A quick post introducing new and old books for Halloween by junior English major Hannah Wilkes.
With Halloween just around the corner what better time to sit down and read a spooky short story or novel? Here are some great books, from both the past and present, to get you into the Halloween spirit! Chances are you’ve heard of most of them before, but it’s always nice to sit down with a familiar book and enjoy the Halloween season.
Five Classic Spooky Stories
If upon a midnight dreary you find yourself pondering over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore, these books might be for you. Iconic characters like Dracula, Ichabod Crane, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde will help you get into the Halloween spirit.
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Dracula by Bram Stoker
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
Complete Stories and Poems of Edgar Allen Poe
Five Contemporary Chilling Tales
Here are some more modern classics that are sure to make you frightened. These books have everything from zombies to serial killers and are perfect to read on Halloween.
The Shining by Stephan King
We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
I Am Legend by Richard Matheson
After Her by Joyce Maynard
World War Z by Max Brooks
Five Childhood Favorites
There is no better time than Halloween, when we often reminisce about our childhood excitement for the holiday, to re-read our favorite childhood books. While they may not be that scary, these titles are definitely fun to read. Check out Bony Legs, an adaptation of the Baba Yaga folktale about a witch who lives in a house built on chicken legs.
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz
Coraline by Neil Gaiman
Bony Legs by Joanna Cole
It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown by Charles M. Schulz
The Goosebumps series by R.L. Stine