Hi friends,

Banned Books Week, a chance to celebrate our right to read and to stand against efforts to take books out of public libraries, began yesterday. This year, Silent Book Club, Libro.FM and more than 450 libraries and bookstores are hosting “read-ins” for book lovers to come together and show their support for books that are under attack. Find a read-in near you here.

Several years ago, when I first launched this newsletter, a few of you reached out to ask for book recommendations for spooky season. Since then, I’ve used the first week of October to spotlight books perfect for the Halloween season. As I said in my first Spooky Season Spectacular, I think even if you’re not breaking out your decorative gourds or planning an elaborate Halloween costume, you’ll still find something to enjoy with these picks.

And, now, what to read if …

You Know Who You’re Going to Call (if You See a Ghost)

The Widow of Rose House by Diana Biller

It’s 1875, and Alva Webster has returned home to New York after her husband’s sudden death — with a reputation so scandalous even her parents won’t see her. Ava has a plan, though. She’s purchased a dilapidated Hyde Park manor and has secured a deal to publish a book detailing her restoration efforts. With any luck, she’ll rehab the home and her reputation.

Sam Moore, a celebrated inventor, becomes enchanted with Alva after a chance meeting in a restaurant. He grows even more fascinated by the scandalous widow after learning her new home is rumored to be haunted. He’s spent years studying the paranormal, in between installing gas lights in cities across the country and inventing new contraptions, and recognizes this as his chance to finally communicate with a ghost.

Alva doesn’t believe in ghosts — she’s seen enough horror from people — and rebuffs Sam’s effort, until a series of unexplained events scare off her construction crew. The foreman agrees to return only if someone proves the ghost is gone or non-existent, forcing Alva to accept the inventor’s help. Sam then sets out to win over both Alva and the ghost.

Diana Biller, author of Hotel of Secrets, my favorite historical romance of the last five years, expertly threads the needle between Sam’s joyful lightness and the darkness in Alva’s past. Most compelling, to me, is the way she