Adam Nevill, author of the uniquely disturbing The House of Small Shadows has written many horror stories, of which I have enjoyed almost all (mostly his older ones), A couple have been made into movies, but as I find most of the time, the books were much better, The Ritual being one example. I actually traded emails with him several years ago, as I wanted to know why certain elements repeatedly occurred in his stories, seemingly innocuous things that obviously frightened him. I also berated him for making goats evil in a few of his novels, as I had two cute ones at the time. In response to my relaying to him how much I loved The House of Small Shadows, he expressed gratitude, due to one critic writing that the book was only good for using as toilet paper. It has its flaws and is not for everyone, but I’ve read it twice, and probably will again, when I want to have nightmares. I’m not even going to try to explain the plot, it’s hard to accomplish without spoilers. I will just say there are creepy puppets, a creepy house, and a very creepy family.
-Meredith, Children’s Room
Never Whistle at Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology is the perfect read for spooky season! This chilling collection is haunting, eerie, and unsettling in all the best ways. More than once, I had to put it down just to catch my breath—and a few times I even caught myself covering my mouth to keep from squealing with fear. Featuring Indigenous writers from across North America, including Maine’s own Morgan Talty, this anthology blends horror with rich cultural lore and history. I highly recommend it for anyone ready to white-knuckle their way through a truly unforgettable read.
-Samantha, Development Director
It’s spooky season, and PFL staff love a creepy read! Browse the list for some of our newest favorites and current thrills.
The Midnight Feast by Lucy Foley
Mayra by Nicky Gonzalez
“House of Leaves, if it was set in a Florida Swamp.”
Florida by Lauren Groff
“Every night I brace myself for another unsettling story.”
Starling House by Alix E. Harrow
Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz
“Nothing sets the mood for spooky season quite like a classic British murder mystery.”
X by Alistair McDowell
“A horror play, which is something I don’t come across all that often.”
The Elementals by Michael McDowell
“A southern gothic horror story about two related families with a compound of Victorian summer homes on an isolated island in Alabama.”
The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon
“A nice blend of historical fiction, psychological thriller/mystery, and supernatural ghost story.”
The House of Small Shadows by Adam Neville
“Creepy puppets, a creepy house, and a very creepy family.”
Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell
“Ghosts, the plague, and what some might deem “witchy” magic.”
Rooms by Lauren Oliver
“Full of literal ghosts (haunting a house) and figurative ghosts (family secrets from every direction).”
Mansect by Koga Shinichi
“Insect/body horror manga which was originally published in 1975, but was just recently translated into English.”
Never Whistle at Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology
“Haunting, eerie, and unsettling in all the best ways.”
EC Cruel Universe Volume 1
The British Library’s “Tales of the Weird” series
“Every one of these books that I’ve laid hands on thus far has made me yearn to light up the woodstove and subside into a neverending autumn spent moodily gazing out the windows in contemplation of the unknowable, encroaching darkness beyond.”
I recently finished Olga Tokarczuk’s Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead, which is a sideways sort of murder mystery with a decidedly animal liberationist flair. Since the main character is a reclusive older woman living alone in a cabin in the Polish forests, it also gets points as a major source of daydream fodder, for such is exactly what I want to be when I grow up.
-Aurora, Reference
Compass South is a whirlwind graphic novel following the adventures of self-proclaimed orphans Alex and Cleo. The scrappy yet charming twins hatch a plot to impersonate the lost heirs to the Kimball company fortune and rob Mr. Kimball for all he’s worth. Unfortunately, the plot is almost immediately spoiled when the two run into another set of red-headed twins with the same idea! It’s a race across early middle-America with pirates, spies, sand traps and more. Who will reach Mr. Kimball first and con their way into a life of luxury? Guess you’ll just have to read it and find out!
-Stephanie, Circulation
Extinction by Douglas Preston is one of last summers big thrillers. It’s a great mix of murder mystery/thriller/science fiction set at a resort featuring “de-extincted” woolly mammoth and other prehistoric mega fauna. It shares the fascinating ethical conundrums found in Michael Crichton’s Jurassic Park and feels ready-made for its own movie adaptation.
This title was on Texas’ 2024 Lariat Adult Reading List which aims to highlight books that are “simply a pleasure to read.” The list has been a joy so far and features many of last year’s well-known titles.
-Laurel, Reference
The Ghost Trap is part of the OystHers summer book club that includes all books by Maine women authors. This fiction book perfectly captures the lobstering community of Rockland and Owls Head, Maine and tells a sad but beautiful story of one family and their very real struggle of that life.
-Samantha, Development Director
While the book is written for a middle school aged person, I found the audio version to be very entertaining. Particularly because a cat is one of the featured characters.
The narrators really made the book come alive for me. This is why I love audio books; because good narration adds so much to it. I don’t think I would have chosen to read this book because of its target audience and that would have been a shame. This is a good lesson for me to learn — just because a book is written for a different audience than myself doesn’t mean I shouldn’t at lest give it a go.
The story of The Lost Library is about a small town somewhere in the United States where the old library burned down many years ago. There’s a mystery around it how the fire started. The main character is a young boy who is transitioning from his small elementary school to the large middle school in another town. Other characters involved include the boy’s favorite author, a cat, three librarians who might have survived the fire, and a group of friendly ice. One of the voice actors is the voice of the cat.
A fun part of the story is that everybody in the town calls the cat by a different name. No one seems to know his real name. That makes me wonder what my cat’s real name is.
There are some layers to this mystery. There is a house where the three former librarians live one of whom is a young woman who only ventures out to shop when groceries are needed.
The mystery of the fire is eventually solved by the young boy with help from books written by his favorite author as well as some helpful mice, and of course, the cat.
I won’t spoil any of the surprises for you in case you want to read, or listen to, this delightful book for yourself. I will, however, say that several other mysteries besides the old libraries’ fire are also resolved.
-Julie, PFL Friends Treasurer
The Bone Shard Daughter is a YA fantasy novel with an east, south-east Asian style culture set in a string of floating islands drifting around in “The Endless Sea”. The emperor of these floating islands keeps the art of bone shard magic (a magic used to animate constructs made from dead flesh using a small shard of bone) a closely guarded secret. Despite his diminishing health, he refuses to pass on the art, even to his own daughter, Lin. Sick of her father’s secrets and living in an empty palace full of locked doors, Lin begins to teach herself bone shard magic with the help of stolen books and stolen friends.
-Stephanie, Circulation
A middle grade book that I’ve been meaning to read for years, and I truly couldn’t put down. It’s a story about a newly trained bard who is kidnapped with his sister and has to learn to survive amidst bloodthirsty Vikings, frost giants, and more. It’s a really great suggestion for someone looking for a Rick Riordan read alike.
-Mary, Head of Children’s Services
