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Spooky Season Reads: 5 Witchy, Gothic and Scary Books

Halloween is the best time of year for a book that gives you chills. Here are 5 to start with, from a witchy classic to gothic favorites, a haunted house and some properly scary horror.

Updated October 2026 · 5 hand-picked books

Cover of Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman

1. Practical Magic

by Alice Hoffman

The Owens sisters, a family curse and some very good magic. A witchy, autumn-ready classic.

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Cover of The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

2. The Haunting of Hill House

by Shirley Jackson

Shirley Jackson's 1959 classic, called the greatest haunted house story ever written, and the inspiration for the hit Netflix series.

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Cover of Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

3. Mexican Gothic

by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Lovecraft meets the Brontës in Latin America, a slow-burn gothic that gets seriously weird. A Locus Award winner.

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Cover of Victorian Psycho by Virginia Feito

4. Victorian Psycho

by Virginia Feito

A gruesome, darkly funny tale of a governess named Winifred Notty at Ensor House. Catriona Ward calls it propulsive and laugh-out-loud funny.

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Cover of Carrie by Stephen King

5. Carrie

by Stephen King

Stephen King's first novel. This 50th anniversary edition has a new introduction by Margaret Atwood, and a new Prime Video series is on the way.

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