Our Top 5 Halloween Books to Read in October

Autumn is a blessing for book lovers everywhere. With shorter days and wet weather comes a free pass to spend entire afternoons cosied up with a book. And, by the end of October, book worms everywhere will be deep into their autumn reading activities. 

By the time Halloween rolls around, book lovers are all well-primed for some darker, more challenging — or even scary — reading material. And we can help you with that. 

So, whether it’s mid-summer when you’re reading this — and you’re counting down the days til dark autumn evenings — or spooky season is right around the corner, use this list of books to get you in the mood for Halloween. 

1. Dracula, Bram Stoker (1897)

Starting off strong with one of the most famous ‘scary’ stories in western civilization, we have Bram Stoker’s Dracula. A tale so ingrained into our collective consciousness that every Halloween shop or aisle has a certified ‘Dracula’ costume, this novel truly is one of the greats and has been making readers double check their windows are locked at night for over a century.

Centred around the Machiaevllian movements of titular antagonist, Dracula, Stoker’s novel plots a religious witch hunt spanning numerous countries and creepy, bleak settings. Casting innocent victims by the wayside, Dracula destroys almost any human life in his path in a riveting, timeless battle between good and evil. 

2. Frankenstein, Mary Shelley (1818)

Similarly to Dracula, Frankenstein has become so infamous over the years that it features heavily in Halloween films, costumes, and decorations. However, it’s worth clarifying that it’s not Victor Frankenstein himself who has stitches and bolts in his head — but his unnamed monster.

Aside from the gruesome intrigue stemming from bringing different body parts to life, Shelley’s novel is rarely appreciated as a literary masterpiece in its own right. With excellently-chosen descriptions and a well-crafted structure, Frankenstein is a pleasure to read and has been delighting and terrifying readers with its sublime descriptions for hundreds of years. As a result of this, much critical theory about the true ‘meaning’ of Frankenstein has developed — with some even theorising that the novel’s themes of creation and monstrosity are symbols of Shelley’s own traumatic relationship with maternity. 

3. The Halloween Tree, Ray Bradbury (1972)

Moving forward by about 100 years, we come to Ray Bradbury’s well-loved American fantasy novel.  Actually set on Halloween evening, Bradbury’s book tells the tale of 8 young boys who go out trick or treating and end up on an unbelievable journey while looking for their friend, Pipkin. 

Taking readers on a journey through space and time — to Ancient Greece, Medieval Paris,  Mexico, and beyond — although this book is set on Halloween, it certainly isn’t tinged with any doom and gloom. Designed for younger audiences, this book is perfect for those young at heart or looking for a fun read. 

4. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Washington Irving (1820)

Returning to the classics — because we just can’t help ourselves — Washington Irving’s novel ticks every box for the perfect Halloween read. 

Telling the tale of a school teacher new to ‘Tarry Town’ (a glen in Sleepy Hollow), the novel hinges upon the eerie concept of ghost stories coming true. Irving’s work contains scary walks through the woods, dark, menacing figures, and fear of the unknown enough for any avid horror reader to enjoy to their heart’s content. 

If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if the monsters, ghosts, and ghouls from the books you read as a child became real, this is the book for you. 

5. Salem’s Lot, Stephen King (1975)

Lastly, no scary story list is ever complete without a Stephen King book. It was difficult to choose, though — King is quite the expert when it comes to the horror genre.

Set in the town of Jerusalem’s Lot, the story takes place after a hoard of vampires has taken over a town, infecting it with ancient evil. In much the same vein as Stoker’s timeless good vs evil fight, King’s novel features protagonist, Ben Mears, who, with a host of other do-gooders, come together and confront the vampires. 

If stories of the occult and tales of tense conflict interest you, we cannot recommend this read enough.

Get inspired with Victoria Freudenheim

Regardless of the season, you can always find book inspiration here at Victoria Freudenheim — from YA books for teenagers to good old classic reads. 

For more book content, keep up to date with our blog or check out our latest reviews page to see what we’ve been reading. And, if you want to keep the chills coming, why not check out our Thriller section?