Spooky Book and Movie Pairings

Get ready to #netflixandthrill. It’s that time of year for spooks and spiderwebs, and what better way to enjoy Halloween season than to cozy up with some scary books and movies? If you plan on having a scary movie marathon or simply just streaming a few flicks, here are some scary books worth bingeing when you’re done.

Scary books to read if you loved these movies

If you plan to watch Hubie Halloween on Netflix, you’ll love reading Peepers: The Unsolicited Neighborhood Watch by D.D. Miles. We’ve all encountered those presumptuous neighbors who just can’t seem to mind their own business and are always ‘in the know’ with the latest gossip. However, when the tables turn and the nosey neighbors are suddenly the subject matter of the rumor mill, it causes a huge uproar in the neighborhood.

If you watched The Owners, check out Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam, available On Demand. Both this movie and book illustrate just how wrong things can go when vacationing in someone else’s home. In this novel, the situation grows even more complex when the isolated home suddenly has a blackout, leaving guests with no way to communicate with the outside world. As panic takes over, relationships are tried and tested. This page-turner will take you on thrilling twists and turns, wondering who can really be trusted.

For fans of the Netflix movie Rebecca, I Killed Zoe Spanos by Kit Frick will leave you on the edge of your seat. Hoping for a new beginning in the Hamptons, Anna Cicconi quickly learns that she has landed in the middle of a missing persons investigation involving the disappearance of Zoe Spanos. When Zoe’s body is recovered, Anna finds herself as the suspect of murder. This thriller will leave you wondering what really happened, all the way to the chilling end.

If you’re streaming The Paramedic on Netflix, check out Janelle Brown’s suspenseful Pretty Things, where two flawed, yet calculated women find themselves involved in a dangerous game of destruction and revenge. As you follow Nina and her scheming boyfriend, Lachlan, along with socialite Vanessa, you’ll land in a maze of manipulation and deceit, where deep, dark secrets will be revealed. As the past starts to come to light, things begin to unravel, taking the reader along for the twisted trip.

After you watch Antebellum On Demand, you’ve got to read The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab. Determined to make her mark on the world, Addie LaRue makes an impulsive decision to sell her soul to the devil in order to live forever. However, this exchange doesn’t come without consequence, as everyone she meets will forget about her existence. But things take a dramatic turn, when after almost 300 years, she stumbles across someone who does remember her.

After you check out the Netflix flick Vampires Vs. The Bronx read When No One is Watching by Alyssa Cole. Gentrification can be unsettling – whether it’s vampires or people trying to take over! As her New York suburb starts to become just that – “new,” it leaves an uneasy feeling in the pit of Sydney’s stomach. As she slowly starts to see her city become a shell of what it once was, she begins to uncover the ulterior motives of her new neighbors, which include much more sinister plans than just revitalizing the community.

More scary book and movie pairings

When you finish watching His House, streaming on Netflix, read Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. Moving to a new place doesn’t always mean it’s a better place, especially when it’s High Place. After reading a desperate letter from her cousin begging for help, Noemí finds herself heading to an eerie mansion, unsure of what she will find. Lots of secrets line the walls of this haunted house, and as Noemí begins to see through the cracks, disturbing stories of cruelty and chaos will be revealed.

Netflix’s A Babysitter’s Guide to Monster Hunting will leave you wanting more, so you should definitely pick up a copy of Burn the Dark by S.A. Hunt. If you’re intrigued by babysitters going monster hunting, then you’ll definitely enjoy this YouTuber’s adventures in witch hunting. Her fans think it’s all fiction and fantasy but seeking revenge on the witches who’ve wronged her is very real for Robin. Her ominous encounters will leave you spooked yet satisfied.

If you like tangled webs with a side of suspense, like in Hulu’s Books of Blood, then Rose Carlyle’s The Girl in the Mirror is the book for you. Summer and Iris are twins that appear strikingly similar from the outside, but on the inside, they are separated by a dark secret. When a sick game of switcharoo starts to spiral out of control, one of the sisters disappears. This is a book you won’t be able to put down until the mystery is solved.

If you like stories about haunted hotels (or motels), like in the Netflix movie Cadaver, this spine-chilling read will make you second guess where you lay your head down to rest. In The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James, Carly is determined to discover the dark secrets buried at the motel where her aunt disappeared. As she investigates the scene of the crime years later, she finds herself right in the middle of her own horror story, scared to death she will succumb to the same fate her aunt suffered.  

After you watch Nobody Sleeps in the Woods Tonight, available on Netflix, consider reading Earthlings by Sayka Murata. Going off the grid is supposed to be refreshing and relaxing. But sometimes the universe has other plans. In this novel, Natsuki is forced to confront her painful childhood in order to uncover answers to the questions that have been haunting her. Free from modern technology and societal restraints, Natsuki is challenged to harness her personal power to navigate through a new dimension, while experiencing some unnerving and shocking revelations along the way.

If you enjoyed the thriller Alone, available On Demand, you’ll love Don’t Look For Me by Wendy Walker. The disappearance of Molly Clarke raised eyebrows when she mysteriously vanished into the night. When a cryptic note and her abandoned car were found, her departure was deemed a “walk away” – just a woman trying to leave her old life behind. However, there is much more to this twisty tale than that of a woman simply trying to start over.

Available On Demand this fall, Death of Me will leave you scared silly! So, check out One by One by Frieda McFadden. Both of these chilling stories take a turn for the worse when what was supposed to be a dream vacation spirals into a nightmare instead. One By One will send you on a wild ride with friends who get lost in the woods. Unfortunately, only one will make it out alive…but who? This thriller will keep you guessing until the bitter end.

When you’re done streaming #Alive on Netflix, read Daphne Byrne by Laura Marks. You just never know what’s lurking in the shadows – zombies, ghosts, or in Daphne’s case – a demon.  After her dad’s passing, her mom finds comfort with a group that are convinced they can speak to the dead. Although Daphne doesn’t buy it, something – or someone – gets her to change her mind. This chilling story will keep you guessing as Daphne surrenders to the spirit world and seeks solace in an unlikely source.

Looking for more Fall thrillers to read? See the most anticipated Fall thrillers of the year and these 12 books to read after you watch Utopia on Prime.