The Best Spooky/Horror Books to Read
This post is all about the best spooky/horror books to read to get you into that Halloween spirit.
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With Halloween just around the corner, let’s waste no time and just dive into it with these spooky reads.
1. We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
“Shirley Jackson’s beloved gothic tale of a peculiar girl named Merricat and her family’s dark secret
Taking readers deep into a labyrinth of dark neurosis, We Have Always Lived in the Castle is a deliciously unsettling novel about a perverse, isolated, and possibly murderous family and the struggle that ensues when a cousin arrives at their estate.”
This book has been constantly appearing in my recommendations and with good reason. If you want unreliable narration, gothic ambiance, and something eerie to sink your teeth into, then I highly recommend you pick this one up. The reviews for this book are also pretty spectacular, giving it high ratings and labeling it as a masterpiece’. That, I don’t disagree.
2. The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
“The greatest haunted house story ever written, the inspiration for a 10-part Netflix series directed by Mike Flanagan and starring Michiel Huisman, Carla Gugino, and Timothy Hutton
First published in 1959, Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House has been hailed as a perfect work of unnerving terror. It is the story of four seekers who arrive at a notoriously unfriendly pile called Hill House: Dr. Montague, an occult scholar looking for solid evidence of a “haunting”; Theodora, his lighthearted assistant; Eleanor, a friendless, fragile young woman well acquainted with poltergeists; and Luke, the future heir of Hill House. At first, their stay seems destined to be merely a spooky encounter with inexplicable phenomena. But Hill House is gathering its powers—and soon it will choose one of them to make its own.”
Shirley Jackson certainly seemed to know what she was doing when she created these books. We can’t make a list of the best spooky/horror books to read and not include the mother of all haunted house books, can we?
3. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
Last Night I Dreamt I went to Manderley Again…
“With these words, the reader is ushered into an isolated gray stone mansion on the windswept Cornish coast, as the second Mrs. Maxim de Winter recalls the chilling events that transpired as she began her new life as the young bride of a husband she barely knew.
For in every corner of every room were phantoms of a time dead but not forgotten—a past devotedly preserved by the sinister housekeeper, Mrs. Danvers: a suite immaculate and untouched, clothing laid out and ready to be worn, but not by any of the great house’s current occupants.
With an eerie presentiment of evil tightening her heart, the second Mrs. de Winter walked in the shadow of her mysterious predecessor, determined to uncover the darkest secrets and shattering truths about Maxim’s first wife—the late and hauntingly beautiful Rebecca.”
This book is the epitome of all things hauntingly beautiful. I cannot express to you how much I adore this novel. Definitely put this one on your list because it’s refreshing and truly the definition of “a modern ghost story”. You can also read my full review of this book here.
4. Coraline by Neil Gaiman
Coraline discovered the door a little while after they moved into the house….
“When Coraline steps through a door to find another house strangely similar to her own (only better), things seem marvelous.
But there’s another mother there, and another father, and they want her to stay and be their little girl. They want to change her and never let her go.
Coraline will have to fight with all her wit and courage if she is to save herself and return to her ordinary life.
Neil Gaiman’s Coraline is a can’t-miss classic that enthralls readers age 8 to 12 but also adults who enjoy a perfect smart spooky read.”
Coraline has and will always be a classic and one of my absolute favourites. It gives that creepy vibe that you’re looking for! So, don’t be afraid to give this one a try.
5. Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough
“Louise is a single mom, a secretary, stuck in a modern-day rut. On a rare night out, she meets a man in a bar and sparks fly. Though he leaves after they kiss, she’s thrilled she finally connected with someone.
When Louise arrives at work on Monday, she meets her new boss, David. The man from the bar. The very married man from the bar…who says the kiss was a terrible mistake, but who still can’t keep his eyes off Louise.
And then Louise bumps into Adele, who’s new to town and in need of a friend. But she also just happens to be married to David. And if you think you know where this story is going, think again, because Behind Her Eyes is like no other book you’ve read before.
David and Adele look like the picture-perfect husband and wife. But then why is David so controlling? And why is Adele so scared of him?
As Louise is drawn into David and Adele’s orbit, she uncovers more puzzling questions than answers. The only thing that is crystal clear is that something in this marriage is very, very wrong. But Louise can’t guess how wrong―and how far a person might go to protect their marriage’s secrets.
In Behind Her Eyes, Sarah Pinborough has written a novel that takes the modern-day love triangle and not only turns it on its head, but completely reinvents it in a way that will leave readers reeling.”
I’ll be honest, I watched the Netflix series before I read the book and I’m not sure if I’m mad about it or not because both were pretty darn great. One thing I still couldn’t get over though, well, THAT ENDING. If this isn’t reason enough for your to pick up this crazy-wonderful-creepy-thriller then you’re clearly missing out! The twist simply smacks you in the face. And I guarantee, you won’t see it coming.
6. Salem’s Lot by Stephen King
“Ben Mears has returned to Jerusalem’s Lot in the hopes that living in an old mansion, long the subject of town lore, will help him cast out his own devils and provide inspiration for his new book. But when two young boys venture into the woods and only one comes out alive, Mears begins to realize that there may be something sinister at work and that his hometown is under siege by forces of darkness far beyond his control.”
Confession, I have had a copy of this book for years and I’m still crawling through the pages. Not because it’s bad, it’s just- pretty damn scary. There really is a solid reason why they call Stephen King the King of Horror, you just got to pick up one of his books and judge for yourself.
7. House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski
“The story focuses on a young family that moves into a small home on Ash Tree Lane where they discover something is terribly wrong: their house is bigger on the inside than it is on the outside.
Of course, neither Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist Will Navidson nor his companion Karen Green was prepared to face the consequences of that impossibility, until the day their two little children wandered off and their voices eerily began to return another story — of creature darkness, of an ever-growing abyss behind a closet door, and of that unholy growl which soon enough would tear through their walls and consume all their dreams.”
This book? This book is chaotic- but in a very very good way.
8. The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty
Now if you really want to torture yourself (in a good way of course) here’s one to add to this list of best spooky/horror books to read.
“Inspired by a true story of a child’s demonic possession in the 1940s, William Peter Blatty created an iconic novel that focuses on Regan, the eleven-year-old daughter of a movie actress residing in Washington, D.C. A small group of overwhelmed yet determined individuals must rescue Regan from her unspeakable fate, and the drama that ensues is gripping and unfailingly terrifying.
The Exorcist was, and is, more than just a novel and a film: it is a true landmark.
Purposefully raw and profane, The Exorcist still has the extraordinary ability to disturb readers and cause them to forget that it is just a story.”
Books based on/ inspired by true stories and events are absolutely terrifying. I can’t make a horror list and not include this devil of a book in it.
9. The Good Daughter by Karin Slaughter
“Two girls are forced into the woods at gunpoint. One runs for her life. One is left behind…
Twenty-eight years ago, Charlotte and Samantha Quinn’s happy small-town family life was torn apart by a terrifying attack on their family home. It left their mother dead. It left their father — Pikeville’s notorious defense attorney — devastated. And it left the family fractured beyond repair, consumed by secrets from that terrible night.
Twenty-eight years later, and Charlie has followed in her father’s footsteps to become a lawyer herself — the ideal good daughter. But when violence comes to Pikeville again — and a shocking tragedy leaves the whole town traumatized — Charlie is plunged into a nightmare. Not only is she the first witness on the scene, but it’s a case that unleashes the terrible memories she’s spent so long trying to suppress. Because the shocking truth about the crime that destroyed her family nearly thirty years ago won’t stay buried forever…”
If you’re new to Karin Slaughter’s books, then just be aware that her writing isn’t for the faint of heart. I will point out that there are trigger warnings beforehand in this book. However, if you can stomach that (the gore, etc.) then this thriller is a heavy one that you’ll refuse to put down.
Trust me, you’ll be hooked, cooked, and eaten just by chapter one.
10. The Woman in Black by Susan Hill
“Arthur Kipps, a young lawyer, travels to a remote village to put the affairs of a recently deceased client, Alice Drablow in order. As he works alone in her isolated house, Kipps begins to uncover disturbing secrets – and his unease grows when he glimpses a mysterious woman dressed in black. The locals are strangely unwilling to talk about the unsettling occurrence, and Kipps is forced to uncover the true identity of the Woman in Black on his own, leading to a desperate race against time when he discovers her true intent…”
If you’re into ghost stories that give off a gothic, Victorian ambiance, then get your hands on this dark and chilling tale.
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Have you read any of these yet?
If you haven’t, be sure to pick some up and let me know what you think. Or, drop a recommendation below!
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