Doctor Jekyll and Mr Hyde : the classic horror story, set in the late 1800's. absolutely amazing. I will forever love this book. if you think you know it based off general pop culture, you do NOT, you have no clue how amazing this book is. even though cultural osmosis means pretty much everyone already knows the twist at the end, it still carries as much punch as it did in 1886. it is quite short however, hence why most copies contain other stories to fill enough pages to justify a book instead of a large pamphlet. speaking of copies, I own two. read this book.
Lockwood & co: literally the most underrated book series on this good green earth. the fact that so few people have read it is honestly one of humanity's greatest injustices. set in a ghost-ridden london, this is a five-book series following a small ghost hunting agency. this series is amazing at creating convincing atmospheres and is genuinely really scary at points. overall, amazing read, I've read all five twice. also: could be read as aromantic if you want!! I know it's rare for the YA genre, but the main girl and the main guy DON'T end up sharing a passionate kiss or anything. we're all starved of good aro representation in this world, so I'm taking what I can get.
good omens: the book, the myth, the legend. you've almost certainly heard of it. In fact, if you're on this website, there is basically no chance you HAVEN'T. the story of the apocalypse, a rather incompetent pair of angel and a demon teaming up to stop it, and a missing antichrist. laugh-out-loud funny, and with an absolutely shocking amount of gender fuckery for 1990. genuinely a timeless classic which deserves every last bit of its fame. read this book. you will not ever regret it.
ready player one: love this an unreal amount. one time I lent it to a friend and when she gave it back i decided to "casually" re-read the first few pages and suddenly I was halfway through. cool worldbuilding, great 80s aesthetics / nostalgia, big ass video games, what's not to like! (except the sequel which I have not read but have heard horror stories). lowkey I should read this again.
the ocean at the end of the lane: my god, where to start. this book is unreal in how good it is. in this, the unnamed narrator and his neighbor from the end of the lane try to fix a series of paranormal happenings in the town, but that's not why you read this. the plot is great, what else would one expect from Neil Gaiman, but the main selling point for this one is the atmosphere of it all. it is recounted as a memoir of the older narrator, creating a beautiful contrast between childhood innocence, and how he sees the world now. you will come out of this book nostalgic for a childhood you never had. it captures such unique feelings in a way which I didn't think possible. one time I was on holiday with like 8 ppl and I brought this book, and my mom and Norway (Jordan lore reference) both had finished their books, so I let them borrow it, and they both finished it on the same day one after the other because of how engrossing it is. I beg of you, read this book. it will be one of the best decisions you make.
the hound of the baskervilles: I watched BBC sherlock before this. and this book made me think "johnlock real" more than the entire show (I'm an aroace sherlock truther but that's for another time). alongside the cool mystery, this book is shockingly funny. I may be biased by the fact that my mom read me the sherlock holmes books when I was tiny, but you could actually pretty much pick up any sherlock holmes book and it would be good tbh. if you want confusing mysteries, a peek at victorian england, Sherlock Holmes living under a literal rock for a month, and John Watson going on and on about Sherlock Holmes' "athletic figure" (quote) and other amazing aspects about him (I can't just not mention "you, of all people, know I am a restless sleeper". like sir what do you mean.), this is the book for you!
Rocketman: I first watched this movie in music class when I was wayy to young for it. I rewatched it recently, and I am beyond glad I did. This movie is the biography of elton John. artistically, this movie is gorgeous. the COLOURS!! THE CHOREOGRAPHY!! THE MUSIC!! MY GOD THE MUSIC!! I MEAN WHAT ELSE DO YOU EXPECT FROM ELTON JOHN!! this film is probably my favourite film ever, hands down. 13 year old me was wrong with his opinions. (however you may want to check out doesthedogdie on this one)
ghostbusters (2016): put your pitchfork down this instant. this movie was my favourite movie for years. it's funny, has good special effects, and there's ghosts. I am a simple man. I love this remake.
Doctor Who: now. you need a special breed of autsim to thoroughly enjoy this show. but holy shit is it good. this show will be all "haha we're the silly goofy alien show!! look at how lighthearted this is :333" and then tears your heart out of your chest with the most tragic deaths, departures, and the most soul-crushing depictions of trauma and other pasts. If anyone ever says "I don't wanna go" to me irl I will sob my eyes out instantly. also, I'm going to have whole section of doctor who recommendations later on, because this universe is such a microcosm with the honestly insurmountable amount of content in it.
