Can you believe Halloween is in one day? I know, it’s crazy. To get you in the mood here is a quick list of some of our most favorite spooky books.

Ghosts in the House!

by Kazuno Kohara

For this once I am going to start with the picture book, as this one needs a little more love. And look how cute it is this?

They are all done in two color linocut illustrations.

To me the little witch girl and kitty are reminisncent of Kiki and Gigi. And that is always a good thing.

purchase Ghosts in the House!

Let the Right One in

by John Ajvide Lindqvist

You have probably seen the excellent Swedish movie (if not add it to your Halloween viewing you owe it to yourself). The book it is based on is just as excellent and different enough to keep you surprised.

Buy Let the Right One In

The Ocean at the End of the Lane

By Neil Gaiman

This is my favorite Gaiman since the Sandman series. Ocean at the End of the Lane is a creepy twisted fairy tale that does a wonderful job of bringing to life childhood fears and anxieties personified as monsters.

Buy The Ocean at the End of the Lane

The Little Stranger

By SarahWater

Since falling hard for her first book Tipping the Velvet, I have read everything Waters has done. I will continue to do so. This, her most divisive book (possibly because of pace, possibly because a lack of a Lesbian relationship) , is a meticulously plotted haunted house story which takes a very long time to build. The atmosphere throughout is so rich I was happy to spend my time in it.

Buy The Little Stranger.

Jane Eyre

Charlotte Bronte

The original Gothic Romance.

It's Jane Eyre - so, you know.

Buy Jane Eyre

Scary Stories

By Alvin Schwartz

I have such fond memories of these. Just seeing the illustrations recalls evenings of scaring myself silly by reading these over and over again and not being able to put them down. They totally hold up as an adult too! Maybe it is nostalgia, sure but they are very solid books. If you can, find the older ones that have not been toned down.

Buy Scary Stories.

The Dark Horse Book of Witchcraft

by Mike Mignola, Gary Gianni, Tony Millionaire, Jill Thompso, & Scott Morse

Dark Horse comics gathers an impressive collection of talent for their "Book of" series (others include Book of Monsters, Book of Hauntings & Book of the Dead). They are all great. Let's say this one is my favorite - though I cannot really decide between them.

Some pages from various artists within:

Buy The Dark Horse Book of Witches.

The Secret Place

By Tana French

The most recent volume in Tana French's creepy and addicitve Dublin Murder Squad series. This one centers on a posh girls boarding school where a note "I know who killed him" was posted on the communal bulletin board, know as The Secret Place.

If you have not ready any of French's book. You can start here, but why not start on the first In the Woods.

Buy The Secret Place.