Spooky Book Club Recommendations

This time of year is great for spooky book club recommendations. Or, just read them on your own! Here are some of my favorite mysterious, strange, or scary books.

Weyward by Emilia Hart was wayward, which means weird—but in a good way. You follow three women in different time periods who have unexpected powers. The novel weaves their narratives together, and eventually you see how their stories intertwine. It was unpredictable, which made it interesting.

In book club we asked:

• How well the author weaved the stories together and if anyone could have predicted the ending.
• We also talked about each woman’s relationship to men and if it had to be that way for the story to work.
• Finally, we discussed whose story we liked best and why.

Holly by Stephen King was my first Stephen King. I was always too scared to read any of his books because I was afraid of being too afraid! What made me want to read it was the premise: old married professor psychopaths. Something about elderly, academic killers who are also longtime partners sounded kinda funny…and it was. Kinda scary too. I also enjoyed the character of Holly, who is on their trail.

• If you didn’t read Mr. Mercedes, did you feel you didn’t understand something critical about Holly? Did it impact your ability to enjoy this book?
• Did the “least likely” suspects have any impact on the creepiness or the mystery?
• What do you think the author was trying to say about long-term relationships, once you understand the full dynamic of the couple?

The Hunter by Tana French is an atmospheric story set in a rural (modern) Irish community. The whole town is upended when a local ne’er do well returns to town. It was moody, with fully-drawn characters, and deliberate pacing that grounded me in the world. I also took a shine to our plucky teenaged protagonist.

Some questions we asked were:

• Was there something about a rural setting that made it more likely for one man to grab their attention? Why or why not?
• Story telling was a big part of this novel. Why and what advantages did it give the characters who could use it?
• Cal is from Chicago, so he’s an outsider. Does this play a role in the way he treats Trey? What about his ability to assess what happens in this tight-knit community?

Please share any spooky mystery or thriller book club books with us!