Halloween is just around the corner, when larger-than-life skeletons adorn front yards and glowing pumpkins sit on every doorstep. These spooky season staples aren’t always indicative of thrills and chills behind the front door — but if you’re a horror reader like me, you can’t help but wonder what terrors may lurk inside.

One of my favorite horror genre staples is the haunted house novel. From The Fall of the House of Usher to The Haunting of Hill House, there is a long tradition of haunted houses in gothic and horror fiction. What I find particularly intriguing about this micro-genre is the unresolved trauma that binds these novels together. The house frequently serves as a metaphor for something far scarier than creaky floors, so if you’re looking for some spooky October reads that explore both real and imagined horrors, check these out: 

The House of Monstrous Women by Daphne Fama blends folklore, atmospheric suspense and political upheaval into a novel set in a crumbling mansion shrouded in rumors of witchcraft. It follows Josephine after she accepts an invitation from her childhood friend to participate in a deadly high-stakes game at her seaside estate. The deeper she delves into the game, the more she realizes that nothing is what it seems, and victory comes with a terrible cost.

The Reformatory by Tananarive Due is set in Jim Crow Florida and begins with 12-year-old Robbie being sentenced to six months at the Gracetown School for Boys. Robbie has a talent for seeing ghosts, but what was once a comfort to him after the loss of his mother, his ability becomes a window to the horrifying truth of what happens at the reformatory. 

The September House by Carissa Orlando is a layered and inventive novel about a woman determined to stay in her dream home even after realizing that once September rolls around, the walls begin dripping blood, the ghosts of former inhabitants appear and something terrifying lurks in the basement. A shocking ending unveils secrets kept by both the house and the family.

Model Home by Rivers Solomon revolves around the three Maxwell children as they return to their childhood home, where they were the only Black family in a gated community. Growing up, they experienced strange and terrifying events in their home, and all fled. Upon their parents’ mysterious death, the siblings return home to reckon with their family’s past.

Jes McCauley is an adult services librarian at the Des Moines Public Library who truly believes in the power of a good book recommendation. When she’s not behind the desk helping patrons, she’s busy tending to her numerous houseplants, chilling with her cat Little Edie, and of course, reading. This article was originally published in Little Village’s October 2025 issue.