As the spooky season creeps in through the Bookstr team’s door, it ushers in a crowd of our favorite supernatural creatures. Luckily, there’s more than enough space at the table for all! To commemorate the occasion, we decided to share the nine eldritch monsters, fairytale beings, and more that we would personally invite to our dinner.
My Friendly Household Domovoy
In Slavic folklore, which I grew up hearing, a domovoy is the little house spirit that protects and looks after a family. He lives behind the stove — because it’s cozy — and sneaks around when everyone’s asleep or away from the home to help dust floors, play with the family pet, and (temporarily, of course) steal that one sock that seems to have gone missing. If you desperately need that sock back, all you have to do is ask nicely — and maybe bribe him with a small treat. I would invite my family’s domovoy for dinner because, frankly, he’s adorable as a concept, but also because I’d want to remain on good terms with him and make sure he doesn’t have any grievances with us. I’d probably also ask him for tips on keeping the house nice and clean!
Anastasia Ledyaeva, Editorial Intern
Flying Spaghetti Monster
Hear me out — this is a real thing people believe in. I live in Kentucky and, in Louisville, we have a nice restaurant called the Old Spaghetti Factory. It literally just sells noodles and whatever, like a fancy Olive Garden with fewer options, and I’ve gone there plenty of times and loved it. But, because of how long it’s been in Kentucky, some people believe it’s connected to an entity or a god called the Flying Spaghetti Monster. I would 100% want to have dinner with this thing just to get some questions answered and to figure out if I can eat it like that one cotton candy monster from the Scooby Doo movie (the second live-action one that actually mattered).
Abigail, Graphic Design Intern
The Elusive Chimera
I mean… A Chimera is constructed of a fire-breathing lion’s head attached to a goat’s body, ending in a serpent tail. Who the hell wouldn’t want to sit down and dine with Connie the Chimera? That steak not cooked enough for you? Hold on, let’s roast it a bit more for you, dearie. What kind of voice would they have? Would they talk, roar, purr, or make some type of odd, bleating gurgle? That dinner would end far too soon; my curiosity has always been piqued when it comes to the fascinating chimera.
Kristi Eskew, Executive Editor
Medusa
I would dine with Medusa. My first introduction to her was through the Percy Jackson movie (I know, I know), and she was pretty intense in that. But now, I would love to just hear her story from her point of view. I’d also love a tour of her lair; I can already imagine all the cool secrets in there. Lastly, her hair routine has to be something else — I’d love to get some pointers. There is, however, the small matter of me turning to stone, but I think we can work around that.
Janae Hill, Social Media Intern
Kelpie
If I could invite a supernatural creature to dinner, it would be a kelpie. I know it sounds strange — a horse that lures people to their watery doom — but hear me out. In 2002, Holly Black’s Tithe introduced me to a surprisingly lonely kelpie, prompting a memorable moment where the protagonist, Kaye, cleverly brings him a carousel horse to talk to. Growing up in rural Kentucky near Nolin Lake and McNeely Lake in Louisville, I often sat by the water, hoping to connect with the kelpie I imagined lived there. Much to my mom’s dismay, I’d even leave milk and honey for the fae. Those moments remain some of my most cherished memories; my 11-year-old self wanted to make sure the kelpie wasn’t alone. I can’t help but wonder if I made his day because twice, I fell into those lakes and somehow made it back to shore. So maybe I already got my answer.
Freya, Social Media Intern
Cthulhu
It would be hard to find a table that could fit Cthulhu, but it would be interesting to share a conversation with it — assuming I could understand what it was saying. The Cthulhu mythos has always been interesting to me, and having the chance to sit down and talk with the head honcho himself might give me the chance to have important questions answered. I’d want to know where it’s from, what it likes to do, what it hates, and maybe what it thinks about humanity. I might have to avoid eye contact since the tentacles dangling off of its face would make me a bit uncomfortable, but that’s easily solved with a brown paper bag. Then again, it probably wouldn’t be a smart idea to take my eyes off it, as it might suck out my brain.
Brandon Smith, Editorial
Claudia from Interview With The Vampire (2022)
I adore Claudia and think she would make a fantastic conversation partner; she’s the perfect combination of witty and dry. Plus, she would have a bunch of stories from traveling across the world and working in the troupe. The thing about Claudia is that she’s one of the most interesting characters in the series, but is always positioned through how she affects Louis’ or Lestat’s stories. She needs someone who’ll pay attention to her for being her, which I would happily do. If it meant hanging out with her, I would listen to her talk for hours!
Abby Caswell, Editorial
Mothman
Because there’s something so attractive about the mysterious allure which possesses our nocturnal, flying friend. Also, if his statue in West Virginia is correct, he’s got a nice booty. But seriously, the idea of talking with a cryptid sounds fascinating, and we could get to the bottom of all the questions he has left in his infamous appearances.
Monica Mendez, Editorial & Outreach
Nessie the Loch Ness Monster
I’ll be honest, the first creature that came to my mind was Mothman, but as Monica already snagged him, I had to go with Nessie. Not only is the Loch Ness Monster rumored to haunt her titular waters in the Scottish Highlands, my favorite place in the world, but she also gives such Unbothered Queen energy. She doesn’t bother anyone, just hangs out by herself in her lake. My kinda creature! I’d love to have an introvert meet-up with Nessie and share some haggis — or maybe she’d catch us some fish from Loch Ness. I’m not sure how the logistics of this dinner would work, what with her being an aquatic creature and all, but all I know is we’d have a blast together.
Fiona, Editorial & Outreach
Now that we’ve wined and dined with supernatural beings from all corners of the world, we might have to make this a recurring tradition. Next time, we’ll invite your favorite creatures — so who would you choose?
If the creature you’d invite to dinner happens to be witch-like, check out 7 Classic Witch Novels To Enthrall Your Soul!
If you’re in need of a new book with perfect spooky vibes, take a look at Bookstr’s Nail-Biting YA Thrillers, Mysteries, and Horrors Reads!
