Happy Spooky Season, everyone!
October is officially here and with it the endless urge to stay in, snuggled up with a cup of something warm. AKA, the perfect time to crack into some seasonal, spooky reads.
With this list, you will be able to curate the perfect TBR full of the classics, the contemporary, and the creepy.
American Ghost Stories Introduction by Brett Riley
Are you a fan of classic literature?
If so, this collection of short ghost stories might just be your thing.
It’s gothic literature galore across the ages with these tales. From the world of Harriet Beacher Stowe to Poe to Mark Twain, you’ll shudder all the way through this book. I highly recommend this book if you want a timeless thrill.
Off the Reservation by Stephen Graham Jones
Author of Only the Good Indians, Stephen Graham Jones comes back with the chilling sequel coming out October 13th.
Set five years after the Blackfoot massacre in the first novel, we catch up with the main character and survivor, Nate Yellowtail, who seeks to return the bones of a massacre victim to his rightful resting place. Little does Nate know that when he unearths the boy's remains, he releases an evil spirit as well. Jones examines the real life horrors that Native Americans have been forced to go through.
Needle Mouth by K-Ming Chang
You won’t wanna miss this spooky story by K-Ming Chang!
Blending body horror and Taiwanese folklore with a coming of age tale, three cousins bond at their deceased grandmother’s house one summer after finding out that a needle mouthed demon is putting foreign objects in one of the girl’s mouths. In order to fight the demon, the three girls must kill her vampire father.
This story not only embraces female friendship, but shows how bravery can overcome even the most terrifying of situations.
Itch by Gemma Amor
Welcome to feminist horror 101!
This body horror novel starts off strong, incorporating queer themes and a strong female protagonist, Josie, who comes back to her hometown in England after surviving an abusive relationship. Her hopes of starting over and recovering splinter after she finds a decomposing female body ridden with ants in the woods one day. Finding herself even more traumatized than she was initially, Josie enters an emotional downward spiral. As if things couldn’t get worse from there, Josie is somehow infested with ants from the body she came across.
Gemma Armor sheds light on an important subject, gender based violence, while also giving us a creepy tale, perfect for a rainy day.
The Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark trilogy by Alvin Schwartz
Almost making it to the banned book list in several states, Scary Stories to Tell In The Dark is known as one of the most terrifying children’s books around, making it not only millennial nostalgia, but a haunting good time for this season’s reading list.
From stories about a babysitter getting a call from inside the house to a boy who found a toe buried in his backyard, you won’t be able to sleep without the lights on.
So watch out, because these stories are not for the faint of heart.
Nor are the illustrations.
Strange Buildings by Uketsu
No one does horror better than Japan does. Or puzzle mystery box novels, apparently.
An interactive experience, it’s up to the reader to crack codes and follow labyrinths for clues to solve the eerie mysteries involved in the strange architecture that houses 11 buildings in Uketsu’s novel.
If you like House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski, this one might be right up your alley.
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Okay, hear me out.
I know we all read this one in high school, but take a moment to consider that rereading a book later on in life through a different lens can make all the difference in the world as far as experiences go. First published anonymously, Shelley made sci-fi mainstream. Not only is her story a great body horror tale, but she’s a revolutionary in more than one way.
Don’t miss out on an old but good one!
Girl Dinner by Olivie Blake
Now serving satire!
Author Olivie Blake writes this hilarious but creepy novel about the latest wellness trend in her book Girl Dinner. Set at a university filled with both gender based work-related discrimination and the trials and tribulations of sorority sisters, Blake will be sure to have you guessing what’s next in this world of dark academia.
Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado
Personally, I loved reading this one. If you’re a feminist looking for a spooky read that also examines the presence and spaces that women encounter in society, then you’re likely to love this one as much as I do.
The descriptions alone will have you burning through pages of these short, body horror stories as you walk through tales like, The Husband Stitch and Eight Bites.
Not only is this feminist literature, but queer literature as well.
If that’s not enough spooky reading, then I don’t know what is. Do you have a favorite scary story or book? Let us know in the comments!
And while you're reading, keep some safety measures in mind:
Always make sure your feet aren’t hanging off the edge of the bed and remember to check behind the curtain every time.