A Spooky Book List for Halloween!

It’s the spookiest time of the year! Not only does that mean watching scary movies but also reading scary books!

As a true bookwhore—I mean bookworm, I always have booklists out the wazoo. Also, my book-mountain is massive! With Halloween coming up (the best holiday out of the year; fight me) I wanted to create a booklist for all those out there that feel the way I do. So, there’s a bit of YA, Fiction, and Non-Fiction to fit your fancy.

 

Young Adult

Nancy Drew: The Curse

Author: Micol Ostow

Prequel to The CW show, the novel follows Nancy Drew as she sets out to solve the mystery of the Naming Day Curse. She’ll need to hurry, especially after one of her fellow classmates goes missing and her best friend could be next. However, the more she finds out the more she becomes unsure that science and cold-hard proof can explain this. It may just be what she can’t explain away. It may be supernatural.

The Haunted & The Unleashed

Author: Danielle Vega

From the author of Survive the Night and The Merciless series, Vega is a true mistress of fun horror and brings some seriously chilling and ghosty action. I couldn’t do The Unleashed without also putting up the book previous to it. She really keeps things interesting and dark and curious. I honestly don’t understand how movies haven’t been made on her books.

Night World

Author: L. J. Smith

 

This is the author that gave us The Vampire Diaries and The Secret Circle. In a world of supernaturals, the tether of soulmates will cause trouble and create an unbreakable bond for several. With just as much drama and intensity as TVD, this is a perfect Halloween series.

The June Boys

Author: Courtney C. Stevens

Released this year, the book follows the Gemini Thief. Nobody knows who it is except that he’s been kidnapping boys each year and holding onto them for ten months then releasing them. Quite the creepy thriller.

 

Fiction

The Girls

Author: Emily Cline

A cult-y read for those who’re a fan of Charles Manson. Chilling and full of creepiness as you follow the main character, …, as she recalls her teen years around an enigmatic group that made her feel free and adventurous where in fact they were much more dangerous than she ever realized.

All Souls Trilogy

Author: Deborah Harkness

You’ve probably watched the first season of this show about fifteen times if you’re like me. If you haven’t yet, then you must! It’s just beautiful. And, this trilogy is no exception. It’s truly spectacular and witchy as the protagonist, … comes across a book that witches, vampires, and demons have been searching for forever. On top of that, she meets the charming and stoic Matthew, an old vampire, and try as she might, she begins to fall for him.

Practical Demonkeeping

Author: Christopher Moore

For those in need of some comedy with their Halloween, look no further. Follow the town of Pine Cove as it deals with a demon coming in and looking for a new human to make its handler while also looking for the perfect meal. Gut-busting humor meets a couple of bad incantations and

The Thing on the Doorstep

Author: H. P. Lovecraft

An OG of horror, this classic beast will take you down roads of strange things and haunted beings with this book of horror tales. From aliens to demons to ghosts. You’ll get chilled by this one.

The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires

Author: Grady Hendrix

Suburbia meets Fight Night when a mysterious man moves in next door to Patricia. A part of a book club that devours True Crime novels like candy, she becomes suspicious when children start going missing and come up dead. She knows he’s connected, but she didn’t expect what she discovered. How can she stop him before he comes after her children?

 

Non-Fiction

In The Dream House

Author: Carmen Maria Machado

A memoir, Carmen tackles her past in an abusive same-sex relationship through the use of horror themes and narrative tropes that instantly deems this as an instant classic that’ll shake you up.

The Stranger Beside Me

Author: Ann Rule

The account of Rule’s time of knowing Ted Bundy and never realizing what he was capable of. Proof that we don’t always recognize a monster among us. A true story that’s enough to make you lock your doors and windows, but leave you enthralled.

 

Demon Camp

Author: Jennifer Percy

Following the account of a Special Ops soldier that truly believes his PTSD is caused by demonic forces. Yet, this tale quickly becomes obsessives as the author delves deeply into this dark, mesmerizing world in which she gets exorcised herself.

Jay’s Journal

Author: Anonymous

A part of the Anonymous series that also includes Lucy in the Sky and Go Ask Alice, Jay was a sweet kid that quickly got involved with dark forces he had zero understanding of. By the time he wanted out it was too late. Far too late. It had him…and it would never let him go.

The Lampshade

Author: Mark Jacobson

A recount of a lamp with a lampshade made of human flesh and the chilling things that happened. Following its origins. Jacobson discovers more than he bargained for. Pilfering through reports and taking interviews, he comes wonder about his own life after horrifying findings. But after all is said and done, what will be done this lampshade that used to be a person? How does one go on with life because nothing’s the same after something like this enters your life?

 

You can find these books on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes, and Noble, and at just about any book retailer!

 

What chilling and spooky reads are you cracking open this month? Let’s chat about it in the comments below! Tell us @capeandcastle on Twitter!