Happy Spooktober, the season for spooky reading! Of course, you don’t want to read just anything spooky this October; you want a queer spooky book. That’s where a lesbrarian, aka me, comes in. Take this quiz, and I will match you with a Halloween appropriate read for this month. Fear not — there are spooky book options for every kind of reader, whether you want to be scared out of your wits by a haunted house story, disturbed by body horror, feel warm and fuzzy about witches falling in love, or vicariously get feminist revenge by reading about werewolves eating slimy men. Let us begin!
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Known in some internet circles as Casey the Canadian Lesbrarian, Casey Stepaniuk is a writer, librarian, and new parent. She writes for Book Riot and Autostraddle about queer and/or bookish stuff. Ask her about cats, bisexuality, libraries, queer books, drinking tea, and her baby. Her website is Casey the Canadian Lesbrarian. Find her on Twitter, Litsy, Storygraph
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Casey has written 126 articles for us.
The Haunting of Hill House! I’ve read it but the quiz is COMPLETELY right as I’ve earmarked it to reread. Shirley Jackson is everything and everyone whos watched the show (which to be fair I did also love if i considered it just a completely separate thing) you are NOT prepared for this. That ending passage!!
Also this is an absolutely excellent idea for a quiz would love to see this vibe for different seasons/weather changes!
Great idea!!
I also got Shirley Jackson – the Haunting of Hill House. This is some excellent advice that I will take as I’ve been feeling bereft after finishing a reread of Lolly Willowes; it’s hard to follow, but Jackson sounds just right, phew! Thanks for getting me out of a reading hole. I shall put my mulled cider in my cup of stars.
Nothing But Blackened Teeth.
Never heard of it before, but I shall have to check it out.
It’s brand new, hope you like it!
Is there a way we can see all of the results?
Yes please! (Best quiz ever.)
I don’t think so, but I can list them here:
Beetle and the Hollowbones by Aliza Layne
Carmilla by Joseph Le Fanu edited by Carmen Maria Machado
Nothing But Blackened Teet by Cassandra Khaw
Payback’s a Witch by Lana Harper
The Dead and the Dark by Courtney Gould
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
Squad by Maggie Tokuda-Hall
Flowers for the Sea by Zin E Rocklyn
Ahh fantastic! thank you! My result was a middle-grade novel which isn’t so much my jam, but queer spooky books for adults (with strong inner children) are! :)
I would like all readers advisory interactions to be just like this forever, please. Also v excited to read Payback’s a Witch!
Me too!
Casey, your spooky halloween power is clearly mind-reading, because my result was The Dead and the Dark, which I put a hold on at the library 10 days ago!!!
Be honest, are you haunting my Overdrive
Oooh you’ll never know…
I got Paybacks a Witch! Just finished it, so this is perfect!
Soon as I saw ‘rockets’ new the quiz writer had to be canadian! Yay Vancouver people! Also canadian smarties so much better than US smarties, was so sad when I moved here and realized the good candy I could have gotten in elementary school :’( Great quiz and now I have new stuff for reading list!
I had no idea Rockets were Canadian only!
Those food choices had me dithering, like, forever !
I got Payback’s a Witch, which sounds perfect for my woossy romantic heart.
Shout out to those who got The Haunting of Hill House, that is such a masterpiece.
Oh and Thanks Casey for the Rockets !
Rockets, a personal Halloween favourite of mine!
I got Beetle and the Hollowbones a middle grade graphic novel now to see if my library has it available to download.
Happy reading everyone!
I have bo clue what that last animal was but it’s so cute I genuinely squealed.
As a not American the food and drinks are always a guessing game for me. I think I picked hot chocolate and liquorice (not together please) but I’m not sure XD
It’s called a Halloween crab!
Also I apparently included a candy you can only get in Canada which is where I’m from 🤷♀️
Payback’s a witch! as a bisexual witch enthusiast, this is exactly my jam, thank you Autostraddle.
It’s honestly bizarre that I’ve never read Carmilla, and this quiz has pushed me to finally check it out at my library!
Yay! I love getting people to the library 😊
same it’s officially loaded up on my audible now
I’m literally throwing a halloween party with pumpkin carving and spooky baked goods this upcoming weekend. I feel so seen.
Considering I’m a big baby who had trouble falling asleep last night due to having read the *summary* of Nothing but Blackened Teeth earlier in the day, I have two questions :
– how would you rate the scare factor of my result for the quiz – I got Flowers for the Sea ?
I actually tend to be fine with body horror, it’s more the supernatural stuff that gets me…
– what about The Haunting of Hill House ? I’ve got it in audiobook format but I’m worried that may make the book scarier…
I loved the quiz by the way, one of the first where I didn’t need to pick default answers :) There was always an option fitting me
Yay, so glad you liked the quiz.
I confess, I have not read Flowers for the Sea as it was just released. What I learned from reading reviews, though, is that the scariness is focused on body horror, specifically pregnancy and childbirth. Hope that helps!
The audiobook of Haunting of Hill House made it scarier for me I think. But it’s more psychologically creepy, and implicit. Like you’re left wondering if there ever was anything actually haunting the house.
Happy reading!
I got Squad, which, funnily enough, was already on my to-read list based on Sarah Pinsker’s recommendation!
I got Payback’s a Witch, which I’ve heard uses the trope of a lesbian sleeping with a man so I don’t want it! (Lmk if I’m wrong. Bisexuals sleeping with men is fine)
This month I’ve already read The Animals of Lockwood Manor which I HIGHLY recommend for fans of Hill House. Spooky mansion lesbians let’s go!!
I also read These Witches Don’t Burn which was a really fun cute gay witch YA with a high-stakes mystery. Now I’m on the sequel, This Coven Won’t Break
Also I always stan Affinity by Sarah Waters for that sapphic ghost thriller action