Below are a list of nonfiction books exploring seasonally interesting topics from the history of halloween to books made from human flesh to the women who helped build the horror genre and more. By the time Halloween rolls around you’ll feel both more informed and in the mood for the spookiest time of the year.
In Defense of Witches by Mona Chollet
In Defense of Witches explores the three types of women who were particularly accused of witchcraft, particularly the independent woman, the widow, and the childless woman, and how society continues to harass these types of women today. It is a very interesting case study of societal expectations, what happens when we defy those expectations and the backlash as a whole.
More info: Goodreads | Storygraph
Buy Now: Amazon
Trick or Treat: A History of Halloween by Lisa Morton
You may or may not know that modern-day Westernized Halloween is a relatively new phenomenon. This book goes over the holidays that were its predecessors, how it evolved into the candy-hoarding scare fest of today, and why, with the help of movies and social media, it’s becoming more commonplace as a custom around the world.
More Info: Goodreads | Storygraph
Buy Now: Amazon
Dark Archives by Megan Rosenbloom
An exploration of anthropodermic bibliopegy, or the act of binding a book using human skin. This book is equal parts detective work, academic intrigue, history, and medical curiosity.
More info: Goodreads | Storygraph
Buy Now: Amazon
Ghostland by Colin Dickey
Exploring spaces across America ranging from hotels and houses to prisons and empty hospitals Ghostland explores the variations of haunted. It also delves deeper into our reaction to haunted places and how we interact with the supernatural.
More info: Goodreads | Storygraph
Buy Now: Amazon
Monster She Wrote by Lisa Kroger
Everyone knows Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, but there are far more women who are responsible for speculative fiction, horror and scifi of all kinds. Explore writers and works you’ve never heard of and come back with a plethora of new titles for your TBR.
More Info: Goodreads | Storygraph
Buy Now: Amazon
The World of Lore: Monstrous Creatures by AAron Mahnke
Where do stories of creepy crawlies come from. Where did the legend of the vampire begin and why has it thrived through the centuries. The Jersey Devil? Is the Loch Ness Monster really a dinosaur?
More Info: Goodreads | Storygraph
Buy More: Amazon
Pumpkin by Cindy Ott
A closer look at America’s obsession with pumpkins and how it has actually served to revitalize small farms and farmers markets.
More Info: Goodreads | Storygraph
Buy Now: Amazon
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