Elle’s Picks

Halloween Season - Lucy A. Snyder

All That's Fair - S.H. Cooper

Two short story collections, both very different, but both perfect to curl up with as the nights get longer and darker and colder. Make no mistake, these won't necessarily warm your heart. Some stories might, but others are likely to make you feel an even deeper chill. Both authors have an excellent handle on the Horror genre, and on what makes a reader tick, what makes you draw your foot in to make sure it's covered, and yet both approach it in vastly different ways. This would be a great pairing at any time of the year, but Halloween just feels perfect for them.

Ellen’s Picks

Black Hole - Charles Burns

No Doors, No Windows - Joe Schreiber

Both of these are more “nontraditional” picks in some sense. “Black Hole” is a gorgeous black and white graphic novel about an STD/Virus that affects teens in a small town. It’s got pandemic/zombie virus fiction vibes packaged up in a retro-horror, teen-scream package. It doesn't fit into a traditional “halloween-y” vibe, but it’s great and it’s different and a good weekend read. So I’m recommending it and you can’t stop me. HAH. “No Windows, No Doors” has a great haunted house and “losing your mind” vibes ala “House of Leaves” but without all the frustration. Is there or isn’t there something in this house? Is it the house or is it the author? Is the answer to all of those questions yes AND no at the same time? WHO KNOWS! And now that you’re intrigued and/or mad at me, please read them.

Becca’s Picks

House of Salt and Sorrows - Erin A. Craig
Benny Rose, the Cannibal King - Hailey Piper

House of Salt and Sorrows might not necessarily be horror, but the eerie atmosphere is perfect for the Halloween season. This YA Fantasy is a retelling of Grimm’s The Twelve Dancing Princesses, and gives the same vibes as Daphne Du Maurier’s Rebecca mixed with an ounce of Edgar Allan Poe. Erin A. Craig’s writing is absolutely phenomenal; her descriptions will have you feeling as if you’re actually wandering the halls of Highmoor. 

Benny Rose, the Cannibal King is a must-read for Halloween. This novella from Unnerving’s Rewind or Die series plays out exactly like a slasher film; from killer-lore to an epic showdown to conclude the story. Piper’s Benny Rose, the Cannibal King embodies everything that I love about ‘80s horror.

Tabatha’s Picks

Beloved — Toni Morrison, 1987

Explores the horrors of the American slave trade set against a backdrop of supernatural occurrences and the pain of familial separation. 

Handling the Undead  — John Ajvide Lindqvist, 2005

Thousands of recently deceased people living in Stockholm are inexplicably reanimated and those in power must decide how best to treat them, often going against the wishes of the relatives of the newly undead. 

Did we leave something off of our lists that you think would fit perfectly?

Did you read any of our recommendations and have a fave?

Let us know in a comment!

And be sure to check out the rest of our team’s book picks for Halloween reading posted earlier this month!