Book recommendations | Spooky Reads | Book Lists | Black British Literature

October is over and Mariah has officially defrosted, which usually means spooky season is over and festive season begins. But if you are not ready to swap pumpkin lattes and ghostie blankets for candy cane and fairy lights just yet, here are five reads to keep the spooky vibes going. Keep reading for more details!

This post contains affiliate links. This means I may receive a small commission if you make a purchase through some of the links, at no additional cost to you.

---

Futility by Nuzo Onoh

Genre: Horror

If you’re up for some vengeance, body-swapping, and murder, then I have a book for you.

Futility is a witty, dark tale about Chia, who runs one of the best restaurants in Abuja, Nigeria, and Claire, a 50-year-old British woman living in Abuja with her young Nigerian boyfriend and his beautiful cousin, Shade.

Betrayed by the men in their lives, two women seethe with rage and bitterness. When a trickster spirit offers them the gift of revenge, they cannot resist.

For readers of Oyinkan Braithwaite’s My Sister the Serial Killer and Bella Mackie’s How to Kill Your Family,

---

The Reaper by Jackson P. Brown

Genre: Urban Fantasy

In a city full of all sorts of creatures, a lonely empath who can see auras meets a newly awakened, tea-drinking reaper…

In this moody, atmospheric adventure, unlikely pair Amy and Gerald find themselves in London’s sprawling supernatural underground, hunting a girl who murdered her own parents.

This is perfect for curling up with on a foggy November night! 

---

Are You Still Watching? by Kelechi Okafor

Genre: YA Dystopian Thriller

Imagine that it’s the year 2032, and you are dreaming about university, your future career and escaping your small town. Then you receive a message from an otherworldly being saying that your life is a reality show – and you are a flop.

That’s what happens to Dorcas, who finds out that unless she gets interesting fast, she will be cancelled. Permanently.

This dystopian thriller is perfect for fans of Black Mirror and Severance.

---

The Cafe at the End of the World by Helen Comerford

Genre: YA Cosy Fantasy Romance

If you want something a bit cosier and more romantic with a paranormal edge, then this might be the title for you. Lydie, the daughter of Death, wants only to keep things warm and welcoming at her family’s café. But when the mysterious, and quite frankly, annoying Kai shows up at the café one day, it changes everything. Teaming up with him might be the only way for Lydie to protect the café and her world.

---

Spirit Warriors by Ashley Thorpe

Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy

Here is one that is suitable for younger readers as well as not-so-young ones! If you are a fan of Percy Jackson, then this might be right up your street.

Evil spirits have taken over Evie’s island home and the terrifying Blackheart Man wants to destroy the barrier between the living and the dead. With Evie’s best friend stuck in a cat’s body, and the Blackheart Man needing something she has, it’s up to her, Arthur, and trainee shaman Cai to stop Blackheart Man before he destroys the world.

---

Enjoy this list? You can find more books on the Black British Booklist, a searchable database for discovering literature by Black British authors. Check it out here.

Don’t forget to subscribe to get posts like this sent to your inbox.

---