ShortBookandScribes Some Recommended Reads for Spooky Season
Since it’s Halloween I thought I’d share some books that would make good reads for spooky season. I’ve read all of these which feature witches, ghosts, or other eerie goings on. You can read my reviews by clicking on the titles, except for The Small Hand which I read pre-blog.
The Book of Witching by C.J. Cooke
This is a moving and alarming dual timeline story, with the mysterious and magical Book of Witching linking both threads.
A remote Scottish island with only one inhabitant – an author trying to finish her novel, gives this book quite a sinister feel, especially when the historical back story seeps into the present day.
The King’s Witches by Kate Foster
Three women: a princess, her maid, and a young woman whose mother passed on her healing skills and charms. With the witch trials gathering pace, it was a dangerous time to be a ‘cunning’ woman.
The Whistling by Rebecca Netley
Another remote Scottish island novel (one of my favourite settings). An insular and unwelcoming community, the strange sound of whistling, and elements of witchery create a creepy and ominous vibe.
The Small Hand by Susan Hill
If I could have found my copy of The Woman in Black then I would have included it instead of this one, but this short read about an antiquarian bookseller who feels a cold hand creeping into his own is just as creepy.
Time’s Prisoner by Linda Gillard
This is a book with a much friendlier ghost, one who resides at Wyngrave Hall. When Jane unexpectedly inherits the hall she finds it comes with a centuries old mystery.
The Trial of Gwen Foley by Jane O’Connor
This is a historical murder mystery set in 1723 with a witchcraft sub-plot and it illustrates how easy it was for women to be misunderstood.
The Fortunes of Olivia Richmond by Louise Davidson
This is a twisty and eerie story with a once grand but now faded country house and a young woman with a skill for the supernatural. There are huge amounts of gothic splendour in this dark historical fiction.
A Good House for Children by Kate Collins
An unnerving story with a sinister house that is a character in its own right. It has a strange and unsettling effect on Orla, the new owner in 2018, and Lydia, who moved there 40 years earlier to be nanny to the four children of the house.
The Lighthouse Witches by C.J. Cooke
Luna’s mother and two sisters vanished without trace twenty-three years ago on the island of Lòn Haven. Back in the 1600s, witch hunts took place on the island. There is a creeping sense of unease in this book which is gothic, unsettling and witchy.
What are you reading this Halloween? Do you like spooky or witchy reads?
Love the settings for your pictures 😍
So kind, thank you 🙂