23 Bone Chilling Books To Get You In The Mood For Halloween

The concept of an eerie mansion atop an isolated hill is definitely horrifying, but what's even scarier is the human mind and how it manifests its fears into physical forms. This book isn't just about the haunting of a house, it's also about the demons that haunt us in the middle of the night and the effect they have on our lives. Get it here.

This book revolves around three teenagers who have been given the opportunity of a lifetime to spend 172 hours on the moon, which no human has set foot on for decades. Once they get there, the reason for the lack of visits becomes really obvious, really fast. Get it here.

"Spookiness is, after all, the real purpose of the ghost story" - Roald Dahl. This book is a compilation of 14 terrifying ghost stories from different writers that Roald Dahl considered to be the best of the best. Rest assured, there's definitely something in here that will send shivers down your spine. Get it here.

No horror movie or book list is complete without the mention of Stephen King.

This novel is centered around a beloved author, Paul Sheldon who gets into a car accident only to be rescued by a seemingly sweet and innocent super-fan, Annie Wilkins. But the story takes a sinister turn when Paul finds out that there's more to Annie than what meets the eye. Get it here.

Mysterious happenings at an Orsk furniture store in Cleveland compel three employees to work a 9-hour shift from dusk till dawn to find out if the store is haunted.

This is a modern twist on the classic haunted house story that is engaging, funny, and spooky. Get it here.

Although this story is targetted towards middle schoolers, it can be read by adults and interpreted in different ways. The protagonist, Coraline has recently moved to a new house. She's surrounded by mysterious neighbours and her parents really don't seem to be able to spare much time for her. In her perpetual state of boredom, Coraline stumbles on a mysterious door that won't open. Get it here.

The mysterious death of Ashley Cordova was ruled a suicide but investigative journalist Scott McGrath doesn't seem to be buying it. He will stop at nothing to get to the bottom of the crime, even if it means losing his mind. Get it here.

Cassidy Blake's parents are a ghost-hunting duo who wander from place-to-place looking for proof of ghost existence. Cassie, on the other hand, can interact with ghosts. But when the family moves to Edinburgh, the most haunted city in the world, Cassie realizes that all ghosts may not be benign like her best friend. Get it here.

This story is set on an eerie island where 14 years of day leads into 14 years of night. Everyone must leave the island when night begins. But what happens if someone gets left behind? Get it here.

What starts off as an ominous noise in the attic transcends into something much more wicked. You've probably heard of the film The Exorcist (1981). Well, here's the equally petrifying book on which it was based. Get it here.

Mary Shelley began writing this book when she was only 18 years old and it went on to become one of the most well-known books of the horror genre. The story revolves around a scientist named Victor Frankenstein who has an unhealthy obsession with the cause of human generation. He creates a monster named Frankenstein using stolen body parts and it all goes downhill from there. Get it here.

An epidemic wipes out 99% of the world's human population in this post-apocalyptic horror thriller. The panic-stricken survivors must pick their side, will they choose to be good or evil? Get it here.

Set in New York in 1926, this is an atmospheric tale of people with supernatural abilities trying to catch a serial killer. It's perfect for the spooky season because it has the mystical elements of magic combined with the terror of a serial killer on the loose. Get it here.

Carrion Comfort penetrates the darkest recesses of the 20th century, as one man seeks to justify his belief that a secret society of powerful beings is behind many of the world's most horrific catastrophes. Get it here.

We follow an unnamed man who returns to his hometown for a funeral and remembers events that began forty years earlier. The story definitely has a number of creepy elements but, at its core, it's a heart-tugging story about childhood. Get it here.

This is the story about a family that gets really accident-prone in October, so they try to be extra cautious during that particular month. But 17-year-old Cara doesn't want to be led by blind faith anymore. She wants answers from her family, but what will these answers unearth? Get it here.

The story focuses on a young family that moves into a small home on Ash Tree Lane where they discover something is terribly wrong: their house is bigger on the inside than it is on the outside.

This is an unconventional book that has an unusual page layout and style, at some points, the book has to be rotated at different angles to make sure it can be read. It's a challenging read but it's also really engrossing. Get it here.

This book is an amalgamation of so many different fears that you'll be left disoriented, thinking about what scared you the most: Pennywise or the fears IT manifests itself into. Somehow, it also manages to be a beautiful coming-of-age story about friendships. Get it here.

For four aging men in the terror-stricken town of Milburn, New York, an act inadvertently carried out in their youth has come back to haunt them. Now they are about to learn what happens to those who believe they can bury the past... and get away with murder. Get it here.

Conor has the same dream every night, ever since his mother first fell ill, ever since she started the treatments that don't quite seem to be working. But tonight is different. Tonight, when he wakes, there's a visitor at his window.

This book isn't really a horrifying read but it's definitely a dark, depressing, and deep story about a young boy who must face his worst fear. It also has some creepy illustrations for your eyes to ponder upon and for your mind to randomly stumble upon in the middle of the night. Get it here.

Thousands of miles away from the small township of 'Salem's Lot, two terrified people, a man, and a boy, still share the secrets of those clapboard houses and tree-lined streets. They must return to 'Salem's Lot for a final confrontation with the unspeakable evil that lives on in the town.

One of King's earlier works, but it's up there with one of his bests. A brilliant vampire story, perfect for Halloween.

Get it here.

Rosemary and Guy Woodhouse, an ordinary young couple, settle into a New York City apartment, unaware that the elderly neighbours and their bizarre group of friends have taken a disturbing interest in them.

This book is just as haunting as the movie and it will surely stay with you long enough to give you nightmares.

Get it here.

Ending this list on a high with what many consider to be the scariest book they've ever read. It's a simple yet terrifying story about a family that can't seem to communicate, a haunted hotel, and an ominous room that no one is supposed to enter. Get it here.