Top Ten Books/Movies To Read/Watch To Get In The Halloween Spirit

This week's Top Ten Tuesday (a meme by The Broke and The Bookish) is pulling double duty by including my picks for scary books/movies/TV for Horror October.  

Books/Movies/TV To Get In The Halloween Spirit 

Books

I don't read much straight up horror, but I do tend to read post apocalyptic / disaster books at times and have a few I'd recommend for anyone looking for something scary this week: 

1. Justin Cronin's The Passage: This book had me so engrossed/terrified on my first read that at one unfortunate point my poor cat Sophie jumped up next to me in bed, and I scared us both by jumping out of bed and screaming (because that'd keep the creepy vampires away, right?). The next in the series (The Twelve) is just as good, but I am still trying to get over the fact that they moved the publication date for the final book in the trilogy to 2015. 

2. M. R. Carey's Girl with All the Gifts: My full review can be found here. I think this different take on a post-apocalyptic world could be perfect for Halloween. 

3. Max Brook's World War Z: If you haven't seen the abomination that is the movie by the same name, don't. But read this book. WWZ contains interview-type stories from survivors of the world's zombie war, and is really fantastically poignant at times (so, not all scares). 

4. Stephen King & Peter Straub's The Talisman: I read this novel earlier in the year as it has tie-ins to the Dark Tower, but it is definitely something that can be read alone. It follows a cross country (and cross dimension) journey of a boy, Jack, for a mysterious item to help heal his mom. Jack's journey was depressing and distressing and horrifying at times, but I found the ending really superb, and this time of year would be perfect for reading it. The sequel (Black House) is on my to-read list. 

5. Gillian Flynn's Sharp Objects: I think that Flynn's great talent is crafting thrillers with disturbing but well crafted female characters who are not the victims. I actually liked Sharp Objects one more so than Gone Girl, but either is a good choice for creep factor.

Movies

Maybe it is because I am just so easy to scare, but I am not much on the horror / gore movie thing. Unless it is funny/wittty, and then sure! Here are my picks for scary movies:



6. The Cabin in the Woods: You think you know what is going to happen in this movie, but you don't. I'm planning on watching this one again this week while getting ready for Halloween. 

7. Tucker and Dale vs. Evil: Hillbillies and chainsaws and college kids... in not your usual combination for horror. Lots of gore, but hilarity. 

8. Shaun of the Dead: This was my introduction to Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, and probably the one zombie movie I can actually watch more than once. 

TV Episodes

I watch old shows. By that I mean I'm very rarely caught up with the latest season of anything, but I do usually catch up at the end (if I haven't been spoiled by everyone else). I've watched some of the Walking Dead and American Horror Story (and you guessed it -- both gave me nightmares), but here are some scary selections from a few of my favorite shows that you might not immediately attribute with horror. 

9. Doctor Who: S1 Ep 9 The Empty Child. S3  Ep 10 Blink. S4 Ep 8/9 Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead. S4 Ep 10 Midnight
I love Doctor Who for all it's goof, but these are a few of my favorite scary episodes. If you have time for only one, watch Blink. And then try and not notice all the angel statues everywhere. EVERYWHERE.

10. Supernatural: S1 Ep 5 Bloody Mary. S3 Ep 2 The Kids Are Alright. S4 Ep 11 Family Remains
I am such a wimp that I spent much of the first season watching this show with a pillow in my lap to hide behind at moments. These three episodes scared me more than most. 



Have any favorite books, movies, or tv shows that you recommend for Halloween scares? Leave them in the comments below!