The month of October is one of the most fun holidays to date. You have movies, extreme amount of sweets, people knocking on your door to make you feel seen, the chance to be a completely different person, and my all-time favorite…the BOOKS!
Not many people think of October as a month of books due to the lack of normalcy that usually resides in them. However, despite the “weirdness” and “Hocus Pocus” that October books usually have, there is also an extreme amount of good quality writing. Yes, you get witches and potions, but people love Harry Potter year-round. So, here is my top 5 spookiest books you must read this fall!
1. The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling
Starting out as number one, I have The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling. I originally came across this book as it was a sponsored ad on Instagram from book of the month. Originally my thoughts were oh not another witch book, but then I decided to get into the Halloween spirit and man was I glad that I did. The book was intriguing and mysterious while being a romance novel. Anyone in my life will quote to you that romance novels are my favorite genre to read, so adding romance to a spooky novel is one of my top reads for sure. This book covered all the bases of what a good romance novel should have. Such as the love, the breakup, the attraction, the spiciness and the intrigue to never put it down. The book takes place when a young witch falls in love to a warlock, but he ends up breaking up with Vivi, the main character. So, what do you do? You host a pity party and put a spell on him, obvi. The spell gets out of control and then both of them are stuck working together to save their precious hometown of Graves Glen. Overall, I would definitely rate this book a 4.5/5 stars.
2. Everything We Didn’t Say by Nicole Baart
Next on the list of must reads, is Everything We Didn’t Say by Nicole Baart. This was another book that roped me in through book of the month. This book is by the same author as Little Broken Things which is another must read for me. This book is quite different from the last as it doesn’t revolve around romance, but still is just as intriguing. Everything We Didn’t Say is about a girl, Juniper, who was having the time of her life in high school until a neighborhood couple were tragically murdered. Junipers younger brother soon becomes a number one suspect in the investigation and all of it breaks her. Juniper ends up leaving her hometown but several years later is pulled back to her hometown due to a past friend becoming ill. As she gets back to her hometown, she is determined to find out the truth from all those years ago, but history begins to repeat itself…Will she be able to survive another downfall? This book had me clinging to my seat and definitely had me reading for several hours on end.
3. Coraline by Neil Gaiman, Dave McKean
This next book is also a well-known movie that I have seen several times since I was younger. It is creepy and spooky while also giving off The Night Before Christmas vibes. However, as several people have seen the movie, I will stand by my decision that books are usually better and that stands with this book. The movie is great within itself, but the book gives more detail and vivid imagery. Coraline is about a girl who is named Coraline, in which she is a very adventurous and quirky girl. She ends up finding a locked door and decides to take it upon herself to find the key and open it. Being the curious one she is, she ends up finding it and the door takes her to a whole new dimension. While being there she finds out that the new dimension isn’t as new as she originally thought as it contains the same house, yard, and people as the place she just previously came from. As the story goes on, she seems to get everything she has always wanted but ends up learning it isn’t always the best. The story is thrilling, intense and completely new compared to other books, definitely a must read!
4. Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell
Pumpkinheads is an absolute favorite of mine due to the fact that it is a young adult romance and is great for teenagers to read! The entire book is very cute and makes you feel good. It is about two teenagers who have religiously worked at a pumpkin patch every year since they started high school. Beginning September 1st and then saying goodbye on Halloween. They never contact each other outside of those dates. However, as they are both seniors and are leaving the pumpkin patch at the end of the season, they both begin to feel melancholy over never seeing each other again. They have decided to go out with a bang and have an adventure as a last final hoorah. Will it lead to more? Or will they just part ways? This book is adorable and makes you immediately fall into the fall spirit!
5. Through the Woods by Emily Carroll
This final book of Through the Woods, would definitely fall into a different category as it is not like other books. It contains 5 main stories as well as an introduction and a conclusion. Each story is spine chilling and dark that brings out a spooky yet intriguing side of you. However, several people I know have read this book and have all had different thoughts on the spookiness level of each read. Some say that the stories are ominous but not scary, as for other say they couldn’t fall asleep for several nights after reading. Therefore, read at your own risk. The illustrations in the book are also very well done and pulls the entire book together.