Top 10 Spooky Reads for Halloween

Are you a seasonal reader?

I totally am! Well, first I am a mood reader. So, I struggle with planning my reads for the month and sticking to any sort of tbr! I know there are lots of us MOOD READERS out there! So hear me out – Halloween (to me) starts during the last week of September and goes until around the first week of November. I know what you’re thinking…. Halloween is ONE DAY of October. But no… Halloween is a whole mood and this mood runs for a little over a month. Just go with it okay?

So since we now all agree that Halloween is a mood and runs for much longer than one day… we can now talk about how we need a whole months worth of SPOOKY, SCARY, HORRIFIC, MAGICAL books to read! If you are like me you tend to lean more towards the lighter spooky books. I’m not against horror books but lets just be honest for a sec… I get scared and I’m a wuss. I SAID IT. I’m a wuss.

If you want a list of horror books that will keep you up all night for the rest of your life… just go google Stephen King books and GOOD LUCK WITH THAT! My list is for everyone else who likes to get a good nights sleep!

How to Hang a Witch

So the title sounds pretty darn spooky to me and also… witches! I have had How to Hang a Witch on my shelf for quite some time now so spooky season seems like the right time to read it! Also – there is a sequel which sounds equally as creepy, Haunting the Deep!

Home Before Dark

Any Riley Sager fans out there?? I’ve personally never read a Riley Sager book but this one seems like a good one to start with. A family once lived in a haunted house. They left but 25 years later their children return to the house and discover that everything their father wrote about was true! Home Before Dark sounds pretty scary to me!

House of Salt and Sorrows

I recently read this and would say its a full 5 stars!! This is a fairy-tale retelling which is quite dark and creepy! It follows 12 sisters who appear to be cursed when they start dying off. Some of the scenes in this story had me straight spooked out! House of Salt and Sorrows was not a before bed read!

The Woman in Cabin 10

Ruth Ware. That’s all I really need to say about this one. Ruth Ware writes wonderful thrilling stories that keep you on the edge of your seat! The Woman in Cabin 10 is one of her most popular books and that is for a reason… it’s not for the faint of heart! If you haven’t read anything by Ruth Ware yet, go check out The Woman in Cabin 10!

Verity

Do you like a gripping psychological thriller that has you guessing the entire time? EVEN AT THE END WHEN ITS OVER? This book was a rollercoaster. Seriously, the ending still has me shook to this day AND the opening line will have you hooked immediately. This was my first Colleen Hoover book but will not be my last. Check out Verity if you like thrillers!

The Night Swim

Told in dual formats (character pov & podcast) this is a police procedural murder mystery! The Night Swim has been a fan favorite all over the internet and there is no question why. This thriller will have you hooked from the start and the unique storytelling through podcast is really neat!

Wilder Girls

Need some YA horror in your life? This was such an interesting book. Many people say its the female version of Lord of the Flies. If nothing else, this book will have you wide eyed and possibly grossed out (there is some gore). Wilder Girls is set on an island where a bunch of girls attend a bordering school. Something goes wrong and they end up quarantined on the island. Nothing good happens next.

Salvation Station

Murder mystery, small town, religious drama, mad woman on the loose… there is a lot that happens in this story and while its not really creepy, it is pretty messed up. Salvation Station is a perfect story for those who like true crime or detective style books.

The Turn of the Key

Another Ruth Ware?? She must be THAT good! The Turn of the Key is so well done that you don’t even know what’s real or not throughout the entire story. Starts off with a BANG and does not stop. It has you wondering if there is something sinister in the house or if someone could really be doing something that evil?

Asylum

A YA series that is super spooky and creepy! A college campus used to be an insane asylum years ago. The basements were never converted into anything and remained locked FULL of old equipment and other mysterious secrets. Three high school students attending a summer program stumble arcos the basement and things start to happen around campus… things that don’t make sense. Asylum was really well done and so were the other two books in the series: Sanctum & Catacomb.

---

What are some of your favorite spooky books?

With love, Deanna

Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase I will earn a small commission. Thanks for your support!