An old-fashioned open book is centered on a black background with the words "Celebrate Spooky Season" over it. It is surrounded by illustrated spiders and skeletons.

The days are getting shorter, the nights are becoming chillier, and the leaves are starting to turn their autumnal hues… which means that the best time of year has finally arrived! The New Haven Free Public Library has all that you need to fully celebrate this Halloween season.  

Check out this curated list of books, DVDs, and audiobooks for your next spine-tingling reading/viewing experience. Some staff favorites are The Vessel by Adam L.G. Neville, Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Maria Bazterrica, The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas, and We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson.  

What’s your favorite scary movie? Don’t have one? Check out one of our film screenings happening at our branches this month!  

  • Wilson has curated a Horror Movies Series for the month of October and their next showing is Boo! A Madea Halloween on Tuesday, October 17th at 5:00 pm. Check out the events page for details on all the films being screened at Wilson in October!  
  • Fair Haven will be showing the horror classic Alien on Saturday, October 21st at 1:00 pm. Popcorn and soda are on us!  
  • Mitchell will be showing the documentary Haunting: The Art of the Scare on Monday, October 23rd at 6:00 pm, which gives a fascinating look at how haunted houses have spawned a controversial subculture of full-contact terror simulations.  
  • For those who like creepy crafts, check out Mitchell’s Spooky Nail Art Workshop on Wednesday, October 25th at 4:00 pm.  
  • Want to discuss a classic horror novel in a virtual book club? The October pick for the Joint Library Book Club is Misery by Stephen King! Join us on Zoom at 7 pm on October 26th to chat with other horror-hounds over this classic.  

These are just a few of the fun events NHFPL has planned, so check out the Events page for more. We hope to see all of you ghouls there!