What would Wednesday Addams read? Step into her library with these 8 eerie books

Autumn is officially upon us, which means it’s the perfect time for creepy, mysterious reads. And who knows creepy and mysterious better than the Addams family?

Netflix recently released Series 2 of Wednesday, their hit reimagining of one of my favourite classic sitcoms, and the gothic comedy provides excellent inspiration for an autumnal reading list – think draughty old buildings, secret passages and hidden rooms, mysterious strangers, and an ever-present sense of dread.

Read on to discover eight titles Wednesday Addams herself would gladly skip a social gathering to enjoy.

Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley
🎧 Audiobook

This title needs no introduction, so I’ll simply say it’s one of a handful of titles mentioned by name in the Netflix show – Wednesday refers to Mary Shelley as both her literary hero and nemesis – and a gothic classic everyone should read at least once. 

The Turn of the Screw by Henry James
🎧 Audiobook

Another must-read gothic classic, The Turn of the Screw follows a governess who, after moving to the remote Essex countryside to care for her orphan charges, becomes convinced they are being haunted by evil spirits. This novella will appeal to fans of reads that walk the line between psychological horror and ghost story. Bonus: after you read this one, you can finally get around to watching Netflix’s The Haunting of Bly Manor. 

The Grimrose Girls by Laura Pohl
🎧 Audiobook

After their best friend dies under mysterious circumstances, three girls attending an elite boarding school become determined to learn the truth of what happened. But as they dig deeper into their investigation, the dark secrets they discover about Grimrose Académie threaten their futures as well. This is a must-read for fans of young adult mysteries like Pretty Little Liars as well as anyone who loves a gruesome fairytale.

In My Dreams I Hold a Knife by Ashley Winstead
🎧 Audiobook

Ten years after her university graduation, successful consultant Jessica Miller risks reopening old wounds to attend her reunion and prove how thoroughly she’s moved on. But not everyone is prepared to let the past remain in the past – especially when there’s a decade-old murder to solve. Soon, Jessica and her undergraduate friends are under investigation, and no one is leaving until the truth is revealed. Incorporating flashbacks to events surrounding the murder, Winstead’s debut will keep readers guessing until the end. 

The Bellwether Revivals by Benjamin Wood

Bookish Oscar Lowe leads a quiet life as a care assistant at a Cambridge nursing home, until the day he’s drawn into the orbit of a wealthy, eccentric family – and their slow descent into madness. Similarities abound between this dark academia and Brideshead Revisited, The Secret History, and even The Great Gatsby; fans of outsider perspectives on wealthy, elite cliques will find much to love here.

Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence by R.F. Kuang
🎧 Audiobook

Set in an alternate timeline where Britain rules supreme with the use of magical silver bars that capture the meanings lost in translation between languages, Babel focuses on four students at the Royal Institute of Translation and their growing awareness of how their studies contribute to violent colonialism. Winner of the 2022 Nebula Award for Best Novel, this one is a hefty but worthwhile read. 

A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik
🎧 Audiobook

In this first-in-series dark academia, a group of young sorcery students team up to fight Lovecraftian monsters in order to survive – and eventually graduate from their magical boarding school. Told from the perspective of El, a dark sorceress with big plans to prove everyone’s perceptions of her wrong, this fantasy will appeal to fans of magical academia stories that blur the lines between good and evil. 

The Dark Between the Trees by Fiona Barnett
🎧 Audiobook

When a group of researchers venture into an English wood long considered by locals to be cursed in search of answers related to a 400-year-old mystery, none of them expect the legends to prove anything more than campfire tales. But when their navigation equipment fails and they become hopelessly lost, the five women realise they were woefully unprepared for the realities of Moresby Wood. Alternating between past and present, The Dark Between the Trees is a gripping gothic horror that’s sure to appeal to fans of Andrew Michael Hurley, Megan Shepherd, or The Blair Witch Project.

*Title availability may vary.