Halloween Mood Reads

This post contains affiliate links. I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.

It's almost time for my favorite holiday. Halloween! I love Halloween because of the variety of ways to decorate and celebrate. Do you want a cute, quirky, whimsical Halloween? A Halloween that's so terrifying you'll need a change of underwear? Are you just here for the candy? How do you feel about monsters?

I have book recommendations for every Halloween mood!

🎩  Halloween Books To Read  🪄

So This Is Ever After by F.T. Lukens

Young Adult Fantasy

Halloween Mood: All Giggles

Arek hadn’t thought much about what would happen after he completed the prophecy that said he was destined to save the Kingdom of Ere from its evil ruler. So now that he’s finally managed to (somewhat clumsily) behead the evil king (turns out magical swords yanked from bogs don’t come pre-sharpened), he and his rag-tag group of quest companions are at a bit of a loss for what to do next.

As a temporary safeguard, Arek’s best friend and mage, Matt, convinces him to assume the throne until the true heir can be rescued from her tower. Except that she’s dead. Now Arek is stuck as king, a role that comes with a magical catch: choose a spouse by your eighteenth birthday, or wither away into nothing.

With his eighteenth birthday only three months away, and only Matt in on the secret, Arek embarks on a desperate bid to find a spouse to save his life—starting with his quest companions. But his attempts at wooing his friends go painfully and hilariously wrong.

Why you should read it: I love this book and need to find similar books. It's funny but not completely frivolous.

This magical story will make you smile. The characters are endearing because they're fumbling through life with the best possible intentions. They want to do the right thing. They're just . . . really bad at everything. Their banter is hilarious. Every character is fabulously chaotic. I loved them all immediately and didn't want to put the book down. I was having too much fun.

Buy it on Amazon

The Terror by Dan Simmons

Adult Historical Horror

Halloween Mood: Pack Extra Underpants

The men on board the HMS Terror—part of the 1845 Franklin Expedition, the first steam-powered vessels ever to search for the legendary Northwest Passage—are entering a second summer in the Arctic Circle without a thaw, stranded in a nightmarish landscape of encroaching ice and darkness. Endlessly cold, they struggle to survive with poisonous rations, a dwindling coal supply, and ships buckling in the grip of crushing ice. But their real enemy is even more terrifying. There is something out there: an unseen predator stalking their ship, a monstrous terror clawing to get in.

Why you should read it: If I had read this book when I was 13 years old, I would have been enamored with it. I know it would've been an instant favorite because it's very "me." Teenage-me would have been obsessed with the arctic setting and historical details. The details feel very authentic. It's a terrifying story! It's tense and full of plot twists. The men know they're going to die, but that doesn't stop them from fighting for their lives.

Buy it on Amazon

Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

Adult Fantasy

Halloween Mood: Pumpkin Spice

After a lifetime of bounties and bloodshed, Viv is hanging up her sword for the last time.

The battle-weary orc aims to start fresh, opening the first ever coffee shop in the city of Thune. But old and new rivals stand in the way of success—not to mention the fact that no one has the faintest idea what coffee actually is.

If Viv wants to put the blade behind her and make her plans a reality, she won't be able to go it alone.

But the true rewards of the uncharted path are the travelers you meet along the way. And whether drawn together by ancient magic, flaky pastry, or a freshly brewed cup, they may become partners, family, and something deeper than she ever could have dreamed.

Why you should read it: I'm not sure why a book about working at a coffee shop is labeled "cozy." Have you ever had a customer service job? "Cozy" is the last thing I'd call it. Technically, the book is "cozy fantasy." The "fantasy" part is where the customers are nice to the staff.

Mostly, this novel just made me crave cinnamon rolls. I'm so hungry all the time.

This novel is subtilty hilarious. Most of the humor comes from watching the characters step outside of stereotypes. Orcs and succubusses succubi aren't usually the heroes of stories. And there's an entire movie about how people don't want their cinnamon rolls cooked by Ratatouilles. It's amusing to watch the characters enthusiastically pursue their dreams while sidestepping everybody's expectations. There are even moments where Viv has to sidestep her own expectations. She's not a violent soldier anymore. Now she's a coffee shop owner and has to act accordingly. It's a heartwarming story.

Buy it on Amazon

The Very Secret Society Of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna

Adult Fantasy

Halloween Mood: True Love Is Magic

As one of the few witches in Britain, Mika Moon knows she has to hide her magic, keep her head down, and stay away from other witches so their powers don't mingle and draw attention. And as an orphan who lost her parents at a young age and was raised by strangers, she's used to being alone and she follows the rules . . . with one exception: an online account, where she posts videos pretending to be a witch. She thinks no one will take it seriously.

But someone does. An unexpected message arrives, begging her to travel to the remote and mysterious Nowhere House to teach three young witches how to control their magic. It breaks all of the rules, but Mika goes anyway, and is immediately tangled up in the lives and secrets of not only her three charges, but also an absent archaeologist, a retired actor, two long-suffering caretakers, and Jamie. The handsome and prickly librarian of Nowhere House would do anything to protect the children, and as far as he's concerned, a stranger like Mika is a threat. An irritatingly appealing threat.

As Mika begins to find her place at Nowhere House, the thought of belonging somewhere begins to feel like a real possibility. But magic isn't the only danger in the world, and when a threat comes knocking at their door, Mika will need to decide whether to risk everything to protect a found family she didn't know she was looking for.

Why you should read it: It's freakin' adorable! The characters are where this book shines. They're so kind and genuine. They get along well and care deeply about each other. I want to be friends with them in real life.

There's a romance plotline, but I didn't hate it! The romance doesn't overwhelm the entire story because Mika and Jamie both have jobs and interests outside of each other. It's a slow-burn romance. Both characters are used to hiding themselves, so it takes them a while to open up. I like Mika and Jamie and was very happy that they found love when they badly needed it.

If you're looking for a whimsical book with a romance that won't make you gag, then this is the novel for you! It'll make you smile.

Buy it on Amazon

Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia Of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

Adult Fantasy

Halloween Mood: Paranormal Investigator

Cambridge professor Emily Wilde is good at many things: She is the foremost expert on the study of faeries. She is a genius scholar and a meticulous researcher who is writing the world's first encyclopaedia of faerie lore. But Emily Wilde is not good at people. She could never make small talk at a party—or even get invited to one. And she prefers the company of her books, her dog, and the Fair Folk.

So when she arrives in the hardscrabble village of Hrafnsvik, Emily has no intention of befriending the gruff townsfolk. Nor does she care to spend time with another new arrival: her dashing and insufferably handsome academic rival Wendell Bambleby, who manages to charm the townsfolk, get in the middle of Emily's research, and utterly confound and frustrate her.

But as Emily gets closer and closer to uncovering the secrets of the Hidden Ones—the most elusive of all faeries—lurking in the shadowy forest outside the town, she also finds herself on the trail of another mystery: Who is Wendell Bambleby, and what does he really want? To find the answer, she'll have to unlock the greatest mystery of all—her own heart.

Why you should read it: I feel like I've been searching for this book for years. (Not just because I can't spell the title.) I've been craving a medium-stakes fantasy book with fun characters and a world that doesn't require my whole brain to understand. This is the exact novel I wanted! I loved it!

The book has cozy vibes like a small town rom-com, but there's still danger because the faeries are unpredictably violent. They torture humans for fun. It's not always a light story. However, it's not a stressful story either. That's probably because it's written like a diary. You know that Emily and Wendell are alive and safe because they're writing diary entries about the scary stuff they experienced. Dead people can't write. (I don't think . . .)

You should believe the hype about this novel. It's a fun time.

Buy it on Amazon

Destination Truth: Memoirs Of A Monster Hunter by Josh Gates

Adult Memoir

Halloween Mood: Ahh! Real Monsters!

World adventurer and international monster hunter Josh Gates has careened through nearly 100 countries, investigating frightening myths, chilling cryptozoological legends, and terrifying paranormal phenomena. Now, he invites fans to get a behind-the-scenes look at these breathtaking expeditions.

Follow Gates from the inception of the groundbreaking hit show (at the summit of Kilimanjaro) to his hair-raising encounters with dangerous creatures in the most treacherous locations on earth. Among his many adventures, he unearths the flesh-crawling reality of the Mongolian Death Worm, challenges an ancient curse by spending the night in King Tut's tomb, descends into a centuries-old mine to search for an alien entity in subterranean darkness, pursues ghosts in the radioactive shadow of Chernobyl, and explores sightings of Bigfoot from the leech-infested rain forests of Malaysia to the dizzying heights of the Himalayas.

Why you should read it: Josh Gates is the host of several TV shows on the Travel/Discovery/SyFy Channels. He's one of my favorite humans because I love his sense of humor and his curiosity. He always seems like he's having a good time on his travels, which makes them fun to watch.

Josh's TV shows (and his book, honestly) are captivating because they're not overly organized. He just goes to a place and hopes to find interesting things. It leads to a lot of humor. One of the funniest moments in the book is when Josh's team finds a possible bigfoot footprint. They have no idea what to do about the print because they never expected to find actual evidence of the monsters they were hunting. They thought they were just making TV. They didn't believe in monsters.

Like most celebrity memoirs, this one is probably only worth reading if you're already a fan of the celebrity. You won't get much out of it if you haven't seen Destination Truth. If you're already a fan, I recommend the book!

Buy it on Amazon

Gallant by V.E. Schwab

Young Adult Fantasy

Halloween Mood: Haunting

Olivia Prior has grown up in Merilance School for girls, and all she has of her past is her mother’s journal—which seems to unravel into madness. Then, a letter invites Olivia to come home—to Gallant. Yet when Olivia arrives, no one is expecting her. But Olivia is not about to leave the first place that feels like home, it doesn’t matter if her cousin Matthew is hostile or if she sees half-formed ghouls haunting the hallways.

Olivia knows that Gallant is hiding secrets, and she is determined to uncover them. When she crosses a ruined wall at just the right moment, Olivia finds herself in a place that is Gallant—but not. The manor is crumbling, the ghouls are solid, and a mysterious figure rules over all. Now Olivia sees what has unraveled generations of her family, and where her father may have come from.

Olivia has always wanted to belong somewhere, but will she take her place as a Prior, protecting our world against the Master of the House? Or will she take her place beside him?

Why you should read it: The illustrations are beautiful, and I can't resist a portal fantasy. If you like stories that are all about the magical vibes, then this book is for you. The plot is pretty simple: a kid explores her new home. It reminds me of a young adult version of Coraline. The plot isn't what you remember. The creepy imagery will stick with you for a long time.

Also, that ending? I think it took a lot of courage to end the book that way. It's dark!

Buy it on Amazon

Thornhill by Pam Smy

Young Adult Horror Graphic Novel

Halloween Mood: Psychological Trauma

1982: Mary is a lonely orphan at the Thornhill Institute for Children at the very moment that it's shutting its doors. When her few friends are all adopted or re-homed and she is left to face a volatile bully alone, her revenge will have a lasting effect on the bully, on Mary, and on Thornhill itself.

2016: Ella has just moved to a new town where she knows no one. From her room on the top floor of her new home, she has a perfect view of the dilapidated, abandoned Thornhill Institute across the way, where she glimpses a girl in the window. Determined to befriend the girl, Ella resolves to unravel Thornhill's shadowy past.

Why you should read it: I love this book because it perfectly captures an insidious style of bullying that I experienced as a kid. The bullies do small things that disrupt your life and get on your nerves, but they're so small that complaining about them seems petty and pointless. The small things add up until you feel like you're going insane. That's what happens in this book. It's a weirdly relatable horror story.

Buy it on Amazon

The Luck Uglies by Paul Durham

Middle Grade Fantasy

Halloween Mood: Whimsical Adventure

Strange things are happening in Village Drowning, and a terrifying encounter has Rye O'Chanter convinced that the monstrous, supposedly extinct Bog Noblins have returned.
Now Rye's only hope is an exiled secret society so notorious its name can't be spoken aloud: the Luck Uglies. As Rye dives into Village Drowning's maze of secrets, rules, and lies, she'll discover the truth behind the village's legends of outlaws and beasts . . . and that it may take a villain to save them from the monsters.

Why you should read it: If you like Tim Burton's movies, you need to read this middle grade fantasy novel. It spooky, but in a whimsical, quirky way that won't give you nightmares, but will keep you on the edge of your seat.

I would have been obsessed with this novel as a kid. It has nonstop plot twists and characters who are too adventurous for their own good. The world-building is fantastic. It's easy to picture the depressing little village and its strange inhabitants.

Buy it on Amazon

A Game Of Fox And Squirrels by Jenn Reese

Middle Grade Fantasy

Halloween Mood: Face Your Fears

After an incident shatters their family, eleven-year old Samantha and her older sister Caitlin are sent to live in rural Oregon with an aunt they've never met. Sam wants nothing more than to go back to the way things were before she spoke up about their father's anger.

When Aunt Vicky gives Sam a mysterious card game called "A Game of Fox & Squirrels," Sam falls in love with the animal characters, especially the charming trickster fox, Ashander. Then one day Ashander shows up in Sam’s room and offers her an adventure and a promise: find the Golden Acorn, and Sam can have anything she desires.

But the fox is hiding rules that Sam isn't prepared for, and her new home feels more tempting than she'd ever expected. As Sam is swept up in the dangerous quest, the line between magic and reality grows thin. If she makes the wrong move, she'll lose far more than just a game.

Why you should read it: I have a massive amount of respect for this novel because it handles a terrifying topic in a way that children can understand. The fox and squirrels are obviously stand-ins for abusers and the people (or squirrels) they abuse, but the abuse is shown in non-gratuitous ways. The human characters learn to spot the signs of abuse and stand up for themselves.

Unfortunately, there are kids in the world who really need this book. They're living in dangerous situations and are afraid to ask for help. This novel could be comforting to them. The author shows how abusers can be scary and charming at the same time. She also shows that life can get better once the abuser is gone. The book tackles a dark subject, but it leaves the reader with hope.

Buy it on Amazon

Recommend a Halloween book!