31 Best Books to Read for Halloween

This true New England Gothic is full of creeping dread, suspicious neighbors, and a strange and reclusive narrator. When you think you’ve solved the mystery, you’ve only just begun.

No one writes horror like Tananarive Due, and her latest is her best yet. Sharp, tragic, heartbreaking and terrifying, The Reformatory takes readers back in time to an all-boys school in the 1950s American South. This gripping mystery is perfect for fans of S.A. Cosby and Stephen Graham Jones.

In under 200 pages, Agustina Bazterrica gives us a harrowing look at a dystopian future through an unforgettable heroine. Cults, climate crises and extremism collide in this razor sharp story.

Simply a delight, Bless Your Heart is that perfect blend of horror, gore and a good time. The women vs the undead plot and the Southern setting make for an unmissable dynamic duo. It may be a debut, but you’ll be eagerly awaiting whatever Lindy Ryan comes up with next.

A young boy in danger and an empathetic young woman determined to protect him. This chilling and lingering horror thrives in how grounded and realistic it feels, despite a rather hairy foe. Good luck sleeping after reading this.

Steeped in Latin American folklore and mythology, Cynthia Pelayo’s collection of short stories is packed with everything from the spooky to the scary. If you enjoyed Pelayo’s Children of Chicago, this is the next logical step for you.

A horror steeped in music. When the world is set to fall to pieces, the 90’s punk band with a “devilishly” charismatic front man attempts to save it. Playfully dark, thrilling and reflective — this book is a riot.

What if your dream home came with a few loose ends? This terrifying thriller is an unsettling story that’ll put a creak into the floorboards…

This darkly atmospheric ghostly reimagining of the Bluebeard fairy tale is a Gothic horror weaved with stunning prose. The haunting ghost story will suck you in and won’t let go.

This chilling double saga from Stephen Graham Jones is comprised of two heart-pounding stories: a classic haunted house thriller and a terrifying tale of hitchhiking, perfect for a small dose of scares.

Past traumas and looming threats collide in this fresh spin on your typical deserted island thriller. When a popular social media star and his many loyal followers arrive on an idyllic island to party, things quickly take a bloody turn for the worse.

You may have seen the movie, but the novel is rich with its own terrors that have captivated decades of dedicated horror readers. It’s the story of one little girl possessed by evil, and it is raw, shocking and unforgettable.

Pulling apart the gritty stings of fear faced by marginalized communities in the wake of an alien invasion, White’s adult debut is raw, horrifying and will rip you out of your comfort zone.

Gothic horror at its finest, this time Kingfisher invites us on a haunted rescue mission cloaked in the eerie decay of American coal mines.

Cassandra Khaw fits rich descriptions into each and every sentence on every single page. Visceral, vivid and dripping with horror, we follow a mermaid and a plague doctor on a most bizarre journey. No spoiler alerts on where the journey takes us, but do know, you will be on alert the whole way.

The Long Walk is an annual test of strength and stamina, and teenager Ray Garraty is gearing up to face the gruesome challenge. But only one can survive in the wicked walking battle, and Ray is determined to be the last one standing.

Unearthing the depths of Hill’s imagination, this fantastical tale delivers with a villainous dragon steering the ship. It’s a satisfying horror that plays out the pitfalls of the human condition — with a side of romance.

In this fun and frightening story, Clio moves back into her childhood home but soon learns that the mysterious presence she felt as a child is still there…waiting for her in the shadows.

A haunted estate, a perilous garden — this is a bone-chilling Gothic thriller that will grip you until the very end. Delivered with stunning prose, this tale of obsession, murder and family secrets is perfect for fans of Don’t Let the Forest In.