Books
11 Books To Read If You Love Halloween Movies
Halloween, (and fall in general) is the perfect time to curl up with a good book, or movie, or — ideally — both. There are 13 days of October dedicated to Halloween on ABC Family for a reason, after all, and no one can get enough of those. The schedule was released at the end of August, and the Internet was abuzz with it. (And not because it promises Harry Potter marathons, although it totally does.)
Basically, my ideal fall season would include drinking a PSL per day, reading some of the incredible books about fall, and indulging in all of the Halloween movies I can get my hands on. I'm sure I'm not alone here (or, at least I hope not).
Luckily for me, and bookworms everywhere, our favorite Halloween movies match up to some pretty amazing books that follow along the same themes. Craving some witches after watching Hocus Pocus? Give Roald Dahl's The Witches a try. Or, if you're looking for a more grown-up read, there is always Shakespeare's Macbeth! If you've watched Beetlejuice more times than you can count, there's a book for that, too: The Haunting of Hill House. So, no matter whether you like you Halloween films funny or scary, there's a book for that. Come see what I mean...
If You Love Halloweentown
Read Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
Halloweentown is a Disney Channel classic. We grew up with it, and somehow, never grew out of it. While we patiently wait for Halloweentown to debut this year, Ray Bradbury's Something Wicked This Way Comes is an amazing placeholder. It's about an evil force that comes into a small town, and the two young people who have to come to the town's rescue. If this is sounding familiar, it's because it's something Halloweentown fans will remember fondly.
If You Love Hocus Pocus
Read The Witches by Roald Dahl
Two childhood favorites for this Halloween season! The Witches is about REAL witches, witches who dress up in real clothes and act like real people. Hocus Pocus, as we all know, is about three sisters who are back from the past, and hilarity ensues as they try to make their way in a whole new world. Both The Witches and Hocus Pocus will definitely... put a spell on you.
If You Love Interview With the Vampire
Read Salem's Lot by Stephen King
There are tons of vampire movies and books out there. But Interview With the Vampire and Salem's Lot are classics, which makes them perfect to revisit every Halloween. Salem's Lot will have you checking the locks on your doors and windows, Interview With the Vampire will... have you missing 1994 Tom Cruise.
If You Love Double, Double, Toil and Trouble
Read Macbeth by William Shakespeare
The movie gets its name from Macbeth, after all. Witches, evil, and murder, what more could you want in a Halloween read. Whether you're revisiting a Shakespeare vaforite or reading it for the first time, there's no better time to do so than the fall. In the fall and right after you watch you old Olsen twin favorite, Double, Double, Toil and Trouble!
If You Love Beetlejuice
Read The Haunting Of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
"Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice." It wouldn't be Halloween without watching Beetlejuice at least once. But probably more, if we're getting into the full Halloween spirit. In between though, Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House is the perfect companion read. A professor moves into a creepy old house to look for proof that it is, in fact, haunted, taking readers on a terrifying ride. Haunting is something Beetlejuice fans know well, so this is one book they will love!
If You Love The Addams Family
Read A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket
A family that you love in spite of all their crazy quirks: the Addams family and the Boudelaires both fit the description, and both are the perfect Halloween themed works. Walk down memory lane with both of these: The Addams Family and The Addams Family Values will have you laughing, and The Bad Beginning will bring you back to reality (and childhood) in the best way.
If You Love Casper
Read The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
If Casper the friendly ghost was your favorite Halloween moving growing up, then you can't miss The Graveyard Book. Bod is alive, sure, but he lives among ghosts, most of which are friendly just like Casper himself was. Bod is taken in by a family of ghosts and lives like a ghost himself. He doesn't miss "real" life, because he hardly knew it. Much like Cat in Casper, he wishes he could stay with the ghosts, forever.
If You Love Halloween
Read Hallowe'en Party by Agatha Christie
If the 1978 cult classic and Agatha Christie's Hallowe'en Party are any indication, Halloween is a terrifying night, and not just because of the costumes. These both are stories of Halloweens gone wrong, and taking a turn for the murderous. Halloween is the beginning of the story of Michael Myers, murderer at large, while Hallowe'en Party is a Halloween Party gone wrong, with a young girl left dead. Both will give you chills and keep you up late Halloween night, for sure.
If You Love Night of the Living Dead
Read The Masque of the Red Death by Edgar Allan Poe
Spend Halloween with a zombie plague in a 1960's movie and an actual plague in a story by Edgar Allan Poe, who is known for his scary, creepy stories. These two make for a Halloween full of hand-washing, that's for sure. Night of the Living Dead and Masque of the Red Death both focus on the terror and fascination we've always had with zombies, plagues, and everything in between.
If You Love Frankenweenie
Read Pet Sematary by Stephen King
Frankenweenie is kinda sorta Pet Sematary for kids. The cover says it best: A pet isn't just for life. Night of the Living Dead: Pet Edition is a thing with these two. One will make you happy, and one will have you running to hug your own pet. Actually, they might both do that.
If You Love It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
Read Coraline by Neil Gaiman
Parents are definitely in short supply when it comes to any Peanuts movies. Charlie Brown and co. are usually off on their own, making and solving their own problems, with the subtle MWAP MWAP-ing of adults in the distance. In Coraline, there's a similar problem. The adults are uninvolved, and Coraline thinks she might have a better life elsewhere, and she is about to find out. Written for kids but perfect for any age, Coraline is the perfect companion read for any Charlie Brown fan.
Image: Nathan Walls/Flickr; Giphy (2)
