Books That Give Me Halloween Vibes (and Last-Minute Literary Costume Ideas)

Here is a list of some of my favorite books to read during autumn / Halloween.

A few of the characters are iconic enough to inspire last-minute costumes too.

Right now I’m rereading Wuthering Heights, and the ghostly moors and death from consumption give me serious Halloween vibes. It’s the story of Heathcliff and Catherine’s doomed love, full of obsession, haunting landscapes, and tragic endings. The book is gothic, wild, and stormy, with characters driven by passion and revenge. Dressing as Heathcliff and Cathy’s ghost would be a slay costume and easy with pale makeup, Victorian-style layers, and a moody look that really captures that haunted energy. 

The Picture of Dorian Gray is another favorite. I can’t recommend this book enough. Dorian Gray stays eternally young while his portrait reflects every moral corruption and sin he commits. The book is decadent, eerie, and morally twisted — perfect for Halloween vibes. A costume with a mirror as the “portrait” or elegant, dark 19th-century clothing would be so fun. 

Stephen King’s The Shining is a horror classic. The isolated Overlook Hotel slowly drives Jack Torrance insane. The book is long but intense and terrifying, and it gives way more background on the characters than the movie. While the ending is different, I don’t think it’s necessarily worse than the movie — both are good.

Costumes like Jack and Wendy Torrance or the infamous twin ghosts are iconic. 

Misery, also by Stephen King, is darker and more psychological. It’s about an author held captive by a fan who forces him to rewrite his novel while subjecting him to cruel punishments. The book is full of obsession and suspense. A couple's costume could be darkly funny but maybe less recognizable. 

The Secret History by Donna Tartt is perfect for dark academia autumn vibes. It follows a group of classics students at an elite college who become wrapped up in murder, betrayal, and obsession. The novel has a tense, atmospheric mood with intellectual glamour and moral decay. A group costume — white dresses, dark suits, glasses, and cigarettes — would capture the style and eerie elegance of the characters. 

The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux is a timeless gothic romance and mystery. The book is long, but it's super good. The Phantom haunts the Paris Opera House, obsessed with the young singer Christine. Christine’s gowns and the Phantom’s mask and cape are perfect for a recognizable literary Halloween costume. 

Of course, you can’t have a Halloween book list without Edgar Allan Poe. I always read The Raven this time of year because it’s so haunting. The Tell-Tale Heart and The Fall of the House of Usher are also great reads. His stories are short but chilling with an eerie prose, and they capture that gothic, unsettling energy that makes Halloween for me. 

Any Sherlock Holmes book is also a classic and easy read for this time of year, and is easily translatable to a costume:

trench coat, deerstalker hat, and magnifying glass, and done. 

Books give Halloween a different energy than movies, they’re atmospheric and make you want to curl up with a candle and a blanket.

And adding these to my future costume list.