Scary Stories

If you’re like me, you don’t find yourself reading a lot of horror books. However, there’s something about autumn that seems to inspire me to try stories that are “darker.” The annual Halloween marketing hoopla is a big influence, of course, but I think there’s more to it. As daylight fades a bit earlier each evening and leaves fall exposing stark branches against moonlit skies, it just seems like the right time to curl up with tales of ghosts and other scary creatures.
All last year I read more horror than I ever expected (or wanted!) as part of a study of the genre with other Librarians. As I anticipated, there were several books that I simply couldn’t finish, or I could only read during my lunch hour if I wanted to fall asleep at night. What was unexpected was how many great writers there are in the horror genre (Stephen King in particular was quite a revelation) and the wide range of terror – from haunted houses and tales of vampires, to medical monstrosities and psychological chillers.
Are you feeling the pull of scary stories? During October, Readers Services has a display which will let you test your “Fright Quotient” against our Spook-o-Meter:
1 bat = “Not So Scary” (likable ghosts and Halloween mischief)
2 bats = “Haunting Tales of Mystery and Romance
3 bats = “Terrifying Tales”
No matter what fright level you’re looking for, there’s sure to be a suitably spooky story to enjoy!
marlise