Fortnight of Fright: Book Recommendations by Anna

FoF2014

Hi, friends! Today we have Anna from A Literary Potion with some great spooky book recommendations! Take a look at what she has to offer and head over to Amy & Brittany’s blogs to see who they have featured today! Don’t forget, we are hosting wonderful bloggers & authors for two whole weeks with recipes, book recommendations and a lot more awesome!

October is the perfect time to curl up under a blanket with a hot chocolate to read a spooky book that will keep you awake into the small hours. I am a huge scaredy-cat, but by the time Hallowe’en comes back around, I have managed to convince myself to be brave and read a scary story. I’ve picked out three of my favourite books with spooky characters; a ghost, a vampire, and a long dead Welsh king.

Leaving Poppy by Kate Cann

This book genuinely terrified me the first time I read it. It is one of those perfect books where the fear just slowly creeps up on you. It plays on the fears we all have, creaking floorboards and out-of-place smells. The eponymous Poppy is a manipulative character but also very suggestable; she is one of the creepiest characters I have read about. The plot is not very fast-paced, but it works so well at building the fear and suspense. Kate Cann is one of my favourite authors, and so underappreciated.

Blood Sinister by Celia Rees

This is one of the best vampire stories I have ever read. The author has created a book with a similar chilling feel to the king of vampire books, Dracula. It is written from two viewpoints, in the present day and in the Victorian times, and the vampire crosses both time periods. It is so realistically written, no dramatic scenes, just a slow process of realisation of what is actually happening. If you want a slow building vampire book, look no further.

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

This book was slow to start off with but it got its claws into me and didn’t let go. I loved all the characters, especially Ronan. The friendship between the five main characters is one of my favourite things about this book, I love reading books about characters with strong friendships. The plot is mystical and magical, a perfect Hallowe’en book without the scares. It has a lovely, autumnal feel about it, the book is basically the equivalent of being cosy and warm in front of a log fire.