Diving into Stranger Things can feel like stepping into the Upside Down itself, uncertain, eerie, and full of rules you might never fully understand. Perhaps some avid enthusiasts may find fun even in flipping through secret manuals, but do you need the auxiliary reading list to survive the finale, or is sticking to the screen enough for that perfect jolt?

While the libraries might cure curiosity, they are not exactly survival guides for a wilderness like Hawkins' terror.

Stranger Things books are known to expand Hawkins' universe beyond Demogorgons and Eleven’s telekinesis. There are novels like Suspicious Minds, which dig into the mysterious past of Eleven’s mother, Terry Ives, and Lucas on the Line, focused on Lucas Sinclair’s backstory before the TV action begins.

Then, there is Runaway Max, spotlighting Max Mayfield’s rough edges, The Flight of Icarus, and One Way or Another, dealing with characters like Eddie Munson, Nancy Wheeler, and Robin Buckley, uncovering their own trysts respectively. 

Choose Your Own Adventure books exist for those who want to decide their own fate—because why just watch danger when you can actively choose it? Comics and secret files complete the pile, blending the nostalgia Stranger Things is built on, with new chills. These provide a much-appreciated distraction from the main plot, but never really give fodder to the plot. 

The Duffer Brothers are said to have kept Stranger Things' fifth season viewer-friendly, with no prerequisite library card required. The show’s main storyline progresses on-screen, with no secret chapters waiting in the novels. Online discussions and swapped words of advice between spectators of the show echo the same. The books are delightful extras but not spoiler-filled trapdoors.

They are fan supplements, not the script bibles. Season five has, in fact, been designed as a self-contained crescendo, even if the table-reads look key-revealingly tempting.

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For those who cannot resist turning every page to catch another Hawkins secret, there are definite must-reads that could cure their unrest.

If someone wants to earn extra Hawkins-history credits, Suspicious Minds is the prime pick; it is about the beloved Eleven’s very origins. Lucas on the Line, on the other hand, paints a heartfelt backdrop for a character who deserves more than just witty one-liners.

Runaway Max explores Max’s story, and there is also Heroes and Monsters that offers interactive chaos with the gang. For those who prefer their Upside Down with pictures, the Omnibus comics deliver visual spooks. These books serve as delicious side dishes but, pointedly, never the main course.

The finale has promised time and again to wrap up the Hawkins story with all the drama and monsters the enthusiasts have been craving. Whether you have leafed through every book or just know your way around a popcorn bowl, the show is bound to deliver. The Upside Down will remain full of surprises, book or no book. 

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Are you a regular at the Hawkins' library, or would you prefer the drive-in theatres for the Stranger Things finale? Let us know in the comments below!