
Author Stephen King is a must-read for Halloween.
Last weekend, I wanted to get into the Halloween spirit and knew I needed a book to get me on the right path.
Spooky books and movies are among my favorite genre and it was hard making a selection.
So, I pulled out my old, yellowing copy of Stephen King's "Salem's Lot."
It was his first book, and I think his best.
Ignore the bad movies based on this vampire tale.
But know you will end up turning a light on at night to sleep.
King has other greats to pick up - "It," "Cujo," "The Shining" and "The Stand."
My plans are to continue fright fest by going through Shirley Jackson's "The Haunting of Hill House" and probably re-read "The Lottery."
There is a great 1963 black-and-white movie - "The Haunting" - based on her book.
It is more full of suspense than the 1990s versions.
Of course, no Halloween would be the same without Edgar Allan Poe's poems "The Raven" and "Lenore."
If time permits, and with Poe it can be a struggle, I'll get into "The Tell Tale Heart."
Writers Anne Rice ("Interview with a Vampire"), Dean Koontz ("Phantoms") and Clive Barker ("The Damnation Game") are all good contemporary horror storytellers as well.
I admit knowing more classic scary books than modern writers.
Please suggest any books that are good at getting into a spooky mood for the season.