I started this post on October 1st but it’s taken me a few days to find some new content to share with you. October already? That means — Spooky season has officially begun! Next to Christmas, this is my favorite holiday/celebration of the entire year. My mum loved decorating the house when we were kids and we would all take turns handing out Halloween candy. We used to count how many kids we’d have. By 8 or 9 pm, the doorbell would stop ringing and we’d close the door, turn off the lights and that’s when my favorite part of the night started.
My mum wasn’t a fan of gory slasher movies, and neither am I to be honest, but we LOVED watching spooky movies about ghosts, or anything supernatural related. We would watch a lot of the classic movies together as well.
So, for this month’s Good Reads recommendations, I’m focusing on classic horror (TV shows, movies and books). There’s so many good shows and movies that I may do a series of posts for you over the next few months.
Every year as an adult, I adopted the tradition of watching scary movies every night in the last week of October. I’d line up about four or five movies for Halloween night that I watch every year. Some years I’ve done two week long marathons. This year, I’m attempting to start the marathon now.
I’ve already binged watched a bunch of original Twilight Zone episodes, finished watching Lucifer, and have moved onto True Blood – which is such a cheesy but fun show to watch.
So, without further ado, here are my top 5 recommendations for Spooky Good Reads.
Remember: my recommendations aren’t just about books. They also include movies, tv shows, podcasts and all forms of digital media.
Only Murders in the Building
I’m starting the list off with a new tv show called Only Murders in the Building. I’ve watched a couple of episodes and I’m really loving the vibe so far. It’s like modern horror mixed in with classic horror. Why is that? Because it stars two of my long-time favorite comedians, Martin Short and Steve Martin. This classic duo has starred in some of my favorite movies over the years like Parenthood, It’s Complicated, Inner Space. But to keep the show fresh and attract a younger audience, we also have the talented Selena Gomez in the main cast.
The main premise:
All three characters live in the same building but other than spotting each other in the lobby or elevator, they don’t really know each other. That is, until one night, there is a grizzly murder in the building and the residents are forced out of the building for a few hours. The hilarious trio happened to pass by each other in restaurant and connect instantly over a shared interest – a podcast about true crime.
I loved the episodes I watched. It’s on my to watch list and is available on Hulu (for US customers) or Disney Plus for those of us in Canada. Guess that means I’m renewing my membership! Only a few episodes have been released, so I’m waiting until I can binge watch the show.
I can’t think of another show except maybe Supernatural, that gives so much to fans and fan fictions. Because let’s be honest, who doesn’t love a good “who done it” story?
The Twilight Zone
This show right here is what got me hooked onto sci-fi and horror as a young teen. As an 80’s kid, I grew up watching the reboot which is so cheesy to watch now. But as I got older, I started watching the original show from the 1950’s and now it has become one of my favorite shows of all time. The Twilight Zone is like the OG of sci-fi shows. Other cult hits like Supernatural and X-files were inspired by old episodes of the The Twilight Zone.
This show has been remade several times but nothing beats the original one that aired from 1959-64 and was hosted by Rod Serling. I’ve seen some episodes so many times that I’ve almost got the opening scene memorized by heart. I’m such a huge fan, and sci-fi nerd, that I’ve seen most of the episodes from the 80’s show, the 2000’s show and have even listened to podcasts and radio drama (dramatized reenactments).
I have never sat down to watch all of the episodes of the original series. I usually would just pick a few favorites. I’m about 1/2 of the way through season one – and there are so many episodes to get through. This challenge might take a few months.
In the original series, there are 5 seasons but there are like 156 episodes all together. That’s a lot of tv to watch.
Many of the episodes still hold up today while some are so cheesy to watch. But if you’re looking to watch the OG of sci-fi shows, then you must revisit this classic. I’m sharing my favorite episode with you – The Living Doll which still creeps me out today. I might do a separate post on my favorite episodes as I rewatch them.
Similar shows
If you love the OG Twilight Zone, then you might consider checking out shows like The Outer Limits, Alfred Hitchcock Presents and Night Gallery. These are all one off episodes with great story telling – so it doesn’t matter if you miss a few here and there. A modern day version of the show would be Black Mirror. I tried watching it and wasn’t crazy about it. I did however appreciate the episode with Miley Cyrus which is rumoured to be about Britney Spears.
If you’re a Stephen King fan, which I was as a teen, then you might appreciate the 80’s movie that has many stars like John Lithgow and Dan Ackroyd. This is one of my must watch movies for Halloween.
And as usual 80’s fashion, the special effects in this movie are generally laughable. But, it’s The Twilight Zone and one of my faves. The segment with John Lithgow on the plane is just good acting all around.
Podcasts: In the Dark (true crime)
These days, everyone has a podcast. And I mean, everyone. I don’t know how these celebrities find the time to go on each other’s show because there are so many of them now. I think the pandemic made celebs realize they could cash in on what us little people started.
Because everyone seems to have a podcast, it’s hard to find a really good one that stands out from the rest. And so, in keeping up with spooky suggestions, I thought I’d turn to one of the more popular true crime podcasts. According to TikTok, true crime podcasts are all the rage and even inspired the show I shared above with Selena Gomez.
So for this month, I’m going to share a separate post with my podcast recommendations. I’m listening to No Sleep Stories right now. If you’re a Reddit user, you’ll know what no sleep means. I’ve listened to a few of these and the dramatization is decent. But be careful when you listen to them! You might not be able to sleep after listening.
Books: separate post coming soon
Throughout the 90’s, Stephen King was an author that got me through life in general. I was a chubby and teen young teen who was still struggling to keep up in all my classes. The only classes I really did well in was English and Music. I did fairly well in languages in general so French was another good class.
I discovered solace in the form of books and would spend most of my Friday nights at the library. I would walk over to the library or take the bus after school on a Friday night and come home with a stack of books. I’d have the stack finished by Monday and this became my weekly routine. I loved reading. I couldn’t get enough of books. And one of my favorite authors at the time for horror was Stephen King. By age fourteen, I had read almost all of his books that was available at the time. I really regret giving away my book collection. I had SO many of them!
There are way too many spooky books to share with you, so I think I’m going to do a whole separate post. Just a reminder that my Good Reads recommendations include all media – movies, tv shows, podcasts, audiobooks.
I got my Good Reads account back up and running so you can follow me there. We could also start a book or movie club as I get more into reading. I signed up for Kindle again and have been reading a little every day on my phone. I think for Christmas, I’ll get a cheaper tablet instead of an Ipad for reading so I can stretch out on the couch too or read from anywhere.
As for future posts, expect more recommendations in coming weeks. I’m discovering new podcasts and things to do to pass the time. I’m also trying to spend less time in the evenings on the computer so this is a great way to pass the time.
What are you listening to or reading right now? Let me know in the comments and I can add them to a master list!
Goodreads – check out the books I’ve read
Previous months
- My Christmas reading list – 2020
- February Good Reads – 2021
- August Good Reads – 2021
- Podcast Recommendations – 2021
Thanks for reading and make sure to follow my blog — my indie film night is coming up in a few days and I have quite a few great movies lined up!
Charmed Reflections 