If there’s one thing you should know about me, it’s that Halloween is my favourite holiday. Although I prefer to watch most horror movies peeking through my hands, and immediately need to follow them up by watching a cartoon, I do actually LOVE the spooky, scary season. I love reading horror books, I love reading fantastical books about witches, vampires, werewolves, and zombies. I love to rewatch the Halloweentown movies, and other (not scary) Halloween movies. I even love (certain) horror movies. 

So, every year, I love to put together a Halloween-themed reading list, featuring a wide variety of books that I hope other Halloween enthusiasts will enjoy as much as me. 

From dark and romantic fantasies, to strange and sparkling horror stories, and everything I could think of in between — read on for some of my MUST reads to help you celebrate MY favourite time of year.

Immortal Consequences by I.V. Marie

I ADORED I.V. Marie’s Immortal Consequences. It’s a compelling and propulsive dark academia fantasy debut, with a stellar and unforgettable cast of characters. Set at Blackwood Academy, a boarding school located on the edge of the afterlife, this is a place where students are fated to spend the rest of their lives shepherding lost souls. Once you enter the academy, there’s no way out — with the exception of the Decennial — a once-in-a-decade competition,  where nominees compete for the chance to either graduate and join Blackwood’s magical elite, or cross over to the other side. Full of great romance, incredible banter, and twists and turns that will keep you guessing, you’re going to love losing yourself in this dark, atmospheric story.

Soul Searching by Lyla Sage

Lyla Sage’s Soul Searching is a brand new story from the bestselling author of the Rebel Blue Ranch series. Collins Cartwright doesn’t want to go home. Sweetwater Peak, Wyoming, was supposed to be in her rearview mirror, but when she learns that a developer is trying to buy her parents’ antique shop out from under them, she finds she doesn’t have a choice… or at least that’s what she’s telling her family. They don’t need to know that she’s lost her job and is out of money, or that the ghosts who have always been her companions have now gone silent. Lucky for her, Brady, the new-to-town upholsterer, has a room for rent above his store. Unluckily, it’s crawling with even more ghosts who are freezing her out. As Brady and Collins start to get closer, the lines between them start to blur, leaving both of them wondering if their temporary arrangement could become something a bit more permanent.

The Reluctant Reaper by MaryJanice Davidson

MaryJanice Davidson’s The Reluctant Reaper is a delightful and charming paranormal romance. A lot of twenty-somethings might be thrilled by the idea of inheriting the family business, but not Amara Morrigan. The mantle she stands to assume belongs to her father, Death. Amara refuses to accept the job. It’s bad enough that she can sense when the final moment will be for anyone she meets — including her best —  and only — friend, Gray. His time is coming all too soon, and Amara refuses to let him get any closer to her, despite how wonderful he is. And now, her father is dying. Ominous portents are pulling her home to where her father is comatose — something that shouldn’t be possible, so Amara (reluctantly) agrees to take up her father’s mantel temporarily. But she needs to figure things out fast, because there is no way she is going to be doing this forever.

He’s So Possessed With Me by Corey Liu

What happens when a childhood dream of fairy tale romance turns into a deadly nightmare? Fans of Jennifer’s Body and Heartstopper will adore Corey Liu’s young adult horror debut, He’s So Possessed With Me — I know I did. This is a tender, hilarious supernatural horror story about a boy who is trying to save his best friend from a demon who wants to steal his heart (literally). Ren says he’s in love, but Colin knows better — he remembers the strange night where the two boys were harassed on their way home, and a ghostly hand reached out for Ren through the thick fog. He knows Ren’s been acting differently, and that horrible things keep happening to people who hurt or anger him. Colin’s also pretty sure that the new guy vying for Ren’s heart isn’t who he claims to be. This queer and campy story takes readers on a journey through the perils of high school, friendship, and love, and leaves readers rooting for the love story at its heart — Ren and Colin’s friendship. 

Let Me In Your Window by Adam Ellis

I’ve been a fan of Adam Ellis’ horror comics for years, so I was thrilled to learn about his newest book, Let Me In Your Window. His art is compelling and creepy, and his stories are gripping thrillers, combining his signature humour with sinister stories that will have you checking the closets, windows, and underneath your bed before you go to sleep. This is the book version of sitting around a campfire and telling scary stories.

The Dead of Summer by Ryan La Sala

Ryan La Sala’s The Dead of Summer is a fascinating and unputdownable thriller, told through a combination of found documents and narrative voice. Ollie is on his way home to the quaint island of Anchor’s Mercy, after a year away while his mom battled cancer. It should be a celebration – his mom is cancer-free, and she’s determined to have the best summer ever. But Ollie’s former best friends think he abandoned them, and he’s returning with a lot of questions. Because, for a place that’s so picture perfect on the surface, there’s a dark secret beneath the waves. A secret that could explain the illness of so many locals, including Ollie’s mom. Ollie is desperate for the truth, but his search turns life-or-death when a storm hits the island, and brings in its wake a long-sunken horror. Three weeks later, Ollie is being held in isolation aboard a military hospital ship in the harbour. They say he’s a survivor, but they only know part of the story. This was creepy and unsettling, and so good, I read it in one day.

The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware

Ruth Ware’s The Woman in Cabin 10 is a thrilling story, following Lo, a travel journalist who has been given the assignment of a lifetime: a week on a luxury cruise, with only a handful of cabins, and an exclusive and selective guest list. At first,  Lo’s stay is pleasant, but as the week continues, the weather turns, and Lo witnesses what can only be described as a dark and terrifying nightmare: she sees a woman being thrown overboard. But the only problem is—all the passengers are accounted for. This is a twisty and turny story you won’t soon forget, and the movie adaptation has just come out on Netflix. 

Cat Dragon by Samantha Birch

Samantha Birch’s Cat Dragon is a whimsical and cozy story set in the magical world of Tangleroot Valley, where magic flows, and every witch has a cat dragon… except Aloysia Papplewick. She’s nowhere close to bonding with her feline familiar, her magical farm is in chaos, and she has the annual Harvest Festival to prepare for. She has enough to handle, even before her best friend’s insufferable brother, Hollis, brings danger and distraction to her door. When Hollis and Aloysia are whisked away on a quest, Aloysia must contend with magic, mayhem, and a spark she never could have expected.

This Book Will Bury Me by Ashley Winstead

Ashley Winstead’s This Book Will Bury Me is a chilling story of five amateur sleuths on the hunt for an elusive killer, catapulting them into danger, as the whole world watches. After her father’s unexpected death, college student Jane Sharp is desperate to be distracted from her grief. She becomes obsessed with true crime, and befriends an amateur detective who is teaching her how to hunt killers. So when news comes of the shocking deaths of three college girls, it takes the world by storm, and sleuths race to solve the crimes, including Jane and her friends. However, the case is stranger than anyone expected. Details don’t make sense, the police are being cagey, and there is more internet theorizing than actual evidence. Something’s not adding up, and this killer might be smarter and more prolific than any murderer they’ve faced before. Being in the centre of the story feels more and more like walking into a trap. Now, a year later, Jane decides to break her silence on what really happened back then, and what she has to say will shock even the most seasoned of true crime fans.

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Ameema Saeed (@ameemabackwards) is a storyteller, a Capricorn, an avid bookworm, and a curator of very specific playlists and customized book recommendations. She’s a book reviewer, a Sensitivity Reader, a book buyer at Indigo Books & Music, and the Books Editor for She Does the City, where she writes and curates bookish content, and book recommendations. She enjoys bad puns, good food, dancing, and talking about feelings. She writes about books, big feelings, unruly bodies, and her lived experiences, and hopes to write your next favourite book one day. When she’s not reading books, she likes to talk about books (especially diverse books, and books by diverse authors) on her bookstagram: @ReadWithMeemz