October can’t come soon enough! It is the season of long shadows, pumpkin spice potions, and the irresistible urge to reach for books steeped in witchcraft, curses, and spellbinding secrets. If you’re looking for novels that can conjure atmosphere while you wait for Halloween and keep you glued to the page, this book list is a cauldron of recommendations.
Some are whimsical, some dark and brimming with folklore, but all will carry you into autumn with just the right touch of enchantment. Here are 10 witchy books to get ready for Halloween, ranked by their popularity and cultural impact.
1. A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
Deborah Harkness’s beloved modern classic blends academia with alchemy in a story that refuses to be anything but addictive. The novel follows Diana Bishop, a historian who stumbles upon a bewitched manuscript in Oxford’s Bodleian Library.
She’d prefer to live an ordinary life, but that ancient text awakens a world of witches, vampires, and daemons who refuse to let her slip back into her quiet scholarly bubble. Of course, there’s also Matthew Clairmont, a centuries-old vampire with secrets of his own, and together they spark a romance that toes the line between forbidden and fated.
What makes A Discovery of Witches endure is not just its paranormal allure but its rich attention to history, science, and the politics of magical creatures. Harkness writes with the authority of a scholar and the heart of a storyteller, weaving themes of identity, legacy, and power into a tale that feels both epic and intimate.
If you want a witchy book that delivers the thrill of forbidden libraries, complex worldbuilding, and an unapologetically swoony love story, this is your entry point. Think of it as Twilight for grown-ups, with a PhD.
Why we recommend it: If you’ve ever dreamed of a love that could survive centuries, tangled in libraries, spells, and slightly brooding vampires, this is your jam. Perfect for readers who like their witchy worlds epic, romantic, and unapologetically detailed.
2. The Crescent Moon Tearoom by Stacy Sivinski
Set in a small town that feels as comforting as a steaming cup of chai, The Crescent Moon Tearoom introduces us to Gabbie, a woman starting fresh by opening a tearoom where every blend has a story and every visitor carries secrets.
There’s no broomstick theatrics here; the witchcraft lies in food, friendship, and the quiet magic of human connection. Gabbie learns that her tearoom is not only a business but a sanctuary, drawing together people whose lives intersect in surprising, sometimes mystical ways.
Sivinski’s novel is the perfect pick for readers who crave cozy atmospheres over gothic chills. Instead of curses and cauldrons, you’ll find the kind of soft magic that lingers in conversations, herbal brews, and chance encounters.
The themes of healing and community feel particularly resonant around Halloween, when so many of us are looking for warmth amid the cold and dark. If you want to trade jump scares for a blanket-wrapped story that still captures the spirit of witchiness, this book belongs on your nightstand.
Why we recommend it: Cozy, charming, and full of magical little moments that sneak up on you, this book is ideal for readers who prefer soft witchcraft and warm vibes over broomstick battles. Bonus points if you adore tea and gossip with a hint of enchantment.
3. Happy Medium by Sarah Adler
Fake psychic? Check. Real ghosts? Double check. In Happy Medium, Greta is a con artist making a living out of staged séances, until she discovers that the spectral world is far more real, and far less cooperative, than she ever imagined.
What begins as a hustle becomes a haunted adventure, forcing Greta to reevaluate her choices, her fears, and the possibility that maybe she was meant for something more than smoke and mirrors.
Adler delivers this story with charm and biting humor, making Greta both frustrating and endearing. Themes of deception, belief, and self-discovery tangle together in a way that feels perfect for spooky season: it’s witty enough to make you laugh out loud, yet eerie enough to raise goosebumps.
If you’re looking for a witch-adjacent tale with sass, ghosts, and a protagonist who fumbles her way toward redemption, Happy Medium is exactly the Halloween read you didn’t know you needed.
Why we recommend it: A hilarious yet spooky romp through fake séances and real ghosts, perfect for readers who like their witchy tales mischievous and full of sarcastic wit. Great for anyone who enjoys supernatural comedy without losing the thrills.
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4. The Witch Is Back by Sophie H. Morgan
This one has everything: curses, magical mishaps, and a second-chance romance that refuses to play nice. The Witch Is Back follows Emmaline, a witch who once left her magical hometown (and her fiancé) behind. But when fate drags her back into both the town and the life she tried to escape, she finds herself in a dangerous bargain, fake-dating her ex to break a curse.
Nothing screams “Halloween entertainment” quite like spellcraft colliding with emotional baggage.
Morgan’s writing shines with sass and sparkle, balancing laugh-out-loud banter with heartfelt emotional stakes. The novel explores how past wounds haunt us as much as any specter, but also how love, messy, inconvenient, and undeniable, can be its own kind of magic.
If your ideal Halloween read is equal parts rom-com and witchcraft, this book is a cauldron of joy that bubbles over with humor and charm.
Why we recommend it: Sharp, sassy, and brimming with romantic chaos, this one’s for readers who adore witches with attitude and a side of magical drama. If you like laugh-out-loud banter wrapped in curses, this book delivers.
5. The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
Meet Mika Moon, a lonely witch raised under strict rules: keep your magic hidden, avoid attachments, and never risk exposure. That is, until she’s invited to teach three young witches who need guidance, and suddenly her carefully isolated life begins to unravel.
What follows is a story of found family, belonging, and the ways love can undo even the most rigid self-protection.
Mandanna’s novel is pure comfort, radiating warmth like a mug of mulled cider. Yes, there’s magic, but the heart of the book lies in Mika’s journey from solitude to connection.
For readers who adore witchy books but also crave soft, life-affirming narratives, this is the ultimate cozy fantasy. It’s a perfect antidote to the gloomier corners of Halloween reading, offering light, love, and a touch of enchantment that lingers like candlelight.
Why we recommend it: Heartwarming, whimsical, and quietly magical, perfect for anyone who believes family, friendship, and small spells can save the day. Ideal for readers who like their witchcraft cozy rather than sinister.
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Subscribe to our weekly newsletter6. The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic by Breanne Randall
Imagine inheriting not just your grandmother’s recipes but her spells, complete with curses attached. Sadie Revelare, the heroine of Breanne Randall’s novel, knows that every ounce of magic she uses comes with an equal measure of misfortune.
And yet, as Halloween looms, she finds herself navigating family secrets, heartbreak, and a fateful romance that might just rewrite her destiny.
Randall crafts a tale where love and loss walk hand in hand with enchantment, exploring how grief can be both a curse and a catalyst for change. The writing pulses with bittersweet energy, making it the perfect pick for readers who want their witchy books to mix the sweet with the sorrowful.
If you’ve ever believed that heartbreak has its own magic, painful, transformative, and strangely beautiful, this book will strike a chord.
Why we recommend it: A bittersweet cocktail of spells, heartbreak, and unexpected romance that hits just the right emotional notes. Recommended for readers who don’t mind a little magical melancholy with their pumpkin spice.
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7. Small Town, Big Magic by Hazel Beck
Emerson Wilde seems like a typical small-town bookstore owner…until you realize she’s actually part of a hidden magical society tasked with protecting her community from supernatural threats. The catch? She didn’t even know it herself.
Cue the chaos of repressed magic, sinister forces, and the weight of a destiny that refuses to be ignored.
Hazel Beck balances whimsy and menace beautifully, making Small Town, Big Magic feel like Gilmore Girls with a paranormal twist. It’s witty, fast-paced, and unapologetically fun, but also asks deeper questions about responsibility and belonging.
If your Halloween requires a book that delivers both laugh-out-loud small-town banter and pulse-quickening magical battles, this novel fits the bill.
Why we recommend it: Fast-paced, witty, and sprinkled with just enough danger to keep you hooked, this is for readers who love small-town charm colliding with supernatural mayhem. Expect chuckles, thrills, and a dash of destiny.
8. The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling
You can’t make a Halloween list without The Ex Hex. Vivienne Jones, fresh off a brutal breakup, does what any heartbroken witch might do: she curses her ex. It’s meant to be harmless…until he returns to town years later and everything starts exploding, literally.
Sterling’s book is fizzy and fun, the literary equivalent of candy corn spiked with bourbon. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, and that’s exactly its charm. If you want a lighthearted Halloween read full of laughs, curses, and undeniable chemistry, The Ex Hex should be at the very top of your TBR.
Why we recommend it: Light, frothy, and absolutely chaotic, this one’s for fans of rom-coms with curses. If you like your witches snarky, your magic messy, and your love stories full of sparks (sometimes literally), this book is a treat.
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9. The Witches of Vardø by Anya Bergman
Set against the chilling backdrop of 17th-century Norway, The Witches of Vardø is historical fiction rooted in the true witch trials that claimed countless women’s lives. It follows young women accused of witchcraft, forced to fight for survival and dignity in a world determined to condemn them.
The novel is atmospheric, haunting, and infused with the raw power of feminist storytelling.
Bergman doesn’t flinch from depicting brutality, but she also illuminates resilience, sisterhood, and the defiant sparks of hope that even persecution couldn’t extinguish.
If you crave a witchy book that leans into history’s darker corners, one that will leave you unsettled yet profoundly moved, this is the one to pick up. Perfect for readers who want Halloween chills with a side of truth.
Why we recommend it: Dark, haunting, and historically gripping, ideal for readers who want their witchy tales steeped in reality, not just fantasy. Perfect for fans of feminist history, eerie atmospheres, and stories that linger in your bones.
10. Morgan Is My Name by Sophie Keetch
Finally, a reimagining of the Arthurian legend told through the eyes of Morgan le Fay. Sophie Keetch strips away centuries of caricature to reveal a layered, sympathetic portrait of a woman often cast as a villain.
Her Morgan is complex, ambitious, vulnerable, furious at injustice, and deeply magical. It’s not the broomstick-and-cauldron witchcraft of other books on this list, but it captures the archetype of the witch as both powerful and feared.
Keetch’s prose is lush and immersive, inviting readers into a medieval world brimming with politics, myth, and the eternal struggle for agency. This is the kind of book that lingers long after you close it, reshaping your view of a legendary figure.
For those who want their Halloween reading to carry echoes of myth and the timeless power of women’s stories, Morgan Is My Name is a must.
Why we recommend it: A rich, feminist, myth-infused narrative that breathes new life into legendary tales. Recommended for readers who love literary retellings, complex heroines, and witchy power with a historical twist.
From cozy tearooms to cursed romances, haunted séances to historical trials, these ten books showcase the vast range of what “witchy” can mean. Some sparkle with humor, others shiver with dread, and a few remind us that witchcraft has always been as much about survival and community as it is about spells.
As Halloween approaches, let these stories be your lanterns, guiding you through the dark, the whimsical, and the magical. After all, October is the one month of the year when it’s perfectly acceptable to get bewitched by your TBR pile.
