13 Days of Halloween Books Day 13: Werewolves

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

You've stuck with us for 13 long days as we counted down some of our favorite spooky, scary, and weird Halloween-ish themes, and now we've finally made it to the end. The big day is here. Grab your Halloween costumes and a massive bowl of candy while we deliver the last day of our coundown. The final theme for Day 13 is...

WEREWOLVES

Wolves are beautiful creatures, but thanks to the depiction of werewolves in popular culture, the sound of a wolf howling at a full moon is enough to make us lock our doors for fear of wolfmen and women trolling the night for victims (especially if said wolf is a Teen Wolf). But werewolf books, on the other hand, those are just plain fun.

May we suggest this one, which... we're just going to come right out and say it: is just plain weird. Which is largely why we recommend it. Just don't say we didn't warn you... 

  Gil's All Fright Diner by A. Lee Martinez

 

"Welcome to Gil's All Night Diner, where zombie attacks are a regular occurrence and you never know what might be lurking in the freezer. . . .

Duke and Earl are just passing through Rockwood County when they stop at the diner for a quick bite to eat. They aren't planning to stick around--until Loretta, the eatery's owner, offers them one hundred dollars to take care of her zombie problem. Given that Duke is a werewolf and Earl's a vampire, this looks right up their alley.

But the shambling dead are just the tip of a particularly spiky iceberg. Seems someone's out to drive Loretta from the diner, and more than willing to raise a little hell on earth if that's what it takes. Before Duke and Earl get to the bottom of the diner's troubles, they'll run into such otherworldly complications as undead cattle, an amorous ghost, a jailbait sorceress, and the terrifying occult power of pig Latin. And maybe--just maybe--the End of the World, too."

If supernatural romance is more your thing, then here are a few others if you want more hair-raising books (we know, it's an old and tired expression, but we still love it) with more of a romantic storyline.

Hemlock by Kathleen Peacock

"Since then, Mac's life has been turned upside down. She is being haunted by Amy in her dreams, and an extremist group called the Trackers has come to Mac's hometown of Hemlock to hunt down Amy's killer: A white werewolf. Lupine syndrome - also known as the werewolf vius - is on the rise across the country. Many of the infected try to hide their symptoms, but bloodlust is not easy to control."



Predator by Janice Gable Bashman

"Sixteen-year-old Bree Sunderland must inject herself with an untested version of her father’s gene therapy to become a werewolf in order to stop a corrupt group of mercenaries from creating a team of unstoppable lycanthrope soldiers. 

Predator gives the werewolf legend a couple of new spins by introducing the Benandanti (an actual folkloric belief that certain families of Italy and Livonia were werewolves who fought against evil), as well as a modern scientific approach to mutation."

Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

"Calla Tor has always known her destiny: After graduating from the Mountain School, she'll be the mate of alpha wolf Ren Laroche and fight with him, side by side, ruling their pack and guarding sacred sites for the Keepers. But when she violates her masters' laws by saving a beautiful human boy out for a hike, Calla begins to question her fate, her existence, and the very essence of the world she has known. By following her heart, she might lose everything- including her own life."
 

Supernatural romance not your thing? And you just want a fun and slightly less weird but still amusing werewolf type book? Yea, there's a book for that. 

Bad Hair Day by Carrie Harris
"Kate Grable is geeked out to shadow the county medical examiner as part of her school’s pre-med program. Except when he’s arrested for murder, she’s left with the bodies. And when Kate’s brother Jonah stumbles upon a dead gamer girl, she realizes that the zombie epidemic she cured last fall was only the beginning of the weirdness taking over her town.Someone’s murdering kids—something really hairy. And strong. Possibly with claws. Is it werewolf awesomeness like Jonah and his dorktastic friends think?"



And now the day is finally here. The day when we must say goodbye to our countdown. It's been a fun ride, and we're already excited for next year.

*Remember it's always a good idea to cite your sources. These book summaries are taken from Goodreads, which are taken from book jackets, which come from the publishers of the aforementioned books.

13 Days of Halloween Books Day 12: Cults

There's only one day left.

Did you get that? ONE. DAY. LEFT. 

Are all your senses tingling with excitement for Halloween and the end of our countdown??! (If they're just tingling for no reason, then you should probably see a doctor.)

If you don't have your costume picked out, then today's theme will not give you any inspiration whatsoever. Unless you have a large group of friends that are willing to commit to it with you. 

Today's theme iiiiisssssss...

Cults

(Not to be confused with the occult, which was the topic of Day 10 in the 13 Days of Halloween Books countdown).

The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly by Stephanie Oakes

 

"The Kevinian cult has taken everything from seventeen-year-old Minnow: twelve years of her life, her family, her ability to trust.

And when she rebelled, they took away her hands, too.

Now their Prophet has been murdered and their camp set aflame, and it's clear that Minnow knows something—but she's not talking. As she languishes in juvenile detention, she struggles to un-learn everything she has been taught to believe, adjusting to a life behind bars and recounting the events that led up to her incarceration. But when an FBI detective approaches her about making a deal, Minnow sees she can have the freedom she always dreamed of—if she’s willing to part with the terrible secrets of her past."

I'd say we're going to mix it up with these next few books on cults, but can you really vary on a cult theme? Probably not. There are very few stories in which cults are portrayed as positive things, but many of them feature strong characters fighting for freedom and/or redemption. 


The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams
In a polygamous cult in the desert, Kyra, not yet fourteen, sees being chosen to be the seventh wife of her uncle as just punishment for having read books and kissed a boy, in violation of Prophet Childs' teachings, and is torn between facing her fate and running away from all that she knows and loves.


The Patron Saint of Butterflies by Cecilia Galante
When her grandmother takes fourteen-year-old Agnes, her younger brother, and best friend Honey and escapes Mount Blessing, a Connecticut religious commune, Agnes clings to the faith she loves while Honey looks toward a future free of control, cruelty, and preferential treatment.


Family by Micol Ostow

In the 1960s, Melinda leaves an abusive home for San Francisco, meets the charismatic Henry, and follows him to his desert commune, but soon his "family" becomes violent against rich and powerful people and she is compelled to join in.

*Remember it's always a good idea to cite your sources. These book summaries are taken from Goodreads, which are taken from book jackets, which come from the publishers of the aforementioned books.

13 Days of Halloween Books Day 11: Grim Reaper

Can you believe we're almost done with our 13 Days of Halloween Books countdown? We only have 2 days left!! Today's theme for Day 11 is...

THE GRIM REAPER

(AKA. Death)

 Are you thinking that today's topic seems a little morbid? Well. It is.

HOWEVER. Not all books about death have to dissolve us into snotty, weepy puddles of goo that make us wish we'd never laid eyes the thing (I'm looking at you, The Fault in Our Stars). Believe it or not, there are some books that take a deep and complex topic like death and turn it into a hilarious romp.

Don't believe me? Try this one...

Denton Little's Deathdate by Lance Rubin

 

"Denton Little’s Deathdate takes place in a world exactly like our own except that everyone knows the day on which they will die. For Denton, that’s in just two days—the day of his senior prom.

Despite his early deathdate, Denton has always wanted to live a normal life, but his final days are filled with dramatic firsts. First hangover. First sex. First love triangle—as the first sex seems to have happened not with his adoring girlfriend, but with his best friend’s hostile sister. (Though he’s not totally sure—see, first hangover.) His anxiety builds when he discovers a strange purple rash making its way up his body. Is this what will kill him? And then a strange man shows up at his funeral, claiming to have known Denton’s long-deceased mother, and warning him to beware of suspicious government characters. . . . 

Suddenly Denton’s life is filled with mysterious questions and precious little time to find the answers.

Fans of John Green and Matthew Quick: Get ready to die laughing."
 

This next one has a similar theme. The offbeat and sometimes crude humor had one of our staff members calling it an all-time favorite ("It CRACKED. ME. UP.") 

 

The Deathday Letter by Shaun David Hutchinson

The clock is ticking...

Ollie can't be bothered to care about anything but girls until he gets his Deathday Letter and learns he's going to die in twenty-four hours. Bummer.

Ollie does what he does best: nothing. Then his best friend convinces him to live a little, and go after Ronnie, the girl who recently trampled his about-to-expire heart. Ollie turns to carloads of pudding and over-the-top declarations, but even playing the death card doesn't work. All he wants is to set things right with the girl of his dreams. It's now or never...


And, on a more serious note, if you'd prefer something a bit more somber, you could try this modern classic in which Death is the narrator of the story. 

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

It’s just a small story really, about among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery...

Trying to make sense of the horrors of World War II, Death relates the story of Liesel--a young German girl whose book-stealing and story-telling talents help sustain her family and the Jewish man they are hiding, as well as their neighbors.

This is an unforgettable story about the ability of books to feed the soul.

*Remember it's always a good idea to cite your sources. These book summaries are taken from Goodreads, which are taken from book jackets, which come from the publishers of the aforementioned books.

13 Days of Halloween Books Day 10: Occult

Today's topic is a little offbeat. You can't make a costume out of today's theme (although I suppose someone out there may be creative to come up with something), and it can sometimes get confused with cults, which are two very different things.

Just to clarify, a cult is a group (usually with a religious basis) with a dedicated belief or cause and a leader whom the other members follow; whereas the occult includes the practice of mystical acts, such as fortune telling.

Well, now that we have that cleared up, the winning theme for Day 11 in our countdown goes to

THE OCCULT

  (Cults get a participation trophy.)

We're focusing on books that feature characters who practice or dabble in the occult in some way.

 

The Diviners by Libba Bray

 

"Evie O’Neill has been exiled from her boring old hometown and shipped off to the bustling streets of New York City—and she is pos-i-tute-ly ecstatic. It’s 1926, and New York is filled with speakeasies, Ziegfeld girls, and rakish pickpockets. The only catch is that she has to live with her uncle Will and his unhealthy obsession with the occult.

Evie worries he’ll discover her darkest secret: a supernatural power that has only brought her trouble so far. But when the police find a murdered girl branded with a cryptic symbol and Will is called to the scene, Evie realizes her gift could help catch a serial killer.

As Evie jumps headlong into a dance with a murderer, other stories unfold in the city that never sleeps. A young man named Memphis is caught between two worlds. A chorus girl named Theta is running from her past. A student named Jericho hides a shocking secret. And unknown to all, something dark and evil has awakened."

If you want to go back in time a little, Bliss is a great book that uses the backdrop of the psychedelic 1960's to tell a mean girl-style tale of occultism.

Bliss by Lauren Myracle

Having grown up in a California commune, Bliss sees her aloof grandmother's Atlanta world as a foreign country, but she is determined to be nice as a freshman at an elite high school which makes her the perfect target for Sandy, a girl obsessed with the occult. 

*Remember it's always a good idea to cite your sources. These book summaries are taken from Goodreads, which are taken from book jackets, which come from the publishers of the aforementioned books. 

13 Days of Halloween Books Day 9: Ghosts

Alright guys. We're down to the home stretch! DAY 9! After today, only 4 left. We've had themes about beasts, demons, devils, and psycho killers. So we have something a little more traditional for Day 9 of the 13 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN BOOKS...

GHOSTS

A Certain Slant of Light by Laura Whitcomb

In the class of the high school English teacher she has been haunting, Helen feels them: for the first time in 130 years, human eyes are looking at her. 

They belong to a boy, a boy who has not seemed remarkable until now. And Helen--terrified, but intrigued--is drawn to him. The fact that he is in a body and she is not presents this unlikely couple with their first challenge. 

But as the lovers struggle to find a way to be together, they begin to discover the secrets of their former lives and of the young people they come to possess.

*Don't forget to check out the sequel, Under the Light.  


If A Certain Slant of Light was enough to whet your appetite, here's another super spooky story to keep you on the edge of your seat. 

Dead River by Cyn Balog (who is an awesome local author!) 

"My friends and I are spending prom weekend at a remote wooded cabin on the Dead. The Dead River. 

I thought it was going to be just us. I was wrong."

A weekend rafting trip turns deadly when ghosts start turning up . . . and want something from high school senior Kiandra that she isn't sure she can give them


Or if you like a classic haunted house ghost story, this one is worth a look...

Breathe: A Ghost Story by Cliff McNish

Jack is not a normal boy. He can talk to ghosts. In his new home, an aging farmhouse, he meets the Ghost Mother, a grief-stricken spirit who becomes very attached to him...too attached. He learns that the Ghost Mother is preying in the cruelest imaginable way on four child ghosts who are trapped in the house, stealing their energy to sustain her own. Before Jack can figure out how to help them, the Ghost Mother takes possession of his real mother's body. Jack wants to fight back, but he has severe asthma and risks fatal attacks with any physical exertion. It will take all his resources, and his mother's as well, to fight off the Ghost Mother and save the ghost children from a horrible fate.

*Remember it's always a good idea to cite your sources. These book summaries are taken from Goodreads, which are taken from book jackets, which come from the publishers of the aforementioned books.

13 Days of Halloween Books Day 8: Demons

To me, there's nothing freakier than the idea of a demon from another world/dimension messing with everyday, average people. There was a movie in the late 90's called Fallen about demons that can inhabit and migrate to different people just by touching them. The movie itself wasn't scary scary, but the idea of it freaked me out. Like, really FREAKED. ME. OUT.  (I totally recommend that movie, by the way).

So in honor of me being terrified of demons in my adolescent years, today's theme for Day 8 of the 13 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN BOOKS countdown (quite obviously) is...

DEMONS

Books about demons are hard to find (outside of the fictional Supernatural series written by prophet Chuck Shurley). A lot of books have beings that are considered demons but are not a part of the actual plot. They're just kind of there in the background. Or they're classified as demons but would better fit in our devils category. There are surprisingly few books that have characters or antagonists that are just straight up demons. Imagine how happy I was to find this gem...

Unbreakable by Kami Garcia

 

"When Kennedy Waters finds her mother dead, her world begins to unravel. She doesn’t know that paranormal forces in a much darker world are the ones pulling the strings. Not until identical twins Jared and Lukas Lockhart break into Kennedy’s room and destroy a dangerous spirit sent to kill her. The brothers reveal that her mother was part of an ancient secret society responsible for protecting the world from a vengeful demon — a society whose five members were all murdered on the same night.

Now Kennedy has to take her mother’s place in the Legion if she wants to uncover the truth and stay alive. Along with new Legion members Priest and Alara, the teens race to find the only weapon that might be able to destroy the demon — battling the deadly spirits he controls every step of the way."

Here are a couple other titles on the theme if you're into it, or if you're training to be an exorcist and want some extra tips.

The Demonata series by Darren Shan

Presumably the only witness to the horrific and bloody murder of his entire family, a teenage boy must outwit not only the mental health professionals determined to cure his delusion, but also the demonic forces only he can see.

The Stars Never Rise by Rachel Vincent

In a world ruled by the brutally puritanical Church and its army of black-robed exorcists, sixteen-year-old Nina tries to save her pregnant younger sister from the Church's wrath and discovers that not only is the Church run by demons but that Nina herself is one of the very few who can genuinely exorcise them. To keep them both alive, Nina will need to trust Finn, a fugitive with deep green eyes who has already saved her life once and who might just be an exorcist. But what kind of exorcist wears a hoodie?

Have you read any demon-y books you'd care to share? Let us know in the comments!

*Remember it's always a good idea to cite your sources. These book summaries are taken from Goodreads, which are taken from book jackets, which come from the publishers of the aforementioned books.

13 Days of Halloween Books Day 7: Witches

Perhaps one of the most iconic Halloween ghouls of all time is, of course, the witch. You can't go one Halloween without seeing at least five people in tall pointy hats, long black cloaks, and warts drawn on their noses (painted green faces are acceptable, but not required). 

So for Day 7 of the 13 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN BOOKS countdown, we're conjuring up books about...

WITCHES

*cackle cackle*

  

Bewitching by Alex Flinn

 

"Bewitching can be a beast. 
 
Once, I put a curse on a beastly and arrogant high school boy. That one turned out all right. Others didn’t.

 
I go to a new school now—one where no one knows that I should have graduated long ago. I’m not still here because I’m stupid; I just don’t age.

 
You see, I’m immortal. And I pretty much know everything after hundreds of years—except for when to take my powers and butt out.

 
I want to help, but things just go awry in ways I could never predict. Like when I tried to free some children from a gingerbread house and ended up being hanged. After I came back from the dead (immortal, remember?), I tried to play matchmaker for a French prince and ended up banished from France forever. And that little mermaid I found in the Titanic lifeboat? I don’t even want to think about it.

 
Now a girl named Emma needs me. I probably shouldn’t get involved, but her gorgeous stepsister is conniving to the core. I think I have just the thing to fix that girl—and it isn’t an enchanted pumpkin. Although you never know what will happen when I start . . . bewitching."

If you're into the witch thing but Bewitching isn't for you, or just want something a little different, try these out:

The Beautiful and the Damned by Jessica Verday

Cyn and Avian are far from a perfect match. She’s a witch who casts spells on men so she can steal their cars. He spends his time being judge, jury, and executioner to the truly evil in the supernatural realm. 

Then they discover that Cyn is an Echo, a conduit for souls of the dead. The only way to prevent Cyn from losing complete control is to return to Sleepy Hollow and vanquish the source of her power—but she may not survive the process. And if she does? She won’t ever be the same.

Hexed by Michelle Krys

Popular cheerleader Indigo Blackwood, sixteen, finds her perfect life threatened when Bishop, a tattooed, leather-clad stranger, tells her the family Bible just stolen from the attic of her mother's occult shop could mean the end to all witches, including, he says, Indigo herself.  

Suddenly forced into a centuries-old war between witches and sorcerers, Indie’s about to uncover the many dark truths about her life—and a future unlike any she ever imagined on top of the cheer pyramid.

House of Ivy & Sorrow by Natalie Whipple

Josephine Hemlock has spent the last 10 years hiding from the Curse that killed her mother. But when a mysterious man arrives at her ivy-covered, magic-fortified home, it’s clear her mother’s killer has finally come to destroy the rest of the Hemlock bloodline. 

The more truth Jo uncovers, the deeper she falls into witchcraft darker than she ever imagined. Trapped and running out of time, she begins to wonder if the very Curse that killed her mother is the only way to save everyone she loves.

If you'd rather read something non-fiction and are curious about the Salem Witch Trials, this one may be right up your alley:

Witch-Hunt: Mysteries of the Salem Witch Trials by Marc Aronson

Salem, Massachusetts, 1692. In a plain meetinghouse a woman stands before her judges. The accusers, girls and young women, are fervent and overexcited. As the trial proceeds the girls begin to wail, tear their clothing, and scream that the woman is hurting them. Some of them expose wounds to the horrified onlookers, holding out the pins that have stabbed them -- pins that appeared as if by magic. Are they acting or are they really tormented by an unseen evil? Whatever the cause, the nightmare has begun: The witch trials will eventually claim twenty-five lives, shatter the community, and forever shape the American social conscience.

If you still haven't had your fill of curses and witchcraft, take a look at Ashley's post for even more witchy reads. 

*Remember it's always a good idea to cite your sources. These book summaries are taken from Goodreads, which are taken from book jackets, which come from the publishers of the aforementioned books.

13 Days of Halloween Books Day 6: Crazy Killers

It's October 24th! Only one week away from Halloween! That's right...  just 7 little days left.

Do you have your costumes ready yet?!

Might I suggest Michael Meyers from the Halloween saga? All you'd need is a rubber mask, heavy boots, and a work shirt and pants. And, also, an ancient curse that makes you immortal, but whatevs.

OR. What about the Ghostface Killer who was, of course, made famous by the Scream movies? That's another simple costume... a black sweatshirt and a Ghostface mask and BOOM! Instant Halloween costume.

OR. How about Jason Voorhees from Friday the 13th? Even easier... grab a hockey mask and prop knife and you're good to go.

I'm thinking there's a recurring theme here, if you're picking up what I'm laying down. Today's theme for Day 6 of 13 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN BOOKS is...

CRAZY KILLERS

 

It should be noted that not all serial killers in popular culture have to be vengeful masked psychos who just won't die no matter how many times Jamie Lee Curtis stabs/shoots/decapitates/hangs/ electrocutes/sets fire to you.

Sometimes, like in the following book, they're just regular people who happen to be a little bit... off.

Slice of Cherry by Dia Reeves

"Kit and Fancy Cordelle are sisters of the best kind: best friends, best confidantes, and best accomplices. The daughters of the infamous Bonesaw Killer, Kit and Fancy are used to feeling like outsiders, and that's just the way they like it. But in Portero, where the weird and wild run rampant, the Cordelle sisters are hardly the oddest or most dangerous creatures around.

It's no surprise when Kit and Fancy start to give in to their deepest desire - the desire to kill. What starts as a fascination with slicing open and stitching up quickly spirals into a gratifying murder spree. Of course, the sisters aren't killing just anyone, only the people who truly deserve it. But the girls have learned from the mistakes of their father, and know that a shred of evidence could get them caught. So when Fancy stumbles upon a mysterious and invisible doorway to another world, she opens a door to endless possibilities."

(And now for a quick Public Safety Announcement, Slice of Cherry is a bit on the gory side and not for the faint of heart.)

But if the supernatural and/or gore is not your thing...

Dear Killer by Katherine Ewell
Kit takes her role as London’s notorious “Perfect Killer” seriously. The letters and cash that come to her via a secret mailbox are not a game; choosing who to kill is not an impulse decision. Every letter she receives begins with “Dear Killer,” and every time Kit murders, she leaves a letter with the dead body. Her moral nihilism and thus her murders are a way of life—the only way of life she has ever known. Dear Killer is a sinister psychological thriller that explores the thin line between good and evil.

If you're more of a graphic novel and/or nonfiction fan, try this one: 

My Friend Dahmer by Derf Backderf

An account of real-life serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer's high school years written and drawn by Dahmer's former classmate, Derf Backderf. 

To Backderf, 'Jeff' was a high school friend with whom he had shared classrooms, hallways, and car rides. In this haunting and original graphic novel,  Backderf creates a surprisingly sympathetic portrait of a disturbed young man struggling against the morbid urges emanating from the deep recesses of his psyche-- a shy kid, a teenage alcoholic, and a goofball who never quite fit in with his classmates.

13 Days of Halloween Books Day 5: Mischief

We're at Day 5 of our 13 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN BOOKS countdown!

5 days down and only 8 more to go until Mischief Night!

And speaking of mischief, here's a fun read for your pranksters out there...
Note: We do not approve of or condone prankery (especially at school) and if you tell anyone you heard about this book from the library we will deny its very existence *wink wink*

Sir John Hargrave's Mischief Makers Manual by Sir John Hargrave

"This is the definitive guide to pranking and mayhem. Written in the style of a training manual, but with hilarious illustrations, this book is broken up into five sections:

The “Basics” shows how to find a pranking partner and how to pull simple pranks like making crank calls. 

“Prank Moves” explains how to pull pranks at places like home, school, or camp. 

“Do-It-Yourself” demonstrates things like putting a real worm inside an ice cube. 

“Experts Only” covers such advanced pranks as how to fake an alien landing. 

And “Recipes” gives step-by-step instructions on how to bake tuna cookies."

I'm just going to come right out and say that tuna cookies sound ridiculously gross. But I guess that's the whole point of a prank, right?!

Just remember: pranks can be fun, just make sure you're doing it safely (for example... it wouldn't be wise to put peanut butter in someone's soup if they're deathly allergic to nuts. That's how you end up in court. Just throwin' that out there.)

13 Days of Halloween Books Day 4: Vampires

Is it me or aren't there a lot of vampire books available for teens?

LOL jk

After the initial success of Twilight back in the day (2005, to be precise), almost everyone fell in love with teen vampire books (and sometimes they fell in love with the vampire characters themselves). We certainly have no shortage of them, so here are a few to pique your interest for Day 4 of the THIRTEEN DAYS OF HALLOWEEN book countdown. Today's theme (if you haven't already guessed) is:

VAMPIRES

"Is there... GARLIC... on this pizza??"

Books about vampires are wide and varied. Some are dramatic, some are goofy, and some are downright freaky. Since yesterday's selections were a bit on the dark side, let's lighten up the mood a bit. 

Sucks to Be Me by Kimberly Pauley

 

"Mina Hamilton's parents want her dead. (Or undead to be precise.) They're vampires, and like it or not, Mina must decide whether to become a vampire herself. 

But Mina's more interested in hanging out with best friend Serena and trying to catch the eye of the too-hot-for-high-school Nathan Able than in the vampire training classes she's being forced to take. 

How's a girl supposed to find the perfect prom date and pass third-year French when her mom and dad are breathing down her neck--literally?"

If fluffy vampire stories aren't your thing and you'd prefer something a bit more dramatic, here are some others to bite into (forgive the puns, sometimes I just can't help myself...)

The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod series by Heather Brewer (who now goes by Zac Brewer) 

For thirteen years, Vlad, aided by his aunt and best friend, has kept secret that he is half-vampire, but when his missing teacher is replaced by a sinister substitute, he learns that there is more to being a vampire, and to his parents' deaths, than he could have guessed. This five-book series kicks of with Eight Grade Bites. 

The Reformed Vampire Support Group by Catherine Jinks

Fifteen-year-old vampire Nina has been stuck for fifty-one years in a boring support group for vampires, and nothing exciting has ever happened to them--until one of them is murdered and the others must try to solve the crime.

Blue Bloods series by Melissa de la Cruz

Select teenagers from some of New York City's wealthiest and most socially prominent families learn a startling secret about their bloodlines.

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Two years after a horrible incident made them run away, vampire princess Lissa and her guardian-in-training Rose are found and returned to St. Vladimir's Academy, where one focuses on mastering magic, the other on physical training, while both try to avoid the perils of gossip, cliques, gruesome pranks, and sinister plots.

13 Days of Halloween Books Day 3: Devils

It's Day 3 of the 13 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN countdown!

When we were younger, my best friend's little brother went trick-or-treating dressed as a devil for at least 3 years straight. It was a most appropriate costume at the time, primarily because we thought he was sent straight from Hell solely for the purpose of torturing us. He's my inspiration for today's theme...

DEVILS

(with or without cemetery-based rock band) 

I have not one, but TWO books for today (I know, you're feeling overwhelmed with joyful excitement and anticipation. Please try to contain yourself). One is drama/mystery and the other is a little more lighthearted, but both deal with characters who may or may not be the devil in the flesh.

Between the Devil & the Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke 

"You stop fearing the devil when you’re holding his hand…

Nothing much exciting rolls through Violet White’s sleepy, seaside town… until River West comes along. River rents the guest house behind Violet’s crumbling estate, and as eerie, grim things start to happen, Violet begins to wonder about the boy living in her backyard. Is River just a crooked-smiling liar with pretty eyes and a mysterious past? Or could he be something more?

Violet’s grandmother always warned her about the Devil, but she never said he could be a dark-haired boy who takes naps in the sun, who likes coffee, who kisses you in a cemetery... who makes you want to kiss back.

Violet’s already so knee-deep in love, she can’t see straight. And that’s just how River likes it."

Play Me Backwards by Adam Selzer

"Leon Harris isn’t exceptional and he isn’t popular. He’s the kind of guy that peaked in middle school, when once upon a time he was in the “gifted” program and on the fast track to Ivy League glory.

Now, a high school senior, he’s a complete slacker who spends his time hanging out in a third-rate ice cream parlor with his best friend, Stan, a guy who (jokingly, Leon thinks) claims to be Satan. Committed to his sloth, Leon panics when he finds out that Anna, the love of his life aka middle school girlfriend, might be moving back to town.

Determined to get his act together, Leon asks Stan for help. Stan gives him a few seemingly random and mysterious assignments. As each task brings Leon one step away from slacker city and one step closer to Anna, he starts to wonder if maybe he shouldn’t have promised Stan his soul after all…"  

13 Days of Halloween Books Day 2: Zombies

Day 2 in our 13 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN countdown brings us to...

THE LIVING DEAD 

(aka: zombies, walkers, biters, the infected, or whatever your term of choice is).

Since we're talking about the undead, you should read this:

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan 

"In Mary's world there are simple truths: 
The Sisterhood always knows best. 
The Guardians will protect and serve. 
The Unconsecrated will never relent. 
And you must always mind the fence that surrounds the village; the fence that protects the village from the Forest of Hands and Teeth. 

But, slowly, Mary’s truths are failing her. 

She’s learning things she never wanted to know about the Sisterhood and its secrets, and the Guardians and their power, and about the Unconsecrated and their relentlessness. When the fence is breached and her world is thrown into chaos, she must choose between her village and her future—between the one she loves and the one who loves her. And she must face the truth about the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Could there be life outside a world surrounded by so much death?"


Don't believe that The Forest of Hands and Teeth is a little slice of awesome? Check out the book trailer...

If you want more brains good (and sometimes gory) zombie books, here are a few more to sink your teeth into:

The Enemy series by Charlie Higson
After a disease turns everyone over sixteen into brainless, decomposing, flesh-eating creatures, a group of teenagers leave their shelter and set out of a harrowing journey across London to the safe haven of Buckingham Palace.

Rot & Ruin series by Jonathan Maberry
In a post-apocalyptic world where fences and border patrols guard the few people left from the zombies that have overtaken civilization, fifteen-year-old Benny Imura is finally convinced that he must follow in his older brother's footsteps and become a bounty hunter.

Zom-B series by Darren Shan 
A 12 book series about B Smith, a teenager in Great Britain who must struggle to find a place in a world of racism, zombies, and darkness.

13 Days of Halloween Books Day 1: Monsters

Does anyone else love Halloween? Because I LOVE Halloween. The costumes, the candy, the horror movie marathons on TV... what's not to love?!

In honor of one of our favorite holidays at the library, I'm counting down with... *dramatic drumroll* 13 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN BOOKS. 

What better way to celebrate than with a book every day with some favorite Halloween-themed characters?! I'll feature books about witches, vampires, cults, killers, zombies, ... all the fun stuff. Some titles will be scary and some may be goofy, some you may know and others may be a little less familiar. However, NONE of them will include sparkly vampires.

I'm going to kick off the countdown with a monster/beasty theme, so the selection for Day 1 is....

Bonechiller by Graham McNamee 

"Danny’s dad takes a job as caretaker at a marina on the shore of a vast, frozen lake in Harvest Cove, a tiny town tucked away in Canada’s Big Empty. If you’re looking for somewhere to hide, this is it.

It’s the worst winter in years. One night, running in the dark, Danny is attacked by a creature so strange and terrifying he tries to convince himself he was hallucinating. Then he learns about Native American legends of a monster that’s haunted the lake for a thousand years. And that every generation, in the coldest winters, kids have disappeared into the night. People think they ran away.

Danny knows better. Because now the beast is after him."


A book about an ancient monster stalking a small town's residents? Sign. Me. Up. (Not that I actaully want to be stalked by said monster, I just want to read about it.)

To get the Halloween season off to a creepy start, pick up Bonechiller today!

If Bonechiller doesn't sound like your thing, try some of these other monster filled titles...

My Boyfriend is a Monster series by various authors
Funny, quirky, fast-paced graphic novels about boyfriends who are literally monsters.
Incorporating genuine scariness and suspense, each of the eight books in the series are set in the same strange, paranormal world, with some recurring characters.


The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey
In 1888, twelve-year-old Will Henry chronicles his apprenticeship with Dr. Warthrop, a scientist who hunts and studies real-life monsters, as they discover and attempt to destroy a pod of Anthropophagi. (Book 1 of the Monstrumologist series.)