I’m late to the game on this piece this year. I get that. My bad. We’re only a couple of weeks away from Halloween, and I’m not giving you much of a leash with this year’s book recommendations. For planners like me, this is a nightmare. I share that anxiety. By the time you actually order a book at this point, it’s going to restrict the time you have to read it before Halloween. These things can take a few days if not longer. So, how I’ll spin it then is that I’ll offer up three recommendations for quick reads…stuff that you should be able to knock out in a weekend even if you only end up having one weekend to work with. Hell, a couple of these, you can probably knock out in a single afternoon. We just may be able to salvage this annual SoBros Network piece after all.
Spooky Season Book Recommendations, 2025
Harvest Home by Thomas Tryon – If you’re all about setting, Tryon takes his sweet ass time in building out the setting in this one. Personally, I like it. It’s a slow-burn world-building that really fleshes out the characters that inhabit the story. It feels like fall in upstate New York. By the time we get to the climax of this story, the pace quickens, and shit gets off the rails in a hurry. It’s a cool story that flirts with folk horror. I found this book after watching The Witch and Googling “folk horror style books.” It fits the bill.
Cycle of the Werewolf by Stephen King – As easy and as quintessentially Halloween as it gets. This is practically a novella, but it has all of the hallmarks of classic Stephen King. It should be a breeze. I think I read it it in three sittings. There’s no better time to read this one – it’s creepy, the plot is winding, and in its own way, it feels incredibly festive…think about it in a “Universal Studios monster movie” sense.
Beast by Paul Kingsnorth – So beautifully written, Beast is a descent into madness that makes you feel a little less sane with each passing chapter. You never really know if the beast is lurking or if the beast resides within. It’s lower on the pure Halloween vibes than the other two recommendations this year, but it is certainly moody in its own right.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, second on Football & Other F Words, analyst for Stacking The Inbox, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD, #BeBetter, and ‘Minds right, asses tight.’ “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, the NFL Draft, Nashville, Yankee Candle, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley.
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