All Lit Up’s own Tan Light has compiled an Off/Kilter reading list for those celebrating The Day of the Dead, or for folks who just don’t believe the occasion to read scary books ends on October 31.
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ALU Editor
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Read on for our Off/Kilter Day of the Dead book picks:
Part ghost story, part Groundhog Day. What the Dog Knows is the charming tale of Naomi and her late dog, Diesel, who are stuck reliving the day that Naomi drowns. Can Diesel save his best friend?
The Loneliness of the Time Traveller is a time-slip novel of ghostly possession, set in contemporary Los Angeles and eighteenth-century London. A pull from the spirit and the mind, providing a healthy serving of social criticism.
Join Phil, who wakes up in the middle of a cemetery, only to discover he’s been dead for a few months. At first Phil comedically makes sense of his predicament, but then the reality of being dead for a few months takes a dark turn when he’s confronted by what has happened. Earthbound is a graphic story of friendship, trust, and infidelity.
Still Me is a mix of magic realism and sport, joining James as his best fairway moments flash before his eyes, and he finds himself in a game where the stakes couldn’t be higher.
A Montrealer in mourning returns to Tokyo, only to be swept up in a new entanglement. The Ghost of Suzuko touches on past and present love, as well as what it means to miss home.
The Death of Annie the Water Witcher by Lightning by Audrey J. Whitson (NeWest Press; paperback, epub)
When Annie Gallagher is struck by lightning while divining water for a well, stories of the town’s past slowly pour forth as everyone gathers for her funeral. Audrey J. Whitson has written a novel of hard choices and magical necessity told through the voices of the townspeople and Annie herself.
October and her crew of ghostly investigators solve a series of mysteries in Sticksville. When the Sticksville Central High School’s beloved French teacher dies it is up to the The Dead Kid Agency to uncover the case, taking them on a whirlwind of adventure.
These are chilling tales – perfect for reading aloud by the fireside on a cold winter’s night. Collected stories from Newfoundland and Labrador throughout the years, you’re sure to find something to send a shiver down your spine.
If you’re trying to bridge the gap between Halloween and Christmas, check out the beautiful little volumes in the “A Ghost Story for Christmas” series from Biblioasis.
