October 2026: Short & Spooky
Get lost in a short story - spooky or not with October's Year in Reading challenge, Short & Spooky!
Look for your next spooky read (or otherwise)? Get recently released thrillers, suspense, horror, and other titles sent directly to your email on a monthly to bi-monthly basis by signing-up for our e-newsletters!
Author(s):
Description:
"Fourteen acclaimed authors showcase the beautiful and diverse ways holidays are observed in this festive anthology. Keep the celebrations going all year long with this captivating and joyful read! From Lunar New Year to Solstice, Día de Los Muertos to Juneteenth, and all the incredible days in between, it's clear that Americans don't just have one holiday" --
Format:
Book
Call Number:
YA FIC For
Author(s):
Itō, Junji, 1963-
Allen, Jocelyne,
Description:
"A vengeful family hides an army deserter for eight years after the end of World War II, cocooning him in a false reality where the war never ended. A pair of girls look alike, but they're not twins. And a boy's nightmare threatens to spill out into the real world. This hauntingly strange story collection showcases a dozen of Junji Ito’s earliest works" --Amazon.
Format:
Book
Call Number:
FIC Ito
Author(s):
Description:
When Lawrence Renfield massacred his family and drew The Giant in his farmhouse with their blood, no one imagined the repercussions. At the very least, the bloodstained wood should have been set aflame, not chopped down and repurposed as furniture, décor, and heirlooms across the county. But that’s exactly what happened. Now regular people are sitting on... eating with... admiring... the cursed wood and reaping the consequences. These are their stories. In “My Name Is Ellie” a young girl uncovers disturbing secrets hiding in the walls of her beloved grandmother’s home. An unassuming box, built with reclaimed wood, connects a grieving widower with his late wife’s lingering spirit in “Hector Brim.” In “Detour” a father, desperate to return home, finds himself trapped in a dizzying maze, haunted by stories of lurking monsters that live off the remains of weary travelers.
Format:
Book
Call Number:
FIC Reb
Author(s):
Davidson, Rose, 1989-
Gouw, Ester,
Description:
"Heartwarming children's stories await in this beautiful fully-illustrated book packed with magical writing about nighttime; from shooting stars to moonbows and animals going to sleep"--
Format:
Book
Call Number:
J 525.35 Dav
Author(s):
Description:
Fans of H. P. Lovecraft will rejoice in these nineteen mesmerizing tales of cosmic horror. This long-awaited sequel to the bestselling anthology Lovecraft's Monsters is once again presided over by expert horror editor Ellen Datlow (FEARS, Body Shocks). A prison guard and a convict have an affair fueled by the hallucinations of fungal spores. Squatters arrive in a weird train station, where they unearth a strange idol. Researchers discover skin thieves instead of normal turtles. A mezcal-tasting tour turns utterly terrifying. An old woman stitches a portal that is disrupted by a nameless cat.
Format:
Book
Call Number:
FIC Lov
Author(s):
Baer, Sam
Punter, Russell.
Description:
A spine-tingling collection of spooky stories to share. Eight spooky stories to bring you out in goosebumps. A haunted castle, a spooky diary, a creepy treehouse and a ghostly mummy are all waiting to send shivers down your spine. Curl up in your favourite spot and begin. Just remember: things are not always what they seem...
Format:
Book
Call Number:
J FIC Bae
Author(s):
Description:
"Spanning the genres of fantasy and science fiction, this collection features stories from beyond the bounds of Brandon Sanderson's Cosmere universe. Along with the new novella 'Moment Zero,' Tailored Realities includes nine works of short fiction never before gathered into one volume, many available here in print for the first time: 'Snapshot,' 'Perfect State,' 'Defending Elysium' (from the world of Skyward), 'Firstborn,' 'Mitosis' (from the world of the Reckoners), and four other stories. Also including author's notes and stunning interior illustrations for each story, this visionary collection is a must-read whether you're new to Sanderson or a longtime fan"--
Format:
Book
Call Number:
FIC San
Author(s):
Description:
"The house beckons you inside. Do you enter? A dance to the death. A monstrous girl who lures people into dark water. A hallway that's constantly changing -- and hungry. All these stories exist within a house unbound from the laws of time and space. From the attic to the library to the grounds, each chilling story in this anthology focuses on a different area of the haunted house and features unique takes on monsters from a wide array of cultural traditions. Whether it's a trickster djinn, a water-loving rusalka, or a horrifying, baby-imitating tiyanak, there's always something sinister lurking in the shadows" --
Format:
Book
Call Number:
YA FIC Hou
Author(s):
Description:
Today is a very nice day. There has never been a day so nice as this, except for maybe yesterday. Join Vernon and his friends Skunk and Porcupine on a series of three enchanting adventures entitled Waiting, Fishing, and Gardening, as they comb the forest floor for trinkets and go fishing in their own unconventional way.
Format:
Book
Call Number:
E Ste
Author(s):
Landolf, Diane Wright
Zilber, Denis,
Description:
Count down to Halloween with 13 sealed short stories! Bump in the Night features 13 chilling tales to tingle kids' spines...without keeping them up all night. Perfect for reading in the lead-up to Halloween, each story features full-color artwork and is sealed with a sticker for kids to peel open and reveal the frights and delights within. Whether readers open one story per day, or tear into them all at once, this collection will set the stage for a very special spooky season.
Format:
Book
Call Number:
J FIC Lan
Author(s):
Description:
Killer clowns, a hungry hedge maze, and rich kids who got bored. Friendly cannibals, impossible slashers, and the dead who don’t stay dead... A museum curator who despises “diasporic inaccuracies.” A sweet girl and her diary of happy thoughts. An old house that just wants friends forever... These stories are filled with ancient terrors and modern villains, but go ahead, go into the basement, step onto the old plantation, and open the magician’s mystery box. Thirteen scary stories. Thirteen authors of color. And this time, the white guy dies first.
Format:
Book
Call Number:
YA FIC Whi
Author(s):
Ellis, Deborah (Author of The Breadwinner)
Description:
"When the grownups turn their backs, the kids in these stories find a way to go forward. Sometimes it takes a little magical thinking. Sometimes a small act of bravery. Sometimes extending a hand to someone else. But always a realization that there is somewhere to go, if you pay attention, take action and refuse to give into the dark."--
Format:
Book
Call Number:
J FIC Ell
Author(s):
Description:
A collection of 13 horror stories all written by queer authors of color and each told through the lens of a teenager of color about the Halloween night that changed their lives forever.
Format:
Book
Call Number:
YA FIC Nig
Author(s):
Schulz, Charles M. (Charles Monroe), 1922-2000
Description:
Twelve favorite Peanuts stories including Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the rest of the gang, all timed to be read aloud in five minutes or less. Where will Snoopy's imagination take him today?
Format:
Book
Call Number:
E Sch
Author(s):
Krawec, Patty
El Akkad, Omar,
Description:
"When a friend asked what books could help them understand Indigenous lives, Patty Krawec, author of Becoming Kin, gave them a list. This list became a book club and then a podcast about a year of Indigenous reading, and then this book. The writers in Bad Indians Book Club refuse to let dominant stories displace their own and resist the way wemitigoozhiwag--European settlers--craft the prevailing narrative and decide who they are. In Bad Indians Book Club, we examine works about history, science, and gender as well as fiction, all written from the perspective of "Bad Indians"--marginalized writers whose refusal to comply with dominant narratives opens up new worlds. Interlacing chapters with short stories about Deer Woman, who is on her own journey to decide who she is, Krawec leads us into a place of wisdom and medicine where the stories of marginalized writers help us imagine other ways of seeing the world. As Krawec did for her friend, she recommends a list of books to fill in the gaps on our own bookshelves and in our understanding."--Amazon.
Format:
Book
Call Number:
810.9897 Kra
Author(s):
Cawthon, Scott, 1971-
Hastings, Chris,
Description:
Have you ever ignored your conscience and done something you really knew you shouldn't...? Maya can't resist the temptation to explore an under construction section of Freddy Fazbear's Mega Pizzaplex... Aiden and Jace decide to scare some young kids in the Tube Maze of the Pizzaplex... and Fazbear technician Grady doesn't listen to the voice in his head telling him to stay away from small, cramped places when doing his safety checks... In this volume, three stories from the Publishers Weekly bestselling series Five Nights at Freddy's: Tales from the Pizzaplex come to life in delightfully horrifying comics. Readers beware: This collection of terrifying tales is enough to unsettle even the most hardened Five Nights at Freddy's fans...
Format:
Book
Call Number:
YA FIC Caw
Author(s):
Description:
"An anthology of short stories in verse by Latine children's literature authors about the power of music "-- Provided by publisher.
Format:
Book
Call Number:
J FIC Sin
Author(s):
Yoon, Salina
Yoon, Salina.
Description:
"Loud and in-charge Big Duck, quiet and clever Little Duck, and friendly and gentle Porcupine are back in another charming trio of stories"--
Format:
Book
Call Number:
Ei Yoo
Author(s):
Description:
Since its initial publication in 1978, The Stand has been considered Stephen King's seminal masterpiece of apocalyptic fiction. Now for the first time, Stephen King has fully authorized a return to the harrowing world of The Stand through this original short story anthology as presented by editors Christopher Golden and Brian Keene. Bringing together some of today's greatest writers, The End of the World As We Know It features all-new stories set during and after (and some perhaps long after) the events of The Stand.
Format:
Book
Call Number:
FIC End
Author(s):
Description:
Set at a classic drive-in restaurant that seems to exist in every Native community, this anthology unites the stories of teens from all kinds of backgrounds through the shared theme of Native joy, with stories and poems reflecting hope, healing, humor, love, friendship, romance, and joy. The road to Sandy June's Legendary Frybread Drive-In slips through every rez and alongside every urban Native hangout. The menu offers a rotating feast, including traditional eats and tasty snacks. But Sandy June's serves up more than food: it hosts live music, movie nights, unexpected family reunions, love long lost, and love found again. That big green-and-gold neon sign beckons to teens of every tribal Nation, often when they need it most. Featuring the voices of both new and acclaimed Indigenous writers, and edited by Muscogee author Cynthia Leitich Smith, this collection of interconnected stories serves up laughter, love, Native pride, and the world's best frybread.
Format:
Book
Call Number:
YA FIC Leg
Author(s):
Compton, Nina
Compton, Fiona,
Description:
"James Beard award-winning chef Nina Compton shares recipes and stories inspired by her culinary journey from Saint Lucia to the American South and the deep African culinary roots that thread these cuisines together. Growing up in Saint Lucia, a small island nestled in the heart of the Caribbean, chef Nina Compton developed a deep sense of community through cooking and food. As she traveled and worked in restaurants abroad, she was eager to learn, improvise, and innovate by doing what transplants like herself do best: Bring the best of home with them wherever they go. Kwéyòl / Creole explores the cuisines that form the basis of her unique culinary perspective, from St. Lucia and the Caribbean to the Afro-Latino cuisine of Miami where she continued to hone her cooking style, the Creole cuisine of New Orleans, and the indigenous and African influences underpinning them all. The recipes are both transportive and irresistible: callaloo greens with coconut cream, guava vinaigrette drizzled over banana, homemade curry with fresh turmeric and ginger, pickled mango and avocado salad, jerk-buttered corn, Creole potato salad, the countless possibilities of the beloved plantain. Interwoven short essays offer fascinating insight into the cultural experiences connected to Nina's food, such as folktales and origin stories of the "twin" holidays of Creole Day in Saint Lucia and Mardi Gras in New Orleans. Full of beautiful travel photography and Nina's uplifting voice and singular culinary vision, Kwéyòl / Creole stands at a thrilling intersection of cultures and foodways"--
Format:
Book
Call Number:
641.59763 Com
Author(s):
Description:
A collection of Halloween stories featuring Disney characters includes Tiana searching for a ghost, Baymax going trick-or-treating, and Riley attending a Halloween party.
Format:
Book
Call Number:
E Fiv
Author(s):
Description:
A middle-grade short story anthology featuring disabled kids, written by disabled writers, and edited by #1 New York Times-bestselling author Marieke Nijkamp. Featuring beloved contributors, like Samira Ahmed and Natalie Lloyd. Imagine the boundless experiences of disabled kids: A Deaf Southerner who solves local mysteries. A young diabetic plant mage encountering magical mishaps. A girl with epilepsy discovering a hidden world in her grandmother's garden. A chronically fatigued gamer saving the day--and their team--during an epic VR space race. From juvenile arthritis to asthma and from wheelchairs to neurodiversity, Boundless: 17 Stories Starring Disabled Kids writes disability back into the mainstream narrative of the commercial genres we love, with an inclusive and intersectional lens.
Format:
Book
Call Number:
Author(s):
Description:
"This Twisted Tale anthology features sixteen twisted short stories with new takes on fan-favorite Disney films. Swoon as Ariel and Eric meet right after the Little Mermaid saves her prince; join Tiana and Naveen on a race to get back to Maldonia; take a ride on a pirate space ship with Jim Hawkins; and uncover just what power Tinker Bell's pixie dust holds" --
Format:
Book
Call Number:
YA FIC Twi
Author(s):
Du Maurier, Daphne, 1907-1989
Morahan, Hattie,
Description:
After Midnight brings together some of du Maurier's darkest, most haunting stories, ranging from sophisticated literary thriller to twisted love story. Alongside classics such as 'The Birds' and 'Don't Look Now,'--both of which inspired unforgettable films--are gems such as 'Monte Verità', a masterpiece about obsession, mysticism, and tragic love, and 'The Alibi,' a chilling tale of an ordinary man's descent into lies, manipulation, and sinister fantasies that edge dangerously close to reality. In 'The Blue Lenses,' a woman recovering from eye surgery finds she now perceives those around her as having animal heads corresponding to their true natures. 'Not After Midnight' follows a schoolteacher on holiday in Crete who finds a foreboding message from the chalet's previous occupant who drowned while swimming at night. In 'The Breakthrough,' a scientist conducts experiments to harness the power of death, blurring the line between genius and madness. Each story in this collection exemplifies du Maurier's exquisite writing and singular insight into human frailty, jealousy, and the macabre.
Format:
Book
Call Number:
FIC Du M
