Book Recommendations for All Your Favorite Halloween Movies

The Halloween season has arrived, and we think it’s one of the best times of the year. Seriously. We love the ghouls, goblins, costumes, and horror films. Here is a list of books like Halloween movies — perfect pairs of some of the best, most frightening, and suspense-filled horror films to keep those late-night reads as spellbinding as possible.

Bad Witch Burning by Jessica Lewis and Hocus Pocus

Bad Witch Burning

Bad Witch Burning

By Jessica Lewis

If you’re a fan of witches, raise your wand! In Bad Witch Burning, Katrell uses her psychic abilities to help clients communicate with deceased loved ones. For fans of Lovecraft Country and Candyman comes a witchy story full of Black girl magic as one girl’s dark ability to summon the dead offers her a chance at a new life, while revealing to her an even darker future. In Hocus Pocus, the Sanderson sisters are after our teenage protagonists. Both make for a spell of a good time.

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That Weekend by Kara Thomas and The Cabin in the Woods

That Weekend

That Weekend

By Kara Thomas

If you’re into thriller movies like The Cabin in the Woods where a group of friends go on a vacation that goes horribly wrong, then chances are you’ll love That Weekend. Both plots start off quite similar: a group of friends decide to take what they think will be a relaxing vacation out in nature–until something terrible happens. In That Weekend, there’s an added twist: the main character, Claire, has no memory of the past 48 hours and has to find out what happened to her now missing best friends. So what happens next? Well, we don’t believe in spoiling a good thriller, but you’ll need popcorn for this page-turner.

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Small Favors by Erin A. Craig and The Village

Small Favors

Small Favors

By Erin A. Craig

What do M. Night Shyamalan’s The Village and Erin A. Craig’s Small Favors have in common? Plenty! Both are set in a small village. Both villages are plagued by monsters, and they have very specific rules designed to protect people from said monsters. However, in both stories, a girl must risk facing those monsters in order to save the boy she loves. The one big difference? The monsters in Small Favors offer to fulfill the residents’ deepest, grandest desires for just a small favor. However, these seemingly trifling demands hide sinister intentions. We’ll leave it to you to decide which story’s monsters are scarier.

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The Lantern’s Ember by Colleen Houck and Sleepy Hollow

The Lantern's Ember

The Lantern's Ember

By Colleen Houck

“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” is an older tale, but it remains a revered classic for a reason. The headless horseman, the creepy yet enchanting town, and the legend that took on a life of its own have allowed it to become both a literary and a cinematic masterpiece. The Lantern’s Ember is a more fantastical version of the same story. In this iteration, Jack is a Lantern tasked with guarding Otherworld, a realm the witch Ember finds herself attracted to. What ensues is an epic tale of suspense, magic, and romance.

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A Lesson in Vengeance by Victoria Lee and Carrie

A Lesson in Vengeance

A Lesson in Vengeance

By Victoria Lee

Carrie, based on the revered classic by Stephen King, is a cautionary tale about what happens when you push someone over the edge. Especially when that someone is a telekinetic. A Lesson in Vengeance is a dark, twisty thriller about a centuries-old, ivy-covered boarding school haunted by its history of witchcraft and two girls dangerously close to digging up the past. Both tales are mysteries waiting to be unraveled.

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Room Service by Maren Stoffels and I Know What You Did Last Summer

Room Service

Room Service

By Maren Stoffels

The ’90s teen horror classic I Know What You Did Last Summer centers around an unforgivable mistake, a secret pact, and a mysterious killer ready to reveal the mistakes of every teen involved. Room Service, one of our favorite books like Halloween movies we love, is a suspenseful tale of a birthday party gone awry. Guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seat, there’s a reason why slashers are the go-to tales for Halloween.

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The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein by Kiersten White and Frankenstein

The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein

The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein

By Kiersten White

The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein takes the tale we’ve grown so familiar with and tells it from the perspective of a woman who needs to keep Dr. Frankenstein happy. But, this version of the story will leave you wondering, who is the real monster anyway? We’ll still be reading it for some grade A frights.

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