Halloween is the perfect time to read a spooky book. With everything scary around you, you want to explore the fear of being haunted. Halloween brings us the opportunity to not just look scary but to feel the fear. In such a thrilling night like Halloween, if you wish to make the day a little more spooky and read some of the best Halloween books, then you have come to the right place.
Where literature has provided us with a list of classics in every genre, Halloween books are not forgotten. The scary genre of the literature is equally appreciated, loved, and demanded one in literature because of the adrenaline rush that we get while reading these enthralling books.
Halloween books are not just the horror ones but they are all those blood-racing mysteries, non-fiction crime novels, jaw-dropping thrillers, and haunting horror novels that give us a horrifying experience of reading a scary book. All these epic genres combine to give us the range of best Halloween books.
Below we have listed one of the best Halloween books that you can read this spooky season.
So what are you waiting for? The following list is waiting for you to be explored.
1. Bleeding Edge
Author Name: Thomas Pynchon
Publishing Year: 2013
Bleeding Edge is a detective novel by the author inspired by the attack of 9/11 in New York City. The plot of the book is set against the backdrop of that day and how things have changed since we have the superpower of the internet. The main detective of the case is Maxine Tarnow, who is passionate about solving this mystery at all costs.
Maxine Tarnow is the head of a detective agency specializing in fraud investigations. She needs you to be her virtual assistant and join her in exploring the truth of the attack and you will give yourself an opportunity to explore one of the classics.
2. 1984
Author Name: George Orwell
Publishing Year: 1949
Though the book is written in the year 1949, it explores all the possibilities of what the world would be like in 1984. The book is made of everything that combines to form a great book. Set in the dystopian era, the world is changed so much and you will find war, repressive rules, and the surveillance of government everywhere.
The protagonist in the book is Winston Smith who is a rebellion and wants to change everything that is wrong with the world. On his journey to change the world he also starts an affair with Julia, his coworker. As you turn through the pages, the book will become more and more interesting and will literally give you goosebumps.
3. And Then There Were None
Author Name: Agatha Christie
Publishing Year: 1939
Agatha Christie is called the queen of mystery for a reason and her one of the best mystery books, And Then There Were None is the perfect evidence for it. The book has gained not just national but international recognition and is everything that you need during this spooky season to experience that rush.
The best-selling novelist of all-time has written 62 novels in her entire career and each one of it has performed really well. But Then There Were None is still very much-talked-about. The mystery novel is based on a very interesting idea where ten strangers who are criminals are invited to an isolated island.
These criminals are the ones who admitted some horrible crimes and managed to escape justice. Now they will get their justice on this planet. When they start disappearing one by one, your and reline rush would be more intense.
4. The Wind’s Twelve Quarters
Author Name: Ursula K. Le Guin
Publishing Year: 1975
The Wind’s Twelve Quarters is actually a collection of short stories by a master writer of dystopian literature. This novel by Ursula also includes Hugo-award winning “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” in the year 1974. The story describes life in Omelas, the place where you can lead a delightful life and has no more expectations from the outer world.
However, there is one very disturbing truth about this city where it requires a child to be kept in a basement in horrifying conditions like filth and agony. The haunting story will not be able to get off your mind for days.
5. The Complete Short Story Collection by Edgar Allan Poe
Author Name: Edgar Allan Poe
Publishing Year: 1999
Edgar Allan Poe is one of the most underrated horror writers but he has produced some of the best masterpieces in his career that still haunts us to date. He is the same writer that wrote the sinister couplet ”In her sepulcher there by the sea/ In her tomb by the sounding sea’.
The Complete Short Story Collection by the author contains a lot of scary stories to keep you awake at night. One better than the other, these stories show the brilliant writing style of the author. The collection of stories also includes, “The Tell-Tale Heart” which follows the life story of an unnamed narrator who is describing his murder in the book.
The narrator will walk you through the heinous crime committed by him and he will also try to persuade the reader’s mind and make them convince of the narrator’s sanity.
6. Fahrenheit 451
Author Name: Ray Bradbury
Publishing Year: 1953
Fahrenheit 451, the title of Ray Bradbury’s novels is the perfect temperature to burn a book by making it catch fire. The dystopian novel is based on a unique concept. The book is set ahead of its time where we live in a world where books are forbidden.
Not just it but the government has appointed some firemen whose work is not to save anyone but to burn every book in the world. But here we have a protagonist named Guy Montag. He is a fireman who’s job is to burn any book he finds, but he resents burning the knowledge and literature that the book holds and wants the world to experience these books.
7. The Lottery and Other Stories
Author Name: Shirley Jackson
Publishing Year: 1948
The collection of stories by Shirley Jackson has ‘The Lottery’ as a cover story. The book tells you the story about a large crowd that has gathered for an annual ritual. However, you will not know the reason behind this mysterious large gathering of people that have formed in the town until the very end.
The book stores a lot of horrifying elements for you that will keep you awake at night. With this book get ready to explore the perpetration of violence and diffusion of morals.
8. Welcome to the Monkey House
Author Name: Kurt Vonnegut
Publishing Year: 1968
Welcome to the Monkey House is a dark comedy book and as The Charlotte Observer has described, ‘Kurt Vonnegut strips the flesh from bone and makes you laugh when he does it.’ The author will never disappoint when it comes to dark comedy novels. One of the stories published in the collection is called, “Harrison Bergeron”.
The futuristic story about the protagonist, Harrison Bergeron takes place in 2081 where we live in a world of equality and every law is formed on the basis of equality in order to regulate intelligence, beauty, and athleticism.
The main character in the story is Harrison Bergeron who is just a kid is taken away from his parents, named Hazel and George. Now Harrison becomes a rebellion and his acts are shown on television and his parents have no other choice other than watch.
9. In Cold Blood
Author Name: Truman Capote
Publishing Year: 1965
In Cold Blood, is the horrifying tale of a true crime story where you will experience the absolute horrors of this mass-murder. Thomas Capote has written this story of the 1959 murders of four members of the Herbert Clutter family in Kansas. The unsolved mystery will haunt you for days.
The brilliant writing style of the author is evident through his book which is the result of his years of hard work of interviewing the people and following the case very slowly. The chilling plot and the thriller will have the adrenaline rushing in the body and in the end, you are in for a big shock.
10. Never Let Me Go
Author Name: Kazuo Ishiguro
Publishing Year: 2005
The unique plot of the story written by Kazuo Ishiguro will make you wonder about the ideas that pop in these writers’ heads. Like how do they come up with such brilliant stories and how they shape them into the greatest masterpieces. The book includes various literary element that makes it more interesting, like science fiction, romance, mystery and thriller, all the great genres at one place.
The three main characters in the story are Tommy, Ruth, and Kathy H., these adolescents move to a boarding school named Hailsham. While in the boarding school they soon learn that they are not normal human beings but are clones who are created in order to donate their organs to others in need.
And as soon as they donate the organs and their work is completed, they will instantly while still being at a young age. The book will crush your heart into million pieces as you turn the pages and will make you tremble.
Conclusion
The books mentioned above are perfect for reading during Halloween. Consisting of the varying genre each of them has a scary touch that will make your toes curl and will have you on the edge of your seat. From dark comedies to the mystery, from thrillers to horrors, the list has all kinds of scary and spooky novels that you are looking for.
Each of these stories has a unique approach, and every book works on a different concept. But one thing that you will find consistent is that each of the books is a masterpiece of its own and will give you a hair-raising experience of reading a good scary book.
So make sure this Halloween you live the spooky season with full spirit and give these books a chance to Halloween a little scarier for you all. If you know any other good books to read this Halloween, do let us know in the comment section below.
Also, if you have any queries or suggestions, you can give it to us by commenting below, we will be happy to help you with that.