Guest post written by A Little Too Haunted author Justine Pucella Winans
Justine Pucella Winans (they/she) is a queer and nonbinary writer who lives in Los Angeles with their husband and incredible Halloween-colored cats. Their books include YA thrillers like the critically acclaimed Indies Introduce title, Bianca Torre Is Afraid of Everything, and One Killer Problem. Their MG speculative horror titles include the acclaimed Stonewall Honor Book The Otherwoods and Wishbone. When not writing queer, creepy, and funny fiction for kids and teens, they can be found training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, reading (a lot of) manga and webcomics, and actively avoiding real life scary situations. Find them online at @justinepwinans or at www.justinepucellawinans.com.
AboutA Little Too Haunted: The Lost Library meets Not Quite a Ghost in this middle grade horror novel about a girl uncovering secrets about her new, haunted home.
It probably isn’t easy for a cat to have a writer in their life. When a cat spends enough time with a writer (or a dedicated enough reader) there is a real possibility of them becoming a Bookish Cat. It requires more than one might think. Not only do Bookish Cats have to inspect new books (books, of course, must pass a sniff test) and constantly be ready for and subjected to photoshoots with said books, but these cats don’t even get the appreciation they deserve for contributing to the writing of novels or reviews. (If something was deleted, well, that’s called editing. And it might not seem intentional when they walk across the keyboard, but a lot of thought was put intooovvvvvvvvvvvvvvqqqqqqqqqqq).
What I’m trying to say is… it’s a lot of work for someone who sleeps for most of the day!
But there are certain highlights to becoming a Bookish Cat. A certain magic. There is something so wonderful about the combination of cats and books. Oftentimes, Bookish Cats will get to curl up with their Writer and a good book. To make it even better, some of those times, they’ll even get to bite through the pages, or the crisp cover. Reading really is delicious.
As a writer, I am blessed to have multiple Bookish Cats in my life. They provide love and encouragement when I face struggles in my publishing career, they create perfect poses for me to badly edit into book marketing material, they make use of whatever boxes books are delivered in. They give real inspiration for the fictional cats I always include in my own books.
They are also great at choosing what to read next. I went around and asked what books they are most looking forward to reading this Halloween season, and rewarded them with treats for their responses.
Here are the horror recommendations from the Bookish Cats I am lucky enough to know and love:
JASPER recommends SHOWSTOPPER by Lily Anderson
As much as Jasper loves reading, he is a theater gay at heart. He has a love of showtunes, and is the most chatty of all the cats, with a projecting meow that really carries. But don’t think that means he doesn’t like a little violence. So what better book for him than a bloodbath that takes place at a theater camp? A killer performance, and the right amount of drama (and blood) for this spicy orange.
TWINKLEPOP recommends MYSTERY JAMES DIGS HER OWN GRAVE by Ally Russell
Twinklepop is known for his usually-haunted expression, with big eyes that seem to have witnessed unimaginable past horrors, nightmarish ghosts, or perhaps a bug. While he is a big softy, his tendency to lurk the halls and not trust strangers has him most excited for ghost stories, and Mystery James seems like the purr-fect fit. While Twinkle himself is probably closer to a sleep paralysis demon (he will prevent you from getting good sleep by sitting on your nightstand and slapping your face), a strong lead who has grown up around death and deals with the supernatural is definitely Mr. Pop’s cup of tea.
KIMURA recommends THE TRANSITION by Logan-Ashley Kisner
Kimura, known to many as Mr. Baby, knows what it is like to have a different form. Most of the time, he’s a cute, cuddly, playful chonk. But sometimes (perhaps on full moons? Or every night and after he uses the litter box?), he shifts into something a little different: a chaos cryptid with the zoomies, wreaking havoc and running wild. Needless to say, Kimura loves a monster book, and since this cat actually likes seeing dogs, he definitely won’t shy from werewolves. A trans werewolf story? Brb, getting the zoomies to the bookstore.
BECKY recommends WHO’S ALL GOING (TO DIE)? by Lisa Springer
Rebecca, more commonly known as Becky Buns, is absolutely Final Girl material. She’s small but fierce, and definitely a survivor. (Literally, an FIP survivor!) So she can’t resist a slasher with a fellow strong female lead. She also often wakes up and chooses violence (mostly against fabric, or feet under blankets) and loves a slasher. This fast-paced and fun book has the right amount of suspense to keep Becky at the edge of her seat (but hopefully, as a bit of a wobbly princess, not falling off it).
KANA recommends A LITTLE TOO HAUNTED by Justine Pucella Winans
Unfortunately, sweet Kana is no longer with us in this world, but she lives on in a lot of ways. In my heart, tattooed on my arm, and in the pages of this particular book. Kana was a sweet, wonderful kitten who loved to be cozy at home. A LITTLE TOO HAUNTED felt like the perfect home for her, as it is a book that is both scary and cozy, and a story about a lonely kid (and perhaps some lonely ghosts) building a (haunted) home. I’m sure you all will love her when you meet her in the pages, and I’m grateful to keep her memory alive in this way.
I hope you will take all these great recommendations (honestly, I should start a book club) but I think any Bookish Cat would want to emphasize that the important thing is that you read and read widely. Read books that make you think, books that make you laugh, books that make you learn, books that make you cry. Read books from writers with identities you share and books from writers with identities you don’t. Read the books that get challenged, and fight back against those challenges. (Have you ever tried telling a cat not to do something? The energy we need to combat the horrific book bans.)
Bookish Cats hope that you will read because books change lives and save lives. Just like the Bookish Cats that roam among them.
***And the Bookish Dogs, Bookish Snakes, Bookish Rabbits, Bookish Fish, etc. But I’ll leave those guest posts for those more familiar with that type of wondrous Literary Creature.
