Episode Overview
Welcome to the first Spooktober episode of 2026! We share spooky book and movie recommendations for all ages—ranging from cute, lighthearted Halloween picture books for young children to terrifying horror reads and classic films for adult patrons.
Featured Books & Resources
Children & Middle-Grade Books
- Creepy Series (Creepy Carrots!, Creepy Pair of Underwear!, Creepy Crayon!) by Aaron Reynolds – Fun, slightly eerie picture books with cute endings perfect for ages 3–7.
- Super Scary Narwhal (Narwhal and Jelly Series) by Ben Clanton – A cute, lighthearted graphic novel centered around Halloween costumes for readers ages 7–10.
- Small Spaces by Katherine Arden – A legitimately scary, highly rated middle-grade supernatural thriller set in rural Vermont for older readers.
Horror Movies Mentioned
- Angel Heart (1987) – Starring Mickey Rourke, Robert De Niro, and Lisa Bonet; a dark murder mystery set in New Orleans.
- The Mist (2007) – Directed by Frank Darabont and based on Stephen King’s novella, featuring a famously shocking ending.
- The Funhouse Massacre (2015) – A classic, gory special-effects horror film starring Robert Englund.
- The Collector (2009) – A suspenseful horror film from the writers of the Saw franchise.
- Bone Tomahawk (2015) – A tense and violent western horror starring Kurt Russell.
- Black Mountain Side (2014) – An atmospheric psychological horror inspired by John Carpenter’s The Thing.
- The Autopsy of Jane Doe (2016) – Starring Emile Hirsch and Brian Cox; a creepy, claustrophobic supernatural thriller set inside a family-owned mortuary.
New Adult Fiction & Thrillers
- You First by Caroline Kepnes – A dark prequel to the popular YOU series following Joe Goldberg’s origin story, first obsession, and first kill.
- Backstabbers by Sarah Frances Moran – A pulse-pounding slasher thriller about three friends lost in a serial killer’s old hunting ground.
- The Friend of the Family by Dean Koontz – A atmospheric novel set in Depression-era America following a girl with mysterious abilities traveling with a carnival.
