Halloween: costumes, candy, early nightfall and the urge to curl up inside with a hot drink. Whether you’re a die hard horror nerd or cry at the appearance of a jump scare, the world of literature has a wealth of books to read around the spooky season.
Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
Bardugo’s novel is the most fitting book for a halloween spent on campus. Centred around Alex Stern, a girl who can see ghosts, we watch as she must guard and monitor the mysterious secret societies of Yale. All whilst dealing with the disappearance of her mentor and the unravelling of a grisly homicide in her past, Alex must come to understand the true extent of her powers and destiny. Based on the real-life layout and histories of Yale, this book truly comes to life around academia.
Dracula by Bram Stoker
A staple of any Halloween, Dracula has been vamped and revamped (ha ha) and still
remains a reliable spooky story perfect for the Halloween month. Told through a series of letters, diary entries and newspaper clippings, this epistolary novel has no single protagonist but unravels a series of strange events. Perhaps you aren’t a big reader; if so, why not sign up to Dracula Daily, an emailing service that sends you excerpts of the novel as they happen across the year. A wonderful bite-size way to consume such a dense book.
All’s Well by Mona Awad
Following the success of TikTok breakout book Bunny, Awad returns with a brilliant novel centred around Shakespeare’s All’s Well That Ends Well. With a mixture of atmospheric, hazy prose and Halloween-y concepts (the sinister three witches, a woman losing her mind, a bar that seems never ending) this book is sure to hit all the right spooky spots this season.
We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson 
Though not Jackson’s most popular book, We Have Always Lived in the Castle is a wonderful gothic tale perfect for October. Haunting, sinister and twisted, we follow young girl Merricat and the mysterious tragedy that has befallen her family. At around 200 pages, this short book is ideal for someone with a busier schedule.