5 Spooky Books to Read in these Scary Times

Times right now are tough, for everyone. Jobs and important life events are unsure (my fiancee and I have had to drastically adapt our wedding plans), major cities have turned to ghost towns, and even going to the store can feel like venturing into a Haunted House. #spooky

It's okay to be scared! We're all scared! And, oddly enough, something that I like to do that helps me in uncertain times likes these is to...read something scarier!

That's right folks, scary stories in scary times. Because reading about something that, in some way, seems worse than your circumstances, is strangely comforting.

So without further ado, here (in no particular order) are 6 (family friendly) book suggestions to scare away the Coronavirus!

1. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

This book is a good one if you are looking for something traditionally spooky, but still not TOO creepy. It tells the story of a young orphan who gets adopted by the ghosts of a nearby graveyard, and raised is as one of them. It has its intense moments, with some parts offering more thrills than others, but all in all it's a not-too-scary, but sufficiently creepy, good book.

2. A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

I wouldn't classify this book as "Horror" either. While it does have its spooky elements, it also has some heart-wrenching moments. "A Monster Calls" tells of a young man named Conor, who is constantly worried about his mom, as she is suffering from cancer. He begins to be plagued by nightly nightmarish visits from a giant monster. Great read; I cried. (Plus, check out the movie!)

3. Ghosts by Raina Telgemeier

This book is less about malicious haunting, and more about the Mexican holiday "El Día de los Muertos" or "The Day of the Dead." This holiday is a Memorial Day-type holiday, where families remember their ancestors, and they believe that they dead come back to visit us. It's a beautifully illustrated graphic novel that really brings in some fun cultural elements, as well as some ghostly visitations. (If you like this, I would definitely recommend watching "Coco" - fantastic movie!).

4. Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol

This is another spooky graphic novel, and when I read this one, I was definitely spooked (though, then again, I was a bit younger). It is a story of a girl who (almost literally) stumbles upon the skeleton and ghost of another girl, and befriends her. But then things start to get weird...

5. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Some of you may recognize this book-turned-film (directed by Tim Burton), and wonder why I categorize it as a "spooky book." Well, after researching, many other people also classify Miss Peregrine's as "spooky," mostly based around the creepiness of some of the pictures/children in the home, and the monster/villains. I don't want to give too much away, but this book is super good and interesting, and based originally off of a bunch of old photographs that the author collected from fly markets.

Have a Spook-tacular Time!

I highly recommend all of these books, and hope they provide some strange sense of comfort in these dark and confusing times! And, if you do read them, please, tell me what you think! If you have any other riveting reads of a paranormal natural or spooky stories, let me know! Stay home, and stay safe everyone!