Some of you may know that I am not the biggest fan a scary movie fan. I can’t even try to pretend that I enjoy them—and yes, I am that person who jumps and screams at the slightly jump scare. Even though I haven’t read a ton of them, I luckily have a better time reading horror or gothic/horror-esque thriller books. I’m also here to admit that I don’t have a ton of them on my TBR either, choosing to go down the mystery and spooky route instead.

With Halloween approaching, I wanted to do a holiday-themed evaluation of my TBR and talk about the most mysterious or scariest books on my TBR. The following books have something to do with mysteries, paranormal happenings, and darker themes & atmospheres.

The Archived by Victoria Schwab – I think I keep putting off reading Victoria Schwab’s The Archived in hopes that one day she’ll be able to publish the third book. True to Victoria Schwab, The Archived falls into the spooky/creepy category. I’ve heard that this is the quintessential Halloween read, as the main character’s job is to prevent the stories of the dead from wrecking havoc on the living.

Now Entering Adamsville by Francesca Zappia – I have much love for Francesca Zappia’s Eliza and Her Monsters and Made You Up, so I couldn’t be more excited to pick up her latest release, Now Entering Adamsville. The book screams mystery, as Zora must clear her name after being accused of starting a fire that results in a death. With the help of her cousin, Zora finds herself following ghost stories and uncovering a string of fires that left others in her Indianan town dead.

Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody – Another mystery-esque read, Amanda Foody’s Ace of Shades has a darker, mysterious & fantastical setting. After her mother goes missing, Enne is forced to enter the City of Sin and a world of magic and violence.

Little White Lies (Debutantes #1) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes – Little White Lies was featured in another one of my TBR posts earlier this year focusing on 2018 titles I hadn’t picked up next year. I plan on hopefully changing that by the end of 2019, especially with the sequel, Deadly Little Scandals, coming out in November. Little White Lies falls into the mystery category, as Sawyer uncovers dangerous secrets and scandals when she’s forced to transform from an auto mechanic into a debutante.

The Merciful Crow by Margaret Owen – Many of the reviews that I’ve read for Maraget Owen’s The Merciful Crow discuss the book’s dark atmosphere, but a ton of people also seem to really enjoy this one for its incorporation of romance and friendship.

Top 5 Wednesday is a collaborative group of book bloggers from various platforms who love sharing lists on Wednesdays. The T5W group can be found here on Goodreads.

Have you read any of the above books? Do you plan on reading any specific books to get into the Halloween spirit? Share in the comments!