Books to give you all the haunted house vibes 👻

Since we can’t go to an actual haunted house this year, here are 10 books to give you that spooky haunted house atmosphere!

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1. The Peculiar Incident on Shady Street by Lindsay Currie

This is a really classic haunted house story! This is a paranormal middle grade following a young girl who moves from Florida to Chicago only to discover her new home is haunted. With the help of her new friends, she has to find a way to rid the house of the ghosts.

2. Dead Voices by Katherine Arden

This is another creepy middle grade that takes place at a ski lodge. The main character and her friends wake in the middle of the night to discover they’re being haunted. This book/series is so spooky and atmospheric!

3. Home Before Dark by Riley Sager

Another classic haunted house story! This adult thriller follows a woman whose father wrote a memoir about their time living in a haunted house. She doesn’t believe any of it is true, but when she returns to the home years later, unexplainable things begin to happen. This book is creepy and had me questioning whether or not the house was really haunted until the very end!

4. The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware

This is another adult thriller that had me questioning where or not this story was paranormal! This follows a woman who becomes a nanny for 2 young girls in a creepy smart home. When spooky, unexplainable things start to happen, the main character starts to question her sanity. The ending of this wasn’t my favorite, but it definitely provides the haunted vibes!

5. The Broken Girls by Simone St. James

Simone St. James writes the best paranormal thrillers! This one revolves around a haunted boarding school. It’s told in dual timelines following the aftermath of 2 seemingly unconnected murders.

6. Coraline by Neil Gaiman

This isn’t a typical haunted house story, but Coraline’s house is definitely not normal! This is a classic middle grade horror abut a young girl that finds a door to her “Other Family”. The Other Mother tries to trap her and Coraline must beat her at her own game to escape. It’s super eerie and weird and has the perfect October vibe.

7. A House at the Bottom of the Lake by Josh Malerman

Another unique take on the haunted house story. This is one of the weirdest books I’ve ever read and it definitely won’t be for everyone. But wow is it scary. This follows a couple who discovers a house at the bottom of a lake. The become obsessed with exploring the house only to realize they may not be as alone as they thought.

8. Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas

This gothic suspense novel will also not be for everyone. This follows a woman who is accepted to attend a very private but prestigious college. While she is there creepy things begin to happen. This book is particularly thrilling or plot heavy, but it definitely has an ominous and unsettling tone.

9. The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James

Another Simone St James story! This one is set at a haunted motel where every night ghosts appear and reenact past events. The main character begins working at this motel to try and discover what happened to her aunt who disappeared from there 35 years ago. These paranormal scenes scared the hell outta me!

10. House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig

This is another non-traditional haunted house story. But it definitely fits the bill! This is a YA fantasy retelling of the 12 dancing princesses. You’re following a young woman who believes her family is cursed after 4 of her sisters mysteriously die. And now she is seeing ghostly visions inside their home. Is there anything more unsettling than a small child talking about ghosts?? I think not….

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Let me know your favorite haunted house story in the comments below!!

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