Witches and wizards… vampires and werewolves… pirates and ghosts. All these races lend themselves well to Halloween. It’s no wonder nerds love this holiday so much. Any of these characters are part of great sci-fi/fantasy stories.
While it would be nice to read a book all weekend, it’s unrealistic to think reading all the Harry Potter books could be done. Most people are too busy to even watch all six movies at once. Believe me, I’ve tried. But it is a good time to start a series, a book, or just read excerpt from a favorite story.
Dead Until Dark is the Sookie Stackhouse series of which the HBO show True Blood is based. Very graphic and explicit, it’s not good for the family, but fun to read alone or share with a friend. And on the subject of vampires, I do want to mention Twilight. Now while I don’t readily admit to liking the series, I really do enjoy it and I consider it to be “junk food” of literature. Not healthy and should be used in small doses, but acceptable to indulged in occasionally. I like Sookie for vampires, and Twilight for werewolves. It’s not scary, still not one suitable for children.
Pirates are fun for Halloween, many people dress in swashbuckling gear and decorate with the Jolly Roger and other haunted nautical items. For kids, the Jack Sparrow and Legends of the Brethren Court series are based on the Pirates of the Caribbean movies and are a quick read. I have read all of them and would share them with kids. Vampirates by Justin Somper is another great series which combines, obviously, pirates and vampires. This is a mild series, easily enjoyed by adults but meant for older elementary school kids.
Who doesn’t love a ghost story on Halloween? I don’t have any fiction that I recommend, but I can suggest dozens of paranormal titles. I love creepy stories and try to convince myself that I live in a haunted house. I am fascinated with parapsychology and love reading “true tales” especially those of Hollywood celebrities from the Golden Age of film. Cryptozoology books can also provide chills, with tales of Bigfoot and el chupacabra.
Every holiday is a good day for reading. I hope you find some time this weekend to read. Happy Halloween!
