Books
Even if you're not usually one for horror, the fall season brings out the love of spooky things in many readers. I'm pretty much the definition of a wimp when it comes to all things supernatural, so when I do gravitate towards eerie reads, they'll typically be mysteries and thrillers even scaredy cats can read. And there's some of those on this list of books that will spook up your fall and Halloween TBR list. But there's also books about unsolved murders, creepy legends, dark spells, zombies, and even a modern Frankenstein retelling that is sure to give you shivers. Because when it comes to creepy reading, everyone's got their own tastes, right?
I made picking your spooky TBR a little easier by perfectly pairing each book to your Zodiac sign, but if you happen to be a Gemini who is less into missing girls and more into some classic witchy tales, feel free to skip around this list as you please. If you're looking for something to read under the covers by candlelight, or to read during the commercial breaks of that Hocus Pocus marathon on TV, you're sure to find something that will shock, enthrall, and seriously creep you out this autumnal season.
If You're An Aries (Mar. 21-Apr. 19), Read 'The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein' by Kiersten White
When oprhan Elizabeth Lavenza is brought to the home of Victor Frankenstein, he becomes her escape from misery. But her new life comes at a price. As the years pass, Elizabeth's survival depends on managing Victor's dangerous temper and entertaining his every whim, no matter how depraved. She is determined to stay alive no matter the cost... even as her world is consumed by darkness.
If You're A Taurus (Apr. 20-May 20), Read 'Bruja Born' by Zoraida Córdova
Bruja Lula Mortiz's world is turned upside down after a bus crash kills her classmates and boyfriend, Maks. But Lula was born to heal and to fix. And she knows she can bring Maks back, even if it means seeking help from her sisters and defying Death herself. But magic that defies the laws of the deos is dangerous. And when the dust settles, Maks isn't the only one who's been brought back.
If You're A Gemini (May 21-Jun. 20), Read 'Sadie' by Courtney Summers
When Sadie's sister Mattie is found dead, she hits the road, determined to bring her sister's killer to justice. When West McCray— a radio personality working on a segment about small, forgotten towns in America — overhears Sadie's story at a local gas station, he becomes obsessed with finding the missing girl before it's too late.
If You're A Cancer (Jun. 21-Jul. 22), Read 'The Cheerleaders' by Kara Thomas
There are no more cheerleaders in the town of Sunnybrook. First there was the car accident. Not long after, the murders happened. Monica’s sister was the last cheerleader to die. After her suicide, Sunnybrook High disbanded the cheer squad. But whatever happened five years ago isn’t over. Some people in town know more than they’re saying. And Monica is somehow at the center of it all.
If You're A Leo (Jul. 23-Aug. 22), Read 'A Room Away From The Wolves' by Nova Ren Suma
Bina heads to Catherine House, a young women’s residence in Greenwich Village with a tragic history, a vow of confidentiality, and dark, magical secrets. There, she is drawn to Monet, a girl who is both intriguing and dangerous. Soon, Bina will be forced to face the terrible truth of why she’s come to Catherine House and what it will take for her to leave.
If You're A Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22), Read 'Not Even Bones' by Rebecca Schaeffer
Nita doesn’t murder supernatural beings and sell their body parts on the internet; her mother does that. But when her mom brings home a live specimen, Nita tries to save her mother’s victim — and ends up sold on the black market in his place. Now Nita is on the other side of the bars, and there is no line she won’t cross to escape and make sure no one can ever capture her again.
If You're A Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22), Read 'Toil & Trouble: 15 Tales of Women & Witchcraft' by Various Authors
In a terrifying future, women are captured by a cabal of men crying witchcraft. In a desolate past, three sisters prophesize for a murderous king. In the present, a teen girl just wants to kiss a boy without causing a hurricane. From good witches to bad witches, to witches who are a bit of both, this is an anthology of witchy tales from a collection of authors.
If You're A Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21), Read 'Undead Girl Gang' by Lily Anderson
When Mila's best friend Riley and two other girls die under suspicious circumstances, Mila refuses to believe that her BFF was involved in a suicide pact. Instead, with a tube of lip gloss and an ancient grimoire, Mila brings the girls back to life. With only seven days until the spell wears off, they must work fast to discover the murderer.
If You're A Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21), Read 'The Boneless Mercies' by April Genevieve Tucholke (Oct. 2, 2018)
Frey, Ovie, Juniper, and Runa are the Boneless Mercies — girls hired to kill quickly, quietly, and mercifully. But when Frey hears of an monster ravaging a nearby town, she decides this is the Mercies' one chance out of their grim life. Bringing down such a beast would ensure a new future for all the Mercies.
If You're A Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19), Read 'Dread Nation' by Justina Ireland
Jane McKeene was born two days before the dead began to walk the battlefields of Gettysburg and Chancellorsville. Now, almost finished with her education at Miss Preston’s School of Combat, Jane is set on returning to her Kentucky home. But when families around Baltimore County begin to go missing, Jane is caught in the middle of a conspiracy. And the restless dead are the least of her problems.
If You're An Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18), Read 'Sawkill Girls' by Claire Legrand
Marion, the new girl; Zoey, the pariah; Val, the queen bee. Their stories all come together on the island of Sawkill Rock, where kids whisper the legend of an insidious monster at parties and around campfires. Girls have been disappearing here for decades, stolen away by a ravenous evil no one has dared to fight… until now.
If You're A Pisces (Feb. 19-Mar. 20), Read 'Broken Things' by Lauren Oliver
It’s been five years since Summer Marks was brutally murdered in the woods. Everyone thinks Mia and Brynn killed their best friend. The only thing is: They didn’t do it. On the anniversary of Summer’s death, a discovery resurrects the mystery and pulls Mia and Brynn back together once again to confront what really happened in the woods all those years ago.
