Five thrillers to read this Halloween season

There are so many ways to celebrate October and the approach of Halloween. Traditions like decorating pumpkins, ordering pumpkin spice lattes, and going apple-picking are all essential fall activities. With Halloween getting closer and closer, incorporating scary movies and other media into your daily routine can be another way to get in the spooky spirit.

If you want to really immerse yourself in the spooky season, try reading some of the following horror books. They can provide inspiration for a fantastic costume, and besides, there’s nothing as classically autumnal as curling up with a hot beverage and reading a scary novel.

Salem’s Lot by Stephen King

This novel is a classic vampire story set in a small rural town. King establishes a creepy, ominous atmosphere and slowly introduces the reader to a collection of characters and their small town problems. The story follows a man who returns to the Lot and the murder mystery that unfolds shortly after his arrival.

Beloved by Toni Morrison

While this book is much more than a horror story, at its core it centers on a ghost. This book is truly a unique read because it covers nuanced, important topics such as slavery and racism through the lens of a ghost story. It revolves around two women and how their pasts and futures haunt them, both physically and metaphorically.

Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury

Though debatably more well-known for his books like The Martian Chronicles and Fahrenheit 451, Bradbury is also a successful horror writer. In this book, he combines fantasy with horror in a carnival setting to create a creepy story about good versus evil. With eclectic villains and unexpected heroes, this book is a must-read.

The Institute by Stephen King

Unlike the other books on this list, The Institute centers on a teenager. This book centers on kidnapping, cruelty, and superhuman powers – it’s unlike any other. King’s approachable prose and masterful worldbuilding create a chilling clinical setting for this psychological horror.

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

This pick revolves around a man revisiting his hometown and discovering secrets from his own past. Because this book is a combination of horror and magical realism, the events that unfold are driven by strange animals and impossible characters. Gaiman uses all of these elements to create a frightening story about unreliable memory and complete terror.