Halloween 2004 Top Ten Book Sense Picks

This week Book Sense announces the 2004 Halloween Top Ten. The list is produced in conjunction with the Association of American Publishers' Get Caught Reading initiative and is based on the nominations of independent booksellers nationwide.

Booksellers in the Book Sense program will be receiving the Halloween Top Ten in the September Red Box.

For a downloadable PDF file of the Halloween 2004 Top Ten, click here.

1. THE HAUNTING OF GRANITE FALLS, by Eva Ibbotson, Kevin Hawkes (Illus.) (Dutton, $15.99, 0525471928) "This is a gentle story about friendly ghosts who are very disconcerted to have their castle moved from Ireland to Texas! What a delightful storyteller Ibbotson is. Great fun for seven- to 10-year-olds." --Jane Stroh, The Bookstore, Glen Ellyn, IL

2. A CARNIVORE'S INQUIRY: A Novel, by Sabina Murray (Grove, $23, 0802117694) "This utterly fascinating, modern Gothic novel with a twist centers around 23-year-old Katherine, who has an eerie fascination with cannibalism and violence. Providing small historical vignettes, Murray highlights some of the most horrifying aspects of human nature. The conclusion will haunt you long after the final page." --Jaimi Pike, Vero Beach Book Center, Vero Beach, FL Also a HighBridge Audio (Unabridged CD, 1565118677)

3. AAAARRGGHH! SPIDER!, by Lydia Monks (Houghton, $16, 0618432507) "Poor spider! She just wants to be a family pet, but every time she tries to impress the humans in her house with her many talents, she ends up scaring them -- until one special morning, when she enchants them with a wonderland of sparkly webs." --Wendi Gratz, Joseph-Beth Booksellers, Cincinnati, OH

4. THE COMPLETE WAR OF THE WORLDS, by Brian Holmsten and Alex Lubertozzi (Eds.) (Sourcebooks MediaFusion, $39.95, 1570717141) "Perfect for Halloween, this coffee-table size volume includes the full script of Orson Welles' classic (and infamous) 'Panic Broadcast' of Halloween 1938, a CD recording of the broadcast, the original text of H.G. Wells' The War of the Worlds, and additional interviews with Welles and Wells." -- Scott Werbin, Tudor Book Shop and Cafe, Clarks Summit, PA

5. THE VAMPIRE LESTAT: Book II of the Vampire Chronicles, by Anne Rice (Ballantine, $7.99 paper, 0345313860) "Rice's novel never scared me. In fact, I had the opposite reaction: I fell in love with her vampires. The historical backdrop created beautiful images in my mind, and the sensual nature of the characters captivated me. After reading this volume I actually felt a great deal of sympathy for Lestat, even if he is a monster." --Amy M. Filak, Danner's Books & Gifts, Muncie, IN

6. A TERRIFYING TASTE OF SHORT & SHIVERY: Thirty Creepy Tales, by Robert D. San Souci (Yearling, $4.99 paper, 044041878X) "We're crazy for Robert San Souci's A Terrifying Taste of Short & Shivery. Spooky and fun, these stories remind me of trying to scare the dickens out of friends at slumber parties." --Tracy Wynne, Cover To Cover Booksellers, San Francisco, CA

7. THE GHOST STORIES OF EDITH WHARTON, by Edith Wharton (Scribner, $12 paper, 0684842572) "The best ghost stories ever written were penned by Edith Wharton! Her beautiful, fine-tuned writing combines with eerie storytelling to chill your bones." --Alice Barrett, World Eye Bookshop, Greenfield, MA

8. TOO MANY PUMPKINS, by Linda White, Megan Lloyd (Illus.) (Holiday House, $6.95 paper, 0823413209) "My favorite handsell at Halloween for young and old alike is Too Many Pumpkins. It has a wonderful message about the value of being generous and open-minded." --Shannon Lowry, The Bookery, Ephrata, WA

9. DAY OF THE DEAD, by Tony Johnston, Jeannette Winter (Illus.) (Voyager Books, $6 paper, 0152024468) "Vibrant color illustrations on every page complement the words that celebrate the Mexican holiday El Dia de los Muertos. Readers young and old will be caught up in the festivities -- from baking the pan de muertos to carrying the sweets in the candlelight procession to the family graveyard to welcome home the spirits of loved ones. Truly a love song to a poignant Mexican tradition." --Katherine Le Croy, Davis-Kidd Booksellers, Nashville, TN

10. THE NIGHT COUNTRY: A Novel, by Stewart O'Nan (Picador, $14 paper, 0312424078) "O'Nan's novel covers the days leading up to the one-year anniversary of a tragic accident in which three teenagers died on Halloween. The three survivors of that auto crash are as haunted by the accident as the three ghosts are haunting. An old-fashioned ghost story with a new twist!" --Diana Cohen, Books & Company, Oconomowoc, WI