Amber jar candle with pumpkin design and “carved time for reading” label, styled with fall leaves, berries, and an open book.

How to Host a Haunted Book Club Night

Dear reader,

Book clubs are fun. Haunted book clubs? Legendary.

This October, take your regular gathering from “quiet discussion” to “literary séance” with a few spooky touches:

  1. Pick the perfect book. Gothic classics like Dracula or Rebecca, or newer haunted hits like Mexican Gothic.
  2. Set the scene. Dim lighting, flickering candles, and maybe even a playlist of thunder and creaking doors.
  3. Serve themed snacks. “Witches’ Brew” cocktails (wine glasses work perfectly) and “Pumpkin Patch” cookies.
  4. Dress the part. Encourage everyone to come in literary-inspired costumes—nothing beats a group of Brontë ghosts.
  5. Personal touches. Gift members personalized totes, mugs, or journals as keepsakes from the night.

A haunted book club night doesn’t need a Ouija board. Just a good story, the right atmosphere, and a few friends willing to scream-laugh when someone drops their bookmark.

This October, make your club the one everyone’s dying to join.

Until next time,
Happy reading.
— The Quiet Shelf

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