As the weather grows colder, the days shorter and pumpkins (that seasonal icon heralding the start of Halloween) begin popping up on doorsteps, flavouring lattes and in store displays across the country; there’s really only one thing to do. Turn up the heating, grab your hot beverage of choice (a comforting tea or hot chocolate are usually my go to) and pick a good book to curl up with.
With Spooky season already upon us I’d like to present some of my favourite spooky, scary and Halloween adjacent books to really start off this season of fright.
Witchy Rom Com
I know not everyone likes to read spooky books, I myself can’t read anything too dark as I definitely scare easily and have been known to jump at my own shadow (okay this is a slight exaggeration but a good scary book has led me to sleepless nights on more than one occasion. So to ease you into the season I thought we’d start with the romance.
The Hex Ex by Erin Stirling was definitely one of my fave rom-coms I’ve read this year. The magical mishaps, small town setting and the autumnal visuals had me yearning for October 31st —it definitely gave me Practical Magic meets Gilmore Girls vibes and the combination was utter PERFECTION!
Summary
'You broke my heart, Rhys Penhallow. And we curse you. You and your whole stupid, hot line.’ Vivi Jones handled the biggest breakup of her life the way any girl would—Vodka, a bubble bath and putting a curse on her ex. Nine years later, Rhys Penhallow, descendant of the towns’ founders (and Vivi’s ex) is back! He’s returned Graves Glen to recharge the ley lines and make an appearance at the annual founders festival. But when his every move results in calamity, Vivi realises hexing him might not have been so harmless after all... As the curse starts to affect the town, with murderous windup toys, an outraged ghost and surprisingly talkative cat. Vivi and Rhys must put their personal feelings aside to work together to break the curse to save not only the town—but also Rhys’ life.
Poignantly Paranormal
Another non scary but perfectly autumnal read is the heartwarming contemporary fantasy serving is with a paranormal slice of life, incredible LGBTQ + representation and romance from the bestselling author that literally everyone’s been talking about.
Under The Whispering Door by T.J Klune is a remarkably heartfelt exploration of death,love and friendship with enough wit and charm to keep it lighthearted. Definitely a must read for anyone not keen on super scary or spooky books. Perfect for fans of The Good Place.
Summary
“Welcome to Charon’s Crossing. The tea is hot, the scones are fresh and the dead are just passing through.” When workaholic lawyer (and Scrooge-like boss) Wallace is collected from his own funeral by a Reaper, he finally accepts that he’s dead. But Mei (the Reaper) doesn’t lead him to his afterlife—instead she leads him to a quirky little tea shop in the woods. Here he meets the tea shop’s residents Nelson, Apollo (a dog) and Hugo, Nelson’s grandson (the tea shop’s owner, who job it is to help souls cross over.) Wallace isn’t ready to pass over yet, not when he feels more alive than he’s ever felt, with new friends and even a chance at love. When he’s given only a week to pass on (and with so little time left) Wallace plans to enjoy a lifetimes’ worth of experiences in just seven days.
Romeo and Juliet… Just Add Zombies
Though this isn’t a particularly new release, and there‘s a good possibility you’ve heard of/seen the movie adaptation—I just want to reiterate, the book is waay BETTER.
Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion is a brilliantly written, darkly humourous and totally unexpected love story, reimagining Romeo as ‘R’, the Zombie with a heart of gold and his Juliet, a human just trying to survive the Zombie Apocalypse.
Summary
“I am Dead, but it's not so bad. I've learned to live with it.”
'R' is a zombie. He has no name, no memories and no pulse, but he has dreams. Unlike the rest of his fellow Dead. Within ruins of an abandoned city, R meets a girl. Her name’s Julie and she is the opposite of everything he knows - warm, bright and very much alive. For reasons he can't understand, R chooses to save Julie instead of eating her—thus begins their strange relationship. It breaks all the rules and defies logic, but R is no longer content with his life. He wants to breathe again, he wants to live, and Julie wants to help him. But their grim, rotting world won't be changed without a fight...
Magical realism, Secret Societies and The Occult
One of my recent reads (and the first book I read this month) was the fantastically dark adult debut from Leigh Bardugo and it didn’t disappoint.
Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo is dark, gritty and superbly weird but it’s detailed exploration of power and privilege is definitely not to be missed, though be warned;it’s nothing like Bardugo’s other books and deals with some pretty dark topics and subject material that could be triggering for some.
(TW:heavy alcohol and drug usuals, rape, a Flashback scene involving main character being molested as well as scenes of violence and physical abuse.)
Summary
The most unlikely member of Yale’s freshman class, Galaxy ‘Alex’ Stern (a dropout and sole survivor of a horrific unsolved crime) is hoping for a fresh start.
But this free ride comes with a catch. She has been tasked with monitoring the university’s secret societies—notorious haunts of the rich and powerful.
Now there’s a dead girl on campus and Alex is the only lot one trying to catch her killer. Because the societies are far more sinister and extraordinary than anyone ever imagined.
They tamper with forbidden magic.
They raise the dead.
And sometimes they prey on the living.
Spine-chillingly Creepy YA Horror
I have two incredible YA Horror picks that are atmospherically spine chilling, the level of detail in them is truly amazing. So if you love vividly detailed and well written, creepy YA fiction, you should definitely go check these out.
House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland is a decadently dark and enchantingly creepy modern fairytale, the setting is hauntingly lush and undeniably sinister; an urban fantasy/ YA Horror that’s not to be missed! It’s my favourite Horror adjacent book I’ve read this year. Also be warned there’s quite a bit of descriptive gore in this one.
Summary
“Dark, dangerous things happened around the Hollow sisters.” Ever since they disappeared as children (reappearing a month later with no memories of what happened to them),frighteningly weird occurrences have followed Grey,Vivi and Iris. When Grey goes missing again it’s up to to Iris and Vivi to unravel the clues Grey has left behind—but they’re not the only ones looking for her... As their drawn ever closer into the supernatural Iris realises that what happened to them as children and whatever took them ten years ago—might just be calling them back.
The Devil Makes Three by Tori Bovalino is a creepy, dark academia YA Horror you just have to experience, the vividly gothic imagery is absolutely glorious, though be warned—like House of Hollow there’s a ton of gore and blood (as well decomposing bodies.)
Summary
Students Tess and Eliot discover an ancient book in a secret tunnel beneath their school library, accidentally releasing a book-bound devil who’ll do absolutely anything to stay free. He’ll murder in the stacks, release the ink from books to do his bidding and he’ll bleed every inch of life from Tess until his freedom is permanent. Forced to work together, Tess and Eliot must find a way to re-trap the devil before he kills everyone they know and love—and with what the devil has in store, school stress doesn’t seem soo bad after all...
Haunting Gothic Fantasy
Last, but by no means least is the hauntingly gothic YA fantasy that absolutely fascinated me and really captured my imagination.
Lakesedge by Lyndall Clipstone is a decadently dark and sumptuously detailed. I loved the decaying, gothic manor setting and the maiden meets monster, Hades and Persephone style premise which utterly breathtaking! If you loved Netflix’ s The Haunting of Bligh Manor, then your bound to fall in love with this.
Summary
When Violeta and her brother, Arien end up at Lakesedge they expect to find a monster. Everyone has heard the rumours about its owner, Rowan Sylvanan—the boy who drowned his entire family as a child. But the neither the estate nor the monster are what they seem.
As she falls for Rowan, Leta discovers he is bound to the Lord Under, a death god bound to the black waters’ of the lake. A creature to whom Leta is inexplicably drawn...
Now, to save Rowan—and herself —Leta must confront the darkness of her own past, in order to unravel the mystery behind her connection with the shadowy death god.
Spooky (not) Scary YA Fantasy
There are some pretty great YA Fantasy with just the right amount of magic, monsters of ghosts without being overly creepy or gory—these are just a few of my recent faves.
Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson has all the detailed and lyrical prose that made me fall in love with her other books but, the darker and edgier narrative (of martyred saints and ancient spirits and the necromantic power to control the dead) makes this an ideal read this October.
Summary
“The dead of Loraille do not rest.”
Artemisia is training to be a Gray Sister, a nun who cleanses the bodies of the deceased so their souls pass on (stopping the spirits from rising with a ravenous hunger for the living.) She would rather deal with the dead who (unlike the living) don’t trade whispers about her scarred hands and troubled past.
But when her convent is attacked, Artemisia has not choice but to awaken an ancient spirit,bound to a saints relic in order to save it. For the spirit is a revenant, a malevolent being possessing great power—and controlling it almost consumes her.
But death sweeps the country and only a Vespertine, a priestess trained to wield a high relic, has any chance at stopping it. With all knowledge of Vespertines lost to time, Artemisia turns to the last remaining expert for help:the revenant.
As she unravels the sinister mystery causing the dark magic, her bond with the revenant grows. And when a hidden evil resurfaces, she discovers she just might have to betray everything she was taught to believe—if the revenant doesn’t betray her first...
Winterwood by Shea Ernshaw is a beautifully haunting romance with witches, mysteriously secrerive boys and a deliciously sinister forest—you’ll never want it to end.
Summary
Be careful of the dark, dark wood…
Especially the woods surrounding Fir Haven, for some say they’re magical. Haunted, even.
But only Nora Walker knows the truth. Rumoured to be a witch, she and the Walker women before her have a special bond with the woods.
and it’s this connection that leads Nora to Oliver Huntsman, the boy who disappeared from the Camp for Wayward boys weeks ago—and in the worst snowstorm in years.
He should be dead not in the woods with no memory of his missing time. The Woods uneasiness in his presence prompts Nora to unearth the truth. But Oliver has secrets of his own, secrets he’ll do anything to keep buried. For he wasn’t the only one to go missing on that fateful night…
Frighteningly Thrilling, But With A Little More Bite
If Mystery or Crime/Thriller is where you get your thrills then Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s Vampire Crime Noir is definifely a must read.
Certain Dark Things by Silvia Moreno- Garcia is a darker, grittier and altogether refreshing take on the vampire genre and the detailed inclusion of Mexican folklore was to die for!
Summary
Set in an alternate world,where Mexico City is a vampire free oasis (and one of the last cities to refuse entry of any kind to vampires) and follows Domingo, a garbage collecting homeless kid just trying to survive the cities’ heavily policed streets.
Until he meets Atl, a descendant of ancient Aztec blood drinkers. She’s smart,beautiful and deadly—Domingo is transfixed.
Atl needs to escape the city quickly, to get as far away from rival vampire drug gang currently pursuing her. Domingo isn’t apart of that plan but, little by little his scrappiness and undeniable charm help her warm to him. But with the trail of corpses piling up behind her, the cops and crime bosses start to close in.
As vampires,humans,cops and criminals are about to collide, Atl and Domingo have little chance of making it out alive— but they’re determined to try...
Warm bodies has been made into a movie, if I remember rightly. A pretty good movie
Intriguing stories, especially the zombie book.