The nights are drawing in, the air is growing (slowly but surely) colder, and my eye is turning toward books of a spooky nature. You know what that means…

Spooktastic Reads is an annual mini-event, a little sister to Wyrd & Wonder. But where that runs all month long in May, Spooktastic Reads is a thirteen-day event beginning on October 19th, and running all the way through to Halloween. As you may have guessed, it’s focused on the spookier, darker aspects of fantasy that make Halloween so fascinating.

So bring your paranormal fantasy, your ghost stories, your horror – whatever gives you the best goosebumps!

This event is a bit less formal than Wyrd & Wonder, so there’s no sign-up and no master schedule. You can share your weird and wonderful treasures with us on Bluesky and/or Instagram (@wyrdandwonder), and also on Other Worlds, our dedicated Discord server, if you’re a member. If you’re not an Other Worlds member and you’d like to be, feel free to request an invite!

No formality doesn’t mean no challenge-y fun, however – we’re back with our regular helping of daily prompts to spark your imagination. You can use them to share your reading faves, explore new possibilities, or even just browse the offerings of others to find something tempting.

19th: Spooktastic TBR

20th: Paranormal Palette – colours or motifs to depict something paranormal (moons, pumpkins, orange and black for Halloween, etc)

21st: Not What It Seems – hidden truths

22nd: Locked – locked room/house

23rd: All Witches Have Cats – MC with a familiar

24th: #StackSaturday

25th: Mystery Sunday

26th: Hunter’s Moon – mythology/folklore, or a tale featuring a hunt/er

27th: From The Depths – Sea monsters/creatures

28th: Afterlife Express – books that depict the afterlife

29th: Not A Mask – a very good plot twist

30th: Lunacy – the moon depicted as something supernatural, or the moon is part of the story

31st: The Spirit of Halloween – the perfect Halloween read

ART CREDIT

Photograph by Jørgen Clausen