Books to Read for Halloween

During this time of pumpkins and skeletons, many great, scary books have come out over the years. Here are five of them that should be on anyone’s Halloween reading list.

Dracula, Bram Stoker

Written in 1879, this gothic horror novel tells of a young English lawyer who travels to Transylvania to complete a real estate deal with Count Dracula. Letters, diaries and newspaper clippings follow the lawyer's experiences.

Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus, Mary Shelley

In 1818 Mary Shelley submitted her brilliant horror tale of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who creates a human creature out of different body parts, in completion with her husband Percy Shelley and won.

Something Wicked this Way Comes, Ray Bradbury

Ray Bradbury wrote a dark fantasy novel in 1962 that follows two boys and a sinister carnival performer. It became one of his most well-known books.

The Haunting of Hill House, Shirley Jackson

In 1959, Shirley Jackson wrote The Haunting of Hill House. It’s a combination of ghost stories and psychological horror following Dr. John Montague, an occult scholar. He invites three psychologists to spend the summer at Hill House, a haunted mansion.

Pet Seminary, Stephen King

Stephen King’s 1983 horror novel tells the story of Dr. Louis Creed and his family who move to a house with a pet cemetery behind it and an Indian burial ground. The Creeds cat Church is killed and buried in the pet graveyard. The doctor resurrects Church and mayhem begins from there.

Grab one of these reads, or another haunting novel, to peruse over Halloween.