October Thrills and Chills

October is the best month to indulge in a little creepy entertainment. The days get shorter, the weather gets cooler (theoretically at least!) and the leaves drop from the trees creating the perfect atmosphere for exploring the shadowy part of life. This year, we have the added bonus of our very own shut down government!

Anyway, since I never made my RIP list, I thought I'd share a few things I plan to consume in October as well as a few recs for you!

Books

This is my number one read anticipated read for October, I AM SO EXCITED! I had no idea this was a book, so when it showed up in the mail I may have danced a little. This movie SCARED THE CRAP OUT OF ME when I watched it as a child and when I rewatched it as an adult I was delighted that it's deliciously creepy in all the right ways. Look for a review of this one soon, as I simply can't wait!!!

The Small Hand and Dolly by Susan Hill should be a nice classic ghost story and perfect for fall evenings. I read a few pages of it already and really enjoyed it, so I'm looking forward to more!

Help for the Haunted by John Searles is my current read and OMG!! It is so PERFECT for this month, you guys! And for me! It's the exact kind of mystery I love, I LOVE IT! No spoilers please! But it's unraveling at the perfect pace with just the right amount of darkness and intrigue and GHOSTS and it's fab.

Request: a good zombie book. I'd really love to indulge in a good zombie story during October, but I don't have any ideas! I welcome recommendations of your favorite zombie books! Hopefully, I won't have read them.

Movies/TV

Basically my plans consist of watching The Conjuring as soon as it comes out on DVD since I've been dying to see it and it's supposed to be genuinely creepy. I'll probably watch a few of the terrible horror movies on Netflix as well. I will be watching The Walking Dead and Witches of East End, too, and I keep being tempted by American Horror Story. (and Sleepy Hollow, too!)

My recs for you:

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn is a perfect read for October, I kid you not. It's atmospheric, and mysterious, and haha DARK, and will have you racing through the pages.

Parasite by Mira Grant doesn't come out until the end of the month, but it is near perfect. This book had me absolutely racing through the pages and the horror is the kind that feels like it could be real. Can't miss!

I watched this for the first time this year and it's such a perfect horror movie to me. It's got such a fantastic mounting sense of terror and dread with an absolutely perfect chilling conclusion. I've seen its influence on so much since I've watched it. Of course you should be warned there's rape and Satan in this movie, but the Satan part disturbed me less than I thought it would. Also, atmospheric.

This was recently just added to Netflix and I recommend it for some good frothy horror fun. I'm still sort of sad this show didn't make it...it hit a serious creative problem about 5-6 episodes in, but it straightens out for a great conclusion that hints at how amazing the story could have been. The cast is all really fantastic and the building itself provides a nice atmosphere for the show.

I don't think this is available to stream yet, but it is on DVD. If you like your horror a little less supernatural and a little more rooted in people, than this is the show to check out. I'd love for more of you to watch for next season. And Norma Bates is a character worth sticking around for! Should be noted there is a very violent sexual assault in the first episode as well as (mostly) emotional abuse throughout the show.

Request: I'd love your recs for classic horror movies, I love horror, but I have a hard time finding the right kind of horror movie for me sometimes. So rec away!

What are you planning to read and watch in October?