With a crepuscular gloom descending on the evenings as they slowly draw in and the rain pounding down on us all, October can sometimes seem a little dreary. Whilst the festive charms of Christmas are still a couple of months away, at the end of October beckons a flickering candle light inside a pumpkin of creepy chills and wicked fun as Halloween ends October with a ghoulish howl! Whether you prefer hiding beneath the covers with a bone chilling story or planning a wild night of Halloween fun, we have a selection of books to creep you out with their ghostly tales or to supply you with a veritable feast of Halloween treats.
Halloween: Pagan Festival to Trick or TreatMark Oxbrow
FAB Press, 9781903254127, p/b, £14.99
For anyone fascinated by the evolution of Halloween, this overview of Halloween’s history explains how this ancient Celtic festival progressed from its origin as All Hallows Day to its current incarnation of small children enjoying copious amounts of neighbourhood procured sweets whilst dressed as a ghost in a sheet.
Sweet Designs Amy Atlas
Hyperion, 9781401324407, p/b, £19.99
Amy Atlas’ Sweet Designs is a veritable smorgasbord of craft, cookery and home ideas for all year round. She has created a particularly gorgeous Halloween section with recipes for Wicked Pumpkin Cupcakes and Ghost Brownies as well as instructions on creating a Haunted Forest Tree to decorate the house with. With Amy as your guide a perfect Halloween party is guaranteed.
Body
Asa Nonami
Vertical, 9781934287378, p/b, £9.99
Halloween offers the perfect atmosphere of fear to scare yourself silly with some terrifying tales. These psychological horror stories will have you quivering under the covers at the slightest scrape of a branch against the window or an unexpected creak of the floorboards. This disturbing collection of horror stories by a master of gothic suspense explores people’s perceptions of their bodies.
Marvel Zombies 5Fred Van Lente & Kano
Marvel – US, 9780785147435, h/b, £18.99
If you prefer your horror comic book style – Marvel Zombiesis the perfect combination of mutant zombies terrorising a planet illustrated with Marvel’s typical panache. Zombies of the multiverse, watch your rotting backs! To obtain a cure for the zombie virus for Morbius the Living Vampire, Aaron Stack, Agent of ARMOR, must traverse alternate realities hunting down the plague in all its myriad forms…with a most unusual (but somehow oddly appropriate) partner!
Dog Trick or Cat Treat
Archie Klondike
ECW Press, 9781550228007, h/b, £8.99
For those who enjoy the inherent humorous opportunities of Halloween and approach it ripe with cheeky pranks and trick or treats, this collection of animals enjoying Halloween will tickle the fancy. Filled with humorous photos of pets dressed in Halloween costumes and then taken out Trick or Treating.