31 Spooky New Books To Scare You This Fall For Halloween

It’s fall, the time of year when lots of readers crave spooky, atmospheric reads—the darker the better (as long as it’s a young adult or adult book; you don’t want scary picture books).

For author Betsy Cornwell, it’s the perfect time to release a book inspired by one of the most beloved gothic reads of all time, Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre, released in 1847. Cornwell first read the classic at age 10, and she remembers feeling frightened by many elements of the book. As she grew older, parts of the book bothered her, and she struggled to come to terms with her dueling affection and frustration with the story.

Thus Reader, I Murdered Him (out next month) was born. Cornwell first came up with the idea for the book, about a young women sent to a boarding school in London who begins delivering vigilante justice when she teams up with a con woman, four years ago. The young women target young men who hurt their friends, meting out punishments that the duo feels fits the crime, at a time when young women were expected to grin and bear pain inflicted upon them—as in Eyre.

“I sent it to my editor the same week as the Brett Kavanaugh hearings for the Supreme Court. And, you know, Dr. [Christine Blasey] Ford’s testimony brought up a lot of memories for me of my own past sexual abuse, as it did for many, many people, and I just felt so much anger about how her story was treated and how I had been treated when I had tried to come forward,” she says. “And that just sort of resonated with these thoughts I’d had about Jane Eyre and Rochester and the little girl and the story and what her version of events might be. All those things came together.”

The book gave Cornwell a chance to work through emotions related to her own past as well as rage at the way Dr. Ford was treated. While she acknowledges vigilantism that ends in murder is, well, not ideal, she found a personal catharsis in writing her spiritual sequel to Eyre.

“I think for a lot of artists, and a lot of writers, you try to create something in fiction or you try to create something in your art that you didn’t get to a catharsis for in your own life. And so I think that was definitely part of it for me,” she says. “This book was written out of this longing to do something.”

Reader includes plenty of parallels to Eyre but also turns the book’s frameworks upside down in delightful ways. It’s a perfect gothic read for a cozy fall night.

Still looking for more scary or cozy books for fall? Here are 30 other titles released this year that are perfect for readers of all ages, from adults to young adults to preschoolers.

Adult Books: Fiction

1. Such Sharp Teeth by Rachel Harrison

Another cleverly title book that explores a Halloween staple, the birth of a werewolf. Rory Morris has just returned to her hometown when she is attacked by an animal and then finds herself going through changes. Like “can’t get enough of the moon” changes.

2. Fairy Tale by Stephen King

What’s October without a Stephen King novel? His latest takes place in an alternate universe and includes a creepy old house, classic haunting bait.

3. The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas

Reviewers have compared Isabel Cañas’ debut novel (released in May) to classic gothic novel Rebecca, only this one has a witch. It also has that gothic staple a forbidden romance.

4. Angelika Frankenstein Makes Her Match by Sally Thorne

Do you need anything more than the title? Well, it’s a historical rom-com about Victor Frankenstein’s little sister, who decides making the perfect man is easier than finding him.

5. Sign Here by Claudia Lux

This delightful reimagining of hell as an Office-like workplace brings more laughs than most horror books, but the paranormal setting and dark secrets of the family that hell employee (and well-named protagonist) Peyote Trip is tied to make it a hot Halloween pick.

6. When Life Gives You Vampires by Gloria Duke

Forget enemies to lovers; this is enemies to vampires, with some excellent body positivity thrown in. The lesson? Be careful about hooking up with hot guys if they have actual fangs. Tons of seasonal monster fun and twists on traditional tropes.

7. The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna

This imaginative take on what it’s like to be a witch in the modern-day world sees Mika Moon using social media to share videos in which she pretends to be a witch … only she’s not pretending, and that lands her a job teaching other witches about containing their magic.

8. Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson

This book, which S.T. Gibson self-published in the UK and became hugely popular, follows the story of Dracula’s first wife. She finds out he’s not really an ideal husband.

Adult Books: Nonfiction

9. Beyond the Wand: The Magic and Mayhem of Growing Up a Wizard by Tom Felton

A behind-the-scenes celebrity memoir by Tom Felton, who played Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter film series. It includes his remembrances of acting with many of his famous British co-stars.

Picture Books

10. The Crayons Trick or Treat by Drew Daywalt, illustrations by Oliver Jeffers

A sequel to the bestseller The Day the Crayons Quit, Trick or Treat sees the crayons trying to figure out what to say when they head out for trick or treat night. Fun illustrations make it great for very young and older kids.

11. How to Catch a Witch by Alice Walstead, illustrations by Megan Joyce

The engaging How to Catch series returns with the Catch Club Kids ready to trick or treat … and their “treat” may just be finding the witch who opened a portal landing many monsters in town.

12. If Your Babysitter Is a Bruja by Ana Siqueira, illustrations Irena Freitas

Told in English and Spanish, the book introduces a new babysitter who just may be a bruja (witch). Parents who’ll doubtlessly be reading the book over and over will appreciate the amusing illustrations, too.

13. Construction Site Gets a Fright! Sherri Duskey Rinker, illustrations by AJ Ford

The lift-the-flap board book shows how a construction site can get a little eerie at night, though never too scary for young kids to read.

14. Witch Hazel by Molly Idle

Caldecott Honoree Molly Idle shares a tale of magic and memories told through an intergenerational lens.

Middle Grade Books

15. Hocus Pocus: The Illustrated Novelization by A.W. Jantha, illustrations by Gris Grimly

Complement endless viewings of Disney+’s Hocus Pocus 2 with a novelization of the original with great artwork.

16. The House That Whispers by Lin Thompson

A trans boy who hasn’t come out to his family yet spends the fall at his Nanaleen’s spooky house, where he starts a ghost hunt to figure out what’s making those disturbing scratching sounds on the walls.

17. Double, Double, Twins and Trouble by Luna Graves

Oops! Tween witches accidentally alert people to their underground monster community in aptly named Peculiar, Pennsylvania.

18. Monsters Growling in the Background: Halloween Poems for the Brave by Kenn Nesbit, illustrations by Martin Ontiveros

Classic poets’ work is showcased alongside contemporary stories, with modern artwork setting the spooky tone.

Young Adult

19. Man Made Monsters by Andrea L. Rogers

Andrea L. Rogers tells stories from the Cherokee tales she heard growing up, dating back to the 1830s.

20. Blood in the Water (Hunt A Killer Original Novel) by Caleb Roehrig

Based on the games, this mystery lets you investigate a murder in Barton Beach, a big summer destination. Teenager Zac finds his dad vaults to the top of his suspect list.

21. The Restless Dark by Erica Waters

Three young women with different ties to the Cloudkiss Killer become entangled with a true crime podcast’s contest to find the bones of the late serial killer.

22. The Midnight Club by Christopher Pike

Simon & Schuster rereleased the 1994 novel by YA scaremaster Christopher Pike to tie in with the launch of the Netflix series. It follows five terminally ill teens whose stories become reality.

23. The Killing Code by Ellie Marney

The killer concept: Young women working as code crackers in World War II soon become involved in (and targeted by) a serial killer in 1940s Washington, D.C.

24. House of Yesterday by Deeba Zargarpur

Sarah spends the summer working on a home renovation her mom is doing, trying to distract herself from family-related pain. But she soon finds ghosts in the new home.

25. After Dark with Roxie Clark by Brooke Lauren Davis

Roxie Clark gives ghost tours to make money, but when she starts investigating a real-life murder, it may be her life that’s in danger.

26. Belladonna by Adalyn Grace

Signa tries to help relatives who live on a gloomy estate when the ghost of the matriarch returns, claiming she was murdered.

27. Secrets So Deep by Ginny Myers Sain

In this paranormal thriller, a 17-year-old goes back to camp to try to figure out how her mother drowned (and why she may or may not be haunting Avril).

28. The Weight of Blood by Tiffany D. Jackson

One of the best contemporary YA writers, Jackson reimagines Carrie in a novel that tackles racism and passing in a new and shiver-inducing way.

Short Story Collections

29. Night of the Living Rez by Morgan Talty

The 12 short stories set on Penobscot Indian Nation in main touch on curses and create an eeriness that will make you want to turn on another light.

30. Our Shadows Have Claws: 15 Latin American Monster Stories ed. by Yamile Saied Méndez and Amparo Ortiz, illustrations by Ricardo López Ortiz

Ghost stories set in Latin America drop vampires and zombies into tales tackling oppression, grief and more, with a number of acclaimed authors contributing.