These aren’t just horror stories—they’re books that left marks. Some terrified me, some gutted me, and some made me want to scrub my brain clean. And yet… they’re unforgettable. Here are the books that traumatized me (in the best way possible).”

Short doesn’t mean sweet. These 13 bite-sized horror books prove that under 300 pages, you can still find haunted houses, cursed correspondence, and ghosts that follow you long after you’ve closed the cover.

Haunted houses are more than just walls and windows—they’re traps, prisons, and sometimes hungry, bleeding beasts. These novels don’t just place their characters inside haunted homes… they lock the doors and throw away the key.

They always underestimate the quiet girl. The bookworm. The one who notices too much. But in every horror story, someone survives—and if it’s me, I’m bringing a bloodstained paperback with me. These are the stories I’d read after the screams fade. The books I’d choose while stitching up wounds and lighting one last candle. Because survival isn’t just about making it out alive. It’s about knowing what to do next

There’s something romantic about the turning of seasons—a shift in the air, the scent of old books, the flicker of a candle next to your reading list. Whether you’re headed back to school or just slipping into your fall self, now is the perfect time to embrace your inner gothic scholar. This starter kit has everything you need: books that ache with beauty and darkness, playlists to soundtrack your descent into obsession, and just the right amount of haunted aesthetic to set the mood