Someone recently told me that the reason I have so much anxiety is because I read so many dark, horror books and I explained that studies prove that reading horror can actually be good for your resilience and empathy and give you a safe outlet to process emotions. And I added that I’ve had overactive anxiety since I was child. And then I remembered that I started reading Stephen King in Elementary School so maybe that last part isn’t as valid, but still…I love a good horror movie or book and October is a great month for it.
This month in NEW BOOKS YOU SHOULD READ I’m recommending these little jewels:
The Hong Kong Widow by Kristen Loesch : In 1950s Hong Kong, a young refugee of the Chinese Communist revolution struggling to put her past in Shanghai behind her. When she receives a shocking invitation— a competition in one of the city’s most notorious haunted houses, pitting six spirit mediums against one another in a series of six séances over six nights, until a winner emerges. I liked it so much I picked it for the Nightmares from Nowhere Book Club (which you should totally join if you are a horror freak like me.)
Happy People Don’t Live Here by Amber Sparks : In this darkly funny gothic tale, a reclusive mother and her saturnine daughter move into a haunted building brimming with eccentrics—and secrets. A cozy supernatural for those who love eerie without being terrifying. If you’re a member of the Fantastic Strangelings Book Club (join us!) you’ll be getting this book in the mail.
Replaceable You by Mary Roach : You’d think a non-fiction read about human anatomy might be dry but this is one of my favorite books of the year. If you like funny but dark and fascinating stories, this one is for you.
Pick a Color by Souvankham Thammavongsa : A day-in-the-life novel about loneliness, love, labor, and class, an intimate and sharply written book following a nail salon owner as she toils away for the privileged clients who don’t even know her true name.
The Creeping Hand Murder by Maureen Johnson and Jay Cooper : Seven people receive mysterious letters. Someone knows their terrible secrets. They are summoned to a posh townhouse where one is stabbed right in front of the others, but somehow no one saw a thing. Can you help Scotland Yard solve the mystery?
Intemperance by Sonora Jha : a middle-aged woman starts a firestorm when she holds a contest, based on an ancient Indian ritual, in which men must compete to win her affections in this satirical feminist folktale.
Which one calls to you most?