Spooky season is officially upon us and we’re in full Halloween reading mode here at The Girl Nook.
There’s something about the end of October that makes a cup of tea and a slightly unsettling book feel like a perfectly reasonable plan for the evening. A lot of us have been channelling our inner witches throughout the month, thanks to the October Self-Care Spellbook. So think of this as the perfect reading list to go alongside that.
Now, before we start, it’s worth considering that “spooky” means very different things to different people, and we haven’t all got the same tolerance levels. So, I’ve put together a mix. A brand-new thriller, a couple of classics, a proper ghost story, some cosy witches, a classic whodunnit and a few gothic ones.
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1. The Witch by Freida McFadden
Spook level: 3/5
Goodreads rating: 4.05/5
Freida McFadden’s latest release is a supernatural-tinged thriller that was released just in time for Halloween. The Witch tells the story of Julia Barlow, who loses her job and apartment and ends up at Pemberton, her family’s 17th-century estate in Massachusetts, to look after her grandmother. When the grandfather clock stops at 3:41 am every night, the lights start to flicker, and a voice is calling for help outside Julia’s door, it’s very clear something creepy is going on.
The story moves between the present day and 1692, when women were being hanged as witches. And because it’s a Freida book, you know something twisty is going to happen.
Read if: you love a thriller but want a little extra chill this spooky season.
2. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Spook level: 2/5
Goodreads rating: 3.93/5
If you haven’t read the classic 1818 Gothic novel by Mary Shelley, this Halloween might be the time to do so. Frankenstein tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who creates a sapient creature from different body parts in an unorthodox scientific experiment. It’s less “monster jumps out at you” and more sad, lonely and full of questions about what makes us truly human. If you only know Frankenstein by the green guy with bolts in his neck, the book will surprise you.
Also, fun fact, Mary Shelley started writing the book at 18 during a ghost story competition with Lord Byron and friends during a stormy summer in Switzerland. Pretty iconic origin story for a book if you ask me.
Read it if: you’ve always meant to read this classic and need a Halloween excuse.
3. The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
Spook level: 4/5
Goodreads rating: 3.80/5
The Haunting of Hill House tells the story of a house with a reputation. Eleanor and a small group of strangers are invited by a researcher to spend summer at the house. Eleanor has been waiting her whole life for something to happen to her, and Hill House is very happy to oblige.
The story is short, unsettling, and a lot of the fear comes from what it is you don’t see. If you’ve seen the Netflix series, it’s only a loosely adapted version of the book which is its own quieter, creepier thing.
Read it if: you like the slow, crawling kind of scary.
4. The Woman in Black by Susan Hill
Spook level: 4/5
Goodreads rating: 3.76/5
The Woman in Black is the proper ghost story on this list. It tells the story of Arthur Kipps, a young solicitor who is sent to sort out the papers of a recently deceased woman at Eel Marsh House. At her funeral, he spots a woman dressed all in black and soon discovers that everyone in town is too scared to talk about her.
The book is short enough to finish in an evening or two. You might want to avoid reading it alone though.
Read it if: you want classic, old-fashioned chills in one sitting.
5. Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman
Spook level: 1/5
Goodreads rating: 3.69/5
This one is perfect if you’re after cosy, witchy atmosphere rather than full on horror. Sisters Sally and Gillian Owens are raised by their two aunts in a house full of herbs, spells and whispers from neighbours. Years later, when Gillian turns up on Sally’s doorstep with a very big problem, the two of them have to lean on each other (and a little magic) to fix it.
It’s a tale of sisterhood, love and family, though it does go to a few darker places along the way. And yes, you are likely to want to rewatch the film right after, midnight margaritas optional.
Read it if: you want nostalgic witchy vibes and sisterhood more than scares.
6. The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
Spook level: 0/5
Goodreads rating: 4.02/5
Okay so this one is basically a hug in book form. Mika Moon is a witch who has spent her whole life hiding her magic, despite the online videos she posts where she “pretends” to be a witch. One day, she gets a message asking her to come to Nowhere House and secretly teach three young witches. Cue a found family, a grumpy librarian and a lot of heart.
Read it if: you want to be cosy under a blanket with zero scares.
7. Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Spook level: 4/5
Goodreads rating: 3.66/5
It’s the 1950s and glamorous socialite Noemí Taboada’s father gets a strange letter from her newly married cousin begging for help. So her father sends her to High Place, a crumbling mansion in the Mexican countryside, where she meets her cousin’s very odd new family.
The story starts out stylish and atmospheric and then gets very weird, very fast. In the best way.
Read it if: you want gothic glamour with a seriously creepy twist.
8. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
Spook level: 2/5
Goodreads rating: 4.25/5
While there are no actual ghosts here, Rebecca is everywhere.
An unnamed, shy young woman marries wealthy widower Maxim de Winter and moves to his estate, Manderley. Except his late first wife, Rebecca, still seems to be running the place. Especially through the housekeeper, Mrs Danvers, who is likely to be one of the most unsettling characters you’ll ever read about
Read it if: you love atmosphere, secrets and a big old house more than gore.
9. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
Spook level: 2/5
Goodreads rating: 4.27/5
Okay so, this one was recommended to me on Threads by one of you and honestly? I think it fits right in here.
This Agatha Christie classic tells the story of ten strangers who are lured to a mansion on an isolated island off the Devon coast. Nobody has met their host and the same, ominous nursery rhyme hangs in every room. One by one, the guests start dying exactly like the rhyme says they will.
There are no ghosts, no monsters, but there is a storm on a creepy island with a killer among you. It’s apparently the bestselling crime novel of all time, which says a lot.
Oh, and if you get the Ultimate Mystery Edition (the gorgeous red one), the reveal is sealed in an envelope at the back, so you can test your detective skills before you peek. Thank me later.
Read it if: you want something full of suspense for Halloween but would like to keep the spook levels down.
10. The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix
Spook level: 4/5
Goodreads rating: 3.78/5
This one is both the funny and gory one on the list.
Set in Charleston, South Carolina, it’s the 1990s and Patricia Campbell’s life is basically school runs and her true-crime book club. When a charming, mysterious newcomer arrives, children across town start going missing. Despite the scepticism from those around them, Patricia and her friends use the patterns and criminal psychology to find the culprit.
Part satire, part horror, all very entertaining. Some scenes are graphic, so maybe skip it if you’re squeamish.
Read it if: you want to laugh and scream in the same chapter.
So, that’s my list for you to choose from this Halloween or any time you want to bring a little spooky into your reading world.
Picking one for your book club? I’d say The Witch, Rebecca or Mexican Gothic will give you plenty to discuss. I’d probably go with The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires for obvious reasons.
Whether you’re a cosy, witchy read kind of girl or want to go all out and immerse yourself in a haunted house, I hope there’s something here for you on this list. Want to make a whole evening out of it? Check out our 10 ways to romanticise Halloween article on Substack, because a good book is even better with candles, a blanket and something warm in your mug.