30 Must-Read Halloween Books to Haunt Your Reading List

Halloween is the perfect time to curl up with a good book and get scared. But with so many different Halloween books to choose from, where do you start?

In this post, I've compiled a list of 20 must-read Halloween books from a variety of subgenres, including horror, thriller, mystery, and suspense. Whether you're a fan of classic monsters, haunted houses, or psychological thrillers, there's sure to be a book on this list that you'll love.

So get ready to get scared, and check out my list of the best Halloween books from every subgenre!

Related post: 26 Must-Watch Halloween Movies: From Classics to Cult Favorites

What is Halloween?

Halloween is a celebration observed on October 31, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Saints' Day. It is thought to have originated from the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off ghosts.

Today, Halloween is celebrated in many countries around the world, and is a popular holiday for children and adults alike. Some of the most common Halloween traditions include:

• Trick-or-treating: Children dress up in costumes and go door-to-door, asking for candy or other treats.
• Costume parties: People of all ages dress up in costumes and attend parties or other events.
• Carving pumpkins: People carve pumpkins into jack-o'-lanterns, which are often placed on front porches or in windows to scare away evil spirits.
• Bonfires: People build bonfires and gather around them to tell stories and sing songs.
• Apple bobbing: People try to bob for apples in a tub of water, using only their mouths.

Halloween is also a time for people to decorate their homes with spooky symbols, such as bats, spiders, and skeletons. And many people enjoy watching horror movies or reading scary stories on Halloween night.

In short, Halloween is a holiday that celebrates the supernatural and the macabre. It is a time for people to dress up in costumes, eat candy, and have fun.

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The Best Halloween Books to Get You in the Spirit

Here's a list of 10 Halloween-themed novels that are both popular and critically acclaimed, covering a range of genres and themes:

1. Dracula by Bram Stoker

Journey into the terrifying origins of modern horror with Bram Stoker's immortal Gothic masterpiece. When English solicitor Jonathan Harker travels to the remote, foreboding castle of Count Dracula in Transylvania, he uncovers a chilling evil that defies comprehension. Soon, this ancient, aristocratic vampire follows Harker back to London, unleashing a plague of darkness upon Victorian society. The fate of those he preys upon—including the brave Mina Harker and her friends—rests on a desperate band led by the enigmatic Dr. Van Helsing. This is the definitive, blood-soaked tale of seduction, terror, and the eternal battle between good and monstrous evil, making it the essential, original entry for any Halloween reading list.

2. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Dive into the ultimate tale of mad science and monstrous consequence. Obsessed with conquering death, the brilliant and arrogant Victor Frankenstein succeeds in animating life—creating a creature of immense size and terrifying appearance. But in the instant of his triumph, Victor recoils from his creation, abandoning it to a world that judges it purely on sight. This seminal Gothic novel is a chilling meditation on ambition, responsibility, and the nature of humanity. As the Creature seeks revenge and connection, an unforgettable tragedy unfolds, proving that the true monster may be the one who rejects his creation. A deeply philosophical and essential horror story perfect for the deepest, darkest nights of the Halloween season.

3. The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

Enter Hill House, a cold, imposing mansion "not sane" and utterly devoted to evil. Dr. John Montague brings a small team of psychically sensitive individuals—including the fragile Eleanor Vance and the bohemian Theodora—to investigate its notorious hauntings. What follows is a descent into a world where the lines between the supernatural and the psychological blur. As strange noises and ominous messages begin to plague the group, the house focuses its chilling, insidious will on Eleanor. Jackson's classic is a terrifying masterpiece of Gothic suspense that asks: Is the house truly possessed, or is the horror merely a reflection of the darkness we carry within ourselves? An unforgettable, deeply unsettling read for a sophisticated Halloween scare.

4. The Turn of the Screw by Henry James

A young governess arrives at the isolated English country estate of Bly to care for two beautiful, strangely silent orphaned children, Miles and Flora. She quickly becomes convinced that the children are being visited and corrupted by the malevolent ghosts of the previous, deceased employees: the valet Peter Quint and the former governess, Miss Jessel. As she desperately fights to save her innocent charges from this unseen, unspeakable evil, the psychological tension ratchets up. Henry James’s quintessential ghost story is a masterclass in ambiguity, leaving the reader to question the reality of the apparitions: is Bly truly haunted, or is the terror a figment of the increasingly unstable governess's mind? A chilling, intellectual puzzle that's mandatory Halloween reading.

5. The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty

In the quiet, stately Georgetown neighborhood of Washington D.C., actress Chris MacNeil’s life descends into a nightmare when her sweet eleven-year-old daughter, Regan, exhibits shocking, violent, and foul-mouthed behavior that baffles modern medicine. After psychiatric and neurological attempts fail, a terrifying conclusion is reached: Regan is possessed by an ancient demon. Called upon to fight this malevolence are Father Damien Karras, a Jesuit psychiatrist wrestling with a crisis of faith, and the elderly, battle-scarred veteran, Father Merrin. Blatty's groundbreaking novel turns the battle between science and the sacred into a relentless, terrifying siege against the ultimate evil—a visceral, theological nightmare that will test the very foundations of your faith.

6. Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury

It’s late October in Green Town, Illinois, and thirteen-year-old best friends Will Halloway and Jim Nightshade witness the sinister arrival of Cooger & Dark's Pandemonium Shadow Show. This isn't a joyful circus; it's a carnival of malevolence run by the Illustrated Man, Mr. Dark, that preys on the secret desires of the townspeople, offering them the chance to become younger or older—at a terrible price. As the boys uncover the carnival’s dark secrets, they are thrust into a terrifying battle between good and evil, innocence and experience, that can only be won with the power of love, courage, and simple human happiness. A classic of dark fantasy, this novel is an eloquent and atmospheric tale about the magic and terror of growing up.

7. House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski

This novel is a labyrinth of stories within stories. At its core is "The Navidson Record," a fictional academic study of a documentary about a family whose new house is impossibly larger on the inside than on the outside—a constantly shifting, dark, endless maze. This main text is presented as the manuscript of a deceased blind man, Zampanò, which is then annotated by a troubled young man named Johnny Truant, who descends into madness as he edits the work.

Marked by radical, experimental typography—including different fonts for different narrators, text that twists, turns, and shrinks on the page, and copious footnotes (many referencing nonexistent works)—the book itself mirrors the disorienting, terrifying space it describes. It is an unforgettable journey into horror, obsession, and the very nature of storytelling.

8. Pet Sematary by Stephen King

Dr. Louis Creed moves his family to a new home in rural Maine, right next to a busy, truck-filled highway and a children's burial ground for dead pets (the "Pet Sematary"). His friendly neighbor, Jud Crandall, reveals a hidden, ancient Mi'kmaq burial ground deeper in the woods with a terrifying power: anything buried there comes back to life, though changed and evil.

After tragedy strikes the Creed family, Louis's overwhelming grief and refusal to accept death lead him to defy the natural order. He uses the ground to bring back loved ones, setting off a chain of horrifying events that prove Jud's ominous warning true: "Sometimes dead is better." The novel is a raw, unflinching exploration of grief, the fear of mortality, and the catastrophic consequences of wishing to reverse the irreversible.

9. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

This is the story of Nobody "Bod" Owens, an orphaned toddler who crawls out of his home after his family is murdered and finds refuge in a nearby graveyard. The ghostly residents, including the kind Mr. and Mrs. Owens, adopt him and raise him within the safety of their cemetery. Protected by the mysterious, non-dead guardian Silas, Bod grows up learning the Freedom of the Graveyard, which grants him special abilities.

As Bod grows older, he faces adventures and dangers, from ghouls and witches to the secrets of the ancient cemetery. But the true threat remains the killer—the Man Jack—who is still waiting for Bod to leave his sanctuary so he can finish the job. The novel is a beautiful, imaginative bildungsroman (coming-of-age story) about finding family in unexpected places and ultimately embracing life outside the protective walls of childhood.

10. Coraline by Neil Gaiman

This unsettling dark fantasy novel introduces Coraline Jones, an imaginative and adventurous girl who has just moved into a new flat. Bored with her inattentive, busy parents, Coraline discovers a mysterious, locked door. When she finally opens it, she steps into an alternate reality that eerily mirrors her own—but with one terrifying difference: the button-eyed "Other Mother" and "Other Father."

Initially, the Other World seems wonderful, offering all the attention and fun Coraline desires. However, when her 'other' parents ask her to stay forever by sewing buttons into her own eyes, the sinister nature of this world is revealed. Coraline must use her cleverness and courage to rescue her real parents and the lost souls of other children from the monstrous Other Mother, proving that true bravery is being scared but doing what needs to be done anyway.

11. The October Country by Ray Bradbury

This is a classic collection of nineteen macabre and melancholic short stories, which Bradbury himself describes as "that country where it is always turning late in the year... composed in the main of cellars, sub-cellars, coal-bins, closets, attics, and pantries faced away from the sun."

The stories delve into the unsettling side of humanity and the supernatural with Bradbury's signature poetic prose. You'll encounter tales of a man whose own skeleton begins to conspire against him, a dwarf obsessed with a funhouse mirror, a family of immortal monsters, a deadly newborn, and the sinister secrets held within a mysterious jar. It's a haunting exploration of human fears, death, obsession, and the hidden darkness residing in seemingly ordinary lives.

12. Ghost Story by Peter Straub

In the quiet, snowbound town of Milburn, New York, a group of elderly men known as the Chowder Society gathers regularly to share ghost stories. Their gatherings are a desperate ritual to cope with a horrific, shared secret from their youth: an accident involving a mysterious and beautiful woman years ago. Now, a malevolent force has descended upon their town. Plagued by terrifying nightmares and stalked by a relentless, shape-shifting evil, the men realize their buried past has returned to claim them, one by one. This literary horror classic is a chilling exploration of guilt, secrets, and a supernatural reckoning perfect for a cold winter night.

13. The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury

Join eight boys on a magical Halloween night as they embark on a desperate quest to save their friend, Pipkin, who is whisked away by a mysterious figure named Mr. Moundshroud. Their adventure takes them across time and space to the origins of Halloween itself, tracing its history from ancient Egyptian tombs and Roman festivals to Notre Dame and the Mexican Day of the Dead. Led by Moundshroud, who is part spectral guide, part Death, the boys discover the true meaning behind their costumes and traditions. This short, poetic novel is a dazzling, heartfelt celebration of the holiday, offering a wondrous blend of spooky atmosphere and cultural mythology.

14. The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris

FBI trainee Clarice Starling is pulled from Quantico to hunt "Buffalo Bill," a serial killer abducting women and terrifying the nation. To understand the killer's dark psychology, Starling must venture into the high-security asylum and enter a dangerous psychological game with the ultimate predator: Dr. Hannibal Lecter. The brilliant former psychiatrist and notorious cannibal agrees to offer cryptic clues in exchange for unsettling truths about Clarice’s traumatic past. As the clock ticks for a kidnapped victim, Clarice must navigate Lecter’s manipulations and confront the monstrous evil of Buffalo Bill. This chilling, Oscar-winning thriller will keep you on edge long past midnight.

15. Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice

In a dimly lit room, the vampire Louis de Pointe du Lac recounts his two-century-long life story to a journalist. His chilling confession begins in 18th-century New Orleans, where the charismatic, decadent vampire Lestat de Lioncourt grants Louis the dark gift of immortality. Tormented by his moral conscience and the savage necessity of killing, Louis is bound to Lestat in a perverse, passionate relationship. Their twisted family expands with Claudia, a child turned vampire, eternally trapped in a small body. A groundbreaking Gothic horror tale, this novel explores the burden of immortality, the nature of evil, and the seductive pull of the night.

16. Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Glamorous socialite Noemí Taboada leaves 1950s Mexico City for the remote countryside to visit her newlywed cousin, Catalina, whose frantic letter hints at a mysterious doom. She arrives at High Place, a decaying mansion owned by Catalina’s strange English in-laws, the Doyle family. The isolated house, the ancient, eugenics-obsessed patriarch, and the menacing husband hold sinister secrets. As the house invades Noemí’s dreams with macabre visions, she digs into a family history riddled with madness and violence. This atmospheric horror novel masterfully blends classic Gothic tropes with a critique of colonialism to deliver a truly terrifying and unforgettable nightmare.

17. We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

Meet Merricat Blackwood: eighteen years old, fiercely protective of her sister Constance, and obsessed with rituals and her beloved cat, Jonas. Six years ago, a fatal dose of arsenic wiped out most of the wealthy Blackwood family, leaving Merricat, Constance, and their frail Uncle Julian to live in splendid isolation on their sprawling estate. Though Constance was acquitted of the murders, the nearby villagers still whisper and taunt. When the manipulative and money-hungry Cousin Charles arrives, Merricat senses a threat to their carefully constructed, eerie sanctuary. She'll stop at nothing to protect her sister and their reclusive, eccentric way of life in this chilling psychological Gothic masterpiece about isolation and the destructive power of secrets.

18. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving

In the secluded, dreamy glen of Sleepy Hollow, the superstitious schoolmaster Ichabod Crane arrives to teach and seek his fortune. His ambitious eye lands on Katrina Van Tassel, the daughter of a wealthy farmer, but his clumsy courtship is challenged by the town's brawny prankster, Brom Bones. Ichabod's vivid imagination, constantly fed by local ghost tales, makes him an easy target. One fateful autumn night, riding home from a harvest party, Ichabod encounters the valley's most terrifying specter: the Headless Horseman. This classic American Gothic tale perfectly blends a romantic rivalry with enduring folklore, leaving readers to wonder whether the horror was supernatural or merely a clever, pumpkin-tossing practical joke.

19. The Amityville Horror by Jay Anson

The Lutz family believed they'd found their dream home: a beautiful, spacious house in Amityville, Long Island, offered at an unbelievable price. But the discount came with a chilling past—it was the site of a gruesome mass murder just a year before. Ignoring the warnings, they moved in, only for their dream to crumble into a nightmare within 28 days.

Based on the family's terrifying real-life claims, this groundbreaking book chronicles the escalating psychic phenomena: slamming doors, demonic voices, green slime oozing from the walls, and a crippling sense of evil. Forced to flee, the Lutzes' experience became the definitive modern haunted house story. Will you dare step inside the most famous haunted house in America?

20. It by Stephen King

Welcome to Derry, Maine, a town with a dark secret buried deep in its sewers—a cosmic, shape-shifting evil that awakens every 27 years to feed on the fear of children. Its favorite form? A grinning, silver-suited nightmare named Pennywise the Dancing Clown.

This is the epic tale of the Losers' Club, a band of seven childhood outcasts who first dared to face the creature in the summer of 1958. Now adults, they’ve forgotten their terrifying youth. But when the cycle of violence begins again, a single phone call forces them to return home and confront the ultimate monster that wears their deepest, darkest fears like a mask. You’ll find that as long as you can be scared, It will find you.

21. Salem’s Lot by Stephen King

The quintessential small New England town of Jerusalem's Lot, Maine, is a place of quiet gossip, old houses, and dark secrets. Author Ben Mears returns to his childhood home to write about the ominous Marsten House, a place that has haunted his memories since a traumatic experience there decades ago.

But a new evil has arrived in town: the mysterious antique dealer Kurt Barlow and his chilling associate. What begins as a series of strange disappearances and local oddities soon escalates into a chilling vampire epidemic that threatens to consume the entire community. Ben, along with a small band of allies, must fight to stop the undead from turning 'Salem's Lot into a colony of the damned—one knock on a bedroom window at a time. This novel is a classic tale of horror that proves ancient evil can thrive even in the most familiar American setting.

22. Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman

Orphaned at a young age, sisters Sally and Gillian Owens are raised by their eccentric aunts, who secretly practice the "Nameless Arts" in a small Massachusetts town. For generations, the Owens women have been blamed for every misfortune and cursed to find that any man they truly love will meet an untimely end.

Determined to escape their strange, magical legacy, the sisters follow different paths—one seeking domestic bliss, the other a restless freedom. But when trouble follows Gillian home, bringing a dead body and a menacing, ghostly presence, the two must reunite. They will be forced to confront the ancient curse, embrace the true power of their witchcraft, and discover the unbreakable magic of sisterhood.

23. The Shining by Stephen King

A new start seems promising when recovering alcoholic writer Jack Torrance accepts the winter caretaker position at the isolated Overlook Hotel in the Colorado Rockies. He brings his wife, Wendy, and their young son, Danny, hoping the quiet will allow him to focus on his play and family.

But Danny possesses a rare psychic ability he calls "the shining," allowing him to see the hotel’s horrifying, violent past and the malevolent forces that still reside there. As a snowstorm cuts the family off from the world, the Overlook begins to prey on Jack’s weaknesses, slowly driving him toward a terrifying madness that threatens to consume them all.

24. The Woman in Black by Susan Hill

Young solicitor Arthur Kipps is sent to a remote, tide-swept corner of England to settle the affairs of a recently deceased client, Mrs. Alice Drablow. His destination is Eel Marsh House, a solitary, eerie manor cut off from the mainland at high tide.

Almost immediately, Kipps is unnerved by the terrified silence of the locals and the repeated appearance of a spectral "Woman in Black" at the funeral. As he works through the late Mrs. Drablow’s papers in the isolated house, he is assailed by chilling sounds and sinister manifestations. He slowly uncovers the tragic story of a vengeful ghost whose appearances foretell a devastating doom. This classic gothic horror is a masterclass in suffocating atmosphere and profound dread.

New and Lesser-Known Halloween Books to Read This Season

If you are looking for something more recent to read, here are a few more critically acclaimed Halloween novels:

25. The House Across the Lake by Riley Sager

Recently widowed and disgraced actress Casey Fletcher retreats to her family's secluded Vermont lake house to escape the press, armed only with bourbon and a pair of binoculars. She soon becomes obsessed with her new neighbors across the water: the glamorous former model Katherine Royce and her wealthy tech-innovator husband, Tom.

After Casey saves Katherine from drowning, a tentative friendship begins, revealing the cracks beneath the couple’s seemingly perfect marriage. When Katherine suddenly vanishes, Casey, an increasingly unreliable narrator, is convinced of foul play. Her desperate investigation uncovers dark, bizarre secrets, turning her voyeuristic suspicion into a heart-pounding nightmare with twists that go far deeper than the placid lake's surface.

26. My Heart Is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones

Jade Daniels, a half-Indian outcast in the rural Idaho town of Proofrock, finds solace and structure in the world of slasher films. Her encyclopedic knowledge of the genre is her shield against a traumatic past and a town that wants nothing to do with her.

When a series of grisly murders shakes the gentrifying community, Jade realizes the bloodshed mirrors the tropes of her beloved horror movies. Convinced a real-life slasher is stalking Proofrock, she takes it upon herself to identify the killer and coach the beautiful new girl, Letha, in the ways of the "Final Girl."

Part love letter to horror and part poignant look at trauma and displacement, this book blends scream-queen suspense with a sharp critique of modern American life, all through the dizzying, brilliant mind of a girl who sees the world only in terms of blood, masks, and revenge.

27. The Girl with All the Gifts by M.R. Carey 

Melanie is a very special girl. Every morning, she waits in her cell to be strapped into a wheelchair and taken to class. She’s the smartest of the children at the base, excelling in lessons taught by her beloved teacher, Miss Justineau. But Melanie and her classmates are not normal—they are the subject of desperate scientific research.

Outside the base, a fungal pandemic has turned most of humanity into mindless, flesh-eating "hungries." When the facility is compromised, Melanie and a small group of survivors, including Miss Justineau and the cold-hearted Sergeant Parks, must journey across a devastated Britain. As they face the horrors of the apocalypse, they’ll have to decide: Is Melanie a sweet, loving child, a dangerous monster, or the terrifying key to humanity's survival? This story redefines the zombie genre with deep emotional intelligence.

28. The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay

Seven-year-old Wen and her parents, Eric and Andrew, are enjoying a secluded vacation at a cabin in rural New Hampshire when four strangers suddenly appear. Led by the massive but gentle Leonard, the intruders take the family hostage with a terrifying, impossible demand.

They claim they were compelled by visions to find the family and that the fate of the entire world rests on a terrible choice: the family must willingly sacrifice one of their own, or the apocalypse will begin. As horrifying events begin to unfold on the news—tsunamis, plagues, and catastrophic disasters—Eric and Andrew must decide if their captors are deluded fanatics or tragic heroes delivering a genuine, world-ending prophecy. This is a relentlessly tense, psychological home-invasion thriller that forces an unthinkable moral dilemma.

29. The Shadows by Alex North

Paul Adams is forced to return to his hometown twenty-five years after a horrific murder shattered his life. As a teenager, Paul was connected to Charlie Crabtree, a sinister friend who committed the crime before vanishing without a trace.

Now, Paul is back to care for his sick mother, but the past is not done with him. A new copycat murder echoes Charlie's chilling crime, and Paul finds himself drawn into Detective Amanda Beck’s investigation. Paul must confront the dark secret—a teenage obsession with lucid dreaming—and wonder if Charlie's influence, or even Charlie himself, has finally returned from the terrifying woods known as The Shadows.

30. The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward

This psychological horror novel follows Ted, a man living a reclusive life in a rundown house on the edge of a mysterious forest. Ted is plagued by dark memories and a troubled past, leading him to isolate himself from the world. However, the arrival of Dee, a woman searching for her missing sister, sets off a chain of events that unravels the truth about Ted and the sinister forces surrounding him.

The novel expertly blurs the line between reality and illusion, creating an atmosphere of suspense and dread. With its unexpected twists and deep psychological themes, it’s a gripping read for those seeking a chilling story this Halloween.

These novels are all sure to give you a good scare, and they will stay with you long after you finish reading them. These books cover a range of horror subgenres and are likely to provide you with a spooky and immersive reading experience for Halloween. Enjoy your reading!

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