🎃 Books, Blankets and Bumps in the Night: Why Halloween Is Perfect for Reading

 

There's a certain magic that arrives with Halloween.

The nights grow longer, the air turns crisp, and suddenly the world feels a little cosier. Pumpkins appear on doorsteps, fairy lights twinkle in windows, and darkness settles a little earlier each day.

For book lovers, this is our season.

As autumn takes hold, there's something irresistible about settling down with a good story while the wind rattles the windows outside. If ever there was a time to get lost in a book, this is it.

 

 

For me, Halloween isn't really about costumes or parties. It's about atmosphere. It's fairy lights glowing in the corner, candles flickering on the coffee table, rain tapping against the window, and just one more chapter before bed... which somehow turns into five.

Of course, this is also the time of year when my reading habits lean heavily towards thrillers and darker stories. There's nothing quite like reading a psychological thriller while the house creaks around you at night. Every unexpected noise becomes suspicious, every shadow seems a little darker, and suddenly you're convinced the author is personally trying to keep you awake.

And while psychological thrillers will always be my first love, Halloween feels like the perfect excuse to reach for a horror novel. I do read horror from time to time, just not often enough to know whether I'm brave enough for some of the truly terrifying ones. If I suddenly go very quiet, assume I've either been completely hooked... or I'm hiding under a blanket pretending every strange noise in the house is perfectly normal.

 

 

Halloween reading doesn't have to be scary, though. Autumn is perfect for all kinds of books. Cosy mysteries, gothic romances, fantasy adventures, and emotional contemporary novels somehow feel even more immersive when paired with a stormy evening and your favourite blanket.

One of my favourite things about reading during October is creating a little reading ritual. Lighting a candle, grabbing a hot chocolate, switching on some fairy lights, and settling down with a book turns reading from a hobby into an experience. It's a simple pleasure, but it's one I look forward to every year.

As someone who believes there's no such thing as too many books, Halloween feels like the perfect reminder to embrace stories that make us feel something, whether that's fear, excitement, comfort, or wonder. After all, books have their own kind of magic.

So if you're looking for me this Halloween, chances are I'll be tucked away in a cosy corner with a thriller in one hand, a cup of coffee in the other, and a towering TBR pile nearby pretending not to judge me.

And if I do manage to pick up that horror novel? Well, I'll let you know whether I finished it bravely or spent the next few nights wondering what every mysterious creak in the house was.

Whatever you're reading this Halloween, I hope it's a book that keeps you turning pages long past your bedtime. Whether you're diving into a chilling horror, racing through a twisty thriller, solving a cosy mystery, or escaping into a fantasy world, there's no better time of year to get lost in a story.

Happy Halloween and happy reading!

 

 

Now tell me, what's on your Halloween reading list this year? Do you save horror for October, read thrillers all year round, or reach for something completely different? Have you got a favourite spooky-season read that you return to every year? Let me know in the comments, I'd love to add a few more books to my ever-growing TBR!

Every Page for Penny: My Read Every Day in November Challenge

 

If you know me, you'll know there's usually a book close by. Reading has always been one of my favourite ways to relax, escape and recharge.

This November, though, my reading has a much deeper purpose.

I'm taking part in Read Every Day in November to raise money for Cancer Research UK, and I'm doing it in loving memory of my wonderful mother-in-law, Penny.

 In August 2024, Penny was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer and, heartbreakingly, she passed away just a month later. Losing her so quickly was devastating, and seeing firsthand how cruel and aggressive this disease can be showed our family just how important cancer research truly is.

That's why I'm taking on this 30-day reading challenge.

Throughout November, I'll be making sure I read every single day, whether that's a chapter before bed, a few pages with a cup of tea, or getting completely lost in a story for an afternoon. Every page I turn will be in memory of Penny and in support of the incredible work Cancer Research UK does to improve prevention, detection and treatment.

 

 

For someone who is rarely far from a book, this might seem like an easy challenge. But this isn't really about the reading.

It's about remembering someone we love.

It's about helping fund research that could give other families more time with the people they cherish.

And it's about hope.

If you'd like to support me, any donation, no matter how small, would mean so much. Every pound raised helps support life-saving research and brings us one step closer to a future where fewer families have to face the heartbreak that cancer causes.

But please don't feel any pressure to donate. I know times are difficult for many people, and simply taking the time to read this post means a lot. If you're unable to contribute financially, a share, like or comment would be amazing and can make a real difference by helping more people see my fundraiser. Every bit of support, in whatever form it comes, is genuinely appreciated.💕💕

Thank you for supporting me, following my reading journey and helping me honour Penny's memory in such a meaningful way.

Throughout November, I'll be sharing my reading progress, the books I'm enjoying and updates on the challenge along the way.

You can find my giving page here. 

Every page I read this November is for Penny. 💞

 

 

Sh*tshow - Brian O'Sullivan

 

 Sh*tshow is exactly what it promises: a gloriously messy, emotionally unhinged sprint through life when everything is held together with caffeine, spite, and whatever cosmic prankster is running the simulation this week. It’s sharp, self aware, and weirdly comforting — an end to end WTF ride that feels like being dragged through your own chaos by a gremlin wearing your favourite hoodie.

If Clusterf*ck was a glitter covered tornado that hurls you face first into the brambles while giggling, Sh*tshow is its feral cousin who kicks down your door at 3 a.m., hands you a shovel, and says, “dig — we’re finding the feelings you buried.” Where Clusterf*ck spirals in chaotic loops, Sh*tshow goes straight for the jugular, rooting around in your emotional soft spots like it’s searching for snacks.

And it carries the same chaotic heart energy as Brian O’Sullivan’s running gag of a dedication — the one where he insists he absolutely cannot dedicate another book to the Psychological Thriller Readers Facebook page… before immediately doing it again anyway. As a proud member of that wonderfully unhinged corner of the internet, I’ll happily take the shout out. Thanks, Brian — we see you, we appreciate the chaos, and we’re absolutely claiming it.

Dark, twisted, and delightfully feral, Sh*tshow leaves you laughing, wincing, and wondering why the universe just roasted you harder than your group chat ever could and if you enjoy chaos, this is absolutely the book for you - I genuinely can't recommend it highly enough.   

The Girlfriend's Secret - Daniel Hurst

 

The Girlfriend’s Secret is a tightly wound domestic thriller that pulls you straight into the chaos from page one. Hurst builds tension with that delicious slow‑burn precision — every chapter adds another crack in the façade, another secret slipping through the seams, another reason to doubt absolutely everyone. The relationship at the centre of the story feels like a pressure cooker ready to blow, and watching it unravel is half the fun. The pacing is quick, the twists land with satisfying force, and the final reveal ties the whole messy web together in a way that makes you grin at how neatly you were played.

This was my first book by Daniel Hurst, and it was such an addictive introduction to his style — sharp, twisty, and wonderfully bingeable. I’m genuinely excited to pick up more of his thrillers and see what other secrets he’s hiding in the next one.

 

With kind thanks to NetGalley for the review copy. 

Letters From The Dead - Ryan's Story - Mark Tilbury

 

 It’s been a few years since Mark Tilbury released a new book, so when he messaged to say that book fourteen was on the way, I was absolutely thrilled. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on a copy — and believe me when I say I wasn’t disappointed.

Letters From The Dead is another unforgettable, gut punch of a read from a very tried-and-tested, go-to author for me. You know the type: you don’t need the synopsis; you just need the book.

Dawn Osbourne’s son, Ryan, went missing a year ago, and desperate for any kind of help, she turns to Claire, a local psychic. Claire has always avoided missing persons cases, but despite her reluctance, nineteen year old Ryan has other ideas. He reaches out through automatic writing, slowly revealing his story piece by piece.

Ryan’s account is disturbing, horrifying, and tragic — and worse still, he’s not the only one to suffer at the hands of this unhinged killer. The more he reveals, the deeper Claire is pulled in, and she feels she has no option but to uncover the truth, whatever the cost.

I devoured this book with the kind of feral intensity that made me look up at one point and wonder if the author was laughing while writing it — because you have to be twisted to craft a story this brutal and this brilliant. Following a young man as he’s hunted and tormented by an unhinged, homophobic killer is horrifying, but the narrative sinks its claws in with such precision that you can’t stop reading.

The pain feels intentional, the hope feels defiant, and the whole thing crackles with that wild, unfiltered energy only a writer with a beautifully warped imagination can pull off. I finished it feeling shaken, exhilarated, and a bit feral myself — because somehow, in all that darkness, the story still roared with ferocity.

If you enjoy a dark, warped story that isn’t afraid to go to some very unsettling places, I’d definitely recommend this book. It’s gripping, intense, and absolutely worth your time.

 

 

With kind thanks to author Mark Tilbury for my advanced copy.