As college students, we often overlook the fall season in favor of thinking about registering for classes and easing back into university life. If we’re being honest, it’s hard to find time to read any books that aren’t required for class, but it’s not impossible. Reading can be fun when we aren’t being graded, making it a great hobby to partake in.

With Halloween just around the corner and the leaves beginning to change colors, reading books that have to do with the season is the perfect way to get in the fall spirit. Here is a list of four books to read to get you in the fall mood.

“The Secret History” by Donna Tartt

A fall classic, “The Secret History” is the epitome of dark academia culture. If you’re into all things mysterious and adventurous, this book is for you. From references to the classics and conversations between the characters in Latin and Greek, all with the backdrop of a small liberal arts school, the spooky fall vibes are there.

A classic murder mystery, the novel follows six students studying classics at the fictional liberal arts school Hampden College and their slow demise after the death of one of their friends. The story focuses on morality and how quickly obsession and devotion can lead to tragedy, corruption and betrayal. Essentially, “The Secret History” is what happens when college students take something a little too seriously. Overall, it’s an interesting read, and even though the novel can get quite serious and dense, it does have its comedic moments.

“Dracula” by Bram Stoker

If you’re looking for a spooky book, look no further than “Dracula” as it is one of the most well-known pieces of English literature. For all “Twilight” movie lovers, vampires are just as interesting in classic literature as they are on the big screen. “Dracula” is the inspiration for many of the vampire movies, books and TV shows we know today.

“Dracula” is an epistolary novel following Jonathan Harker, a solicitor, who is staying in a castle owned by Dracula, a Transylvanian nobleman. The novel follows Harker’s discovery of Dracula being a vampire and the journey he and the rest of the characters take to kill him after he essentially becomes a menace in their lives.

A page-turning novel, “Dracula” has all the classic elements we know and love about vampires. From the stake-in-the-heart trope to vampire hunters, “Dracula” is a spooky tale that is worth the read, especially as the reader slowly starts to piece everything together.

“The Picture of Dorian Gray” by Oscar Wilde

Another classic, “The Picture of Dorian Gray” is a beloved novel that explores the idea of beauty and dives into the idea of “art for art’s sake.” The titular character, Dorian Gray, lives a seemingly immortal life enjoying the perks that come with being beautiful and rich, but it comes with a price. While he does not age, a portrait of him reflects his real age and all the sins he has committed, warping the once beautiful portrait and transforming it into a distorted version of Gray.

The novel was published in 1890, and while the publication year may make it seem intimidating, it’s an easy read as the language is not too dense or confusing.

Though the novel didn’t receive a lot of attention during Wilde’s lifetime and has been the subject of a lot of criticism, it has become one of the most beloved Gothic literature novels, and it is worth reading even if it is just for the aesthetic.

Any short story written by Edgar Allan Poe

From the classic “The Tell-Tale Heart” to the lesser-known “The Oval Portrait,” Poe knew how to write horror stories. Born in 1809, Poe lived a mysterious and tragic life up until his equally mysterious and tragic death at age 40. All his stories share similar elements of the horror genre from questioning “will the main character survive?” to “this is disturbing but in a twisted way, it makes sense.”

All of his short stories are worth the read, especially “The Tell-Tale Heart” and “The Masque of the Red Death,” as they will leave you on the edge of your seat. While you’re at it, Poe’s poetry is also worth looking into, such as “Annabel Lee” and “The Raven.” Essentially, anything written by Poe was made for the Halloween season, and his extensive collection of poems and short stories will keep you entertained for the whole month of October.