Vampires – those who hunt and those who are hunted – plus zombies, werewolves, demons, pixies and other assorted supernatural types, have made monster strides in their invasion of popular culture niches.

They appear in books (Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight" saga), movies ("The Vampire's Assistant" and Meyer's upcoming "New Moon," along with "Zombieland") and TV ("True Blood," "The Vampire Chronicles"). In many cases, a big dash of paranormal romance mixes with a tendency toward mayhem.

If it's spooky Halloween-time reading you're looking for, consider this sampling:

• Any of the titles in the series of novels by the five biggest names in "urban fantasy," as the subgenre is known: Kim Harrison (the "Hollows" series), Jeaniene Frost ("Night Huntress"), Vicki Pettersson ("Signs of the Zodiac"), Christine Feehan ("Carpathian") and Sherrilyn Kenyon ("Dark Hunter").

• "The Strain" by Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan (William Morrow, $26.99, 416 pages): The first of "a vampires vs. humanity trilogy" co-written by the acclaimed movie director (his disturbing "Pan's Labyrinth" is a fitting rental for the season).

• "Werewolf Sanctuary" and "Beast Warrior" (the first two books of the "Wolf Maiden" trilogy) by Eva Gordon (Vanilla Heart, $14.95 each): These werewolf adventures date to the days of the Vikings. The Rocklin-based author will sign both books at 1 p.m. Saturday at Borders, 2765 E. Bidwell St., Folsom; (916) 984-5900.

• "American Fantastic Tales: From the 1940s to Now," edited by Peter Straub (Library of America, $35, 750 pages): Horror writer Straub has chosen 42 short stories by top-name writers, including Anthony Boucher, Truman Capote, Shirley Jackson, Ray Bradbury, Harlan Ellison and Stephen King.

• "Zombies: Encounters With the Hungry Dead," edited by John Skipp (Black Dog, $19.95, 704 pages): Zombies get up and walk in the 32-story anthology, which includes "essays" on all things zombie.

• "Meridian" by Amber Kizer (Delacorte, $16.99, 320 pages): A confused teenage girl discovers she's half human, half angel. Oh, the angst.

The real Amelia Earhart

Hilary Swank portrays legendary aviator Amelia Earhart in "Amelia," which opened Friday. Which reminds us that Earhart's enthusiastic autobiography, "The Fun of It," has just been reissued (Academy Chicago Publishers, $16.95, 219 pages).

The book was first published in 1932, shortly after Earhart became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic. She again astounded the world in 1935 when she was the first woman to solo over the Pacific from Hawaii to California. Earhart vanished in 1937 in her attempt to circumnavigate the globe.

Meanwhile, a definitive biography just hit bookstores: "Amelia Earhart: The Thrill of It" by Susan Wells (Running Press, $35, 224 pages). The book is full of vintage photos and illustrations, and maps of her flight routes.

The surprise is how diverse Earhart's interests really were, Wells points out. She was "a photographer, poet, hospital worker, truck hauler, fashion designer, social worker, and student of chemistry, physics and medicine."

Author appearances

• Borders in Sacramento has two upcoming events. The store is at 2339 Fair Oaks Blvd.; (916) 564-0168.

Alan Jacobson for "Crush" (Vanguard, $25.95, 400 pages): FBI profiler Karen Vail is looking for some R&R in the Napa Valley. Instead, she becomes enmeshed in tracking a serial killer.

Event: 7 p.m. Tuesday

Georgeann Brennan for "Gather: Memorable Menus for Entertaining Throughout the Seasons" (Sasquatch, $22.95, 240 pages): The chef-teacher offers an array of recipes for dishes to serve on occasions year-round.

Event: 7 p.m. Nov. 5.

• Monte Schulz for "This Side of Jordan" (Fantagraphics, $22.95, 320 pages): Set in the summer before the Crash of 1929, a Midwestern farm boy imprudently follows a con man across the Mississippi River into "a vortex of criminal violence." The author is the son of the late Charles Schulz, creator of the "Peanuts" comic strip.

Event: 7 p.m. Wednesday at Time Tested Books, 1114 21st St., Sacramento; (916) 447-5696.

• Laura Hansen for "Hand Me a Wrench, My Life Is Out of Whack" (Taylor-Hill, $14.95, 128 pages): The book is described as "a spiritual guide to help people change their attitudes on life."

Event: 2 p.m. Sunday at the Avid Reader at the Tower, 1600 Broadway, Sacramento; (916) 441-4400.

• Cleo Fellers Kocol for "Fitzhugh's Woman" (BookSurge, $20, 486 pages): The prize-winning poet and writer will talk about the history of Virginia City, Nev.

Event: 2 p.m. Sunday at Twelve Bridges Library, 485 Twelve Bridges Drive, Lincoln; (916) 434-2410.

Shelf lively

These new titles caught our attention:

• "American Rebel" by Marc Eliot (Harmony, $25.99, 400 pages): Veteran celebrity biographer Eliot details Clint Eastwood's life from his college dropout-slacker years to today. The actor-director refused to be interviewed for the book. Here's a tip: Look for him after dark at the Mission Ranch in Carmel, which he owns and often visits.

• "Highest Duty" by Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, with Jeffrey Zaslow (William Morrow, $25.99, 352 pages): The airline pilot became a national hero in January when he safely landed a crippled U.S. Airways flight on the Hudson River. In this autobiographical "search for what really matters," he plainly speaks out on the notions of responsibility, leadership and "preparing for the unexpected."

• "The Paradise Tree" by Christopher Steele (Create Space, $14, 298 pages): Steele teaches English at Franklin High School in Elk Grove. His fiction debut follows the travails of a teen boy living in a group home – a loner until something makes him question his views of the world and of himself.

The Bee's Allen Pierleoni can be reached at (916) 321-1128 or apierleoni@ sacbee.com. Contact him with news of coming literary events that are open to the public.