There is something about fall that makes me want darker books.
I don’t necessarily mean straight-up horror, either. Give me an old house, a family secret, something supernatural that may or may not actually be supernatural, or a character who probably should have left that creepy place about 100 pages ago.
These are the kinds of books I like this time of year. Some are horror, some lean more gothic or mysterious, and some are just strange enough to make you uncomfortable.
If that sounds like your kind of fall reading list too, here are a few to add to your TBR.
If you’re in full spooky-season mode, you can also check out Halloween Books for Spooky Season: Mysteries, Horror, Witches, and More.
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Hidden Pictures
Hidden Pictures is one I’ve read, and I gave it 4 stars.
A young woman takes a job caring for a little boy who loves to draw. That seems harmless enough—until his pictures start changing.
I liked that it kept me wondering whether something supernatural was actually happening or if there was another explanation. I’m not going to say much more because this is definitely one I wouldn’t want to spoil.
Hidden Pictures
A nanny begins to suspect something is wrong when the child she cares for starts creating disturbingly detailed drawings of violent scenes. As the images grow more sinister, she’s pulled into a mystery that may be tied to something far beyond imagination.
Bunny
I don’t even know if weird fully covers Bunny.
It mixes dark academia, horror, satire, and some very strange relationships into a story that can make you question what you just read.
This probably isn’t the book I would hand to someone looking for a traditional spooky story. But if you like books that are bizarre, uncomfortable and hard to explain afterward, this still works really well for fall.
Bunny: A Novel
A bizarre dark-academia novel mixing friendship, horror, satire and some seriously strange behavior.
The Exorcist
Even people who have never read The Exorcist probably know the basic story.
The novel came before the famous movie and follows a mother trying to understand what is happening to her daughter as her behavior becomes increasingly disturbing.
If you want an actual horror classic for October instead of something simply spooky or atmospheric, this is an obvious choice.
The Exorcist: A Novel
The classic horror novel about a mother trying to understand the terrifying changes happening to her daughter.
The Little Stranger
An old English house that has seen better days?
A family struggling to hold onto it?
Something strange happening inside?
Yeah. This is exactly the sort of setup I want in a fall book.
The Little Stranger is more of a slow-burn gothic story than a fast horror novel. Part of the appeal is not being completely sure how much of what is happening has a supernatural explanation.
The Little Stranger
A slow-burn gothic mystery set in a crumbling English estate where something may—or may not—be haunting the family.
The Only Good Indians
The Only Good Indians follows four Native American men who are still dealing with something that happened years earlier.
And whatever happened in the past does not seem willing to stay there.
This one gets much darker than a simple haunted-house story. There is a lot of guilt and consequences wrapped up in the horror, along with that feeling that something is coming whether they are ready for it or not.
The Only Good Indians: A Novel
Four men are haunted by a deadly event from their past as a vengeful force begins hunting them. Blending horror with themes of identity and tradition, the story delivers a chilling reckoning.
The Turn of the Screw
If you want to go old-school gothic, The Turn of the Screw definitely qualifies.
A governess is caring for two children at an isolated estate when she begins seeing mysterious figures around the property.
Part of what makes this book so creepy is that you’re never completely sure what is real.
More than a century later, people are still arguing about it.
The Turn Of The Screw
A governess at a remote estate becomes convinced the children in her care are haunted by sinister spirits. As fear grows, she questions whether the danger is real—or in her own mind.
The House on Tradd Street
The House on Tradd Street is a little different from some of the darker books on this list because it mixes ghosts and mystery with family history and romance.
The story follows Melanie Middleton, who unexpectedly inherits an old house in Charleston.
Unfortunately for her, the house comes with more than antique furniture.
If you like haunted house books but don’t necessarily want your fall reading to be terrifying, this might be a better fit.
The House on Tradd Street
When a reluctant ghost-seer inherits a historic Charleston home filled with restless spirits, she’s pulled into a mystery involving hidden treasure, dark secrets, and a dangerous presence. With a charming writer by her side, uncovering the truth may come at a deadly cost.
Sisters of Salem
Sometimes the title alone gets my attention.
Sisters of Salem is the complete trilogy in one e-book, so this is one of those picks where you can just settle in and keep going if you get hooked. With Salem, witches and a darker supernatural vibe, it fits right in with the kind of books I reach for this time of year.
The Sisters of Salem Trilogy
The complete Sisters of Salem trilogy in e-book format, with witches, Salem and plenty of dark supernatural atmosphere.
Suffer the Children
For readers who want something much darker, there is Suffer the Children.
In this one, children around the world suddenly die and then return—but they need blood to stay alive.
So no, this isn’t the lighter side of fall reading. Maybe don’t pick this as your bedtime reading if you are trying to actually sleep.
Suffer the Children
A brutal horror novel about children who die, return to life and need blood to survive.
The Complete Works of H. P. Lovecraft
And if one creepy story isn’t enough, you can always go in the completely opposite direction and get a whole collection.
A Complete Works of H. P. Lovecraft edition gives you plenty to work through during spooky season, especially if you enjoy older horror, strange creatures and stories where humans discover things they probably would have been better off never finding.
The Complete Works of H. P. Lovecraft
A collection of classic weird fiction filled with cosmic horror, strange creatures and things humanity probably shouldn’t have discovered.
What Are You Reading This Fall?
Apparently my fall reading mood can be summed up as: old house, questionable decisions, ghosts and people finding things they really should have left alone.
Seems reasonable.
