Spooky Reads!

Caught mid-sentence. Let the space between my two front teeth remind you to wear your retainer. LOL

This month, I participated in a Q&A with our local SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators). It's a quick read, filled with a bunch of spooky book recommendations. So, without further ado, here's the Q&A!

---

​Brazos Valley Lightning Round:
Spooky Reads!

This month, we spoke with YA and MG author Dawn Husted about spooky reads and what inspired her own spooky stories.

1. What are your favorite spooky reads (can be PB, MG, YA and you can choose some “runners up” as well if you’d like).

Some fun spooky books I’ve read recently are Horrid by Katrina Leno, Frozen Charlotte by Alex Bell, and The Howling Ghost by Christopher Pike. Each is very different but entertaining and a little twisted, which is perfect for October.

​2. What unusual setting would you like to see featured in a spooky kid lit book (ie: a ghost story set on a cruise ship)? Alternatively, is there a spooky book already out that you love because of the unusual setting?

This is a hard question, but it would be cool to have a YA version of Coraline. If you know of one, let me know!
 
Another book that’s already been out for a while with an unusual setting and premise is Unwind by Neal Shusterman. If I remember correctly, one of the scenes takes place in a plane graveyard, which I had never heard of until reading that book. And I always thought that was a spooky and unusual setting because there really IS a graveyard full of planes in Arizona called the Airplane Boneyard.

3. You have a few spooky books out, Girl Gone Ghost, Scythe of Darkness, and Touch of Darkness. What drew you to write this type of story? 

​I never considered my books spooky, and yet, I know they are. When I write, I always seem to lean toward the darker side. I’m not exactly sure why, but I guess I find darker elements interesting. For as long as I can remember, the books and movies and TV shows I enjoyed always had an underlying spooky side. I like the thrill of being scared (just not in real life).

4. Is there a recent book (2-5 years) you feel did a good job showcasing the fears or anxieties of today’s readers?

I think most books that readers connect with are because they can relate to the characters. So in that case, I feel MANY books today showcase the fears and anxieties of today’s readers, even if that’s not the book’s main focus.
 
If I had to pick just one, I’d choose Ghost Wood Song by Erica Waters, published in 2020.

​5. What’s in your TBR?

This is my most favorite question. LOL. Here are 10 I’ve added to my TBR shelf.
 
1.    The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi
2.    The Ghost Junkies by Elizabeth J. Rekab
3.    They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera
4.    The Bookwanderers by Anna James
5.    The Last Windwitch by Jennifer Adam
6.    The Bone Houses by Emily Lloyd-Jones
7.    It’s Not About the Gun by Kathy Stearman
8.    Bloodlines by Richelle Mead
9.    The Fire in the Glass by Jacquelyn Benson
10. Irrelevant by Sarah Addison-Fox

Would you like to join the SCBWI Brazos Valley newsletter? The newsletter is always full of book recommendations, writing workshops, and more.

---

RELATED BLOG POSTS

ARE THE VAMPIRE ACADEMY BOOKS BETTER THAN THE MOVIE?
SHADOW AND BONE BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW OF THE CRAVE SERIES 
HORRID BY KATRINA LENO -- BOOK REVIEW