We’re officially knee-deep in October, which means a handful of things: it’s impossible to find an open table in the library, DP is dead, and Target’s Halloween section is a barren wasteland. As we creep nearer and nearer to the 31st — a very complicated holiday for UCSB-goers — what better way to celebrate the season and take some much-needed brain breaks than by indulging in some spooky reads?
From your favorite Writing & Literature major, peer-reviewed and peer-suggested by much smarter Writing & Literature majors, I present to you: Five Spooky Reads to Celebrate the Halloween Season!
Belladonna by Adalyn Grace
A cozy + ghostly mystery (with a sprinkle of romance), Belladonna by Adalyn Grace follows the life of Signa Farrow. Orphaned at a young age, Signa grew up under a long series of guardians who keep dying. Believing herself cursed, she is sent to live with her last remaining relatives at a decadent gothic manor, and Signa soon finds herself unraveling a tragic death, investigating a mysterious illness, tinkering with poisons and phantoms, and teaming up with the most unexpected of figures: Death himself.
TL;DR The main character can’t die and teams up with Death to solve a wealthy gothic family’s mystery; found family trope
Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
Now this book is crucial to my goth best friend’s entire existence–so, yes, I can assure you that it is perfect for getting into the spooky mindset.Â
The Haunting of Hill House is centered around four curious individuals who arrive at Hill House, all searching for different answers: the lonely Eleanor Vance who has a history with poltergeists, the kind assistant Theodora Vaine, the heir of Hill House Luke Sanderson, and the occult scholar Dr. Montague, whose experiment is what brings them all together.
The story speaks on hauntings, what it means to call something home, and the inevitability of death. Written by well-respected and well-studied horror author Shirley Jackson, this book is perfect for anyone hoping to acquaint themselves with the classics.Â
The Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
For me, a very crucial aspect of the Halloween season is cozy fantasy novels. The Secret Society of Irregular Witches was randomly gifted to me for my birthday last year, and since then I have read it three times.Â
This standalone book, about 300 pages, is an absolutely lovely, cozy, magical, found family story. In this modern fantasy, main character Mika Moon is a witch who, excluding her coven, hides her magic from the real world (despite her online account where she “pretends” to be a witch influencer–I know it sounds cheesy, but trust me, it’s great). She moves from place to place, forming no real connections and no real relationships, until she’s eventually asked to tutor three young witches at a mysterious, magical manor, bonding with both the girls and their guardians.
The book is an absolute feel-good novel with genuinely funny moments and, of course, a little dash of romance.Â
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz
Another Halloween classic recommended by the aforementioned Goth Best Friend (GBF), Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark is a series of short horror story collections that have since been turned into a movie. Drawing primarily from folklore and urban legends, the collections are considered a cornerstone of horror literary culture.Â
Of the short stories, GBF recommends “Big Toe,” “The White Satin Evening Gown,” “Cold as Clay,” and “The Ghost With the Bloody Fingers.”
Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
Authored by Ray Bradbury, one of the most well-respected sci-fi writers ever published (ahem, Fahrenheit 451), Something Wicked This Way Comes is a novel chronicling the adventure of two boys as they explore “Cooger & Dark’s Pandemonium Shadow Show,” a mysterious carnival that appeared in their small Illinois town.
Another book that’s considered a crucial novel in the American literary canon, this horror fiction staple explores temptation in a poetry-esque prose and is considered an annual October read for many.Â
Fall, especially around Halloween, is arguably the best season for reading, and I look forward to its spooky ambiance all year. No matter what your content of choice is, it’s important to take time for yourself during such a high-stress period of our academic careers. Books are an amazing way to escape the deadlines and Canvas messages for just a little while — and can easily be the inspiration for your next last-minute Halloween costume!