Halloween was just yesterday, meaning all the festivities like watching scary movies and dressing up as ghouls and goblins is over. However, that does not mean the spooky season is done with. Keep the dark spirits up with these books.

“Blood Countess” by Lana Popovic

For those who love historical horror, you will enjoy this one. Set in 1600’s Hungary, Anna gets the opportunity to serve Countess Elizabeth Bathory as her maiden. The more Anna grows close to the Countess, the more danger she and her coworkers are put into. Lana Popovic’s prose is captivating and easy to get through, especially with the dread and urgency making the reader want more.

“Cemetery Boys” by Aiden Thomas

On the lighter side of spooky reads, this young adult fantasy novel offers a lot to the reader. This debut follows Yadriel, a transgender teenage boy, trying to prove himself as a brujo to his traditional Latinx family. Yadriel accidentally summons the ghost of Julian, his school’s bad boy, who is not too happy about being dead. It is up to our protagonist to resolve Julian’s death in this captivating and unique novel. The book has a paranormal romance, a well-thought-out magic system and loveable heroes.

“Within these Wicked Walls” by Lauren Blackwood

Another paranormal debut with a captivating and angsty romance to make readers swoon while looking over their shoulders. This “Jane Eyre” retelling follows Andromeda who cleanses households of the Evil Eye and is hired by the young and mysterious Magnus Rochester to cleanse the evil from his house when others could not. The plot unfolds slowly with a dark and ominous atmosphere haunting the protagonist and reader.

“The Year of the Witching” by Alexis Henderson

Reminiscent of the real puritanical societies of early colonized America, the fictional world of Bethel is a nightmare for many. Bethel is run by the Prophet, who enforces the Holy Protocol and despises the existence of our protagonist, Immanuel, who does her best to keep her head down despite being the daughter of an Outsider. Her already miserable life gets worse as she gets drawn to the Darkwood- the place of witchcraft. The dreary atmosphere and thrilling mystery keep the story going toward a shocking end.

“Summer Sons” by Lee Mandelo

This queer horror follows Andrew who inherits a graduate program at Vanderbilt, a roommate and a gruesome phantom from his late best friend, Eddie. Despite being close, Eddie left secrets behind for Andrew to decipher on this gruesome journey of self-discovery and the mystery behind Eddie’s death. You will love this novel if you enjoy detailed prose and messy main characters.

“Queen of the Tiles” by Hanna Alkaf

Lacking the dreary tone but making up for it with a compelling mystery. After the death of Scrabble competition champion Trina Low, AKA the Queen of the Tiles, her best friend Najwa must pick up the tiles. One year after Trina’s death, Najwa and others attend the Scrabble competition only to be met with cryptic messages from Trina’s Instagram account. Read this if you want a plot being unfolded slowly to reveal a shocking ending.

There is no wrong time to get into an atmospheric and twisty novel. With the leaves still falling and the weather getting cold, it is nice to curl up with a chilling novel.