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I know all of our minds are on the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, but our mental health is important as well! Sometimes at the end of the day, we just need to unwind with a good book or movie. If you celebrate Halloween, or just enjoy horror novels or films, distract your mind with one of these suggestions. Also remember that Columbus Library is open regular hours with wifi, computers, printing, private study rooms, books, DVDs, and more! The Libby and Hoopla apps also have a plethora of ebooks, audiobooks, movies, music, and other downloadable content available for checkout.

 

All the Lovely Bad Ones by Mary Downing Hahn

In this eerie graphic novel adaptation of one of award-winning author Mary Downing Hahn’s most popular ghost stories, mischievous siblings pretend their grandmother’s Vermont inn is haunted and awaken the real spirits who dwell there. Recommended for kids ages 8-12.

 

The Taking of Jake Livingston by Ryan Douglass 

Jake is one of the only Black kids at St. Clair Prep, one of the others being his infinitely more popular older brother. It’s hard enough fitting in but to make matters worse and definitely more complicated, Jake can see the dead. Most are harmless. Stuck in their death loops as they relive their deaths over and over again, they don’t interact often with people. But then Jake meets Sawyer. A troubled teen who shot and killed six kids at a local high school last year before taking his own life. Now a powerful, vengeful ghost, he has plans for his afterlife–plans that include Jake. Suddenly, everything Jake knows about ghosts and the rules to life itself go out the window. Recommended for teens ages 13-17.

 

True Detective: Night Country

The fourth season of this anthology series is about the disappearance of eight men from a research station in the fictional Alaskan town of Ennis. The season stars Jodie Foster as Detective Liz Danvers and Kali Reis as Detective Evangeline Navarro.

 

The Return by Rachel Harrison

An edgy and haunting debut novel about a group of friends who reunite after one of them has returned from a mysterious two-year disappearance. 

 

The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones

Seamlessly blending classic horror and a dramatic narrative with sharp social commentary, this novel follows four American Indian men after a disturbing event from their youth puts them in a desperate struggle for their lives. Tracked by an entity bent on revenge, these childhood friends are helpless as the culture and traditions they left behind catch up to them in a violent, vengeful way.

 

Lisa Frankenstein

A misunderstood teenager and a reanimated Victorian corpse embark on a murderous journey together to find love, happiness, and a few missing body parts.

 

Jen Pace Dickenson is the Youth Services Librarian for Polk County Public Libraries. For information about the library’s resources, programs, and other services, visit polklibrary.org or call (828) 894-8721.