Northanger Abbey (1818) by Jane Austin is a satirical approach tothe chichés found in most gothic novels. This novel is about a young woman named Catherine Morland who travels to Bath, England to be introduced to society. But everything is not how it seems. This book has interesting twists and turns.

This haunting short story from 1820, “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”, is the perfect thing to read this autumn. The story’s protagonist, Ichabod Crane, is a teacher with a rich imagination who lives in Sleepy Hollow. He becomes fascinated after learning about the urban legend of the Headless Horseman who haunts their town, but this fearful obsession has consequences.

The gothic mystery novel Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier,published in 1938, tells the story of a young woman who married a wealthy man named Maxim de Winters. When she arrives at his home, a gothic estate in the English countryside called Manderley, she realizes that it is haunted by the memory of his late wife Rebecca. You won’t be able to put this book down, and will be kept guessing throughout the story.

The Shining, written in 1977 by Stephen King, is a horror novel which focuses on the lives of the Torrance family once they move to the isolated Overlook Hotel during the off season. Jack, a recovering alcoholic and struggling writer, wants to get closer to his wife and son. However, five-year-old Danny Torrance uncovers something more sinister beneath the peaceful facade of the hotel.

5. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

The novel A Tale of Two Cities was published by Charles Dickens in 1859. This book is set in London and Paris during the French Revolution and the Reign of Terror. It follows the intertwined lives of a doctor, aristocrat, and an attorney, all with secrets and stories.

6. Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie is recognized worldwide for being one of the greatest detective novels ever written. Published in 1934, this story is actually partly based on the tragic story of the Charles Lindberg case. In this novel, a man is found dead in his car on the Orient Express and Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot, must solve the case before the train arrives at its destination.

A Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle displays the bizarre methods of Sherlock Holmes, juxtaposing the quiet and modest nature of his companion Dr. Watson, as they investigate a murder in an abandoned house. This short novel is full of twists and turns and once you read it, it will become clear why this is such a classic.

Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky is centered around Raskolnikov: a self-centered university student who becomes isolated and guilt ridden after committing a crime as a way to deliver himself from the impoverished lifestyle he had been confined to. This brilliant novel written in 1866 deals with themes relating to societal isolation, guilt, and redemption.

George Orwell’s 1984 was written in 1949, and is set in a dystopian future where citizens are constantly monitored by the government and lack free will. The book follows Winston Smith, a worker whose job is to rewrite history in articles and books for the country of Oceania, as he tries to rebel against the strict totalitarian government.