Spooky Season Week Two is officially in the books! Here’s my reading recap for the week. This month I’m specifically trying to keep all of my reading in horror genres or books that at least lean heavily on elements of horror.

1. The Eyes Are the Best Part – Monika Kim

I already put most of this update in my last recap post, but can’t emphasize enough how much I enjoyed this one. There was a brief moment near the end where I worried the ending might fizzle out, but it was a misdirection. It made the satisfying ending hit that much harder only a few chapters later.

2. Red Queen – Christina Henry

This is the second book in The Chronicles of Alice series. I read the first one in September and loved it. I had my local bookstore order a copy of the second one for me right away once I’d finished. Red Queen absolutely lived up to the first one, and now I’m going to need the third. The world that Henry has created by looking at a well-known story through a new lens is thoroughly entrancing and I am hooked.

Fewer elements of this one seemed to come directly from Lewis Carroll’s work than in the first book. (Then again, it’s been a couple decades since I last read through the original. It’s possible I simply forgot a few of the references.) However, the spirit of the source material absolutely still came through. For example, this one had a much deeper focus on Alice’s inner world and her character development and growth. Her inner monologues were always entirely in character for Alice as Carroll had written her, albeit several traumas later.

3. The Devil in the White City – Erik Larson

This is my first non-fiction book of the month. It tells two fascinating and intertwined stories at once. One story is of the conception, design, construction, and then conduct of the 1893 Chicago World Fair – highlighting and detailing the many twists and turns that the architects and others involved with the project faced. The second story is much darker. It’s the story of the man widely-regarded as the first serial killer in the United States: H. H. Holmes and his Murder Hotel.

Larson combines these stories and plays them off one another masterfully. The book came highly recommended to me by my partner, who for many years lived in Chicago and worked there as a local tour guide. While I had already learned a lot from him about the history of the World Fair and its key players, none of that knowledge was necessary to have ahead of time. Those who don’t know a single detail won’t miss a thing with this book. I’m also astounded by how well the author builds tension. Knowing the history of the Fair already, I know which elements failed and which were wild successes. Still, I feel all the anxiety the architects and engineers must have in the lead-up to each new test of the attractions and equipment. I’m currently on page 317 and will likely finish today because I’m having too much difficulty putting it down!

That’s My Spooky Season Week Two!

That’s all for Spooky Season Week Two! I’m still enjoying this month’s reading and the chosen theme. I’m also looking forward to the week ahead!

As always, I want to hear from you! What have you been reading lately? Are you having fun with it? Have you read any of these titles, and if so, what did you think of them? Tell me everything, and follow along for more!