Top Ten Tuesday: Atmospheric Paranormal Reads

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018.

Happy October, friends! This is my favorite month and I am so excited for all the decorations, festivities, and spoopy books! I decided to change up today’s topic and instead share with you some of my suggestions if you’re in the mood for an atmospheric read that contains paranormal elements. These might not necessarily be horror, but they all have some sort of paranormal or magical themes, which fits the overall ambiance of October! Also I love a good, atmospheric book during this season.

The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw:

I adored this haunting tale about sisters who were accused of witchcraft and drowned, and how every Summer Solstice they come back to take a girl. The Pacific Northwest setting is so perfect and I just loved the small town vibes.

Spellbook of the Lost and Found by Moïra Fowley-Doyle:

This is a tale about friendship and being careful what you wish for. So many good woodsy vibes set in Ireland.

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater:

Friendships, ghosts, and legends. I’ve only read the first book in this series but I love how Maggie Stiefvater builds her worlds.

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden:

This book is a wintery, Russian folklore enthusiast’s dream. It’s definitely a slow burn, but you’ll seriously feel like you’re transported to a snowy farm house surrounded by magical woods. You can’t get much more atmospheric than this!

Blanca y Roja by Anna-Marie McLemore:

Blanca y Roja is one of my favorite reads of 2018. I legit felt like I was right there in those woods with the del Cisne sisters. This book pulls inspiration from well known fairy tales and haunting legends.

Toil & Trouble: 15 Tales of Women & Witchcraft:

This is an anthology of several short stories, many of which are super atmospheric and will transport you right into the magic. Some worlds are more brutal than others, and some of the themes can be very heavy, but they are so worth the read.

Sawkill Girls by Claire Legrand:

All I’m going to say is that this entire book takes place on an island, with dense woods, where there’s an unknown killer/entity hunting people.

Labyrinth Lost and Bruja Born by Zoraida Cordova:

Labyrinth Lost is the first book and it’s probably the more atmospheric out of the two. These witchy books follow bruja sisters through some very strange and unusual places.

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart:

We Were Liars is another book that takes place on a secluded island that has its own secrets. This isn’t my most favorite book, but I know so many people love it! But I really loved the eerie, isolated vibes.

Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling:

Let’s just always assume Harry Potter will make it on most of my lists. LOL. But, yeah, it’s pretty self explanatory why!

Well, that’s it for this week’s Top Ten Tuesday! I am wishing you all the best October reads, and I can’t wait to hear what you all end up reading this month. ❤

 

xx,

Amy