It’s that time of year again! Whether you’re most excited about cooler weather or the coming of Halloween, it's time to get cozy, get scared, and enjoy everything pumpkin spice!
But for the spooky literary types, we have special goodies in our trick-or-treat basket just for you. This curated Spooky Poetry collection of Everyman’s Pocket Poetry is right up your dark and shadowy alley. These five separate collections of thrills and chills make the perfect addition to haunt your bookshelf.
As Juniper’s resident horror enjoyer and fall-time fanatic, I’ve decided to put together perfect pairings for each book in the collection that I feel will best get you in the spooky spirit. Pumpkin spice candles, a window open to brisk autumn air, and a chunky cozy blanket are givens, of course.
“Words have no power to impress the mind without the exquisite horror of their reality.”
Though Poe: Poems and Prose does not contain all our familiar favorites like The Telltale Heart or The Cask of Amontillado, it is filled with thrills nonetheless. In fact, this edition is a perfect opportunity for lovers of the macabre to connect with some of his lesser-known work and often overlooked poetry.
Pair with: A bonfire, a night by candlelight, fresh cherries, earl gray latte, Merlot.
Artwork by Jacob Weber
“I want you to believe...to believe in things that you cannot.”
This next one is for all the creature feature fans and monster lovers. Monster Verse: Poems Human and Unhuman crosses millennia of mythos, from Medusa to Mothman. You’ll be left feeling a little more scared of that dark road out of town by the time you finish with this creepy crawly collection.
Pair with: A hike in the woods, apple picking, sour candy, black coffee, bourbon.
Insidious, James Wan (2010)
“Ghosts have a way of misleading you; they can make your thoughts as heavy as branches after a storm.”
― Infinite Days, Rebecca Maizel
For as long as mankind has lived, we have wondered about life after death. Some of us like stories of spirits because it gives us hope that we can have more time alive than the mortal plane allows. If you like ghosts the most, Poems: Dead and Undead is for you. Well, its got zombies, demons, and vampires too. This one is my personal favorite—because it rattles me to the bone. Caution: reading before bed may cause an inability to fall asleep without a night light.
Pair with: A séance, a kind visit to an unfamiliar grave, rare steak, lavender tea, gin.
“Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn and caldron bubble.”
For crystal collectors and protection spell crafters, Poems: Bewitched and Haunted allows indulgence in the darker side of magic and exploration of spiritual realms. Poetic narrative tales of revenge, spite, grief, and haunting await beyond the pumpkin-colored clothbound cover. After all, hell hath no fury like a wicked witch scorned.
Pair with: a trip to the pumpkin patch, spell crafting, harvest vegetable stew, herbal tea, Midori sour.
Psycho, Alfred Hitchcock (1960)
“I am the best-natured creature in the world, and yet I have already killed three men, and of these three two were priests.”
Don’t worry, true crime junkies and mystery detectives, we didn’t forget about you. If you prefer your scares to be frighteningly real, Killer Verse: Poems of Murder and Mayhem has you covered. From Lizzie Borden to the killers who never got caught, this collection is a certified blood bath.