiting me inside my iPhone! Solar has quickly become my go-to favorite weather app. It offers the ability to manipulate the vivid and radiant colored backgrounds with a drag of your finger and animates all forms of precipitation. At $1.99, this simplistic and magnificently designed app makes even an overcast day in Lancaster, Pennsylvania seem beautiful.

Web

BrainPickings.org

Brain Pickings website

I felt like I was living under a boulder when I first discovered BrainPickings.org. It is likely the most creative and inspirational compilation of ideas I've ever stumbled upon on the internet. The website touches on everything from music and literature to science and anthropology. Here you'll uncover Bertrand Russell's 10 commandments of teaching, explore David Ogilvy's 10 tips on writing and so much more. Maria Popova and the team of contributing writers at Brain Pickings always seem to trigger such rich thoughts. If you're not already reading the site, you should be.

Book

Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan

Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore

A quick adventurous read about code-breaking, data visualization, mobile ads and a touch of romance. This insta-geek classic, tells a story of an enigmatic bookstore and a cryptic code that spawns a quest for immortality. It reminds you of all the reasons you love the intimate, papery feel of a book between your fingers. Plus, the book's cover glows in the dark serving as a great guide to the kitchen in the dark of the night. What more could you want?

I just stalkified you on Spotify

If you stalk me on Spotify, you'll probably discover what I call my multiple musical personalities. My musical taste ranges from B.B. King to Common to Atreyu to Miles Davis to Bon Iver to - well, you get my point. The only thing you definitely won't find me listening to is country music. If there's anything worth doing, I probably created a playlist for it. Needless to say, I am a huge fan of playlists. Sadly, Spotify only syncs with one social network, Facebook. Not to be rude, but many of my Facebook friends do not have good taste in music. Or, at least, they don't publicly share their playlists via Spotify. I know, because I've stalked them. While I might not interact with some of these people at all in real life anymore, here are a few who have decent taste in music.

My favorite Spotify stalks

Mike and I shared a Geology class together at Kutztown. While our professor chatted away about tectonic plates, we exchanged awesome music. Mike even hosted a radio station at KU called "Never Mind the Mainstream." Hence the incredible indie music selection.

Alyssa and I worked together forever ago at Barnes & Noble. She's a pretty incredible person, but it's enough for me that she subscribes to a playlist entitled "Drive Soundtrack."

Faith is another previous co-worker, lover of beer and one serious DMB fan. I'm a huge fan of her "goodONE's" playlist. Give me more good ones, girl!

I once drank way too much of River Horse's Tripel Horse while at Brad's house. I won't get into the details, but he was such a good sport about it. Turns out he has wonderful taste in music. I'm not really surprised, though. His nickname is B-Rad after all.

I met Brett when I studied abroad in Spain during college. He only has one public playlist, "Fall is Here." No kidding! I wonder if he even gets to experience real seasons over in Minnesota?

It warms my heart to see my roommate from Spain also shares a love for Ozomatli. I always knew I liked Jess for more than her wanderlust! No really, she rules. I couldn't have traveled to Spain with a better person than her.

Want to add me to your my People list on Spotify? Feel free to either type spotify:user:winker87 into your search box or you can check out my public profile. I apologize now for all the Cat Power. And, if you don't already use Spotify, check out makes it so great. Refuse to use Spotify? Or maybe you're just interested in what I'm currently scrobbling? Find me on Last.fm instead.

Do you stalk on Spotify too? Share your playlists with me. Pretty please?

The kinetic art of "If"

Kinetic art. Marcel Duchamp created it with a bicycle wheel, a fork and a kitchen stool. His pal Alexander Calder constructed it with red painted sheet metal and some rods. Rudyard Kipling crafted it with a pen, paper and a repetitive conjunction. Then George Horne typographically animated it using these words:

"If—" by Rudyard Kipling

If you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs and blaming it on you; If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, But make allowance for their doubting too: If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies, Or being hated don’t give way to hating, And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream—and not make dreams your master; If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim, If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster And treat those two impostors just the same: If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools, Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken, And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss, And lose, and start again at your beginnings And never breathe a word about your loss: If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew To serve your turn long after they are gone, And so hold on when there is nothing in you Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch, If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you, If all men count with you, but none too much: If you can fill the unforgiving minute With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run, Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it, And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!

The words are full of resounding maxims that guide me through the doubts and questions of life - a motivational flame, if you will. The first time I listened to Horne's kinetic typography video narrated by Des Lynam it forced a chill through my body. Here's the very video of "If—", the Rudyard Kipling poem.

Typography: IF by Rudyard Kipling from George Horne on Vimeo.

I also recommend listening to Taylor Mali.