The time has come – Halloween is near and that means it’s time to share a Halloween reading list!
I didn’t grow up in the 90s but when I think of Halloween my mind immediately jumps to Hocus Pocus. The image of Dani wearing her classic witch costume, pumpkin sweaters on display, leaf filled suburban streets, and colorful bowls of candy placed almost everywhere. 🎃
It gives me a warm and cozy feeling thinking about spending my Halloween night with family, trick or treating, telling ghost stories, and eating candy corn.
Once everything is said and done, the trick or treaters retreat home and a magical calmness settles on the night.
That’s what this book list is all about! Books that – to me – have that classic, homey Halloween feeling! They take me back to being a kid and experiencing the scary yet magical day of Halloween!
Onto the list we go!
Frankenstein
Mary Shelley really DID SOMETHING when she wrote Frankenstein. (I still can’t believe she started writing it when she was only 18.) It’s a classic and I remember being SO enticed by the story.
The rage and compassion that filled me while reading this book from start to finish was incredible and it is genuinely one of my favorite books to read for Halloween!
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark
Yes I am including these books in my adult reading list – they are the classic Halloween tales everyone was afraid of in elementary school and I ALWAYS had them checked out.
I remember running to the horror section of my elementary school and PRAYING these were still on the self. They’re great to read for a tiny spook and have super nostalgic vibes attached to them!
Here are the links to Book 2 and Book 3!
Coraline
Coraline gave me the biggest CREEPS when I was younger. It didn’t help that everyone told me I looked like the human version of her (based on the animated movie).
Coraline is a creepy, twisted tale and fits in with the spooky adventure theme I love in Halloween books!
The Greatest Works of Edgar Allen Poe
Edgar Allen Poe is one of my favorite Poets and Writers. His gothic tales always leave me with a chill.
It’s like peering into someone else’s madness and getting to indulge in all their secrets.
Because I grew up reading all of his work from a young age I had to add him to this list, his stories will definitely get you into a spooky mood and they’re always fun to reread!
Carmilla
VAMPIRES VAMPIRES VAMPIRES.
Carmilla is a true classic – before Dracula, there was Carmilla. Another Gothic story that is about female vampires.
Ugh I also love that the main character and I share the same name, so for me it’s like I’m really living the tale.
Sexual tension, gothic romance, vampire women. It’s a must for me that gives you a more sultry YET STILL CLASSIC side of Halloween.
Pet Sematary
You KNOW I had to include Pet Sematary in this list.
It is a classic scary story by Stephen King. Stephen King himself said he crossed a line when it came to writing this book.
Many say it is one of the most chilling and creepy books they have read in their life. So if you’re looking for something morbid, eerie, and bone chilling – this is the one for you!!
Goosebumps
Again another set of stories where YES I am recommending them for my adult readers.
Goosebumps are written as children scary stories BUT they are just so CLASSIC!
They remind me of my childhood so much they are easy reads, and have all the traditional Halloween tropes.
Plus you can get the box set, which are books 1-10, for less than $25. That’s a steal plus if you do have any kids around they would love them! But personally, I just love having pieces of my childhood in my personal library!
Ring
While I have not read the Ring, I have watched the many movies that are based off this book.
It has such a good feel of dreadful adventure.
You watch the tape and in exactly a week, you die.
LIKE HOW NOT SPOOKY AND SCARY IS THAT?
The race against time is what I really love in my Halloween stories so this is perfect and it’s book #1 out of 3! So if you’re really feeling it you can go all in and read all 3!
The Library of The Dead
Yet another book I have not read but just the synopsis itself gets me all GIDDY AND POURS THAT MAGICAL FEELING OF HALLOWEEN IN MY STOMACH.
Our main protagonist can see ghost, communicate with them, and is thrown into an investigation to find out who is bewitching children in her world.
It includes dark secrets, a library of the dead, a magical mentor, and Zimbabwean magic!
A PERFECT Halloween Investigation story!
Something Wicked This Way Comes
This book also takes place in October, near Halloween, and is about a traveling circus. The circus even arrives at 3am – I love all the spooky details in this book and it is such a nice one to cuddle up with! The closer it is to Halloween the better when it comes to reading this book!
Those were my 10 Classic Halloween Books to read for adults! Like I said, others might not deem these as “true classics” which most of them are not BUT they make me feel all warm and bubbly and put me in the Halloween spirit!
They give you that nostalgic Halloween vibe that fills the air full of adventure, magic, and the after world!
Let me know if you have read any of these books on the list and what you thought of them!
If you’re looking for something that isn’t fully Halloween related you can check out my Top 10 Fall TBR for 2023 here! It has cozy, cute, magical, and a lil bit of spooky thrown in! 🔮
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