Autumn Reads for the Spooky Season

UPDATED: 11/4/25:

Autumn is here! Let’s get cozy and curl up with a good (maybe slightly scary) book.

Nothing says cozy autumn vibes than curling up with a good book. In the spirit of spooky season, I’ve enjoyed reading a few thrillers and a haunted house story that kept me on the edge of my seat. Here’s what I’ve enjoyed reading lately:

Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng by Kylie Lee Baker

Whew, this one was quite gory for me, but the story telling, suspense and social commentary was so worth it. I’ll leave the book reviews to those who are so much better at it than I am, but I loved this book. The story is set in New York during the early days of the pandemic. A woman is a crime-scene cleaner, witnesses the horrific murder of her sister and soon begins to make connections to recent crime scene cleanup to the death of her sister. This one stayed with me.

We Live Here Now by Sarah Pinborough

Things that go bump in the night, earie creaky sounds coming from empty bedrooms, books falling off shelves for no apparent reason, this book has all the quintessential elements of haunted house story. Full of twists and turns, I was riveted.

Hush Little Baby by R.H. Herron

Update to original post: Now that I’ve finished this book, I need to correct my earlier comparison to Rosemary’s Baby meet’s White Lotus. A more appropriate comp is a popular Stephen King novel that has been adapted to a movie. I’ll leave it at that to avoid spoilers. All in-all I enjoyed the story, although the last 1/3 went a bit too long for me. I also appreciated the author’s note at the end. I’m less than 100 pages in and I’m hooked. The prologue opens with a expecting women waking up in an unfamiliar room and finds herself chained to a bed with no memory of how she got there. The story telling becomes more of slow, but compelling burn as you begin to get learn more about the main character and her circle of friends all with secrets of their own. If I had to describe so far, I would say it’s giving Rosemary’s Baby meets White Lotus vibes.

The Gravediggers Daughter by Joyce Carol Oates

“The Butcher” was the first book I read by this prolific writer. I knew when I finished it earlier this year that it would not be my last. “The Gravedigger’s Daughter” has been on my TBR (to be read) list on the recommendation from one of my favorite book vloggers @EricKarlAnderson also known as the Lonesome Reader. This book is not a thriller, but has been described as a emotional family drama. I’ve added it to my autumn reading list since the story opens in upstate New York during the fall. Based on the synopsis, I know the subject matter will be a difficult read so we’ll see how it goes.