I don’t know about you all, but Halloween is one of my favorite times of the year. The weather has [usually] decided to mellow out, the candles are burning throughout the house, the comfy blankets have been pulled back out of the closet, and the horror movies play nightly. Horror films have always interested me, but horror novels even more so. 

My first exposure to horror stories were through two masters of the genre – Stephen King and Thomas Harris. As a preteen I saw Secret Window, starring Johnny Depp, for the first time, which prompted me to want to read the story that inspired the movie, Secret Window, Secret Garden, written by none other than the King himself. Shortly thereafter I picked up Silence of the Lambs, which I also loved. Between those two pieces of horror fiction, I wanted more.

Many years later I still have a heart for the genre, and I love to use this time of year as an excuse to check off some of the books/stories that end up on my ever-growing list. Each year I select a small handful of horror books to read starting in September. Here is what I have read or have in the pipeline for my spooky season reads for 2023:

Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Canas – a vampire story set on the Texas-Mexico border in the 1840s. With this one you get a little bit of history, a little bit of romance, and a little bit of spooky vampires. The plot is super unique for this novel.

Lute by Jennifer Thorne – described as Midsommar meets Final Destination, Lute tells the story of an American woman who has married a resident of the island Lute, and is facing her first experience of the island’s deadly ritual that happens every 7 years. Anything being compared to Midsommar grabs my attention right away.

Four and Twenty Blackbirds by Cherie Priest – a modern, Southern Gothic ghost tale, Four and Twenty Blackbirds dives into the haunted family history of Eden Moore. As she travels all throughout the American South to gather more information on her family that she doesn’t know, she learns too much. Not to mention she has been able to see and communicate with ghosts since she was a young child. Southern American lit is my favorite, so this one tickled my fancy as soon as I read the description. 

Gerald’s Game by Stephen King – is it really spooky season if you don’t read at least one King book? After what begins as a ‘romantic’ weekend, Jessie Burlingame’s husband dies of a heart attack while she is handcuffed to their bed in a remote, Maine summer home. Trapped, she must face her demons, past and present, real and imaginary. But which ones are real, and which imaginary? Truthfully, I started watching the Netflix version of this story many years ago and had to turn it off; it was utterly terrifying. The book is no different, and perhaps is one of the weirdest things I’ve ever read.

Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury – considered a spooky season classic, Cooger & Dark’s Pandemonium Shadow Show comes to town and causes quite the disturbance. Two teen boys, Jim and Will, come to find that this is no ordinary carnival come to town – there is something far more sinister lurking behind every turn in the mirror maze and every spin of the carousel. Bradbury’s writing is so rich in this work, and it checks off almost every box for a spooky season read.

All Hallows by Christopher Golden – set on Halloween night, four children who do not belong to a small street in Massachusetts go from door-to-door, begging to be hidden from The Cunning Man. He’s coming, but will they be saved? As soon as I read ‘The Cunning Man’, I knew this had to make my list this year. I am saving this one for last because it is the most Halloween-related, and it sure does sound spooky!

Though I am usually a sporadic reader and read all kinds of books throughout the year, I look forward to spooky season every year so I can focus on the stories that make me want to hide under a blanket, that make me want to turn an extra light on at night. 

Do you like to read spooky stories during the Halloween season? If so, what are some of your favorites?