The Best Spooky Books to Read This Fall 👻🎃🍂

Hey friends! We're halfway through October, so today I'm sharing my favorite spooky books that I've read recently. I like to read a lot of autumnal books during this time of year, but the couple weeks before Halloween is when I gravitate completely towards ghost stories, vampires and gothic novels. These books are all amazing, so I hope you enjoy! :)
T i m e S t a m p s:
graphic novel: 0:29
middle grade: 1:47
adult: 4:05
YA: 11:21
classics: 12:28
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[@lyndseycadoo8133]

The cover of Home Before Dark glows in the dark. I discovered that by accident last night, and it made me happy, and I had to share, lol

[@ivettebowen4146]

Ummm whoa! I need!

[@carolhodson6353]

My spooky novel is jack the ripper.

[@karamarie6781]

Yeah, but the book sucks.

[@mohinicbanerjee]

@@karamarie6781I was about to pick this up to read!! Why does it suck?

[@alexandraroselyn]

Ok first let me just say that NO ONE does an aesthetic background like you!😩🎃 Second I immediately called my local book store to put Fangs and Dracul on hold for me and I’ll be binging both this weekend so thank you!! Love your videos as always I’m your biggest fan 🥺

[@DarlingDesi]

Haha maybe no one besides YOU!! Literal queen of spooky aesthetic 🙌🏻 And yay! I think you’ll love Fangs. The CUTEST little graphic novel ever 😫👌🏻

[@missonix1501]

Ohhhh I'm so glad to see my two fav booktubers commentating for each other..so cute...YOU ARE SO MUCH ALIKE ...The Winter Queen n The Autumn Faerie.❤

[@NerdWatchJinxy]

I took a class at my college called Wizards and Vampires in Film, TV, and Literature. Without a doubt one of my favorite experiences in academia!

[@DarlingDesi]

Okay THAT SOUNDS AMAZING 😍

[@KBurns7]

I was coming to comment something similar! My college offered a vampire literature class with one of the strangest professors I’ve ever had a class with. Their name was actually Dr. Hitchcock and they infused horror into all of their literature classes, even English 101, lol. So all of my college English classes had a very spooky literature atmosphere. So fun.

[@NerdWatchJinxy]

@@KBurns7 I love it!!!!

[@Silverraine1]

Wow!

[@andreajgunn]

It’s August 2023 and I’ve just found your channel by looking up fall all year because I’m so sick of summer and the heat and SO ready for fall. In need of the fall vibes and just so happy I found your channel. Binge watching all your fall/autumn videos!

[@lillouve2992]

You speak of books so well you very often make me want to read them, like almost all of them lol ! My favourite spooky books are Stephen King’s. I love how his books can be horrifying and/or « horrifyingly »moving depending on the story or chapter...

[@moreorlessruth4449]

Arghhh, the scariest thing about this is that my tbr pile has just increased by a ton of books!! You give the best recommendations and totally describe the books with so much enthusiasm, it's impossible not to want to read them all!! Thank you. Love your content

[@mandyd2h530]

Wait, why aren’t more people talking about Fangs?? It looks so adorable! Thank you for introducing me to it - literally just ordered it!

[@portiastrange8547]

Love that edition of 'The Haunting of Hill House' by the way. I read it for the first time just last month (based on your recommendation) & then watched the 1963 movie right after. As you said, it's subtle horror. That's what I liked about it, that it was much more psychological than causing an intense feeling of fear just because...

[@PinkBalletFlats]

I’m currently reading, The Spellbook of Katrina Van Tassel: A Story of Sleepy Hollow..it tells the story of the Headless Horseman from her point of view! Perfect for October! 🎃

[@vibewithmabel]

I love all things Sleepy Hollow!

[@madelynnleah23]

If I’m missing fall time I always go back to your channel!

[@charlottemcgraw4922]

If you're in the Dracula frame of mind, I totally recommend The Historian- by Elizabeth Kostova. It's about the daughter of an oxbridge professor solving the mystery of why he suddenly disappeared. She chases the tale all through western and eastern europe and turkey. It's a great atmospheric read and makes me want to be a professor in some small town in new england. Sorta similar vibes to Discovery of Witches (you'd also probably love), but more dark.

[@caylieallen2761]

I just finished Frankenstein (because you recommended it in one of your other videos) and I LOVED it!! So far, I'd say that's probably my favorite "spooky" novel, or And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie. Also, I found your channel a few weeks ago and I just want you to know that you are now like my FAVORITE youtuber I seriously love your videos so much they make me so happy and you've made by TBR list grow by like twenty books but hey, I'm not complaining! So anyway thanks for what you do and keep it up!!

[@marissajones533]

I’m reading the lost ones and home before dark right now!!! I always love your book recommendations! My TBR list is HUGE right now and I’m pretty sure 50% of the books are from your videos. The books are always so good!

[@aybeekrf]

I am so happy that you came back, your videos are beautiful and even more I love your book recommendations!! It's my favorite booktube channel!! 💛

[@agirlhasnoname8279]

I wanted to read a book for adults and one for younger audiences so I read The Broken Girls and afterwards Scritch Scratch and it was such a beautiful spooky fall reading experience. I love both of these books so much!

[@crystalr.castillo2784]

anyone else rewatching to get into the season 🧡🖤🧡🖤

[@martynabrzostek9300]

I have to say this once again: I love the aesthetic of your autumn/halloween videos!

[@neverxever66]

Omg I loved Fangs! It was both wonderfully gothic and wonderfully fun, so happy to see this on someone's channel 🧛

[@spinstercatlady]

Ohh Dracul has been on my physical TBR shelf since last year, and I do believe you've just convinced me that now is the time to read it! Can't wait! The Lost Ones I read earlier in the year and really enjoyed it...lots of twists and turns towards the end iirc. Adding Scritch Scratch to my purchase list for sure haha. Great video as always, lady!

[@NerdSquish]

I love all of these suggestions! I’m adding most of these to my must read list! Especially Fangs!

[@GinaBlythe]

As I am my usual late to the party self, am watching this in 2022 in preparation for spooky season! One book I have ALWAYS read during autumn (I recommend doing so on a stormy night, by fire or candlelight) is Frankenstein. But, a couple of years ago, I discovered Asylum by Madeline Roux. SO SPOOKY! SO GOOD! AND THE TWIST! I recommend the series!

[@rebeccabritton9706]

I just read Dracul this year too!! And it was amazing!!!! I absolutely adored it and also thought it was better than Dracula. Also I don’t know if you know, but Dacre Stoker also wrote a sequel to Dracula about Bram Stoker’s son- I haven’t read it but I saw it at the thrift store the other day and was so excited to see that he’d done another book 😁

[@sandochlo]

Omg the woman in black was one of the first books that ever made me genuinely terrified - so much better than the on screen adaption!!

[@destinytarot3405]

Okay I actually love your taste in books, every single one of these were put onto my TBR✨👏🏼subscribed

[@sineadg981]

Ah I love these videos! Have gotten so many good recommendations from you! 🎉

[@Miss_Annlaug]

I have become addicted to your channel this week❤

[@chelseamgray23]

The way you got so excited over Dracul!! I ordered it! I’m so excited to read :)

[@DarlingDesi]

Omg yay! It’s definitely a bit long and dense at times, but SO GOOD!! And make sure to read all of the authors note at the end. It blew my mind 🤯

[@inkpage3769]

This is a great list! I’ve never heard of Dracul before but your explanation of it sounds really intriguing. My favorite spooky books are mystery/thrillers like A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, classic Agatha Christie books and Edgar Allen Poe’s writings.

[@aliamaya13]

“Slade House” by David Mitchell is a great adult horror, almost leaves with a cliffhanger and left me thinking about it for months! Also “The Old Willis Place” by Mary Downing Hahn is a great middle grade horror, great twist and storyline!

[@lisalantz3084]

I bought Fangs because of you and I LOVED it. I got so much meaning from it. THANK YOU for the great recommendations. I bought Scritch Scratch but have not read it yet.

[@johnalycecarls2139]

JUST what I needed! Thank you, my friend! I love Haunting of Hill House. I am currently reading Home Before Dark. I have We Have Always Lived in a Castle on hold at the library. So I definitely appreciate your recommendations!

[@jizellassaf9431]

Desi! Oh my goodness I read inquiry in to love and death.. LOVED it!! Thank you so much for recommending!!

[@jessicasmith9117]

Can’t wait to watch this after I’m done work! I’m sure I’ll be adding more books to my ever growing list... 👻 🎃

[@martycosplay]

I love the Darren Shan series! Especially the first book, Madame Okta is just so good! It's old-school vampires, circus with a freak show and spooky vibes!!

[@isabellasoares7041]

Dracul seems great! We have always lived in the castle is in my TBR for this fall 😊😊😊

[@michaela1718]

Great video, Fangs sounds so good and I really need to pick up Simone St James books as I have heard so many good things about them 💜👻💜

[@sarahtheexplora4125]

I‘ve been binge watching your videos so this was very much awaited:)))

[@Silverraine1]

I'm loving all your autumn videos so much!! And all your recs as well. It's so rare for me to find a booktuber who makes me add so many books to my tbr :p I also don't do modern horror but I love spooky, atmospheric books and gothic classics. My fav spooky read for this time of year is my old, worn, sweet-smelling copy of The Legend of Spooky Hollow. I also love The Canterville Ghost by Oscar Wilde - a funny sweet haunted house story. And I usually try to read a few short stories by Edgar Allen Poe or Algernon Blackwood. In manga/anime, I love Mushishi, and Natsume's book of Friends - there are spirits/yokai but only mildly spooky and more emotional like Violet Evergarden anime (which I also love and recommend for the nostalgic feels and aesthetic, even though it has nothing to do with spooky books or autumn!).

[@gillianshields1746]

Two really good spooky middle grade books: Small Spaces and Dead Voices by Katherine Arden. The first one is total Fall vibes and takes place in Autumn. The second is Winter.

[@DarlingDesi]

Ahhh I adored Small Spaces & Dead Voices! So spooky!! 🙌🏻 I think I liked Dead Voices the most. But they’re both so good!

[@crazybooklady8682]

Thank you for all those recommendations! My list of spooky books I want to read keeps growing haha ❤️

[@emilyknowles9604]

lol

[@livforreading]

you always have the best recommendation videos!! i love that you highlight so many books that not a lot of ppl talk about on booktube - thank you!

[@DarlingDesi]

Thank you so much! I definitely try to purposefully include books that aren’t always talked about. Because who wants to watch a video all about books they’ve already heard of in 5 other videos? 🧡 So thank you!!

[@livforreading]

@@DarlingDesi I really really appreciate it and how much work you put into your vids! ✨🧡

[@rebekahmackenzie]

Your decorating is amazing!

[@danielle3308]

Yay! A middle grade I’ve never heard of, thank you! My favorite spooky book I’ve read so far is Small Spaces by Katherine Arden. It’s a middle grade book perfect for Halloween and very spooky at times (but heartwarming too). It’s a book for book lovers. HIGHLY recommend

[@leonasindlerova1727]

I just finished watching Maven's newest video with Dacre and here you are talking about Dracul :D I really need to read it! And I think you're really going to love the ending in "We Have Always Lived in a Castle." I still have no idea, how can a book be on one hand so unsettling, and on the other cozy and quite comforting :DDD I'm living for Shirley Jackson's writing style.

[@DeeDeeCatMom]

I just finished Dracula so Dracul sounds really good! My fave spooky-not -scary-but-gothic novel is The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield; a must read!!

[@holliejadee]

never been more excited for a video🥰🥰🥰

[@soniajanatowski9620]

Love, love, love your channel! I’ve always loved to read but you have made me get back into it full swing during my favorite time of the year!! 🧡👻 The book that gave me nightmares was The Amityville Horror.

[@DarlingDesi]

That warms my heart 🥺🧡 So happy you’ve gotten back into reading. And omg I need to read that one! It’s been on my list forever. I’ve listened to multiple podcast episodes about it, and it sounds so awful! Definitely one I need to read soon.

[@aarinwidan1957]

So grateful that I stumbled upon your channel 🥧😚 I've watched almost all of your videos lol. I was hoping that you'd mention any Riley Sager book as Im a huge fan of his. funny enough, Home before dark was a book of his that took me so long to read because of how scary it actually is! Its the most perfect spooky read. lots of love xxx your new biggest fan.

[@fionawesthoff969]

It doesn't matter if I would have picked up these books by myself but you always make me fall in love with every single one of them. You present them with so much love and passion that I can't not love them too😅🥰❤

[@Silverraine1]

Same!

[@Saternalius]

I can highly recommend "Never the Bride" by Paul Magrs. It's about two older ladies who investigate mysteries in the Northern England town of Whitby. It's all told entirely from the point of view of one of the ladies, Brenda, who has a mysterious past. If possible, it's best to go into it without knowing much else about it beforehand, as there are some excellent surprises in it. It's spooky and atmospheric, rather than being particularly scary.

[@ivettebowen4146]

I am super late to your channel but my God yesssss these are the recommendations I have been searching for!!! Thank you!!!

[@felicitypevideos4224]

So excited to see Dracul getting a rave review because I found a 25 cent copy at a library sale and had only heard bad things about it so I was hoping to hear good things!

[@gisellecarlos5944]

Definitely a great middle grade book with Halloweeny vibes is “Nightmares” by Jason Segal (i think that’s how you spell his name?) It’s a super great read especially if you’re into Halloween related but not super scary books. Also the book “Asylum” scared me soooooo much but it was also sooooo good- but I literally could not finish the second one because it was so scary. also desi- your videos are literal masterpieces.

[@TheNicolevertone]

There were a few books on your list that I definitely want to add to mine as I've been compiling my own Autumn reads. A few you might like: 1. Something Wicked This Way Comes, by Ray Bradbury, a story both creepy, atmospheric, sad, hopeful, and nostalgic, involving a mysterious carnival with a frightening secret; 2. Powers of Darkness, by Bram Stoker, a different version of Dracula, retranslated back into English; 3. The October Country, by Ray Bradbury, a collection of Halloween appropriate short stories; 4. This Body's Not Big Enough for the Both of Us, by Edgar Cantero, just imagine if Jekyll and Hyde were a Bogart-style private detective; 5. Jane, by Aline Brosh McKenna and Ramón K. Pérez, a modern, graphic novel retelling of Jane Eyre; 6. Comes Like Shadows, by Welwyn Wilton Katz, a girl joins a production of Macbeth only to find it may be more intentionally cursed than she first suspected... There are just so many amazing, fun, and interesting reads out there!

[@hannahk.3607]

Desi, I need to know where you got that dress (...shirt?). It's so pretty! And great video, as always - I plan to read Dracula in November, so I might listen to the Dracul audio book later. Some spooky books I love: Frankenstein, Rebecca, Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, The Picture of Dorian Gray and The Sandman. Oh, you might also enjoy the Raven Cycle series by Maggie Stiefvater. It's YA and has quite a few spooky elements

[@VidhyaVLbooks]

Oh gosh! Loving every video of yours! The aesthetics though! How do you do it? Just amazing!

[@DarlingDesi]

You’re so nice! 😫 Thank you so much for watching! 🧡

[@bethanyromeiro3064]

I absolutely adore your videos!

[@emilywilson5240]

The Lake of Dead Languages by Carol Goodman is a must read. It’s a spooky page turner!

[@hyunjimin1910]

I love Scritch Scratch! It's definitely spooky!

[@courtneyclarke654]

I've been watching the goosebumps show on Netflix and the stories are pretty spooky and creative. I loved the books as a child

[@CovetAlchemyCandles]

I'm one to do a Ghost Tour in every historic city I visit. I'll have to check out Scritch Scratch. Thank you for the book list !

[@ScullyPopASMR]

This is the best October book channel I've ever seen.

[@DarlingDesi]

Oh my gosh THANK YOU 😩

[@abiFevers]

Salem’s Lot by Stephen King!!! A true terrifying vampire story x

[@herekittykittykitty475]

Read this long ago when it had just came out and I thought about it at random times for years. Thanks for re-reminding about it!

[@braininvasion8192]

You learn something new everyday! Bram Stoker was actually crazy...

[@alysonserenastone2917]

Home Before Dark was so good! I bought it in a whim and I am so glad I did.

[@anautisticreader2963]

YEAH!!! I finally found another person that reads books by RL Stine. I love his Fear Street books.

[@annthomas7730]

Yes!!!! Dracul!!!! I can’t believe how awesome that book is.

[@Julie-si3hi]

Ooh fantastic, just ordered Dracul :)

[@samanthagentry9803]

LOVE your hair color :D

[@docal_7069]

Great halloween video post! Thank you!

[@crafty_history]

The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole is fun. It's weird and was said to have been the beginning of Gothic Horror fiction.

[@peterspilltheteaparker4109]

Frankenstein is my favorite spooky classic!! Nothing is better 😅 but I recently read a middle grade novel The World’s Greatest Detective and it sounds like something you’d like. I’m not sure if kids would think it’s spooky. But it was really exciting trying to solve the mystery and definitely gave me autumn vibes.

[@laviios634]

I’M EARLY!!! YEY!!!! SHE IS SO ADORABLE

[@DarlingDesi]

You’re so nice 😫

[@rebeccamorrison1313]

Scritch Scratch was AMAZING. I thought about this book for days afterward

[@genevievecharland6793]

Thank you for the suggestions :) I have to read Dracul. I really liked Horrid by Katrina Leno, spooky ghost story, I think you’ll like it.

[@JayGTheAwkwardBookworm]

Okay but Fangs looks SO CUTE

[@LuckyYogi]

When you said "the great British baking show" I laughed and fist pumped the air and yelled, yes! Same😄. awesome recs

[@IlFilodiArianna_vlog]

This setting and your outfit are amazing 😍

[@DarlingDesi]

Thank you so much! 🥰🧡

[@jessynation8293]

Sounds cheesy but one of my all time favorites other than the turning of the screw …. Is The Doll in the Garden , also Stone Words was a good one growing up definitely spooky vibes . But as I got older I was a Gothic romance/ horror fan and loved anything classic ghost story, just started reading The winter people and it’s amazing ghost story!

[@CoffeeQueen90]

Great books! I'll be reading some of them.

[@sarahb.6475]

Your outfit is just perfect! You look like your ready to go sit in the Great Hall at Hogwarts with all the floating jack-O-lanterns floating overhead. Great books too!! And I love the bats on the wall behind you. 😀

[@leahdesantis6445]

Love these! Thank you! Also, where did you get that dress?!

[@mariela4038]

Fantastic reviews, thank you . I really like your videos, good job 👏 . My recommendation ‘ Anna dressed in blood ‘ by Kendare Blake. For me bloody spooky. P.S. I love your hair.

[@jenniferdarieng291]

I love Riley Sager's books and thought Home Before Dark was a creepy fun read! I recommend Alex North's The Shadows. Definitely had me creeped out and surprised by the twists!

[@DarlingDesi]

I’ve heard a lot about The Shadows! It definitely seems creepy. Thank you for the recommendation! 🧡

[@nohelanikh6788]

Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu is PERFECT for this season. It’s a vampire story that came out before Dracula.

[@machecch]

My husband & I were part of a paranormal investigation group before our son was born. I’m always drawn to ghost hunting stories because of this. Just finished the Haunting of Hill House, followed by Home Before Dark. I still can’t decide how I feel about Hill House. The ending was too vague for me. Home Before Dark was awesome. The pacing of the story was great. It’s a new favorite!

[@lucindac.3975]

I would add the word "Delightful" along with Darling to describe Desi. Thank you for the recommendations, I will most definitely get the book Fangs!

[@DarlingDesi]

Aww you’re so sweet 🥺 thank you!! And yesss I hope you love Fangs! 🧡 It’s so good!

[@mikithompson745]

You have to read Katherine Arden’s small Spaces and the sequel. That one scared me. I loved Home Before Dark. I watched Haunting of Hill House and nearly peed myself 😂. I added all these to my TBR.

[@tamerarogers6170]

I second that re. Small Spaces

[@odditycat6233]

I actually still really love goosebumps. Not sure if it’s the nostalgia or what- but I just love them. Along with books I also read as a kid like “wait till Helen comes,” etc. idk they make some pretty scary books for kids lol. Wait till helen comes was actually pretty horrifying, and surprisingly pretty sad.

[@thepagesofsamantha]

should I read Dracula before reading Dracul? I'm very very intrigued and want to read both (Dracul a little more though) and am just curious if I HAVE to read one before the other or if it doesn't particularly matter. great recommendations Desi!! I absolutely love that you recommend books outside of the mainstream. these are the books I want to read, the hidden gems, the gothic, the classic, the historical, the mysterious, GIVE IT ALL TO ME

[@banannakis6723]

I read Fangs and it is a wonderful delight of entertainment and joy.

[@LYeary]

Ooohhhh One for Sorrow, Mary Dahning Hahn...spooky good

[@hajar9927]

My new favorite booktube channel!! Loved this video! Do we need to read dracula in order to read dracul (even though its a prequel)? :)

[@DarlingDesi]

Oh my gosh thank you!! And you can definitely read it without having read Dracula first. However; it does reference some of the characters from Dracula. But you should be fine! :)

[@sjthorn]

I remember as a child Goosebumps scared the heebie jeebies outta me lol. I still love them for the nostalgia now, and I'm not ashamed to say that, even as a full-grown adult, R.L. Stine's Haunting Hour tv show still creeps me out in the best ways. I'll definitely be checking many of these out. My favorite spooky novel is Christine by Stephen King.

[@danaprovenzano3961]

An inquiry into love and death was amazing !!!

[@anautisticreader2963]

I discovered the middle grade book Spirit Hunters by Ellen Oh this year. Loved it and I recommend it. My absolute favorite author to read this time of year is Wendy Webb. Loved The End of Temperance Dare. It is a paranormal, gothic, thriller.

[@ashleysalazar2012]

Thank you for sharing 🧡

[@mathias9183]

I discovered you today... love your style 🥰

[@jennatheobalds]

I NEEDED THIS

[@DarlingDesi]

🥰🥰🥰🥰

[@micah4616]

Absolutely love The Swallow by Charis Cotter it's a spooky middle grade ghost story