If you know me, you probably know that October is my favourite month. As the weather starts to chill, the autumn crisp brings with it turtleneck season (my fave). The leaves start to change, and it looks like Mother Nature took up watercolour painting. And then, at the end of the month, the costumes come on, and the candy comes out. I love to spend my October reading Halloween(ish) books, and watching Halloween(ish) films. 

To celebrate my favourite month of the year, I decided to recommend to you 13 books, based on some of my favourite characters from Halloween (and Halloween-adjacent) media.

If Your Favourite Halloween Characters Are…

The Sanderson Sisters (from Hocus Pocus)….

Then you’ll enjoy…

Rise and Divine by Lana Harper

Lana Harper is the queen of cozy and charming witchy romantic comedies, and her Witches of Thistle Grove series is a straight-up good time. Rise and Divine is the latest installment, where necromancer Daria ‘Dasha’ Aramov is still grieving her parents, and becomes obsessed with the idea of what is on the other side of the veil. When she’s forced to work together with her ex, Ivy Thorn, they are forced to confront their past relationship, but the stakes get higher when they’re forced to make a stand against a threat unlike anything their magical little town has seen before. Like Hocus Pocus,  this book is full of witchy siblings, a quaint little town, and the delights of magic, with the added flavour of some adult relationships and snarky humour. While I do recommend starting from the delightful first book in the series, you can enter the series at any point, and still enjoy them.

The Tree Trunk from The Final Destination Franchise…

Then you’ll enjoy…

Worst Case Scenario By T.J. Newman

Fans of the Final Destination franchise are familiar with the terror of everyday technologies that they inspire, and T.J. Newman’s Worst Case Scenario rekindles that fear in a breakneck, action-packed thriller about a life-or-death scenario where everything that could go wrong, does go wrong. When a passenger plane crashes into a nuclear power plant in a small town, local emergency response personnel and citizens must do what they can to prevent a nuclear catastrophe that could end life as they know it. Fast-paced, thrilling, and tense, with a tender, human heart – I tore through this book in 2 hours.

Lestat from Interview With a Vampire…

Then you’ll enjoy…

Immortal Dark by Tigest Girma

Tigest Girma’s Immortal Dark is a dark and atmospheric vampire story, riddled with family secrets, dark magic, and dangerous political games. This romantic dark academia fantasy follows orphaned heiress Kidan, who must infiltrate an arcane society, and live with the vampire who she suspects kidnapped her sister, and killed her family. To find her sister, Kidan infiltrates the elite Uxlay University, where students study in order to inherit their family legacies, and ensure the peaceful coexistence between humans and vampires. Soon, a murder shakes the University, and Kidan must sink further into the ruthless underworld of vampires, where she discovers a centuries-old threat. Dark, romantic, and full of the gothic vibes enjoyed by fans of Interview with a Vampire, this young adult fantasy is a must-read.

Casper the Friendly Ghost…

Then you’ll enjoy…

The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston

Ashley Poston’s The Dead Romantics is a sweet and quirky love story for lovers of books, romance, and friendly (albeit super hot and difficult) ghosts. Florence Day is the ghostwriter for one of the most prolific romance writers in the industry, a task made difficult by her recent breakup, which has led her to no longer believe in love. She’s struggling to write, which is made even more difficult when her infuriating (and all too handsome) new editor refuses to give her an extension on her book. When she gets some devastating news, she must return home for the first time in a decade, in order to bury her father. She feels out of place as ever among her loving family, in their quirky family-owned funeral power, in her beloved town that never seemed to understand her. That is, until she opens the door to a literal ghost… the ghost of her editor. This story is sparkling and quirky, and a lot of fun. 

The Crypt Keeper…

Then you’ll enjoy…

Bad Dreams in the Night by Adam Ellis

If you love the creepy collector of tales, The Crypt Keeper, you’ll probably love Adam Ellis’ Bad Dreams in the Night — it’s a dark, creepy, and quirky collection of illustrated scary stories — with something for all tastes. From urban legends to hauntings, to breathtaking twists and turns, like an episode of Tales from the Cryptkeeper, you’ll tear through these, feel a little creeped out, and immediately want to read the next one.

Freddy Krueger (A Nightmare on Elm Street)…

Then you’ll enjoy…

Bad Cree by Jessica Johns

If the idea of murderous nightmares haunts you to your bones, then might I suggest you read one of the most haunting and unsettling horror stories I’ve read in the last couple of years. When a young Cree woman’s dreams send her on a dangerous journey, she is forced to confront the toll of a legacy of violence on her family, her community, and the place they call home. Night after night, Mackenzie dreams of a memory before her sister Sabrina’s untimely death; A weekend camping with the family, at a nearby lake. However, when she wakes up, she keeps bringing parts of the dream with her — culminating in her waking up with a severed crow’s head in her hands. When she starts getting text messages from someone claiming to be Sabrina, Mackenzie knows that this is more than she can handle by herself, so she makes her way back home. Unfortunately, her reunion only seems to intensify her dreams, making them more vivid, and more dangerous.

Bonnie Bennett (The Vampire Diaries)…

Then you’ll enjoy…

An Academy for Liars by Alexis Henderson

Bonnie Bennett is the unsung hero of The Vampire Diaries franchise – a young witch, thrown into impossible and dangerous circumstances, often bearing the weight of the world on her shoulders. People who find themselves constantly wishing for a different story for Bonnie Bennett (perhaps a little darker, perhaps a little sexier) — this is the book for you. Alexis Henderson’s An Academy for Liars is a brilliant and intense dark academia story about a secret magical school where its attendees can practice the gift of persuasion, bending their will like a weapon, using it to control others, and in rare cases, matter itself. When Lennon Carter is invited to attend the mysterious Drayton College, she begins to learn how to master her devastating and unsettling powers of persuasion, despite its heavy toll on her body and her mind. She soon finds herself captivated by Drayton’s gorgeous campus, her brilliant classmates, her wonder for magic, and her (hot!) advisor, Dante. As she continues her studies, and learns more about the world she’s entered, she becomes more and more disturbed by what she learns. How does one embrace their powers without succumbing to their corruption?

Willow Rosenberg (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)…

Then you’ll enjoy…

Spell on Wheels (Vol. 1) by Kate Leth

If you love Buffy’s wise-cracking, adorkable BFF even half as much as I do, you’re going to adore the hilarious and snarky witchy road trip, starting with the first volume of Kate Leth’s Spell on Wheels. Andy, Jolene, and Claire aren’t your average twenty-somethings – they’re legacy witches, making their way in our modern world. When a jealous ex breaks into their home and steals a spell that could awaken potentials with magic powers, the witches must retrieve these powerful stolen artifacts by road tripping down the East Coast. Their friendship will matter more than they ever imagined, because this big bad is even worse than they thought it would be.

The Owens’ Sisters (Practical Magic)…

Then you’ll enjoy…

Phantasma by Kaylie Smith

Kaylie Smith’s Phantasma is a dark, spicy romantasy about a necromancer, who needs help from a dangerous phantom in order to win a deadly competition. When Ophelia and her sister discover their mother has been brutally murdered, Ophelia has inherited both her mother’s magic, and the enormous debt on their home. Ophelia’s sister decides to pay off the loan by entering Phantasma — a competition inspired by the circles of hell, where most contestants don’t make it out alive, and the winner is granted a single wish. The only way to save her sister is to compete — but Phantasma is a cursed manor, full of lavish ballrooms, demons, and fatal temptations. When a charming, arrogant stranger claims he can protect and guide Ophelia, she knows she shouldn’t trust him, but Ophelia can’t afford to turn away his help. She just needs to try to ignore the attraction growing between them. Because, in Phantasma, the only thing more dangerous than losing the game is losing your heart.

Jacob Black (The Twilight Saga)…

Then you’ll enjoy…

Bride by Ali Hazelwood

Ali Hazelwood’s Bride is the perfect smutty, sexy read for grown-up fans of the Twilight saga. Misery is the only daughter of the most powerful Vampyre councilman of the Southwest. She’s always been an outcast, but when her best friend goes missing, she’s more alone than ever. When Misery is called upon to uphold a historic peacekeeping alliance between the Vampyres and their mortal enemies, the Weres, she decides to agree to the exchange, because she has something to gain. Weres may be ruthless and unpredictable, and their Alpha, Lowe Moreland, is no exception. He rules his pack with absolute authority, but he’s fair. Although he mistrusts Misery, and she has her own reasons for being there, neither of them can deny the heat growing between them…

Carrie White (Carrie)…

Then you’ll enjoy…

The Weight of Blood by Tiffany D. Jackson

Tiffany D. Jackson’s The Weight of Blood is a dark, thrilling, and brilliant homage to Stephen King’s Carrie. Full of twists and turns, this is a dark, bloody, and unputdownable story about race, belonging, and the masks we wear in front of others. This was a fresh, fascinating, and loving retelling of King’s classic horror tale, but more modern and relevant — featuring a “Carrie” whose pain and alienation are impacted by her race, and featuring magic born of rage and trauma, and pain, and heartache. Madison Washington has always been an outcast, and a target for bullies. She’s been passing as white for her entire life, at the behest of her fanatical white father. When a surprise rainstorm reveals her race, and a viral bullying video pulls back the curtain on their high school’s racist roots, student leaders decide to host the school’s first integrated prom as a show of unity. The popular white class president convinces her Black quarterback boyfriend to ask Maddy to be his date, leaving Maddy wondering if perhaps it’s possible for her to have a normal life. However, some of her classmates aren’t done with her just yet, and what they don’t know is that Maddy still has one more secret left… One that may cost them their lives.

Velma (Scooby Doo)…

Then you’ll enjoy…

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson

Holly Jackson’s A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder is a TikTok phenomenon, and after reading it, I understand why! Perfect for lovers of murder mysteries and podcasts like Serial, this is the book for people who want to read the story of Velma, the brilliant backbone of the Scoobies. Imagine, before Mystery Inc., high school Velma tried to solve the disappearance of one teen, and the murder of another, in her hometown. Their town is still haunted, five years later, by the disappearance (and presumed murder) of pretty and popular high school senior, Andie Bell, presumed to be murdered by her boyfriend Sal, who then killed himself. However, Pip can’t shake the feeling that there’s more to what happened that day. She knew Sal when she was a child, and can’t believe he was a killer. For her senior project, she decides to investigate the mystery herself – soon following a trail of dark secrets in her quest for the truth. But someone in town doesn’t want her digging for answers, and her own life may be in danger…

Marnie Piper (The Halloweentown Series)…

Then you’ll enjoy…

Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree

As much as I enjoy watching the occasional scary movie (while covering my eyes with my hands), my preferred vibe is more spooky and cozy, so the Halloweentown franchise is quite beloved to me. If you’re looking for something cozy, warm, and packed with magic, and fantastical creatures, then Travis Baldree’s Legends & Lattes is the book for you! After a lifetime of battle and bloodshed, battle-weary former mercenary, Viv, decides to hang up her sword and open up the city of Thune’s first-ever coffee shop. She faces several obstacles, from old rivals, to new challenges, to the fact that almost no one seems to know exactly what coffee is. But as she opens up her coffee shop, she also opens up her heart to friends, allies, and perhaps something that’s just a bit more than friendship. Charming, cozy, with low stakes, this book is like a warm blanket.

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Ameema Saeed (@ameemabackwards) is a storyteller, a Capricorn, an avid bookworm, and a curator of very specific playlists and customized book recommendations. She’s a book reviewer, a Sensitivity Reader, a book buyer at Indigo Books & Music, and the Books Editor for She Does the City, where she writes and curates bookish content, and book recommendations. She enjoys bad puns, good food, dancing, and talking about feelings. She writes about books, big feelings, unruly bodies, and her lived experiences, and hopes to write your next favourite book one day. When she’s not reading books, she likes to talk about books (especially diverse books, and books by diverse authors) on her bookstagram: @ReadWithMeemz