Books To Read If You’re Missing Spooky Season

Graphics by Anika Dua

Okay– I know it’s December. I know it's the holiday season or whatever– but I hate it.

I’m sure there’ll be a few others that can relate when I say that I hate the holidays. The weather sucks, there’s too much pressure to find nice gifts that are supposed to measure how much you love people, overplayed Christmas songs all over the radio– oh, and did I mention the horribly cold weather?

What I miss is Halloween, and I know I can’t be alone. So, here is my own list of fantastic horror/thriller books for people who already miss Halloween (as you should). 

1984 by George Orwell

Now, I know what you’re thinking: This isn’t a horror novel at all. This is some classic dystopian novel that my English teacher forced me to read in high school that I never actually read! Okay, cool put on your big-boy pants and read it now. This book fucked me up. I was left feeling ~different~ for three whole days. I looked at the world around me and felt nauseous. Read. It. 

The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty

To be honest, I did not like this book. But if you really like gory horror, maybe you will. This book is all parts gross and scary, with some good writing every now and then. That being said, this book freaked me out so much that I haven’t seen the movie because I’m scared they’ll show the scene. You’ll know what I’m talking about when you read it.

Pet Sematary by Stephen King

This is prime Stephen King. Everyone reaches for The Shining, but trust me when I say– you want Pet Sematary. Everyone thinks they want their childhood pet to live forever– until it digs its way out of the earth and actually does live. Fucking. Scary.

Carrie by Stephen King

Another Stephen King win. This is another one of his books that gets overshadowed by The Shining. It centers around a girl with an over-bearing Mom, and it shows just what happens when you fuck with a badass bitch (disclaimer: I do not actually condone any of Carrie’s actions, she’s not a badass bitch she just never learned how to cope healthily). 

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

This novel is so good. You will read it in two days flat because it catches you from the very beginning. The ending is fantastic and that’s all I’m going to say because I don’t want to give a single spoiler.

The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix

You know the one girl in the horror movie that survives, and it just ends with her taking a deep breath with blood all over her face once the killer is dead? This is all about that girl– well, all of those girls– and what happens after the credits roll. 

The Shining by Stephen King

I know I kind of shat on The Shining earlier– and I stand by it. This is only on the list because I feel like you should read it just so that you say you did. Maybe just skip to the hotel part, though. The beginning is just ramblings about the main character hating his family and wanting to run away (although, same thing was in Pet Sematary– Stephen, do we need to talk?). But to be honest, read any of the ones I mentioned above first. 

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

What’s scarier than a straight white man complaining about how much his life sucks for over two hundred pages? One singular butthole period cramp would send him straight to his grave. 

Now, if books aren’t for you– don’t worry! There are also plenty of podcasts (Two Girls One Ghost, Morbid, Witch Bitch Ameteur Hour), movies (X, Secret Obsession, Smile, A Quiet Place), and horror series (The Haunting at Hill House, The Haunting of Bly Manor, The Fall of the House of Usher) that can also quench your Halloween hunger!

I begrudgingly wish you all a happy holidays– but most importantly– a happy Halloween!