5 Fun Halloween Reads

by Donna Huber

MK has provided a number of scary reads to get you ready for Halloween, but I don't read horror. I prefer the fun side of Halloween - the parties, the cute costumes, and humorous frights. I still like to read Halloween-themed stories to get in the mood. What do I read then if not horror? Mostly I read paranormal cozies featuring ghosts and witches and the occasional friendly vampire (I don't read many paranormal cozy the rest of the year so it is a treat). I usually hit the free Kindle bestsellers list at Amazon to find a few free reads for the holiday, but it is full of Christmas reads already. As my treat for you, I did the heavy lifting and searched for some fun (and free) reads. Here's what I found.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. The ebooks were free as of Sunday, please verify the price before purchasing.

Foliage and Fatality by Karen Musser Nortman

I haven't read this series but I often read cozy mystery series out of order. I love cozies that have mature adults as detectives. While it doesn't appear to be a paranormal cozy, it does have a haunted house so it counts as a Halloween read for me. This is the only Halloween-ish ebook on the best selling free Kindle list. Have you read it? Am I in for a trick or treat?

Seventy-something sisters, Max and Lil, visit western Pennsylvania, partly to see Lil's son Terry and his family, and partly to enjoy to colorful fall foliage. The sisters volunteer to help staff a fund-raiser haunted house. The house has amazing special effects and a haunted garden. It is hugely popular and should bring in a lot of money for the new school auditorium. What could go wrong?

Buy Foliage and Fatality at Amazon

Battle of the Hexes by Morgana Best

Are you giving out candy this year? Before my town started doing a community trunk or treat, I remember the constant up and down of answering the door. It was difficult to watch TV because of all the interruptions. Novellas are great for Halloween night whether you are answering the door or waiting in the car while you kids go door or door. This one says it is about a 2-hour read so you should be able to read the whole thing in an evening, even with the interruptions. I read Miss Spelled by this author a couple of Halloweens ago and enjoyed it. I hope this one is a treat too!

It's a battle of the hexes when a hunky witch hunter conscripts secret witch, Adeline, to help him solve a murder. 

It's certainly paws for concern.

Can there be a happy ending, or will Adeline's snarky familiar turn this into a cat-astrophe? Only time will tail in this cat-chy novella from USA Today Bestselling author, Morgana Best. Fur real!

Buy Battle fo the Hexes at Amazon

Forever Charmed by Rose Pressey

I read a short story by Pressey a few years ago in a Halloween cozy mystery anthology. I've wanted to try one of her full-length mysteries so I was glad to find this freebie. 

Halloween Laveau is descended from a long line of witches. Yes, her name is Halloween. The cosmic universe is definitely playing some kind of sick joke on her. She’s the ultimate witch cliché, complete with a black cat and spooky house. Thank heavens she’s missing the warts and flying broom.

When Halloween inherits her great-aunt’s manor, she decides to put the house to good use as a bed-and-breakfast. Her first guest is the sinfully good-looking Nicolas Marco, but he’s not here for the continental breakfast. Halloween discovers a ratty old book in the attic. It’s written in an unfamiliar language, and unknown to her, the tome is cursed.

Halloween soon learns there’s a link between the book and her newfound talent as a necromancer. But her new skills come with a catch: the reanimated dead aren’t as cupcake-sweet as they were when they were alive. When a rival witch comes after the book, Halloween doesn’t know who to trust–the sexy vampire who says he wants to save the day, or the warlock who says he can destroy the book once and for all.

Halloween had better learn fast. Because when the dead start rising, only a powerful witch can put them back under.

Buy Forever Charmed at Amazon

Spooky Sweet by Connie Shelton

I love culinary cozies and this one looks fun. I wonder if there will be recipes for spooky sweet treats.

Now that Samantha Sweet has a contract to provide her special handmade chocolates for the wealthy jet-set clients of Book It Travel, Sweet’s Sweets bakery is taking on a whole new dimension. Only problem, Sam isn’t ready. It’s almost Halloween, her pastry shop is bursting at the seams and she needs extra employees but there is no place to put them.

Right before the witching day, she comes upon a large Victorian house she can adapt for the business, and it seems her problem is solved. But is it? The mysterious, spooky noises at night are way more than the normal creaks and groans of an old building. Something else is going on and Sam suspects it may be related to her husband’s newest case, investigating where an abandoned duffle bag crammed full of cash came from. Beau is dealing with a greedy reward-seeker, a robbery with no leads, and a waif who appears and vanishes. Sam’s mystery has her watching for ghosts and working almost around the clock. Is she relying on magic?—well, occasionally.

Buy Spooky Sweet at Amazon

Halloween Stories: Scary Stories for Kids, Halloween Jokes, Activities, and More by Arnie Lightning

Halloween may not look the same this year because of the pandemic. I know my town has canceled their Trunk or Treat event and people are being cautious about the parties and even door-to-door trick or treating. I'm glad I don't have young children who will surely be disappointed if Halloween is canceled. So if you are a parent trying to find alternatives for a fun Halloween, this might be a good book to pick up.

A strong wind blows and you begin to shiver. You see a shadowy figure in the dark. Chills run up and down your spine. Your heart is racing. Your palms are sweating. You feel the fear inside your bones. You hear a noise behind you and out jumps a...

If you like Goosebump books you will LOVE the Haunted Halloween Series by Arnie Lightning. These spooky ghost stories are great for reading aloud with friends and family. You will scare the living daylights out of your friends with these bone-chilling stories. This book is especially great for campfire stories, sleepovers, and Halloween parties!

5 spooky Halloween stories for kids

Halloween activities included for extra fun

Spooky and hilarious Halloween jokes for kids

Buy Halloween Stories at Amazon

What will you be reading for Halloween? Have you found some fun, free reads for the season? Please share!

Donna Huber is an avid reader and natural encourager. She is the founder of Girl Who Reads and the author of how-to marketing book Secrets to a Successful Blog Tour.

Get even more book news in your inbox, sign up today! Girl Who Reads is an Amazon advertising affiliate; a small commission is earned when purchases are made at Amazon using any Amazon links on this site. Thank you for supporting Girl Who Reads.