Curl up with these scary reads for Halloween
Fall signifies the end of beach trips and late-night ice cream runs, but it also marks the beginning of all things scary with Halloween upon us.
While many will get together with friends or watch horror films, what about those who prefer to cozy up alone and read a book? Here's a perfectly spooky list of iconic books that'll have readers cowering under their covers this season.
"Dracula"
"Dracula," written by Bram Stoker, is a cornerstone of gothic literature.
Stoker's classic tale follows Jonathan Harker, a young English solicitor, as he ventures to a castle in Transylvania to sign and finalize a supposed property transaction. Jonathan gets much more than he signs up for, though, as he falls into the clutches of Count Dracula.
This slow-burn horror is composed of a collection of fictional journal entries, telegrams and letters, allowing the reader to follow the main characters' narratives in a uniquely paralyzing way.
The buildup of suspense reaches a fateful climactic shift and will enthrall readers to the very end.
"The Shining"
Widely known for its thrilling movie adaptation, "The Shining," written by Stephen King, is equally terrifying.
This quintessential horror novel takes place in the unsettling atmosphere of the Overlook Hotel. Jack Torrance, an aspiring writer and recovering alcoholic, becomes a caretaker for the haunted hotel during the winter, bringing his family along with him.
The snow-covered mountains are seemingly serene, but as the harsh winter begins to settle in, readers are taken along as the hotel's sinister influence begins to prey on Jack's mind.
King masterfully builds tension as Jack spirals into insanity, with vivid descriptions and psychological depth. Readers will be captivated and horrified by twists that make "The Shining" the epitome of supernatural horror.
"Coraline"
"Coraline" is another book well known for its unsettling movie adaptation. Written by Neil Gaiman, the book is a bit darker than its film counterpart.
A curious young girl named Coraline Jones discovers a hidden door in her family's new home. She opens it to find an entrance to a world that mirrors her own but is seemingly even better.
Her "Other Mother" and "Other Father" appear to be the ideal versions of her real parents until she begins to uncover increasingly unnerving truths.
The reader follows Coraline as she gains the courage and wit to escape the twisted parallel world and save her loved ones.
If viewers of the movie enjoyed speculating about purposefully hidden details and the uncanny happy ending, then the book will only exceed expectations, thanks to Gaiman's haunting storytelling and ominous atmosphere.
"The Silent Patient"
Moving onto a mystery, "The Silent Patient" by Alex Michaelides is a modern psychological thriller that grips readers as they're pulled into a world of secrets and obsession.
It centers around Alicia Berenson, a celebrated painter who becomes a national sensation once she murders her husband and remains completely silent in the aftermath. Locked away in a psychiatric facility, Alicia gives no explanation for her actions and refuses to speak at all.
It is then that Theo Faber, a forensic psychologist, gets involved in the case, as he's determined to unravel the secrets behind Alicia's silence and uncover the truth of the crime.
Told through Theo's perspective and Alicia's fragmented diary entries, the novel builds a great deal of suspense with misleading twists and turns, keeping readers on their toes until the final shocking revelation.
"The Exorcist"
William Peter Blatty's classic, "The Exorcist," confronts readers with the terrifying conflict of demonic possession.
The story follows the experience of Regan MacNeil, a girl whose disturbing behavior escalates from strange noises to chilling acts of violence, leaving her mother desperate for answers.
Doctors and psychologists are unable to explain the phenomenon, prompting a priest with a troubled past to step in and perform an exorcism.
With such a dramatic story, it sounds like there's no room for humor in this novel. But Blatty's writing is witty, natural and quite funny, and he successfully takes readers through a range of emotions as the story's horrors unfold.
Like others on this list, this novel was the basis for a very successful and equally terrifying film adaptation, but the original iteration is a completely different experience.
You don't need to be a book lover or horror enthusiast to find these stories intriguing, as most have solidified themselves as literature epics. But if you're looking for a scare this Halloween, light a candle, grab a blanket and jump into one of these spooky reads!