10 spooky books to read this October-from haunted house horror to paranormal romance

Reading is a great hobby all year-round, but for many people there's no better time to curl up with a good book than in autumn. Darker nights and chillier temperatures lend themselves to cosy evenings spent on the sofa reading, preferably with a blanket on and plenty of candles lit.

And while any book will do, October is the ideal time of year to dive into some spookier reads. Whether you're a longtime horror fan, new to the genre, or someone who prefers a cosier take on the supernatural, this list of reading recommendations has something for everyone. For more book reviews and news, you can also subscribe to our free weekly newsletter, The Bookish Drop, on Substack.

You can pre-order King Sorrow, out October 21, here. " data-has-syndication-rights="1" data-portal-copyright="Talya Honebeek" data-licensor-name="Talya Honebeek" /> If you're looking for an unsettling psychological thriller to read this Halloween, Rivers Solomon's latest novel sees three siblings forced to confront their past by returning to their childhood home after their parents are found dead. But the house is haunted not by the supernatural, but rather their family's history, which is rooted in racism and abuse.

You can buy Model Home now.

" data-has-syndication-rights="1" data-portal-copyright="Talya Honebeek" data-licensor-name="Talya Honebeek" /> You can buy No Body, No Crime now. " data-has-syndication-rights="1" data-portal-copyright="Talya Honebeek" data-licensor-name="Talya Honebeek" /> The Decadence is a queer haunted house novel following a group of twenty-something friends who swap adult responsibilities for an escape to an empty country house at the height of lockdown. But with tensions high and Holt House hiding its own dark history, their stay will change them all in ways they couldn't have predicted.

You can buy The Decadence now.

" data-has-syndication-rights="1" data-portal-copyright="Talya Honebeek" data-licensor-name="Talya Honebeek" /> An unsettling collection of short stories all set in houses that should provide protection but instead turn on their inhabitants. The collection opens with a dinner party with a gruesome twist and goes on to tales of a couple driven to despair by a neighbour's crying baby, a family torn apart by strange notes left around their house and a woman's relationship with her new partner's strangely shy daughter.

You can buy Make a Home of Me now.

" data-has-syndication-rights="1" data-portal-copyright="Talya Honebeek" data-licensor-name="Talya Honebeek" /> If you're in the mood for a horror classic this Halloween, look no further than The Fog by James Herbert, which celebrates its fiftieth anniversary this year. A chilling story of madness and murder, The Fog is the terrifying story of a fog that drives the inhabitants of an ordinary Wiltshire village insane.

You can buy The Fog now.

" data-has-syndication-rights="1" data-portal-copyright="Talya Honebeek" data-licensor-name="Talya Honebeek" /> You can buy Love at First Fright now. " data-has-syndication-rights="1" data-portal-copyright="Del Rey" data-licensor-name="Del Rey" /> Struggling advice columnist Charlie is in need of a career revamp. He's as human as they come, but his readers want to know about all things supernatural. So after a chance reunion with vampire Lorenzo, Charlie thinks he's found the answer. But Lorenzo has plans of his own: to enact revenge on Charlie for ruining his past relationship. Luckily, what starts as a quest for revenge instead leads to a fun paranormal grumpy x sunshine romance.

You can buy Thirsty now.

" data-has-syndication-rights="1" data-portal-copyright="Talya Honebeek" data-licensor-name="Talya Honebeek" /> 9. Ghost of a Chance by Katherine Garbera

Opposites attract in Katherine Garbera's romcom about a mystery writer who pretends to talk to ghosts and the one-night stand who might actually be haunted. But it doesn't take long for sparks to fly again as they work together to figure out how to fix the problem of Jasper's college roommate's spirit being trapped in an old physics book.

You can buy Ghost of a Chance now.

" data-has-syndication-rights="1" data-portal-copyright="Talya Honebeek" data-licensor-name="Talya Honebeek" /> You can buy You Had Me at Pumpkin Patch now. " data-has-syndication-rights="1" data-portal-copyright="Talya Honebeek" data-licensor-name="Talya Honebeek" />