Literary Costumes You Need To Wear This Halloween

Holly Golightly knows that nothing bad can ever happen to you at Tiffany’s. In this seductive, wistful masterpiece, Capote created a woman whose name has entered the American idiom and whose style is part of the literary landscape — her poignancy, wit, and naïveté continue to charm.

Brimming with confidence, half-witch Kiki flies to the seaside village of Koriko and expects that her powers will easily bring happiness to the townspeople. But gaining the trust of the locals is trickier than she expected. With her faithful, wise-cracking black cat, Jiji, by her side, Kiki forges new friendships and builds her inner strength, ultimately realizing that magic can be found in even the most ordinary places. Nostalgic fans of the Hiyao Miyazaki film, Kiki’s Delivery Service and newcomers alike will love this exciting new translation of the beloved fantasy story.

MacArthur Genius and National Book Award-winning writer Ta-Nehisi Coates takes the helm, confronting T’Challa with a dramatic upheaval in Wakanda that will make leading the African nation tougher than ever before. When a superhuman terrorist group calling itself The People sparks a violent uprising, the land famed for its incredible technology and proud warrior traditions will be thrown into turmoil. As suicide bombers terrorize the population, T’Challa struggles to unite his citizens, and a familiar villain steps out of the shadows.

The pope is dead. Behind the locked doors of the Sistine Chapel, one hundred and 18 cardinals from all over the globe will gather to cast their votes in the world’s most secretive election. They are holy men. But they are not immune to the human temptations of power and glory. And they are not above the tribalism and factionalism that consumes humanity. When all is said and done, one of them will become the most powerful spiritual figure on Earth.

Generations of readers have fallen in love with Jane Austen’s beloved classic Pride and Prejudice. The sparkling Elizabeth Bennet, the taciturn Fitzwilliam Darcy, and an array of characters that range from irrepressible to almost irredeemable, move through this comedy of manners about the danger of first impressions.

Nick Carraway is an aspiring writer; his cousin, Daisy, is married to the fabulously wealthy Tom Buchanan. Their neighbor, Jay Gatsby, throws extravagant and extraordinary parties in the exclusive and hallowed neighborhood of West Egg. The entanglements between these four characters form the backbone of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s greatest work.

When New Yorker Rachel Chu agrees to spend the summer in Singapore with her boyfriend, Nicholas Young, she envisions a humble family home and quality time with the man she hopes to marry. But Nick has failed to give his girlfriend a few key details. One, that his childhood home looks like a palace; two, that he grew up riding in more private planes than cars; and three, that he just happens to be the country’s most eligible bachelor.  On Nick’s arm, Rachel may as well have a target on her back the second she steps off the plane, but she finds a friendship with Singaporean socialite Astrid Leong.

In Margaret Atwood’s dystopian future, environmental disasters and declining birthrates have led to a Second American Civil War. The result is the rise of the Republic of Gilead, a totalitarian regime that enforces rigid social roles and enslaves the few remaining fertile women. Offred is one of these, a Handmaid bound to produce children for one of Gilead’s commanders. Deprived of her husband, her child, her freedom, and even her own name, Offred clings to her memories and her will to survive. At once a scathing satire, an ominous warning, and a tour de force of narrative suspense, The Handmaid’s Tale is a modern classic.

The villagers of King’s Abbot are shocked when a wealthy local widow commits suicide and the very next day her fiancé, Roger Ackroyd, is stabbed to death. All the guests and staff at Ackroyd’s country house seem to have solid alibis — except for his missing stepson. But as the authorities hone in on their most obvious suspect, the recently retired detective Hercule Poirot unexpectedly turns up to untangle one of the most fiendish mysteries in Christie’s extensive oeuvre.

The classic story of the March family, Little Women has been adored for generations. The novel follows the lives of four sisters — tomboyish Jo, beautiful Meg, fragile Beth, and romantic Amy — as they come of age while their father is fighting in the Civil War. Since 1868, readers have rooted for Laurie in pursuit of Jo’s hand, cried over the family’s tragedy, and dreamed of traveling through Europe with old Aunt March and Amy. In this simple, enthralling tale, Louisa May Alcott has created four of American literature’s most beloved women.

The dark, fearsome Ringwraiths are searching for a Hobbit. Frodo Baggins knows that they are seeking him and the Ring he bears — the Ring of Power that will enable evil Sauron to destroy all that is good in Middle-earth. Now it is up to Frodo, his faithful servant, Sam, the wise Gandolf, and a small band of companions, to carry the Ring to the one place it can be destroyed: Mount Doom, in the very center of Sauron’s realm.