Though it hasn't quite felt like fall for most of the month, Tuesday's foggy morning - straight out of a Dracula story - set the tone perfectly for the spooky season that's upon us. As I walked up the hill to the library, even the beautiful homes of Hinsdale seemed ominous, eerie - dare I say, haunted.
And that's a good thing! For me, at least. As my house hunt enters year three, I am starting to consider broadening my search to include even the most uninhabitably frightening abodes. Apparitions in the mirror? Gentle rapping at the chamber door? That's fine, anything that brings the price down!
Perhaps you'd let me live in your vacant home to chronicle paranormal activity after its previous caretakers went insane (the setup for "The Spite House" by Johnny Compton). Perhaps the Bolsheviks who have taken over your home are getting to be a bit much (that's the premise of "The Haunting of Moscow House" by Olesya Salnikova Gilmore). Or perhaps you just haven't yet read "How to Sell a Haunted House" by Grady Hendrix, which describes what can happen when a house "doesn't want to be sold." However you want to arrange it, I'm ready to close the deal.
Those are just a few of the recent books on the timeless haunted house theme. (Other hot new titles include "This Cursed House" by Del Sandeen and the Stoker Award-winning YA book "She Is a Haunting" by Trang Thanh Tran.) I want these books to really take off, because I want every current homeowner to become terrified of their house and therefore desperate to sell it.
I'm agnostic on haunted houses - not because I'm brave, but because I refuse to read or watch anything remotely scary. My colleagues furnished the titles above, and they assure me they have many more spooky books for readers of all ages. So please, before you flee your home, stop by the library and get some more good recommendations on books and movies you can read once you've moved out.
Here are a few house-free horror recommendations for adult and young adult readers:
"The Bog Wife" by Kay Chronister – A "gothic eco-horror" folktale set in Appalachia.
"Graveyard Shift" by M.L. Rio – A novella featuring an ensemble of nightshift workers who find an open grave.
"The Language of Thorns: Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic" by Leigh Bardugo – This collection of dark, YA fairy tales takes place in the same universe as the "Shadow and Bone" books (and Netflix series); no previous familiarity with those books is necessary.
Here are a few (less frightening) books for children:
• "Monster Boogie" by Laurie Berkner (pre-K)
• "Stumpkin" by Lucy Ruth Cummins (pre-K to grade 3)
• "There's a Ghost in This House" by Oliver Jeffers (pre-K to grade 3)
• "The Night Gardener" by Jonathan Auxier (grades 4 to 6)
Finally, if you're looking to enjoy the season with your neighbors, we have dozens of events this fall. Here are just a few highlights:
Kids can decorate mini pumpkins at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 23, or wear their costumes to the library Monday, Oct. 28.
Professional paranormal investigators will discuss their trade with middle- and high-schoolers on Wednesday, Oct. 2 at 6:30 p.m.
Adults can grab the last few team slots at our Tenth Annual Trivia Night on Oct. 18 at 7 p.m., sponsored by the Friends of the Library and Hinsdale Bank and Trust.
Whatever you do, don't let fall pass you by without reading a few good books - scary or not - curated for you by your local librarians. Now, there's truly a terrifying thought!
- John Kokoris is the marketing and outreach manager at the Hinsdale Public Library.
