Halloween is just days away now and I’m sure everyone is engaged in their preparations for the day. I know because I am too. What am I doing for this year’s Halloween, you ask? I’m busy making space in my bookshelf for stacking some scary Halloween books in there. Well, I’m a reader. What else did you expect?
Every Halloween, I’m more excited about reading more and more horror novels than I am for trick-or-treating. Even though I’m a regular reader, there are so many scary books out there that I have not explored yet, and this year, I’m going to read more and more of them. Horror is my favorite genre, I can’t help but get excited over the thought of buying more of them, and that too at Halloween time!
It’s not that you can’t read scary novels at other times of the year. It’s just that Halloween gives the spooky and chilly vibes that create just the atmosphere needed for enjoying a horrifying novel to the fullest. I’m not making this up, it’s a psychological phenomenon.
Although all the books I’ve ever read are equally dear to me, there are a few books that just stood out and gave me chills down my spine, the kinds of books that are perfect for Halloween.
13 Scary Halloween Books For Everyone
1. It
It is a horror coming of age novel written by Stephen King in 1986 and it is 1,138 pages long.
The story of this book is about seven children as they experience fear and terror by an evil entity that disguises itself while hunting for its prey by exploiting and feeding on the fear of the ones it holds victim.
2. The October Country
The October Country is a horror science fiction written in 1955 by Ray Bradbury and is 306 pages long.
This book republishes 15 of the author’s 27 stories published previously in his collection ‘Dark Carnival’. This book also adds four more of his stories that were previously published somewhere else.
3. The Woman In The Dunes
Written by Kōbō Abe in 1962, The Woman In The Dunes is a psychological fiction that is 256 pages long.
This novel was initially written in the Japanese language and its English-translated version was made available in 1964. It follows the story of a newbie insect scientist who has missed the last bus home after a day trip to the seashore. He is offered a stay for the night at the bottom of a giant sandpit. What happens the following day is unexpected. What is it? You’ve got to read it to find out.
4. The Castle Of Otranto
The Castle Of Otranto is a gothic novel written in 1764 by Horace Walpole and is 128 pages long.
This book is regarded as the first gothic novel. The book’s story revolves around the prince of Otranto, Manfred, who, after the death of his child, Conrad, wants to secure the castle for his descendants as they are confronted with a curse.
5. Child Of God
In 1973, Child Of God is a Gothic novel written by Cormac McCarthy and is 208 pages long.
This book is based on the life of an outcast in Appalachian, Tennessee, in the 1960s, who is a violent serial killer, Lester Ballard, who was falsely accused of rape. This novel gained great appreciation even from the critiques but wasn’t a great success financially.
6. The Mysteries Of Udolpho
The Mysteries Of Udolpho is a 1794 written Gothic novel by Ann Radcliffe and is 704 pages long.
This novel tells the tale of Emily St. Aubert. She has suffered big misadventures and misfortunes, including the death of her mother and father, an encounter with an Italian brigand, and a lot of supernatural trouble.
7. A Wicked Magic
A Wicked Magic is a 368 pages long young adult fiction written by Sasha Laurens in 2020.
This book is about two witches, Dan and Liss, who have got their powers from The Black Book. They accidentally get Liss’s boyfriend snatched away by an evil entity when a spell goes wrong and worse, Liss and Dan’s friendship ends the same night. Read this novel to know how they manage to handle things when everything seems to be falling apart.
8. House Of Salt And Sorrows
Written by Erin A. Craig, House Of Salt And Sorrows is a 2019 Fantasy fiction that is 416 pages long.
This novel is about the life of Annaleigh, consisting of her family. 4 of her sisters have died. It is suspected by the villagers that the family is cursed. Annaleigh also suspects that her sisters’ deaths were no accident, so she sets out to unveil the curse.
9. There’s Someone Inside Your House
There’s Someone Inside Your House is a 2017 thriller novel written by Stephanie Perkins and is 287 pages long.
This novel revolves around Makani Young, who has some dark secrets she thinks she has buried with her past. She has moved in with her grandmother in a new place and has even made new friends. Life was going well for her until she was in a situation where she needed to confront her dark past.
10. The Sacrifice Box
The Sacrifice Box is a 400 pages long Horror fiction novel written by Martin Stewart in 2018.
The story of this book revolves around five friends who discover a stone box in the woods and decide that they will make each sacrifice one thing that is dear to them and keep it in the box. They even make rules like not visiting the box alone, not taking back the offering made, and never returning to the box at night. But it seems like someone broke the rules and now everyone has to pay.
11. The Cheerleaders
In 2018, The Cheerleaders were a Kara Thomas written mystery novel that is 400 pages long.
This mysterious novel revolves around the death of 5 cheerleaders of Sunnybrook High under different circumstances and one of them happens to be our protagonist, Monica’s sister. The high school wants to remember the dead girls, but it’s not easy for Monica as she finds out a few things related to the death of the five cheerleading girls.
12. The Bad Seed
The Bad Seed is a 1954 written psychological horror novel by William March and is 247 pages long.
This novel shows a mother’s finding out that her daughter is a serial killer, a murderer. It tells the story of a young girl who has been a ‘bad seed’ from the very beginning in every way possible and is way out of hands. Can she ever change? You’ve got to read the novel to find out.
13. Rules For Vanishing
Rules For Vanishing is a horror fiction written by Kate Alice Marshall in 2019 and is 416 pages long.
This story is about Sara, who is determined to find her missing sister at all costs. In the forest, a road appears once every year, leading to Lucy Gallows’ ghost beckons. It’s more like famous lore in the village, but Sara knows it’s real and she will find it out at any cost to reunite with her sister.
Conclusion:
So, these are the same books I would heartily want you all to go through at least once. These will blow your mind as they did mine and give you the required chills for Halloween.
