Top Ten Tuesday: Monster Books

Happy Halloween! The prompt for this week’s Top Ten Tuesday was a freebie, so I’m going to discuss stories with monsters in them. I think that’s fitting for Halloween, since a lot of monster tales can also be spooky/creepy/scary. So who’s ready to monster mash?

(This is the prompt for this week’s Top Ten Tuesday: Halloween Freebie! [Happy Halloween! Let your creativity run wild with a themed post to celebrate!])

Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy by Laini Taylor: This series is about a monster (or chimaera) that falls in love with an angel and the chaos that ensues because of it. Thus, these books are overrun with monsters and strange creatures. (I mean, one of the titles is literally Dreams of Gods and Monsters, so you know, monsters.)

Monsters of Verity duology by Victoria Schwab: One of the main characters of this series, August Flynn, is a sunai, a monster that uses music to steal souls. While August is basically a giant cupcake in a monster body longing to be human, there are plenty of other monstrous characters in this books from the other soul-consuming sunai to the creepy corsai and the malicious malchai. The books are dark and gritty and definitely scary.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley: One of the most iconic monsters in literature is the Creature from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Most people visualize the Boris Karloff monster from the 1930s film, but the Creature in the classic novel is actually quite different. He can speak and write and even feel things. I actually found myself liking the Creature more than Victor, who is actually the real monster of the story.

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak: Where the Wild Things Are was always a favorite book growing up. I love the imagination behind the story and the illustrations. Of course, most of the characters are “monsters” that like to take part in the Wild Rumpus. Doesn’t that sound fun?

Beowulf: Between Grendel and his mother, Beowulf is pretty much the epitome of a “monster book” and has inspired countless other works. With the right translation, the descriptions of the monsters are absolutely fantastic.

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children trilogy by Ransom Riggs: This quirky books have a plethora of strange and bizarre characters, including the creepy hollowgasts. These monsters are former peculiars turned monster during an experiment that went wrong that feed off peculiar souls, which turn them into another type of monster: wights. I really enjoyed how they depicted the hollowgasts in the movie; it had the right amount of bizarre and unnatural to make them scary.

Fire by Kristin Cashore: The second book in the Graceling Realm series is about a monster girl named Fire. With a monster father and a human mother, Fire is often hated but also adored. It’s been a while since I read Fire, but I remember being impressed by how she was described and what her abilities could do.

Lumberjanes by Shannon Watters, Grace Ellis, Brooke A. Allen and Noelle Stevenson: These comic books are about a group of girls at a scout summer camp, which is surrounded by an enchanted woods. Thus, the girls frequently encounter supernatural phenomena, including strange creatures and monsters. I love these comics so much. They’re full of hilarious moments, wonderful characters, and just the right touch of the fantastical to set them apart.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan: Any of Rick Riordan’s books are overrun with monsters since mythology is usually full of monsters. The Percy Jackson books specifically have encounter after encounter with monsters. From chimera and gorgons to harpies and hellhounds, Percy Jackson has fought almost every kind of monster in existence (as well as a few gods and titans).

The Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo: The newest addition to the Grishaverse, The Language of Thorns is a collection of short story fairy tales. Most of these tales are darker, twisted versions of well-known fairy tales. Thus, they definitely include monsters. In addition, this book includes beautiful illustrations to go along with each story.

What are your favorite monster stories? Don’t forget to join the link-up!

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