Scary Books for Halloween Reading

As I write this it’s dark, chilly, rainy, and windy. This weather makes me think of all the scary books I want to read (or reread).  It’s the perfect day for a spooky read! But I’m being a responsible grown-up and working. However, now that the weather is finally cooler, it’s time to plan my spooky reading in between horror movies. So just in case, you’re doing the same thing, I wanted to give you a few suggestions:

• What October Brings by Brian M. Samms and John Shirley- If you’re a fan of Halloween and Lovecraft, this book is for you. This is an anthology based on Lovecraft’s mythos. Short, easy-to-read stories make it perfect for a horror fix at the end of the day.

• This is Halloween: Ten Tantalizing Treats (And a Few Tricks) by James A. Moore – When fall starts it brings out the spookiness in people. This is another anthology for those of you that are short on time. It’s a spooky read. Of course, some stories are better than others. A word of warning – the story Blood Tides has a pretty rough rape scene. If you’re bothered by that, I recommend skipping that one.

• • Dark Harvest by Norman Patrick – Every October 31st a scarecrowish creature called “October Boy” (among other names), comes out of a cornfield in a small town. He’s made of stalks and vines and filled with candy. The teen boys in town have to kill him before midnight.  If one of them does, he becomes rich and famous. Then they can leave town. Then someone learns the reason behind it.

• Haunted Nights edited by Lisa Morton and Ellen Datlow – A collection of Halloween-themed stories by several different authors. It’s got ghosts, a haunted house, a horror movie, and more.

• Kill Creek by Scott Thomas – I love haunted house stories! – The house has been empty for years. But like any haunted house worth its reputation…it’s just waiting for company. And it’s about to get it. Four horror authors have been invited to spend the night in the mansion. So of course, whatever is haunting the house has a lot to say. 

• A Night in Lonesome October by Roger Zelazny – Something else I love is a combination of scary and funny, and this book has it. For example, the book is narrated by Jack the Ripper’s dog Snuff.  Jack is collecting things for a ritual to be performed on Halloween. And so are Sherlock Holmes, Dracula, Frankenstein, and the Wolf Man. It’s complicated!

• Halloween edited by Paula Guran – There’s a little something for everyone in this anthology. Scary, funny, macabre, and more. It has stories from authors like H.P. Lovecraft, Peter Straub, and Thomas Ligotti – just to name a few.

• Halloween Carnival Series – A collection of short stories that keep on coming! There are five volumes so far. I wouldn’t be surprised if more follow. These are stories from lesser-known authors. You may find a new favorite!

• Ghost Road Blues by Jonathan Mayberry – Thirty years ago in a town called Pine Deep, a musician called the Bone Man killed the devil. Then someone supposedly beat up the Bone Man. They hung him like a scarecrow in a cornfield. The residents of the “Spookiest Town in America” have a festival every year to celebrate the story. But this year they may live up to their name. This is the first book of a Pine Deep trilogy.

• The Haunted Forest Tour by Jeff Strand and James A. Moore – A town in New Mexico is offering tours of a haunted forest. In an armored vehicle.  The forest has ghosts, werewolves, monsters, and more. On Halloween, the tour goes deep into the woods. This is not going to end well. There are technical difficulties and the monsters are ready. If you like a non-stop book full of monsters and gory deaths – then go get this one!

I hope you find a few fun reads on this list.