I should've done this post earlier this month but my brain hasn't been working recently. And I'll probably add Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia when I finish. Honorable mentions go to Frankenstein by Mary Shelley and Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier.
In no particular order:
My Best Friend's Exorcism by Grady Hendrix: This was funny and creepy and I loved the ending.
The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters: Unsettling.
The Ritual by Adam Neville: This was a super creepy folk horror novel. I had no idea where it would go. Check out the movie on Netflix as well.
Penpal by Dathan Auerbach: Chilling. That's the best way to describe this one. It really freaked me out!
The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova: It's a slow and terrifying burn. I loved all the historical details. She really paints you there in the story.
Dracula by Bram Stoker: It's a classic and it still holds up.
The Last Days of Jack Sparks by Jason Arnopp: This one kept me up at night. I have never read a possession novel so terrifying.
The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones: Also unsettling. I loved the ending.
Lovecraft Country by Matt Ruff: This was a great story. There are horror elements but ultimately it's just a beautiful story. Also check out the TV series on HBO. They change up a ton but it works.
I Remember You: A Ghost Story by Yrsa Sigurdardottir: This one chilled me to the bone. Yep, super freaky and disturbing. It's fantastic.
The Ruins by Scott B. Smith: Body horror and nature. It's so good. You'll never want to leave your house again!
The Changeling by Victor LaValle: The best retelling of this classic folktale. So many themes. It's a great book just for that but it's also terrifying in many parts.
Let the Right One In by John Ajdive Lindqvist: It's a classic vampire story. So many good things in here about loyalty, friendship, coming-of-age, and it's unsettling.
For Kids:
Small Spaces by Katherine Arden: A truly creepy kids book!
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark series by Alvin Schwartz: Classic stories and those terrifying images are still so very creepy!
The Forgotten Girl by India Brown
City of Ghosts series by Victoria Schwab: G and I have loved reading this series. Schwab takes us to different haunted cities in each book. The ghosts are very scary. We can't wait for the third book next year!
The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury: I read this one with G a couple of years ago and it's just a classic tale that talks about a lot of myths and legends behind Halloween but all done in a story for kids.
Nightbooks by J.A. White: I'm not even done yet but it's already a favorite.
Where the Woods End by Charlotte Salter
Spirit Hunters by Ellen Oh: This one was super scary. I read this one with G a couple of years ago and he had to keep the lights on!
Happy Halloween! Stay safe and scared...
GREAT lists!! So many of these are still on my TBR! I freaking LOVED Small Spaces by Katherine Arden! There was one scene that truly terrified me. It was so well written!
ReplyDeleteI’m so pleased to see Jack Sparks on your list, that book was truly terrifying, I loved it but I couldn’t read it at night!
ReplyDeleteCity of Ghosts are high on my TBR pile. I really want to read that. And The Historian just got added to it.... That sounds sooo good!
DeleteHope you had a great Halloween weekend.
I hope you get to the Historian. It's a great book. I hope you had a lovely weekend too. Thanks for stopping by!
DeleteRight? Jack Sparks was terrifying. I read that in a hotel room after everyone else had fallen asleep while on vacation. That could've added to the terror...
DeleteOh, cool! lots of good ones to check out from your list.
ReplyDeleteGlad you like the list!
DeleteYeah I read The Historian and listened to The Ruins ... both good, spooky. I can't think of any other scary ones I've read at the moment. hmm. You might also like the novel Severance .... and the novel Underground Airlines ... hmm a bit different.
ReplyDeleteSeverance is on my list. I tried Underground Airlines but I just couldn't get into it. Maybe I'll try it again.
DeleteI loved the ending of My Best Friend's Exorcism so much! Possession books usually freak me out but I'm glad I read this one because of the ending.
ReplyDeleteI read Small Spaces last week. It was surprisingly creepy for a kids' book! My mom had to be at work at 6 am when I was little so she would drop us off at my grandparents' house in the morning. I remember walking down their long, dark driveway to catch the school bus and being afraid that their Halloween scarecrow was following me! This book brought that memory up for sure!
I've had Let the Right One In on my TBR forever. I finally found it on the digital library this year but then I forgot about it again. Oh well. I'm burnt out on horror at the moment but there's always next year!
I'm finishing up a couple of horror books that I started in October but after that I'll be horrored out for a month or two! lol. Let the Right One In is great and the original movie was also really well done. I hope next time you are ready for horror, you pick this one up!
Delete