What Books Should You Read this October Based on Your Favorite Halloween Song

October is the one month of the year when the spooky and the macabre are celebrated and embraced. It is when I personally come alive. I always have such a blast coming up with new blog ideas for Spooky Season. For this go around, I thought I’d combine two things I love – music and books. Having a good Halloween playlist is essential at this time of year to get into the spooky mood. Fellow book lovers also know how incredible it is to read a story that matches the fall vibes you want to embrace around the holiday. Whether you’re an avid reader or looking to check out one book for the month of October, I’ve got you covered. Based on your favorite Halloween song, I’ll be making some book recommendations that I feel fit the vibe of that tune.  

“This Is Halloween”  

From the iconic stop motion film The Nightmare Before Christmas, “This is Halloween” is all about the love of the holiday, embracing the creepy and spooky. For one night a year, this town comes alive with a purpose. That’s something a lot of Halloween lovers can relate to. 

Long Live the Pumpkin Queen by Shea Ernshaw  

The obvious first choice is a book written in The Nightmare Before Christmas universe. Long Live the Pumpkin Queen imagines a scenario where Sally is Queen of Halloween Town, The Pumpkin Queen, not Jack. Sally faces the pressures of running the town, but also makes a discovery of a new doorway. If you love “This Is Halloween” chances are you love the movie and its world, so checking out this story might be just the vibe you’re looking for this Halloween. 

Not interested in (essentially) a fanfiction version of your favorite film? No worries, I’ve got a few more options.

A Dark and Secret Magic by Wallis Kinney 

If you want a cozier experience, if you want Halloween inside a book that doubles as a warm hug, you’ve got to pick up A Dark and Secret Magic. The story follows a hedge witch named Hecate Goodwin who owns an apothecary and lives in a secluded cottage with only a black cat for company, but her solitude is thrown into disarray when she’s asked to host her coven’s annual Halloween gathering. With so much of the story surrounding a Halloween event, this book is bound to give you some amazing fall vibes without getting too spooky.  

Nightmare Before Kissmas by Sara Raasch 

What happens when the prince of Christmas begins to fall for the mysterious prince of Halloween? If you want a fun holiday-themed romance, you’ve got to check out Nightmare Before Kissmas! If you’re not into scary stuff but you love the essence of Halloween, maybe you even (gasp!) prefer Christmas, you’ll get a good mix of both holidays in this story as you see both characters grapple with their responsibilities to their respective holidays and how, in falling for each other, it’s hard to keep up their propriety. The title hints at a relation to The Nightmare Before Christmas, but it is just a fun pun, given both works combine Christmas and Halloween themes together.  

“I Put a Spell on You”  

Whether you love the version in Hocus Pocus, Nina Simone’s seductive version, or the original one by Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, if this is your favorite Halloween song, chances are you love witches and magic. You love the whimsical possibilities that come with Halloween. If that’s the vibe you’re looking for in a book, I’ve got some great recommendations! 

The Near Witch by V.E. Schwab 

If you loved the town history element of Hocus Pocus, you’ll enjoy The Near Witch, which also tells a tale of witches meant to scare children to keep them safe. The book’s synopsis says, “If the wind calls at night, you must not listen. The wind is lonely and always looking for company. And there are no strangers in the town of Near.” Lexi’s interactions with a ghost boy who helps her look for children disappearing in the town make her question whether all the town’s beliefs are true. This book has witches, eerie local tales, and a budding romance, all aspects that it holds in common with Hocus Pocus. And it seems the witch itself puts a spell on the children, so it covers all the bases!  

Slewfoot by Gerald Brom

If you love witches and are fascinated by the Salem Witch Trials (or just the Puritan era), Slewfoot is a MUST-read. The story follows Abitha, who discovers her power after a goat-like being appears to her. After being treated horribly by the people in her town, it’s the perfect “good for her” book because you get to see her get revenge. What makes this one unique is the artwork featured in the book, drawn by the author and the exploration of folklore within the witch and her power, teetering it into the fantasy genre. It takes the stereotypes of what we know of the devil and evil and turns them on their heads. A song all about spells, of course, I was going to recommend a witchy book! 

The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson

If you want the witchy vibe in a historical setting where the witches are dark and intense and not lighthearted and fun, you need to check out The Year of the Witching. There are many witch books out there, but not enough featuring people of color. The premise reads, “Immanuelle Moore’s very existence is blasphemy. Her mother’s union with an outsider of a different race cast her once-proud family into disgrace.” Because of this, she tries to live a quiet, pious life, but a mishap lures her to the forbidden Darkwood where she discovers her mother’s diary and with it, secrets of her origins. The story follows a similar basic premise to Slewfoot of a woman living in a rigid, puritanical society who discovers dark powers, but this one book taps into the darker side of witchcraft and how it can be used for evil in the wrong hands. This is one of my personal favorites, and I highly recommend it. 

Hex Education by Maureen Kilmer

If you’re looking for something campy and fun for Halloween that still features witches, Hex Education is the perfect read. The book follows three witches who had a spell go wrong, accidently caused a fire back in college and no one ever found it was them. 20 years later, a podcaster is looking deeper at the fire and thinks she's uncovered the truth. But the three witches like the lives they've carved out for themselves and don't want to be exposed. It's harder not to look suspicious, however, when their magic starts acting funky. You’ll have a blast with these witches in a suburban setting as they determine, as the book’s blurb says, “if polite society still burns witches.” 

“Werewolves of London”  

There are a lot of reasons to love “Werewolves of London”, but I’m going to guess that if this is your favorite, you find werewolves and wolves fascinating. Discovering a werewolf doing something human-like is intriguing. Maybe you’ve always been a werewolf person instead of a vampire one. Whatever it is, I’ve got some wolf-related horror books to recommend to you. 

Empire of Wild by Cherie Dimaline

If you want a different kind of werewolf lore beyond what’s traditionally told, you need to check out Empire of Wild, which is inspired by the traditional Métis story of the Rogarou - a werewolf-like creature that haunts the roads and woods of Métis communities. The story follows Joan, who has been searching for her husband, Victor, for almost a year--ever since he went missing. After popping into a revival tent where the local Métis have been flocking to hear a charismatic preacher, she finds her missing husband, who is now working as a reverend and has no memory of his previous life. Can she help him remember? The premise doesn’t truly capture how crazy this story gets at points. If you’re a lover of horror and werewolves, you’ll enjoy this different look at the genre and the ominous ending.    

Such Sharp Teeth by Rachel Harrison

If you want a werewolf story, but don’t want to be too scared, Rachel Harrison’s Such Sharp Teeth is a good option. Every Harrison book features a monster motif of some sort that’s used as a conduit to represent the emotional and sometimes physical changes of the main character. In Such Sharp Teeth, turning into a wolf is a way to cope and learn to live with trauma, accept the rage inside her, and learn to be vulnerable with people in her life. The story follows Rory, who moves back home (despite her hatred of it) to be there for her pregnant twin sister. After a night out at a bar where she runs into an old almost-flame, she hits a large animal with her car. And when she gets out to investigate, she's attacked. She survives but suddenly begins to feel...different. If you want something less in-your-face scary that confronts real-life horrors, you can’t go wrong with Such Sharp Teeth. Trust me, it delivers the wolf stuff too.  

When the Wolf Comes Home by Nat Cassidy

If you choose to pick When the Wolf Comes Home, I promise you will not be bored, and the premise reveals only a fraction of what’s to come in this book. I don’t want to spoil anything, so I'm going to quote the synopsis directly. “Jess, a struggling actress, finds a five-year-old runaway hiding in the bushes outside her apartment. After a violent, bloody encounter with the boy's father, she and the boy find themselves running for their lives. As they attempt to evade the boy's increasingly desperate father, horrifying incidents of butchery follow them. At first, Jess thinks she understands what they're up against, but she's about to learn there's more to these surreal and grisly events than she could've ever imagined.” This has a terrifying human-like wolf, grisly horror, and a lot of heart. It’s a great genre blend too, and it also takes place around Halloween, featuring a scene with Halloween decorations in Target that is WILD.  I promise you have read a wolf book quite like this one.  

“Ghostbusters”  

If you love the Ghostbusters theme and the movie, you probably like ghosts, but when it’s done in a lighthearted way like Ghostbusters does it. There are surely scary moments, but there are also many lighthearted moments. That said, you likely would prefer a cozy horror book or a horror comedy to read this spooky season. You want the spooky but not too scary. No worries, I’ve got you. 

The Carrow Haunt by Darcy Coates 

If you want cozy horror, you have to go to the queen of the subgenre, Darcy Coates. There are a few things you can always rely on in a Coates book. 1. You’re going to have fun 2. There are going to be scary descriptions 3. Despite the horrors of the book, you always leave feelings comforted or with a heartwarming ending. In The Carrow Haunt, you follow Remy, a tour guide for Carrow House, a notoriously haunted building. When a group of guests want to stay and research Carrow's phenomena, Remy hopes to finally experience some of the sightings that made the house famous. But as the research continues, a storm moves in, and seances go wrong, Remy and the group wonder if they got more than they bargained for. Is it possible the ghost of Carrow House still walks the halls, and is it too late for them to escape? While The Carrow Haunt has its fair share of spooky scenes, it also takes an empathetic lens to a ghost and why it haunts a space. Ghost hunter fans will find a lot to enjoy in this quintessential cozy horror. 

My Best Friend’s Exorcism by Grady Hendrix 

Who ya gonna call? An exorcist, apparently. Another author who writes comedy horror hybrids well is Grady Hendrix. He’s gonna have moments of true horror or gore, but along the way, he’s gonna make you laugh too, just like Ghostbusters. There are a lot of great works of his to choose from, but My Best Friend’s Exorcism is a good pick for fans of Ghostbusters because it’s about an exorcism (per the title) and it has an authentically written 80s setting. The story follows best friends Abby and Gretchen, who, upon starting high school, must face a big change between them, one that started after a night out over the summer in an abandoned house. The synopsis says it best, “And as the strange coincidences and bizarre behavior start to pile up, Abby realizes there’s only one possible explanation: Gretchen, her favorite person in the world, has a demon living inside her. And Abby is not about to let anyone, or anything, come between her and her best friend.” What occurs is a fight for her best friend’s soul. With a premise like this, you can probably already tell it’s campy and goofy. But make no mistake, there are some elements of pure horror in this. Yet in the end, you’re going to be emotionally moved, believe me.  

John Dies at the End by David Wong 

John Dies at the End is a very meta horror-comedy that follows two slacker, unlikeable protagonists who, after discovering a street drug, can now perceive interdimensional entities threatening to invade Earth. The synopsis speaks directly to the reader, saying, “You may not want to know about the things you'll read on these pages, about the sauce, about Korrok, about the invasion, and the future. But it's too late. You touched the book. You're in the game. You're under the eye. The only defense is knowledge. You need to read this book to the end. Even the part with the bratwurst. Why? You just have to trust me.” This book is a little divisive online, but it’s often recommended for fans of Ghostbusters for its wacky premise, strange creatures, and similar humor. If you want something wacky to read this Halloween season, John Dies at the End might be just the book for you. 

“Monster Mash”  

If you love “Monster Mash,” chances are you love the old school monsters. You love the tales of Frankenstein’s monster, Dracula, mummies, and other classic Universal monsters. Werewolves are cool, but you don’t box yourself into one favorite type of monster this Halloween. I’ve got some great monster-related books for you to check out.  

A Botanical Daughter by Noah Medlock

In a world of classic retellings, there are a lot of books to choose from. But A Botanical Daughter stands out from others because instead of following the classic closely, it’s loosely inspired by the works. It feels like a blend of many things. The story follows a tale of two Victorian gentlemen hiding their relationship away in a botanical garden who embark on a Frankenstein-style experiment with unexpected consequences. It all happens after they acquire a strange fungus, which shows signs of intellect, which inspires the creation of Chloe who becomes their plant daughter. It’s a great blend of horror and fantasy with fantastic conversations about autonomy and what it means to be alive. A perfect Halloween read. 

Summer of the Monsters by David Sodergren 

If you’re a horror fan but have never heard of David Sodergren, you’ve got to check him out! He’s creating some really unique and fun independent horror, and Summer of the Monsters is a newer release from him, perfect for fans of monsters. As the title hints at, this story follows a world where monsters are real. The summary reads, “Lucy Brannigan and her father move to an isolated farmhouse in the small Scottish town of Helsbridge. It’s their last chance, and they have to make it work. When the horrifying screams that wake her in the night, along with encountering creepy scarecrows on the property, Lucy will be forced to learn the dark secret of Helsbridge. Monsters are real… and no amount of flesh can sate their diabolical hunger.” David Sodergren always delivers on the horror, so you won’t be disappointed if you pick this one up during spooky season. 

Someone You Can Build a Nest In by John Wiswell

So, you want a monster story, but you don’t really want to be too scared. You want the fun, cozier side of monsters. Then Someone You Can Build a Nest In is more up your street. The story follows Shesheshen, a shapeshifter, who happily lives alone in hibernation but when her sleep is disturbed by hunters, she defends herself and creates a new body from the remains. After falling off a cliff, she’s nursed back to health by a kind human named Homily, who has mistaken Shesheshen as a fellow human. Homily’s kind nature makes Shesheshen interested in laying her eggs inside Homily so their young could devour Homily from the inside out. She wants this, yet also doesn’t want Homily to come to harm. This monster story is full of heart, a look at empathy, and at its core, a queer love story. It’s just as unique a book as it sounds. If you want something different this Halloween, check out Someone You Can Build a Nest In.  

“Somebody’s Watching Me”  

If you love “Somebody’s Watching Me”, you probably get a chill thinking about someone watching you without your knowledge. Perhaps you love the song because it speaks to a fear you have, or maybe you like experiencing home invasion and stalker stories around spooky season. Whatever the reason, I’ve got some books that embody that eerie experience of not feeling alone.  

Home Before Dark by Riley Sager 

Home Before Dark is the first book that came to mind when I thought of that feeling of being watched. Riley Sager writes horror/thriller hybrids, but this is one that leans more into the horror genre. The pitch is this, “Twenty-five years ago, Maggie and her parents moved into Baneberry Hall, a rambling Victorian estate in the Vermont woods. They spent three weeks there before fleeing in the dead of night, an ordeal Ewan later recounted in a nonfiction book called House of Horrors. His tale of ghostly happenings and encounters with malevolent spirits became a worldwide phenomenon, rivaling The Amityville Horror in popularity—and skepticism.” Maggie has never believed any of what her father wrote was real until she inherits the house and begins experiencing strange phenomena. There are multiple moments where Maggie feels as if she’s being watched in the house, so it’s the ultimate vibe if you like to read about people experiencing the fear of being observed.  

Daphne by Josh Malerman

Daphne is a book that will make you feel like you've got someone watching you while you devour the words on the page. This book personifies anxiety so well by making it into a tall, stringy-haired entity that manifests if you think about her. The only way to save yourself is to not think about her. But you know what usually happens when you’re told not to think about something. It just slips into your mind. Main character Kit is on the basketball team, and one practice is told the story of Daphne, a previous student who died. The synopsis reads, “Some say she was murdered, others that she died by her own hand. And some say that Daphne is a murderer herself. They also say that Daphne is still out there, obsessed with revenge, and will appear to kill again anytime someone thinks about her.” Then Kit’s friends start to vanish, and Kit fears it’s her own anxious mind that’s to blame. This is a coming-of-age story about facing one’s fears that you’ll enjoy if the idea of an entity that appears by thought alone.  

Dead Eleven by Jimmy Juliano

If you love a story where on the surface everything seems normal but something is a little bit “off,” you need to check out Dead Eleven by Jimmy Juliano. The pitch is this, “On a creepy island where everyone has a strange obsession with the year 1994, a newcomer arrives, hoping to learn the truth about her son's death--but finds herself pulled deeper and deeper into the bizarrely insular community and their complicated rules.” With mixed media elements, the book is fast-paced despite its 400+ page count. It's a creepy island vibe where everyone is watching the outsider of this story closely to make sure she doesn’t discover something they want left buried is similar to the feeling of “Somebody’s Watching Me,” where every move made is observed. Once you find out what the deal with this island is, you’ll be glad I recommended this one for spooky season.  

“The Addams Family Theme”  

If you like “The Addams Family Theme,” you probably like the creepy and the kooky, mysterious and spooky vibes of Halloween. You like the strange and unusual. You don’t mind if it makes you appear weird. If you like this song, you might also enjoy the family bond between the members of The Addams Family. Or perhaps you’re just really into the vibe that Wednesday Addams gives off (same). Whatever it is, if you’re looking for a vibe of ominous organ music with a dash of fun, I’ve got you.  

The Invocations by Krystal Sutherland

While this is a story about witches, I feel it fits better with the vibe of “The Addams Family Theme” because of the unique group of girls we follow. Zara is grieving her sister, who she’s determined to bring back somehow by magic. Jude is cursed by a demon deal gone bad, with her soul slowly decaying, and she’s on the hunt for a cure. Emer is an orphaned witch who just might have the power to help Zara and Jude because of her ability to give away her invocations—to women in desperate situations who are willing to sacrifice a piece of their soul in exchange for a scrap of power. We have a group of people, all connected to the magical arts of witchcraft in some way, that come together to stop a serial killer of witches who were clients of Emer. The darker side of magic gives Addams Family vibes, albeit tangentially. Still, if you like the darkness of The Addams Family, you’ll find something to enjoy in The Invocations.  

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

If you want Addams Family vibes, you can’t go wrong with anything by Shirley Jackson. The way she depicts and crafts horror is unmatched. She’s still hyped up as one of the greats of gothic horror. We Have Always Lived in the Castle feels right for fans of The Addams Family because of the peculiar characters. It’s also a book of isolation and dread. The story follows Mary Katherine (or Merricat) and her sister, who are persecuted by the locals because they’re convinced one of them is a murderer after a mass poisoning killed their family six years ago. When their long-lost cousin Charles arrives on their doorstep, secrets of the family will finally be uncovered. Merricat feels very much like a Wednesday Addams type of character, plus its dark, gothic atmosphere will be a treat for Addams Family lovers. 

The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter by Theodora Goss 

So, you love the creepy vibes, but you also love a beautifully weird family. The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter is a perfect blend of that. This book is a murder mystery following the daughters of famous literary figures. Mary Jekyll, daughter of Dr. Jekyll, is curious about her father’s past after his death, which leads her on a path to meet other girls including Beatrice Rappaccini, Catherine Moreau, and Justine Frankenstein. With the help of Sherlock and Holmes, they uncover more about Mary’s father’s past. This book would also be a good one for fans of “Monster Mash,” as the description of the book says, “it is up to the monsters to finally triumph over the monstrous.” This book has a beautiful found family element and embraces the weirdness of this group of girls. Much like The Addams Family, these girls are all outcasts that find solace and can be completely themselves around each other.   

“Halloween Theme”  

If the Halloween theme is your favorite song, you probably love the eerie, creepy side of Halloween. You like to be scared. You’re looking for a good horror book this Halloween. Another slasher, perhaps? I’ve got just the recommendations for you. 

 My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones

If you want a classic slasher with a little more to chew on, you can’t go wrong with anything by Stephen Graham Jones. The Indian Lake Trilogy is a good place to start if you like slashers because the first book, My Heart is a Chainsaw, follows a slasher superfan who knows all about slashers, especially from the 70s and 80s. Jade Daniels lives in Proofrock, a small town in Idaho that doesn’t understand her fascination with horror. When a new neighborhood is being built on top of a national forest in town, Jade starts to notice the beginnings of a slasher forming right in her town. But can Jade’s encyclopedic knowledge of slashers help her survive? Can she get a final girl trained enough to stop all this from happening? Does she even want to? This book is full of so many references to slashers that any fan of the genre can love and appreciate. Jade can seem intense and annoying in the beginning, but if you let the story play out, you’ll see there’s a lot more to Jade that explains her obsession. If this type of story doesn’t work for you, I Was a Teenage Slasher is a good alternative by Jones, following a boy who is possessed by a slasher and cannot stop his carnage.  

IT by Stephen King

If you’re a horror fan and especially a slasher fan, you probably don’t need me to tell you to read IT by Stephen King, but just in case you’re new to the genre, have been living under a rock, or have been putting it off because it’s over 1000 pages (which is so valid), I’m going to recommend IT because it’s the closest thing King has to a slasher. IT follows a group of kids in Derry who are terrorized by a clown that is more than just a clown, as it can transform itself into whatever an individual person fears. We follow them through the one summer that IT terrorizes them, causing hate and violence among many in the town. The book later follows the kids 27 years later, they think they’ve stopped IT, and have to return to Derry to finish the job. Look, I get it. It’s a long book, the pacing isn’t always great, and there’s that weird scene everyone talks about with the kids in the sewers. Despite all this, the book is worth at least trying to read because the horror is truly horrifying, and the group of characters we follow is really well fleshed out. You will feel so much dread reading this book, much like the dread you feel watching Michael stalk his next victim.  

Clown in a Cornfield by Adam Cesare 

Maybe you want the slasher vibes, but you don’t want to get too scared. No worries. I’ve got just the book for you. Clown in a Cornfield is listed under YA, but don’t let that steer you away because when it comes to the gore, the book absolutely delivers. The book is also following teens, so it doesn’t go too extreme with the gore. Clown in a Cornfield follows Quinn, who recently moved to the small town of Kettle Springs, and makes friends with the locals. While at a party, they’re forced into a fight for survival when multiple killers in clown costumes chase them with weapons through the town’s cornfield and the rest of the town. It seems pretty straightforward of a premise, but there’s more commentary to the story once you dive in. You have to suspend your disbelief a bit with the premise, but if you’re looking for a fun slasher for spooky season or if you don’t read a lot of horror, this would be a great place to start.   

This is a little different style of blog than what we typically post, but we hope you enjoyed it and got a recommendation! If you liked this style of blog, let me know in the comments, and I can make one of these for songs and movies next year for spooky season. Whether you’re a reader or were just curious what sort of books match the vibes of these popular Halloween songs, we appreciate you checking out this list! We hope you have a great fall and enjoy the spooky moments of the Halloween season. 

Written by Kristen Petronio

https://shereads.com/books-to-read-if-you-loved-the-movie-hocus-pocus/