‘Tis the season to be scared… all year long. 😏 Halloween may be over, but the chills & thrills don’t have an expiration date. Check out these 15 gothic books and stay in the eerie mood just a little longer. 🖤 From OG Gothic classics to modern retellings, these fang-tastic books are sure to haunt your TBR and have you sleeping with the lights on.🕯️
So grab your coziest blanket (you’ll need it for comfort 😱), have some tea or hot chocolate, and prepare to lose yourself in the shadowy worlds of gothic books—and maybe just don’t relax too much… you never know what’s lurking in the dark. 🖤📖
Top 15 Gothic Books to Keep the Spooky Season Alive
1. The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter
This collection of classic gothic retellings flips the faerie genre upside down and bursts with powerful messages on feminism, corruption, and the complexities of society.
One standout retelling in this book is the thrilling nod to “Bluebeard.” Angela Carter’s story reveals that knowledge can be a double-edged sword—not only about power but also dangerous. 😱
The gloomy settings and the supernatural elements make The Bloody Chamber one of the perfect gothic books to read. However, these aren’t the only conventions that make it gothic; the haunting motif of a bloody chamber throughout each story embodies the classic gothic blend of violence and enlightenment.🕯️We’d suggest you take notes while reading it so that you don’t miss on any chilling detail.
2. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
Du Maurier cleverly blends melodrama with psychological insight in a story of jealousy that resonates with all her readers. The characters masterfully embody Rebecca’s intense exploration of the eternal struggle between good and evil.
From the moment we dive into Rebecca’s unforgettable opening line, “last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again,” we are thrown into a world of unsettling themes—where dreams twist into nightmares and obsessions boil inside the mind. 🤯
This novel is a classic example of the gothic genre, with an atmosphere thick with terror and whispers of the supernatural that makes us yearn for more; just what you need to level up your Bookly App TBR!
3. Jane Eyre by Emily Bronte
Bronte’s captivating novel combines the elements of a bildungsroman with that gothic books allure, taking readers through the story of the protagonist, Jane, who faces the tumultuous ups and downs of existence—struggles that resonate with all of us. Among her challenges, the most heart-wrenching is her unrequited love for a man who is already married. ❤️🩹
Jane is not just any character; she is an independent feminist who dares to confront mysteries that could be supernatural or reflect society’s darker truths. Her fierce feminism plays an essential role in shaping the “modern individual” that we know today while weighing up morals that were considered shockingly radical in the stiff Victorian society.
4. Anatomy: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz
Step into the shadowy streets of 19th-century Scotland, where love and ambition intertwine in the most unexpected ways. Meet Hazel, a 17-year-old aspiring surgeon, and Sam, a mysterious body snatcher, as they bond over clandestine deliveries of corpses for Hazel to practice her surgery skills on (how romantic, right?! 🤭). But not all is fair in love and dissection—as Hazel is forced to marry Bernard, her cousin who will soon become a respected Viscount.
While this novel is your go-to gothic book, through its themes of mystery, medicine, and the suffocating expectations of society, it cannot be denied that its central theme is: love! Whether it’s for a person or a calling, Anatomy: A Love Story explores all the challenges we face and triumph over for the sake of love. ❤️🩹
5. The Hacienda by Isabel Canas
Mexican Gothic meets Rebecca in this modern gothic tale of Beatriz, who marries for protection from her vicious past. Or so she thought. 😲 Once she arrives at her new home, she gets the sense that things are not as they seem. As the tension escalates, an evil spirit reveals its terrifying presence, leaving Beatriz trembling in fear that her new house is haunted. 🏚️
Canas’ thrilling debut novel was nominated for the Bram Stoker Award for First Novel, and it deserves it all! The Hacienda incorporates suspense, spine-chilling hauntings, and the supernatural into a real page-turning thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat. So make sure you don’t miss it when you organize your must-read gothic books collection in the Bookly App for the chilly months to come.
6. The Castle Of Otranto by Horace Walpole
The Castle Of Otranto has been recognized as the first gothic text to be written, with Horace Walpole pioneering most of the gothic eerie tropes we associate the genre with today. 🖤
When tragedy strikes, and Isabella’s fiancé dies, his father, the sinister Lord Manfred, makes it his mission to marry her despite her vehement resistance to his dark intentions. As the tension mounts throughout the novel, Isabella is pulled into Manfred’s relentless pursuit, as his obsession with her only intensifies with each twist of the plot.
Walpole takes readers on a thrilling exploration of how the corruption of unconditional forgiveness can twist the mind and alter the fate of generations to come, making it a classic gothic must-read. 📖
7. The Mad Woman’s Ball by Victoria Mas
Set in the mesmerizing yet dark atmosphere of 19th century Paris, The Mad Woman’s Ball is inspired by twisted real-life events. One of the main themes is spiritualism, which Mas uses to reveal how society molds women to conform to restrictive roles.
In this gothic thriller, the enigmatic Eugenie is unfairly imprisoned in a sinister asylum. Determined to reclaim her freedom, she plots her escape with the help of one of the nurses.
But Eugenie is hiding a dangerous secret. 🤫 Can she navigate the path to freedom without her hidden truths coming out? Find it out in this pulse-pounding journey of resilience and deception by Victoria Mas—the perfect remedy for when those reading slump vibes hit. 😶🌫️
8. The Shape Of Darkness by Laura Purcell
Step into the world of Victorian Bath, where the shadows hold secrets and danger lurks around every corner. 😶🌫️ Follow silhouette artist Agnes and Pearl, her supernatural companion, as they search for a killer. But it’s not just murder they’re hunting for; Agnes must also fight to save her struggling business as her clients start disappearing one by one.
This mesmerizing gothic novel isn’t just a page-turner; it’s a masterpiece that has earned its place as the winner of the Historical Crime Book of the Year category at The Fingerprint Awards 2022 and one of the books shortlisted for an Edgar Award and a Dead Good Readers’ Award.
The Shape Of Darkness is one of those gothic books that will have you hooked from start to finish as you navigate through a tale woven with fear, love, and heart-wrenching loss. 🤕
9. Starve Acre by Andrew Michael Hurley
Prepare to enter Hurley’s chilling tale—a gripping journey into the heart of grief. Set on an English farm, this story explores the world of the occult as a desperate couple tries the help of mystics to reach their dead first child.
As evil spirits invade their once-peaceful home, the couple unravels the rich folklore surrounding their home and begins to question whether their son still lives in some other form. 😶 This folk-horror story demonstrates the desperate lengths parents will go to for their child, even in the face of death.
Starve Acre reminds us not to judge a book by its cover, as, on the surface, it doesn’t seem that scary. Instead, it’s the hidden underlying message of Hurley’s gothic novel that will get you into an unexpected and spine-tingling experience!
10. The House Of Dust by Noah Broyles
In this gripping supernatural thriller, Brad, a struggling writer, and his fiancée, Missy, have escaped their own town and seek refuge in a new one, only to find it is just as tragedy-ridden. 😲
Brad must deliver a story for a magazine before his bosses replace him, and just when he thinks he should give up, a chilling story lands quite literally right in front of him.
As he digs deeper into the town’s haunting past, Brad begins to realize the true extent of the haunting history of the town. Will he be able to finish his story before he becomes part of the town’s sinister history? 😱 Discover it all in The House Of Dust, a really thrilling novel that needs to make it to your gothic books list!
11. The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters
Hundreds Hall is on the brink of its end, and sinister spirits have begun to haunt the mansion, threatening to hijack the inhabitant’s minds. 😵💫 Determined to take control, they possess an innocent dog and enchant it to bite a young girl’s face, but that is only the start of the strange goings-on.
With their fear heightened and in the midst of the chaos, the family of Hundreds Hall attempts to find a rational explanation for the supernatural occurrences. Doctor Faraday is determined to eliminate the ideas of anything supernatural, but as time goes on, he learns he may be more connected to the unfortunate events at Hundreds Hall than he originally thought. 👀
12. All Of The Murmering Bones By Angela Slatter
A captivating tale of long-lost family secrets, magic, witches, and strong women who are learning to abandon the men who seek to puppeteer their lives. Our main character, Mirin, is determined to escape the suffocating grip of a marriage proposal from her overbearing grandmother.
Throughout her family’s history, a supernatural curse has run in their blood, and Mirin thinks she can finally break free from her family’s past. But the stakes are high… Her town is trying to repress the creatures, and in her journey, Mirin learns that perhaps the curse might just be a consequence of her own family’s actions. 😶
Will she uncover the strength to defy fate and claim her own destiny? All Of The Murmering Bones, the latest gothic masterpiece by Angela Slatter, uncovers it all for you (and more!).
13. The Woman In Black by Susan Hill
A truly anxiety-inducing ghost story, The Woman In Black follows Arthur Kipps, who has been tasked with sorting through the house of the late Mrs Alice Drablow. From the moment he steps foot into her house, he first encounters a shadowy figure that seems to be a woman dressed in all black.
As the haunting atmosphere thickens, Kipps begins to suspect that the Woman In Black is a ghost and that she is suffering. 👻 Driven by a fierce determination, Arthur Kipps takes it upon himself to discover the reasons behind her suffering and let’s just say it’s… emotional.
Add this spine-chilling gothic book by Susan Hill to your Bookly App collection and get ready to uncover dark truths that are as heartbreaking as they are terrifying. 🖤
14. The Ritual By Adam Nevill
Four inseparable friends from university decide to take a reunion hiking trip to the breathtaking landscapes of Sweden. Little do they know that might not be the best idea, given the combination of minimal fitness levels and their creaky knees, setting off a chain of events that will push them to their limits. 🫢
With a poorly selected shortcut, the friends quickly realize the gravity of their mistake, and the story soon escalates into a battle for survival deep in the Scandinavian wilderness. One by one, they disappear into the shadows, snatched by an unknown entity, leaving the remaining friends to fight for their survival against the chilling forces that threaten to consume them.
Will they make it out alive, or will this reunion turn into their last adventure? Find all about it out in this adrenaline-pumping gothic tale, perfect to get you back into your reading habit or remind you on why you love reading so much!
15. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
This tale will surely shake you. 😱
Join biographer Margaret Lea as she explores the ultra-mysterious Angelfield-March family and their hidden past. From haunting legacies to heart-wrenching grief, this story uncovers truths lurking beneath the family’s obscured history.
Packed with suspense and thrilling twists, The Thirteenth Tale will have you hooked from the very start and will live in your head rent-free, even after you’ve finished it. So make sure you don’t miss Diane Setterfield’s gothic piece, and don’t let fear hold you back from adding it to your Bookly App TBR. 😏
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So if you’re looking to have a ‘grave’ time this season, these gothic books are just what you need. 😈 Prepare to keep on guessing and questioning everything. And watch out, as these novels aren’t for the faint-hearted, but don’t let yourself be scared; add them to your TBR and try them out. These gothic books are to die for, trust me.
This article was written by our Bookly Pro Reader, Jess! 💙
Check Out Some Other Spine-Chilling Recommendations to Add To Your TBR
Add on the chilly but dark vibes with some Dark Academia Books, and if these intriguing, psychological tension, and deadly rivalries stories are not enough, make space for our spine-tingling selection of Horror Books that will keep you up at night and reignite your passion for reading. 📖🖤 And if you find yourself struggling to concentrate while reading, we’ve got the right tips & tricks so that you can stay focused and fully enjoy the thrilling stories.
And of course…
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