Pick a Cutie-Pie Halloween Themed Littlest Pet Shop and I’ll Recommend You a Scary Book
Written by Erin Norton
If you like the look of this orange mummified panda…
You should give Lapvona by Ottessa Moshfegh a chance! This genuinely disgusting historical-fiction-magical-realism hybrid is certainly overwhelming at first. There are layers upon layers of meaning just waiting to be unwrapped (just like our aforementioned mummy friend). The tone and prose are simultaneously hilarious and gruesome, which takes a lot of writing prowess to pull off. If religious trauma, depiction of Dark-Age class disparity, the absurdity of life, and the grotesque are themes that suit your fancy, by all means, indulge in this absolute gag-fest of a book. I, without a doubt, loved every sentence.
This black kitty is looking all cozy in her pumpkin! It looks like the perfect place to curl up and read…
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley! If you have somehow never picked up this absolute masterpiece of a novel… Consider this article a sign! Honestly, Frankenstein is not a capital S Scary book. It errs on the side of reflective, psychological, and prosaic. As far as horror goes, this is a more laid back novel. Its power is in the moral, not so much the shock value. Get into the gloomy fall mood with a copy of the 1818 edition and a cup of a very dark and very potent blend of black tea.
If you’re intrigued by this little creature’s ghoulishness, I think you would enjoy reading…
Spoiled Milk by Avery Curran! I haven’t seen nearly enough hype for this book since it came out in March 2026, so I’m on my soap box again. Here’s my pitch: dark academic, old school ghost hunting (think: seance and ectoplasm references), 1920s boarding school, and sapphic as fuck. I got to read an advance copy of Spoiled Milk back in January and I still think about it to this day.
This picture of sweet, innocent Mousey was taken before they read…
Flowers in the Attic by V.C. Andrews. I read this book at the ripe age of 11 and it was definitely my personal gateway drug into the strange and macabre. This book is thrilling, taboo, and batshit crazy. The best way to describe the overall vibe? It’s as if The Boxcar Children and Mommie Dearest had a very traumatized child.
Spiders, even adorable ones like this angel, are so misunderstood, just like…
Paradise Rot by Jenny Hval. A lot of people say that this book is too weird for them, but if Paradise Rot has zero lovers, then I am literally dead in a ditch somewhere. The story is the most tantalizing combination of coming of age and horror. Not only is it sapphic, but it also includes a warehouse turned apartment that is somewhat sentient… IYKYK. It’s only 100 pages, read it!
This bat is giving some serious sassy side eye, and she knows that…
Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu was the OG Dracula. This sapphic vampire novel was written 25 years before Bram Stoker came onto the scene. This is also quite possibly the first ever record of a codependent femme friendship to homoerotic conditional lovers pipeline. A tale as old as time, apparently. Similar to Frankenstein, Carmilla is more speculative, reserved, and lyrical, but it still packs a punch… and a bite!
What a dapper gentleman! I wonder if he’s ever read the classic novel…
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie. Consider pairing this timeless whodunnit with an old fashion on the rocks and a cigar, because you’re going to feel like an old-timey detective reading this mystery. If you ever watched Knives Out and loved it, you can thank Agatha Christie for creating the beloved and deeply suspenseful trope.
