Spooky Books You Have To Read This Fall

Are you in the mood for some spooky reads this fall season? Look no further because this list is perfect for you.

I, myself, love reading mysteries and thrillers especially this time of the year as it sets the mood for Halloween. This list includes some of my personal favorites from young adult fiction to adult fiction.

1. “Truly Devious” — Maureen Johnson

“Truly Devious” is about Stevie Bell and her journey to the prestigious Ellingham Academy. This private school is unlike any other, as nearly 100 years ago the school was home to one of the greatest mysteries of all time: two kidnappings in one night with only a ransom note left behind. Unanswered questions haunt Ellingham’s walls for decades until Stevie Bell arrives determined to solve the case.

2. “Sadie” — Courtney Summers

“Sadie” is a crossover event for true crime and thriller lovers.
Photo courtesy of Rebecca Bienskie Jackson

“Sadie” is about a girl on the run after her sister’s murder and a man making a podcast following the journey. Follow Sadie Hunter through her point of view while reading a transcript of West McCray’s famous podcast. West is determined to find Sadie and discover what really happened that fateful night.

3. “These Witches Don’t Burn” — Isabel Sterling

“These Witches Don’t Burn” is a story about witchcraft and drama by Isabel Sterling.
Photo courtesy of Razorbill

In the mood for some witchcraft, drama and more? Then “These Witches Don’t Burn” is for you. Follow Hannah, an elemental witch living in present-day Salem, Massachusetts. While trying to navigate witch powers and high school life, small signs of dark magic begin to appear. Hannah will have to begrudgingly team up with ex-girlfriend Veronica and other witches in an attempt to save Salem.

4. “The Diviners” — Libba Bray

Jazz music makes for the perfect soundtrack to this 1920s thriller.
Photo courtesy of Rebecca Bienskie Jackson

Perhaps a story where historical fiction meets the supernatural is for you. Set in 1920s New York, readers meet rebel Evie O’Neill who is sent to live with her uncle as punishment. While the city is filled with jazz music, there is something paranormal going on underground. Death haunts the city while Evie and the friends she meets along the way investigate the true cause of these terrifying murders.

5. “Ninth House” — Leigh Bardugo

“Ninth House” is a story by Leigh Bardugo featuring magic, ghosts and murder.
Photo courtesy of MacMillan Publishers

What about a book with dark academia and a fantasy twist? Meet Alex Stern, a college student at Yale University. However, this version of Yale has secret societies that perform magic, featuring ghosts and, of course, murder. That’s where you meet the Ninth House — in charge of watching the societies to make sure things don’t get out of hand.

6. “It” — Stephen King

For a truly terrifying scare, read Stephen King’s famous novel, “It.”
Photo courtesy of Simon & Schuster

How about a truly terrifying scare? Anything by Stephen King would suffice, but especially one of my favorite novels, “It.” This novel takes you to Derry, Maine. It follows the Losers’ Club, a gang of outcasts that soon will face an out-of-this-world monster who takes the form of a spine-chilling clown named Pennywise.

7. “Mexican Gothic” — Silvia Moreno-Garcia

“Mexican Gothic” is a haunting story set in Mexico in the 1950s.
Photo courtesy of Del Rey Books

Set in Mexico in the 1950s, socialite Noemí begins to investigate her cousin, Catalina, who claims her husband is going to kill her. Noemí moves in with her to a charming old manor and is taken aback by the creepy atmosphere of the house. More intriguing is Catalina’s husband, Virgil Doyle and his family’s haunting history.

8. “Frankenstein” — Mary Shelley

What’s a list of spooky books without one of the originals?
Photo courtesy of Rebecca Bienskie Jackson

This list would be incomplete without a classic and what better than the chilling story of “Frankenstein,” the tale of Victor Frankenstein and his creation. Upon bringing a creature back to life from the dead, Frankenstein fears what he has created and locks it away. After spending time in isolation, the creation turns to evil and releases a rampage on the people.

Scared yet? Grab some apple cider, cozy up by a fire and get to reading!