Books to Check Out: What I Read in October 2022

It’s my favorite time of year. October is for all things spooky: monsters, ghosts, foul play, and so on. Horror books are some of my favorites, and this month gave me three unbelievably fun reads. And everyone needs some spooky book recs, am I right?

For Your Own Good by Samantha Downing

Oooooh give me spicy characters, give them to me! For Your Own Good is the tale of one teacher’s dark tendencies spiraling into a vortex that sucks in everyone around him. This teacher, Teddy, is such a fascinating character. I love how Downing describes his thought process as things get worse. He wants things to be a certain way, and the lengths he goes to in order to achieve his goals and justify his actions are mind boggling. He was fantastic.

The story really kicks off after the death of a parent on school property, and it absolutely skyrockets from there. Every twist and new development had me losing my mind, and the ending was something I didn’t see coming. Each character has a distinct voice, and their arcs in reaction to the police, to violence, to treachery, all of it felt fresh and exciting.

This was a thrilling and dark read. Full disclosure I read through it in one night. Also it’s my first five star book in a while, so you can imagine how good this one is.

Stephen King: A Complete Exploration of His Work, Life, and Influences by Bev Vincent

Here’s a fun fact; I’ve read everything by Stephen King. Ok, not everything, like The Plant, or that book he wrote about the Red Sox, but you get the picture. He’s one of my biggest influences and I consume his books the moment they hit the shelves. In September, Bev Vincent delivered this incredible book detailing his life with pictures, behind the scenes looks at all his books, and a well told story about the King of Horror.

It's a perfect read for the season. I loved getting little tidbits about where he got his ideas for iconic stories, and which books he prefers more than others. Personally, everything about the Dark Tower series was so exciting to learn. The Dark Tower is my favorite series of all time (another recommendation for you, given that it spans seven books and has literally every genre you can think of) and time was spent on each volume. When I tell you this book looks into everything King has written, I mean it. It’s all in here. For even a passing Stephen King fan, this is essential. For someone looking for an interesting biography…you know what I’ll say it’s essential for you too. Go read it!

Nothing but Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw

Horror stories told in short novella form are a treat. It leaves no room for fluff. We get our characters, our setting, and then we jump right into the scary ghosts hiding in the dark recesses of the story. Blackened Teeth is the story of a group of friends venturing into a haunted mansion in Japan, and the terrible secrets and ghosts that are revealed there.

No more spoilers or anything from me on this one; it’s short enough for you to get the gist immediately. What this story does so well is deliver the chills and the horror of what it’s like to be stuck in this nightmare scenario while also offering a bit of comedy. There’s a slight self-awareness from the characters, particularly our deadpan yet captivating narrator. They recognize that this is a horror-movie-type scenario, so it leads to some choices being made that make sense but still land them in the heart of danger. The matter-of-fact tone also lends itself well to a tight, well told story with devastating consequences. Also, this book has one of the creepiest covers I’ve ever seen, and you’ll have to pick it up the moment you see it.

There’s never a bad time to read spooky books, in my humble opinion. Hopefully you get time to read something that gives you chills. Happy reading!

Check out September’s recs here.