Friday Mood Recs: An October reading menu

A buffet of reads for a haunting season of literature

I first started seeing “dopamine menus” on Instagram a couple weeks ago (late to the party, I know), and I was smitten. If you haven’t seen these, they are super cute but also incredibly smart. The idea is you come up with some things that will give you a happiness boost and create a personalized menu of activities. Appetizers are quick things that give a small but immediate dopamine hit, mains are longer activities that bolster happiness, sides are things you can add to an activity to make it even more enjoyable. Some menus have desserts—the activities that aren’t exactly good for you but are worth indulging in—and specials—the big treats you can’t justify everyday but make a big difference.

This type of thing is usually a little too cutesy for me, but in this case I’m completely taken with the concept. I love lists and categories. I also just love the idea of narrowing in on a few good options and selecting what’s right for me in the moment.

My book-obsessed brain immediately thought of dozens of ways to use the menu template for the reading life and today I’m sharing an October Reading Menu filled with short stories, classics, new releases, and some bonus goodies that are perfect for eerie and atmospheric October reading. I can’t wait to see what you order…