Spooky Reads for Halloween: Enchanting Books to Dive Into

October flips a switch in me. The air gets crisp, the nights stretch longer, and suddenly every story begs to be read by candlelight. This is my favorite time to lean into all flavors of spooky: swoony romances with a gothic twist, delightfully cheesy hauntings that feel like caramel apples for the brain, beloved classics that still creep under your skin, and the brooding corridors of dark academia where secrets whisper from the stacks.

In this roundup, I’m sharing the books I reach for when pumpkins glow and shadows linger—stories that won’t all terrify you, but will absolutely enchant your Halloween season.

1. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

This quintessential classic needs no introduction but I need to talk about it regardless.

This book makes you think so much about what humanity represents. All its flaws and ugly bits, its prejudices and beauties. In this novel, we get to witness a crazed genius obsessed with the idea of creating life actually be successful. (I feel the need here to point out Frankenstein is the name of the creator and not that of the monster)

And what a bone-chilling creation it turns out to be. But is it monster or human? And how do we make that distinction exactly? By judging a book by its cover or by looking within?

Frankenstein’s less than ideal reception of his own creation starts a cycle of unfortunate events that not only impact him but also those around him.

This book, while being the perfect read for spooky season, is also quite thought-provoking. The more we learn about “this monster” the more we sympathize with him and see him for the misunderstood creature he is. It also makes the reader consider the true cost of experimenting with creation of life.

And an overarching question throughout this classic is:

How can a clash between the creator and its creation end exactly, if not in misery?

2. Verity by Colleen Hoover

This book was such a wild ride I don’t even know where to start or what to say about it other than I think Bookstagram was right to make such a big deal of it!

Lowen is a writer with dim prospects, mommy issues and skeletons in her closet. More importantly she’s very much in debt and forced to take on a job that sounds creepy to say the least from the beginning. Lowen accepts to finish the remaining books in bestselling author Verity Crawford’s series. Verity’s books are doing extremely well, but Verity herself? Not so much. An accident leaves Verity incapacitated and totally dependent on her nurse and her husband, Jeremy.

As Lowen delves deeper into Verity’s life and her home, she comes to realize Verity was keeping some pretty dark secrets. What starts out as research to finish Verity’s books ends up exposing a very disturbed psyche.

To make matters more complicated, Lowen starts to develop feelings for Verity’s husband Jeremy. This lands Lowen in a pretty difficult dilemma: Does she tell Jeremy about the kind of person his wife really was? All the while creepy things continue to happen in the Crawford home, painting Verity in an even more suspicious light.

Full of twists, suspense, and some pretty messed up moments, Verity is sure to unsettle you as the reader. There’s definitely romance and steamy content in there as well but the suspense really rises above all. (At least that was the case for me). You will have trouble putting this one down until you’re through. And even then it’s sure to stay with you.

3. If We Were Villains by M. L. Rio

This one is for the dark academia and murder mystery fans out there. The story follows a group of theater students studying Shakespeare’s works in their senior year of college. Their fourth year is dedicated to the renowned playwright’s tragedies. But tragedy reaches beyond the classrom and invades a lot more than just their studies.

With every role assignment and play they put on, the tension in their group grows thicker and more perilous. Suddenly they are in a tragedy of their own making, finding out dangerous truths about themselves and each other. Lines between friend and foe begin to blur. And the climax of this tragedy reaches Shakespearean heights with the death of one of their own.

While I found the plot very interesting, the actual Shakespearean works featured in the story slowed me down a bit. However if you are a fan of Shakespeare this will of course be a welcome feature. I found this story to be a well-written and well-imagined murder mystery enriched by the dark academia backdrop.

4. The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling

The perfect witchy romcom to enjoy in fall, The Ex Hex follows the story of Vivi, a young witch, and Rhys Penhallow, her ex that she accidentally cursed nine years ago. Unfortunately, Rhys isn’t only Vivi’s first love and her ex that she never quite got over, he is also the descendant of the town’s founders. When Rhys comes back to town to recharge the ley lines, magic spirals out of control and chaos ensues in Penhallow. As Vivi and Rhys try to put magical fires left and right and lift the curse affecting Rhys and the town, Vivi finds that her feelings for Rhys are not quite a thing of the past.

This second-chance romance brings the sparks and the fun if you’re looking for something light to enjoy during spooky season!

5. The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton

You are cordially invited to Hardcastles’ ball, to be held in their mansion Blackheath. But you will soon come to realize this is not any regular party. Not only will it be held on the 19th anniversary of the grisly murder of the youngest Hardcastle at the very same house where it happened but also with the same guests who were there 19 years ago. Now Blackeath is about to claim another Hardcastle and Aiden Bishop will inhabit the bodies of 8 different hosts each day in order to solve her murder. As Aiden makes alliances and sees through people pretending to be allies, he seeks the only thing that can set him free from Blackheath: the truth.

Being at the intersection of murder mystery and fantasy, Stuart Tornton’s ‘The 7 1/2 deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle’ will keep you guessing until the last page and leave you in awe of the protagonist’s intelligence and deduction capabailities. The book is descriptive enough to create a gloomy atmosphere without overwhelming the reader or compromising its readability. I especially enjoyed how the protagonist revealed the true nature of events from the day that didn’t make sense to me initially with each passing day. Pieces fall into place as Aiden Bishop lives through the same day eight times, experiencing 8 different hosts and perspectives, as a dark plot connecting the past and present unravels in front of Aiden’s eyes.

Favorite Quote: “If this isn’t hell, the devil is surely taking notes.”

6. Ninth House

Put powerful magic in the hands of college students, and things are bound to go to hell. This is really the main conclusion to be drawn from this book, which follows the life of Galaxy Stern, a girl born with a gift that is both a blessing and a curse.

After living a rocky life surrounded by sketchy people, haunted by her ability to see ghosts, Alex is given a second chance at life. She is accepted to Yale. However there is a catch: she needs to serve Lethe, the secret society that has to police the other secret societies in Yale. These societies have access to powerful magic through the tombs they occupy. When a young girl dies, Alex finds just how dangerous these societies and their magic can be. And she uncovers the dark truth about how the tombs of these societies became so powerful in the first place.

This book was so different from other works of Bardugo that I’ve read before. Ninth House has some pretty adult themes like sexual assault, violence and murder. So that’s something to be aware of before reading this one. It’s in general a darker read compared to S&B and SoC. Having said that, I think it was executed beautifully and shows just how broad Bardugo’s range is.

Hope you find this list useful! These books gripped me, the way I think we all want to be gripped during spooky season, and transported me into a different land entirely. Now what are you waiting for? Time to light that candle and curl up with your spooky read…