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Tuesday, October 27, 2020

Top Ten Tuesday: Chills and Thrills on My TBR List


With Halloween at the end of this week, it's no surprise that today's Top Ten Tuesday topic is a holiday freebie.  I don't know how you feel about Halloween, but it's not my favorite.  Although I'm all about candy (as long as it's chocolate), I've never been a fan of dressing up.  Just not my thing.  Ghost stories have always thrilled me, although truth be told, I'm a pretty big wimp when it comes to scary things!  In the past, my husband and I have spent Halloween evening sitting in our driveway handing out candy and visiting with neighbors while we supervised our kids' trick-or-treating efforts.  Now that our youngest is a month away from her 12th birthday, she's decided she wants to trick-or-treat with her friends in their neighborhood without any parents tagging along.  Fine by me.  Way I figure it, these unwanted parents will stick a bowl of candy on our porch, turn off the lights, and stay inside with popcorn and a scary-ish movie.  We'll see.  What about you?  Any big plans for Halloween?

Back in high school, I spent many nights hiding under my covers with a flashlight and a chilling horror novel.  The older I've gotten, though, the wussier I've become.  I still love me a shivery ghost story or a haunting Gothic thriller, as long as it's not too terrifying.  For my TTT list, I decided to highlight some of the creepy novels from 2020 and 2021 that are on my TBR list.  These are sure to give me a good fright!

Before we get to that, though, I want to give a shout out to our lovely host, Jana.  Click on over to That Artsy Reader Girl to give her blog some love and find out more about Top Ten Tuesday.

Top Ten Creepy 2020-2021 Books on My TBR List  


1.  The Haunting of Brynn Wilder by Wendy Webb—In search of a life reset, the titular character checks into a boardinghouse on the shores of Lake Superior for the summer.  There she finds camaraderie with a group of similarly lost souls.  Her peace is short-lived—soon she's hearing voices, being plagued by nightmares, and wondering what's inside the mysterious room at the end of the hall ...


2.  The Whispering House by Elizabeth Brooks—Haunted by the recent suicide of her sister, Freya Lyell decides to visit the place of her death.  When she enters mysterious Byrne Hall, she sees a portrait of her sister hanging on the wall.  Freya's never seen the picture and she knows her sister has never been to the house.  What is her sister's likeness doing in a house she's never been to?  What do its owners know about her death?  What dark secrets is the house hiding?


3.  The Shadow in the Glass by J.J.A. Harwood (coming March 18, 2021)—In this dark Cinderella retelling, a miserable maid finds her only solace in the bewitching library inside her stepfather's home.  One night as she's lost in her world of books, her fairy godmother appears to grant her seven wishes.  Each comes with a price—how much is Ella willing to risk for a magical respite from her many troubles?


4.  Don't Tell a Soul by Kirsten Miller (coming January 26, 2021)—I read Rebecca earlier this year and was seriously underwhelmed, but this modern-day YA version still sounds compelling.  It concerns Bram, a young woman who goes to live with her grieving uncle in an effort to escape her old life.  The old mansion he's renovating is seriously creepy and the town he lives in is filled with suspicious, unwelcoming people who tell chilling tales about missing girls associated with her uncle's manor house.  Is the place haunted?  Should Bram be wary of her strange uncle?


5.  The Nesting by C.J. Cooke—Set in Norway, this Gothic thriller sounds absolutely terrifying!  It concerns a nanny who takes a job watching two young children while their father finishes building his dream home on an isolated fjord near a deep, looming forest.  When strange things start happening in the house, the nanny begins to suspect that the kids' dead mother might not be as dead as they all supposed ...


6.  Girls of Brackenhill by Kate Moretti—When her aunt dies in a car accident, a woman travels to the Catskills to help the woman's dying husband.  Being there brings back haunting memories of a troubling disappearance sixteen years ago.  As the woman digs into the past, disturbing family secrets start coming to light.


7.  The Lost Village by Camilla Sten (coming March 23, 2021)—People have been mysteriously vanishing from an old mining town for years.  Alice, a documentary filmmaker, is obsessed with the place and wants to make a movie about it.  When she takes a crew to the village, strange things start to occur.  Can they figure out what happened to all the missing townspeople before they become the next ones to vanish without a trace?  


8.  It Will Just Be Us by Jo Kaplan—A crumbling mansion on the edge of a swamp, Sam Wakefield's ancestral home is a decaying pile built by her mad ancestors.  Already full of ghosts, the house shifts when Sam's pregnant sister moves in.  A new ghost haunts the mansion's corridors.  What does it want?  And why is it leading Sam toward a mysterious forgotten room?  Actually, this one might be a little too creepy for me ...


9.  The Ancestor by Danielle Trussoni—When Alberta Monte receives a letter informing her that she's inherited not just a title but also a castle in Italy, she's skeptical but curious.  She'll take any chance to learn more about her mysterious family.  Soon, she discovers that her ancestry is much darker than she ever imagined.


10.  The Initial Insult by Mindy McGinnis (coming February 3, 2021)—I enjoy McGinnis' dark YA novels, so I'm excited for her newest.  The first in a planned duology, it concerns Tress Montor, a teen whose whole life changed when her parents disappeared while taking her best friend home one night.  Desperate for answers, Tress uses a raucous Halloween costume party as a cover for forcing her former bestie to come clean about what really happened that night.  Sounds intriguing!

Spooky books aren't on the menu for me this Halloween since I'm deep into middle-grade reading for the Cybils Awards, but I'm hoping to get to these chilling reads at some soonish point.  Have you read any of them?  What did you think?  Are you reading anything creepy this Halloween?  I'd truly love to know.  Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on yours. 

Happy TTT!   

65 comments:

  1. I LOVE the covers from The Whispering House and The Ancestors. I need to check these out.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Same. Put an old, mysterious house on a book cover and it's pretty much a guarantee that I will pick it up!

      Thanks for coming by, Diane!

      Delete
  2. Halloween is my favourite holiday of the year! I, too, enjoy ghost stories. :)

    My post.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Halloween is my least favorite major holiday, but I do love a good ghost story!

      Thanks for stopping by, Lydia!

      Delete
  3. The Ancestor has actually been on my TBR for a while - maybe it’s time I actually got a copy and read it? Great list!

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Has it? I just barely heard about it, but it definitely sounds like my kind of book. I hope we both love it.

      Thanks for coming by, Leah!

      Delete
  4. These look really spooky! Great choices for Halloween!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Some of them might actually be a little too spooky! We'll see.

      Thanks for stopping by, M.T.!

      Delete
  5. I love Halloween because I love to dress up. And it's the day before my birthday. Scary stuff? I think not.

    Thanks for sharing all these interesting titles.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My birthday's a few days before Christmas and that's my favorite holiday. Coincidence?? Maybe not ...

      Thanks for coming by, Deb!

      Delete
  6. I totally relate to getting older and enjoying scary less and less! I love the chocolate but not dressing up! Great post today!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm definitely getting wimpier in my old age! And, same, I'm all about the chocolate but I hate dressing up.

      Thanks for stopping by!

      Delete
  7. I love how creepy and yet stunning these covers are. Now I have some new books to add to my TBR :) I used to love dressing up for Halloween and even did it with my kids, but now... yeah, no. I hope you have a relaxing Halloween!

    Here's my post: https://www.nbiblioholic.com/2020/10/toptentuesday-halloween-freebie.html

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You're a better mom than I am! I always went trick-or-treating with them as exactly what I am - a mom. No costume needed :)

      Thanks for coming by, Natalie!

      Delete
  8. I love Halloween, but I'm not the biggest fan of scary horror stories. But just a little creepy can be perfect :) The Haunting of Brynn Wilder sounds like the perfect Halloween vibe.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Exactly! I like reading creepy novels any time of year, but they are especially fun at Halloween time.

      Thanks for stopping by, Lindsey!

      Delete
  9. It Will Just Be Us is one of my favourite books from this year - it is amazing x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, good! I'm glad it's as good as it sounds. I can't wait to read it.

      Thanks for coming by!

      Delete
  10. I am surprised to hear that people are going door-to-door this year. I loved living down south, where they didn't really do Halloween. The churches had fall festivals instead. That cover for Don't Tell a Soul creeps me out every time I see it, and McGinnis is just scary in general

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. As far as I know, things are proceeding around here as usual. Ish. Not as many carnivals and trunk-or-treat type activities are going on and I doubt we'll get as many trick-or-treaters as we normally do. We'll see.

      Thanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Sam!

      Delete
  11. I love all the covers on these! Really like the sound of The Ancestor too

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I read a lot of someone-learns-they've-inherited-a-haunted-house type books, but never one set in Italy. It doesn't seem like a very creepy setting, so we'll see!

      Thanks for stopping by!

      Delete
  12. Ooh...I like Wendy Webb. I'll have to look for The Haunting of Brynn Wilder. (The rest of the books on your list look really good, too.)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I read one by her a few years ago that I really didn't love. This one sounds much better. We'll see.

      Thanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Lark!

      Delete
  13. Ooh, great list! The Shadow in the Glass looks like one I'll have to read. :) Happy Halloween!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It sounds like a fun read, doesn't it? I'm excited to see if it lives up to its very intriguing premise.

      Thanks for stopping by, Hayden!

      Delete
  14. Oh my word!! These all sound amazing and will be added to my TBR.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm glad you found some titles to pique your interest. I hope we both love all these :)

      Thanks for coming by, Holly!

      Delete
  15. These all look thrilling. I haven't read any of them. Happy Halloween!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I agree. I'm excited for all of these. I hope they're as good as they sound!

      Thanks for stopping by, Deanna!

      Delete
  16. Hallo, Hallo Susan,

    It has been half an age since I've been able to travel round to visit with everyone; I've been struck down heavily in Spring & Summer this year with migraines whilst this past week I've been dealing with the grievious loss of 40+ year old cedar trees struck down for senseless progress and contruction for a project NO ONE will use as they have never needed it; so my emotions have been taxed. I'm hoping as we shift into November and Wintry months I can start visiting with better frequency as thankfully I will be feeling better than I have most of the year til now. Its been a long hard year for my family overall and it has been that way for many but I am just thankful I keep surfacing on my blog to be honest and inked out a bit of joy along the way too.

    I appreciated seeing your comment pop up on today's Top Ten Tuesday as I switched things up a bit and did a creative topic for a blog tour - I felt the topic was spookified for the season and as I love ghost stories, its a regular theme I explore on my blog, too.

    I LOVE Halloween - always have! I miss dressing up and sorting out my costume whilst I love now as an adult I can try mixed drinks which bartenders create for the holiday, too! I had a delightful cocktail a few years ago and I'm at a loss to remember what its called!? I renamed it though after a vampire! lol

    I do love a good Cosy Horror, Contemporary or Historical Thriller and other chilling reads but honestly the ones you've selected are a bit too much for me to handle! Eesh. You really like that kind of chill! I just like it in a different way!

    I will be revealling more posts leading into Halloween which play off my favourite themes for this time of year whilst trying to get all my #SpooktasticReads posts released - I had a shoddy connection last week and my connectivity isn't really improving this week but I'm trying to get through it the best I can. I had plans to release posts each day but the last several days I've just been emotionally spent over the trees and felt a bit sick in the process.

    Thank you for continuing to support me and my Top Ten Tuesday posts! I hope you'll find another book to read through the ones I'll be blogging about soon.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know you've had a rough year and I'm so sorry! And tree-cutting to boot. So sad. I love trees :(

      Honestly, some of the books I listed might be too scary for me as well. We'll see. I liked to be a little scared/unsettled but not absolutely terrified. I need to be able to sleep at night, you know??

      I'll check back to see all your Halloween posts. I'm sure you'll recommend some great reads.

      Hang in there, my friend! Thanks for coming by and making MY day :)

      Delete
  17. This is the second year in a row that our girls have been gone on Halloween. It's still weird.

    Great list. The Whispering House, The Nesting, and The Lost Village all sounds amazing.

    Thanks for sharing and for visiting my blog.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah, we're definitely entering a new era. My oldest is moving out this week, my second is away at college, my third is 15 and hasn't gone trick-or-treating in years, and now my 11-year-old has decided to go "just for a little while" with friends. Definitely weird.

      Thanks for stopping by, Cheryl!

      Delete
  18. Being an "unwanted" sounds pretty fun! We aren't doing very much but hopefully it will be fun. I love your book choices! Definitely some thrills and chills (maybe a bit too many for me!)! I have The Ancestor on my TBR. It looks like an interesting one.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Ha ha. It's a bittersweet experience! I'm feeling quite unwanted lately with my oldest kids off on their own :( I keep reminding myself that they're SUPPOSED to be leaving and moving on with their independent, adult lives.

      THE ANCESTOR does sound good. I'm excited to see what it's all about.

      Thanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Katherine!

      Delete
  19. I love costumes! When I sign up for 5K "runs" (I'm a jogger at best), I will pretty much only sign up if I get to dress up. I guess you can tell where my priorities lie!

    These books look plenty spooky to me! The Shadow in the Glass in particular catches my eye. I love a good fairy tale retelling. I do love Rebecca so Don't Tell a Soul looks good too.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. It seems like costumes and dressing up are sort of an all in or all out kind of thing. Either you love it or you hate it, you know?

      THE SHADOW IN THE GLASS sounds super intriguing to me. I love the idea of being granted chances at different experiences/lives. I hope we both love it!

      Thanks for stopping by, Jen!

      Delete
  20. I am so not a horror or scary book reader! I freak myself out too easily. But, I do like dressing up for Halloween :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I can't read the kind of horror I used to read. These days, I don't want anything too gruesome or disturbing. Ghosts, yes. Gore, no thanks!

      Thanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Helen!

      Delete
  21. Ooh I love a good scary read this time of year! And that sounds like a fun way to spend Halloween. :) Anyway, the Webb book I didn't realize was set on Lake Superior. And Moretti's book sounds good too!

    ReplyDelete
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    1. For us, Halloween is usually all about community. We visit with neighbors while we hand out candy and walk around with the kids while they trick-or-treat. It will definitely be different this year!

      Thanks for stopping by, Greg!

      Delete
  22. The Shadow in the Glass sounds good. At the same time, it also doesn't seem like a horror book.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No, it's not a horror novel. It was described as "dark," though, so I figured it fit the Halloween vibe :)

      Thanks for coming by, Brooke!

      Delete
  23. I was never a fan of dressing up either. It was really neat to see extravagant costumes, and it was a nice phase when I was really young and could fit princess dresses and such, but as I got older, honestly I'd just put on some black sweats and some cat ears and go with that...Not the greatest idea, but still acceptable to get some candy, so it was enough. Haha. As for the books, I don't like horror, but I love retellings, so The Shadow in the Glass has got me *very* interested.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Ha ha. Same. I liked seeing other people's costumes (still do), but I just don't like dressing up myself. As a kid, I knew I had to dress up to get candy, so it was a necessary evil. LOL. Ya do what ya gotta do for chocolate!

      Thanks for stopping by, Holliehocks!

      Delete
  24. I had to laugh. The one time I do a twist on the TTT, you follow the subject. LOL
    I think "The Ancestor" could interest me. Thanks.

    And thanks for visiting my TTT earlier.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ha ha. I wasn't feeling very creative this week, so no twist!

      THE ANCESTOR seems to have piqued lots of interest. Hopefully, it's a good read for all of us.

      Thanks, as always, for stopping by, Marianne!

      Delete
    2. The longer I participate in TTT, the more twists I might do. LOL

      And it's always a pleasure to see your posts and "talk" to you.

      Delete
  25. Hey - thanks for dropping by my site & introducing yourself. I like your site. I'm a wimp about scary books and I don't read many. You have a good list here though. I'm trying to read some Shirley Jackson this week for Halloween but I'm feeling distracted. Hope you have a nice evening -- on Halloween! We just pass out candy ... & watch a movie / the usual.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. My pleasure! I'm always excited to find great new book blogs to follow. You have a lovely Halloween, too :)

      Thanks for coming by and commenting, Susan!

      Delete
  26. Oh, Don't Tell A Souls looks so creepy and interesting!! I used to love a lot of things when I was younger and the older I get the more of a chicken I become!! I used to love scary movies but they became too gory and I was out!

    Great list and Happy Tuesday!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Same. I just can't handle a lot of them anymore. I'm old and need my sleep - no nightmares, please! I can handle spooky, just not TOO spooky :)

      Thanks for stopping by, Leslie!

      Delete
  27. The Girls of Brackenhill was my Amazon First Reads choice for the month! It sounds so good. :)

    ReplyDelete
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    1. It does, doesn't it? I'm excited to see what I think. I hope we both love it!

      Thanks for coming by, Dedra!

      Delete
  28. We don't celebrate Halloween in South Africa, so no dressing up or trick or treat. You also won't be able to leave a bowl of candy under the porch light. Bowl, candy and light will be gone within 30 minutes.

    Most of your selection has the haunted mansion vibe. Love those. As long as there's someone with me in my own friendly house, I'll go for it!

    Thanks for visiting our blog, we love seeing you there!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's so sad that things get stolen off porches where you live :( It's very American to have things on your porch or balcony, like decorations, chairs, tables, plants/flowers, etc. My kids and their friends like to leave their bikes and scooters on the porch as well. I'm sure there are places where things would get stolen, but my neighborhood is gated and very safe. There's hardly any property crime, thank goodness.

      Yes, I'm all about creepy houses (in fiction, anyway). I do like to read them during the daytime and/or when there are other people in the house, though - otherwise, I'll be jumping at every little noise!

      Thanks for stopping by, Elza!

      Delete
  29. I was personally disappointed in Brynn Wilder but LOVED Brackenhill. I hope you love them both!

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Hm, good to know. I didn't realize when I made this post that I actually have read a book by Wendy Webb before. It was years ago, but it got a C- from me! Hm. I wonder if I'll like her newest any better? I'm glad BRACKENHILL is a good one.

      Thanks for coming by, Sarah!

      Delete
  30. Susan, I have never been a big fan of Halloween either. I think an early night in with one of these spooky books, sounds much better than trick or treating! 😉

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Same! An early night in with a good book sounds like my idea of a perfect evening, no matter what time of year :) I'm a big party pooper.

      Thanks for stopping by, Jessica!

      Delete
  31. I didn’t know there was a new Mindy McGinnis book coming out! I need to read that one for sure.

    Aj @ Read All The Things!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. McGinnis publishes so often it's hard to keep up with her! I hadn't heard about this one until I Googled 2020 YA releases. I'm glad it's on my radar now because it sounds really good.

      Thnks for coming by, AJ!

      Delete
  32. Oh, I didn't know there was a new Wendy Webb! I had a few from her backlist still waiting, but this one looks more exciting, haha.

    Also I am definitely here to read a YA retelling of Rebecca! Honestly, all of these look good; you have great taste in creepy books.

    ReplyDelete
  33. My son has just hit that "I'm too cool to treat or treat" phase and it, in addition to COVID, definitely made this a weird Halloween for us. We handed out a little bit of candy but then spent the rest of the evening watching Harry Potter films, lol. Great list of books you've got here though. That Mindy McGinniss one has been on my radar too. It sounds so good.

    ReplyDelete

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