Are you ready to delve into new worlds this Halloween? A good book by the fire in a dimly lit setting can set the perfect mood to enjoy a light Horror novel or two. Immerse your mind into familiar locations with disturbing situations. Relating to these characters and their worlds is terrifying, creating a link between you and the horror within.

What better time to read these novels than Halloween? Find a dark corner and a spooky lamp light, and get lost in the horror these authors present. How many of these books can you get through before the fear encompasses you?

Updated on October 5, 2024, by Sai Vsr: In this update, we bring you Mexican Gothic by the ingenious Silvia Moreno-Garcia. Check it out below!

  • Mexican Gothic

    Best Contemporary Horror Novel See at Amazon

  • Camp Damascus – A Novel

    Best Queer Horror Novel See at Amazon

  • Holly – A Novel

    Best Stephen King Novel In 2023 See at Amazon

  • Graveyard of Lost Children: A Novel

    Best Horror Novel That Deals With Real Issues See at Amazon

  • Schrader's Chord – A Novel

    Best For Exploring Human Relationships See at Amazon
  • See More

  • Red Rabbit – A Novel

    Best Western Horror See at Amazon

  • Let Him In – A Novel

    Best From A New Author See at Amazon

Best Books To Read This Halloween

Best Contemporary Horror Novel

Mexican Gothic

The Walls Have Spores

Mexican Gothic is a gripping horror novel by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. Set in 1950s Mexico, it follows Noemí Taboada as she investigates her cousin's mysterious illness at a remote mansion. 

Pros & Cons
  • Vivid, atmospheric writing.
  • Strong, well-developed female protagonist.
  • Masterful blend of Gothic horror and Mexican cultural elements.
  • Certain characters may feel underdeveloped compared to the protagonist.
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Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia puts a captivating spin on the classic Gothic novel by setting it in 1950s Mexico. It follows Noemí Taboada, a lively socialite who heads to the isolated High Place mansion to check on her troubled cousin. What she discovers is a spine-tingling tale blending psychological horror with Mexican folklore.

Moreno-Garcia's rich, atmospheric writing transports you inside the crumbling mansion with its creepy residents. She expertly builds up tension, crafting an unsettling mood that intensifies with each passing page. Noemí is a strong lead, pushing the plot forward through her resolve and grit. While some may find the pacing slow-going, patient readers will be rewarded with a unique and meticulously constructed horror story.

Best Queer Horror Novel

Camp Damascus – A Novel

Author Chuck Tingle Number of Pages 304 Title Camp Damascus Genre Horror, Fiction Publication Date July 18, 2023 Publisher Tor Nightfire

Camp Damascus is a queer horror novel like you've never read. Set in a rural town in Montana, Camp Damascus is the most successful and effective gay conversion camp, with a 100 percent success rate. Rose Darling, a young woman living with her parents in a god-fearing household, has begun puking flies and seeing visions. What's happening to Rose and what lengths will she go to to stop it?

Pros & Cons
  • True horror comes in the package of real-life doubts and situations
  • The book can feel very personal, being relatable in the best way to some readers
  • Once Rose takes her own agency, things speed up to an interesting point
  • Some may find it a bit heavy-handed with a slow start
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If you've ever felt the fear of being targeted or like you're forced to change parts of who you are? Small towns and religion don't always mix, and Chuck Tingle explores that relationship here. What happens when you can't hide things that'll other you? Or when you can't remember long stretches of time? It will matter when your secrets start to manifest in physical forms. How do you fight literal demons and stop the flies from vomiting out of your mouth? Does Camp Damascus hold a sinister secret? An LGBTQ+ horror novel to entice your appetite for fear, check out this book for a relatable story filled with delicious fear.

Best Stephen King Novel In 2023

Holly – A Novel

Author Stephen King Number of Pages 464 Title Holly Genre Horror, Fiction, Thriller Publication Date September 5, 2023 Publisher Scribner

Holly Gibney returns in her own novel, and this time, she's taking the stage to try and solve the mysterious disappearances of multiple victims in a midwestern town. What she finds, however, is a horror she couldn't have imagined. When working against a ruthless, patient, and unexpected perpetrator, can Holly figure out the mystery behind the disappearances before it's too late, or will she be swept up as the next victim?

Pros & Cons
  • A good amount of suspense
  • Holly is always a fun protagonist to follow
  • The grotesque reveal is worth the read
  • Can be a bit heavy-handed in viewpoints from characters
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After adventuring with others for some time, it was finally time for Holly to take on a case on her own in her first solo novel by Stephen King. Named after her, Holly tells the story of what's next for Holly Gibney, after becoming a private investigator and dealing with the natural and supernatural in her adventures to solve missing persons and murder cases. This time, the mysterious disappearance of one individual leads Holly to the discovery of more and more victims that may be related. Is there a serial killer in this midwestern town? Is Holly next on their list? Find out the horrors of what's happened to the disappeared in this novel, where Holly is front and center.

Best Horror Novel That Deals With Real Issues

Graveyard of Lost Children: A Novel

Author Katrina Monroe Number of Pages 368 Title Graveyard of Lost Children: A Novel Genre Thriller/Horror Publication Date May 9, 2023 Age Range Adult

Olivia Dahl was almost murdered as a child, and now she's pregnant with her own daughter. As a child, her mother thought she was an imposter, and the only way to get her real daughter back was to make a trade with the dead woman living at the bottom of the well. While Olivia survives the ordeal, she begins to hear the same dead woman attempting to convince her that her own daughter is nothing but an imposter, a changeling. Will Olivia be able to survive and save her daughter in this thrilling horror with supernatural elements? 

Pros & Cons
  • Engaging and thrilling
  • A decent entry in the horror genre
  • Deals with heavy topics that may not be for everyone
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Tackling mental illness and postpartum depression can be tough. Graveyard of Lost Children does this, but in a way that'll frighten you but also have you on the edge of your seat. Things take a turn to the supernatural throughout the title, as Olivia Dahl deals with events from her past and events during her present. Instead of the happiness she expects at the upcoming birth of her daughter, she's met with dread and despair of what's inside of her. Is it even her actual daughter? Or will history repeat itself in a turn for the worst? Brace yourself for a heartbreaking and disturbing tale sure to creep you out this Halloween.

Best For Exploring Human Relationships

Schrader's Chord – A Novel

Author Scott Leeds Number of Pages 352 Publication Date September 5, 2023 Title Schrader's Chord Genre Horror, Fiction, Ghost Publisher Tor Publishing Group

What happens if you open a record shop with haunted records? Schrader's Chord follows Charlie Remick, who inherits his father's old record shop after his death. Along with the shop keys, he's given a black case with four different antique records inside. The rumors say that these records can open the gates to the land of the undead. When Charlie and his friends decide to tempt fate and play the records, what will become of them as they open the floodgate to unspeakable horrors? 

Pros & Cons
  • Fun characters and music references
  • Explores relationships between Father and Son while still being horrifying
  • Great if you love cursed object stories
  • It may feel unbalanced if you're looking for pure horror
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Rock and Roll meets horror when a group of friends and relatives unlock the door to the dead in this horror story by Scott Leeds. Charlie Remick has recently lost his father, who has left behind two things. The first are the keys to the record shop his family owned, and the next is a mysterious case with four antique vinyls. This story follows the connection between a father and son, family values, and how the heck to deal with the dead, all wrapped into a fun yet spooky package.

Best Western Horror

Red Rabbit – A Novel

Author Alex Grecian Number of Pages 646 Title Red Rabbit Genre Horrow, Fiction, Historical, Fantasy, Western Publication Date September 19, 2023 Publisher Tor Publishing Group

A ragtag group of unlikely individuals comes together to hunt down a witch, but there are plenty more dangers and adventures to consider on the way. They'll need to face off against even more considerably dangerous encounters to get the witch and their reward. Traveling the western landscape in a stolen red stagecoach,  they'll face horrors you wouldn't imagine, but nothing will stop them from claiming the bounty on the witch's head. 

Pros & Cons
  • You'll find tons of horrors, from witches to ghosts, cannibals, and demons
  • A twist on classic Western tales with horror thrown in
  • There are a lot of characters to keep up with, and some bigoted attitudes
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Mix horror with a classic Western feel, and you've got Red Rabbit. Unconventional for sure, but fun and creepy at the same time, this book follows the most unlikely ragtag group of characters across a dry landscape in a stolen red wagon, all to kill and claim the bounty of a witch. What happens when the obstacles in the way are more dangerous than the witch may even prove, though? When you've got nothing to lose, how far will you go, and what could stop you? Supernatural superstitions and the Wild West era collide in the adventure of a lifetime with some pretty gruesome incidents in between.

Best From A New Author

Let Him In – A Novel

Author William Friend Number of Pages 240 Title Let Him In Genre Horror, Fiction, Occult & Supernatural, Thriller Publication Date October 3, 2023 Publisher Sourcebooks

Alfie and his twin daughters live in Hart House, the house he once shared with his wife and their mother before her untimely passing. Now raising the girls on his own, he is concerned at first but plays along as they tell him there's a man in their room. Assumed an imaginary friend of theirs to deal with the grief, things get much more sinister when the girls say the man is going to take them away. They must uncover the dark past of Hart House to save themselves from whatever is inside. 

Pros & Cons
  • Very creepy and suspenseful
  • Spooky family drama handled in a truly scary novel
  • A somewhat ambiguous ending may not work for every reader
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Another creepy psychological thriller comes your way in Let Him In. Author William Friend's ability to weave true natural horror with supernatural elements is on full display as the suspense factor is raised the more you read. Needing help when his daughter's imaginary friend becomes a bit too sinister, and with a deceased wife and having to raise the twins on his own, he asks his wife's twin sister for help, using her knowledge in psychology to understand what the twins are going through and help them deal with the grief of losing their mother. There's so much more to this story, though, including family secrets and dealing with the unimaginable. Take a creepy trek to Hart House; hopefully, you'll return in one piece.

FAQ

What Is The Scariest Book To Read For Halloween?

While the options in this list are from 2023, there are several more classic titles that are just as horrifying, if not more so to consider. From The Exorcist, To Salem's Lot, The Haunting of Hill House, and White is for Witching, there are a ton of books in the horror category worth a read for Halloween. For the best choices for 2023, look no further than the books on this list.

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