13 Ghost Stories Books to Read Around the Halloween Campfire

Light your campfires and get your flashlights ready. Here are 13 ghost stories books filled with the best campfire stories…

Faces only partially visible by firelight. A pitch-black backdrop of the wild outdoors. Sounds of the unknown surrounding you. 

All that’s missing is an ominous voice telling a tale of horror to all those brave enough to listen!

The following ghost stories books are filled with scary, spooky (and sometimes silly) campfire stories. With them, you can be the ominous voice that scares adults and children alike!

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13 Best Ghost Stories Books

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As you can see from this video, Jennifer and I are fans of spooky stories. We love to hear about the local tales and myths of monsters, ghosts, and mysteries wherever we travel. (Whether we believe them or not.)

From stories based on real events to creative fiction, this list of the best ghost stories books has something for every RVer. Some can even be used as guides to plan your next road trip!

1. 50 Real American Ghost Stories

This book of 50 Real American Ghost Stories is a collection of America’s haunted heritage. It is written by bestselling author and ghost historian MJ Wayland.

As described: “From the downright chilling, to scary and the weird, this collection of REAL ghost stories is ideal for a Halloween thrill or an insight into a unique haunted history.”

2. The Worlds Favorite Ghost Stories

The World's Favorite Ghost Stories is an illustrated anthology that includes 13 creepy tales from around the world. They include ghost stories about the jikininiki from Japan, sinister specters from South Africa, the ominous silence in Russia, and more.

The stories “are so vivid that they almost feel real. But they couldn’t be—could they?…”

3. Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark is a 3-books-in-1 collection with original artwork and jacketed hardcover. It's even been made into a major motion picture.

The stories are “some of the most terrifying tales of horror, revenge, and supernatural events of all time, collected and retold by Alvin Schwartz.”

4. Ghost Stories (Paranormal Locations Series)

The first book in the series, Ghost Stories is a collection of the world’s scariest haunted locations, paranormal encounters, and demonic possessions. 

Who knows, maybe you’re camping in one of those haunted locations now! The only way to find out is to look inside this book…

5. Classic Campfire Stories: Forty Spooky Tales

Written by a doctor (of what, no one knows!), Classic Campfire Stories is a collection of scary classics and frightening folktales is for young and old.

The ghost stories are all fun and easy to read, remember, and retell!

6. Roald Dahl’s Book of Ghost Stories

The Amazon description for Roald Dah's Book of Ghost Stories says it best:

Who better to investigate the literary spirit world than that supreme connoisseur of the unexpected? From the author of such beloved books as James and the Giant Peach, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and The Witches comes a collection of spooky tales carefully curated by the author himself, Roald Dahl's Book of Ghost Stories.

Of the many permutations of the macabre or bizarre, Dahl was always especially fascinated by the classic ghost story. As he relates in the erudite introduction to this volume, he read some 749 supernatural tales at the British Museum Library before selecting the 14 that comprise this anthology. “Spookiness is, after all, the real purpose of the ghost story,” Dahl writes. “It should give you the creeps and disturb your thoughts.”

7. Collected Ghost Stories

Though the book cover looks similar to #2 on this list, it is a different book by a different author.

Collected Ghost Stories is a collection of classic ghost stories are written by the “finest ghost-story writer England has ever produced,” M.R. James. They are described as “superb examples of beautifully-paced understatement, convincing background and chilling terror.”

This book has certainly caught my interest… they sound quite elegant for ghost stories!

8. Complete Ghost Stories

The Complete Ghost Stories is another collection by M.R. James, which we referenced as the “finest ghost-story writer” in the previous description. He was an English author, medievalist scholar, and provost of King’s College, Cambridge, and Eton College.

James is known for his ghost stories because they abandoned “many of the formal Gothic clichés of his predecessors and using more realistic contemporary setting.” Even though these stories were written in the early 1900s, they still stand up today.

9. 50 States 500 Scary Places to Visit

Hardcore ghost story fans can use 50 States 500 Scary Places to Visit as a travel guide for their next RV adventure. Organized by state, it takes you on a tour of the scariest haunts in every state. 

Creepy destinations include the House of the Seven Gables, the LaLaurie Mansion, the Winchester Mystery House, the Bell Witch Cave, and many more. It also features full-color photos to bring the tales to life.

10. A Haunted Road Atlas

A Haunted Road Atlas is another possible travel guide for horror-loving RVers. It’s created from the hit true crime podcast And That’s Why We Drink. 

The book is “Jam-packed with illustrations, fun facts, travel tips, and beverage recs, this guide includes some of the country’s most notorious crime scenes, hauntings, and supernatural sightings.”

11. Civil War Ghosts

If you’re traveling in Civil War territory, Civil War Ghosts is for you. It’s a book of real ghost stories reported in newspapers at the time of the Civil War, covering 1860-1865.

“Civil War Ghosts is a unique supernatural look at America while the states battled each other.”

12. The Valancourt Book of Victorian Christmas Ghost Stories

This unique collection of Victorian Christmas Ghost Stories were printed in newspapers and magazines during the Christmas season. Some of the authors are very well-known, including Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Elizabeth Gaskell, while others are “anonymous and forgotten.” 

It's a nice twist on ghost stories to read at Halloween and prepare you for the oncoming Christmas season.

13. Campfire Stories for Kids

To end this spooky list on a lighter note, I’m including one of the best ghost stories books for kids. Aptly named, this book is perfect for telling scary and funny tales around the campfire. 

It includes 21 stories and urban legends that will “make you laugh out loud, or have you sitting on the edge of your seat wondering how it will end.”

15 Easy Campfire Snacks & Treats

Campfire stories are always better when enjoyed with treats! That's why planning one of these Easy Campfire Snacks & Treats is a must for your spooky evening.

For more campfire fun, check out these articles:

• How to Tell a Good Campfire Story
• 30 of the Best Campfire Songs

New ebook from Mike and Jennifer Wendland – the Natchez Trace

The Natchez Trace Parkway will capture your imagination, soothe your jangled travel nerves, open your mind and inspire you with the history that unfolded along its 444 miles.

Each of the 7 Days of the ebook has:

• Suggested Mileposts to explore
• Places to Eat in each area of the 7 sections
• Campground descriptions and links
• Links to all the special places and information
• Links to videos that show more in detail
• and a lot of highlighted information for each section

PLEASE NOTE: This is NOT a printed, hard copy guide.

Whether you want to follow the footsteps of explorers, discover natural beauty, or visit historic sites, the Trace has something to grab your attention and leave you eager to see what’s at the next milepost.

You can see why this is one of our favorite US routes to explore. We’ve traveled it a half dozen times!

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Last update on 2024-04-19 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API