Book List: Scary Books You Need to Read

Table of Contents for The Best Scary Books to Read List

Horror consists of so many subgenres these days, so I’ve divided my list into separate categories. You can scroll through the entire post, or you can click one of the Table of Content links below to jump to your preferred horror category.

• Haunted Houses
• Demonic Possessions
• Folk Horror and Urban Legends (Folklore, Urban Legends, Mythology)
• Historical Fiction
• Technology and Media Horror (stories centered around Ghost TV shows, Reality TV, Social Media, and Movies)
• Young Adult/YA Horror 
• Cult Horror 
• Slasher Horror/Serial Killers
• Miscellaneous

I plan to update this spooky book list on the regular, so check in frequently to see what new horrors await you!

HAUNTED HOUSES

I will read pretty much anything about haunted houses, so that’s why there are soooo many more recommendations for these books than anything else on the book list. #sorrynotsorry!

The September House by Carissa Orlando

The September House was my favorite spooky read from my 2023 Spooky Reading List. This debut horror novel by Carissa Orlando is “unputdownable.” I read it in one day.  

I loved pretty much everything about The September House. The twist on the haunted house trope and how the hauntings really go nuts during one particular month. The blood pouring down walls and the ghosts climbing up them. A basement that should always be boarded up because of what they’re trying to keep at bay. They’re all classic “haunting” elements, but each is done so differently. The September House is massively creepy, darkly funny, and surprisingly moving. Five. Fucking. Stars.

Theme Music by T. Marie Vandelly

I’m listing Theme Music right after The September House because if you like one of these books, I think you’ll like the other. Check out Theme Music if you’re looking for a unique and heart-pounding blend of thriller, mystery, suspense, and supernatural horror. You won’t be disappointed. A little nauseous, maybe. But not disappointed. You can read my full book review of Theme Music here.

The Good House by Tananarive Due

Tananarive Due is a master of slow burn and building suspense – even though The Good House kicks off with a bang that I was not expecting. I was immediately drawn into this dark tale about a family curse, voodoo and magic, and ghostly happenings in a broken family’s home. Read this one if you love generational family sagas with a spooky twist.

The House of Last Resort by Christopher Golden

Even though my co-host Kait hated The House of Last Resort, I absolutely loved everything about it – the dreamy Italian country landscape, the hellish events plaguing the happy couple in their new house, and the eerie rumors circulating around the small village about what used to happen at “the house of last resort.” It’s a great combo of a classic haunted house and demon possession story. Listen to my full review of the book on The House of Last Resort podcast episode.

The Spite House by Johnny Compton

The Spite House places a new, terrifying twist on the typical haunted house story. The house in this book is hauntedAF. It doesn’t waste time showing its unfortunate inhabitants what it’s about. One the creepiest parts of the novel is when you’re brought into the POV of a couple that stayed there previously and you learn, slowly, what happened to them while they were in that house… and what’s still happening to them even though they left it. Johnny Compton’s story impressed and scared me, the latter of which isn’t easy to do. I actually slept with the lights on while I read this book.

The Bird Eater  by Ania Ahlborn

The Bird Eater is still one of the creepiest stories I’ve ever read. The story starts off with a bang. I’m talking, chapter one, strange things are happening. Strange. They escalate quickly, and by the end of the first chapter, you’re gobsmacked with what just happened. Jaw-droppingly gobsmacked. A little boy figures prominently in this book, and he is probably the most disturbing part of every scene in which he appears. I haven’t been this freaked out by a child since I watched The Grudge. You can read my full book review of The Bird Eater here.

The Carrow Haunt by Darcy Coates

I’ll admit, it’s been awhile since I read The Carrow Haunt. I don’t exactly remember what it’s about, or what specifically I loved about it. But I gave it five stars on Goodreads, so it must have been awesome! I’ve read a few Darcy Coates books – she’s a queen of ghosty fiction – and I do remember that The Carrow Haunt sticks out as one of my favorites. There were good scares, good plotting, good characters, and I definitely walked away happy.

The Hacienda by Isabel Canas

I’ve seen a lot of bloggers and book reviews compare The Hacienda to Mexican Gothic, which was a DNF for me. PLEASE DO NOT CONFUSE THESE BOOKS. The Hacienda is such an incredible haunted house story. You’ve got both Rebecca and The Exorcist vibes going on in this book, so it’s spooky and atmospheric and suspenseful. There’s also a bit of a forbidden romance between main character Beatriz and, well, someone who’s not her husband – and that’s always fun, too. **wink** You can read my full book review of The Hacienda here.

Old Country by Matt Query and Harrison Query

This book was probably my favorite read of 2022. Hands down. The Brothers Query are frickin’ geniuses. Old Country blew me away with its originality, insidiously creepy reveals, and excellent writing. I’ve read a lot of haunted house stories, but this tale about a young married couple living on haunted land stands out as a rare treat in the horror genre. You can read my full book review of Old Country here.

The Stroke of Winter by Wendy Webb

Wendy Webb is one of my favorite supernatural horror authors. She writes “Northern Gothic” cozy horror, and she’s the queen of making you want to live in a haunted house because she just makes it sound so damn cozy. The Stroke of Winter gives you good suspense, good characters, and good creep factor. When the main character’s not being scared out of her wits, she’s cooking delicious sounding meals; she’s playing with her new dog friend; she’s meeting up with her neighbors in her small cozy winter town; and she’s exploring a budding romance with a handsome, single handyman. I mean, come on. What more do you want?

Note: other spooky book recommendations from Wendy Webb are The Vanishing, The Tale of Halcyon Crane, and The End of Temperance Dare.

The Graveyard Apartment by Mariko Koike

Why should houses get all the ghosts? The Graveyard Apartment is about a seriously spooky apartment in Japan. The sense of dread and unease that permeates the The Graveyard Apartment stays with you long after you’ve turned the last page. This is the kind of scary book I love most: the kind that makes you jump at every little sound, that urges you to check over your shoulder for things you know probably aren’t there. You can read my full book review of The Graveyard Apartment here. 

Let Him In by William Friend

This is a slow burn horror story that falls into a favorite subgenre: grief horror. There’s a grieving family coping with a mother’s death, eerie twin girls who keep seeing things in their room at night, and a house that seems to haunt generations of family members. Let Him In exudes modern Gothic vibes that will make you question your child’s imaginary friend. Is the twins’ sinister, invisible friend a coping mechanism after tragedy, or is it something more – something real?

The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon

“You know nothing of the madness of the dead.” If that quote from The Winter People doesn’t unsettle you completely, I don’t know what will.  I’ve read quite a few Jennifer McMahon titles, and this one is my favorite. A woman raises her daughter from the dead. I mean, literally raises her from the dead. Said dead kid then skulks around corners of the house, peering out at you and trying to interact, but still staying well enough in the shadows that you never really get a good look at her. She’s kinda herself, but she’s also kinda…not.  There’s also a modern-day mystery that delves into the past (with the ghost child), and the heart-pounding suspense of that should get your adrenaline pumping if the little dead girl doesn’t. The Winter People is the horror book that I wish I’d written.

Also of note by Jennifer McMahon: The Drowning Kind

Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak

Billed as “The Haunting of Hill House meets The Perfect Nanny,” this supernatural thriller by Jason Rekulak surpassed all the expectations I had for it. It features a kid who starts making some really creepy drawings. Every drawing that the kid creates is in Hidden Pictures. Which means that when the main characters sees his disturbingAF drawings — like a woman who looks like she crawled out of the The Ring, or a man dragging a woman by the ankles through a forest  — so do you. You can read my full book review of Hidden Pictures here.

DEMONIC POSSESSIONS

Tales of demonic possessions have to be my second favorite subgenre of horror. I’ve watched a lot of Exorcist-esque movies, and I’m always pulled toward books themed around possession cases. Here are some of my faves. 

Piñata by Leopoldo Gout

This tale of demonic possession steeped in ancient Mexican history and folklore is fantastic. I loved learning about what a real piñata is, and about all of the myths and superstitions of the indigenous people who inhabited the Mexican peninsula before Europeans arrived. The first few pages of Piñata are the most terrifying, even though nothing supernatural happens in them. It’s just 1500s Christian clergy being themselves. Then, the supernatural arrives in one of the most fantastic displays of comeuppance, ever. This book is a creepy, emotional, and heart-pounding adventure from start to finish.

A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay

A Head Full of Ghosts is skin-crawlingly creepy throughout and downright horrifying in certain parts. Although it draws on many classic techniques from popular horror films, Tremblay brings a new, wicked creativity to the “usual” scenes, making them anything but. If you’re well-versed in supernatural media, you’ll appreciate the criticism that is peppered throughout the story. I also really enjoyed the “demonic vs mental illness” confusion/debate that runs throughout the novel. The end of this book, however, is what’s truly terrifying. You can only read this once, people.

My Darling Girl by Jennifer McMahon

Jennifer McMahon appears a few times on this list since she’s one of my favorite horror authors. My Darling Girl hangs a dark cloud over Christmastime with a story about a fractured mother-daughter relationship fueled by alcoholism …or, maybe, by something else? Lots of creepy moments, unsettling realizations, and characters you can’t help but care for drive this tale about the demons that may be lurking within.

Come Closer by Sara Gran

Come Closer is one of the most terrifying books I’ve ever read. It’s also short; I read the entire thing in 2-3 hours. Gran puts a fascinating twist on the usual demonic possession story — it’s told from the viewpoint of the possessed person. The writing is strong, intoxicating, and visceral, perfectly mirroring the demon it presents. While the beginning of the book invokes the usual tropes like strange noises and occurrences to set the scene, it quickly moves into the bone-chilling loss of control that overtakes the victim’s life and free will. And, the ending of Close Closer? It shattered me.

My Darling Dreadful Thing by Johanna Van Veen

Van Veen gives us an interesting twist on a classic  — willful demonic possession. Main character Roo starts off scared by the ghostly, rotting girl that appears underneath her floorboards. Soon, though, Roo’s inviting the ghost to possess her. Van Veen’s writing, imagery, use of language, and world-building in this novel are masterful. Perfect for fans of Henry James’ The Turn of the Screw, My Darling Dreadful Thing brilliantly and beautifully blurs the line between “is this a haunting or a hallucination?” Listen to my full review of the book on My Darling Dreadful Thing podcast episode.

FOLK HORROR AND URBAN LEGENDS (Folklore, Urban Legends, Mythology)

FICTION:

Folk horror is a relatively new and emerging subgenre of horror, and I am here for it. It’s usually atmospheric, slow moving, and rooted in local urban legends, folk tales and superstitions, and/or cultural mythology from all different regions.

The Twisted Ones by T. Kingfisher

The Twisted Ones is the first book I read by Kingfisher, and it’s still one of my favorites. Taking place in Appalachia – a great setting for folk horror – this story about configurations of sticks and stones that absolutely will break your bones scared the buhjeezus outta me. The Twisted Ones will make you want to keep your curtains closed and stay out of the woods forever.

A Haunting on the Hill by Elizabeth Hand

There are a lot of retellings of Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House out there, but A Haunting on the Hill is one of my favorites. It’s unsettling, atmospheric, and filled with tension and suspense. Witchcraft and witchy folklore imbue every aspect of the novel, from the large hares that appear in and around the house to the creepy woman down the street who very well could be an actual witch. And the house itself…well, it’s just not normal. Elizabeth Hand delivers an excellent modern Gothic novel with A Haunting on the Hill.

What Feasts at Night (Sworn Soldier Series, #2) by T. Kingfisher

What Feasts at Night is the second book in the Sworn Soldier series. (The first book, What Moves the Dead, is featured in the Historical Fiction section of this post.)  In What Feasts at Night the adventures of non-binary main character Alex Easton & their motley crew of friends into the fictional yet appropriately dreary country of Gallacia. Local Gallacian folklore drives the action, bringing in witchcraft, superstition, curses, and spirits to create an unputdownable novella. Listen to my full review of the book on the What Feasts at Night podcast episode.

NON-FICTION:

Although I love supernatural fiction, nothing is better than a true ghost story. I love picking up books about local ghost lore while I’m on vacation. My bookshelves are overflowing with accounts of weird creatures terrorizing rural highways or spectres sitting on neighborhood tombstones at night.

In all my travels, though, I’ve found that the best scary stories come out of New England. Here are my favorite collections:

I Never Believed in Ghosts Until… by USA Weekend

The New England Ghost Files by Charles Turek Robinson

The stories in these two books are told from an eyewitness point of view, and they range from slightly disturbing to scary as hell. The illustrations in Ghost Files rival the creep factor of those in the classic Scary Stories to Tell In the Dark by Alvin Schwartz.

Spooky Massachusetts: Tales of Hauntings, Strange Happenings, and Other Local Lore by S.E. Schlosser

The “Spooky States” series is for the readers who want real ghost stories. While I’m specifically discussing Spooky Massachusetts here, there are “Spooky” books for almost every state, as well as for some geographic regions (e.g., Spooky New England). Each book contains a great collection of local ghostly and supernatural folklore. The tales are recounted from an eyewitness point of view, which is my favorite way to read a ghost story. It’s almost like someone telling you one over a campfire.

Some of these stories are truly ghastly (“The Brick Wall” and “Black Magic” in Spooky Mass), and I was pretty creeped out by numerous entries. I also learned about a few new supernatural beings (“Bean Nighe”), which is always fun, and it was interesting to read different takes on more classic American supernatural tales (“The Jewelry Box” and “The Black Horse”).

HISTORICAL FICTION

Whenever I think about haunted historical fiction, I think of eerie Gothic vibes – even if the story isn’t set in the Gothic time period. These books are all set in the past and full of atmospheric vibes where the time period and setting really set the spooky mood.

The Haunting of Maddy Clare by Simone St. James

Simone St. James has recently published more contemporary supernatural thrillers like Murder Road and The Sun Down Motel, but she cut her teeth writing great historical fiction. The Haunting of Maddy Clare remains one of my favorite St. James novels. It’s about an unhappy spirit named Maddy Clare who’s lingering in a rural English barn, and it’s up to a motley crew of post-WWI ghost hunters to move Maddy over to the next realm. The ghostly occurrences are intense. I loved them. This novel also gives you a woman discovering her psychic abilities, a murder mystery, and a decadently delicious romance between two ghost hunters.

Fun note: I didn’t realize this book was actually filed under “Romance” when I first started reading it. However, about halfway through, the “romance” label becomes abundantly clear as you come across some graphically (but good) sexy passages. Don’t leave this one lying around for the kiddos to leaf through.

The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell

In my opinion, it’s not very hard to make scary things scary. Vampires, zombies, ghosts, werewolves, etc. – they’re all creatures I know I should be wary of. What I really love is when someone creates a sense of deep, penetrating fear around something you normally wouldn’t look twice at. And, this is exactly what author Laura Purcell does with The Silent Companions, which is a ghost story about bewitched wooden figurines. Stay with me. There are plenty of times I gasped aloud while reading this book. More often than not, I ended most chapters by yelling out, “Holy crap! That’s so creepy!” Don’t skip this one. You can read my full book review of The Silent Companions here.

The Last Heir to Blackwood Library by Hester Fox

This post-WWI historical fiction tale follows a penniless young woman who inherits a crumbling estate on the Yorkshire moors. There’s a creepy library, odd servants, some suspicious occult books, a love story gone awry, rumors about ghosts and family curses, and a heart-pounding race to the finish. And, if you’re into cults, The Last Heir to Blackwood Library ticks that box, too.  

Silence for the Dead by Simone St. James

Yup, it’s another Simone St. James book. I told you she writes great historical fiction. This one’s about a young woman posing as a nurse at a hospital for shell-shocked soldiers. There’s the usual Gothic horror tropes – a creaky old house, misty images flitting around darkened corners, and a remote location that, at some point, will be totally cut off from the rest of the world. But, there’s also a strong heroine and a smoldering romance between the nurse and one of the soldiers. Lose yourself in a world where you’re not sure what’s more unsettling – the dead that may roam the halls, or the living.

What Moves the Dead (Sworn Soldier Series, #1) by T. Kingfisher

What Moves the Dead is a fantastic retelling of The Fall of the House of Usher. Kingfisher’s writing in this novella exudes all the right creepy, Gothic vibes for her take on a classic tale, bringing together a fabulous cast of characters, including fastidious mycologist Miss Potter and a non-binary main character Alex Easton, to uncover why a dear friend just won’t stay dead. Listen to my full review of the book on What Moves the Dead podcast episode.