Read These Fall Books Before the Movies Come Out

Alan Snow's delightful and strange children's novels are reminiscent of Roald Dahl—which also makes them a hit with adult readers. Here Be Monsters! is part of a series called The Ratbridge Chronicles, in which whimsical creatures like cabbage heads (exactly what they sound like: things with cabbages for heads) and boxtrolls (exactly what they sound like: trolls who wear boxes) live beneath a dark, creepy city, surfacing to stop a nefarious plot. Before you see the full-color, animated film (whose name was changed to The Boxtrolls), read the book for its original black-and-white illustrations, which add delicious darkness and humor.