Poppet, by Mo Hayder, 378 pages

Poppet, by Mo Hayder, 378 pages

I picked this because the cover looked creepy, and I was not disappointed!  This is part of the Jack Caffery series, of which I haven't read any others, but that did not stand in the way of understanding the story.  There have been a series of deaths and violent incidents of self-harm at the local psychiatric hospital; patients suspect a ghost, staff suspect a recently released patient, and Jack Caffery is going to figure it out before anyone else gets hurt.  The ending legitimately surprised me, and if you like things tidily wrapped up, then this will not disappoint.  Some very disturbing scenes are depicted/described, though- consider yourself warned!

Household Stories by the Brothers Grimm, by the Grimms, translated by Lucy Crane, 269 pages

Household Stories by the Brothers Grimm,  by the Grimms, translated by Lucy Crane, 269 pages

There is alot of general creepiness, misogyny and weirdness in these fairytales.  I read them as part of a fantasy mooc I'm currently taking.  I was surprised by the stories I have never heard, such as the Rabbit's Bride, where a rabbit whisks away a girl and tries to make her his bride.  Or King Thrushbeard, where a princess is taught the lesson of humility in the most, well, humiliating manner.  Worth looking through to see new stories and how the originals differ from our Disney versions.

Now You're One of Us, by Asa Nonami

Now You're One of Us, by Asa Nonami, 240 pages

Noriko is a young newlywed, who finds herself living with not just her husband, but his siblings, parents, grandparents, and great-grandmother.  Noriko grows uneasy with the closeness and overly-kindness of the family, and her suspicions grow as the stories they tell her don't add up.  Descriptions of this liken it to Rosemary's Baby, which is a fair comparison, but set in Japan and with creepy sexual acts instead of Satanism.  Definitely for adults.

Mushishi, Volume 1, by Yuki Urushibara

Mushishi, Volume 1, by Yuki Urushibara, 240 pages

The world is full of mushi, or ageless invisible creatures that do things like eat silence, bring nightmares to life, and generally wreak havoc.  Ginko, a one-eyed wanderer with a perpetually smoking cigarette, captures mushi and frees people from their grasp- when he can.  He's kind of  like a paranormal and less crazy Black Jack, for those Tezuka fans out there. Good for teens and adults who like manga.