Spooky season reads: Are you brave enough to crack open these 10 horror books?
It’s hard not to immerse yourself in fall traditions this time of year. Pumpkins line porches and doorsteps, the shelves are stocked with candy and the shortening days give autumn nights an eerie touch.
If you’re a “mood reader,” that likely means you’re matching your reading list to the falling leaves. It’s the perfect weather to find a comfy blanket, make yourself a cup of tea and curl up with a cozy mystery or cozy fantasy story.
Or – if you dare – try one of these bone-chilling horror books.
Best horror books to read this spooky season
If you’re ready to dive into literature’s spookiest genre, we’ve got a few suggestions to start with – 10 beloved horror books and some contemporary releases for a scary October read. When you’re done checking out these recommendations, read our roundup of books that scare even best-selling horror writers.
‘A Certain Hunger’ by Chelsea G. Summers
A macabre commentary on the intersection of food, sex and gender, “A Certain Hunger” follows Dorothy, a food critic as she travels between New York and Italy for work. Deep, suppressed desires come to life when Dorothy finds herself plunging an ice pick into a lover’s neck on Fire Island. With a whipsmart, clever femme fatale voice, “A Certain Hunger” is about a woman on the brink embracing her most cannibal – ahem, carnal – desires.
‘The Shining’ by Stephen King
One of Stephen King’s most well-known novels, “The Shining” follows Jack Torrance, a writer and off-season caretaker at the Overlook Hotel. What he expects to be a new, serene opportunity to overcome writer’s block and reconnect with his family is anything but. The place feels increasingly sinister, and Jack’s gifted 5-year-old son is attuned to a terrible force lurking within the grounds.
‘The Troop’ by Nick Cutter
Even King said this book “scared the hell out of” him. “The Troop” follows a group of young boys and a scoutmaster who venture into the Canadian wilderness for a weekend camping trip full of traditions and ghost stories. But when they’re visited by an unexpected intruder – “the human carrier of a bioengineered nightmare” – the trip takes a dark, twisted turn.
‘The Only Good Indians’ by Stephen Graham Jones
“The Only Good Indians” is a psychological horror as much as it is a commentary on identity politics and Indigenous experiences. The novel follows the lives of four American Indian men and their families in the aftermath of a deadly event in their youth. Now, years later, they’re tormented by a vengeful entity and the culture they left behind.
‘The Haunting of Hill House’ by Shirley Jackson
Written by a pioneer of modern gothic literature, “The Haunting of Hill House” is one of Shirley Jackson’s most beloved works. This 1959 thriller follows four people who arrive at the mansion Hill House in pursuit of the supernatural. Among them is Dr. Montague, an occult scholar; his assistant Theodora; the fragile Eleanor, who has her own ghost experiences to lend to the expedition; and Luke, the house’s future heir. They soon discover this is much more than a haunted house trip – Hill House is powering up to make one of these guests a permanent resident.
‘Tender is the Flesh’ by Agustina Bazterrica
“Tender is the Flesh” is not for the faint of heart. In this world, a virus has deemed all animal meat poisonous. In its place is “special meat,” or human meat, which is now legal to consume. Protagonist Marcos tries to detach from the gory process of slaughtering and preparing humans at his day job. Everything changes when he’s gifted a live specimen. He’s forbidden from any personal contact with her, but unexpectedly finds himself treating her more like a human than a slab on the cutting room floor.
‘The Changeling’ by Victor LaValle
“The Changeling” follows new parents Apollo and Emma. Exhausted, anxious and disturbed by haunting thoughts, Emma appears to struggle with postpartum depression. Apollo is tormented by the box of books and recurring dreams he inherited from his father, who disappeared when he was young. When Emma commits an unspeakable act and vanishes, Apollo begins a quest to uncover dark legends and find the truth about his wife and child.
‘House of Leaves’ by Mark Z. Danielewski
“House of Leaves” is a “book within a book.” When Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist Will Navidson and his partner Karen Green move into a small home with their two children, they discover something puzzling – their house is much bigger inside than it appears on the outside. This law-defying, labyrinth of a house hides creatures of darkness, doors appear randomly and open to an abyss and an “unholy growl” threatens to consume them.
‘Mexican Gothic' by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
In "Mexican Gothic," debutante Noemí becomes an unlikely sleuth after her newly-wed cousin writes a distressed letter, begging for help from her remote home in the Mexican countryside. She'll have to outsmart her cousin's menacing new husband, his father and a house that she has foreboding, bloody dreams about. Allied with the family's youngest son, Noemí will uncover dark and violent secrets about a family empire in decline.
‘Dracula’ by Bram Stoker
No horror collection is complete without “Dracula,” the 1897 seminal classic by Bram Stoker. Jonathan Harker visits Transylvania to help Count Dracula purchase a London house, but he soon discovers something horrifying about his client: Dracula is a terrifying night-dweller who feeds on the living and preys on the innocent. A series of strange events ensues – a shipwreck washes up with no captain, a young woman finds puncture marks on her neck and an asylum inmate begins speaking of a new “Master” who will soon arrive.
Still looking for the right book?
Taste is subjective, and USA TODAY Books has plenty of genres to recommend. If you loved "Harry Potter" as a kid (or adult) try these magical books. If you're into domestic mysteries, try these titles similar to "Verity" by Colleen Hoover. Or if you want something with lower stakes and loveable characters, see if a "cozy mystery" or "cozy fantasy" book is for you.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Best horror books: Scary fiction to read this Halloween
