It’s that time of the year to get your spookiness out again! What better way to do it than by curling in a corner and reading a good book that gets you on that Halloween spirit?
Here we’ll leave you a list of 13 books that vary between the mystical, the thriller, the fantasy, and the horror genres that’ll be perfect for your October craves.
“At night Henrietta felt like magic, and at night magic felt like it might be a terrible thing.”
1. The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
Even though the young adult genre is one that many are avoiding, this is a story you don’t want to miss. Centered around Blue, a girl with a clairvoyant family that has always warned her that she will cause the death of her true love. Although a little skeptical about this, she still prefers to avoid boys in general, just for precaution. But fate has other plans for her as she is thrown into the strange and mysterious world of four unique boys, and with them, a magical and spiritual search for a lost king who promises a wish for whoever finds him. A mystical story that welcomes you to witchcraft, the paranormal, and the magic that surround us with beautifully written and diverse characters that will stay with you even after finishing it.
“No mourners. No funerals.”
2. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
Six outcasts and one deadly heist. In this dark fantasy world, a convict, a sharpshooter, a runaway, a spy, and a magical Heartrender are offered the chance to make a lethal theft. Kaz Brekker, a criminal prodigy, will be the leader and mastermind of this epic delinquency that will promise to make them rich, that is, if they don’t kill each other first. A brilliant and complex fantasy that features a wicked set of characters of all shades of grey who have their own personal agendas and a fast paced plot that’ll keep you on your toes until the very end.
“Be wise. Be brave. Be tricky.”
3. Coraline by Neil Gaiman
Many of you probably have seen the animated movie, and if you thought it was creepy, well then believe me when I tell you that the book is creepier. A children’s book that appeal to adults too, this story follows Coraline, a witty, intelligent, and curios girl who goes on a magical adventure when going through a locked door in her house after her parents don’t provide her the attention she needs. An adventure that goes terribly wrong and turns into a horrific nightmare that even the oldest of us have chills just thinking about it. With the company of a wise cat, she will confront the demons with button eyes that live in her house, or specifically, the “Other World”. Gaiman introduces us into a sinister world through a brave girl’s eyes that will leave us in admiration and lurking with caution for any locked door in our house.
“I want YOU to see it all, I want YOU to know the depths of my passion, the power of my grasp, and the certainty of my love.”
4. You by Caroline Kepnes
What can be worse than having demons try to eat you at your house? Having a stalker, and yes, the difference is not that much. A story about an obsessive book seller and the woman he is stalking, this one guarantees to make you feel uncomfortable and neurotic. This novel is narrated in the second person point of view, not a common trope you see in novels, but this works wonders with the story and makes it even more sinister. You are reading in the mind of the stalker but, as he tells the story, it makes it seem as if you are the one who he’s obsessed with. And worst of all, since you’re in his mind, you find yourself routing for him. You will travel through his dark thoughts and desires and follow as he gets closer and closer to his target, and you will celebrate his victory with him as he achieves his goal. A charismatic, manipulative psychopath and the naïve woman who falls in his traps, this psychological thriller will surely make you frustrated, scared and confused for not knowing on which side you’re really on.
“Plenty of humans were monstrous, and plenty of monsters knew how to play at being human.”
5. Vicious by V.E. Schwab
Prepare yourself for a tale of vengeance and super powers. A personal favorite, Schwab enthralls you into a world where powers can be achieved, but the costs are steep. We follow two brilliant college friends, Victor and Eli, who have a theory that under the right circumstances in near death experiences, you can gain extraordinary abilities. But when they put their theory in practice, things take a turn for the worst. Ten years later, Victor escapes from prison with only one goal in mind, to kill Eli. Meanwhile Eli takes the responsibility to kill anyone with abnormal abilities. Find out what caused the rift between these friends in this chilling, twisted book where our heroes are the monsters you don’t want to encounter in life.
“Listen to them. Children of the night. What music they make.”
6. Dracula by Bram Stoker
You can never go wrong with this classic. The original vampire, Count Vlad. Starting with Jonathan Harker, a man who visits and stays with Dracula, who’s interested in buying a house and is the one who’s in charge of the paperwork. In his stay, he discovers the eeriness and the true nature of the man he is working with. With animalistic qualities, like crawling through the roofs, the hairs on his hands, the dark creatures under his command, drinking the blood of innocent, or the unnatural way his shadow moves through his castle, and his ability to transform into animals and charm and manipulate to his will the women who he wants to drink. Jonathan discovers that his customer is the devil incarnate, and worst of all, Dracula is after his beloved, Mina. This tale is one that still makes our hairs stand up because of its fearful and ominous imagery, including being the first one to introduce us to the vampire in the literary world, in its purest and vilest devilish form.
“I’m every nightmare you’ve ever had. I’m your worst dream come true. I’m everything you ever were afraid of.”
7. IT by Stephen King
Where would this list be without mentioning Stephen King, the crown king of horror. Since evil clowns are appearing randomly in the U.S.A. and now here in Puerto Rico, let’s talk about this cult classic. “IT” is a novel of nightmares come true, following characters that where tormented by a monstrous clown when they where kids. But their nightmare didn’t end in their childhood. Now, all grown up, they’re reliving the horrors all over again. If an evil, monster clown with sharp razor teeth that kidnaps and eats children doesn’t keep you awake at night, then I don’t know what will.
“There is something disturbing about recalling a warm memory and feeling utterly cold.”
8. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
This thriller is one of the most talked about best sellers that probably everyone has heard of. Even got it’s own movie, but even if you watched it, or not, please give yourself a chance to read this mind boggling book. On their fifth wedding anniversary, Nick’s wife, Amy, goes missing. From there on out everything goes downhill. Nick becomes the prime suspect in Amy’s disappearance and with the help of a rampant media outrage, his life turns upside down. But, everything its not what it looks like. This twisted tale of marriage life and the truth behind the idyllic family nucleus, guarantees to leave you gasping with sick enjoyment and wanting more.
“Nevermore”
9. Any Edgar Allan Poe Tales
Another classic for the list, but really, did you expect not seeing him here? If you want tales that will creep you to your senses with disturbing stories, nasty imagery, and feeling neurotic and paranoid, Poe is there for you. Short stories like, The Pit and the Pendulum, The Cask of Amontillado, The Tell-Tale Heart, The Fall of the House of Usher, including poems like, The Raven, Annabel Lee, and many other writings of his will definitely give you that gothic theme that will make your skin crawl while reading.
“People don’t get better, they just get smarter. When you get smarter you don’t stop pulling the wings off flies, you just think of better reasons for doing it.”
10. Carrie by Stephen King
Yet another one of King’s cult classics, this books deals with much of today’s youth problems, like bullying and emotional torment and abuse. A coming of age story that follows our main protagonist, Carrie, an ostracized young girl who’s constantly abused and humiliated by her mother and schoolmates on a daily basis, while she discovers her ability to move things with her mind. This books deals with the horrors of one’s sanity and how external influences and abuse can affect someone by pushing them to their limit. Also a story of bloody vengeance that at the end will leave you thinking: They deserved it.
“We cling to our fairytales until the price for believing in them becomes too high.”
11. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
On a lighter note, if you prefer more spooky than horror, then this is the one for you. Think about if X-men and Harry Potter did a crossover, well, this is this book. This young adult novel deals with Jacob, a young boy who wanders himself in a deserted island after a tragic family accident. There, he discovers a crumbling orphanage where peculiar kids lived, and possibly, may still be alive. A whimsical story with visually satisfying but creepy photographs that appear over the narrative. With a simple yet endearing writing, this spooky book may be the peculiar light read you’ll want for this Halloween. And later, you can go see the movie, directed by Tim Burton, in your nearest cinema!
“A census taker once tried to test me… I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti.”
12. The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris
Now again with the hardcore horror and thriller. This novel, who has both an iconic character and movie on the bag, will leave you gagging, horrified, and looking behind your back every minute. Our protagonist, Clarice Sterling, investigates the murders of women who were killed and skinned by an infamous serial killer known as Buffalo Bill. But to find him, she will have to seek help from the once forensic psychiatrist and now notorious cannibal, Hannibal Lecter. The killer we all love to love and love to hate. Everyone who reads this novel raves about it, and with good motives. This “bite your nails” type of novel shows the human mind at its most sadistic, cruel, and repulsive moments, with a protagonist that confronts it head on.
“No one around. No one to help him.”
13. Goosebumps by R.L. Stines
Nostalgia wouldn’t not let me put this series in this list. You’ve probably heard of it, or maybe watched the live action series in Cartoon Network, but even if this is a children’s horror series, that doesn’t take away the creepy factor. With a total of 62 short books, varying from monsters, haunted houses, and ghosts, nothing will say Halloween more than these books. For old times sake, grab one and relive your childhood, they’ll certainly remind you why you were a little afraid of them.
Hope you all enjoy these great reads, and remember, stay spooky!