Books & Boba discussion

Halloween is coming up this month, and I wanted to share some creepy stories I've enjoyed reading in the past. I would also love to see what other people recommend as well. ;)

1. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier - I finished this book recently and loved it! Gorgeous prose, whimsical setting, strong dialogue. I will warn people that the book is more of a character portrait than a thriller. However, read to the end of Chapter 20 before deciding to quit. You won't regret it!

2. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie - You can't go wrong with an Agatha Christie novel. And Then There Were None is probably the most famous stand-alone novel among Christie's works. It's tightly written with great twists. The prose is straightforward and reads almost like a stage play. I finished the whole book within four hours.

3. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde - Ugh, this book is so good! There are so many beautiful quotes, the pacing is perfect, and the story is just mesmerizing. The book poses deep questions about beauty, youth, moral duplicity, and the purpose of art. After I finished the book, I kind of just sat there, dazed.

4. Slasher Girls & Monster Boys edited by April Genevieve Tucholke - Like most anthologies, Slasher Girls & Monster Boys has some hits and misses. While I haven't finished reading all of the stories in this collection, I did enjoy "The Birds of Azalea Street" by April Genevieve Tucholke, "In the Forest Dark and Deep" by Carrie Ryan, "The Girl Without a Face" by Marie Lu, and "Hide and Seek" by Megan Shepherd.

Hmm I generally don't go for scary stories bc they stress me out too much lol. But I'm particularly interested in learning more about Chinese and Asian folklore and spiritual beliefs about ghosts and the afterlife.

1. I read The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo recently and really enjoyed it. It's definitely more creepy than super scary. I was particularly interested bc it was set in Malaysia, where my mom is from, and it's been hard for me to find books about Chinese Malaysians (in English, not sure about other languages). I love how the author weaves in Chinese beliefs about the afterlife into the story.

2. A Banquet for Hungry Ghosts: A Collection of Deliciously Frightening Tales by Ying Chang Compestine. I saw this at my local library and while it has some mixed reviews, I'm still curious to check it out.