Now that Midnight Sun has been released and Stephenie Meyer has announced that she’s writing two new Twilight books, it’s official: vampires are in again. Bring on the capes and fangs; it’s time to celebrate our favorite bloodsuckers!

I’m beyond thrilled that vampire lit is making a comeback and, being an avid reader of the genre, I thought it might be fun to share some of my favorite vampire books for those who are tired of hearing about Twilight or Dracula as “the” vampire books.

Make sure to invite these lesser known vampire books onto your bookshelves!

Vampire Books to Read that aren't Dracula or Twilight

1. The Moth Diaries by Rachel Klein

This is probably my favorite vampire book and the most underrated.

The Moth Diaries follows an unnamed sixteen-year-old girl as she records her time at her all-girl boarding school. She writes mostly about her roommate and best friend Lucy Blake and Lucy’s friendship with their new classmate Ernessa, a mysterious girl with pale skin and strange eyes.

Dark secrets emerge and incidents start happening around the school, causing our narrator to wonder who Ernessa really is and how safe Lucy is with her.

This book is perfect for people who love gothic literature. Klein creates such a tense and mysterious atmosphere that makes the book a perfect fall read. The Moth Diaries is also a female-driven story, which made me love the book even more. I wish it was more widely known in the vampire lit genre because this book is so strong but it has somehow managed to fade into the background. 

Vampire Books to Read that aren't Dracula or Twilight

2. Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist 

In the fall of 1981 in a suburb in Sweden, a teenage boy is found dead, his body emptied of blood. The authorities think the murder may be part of a ritual killing. That’s something twelve-year-old Oskar is thrilled about, hoping that the bullies who torture him day after day at school will be next.

But the murder isn’t the only thing on Oskar’s mind. A strange new girl has moved in next door, and she only comes out at night.

If you like dark vampire books, then this is the one for you. With a troubled boy, an even more troubled young girl vampire, and her “caretaker” adult (aka feeding human) who is jealous of her relationship with the young boy, this book can be a lot to take in.

But if you’re looking for an unsettling, spooky fall read, then this is the perfect vampire book for you.

Vampire Books to Read that aren't Dracula or Twilight

3. Vampires Never Get Old: Tales with Fresh Bite

Alright so I haven’t read this book yet because it isn’t even out yet, but just knowing that a new anthology of vampire short stories is coming out has me over the moon!

With stories by Zoraida Córdova, V.E. Schwab, Tessa Gratton, Julie Murphy, and so many other authors, this book promises to include stories about vampires on social media, vampires coming out, vampires hunting for their first kill, and so many other stories of vampires that I can’t wait to sink my teeth into it!

Vampire Books to Read that aren't Dracula or Twilight

4. Carmilla by J. Sheridan Le Fanu

Let’s include some classic queer vampire lit, shall we?

Laura lives a lonely life with her father in their castle in Styria when they witness a carriage overturn and a young woman is thrown from it. Laura and her father take in the strange Carmilla, and Laura becomes drawn to the new house guest just as a strange plague descends on Styria.

Carmilla is one of the earliest examples of vampire lit that was forgotten for years because of its queer themes and female leads. The 2014 Canadian web series sharing the name of the book brought it back with a modern lense that helped audiences fall in love with the story all over.

If you’re looking for some classic vampire lit for your shelves, look no further than Carmilla!

Vampire Books to Read that aren't Dracula or Twilight

5. And I Darken by Kiersten White 

Alright, so technically this isn’t a book about vampires, but it is a historical reimagining of the life of Vlad the Impaler if Vlad were a woman. And since Vlad the Impaler was the basis for Dracula, it counts, right?

Lada Dragwlya, princess of Wallachia, is brutal, and she likes it that way. When she and her younger, gentler brother Radu are taken from their homeland and abandoned by their father to be raised in the Ottoman courts, Lada becomes even more ruthless for her survival. 

There’s not a vampire in sight but, with the historical lens of Vlad the Impaler as a woman, it gives readers some look into why he (or she, in this case) was the basis for vampires with all the violence they were capable of.

Kiersten White also did a great deal of research for this book, and it shows. For anyone who wants a little (or a lot) less vampires and a lot more history, And I Darken is a great choice.

What are your favorite vampire books? Let’s chat in the comments or on Discord!

Author

Sarah O’Connor is a Canadian writer and playwright who cannot save you from the robot apocalypse, so don’t confuse her for that other Sarah girl. Her plays have been performed in the HamilTEN Theatre Festival and Mind Play Theatre Festival. She is the co-creator of Stuck in a Story Productions and has co-written their three web series "Charlotte's Web Series," "The Femmes Fatale," and "Any Other Rosie" which can all be watched for free on Youtube. Most recently her short story "What Happened to Natalie?" was an honourable mention for the 2020 GritLit Festival. When not writing she likes to read, sew, and pet cats.

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