I recently finished reading What Moves the Dead. I love it! I read Fall of the House of Usher afterwards. I have got to say T Kingfisher does an amazing retelling. She uses what information Poe has provided and builds on it in a very beautiful, horrifying and convincing way. I love how there is a logic behind the horror. That is one of the best retellings I have read. This just made me want to read the rest of T Kingfishers books as soon as possible. And thank you, because you introduced her to me with Nettle and Bone. I love the book too. 😊
Erin A. Craig's books are such wonderful stories, I cannot wait to get my hands on A House of Roots and Ruin... I think that is the right name. Thanks for all the reccommendations!
Another good T Kingfisher novel is The Twisted Ones. It's typical T Kingfisher - creepy with humor - not too scary. So few people talk about The Twisted Ones but it was the first book I read of hers and made me an instant fan. The Hollow Places is another one for spooky season. Also, under her author name Ursula Vernon, Castle Hangnail, is a middle-grade book with lighthearted creepiness - it's really cute.
I read a book called The Girl Next Door by Jack Ketchum recently and it's the only horror book I've read that's actually taken something out of me. All the content/trigger warnings are out for this one. It's such a horrible situation and Ketchum does a really good, subtle job of pulling you through the psychology of it. You don't _want_ to understand why these characters are doing this, but you _do._ It's so brutally human, and sadly inspired by a true story. I'll only recommend it to people who I think can handle it because the subject matter is so damn depraved and grisly. It's a very important book imo, and it's very well written. The prose is simple but compelling and I couldn't put it down. Read it in three days. It's like I had to finish it quickly because I wanted the nightmare to be over.
I'm not really a horror reader, but I do love me a dose of Dean R. Koontz. His books usually have elements of horror, yes, but also sci-fi, thriller, romance, spirituality (and maybe a sliver of fantasy). These are oldies but my two favorites are Watchers, with a special dog at the center of the story, and Strangers (would be spoiler if I gave a hint about what the story is about).
Dean Koontz is the reason I read as an adult! Started in the early 90's and been a fan since and his works is what started my love for reading. Watchers was my very favorite book of his!!
Since you enjoy some YA, I suggest Small Spaces by Katherine Arden. There's also the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark trilogy. If you want something a bit more adult but not blood and gore, there's Carmilla which inspired Bram Stoker. I want to give Dowry of Blood and The Final Girl Support Group a try this year.
I recommend Hold Back the Tide by Melinda Salisbury. It's a spooky fantasy novel set in historical Scotland and totally underhyped imo. It's about a girl whose father is in charge of the local loch and keeps an eye on the water level because if it sinks too low, evil creatures will escape from beneath the surface. However, there's a mill in the nearby village that takes too much water and so, the level starts sinking... Also, it contains a nice romantic subplot. I usually don't like horror, especially in movies, but I enjoy a good horror story every once in a while. Also, I love House of Hollow. It has been one of my favourites so far into this year.
Small Angels and Path of Thorns are two I read last year that are both gothic creepy, which I don’t find too scary but has that nice shiver-y aspect. I really liked both!
I loved Ninth House! And Hell Bent! I think Bardugo is my favorite new author. I only found out about her last month. Thanks for the recommendation, even if you didn't care for it!
House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski. A family moves into a house and realize that it's bigger on the inside than outside. The photojournalist husband starts recording the changes like appearing doorways and howls through the wall. I found it creepy, but others have said it's the scariest book they've read so your miles may very. Stylistically it's very interesting, with a book framing the book. The text is also literally all over the place with some pages having one line and others with the text printed all over it, it's sideways, etc.
YES! It is absolutely one of the best and scariest book I have read but in an engrossing way. I find that the stylistic choices force you to engage with the book in a physical way that heightens both the emotions of the story and increases your engagement. It reflects the mood of the book while also controlling your pace so well. Flipping through dozens of pages that only have a few words on it; rotating the book to read the sideways text, reading the book is such an experience. Its a cult classic for a reason. I reread it every few years and get something new out of every time but i know that some people bounce off of it because of the... odd narration style.
My favorite of all time. I ended up completely skipping the other "side" story of the guy and only focusing on the house. I could not put it down and it seriously freaked me out. I felt like I was there. Been looking for a book to scare me like that ever since.
Love that you have spooky recs for different tastes-- I'm a big horror fan, and my sisters both enjoy that horror-fantasy blend, but it's great to know which books I can also rec to people who have different levels of horror comfort, or who are comfortable with horror but like that fantasy side to hook them in. Plus I never know where to start with YA horror but definitely want to. I'm going to have to read... basically all of these!
Thank you! These are awesome! I am picking our next Book Club selection and I wanted something creepy and. you provided me with a good selection to choose from!!
Horror is my favorite genre, always excited when people start reading more this time of year. I feel like I’m the only one that reads it every day of the year lol.
Totally agree that Small Favors is great for the ride, but I do like a good explanation and wrap up, and I'm definitely hoping this one gets a sequel based on the ending.
Elliot thank you for sharing some amazing books 📚 love it 🥰 prayers and blessings to you and your husband and your beautiful and amazing puppy 🐶 love your number one Aussie family friend John ❤❤❤
I've read a lot of horror in my time, but far prefer psychological & creepy over gory. Some of my favourites are really disturbing in that messing-with-your-head way: The Dumb House - John Burnside The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks The Last House on Needless Street - Catriona Ward Let The Right One In - John Ajvide Lindqvist No One Gets Out Alive - Adam Nevill The Turn of the Screw - Henry James The Haunting of Hill House - Shirley Jackson Naomi's Room - Jonathan Aycliffe Are some of my favourites. There are so many great horrors (& a lot of cr*p lol.) Would never read Jack Ketchum - too gross, sexualizing the victims & making profits off a horrific true story. Classics like Poe, Algernon Blackwood, & M. R. James are some of my favourite short story horror writers. Stephen King is a big hit or miss for me. I prefer his early stuff. Read T. Kingfisher's What Moves The Dead. Was pretty good, and will read more of her work. Going to finally tackle The House of Leaves next month!!
I'm afraid the only thing I can think of is the Wardstone Chronicles by Joseph Delaney which are a few years old now beginning with the Spook's Apprentice. Set in a mythical land called The County but to anyone who lives in the north of England will recognise as Lancashire it delves into the folklore of ghosts boggarts and especially witches. Heavily borrowing characters from the Pendle Witches. The Spooks role is similar to that of Witchers in Sapkowski's books. They deal with the evil forces in the county. They get payed for their trouble but are generally shunned from the rest of society. The Apprentice born the 7th son of a 7th son. Well he's on a very steep learning curve indeed. Maybe it can be considered a little YA but they don't hold back in detail when it comes to blood and bone magic.
I recently read House of Salt and Sorrows and really enjoyed it. I read it to try and give the author another try as I read Small Favors and didn't enjoy it. I've also read The Salt Grows Heavy earlier this year and I enjoyed it but I wanted it to be longer. It's a problem I have with many novellas I read.
Forgotten Bones by Vivian Barz is a really good ghost story. It's not too bad on the scary scale but will definitely creep you out a bit, recommend reading during the day. It's the book that got me into ghost stories.
Not on topic, but how many editions of strange the dreamer do you have? lol. I think I can see at least three maybe four and since you sort by height I’m wondering if more are hiding somewhere. 😂 (I think the litjoy edition is going to be my Christmas gift! Sooo excited😍)
Quick Question! Did you ever finish the Daevabod series (it starts with the City of Brass)? I felt similarly to you on that one and wanted to get your thoughts on the rest.
T Kingfisher writes great horror novels. The Twisted Ones is based on a classic of weird fiction, The White People. The Hollow Place (which seriously creeped me out) is based on The Willows. A House With Good Bones is not related to anything else, and has a wonderful heroine who is fat and doesn’t care what people think (and also has a romantic past). Oh, and there’s a sequel coming to the book you recommended…
The Outsider by Stephen King is pretty good. Spooky but not to spooky you may really enjoy that one. To anybody reading this I hope you find great books. Books that send you on a journey somewhere far, books that warm your hearts on a cold winter's night, books that make you question reality, books for you to enjoy no matter what you like to read! I hope you find the perfect book for you❤!
Love love the Recs. Daysi Darker by Alice feeney Its something you might enjoy. The author is very good at plot twist and setting it up. This book is clue meets some kinda sweet Nancy drew story with grandma. It's pretty dark but there is something very sweet about it. You just got to read it and judge for yourself it's hard to explain 😂
I'm not a big horror reader but I do like scary or even (a little bit) disturbing books. I really loved Summer Sons by Lee Mandelo. It's more paranormal than fantasy set in the South with a small amount of dark academia. TW for grief and some body horror, gore. I liked Leech by Hiron Ennes. This shows similarities to What Moves the Dead, it's set in a gothic mansion and there is a mysterious illness/cause of death. TW for body and medical horror and not explicit child SA. If you like vampires, I enjoyed Dowry of Blood by S. T. Gibson. It's about Dracula's wives without ever naming him in the story. TW for very toxic, manipulating relationship.
I shall awaken is a YA horror with great atmosphere throughout the whole book. One day, four kids went missing without any trace. Now when a couple of years passed, three of them came back without any memory and they will try to find the one they left behind with the help of their friend who witnessed their kidnapping, but no one trusts her because it was something supernatural. Really great fast paced book, just check the trigger warnings because there is violence against children.
I have so much trouble because I only have one audible credit and every time I see a book that has so many good reviews some people are like ITS HORRID. And I’m just like HOW TF DO I CHOOSE ONE. I loved stolen tongues and the exorcist house (only books I’ve read) anyone have recommendations if I like eerie creepy shit especially supernatural ghost stuff or demons and also cult folk lore stuff . I just want it to be creepy. I don’t really like body horror or gore.
Leech by Hiron Ennes is a really good gothic sci-fi story that has a lot of interesting psychological horror going on without being too over the top scary.
Im looking for this one book with a cowboy creepily smiling on the cover, i saw it awhile ago and now that i want to read it i cant find it, anyone know something like tht
I guess it might be creepy/scary in a bubble-gum chewing, teeny bopper kind of way-considering YA hijacked what once used to be literature worthy fantasy, science-fiction, and horror.
Body horror, invasive creatures, has some aspects that could be really disturbing for some people. The author uses innovative narrative techniques that make the book super memorable.
OH i have one book for you!! 👀these all look super good, this is perfect for me im just starting with the creepy books for this year hahahs, thanks!! 🤎Ill add a book I just finished yesterday!! I really think you would love it and it goes perfect with these vibes, the name is The Devil Makes Three by Tori Bovalino and it was SO. GOOD. i hope you like it if you check it out!
