Book List - 10 SCARY READS FOR YOU THIS HALLOWEEN

Yes I know that this is a Fantasy and Science-Fiction book blog, but there's always been something about the month of October and Halloween that puts me in the mood to read a downright good and scary Horror book.  I love this time of year so much that my wife and I got married on Halloween and had our wedding reception in a haunted seaside hotel in fact.  Over the years I've had the pleasure of reading many books that are just perfect for this time of year.  With October quickly approaching, I was inspired to put together a list of my 10 favorite Halloween reads and after quite a bit of searching my memory banks, I believe I was able to accomplish just that.  Hope that you enjoy this list and maybe even discover a book or two that you haven't read yet that will get you into the Halloween spirit!  👻




10.  THE ELEMENTALS (1981) by Michael McDowell:  Are you by any chance a fan of the movie Beetlejuice?  How about The Nightmare Before Christmas?  Well if you enjoyed those movies, Michael McDowell wrote the screenplays for both of them.  So you already know that his writing style is going to lean toward the bizarre.  THE ELEMENTALS is one of the best examples of the Southern Gothic style of horror and just an extremely cool and creepy read.  The book deals with two families from Mobile, Alabama who retreat to their summer homes after attending the funeral of a related loved one.  The houses are in close proximity to each other sandwiching a third house that has been vacant for years and years.  The vacant house has been gradually filling with sand and also something else that is even more sinister unbeknownst to the two families.  They soon realize however that they are not alone and what they thought was an empty house on the beach isn't empty at all.  This is an awesome book that keeps the chills coming with every chapter.  





9.  THE KEEP (1981) by F. Paul Wilson: One of many vampire books on this list.  This has an interesting twist on the traditional vampire story though.  THE KEEP starts off with the ominous line "Something is murdering my men".  We soon learn that the "men" that this line refers to is a Nazi SS squad that has been stationed in an abandoned castle in the remote Transylvanian Alps during WWII.  The castle is positioned in a highly strategic area located near a pass that the troops have been assigned to monitor for any enemy soldier activity.  The problem is that every morning the commander of the squad wakes up to find another of his men mutilated and dead.  It is quite evident that someone or something is picking off his men and murdering them while they sleep.  It gets so bad that the Nazi commander even brings in some local folklore experts to get their help with what is going on.  What is revealed is both shocking and quite frightening.  This is a book that you will read with the lights on or a flashlight nearby.





8. WE HAVE ALWAYS LIVED IN THE CASTLE (1962) by Shirley Jackson:  Those who know me very well know that I am an incredibly huge fan of Shirley Jackson's works.  In my humble opinion she's among the greatest authors of the past hundred years period.  Most people would go with her more famous novel THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE for a Halloween read but I'm actually picking this one instead.  The one word that best describes this book is unsettling.  While not a straightforward horror book, this one is a little more complex but by no means any less frightening when all is said and done.  It tells the story of two sisters who live in a secluded estate with their aging and sick uncle.  Six years earlier the majority of the their family was killed through poisoning.  One of them was even fingered for the crime but then later acquitted.  The gist of the story is that you know that one of the sisters was the murderer but it isn't clear which one.  Throw in a bit of a killer twist and what you have here is a very creepy read that I think is Shirley Jackson's best book.  





7. MIDNIGHT (1989) by Dean Koontz:  Admittedly I'm not a huge Dean Koontz fan.  I feel like he misses more than he hits unfortunately, but MIDNIGHT is one heck of a scary story that I try to reread every few years (especially around Halloween).  I first read this book when I was a teenager and it scared the crap out of me.  As I've gotten older and have read it with more adult eyes, I'm pleased to say that it still hasn't lost one bit of its chill-factor.  MIDNIGHT is the story about a town named Moonlight Cove, where the citizens are changing with every passing night into raving savages and what could only be described as werewolf-like creatures.  The story is seen through the eyes of four citizens who for some reason are not affected by the change and we get every cool detail of the events that happen in the town through their eyes.  Some of it is incredibly creepy and the pursuit to find out why the town is experiencing this is just as much fun as the actual scenes of horror that occur.  This is a really good read for those who want something thrilling and scary this Halloween.





6. SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES (1962) by Ray Bradbury:  One of a few classics on this list, Bradbury's coming of age horror story is among my all-time favorites.  Part of the reason why this book is so scary is that the main characters are kids and we can all relate to what makes these kids terrified because we've all been there before. This one is even more chilling because the story takes place around Halloween.  A carnival comes to a Midwestern town in the middle of the night, arousing the interest of two young boys who are best friends.  The carnival brings with it an air of mystery and the promise of making every child's wish come true.  As the two boys sneak onto the carnival grounds to explore a little, what they uncover is way more than either of them ever bargained for and one of the most eerie stories that I've ever read.  This one set the standard for all of the coming of age horror tales to follow in my opinion.  Just a stupendous darkly fantastic horror read.





5. HOUSE OF LEAVES (2000) by Mark Z. Danielewski:  This book is an exercise in stamina and fortitude, but if you have the patience to work a little bit, the payoff is one of the best reading experiences you will ever have.  HOUSE OF LEAVES is a truly unique and original horror book.  Both the story contained within the pages and the actual physical pages themselves are unlike anything I've seen before or since.  As you read the book you will begin to see pages that have upside down writing, backward writing, just one word on a page, pages where you have to decipher and break codes to read, I mean yeah it would be easy to quit and say to hell with it.  I would ask you though to have patience and perform the due diligence that it takes to read this book because believe me, it's worth it and you won't regret it in the end.  The story is about a husband and wife who move into a new home.  Gradually they begin to notice that the house they've moved into is getting bigger but only on the inside!  The husband even discovers hallways that lead to nowhere and doors in the floor that lead to........well you'll have to read the book to find out.  Suffice it to say it's amazing.





4. HEX (2013) by Thomas Olde Heuvelt:  This one is fairly new compared to the rest of the books on the list but it absolutely belongs as far as I'm concerned.  I haven't been blown away by a horror book in a long time, but this one did exactly that, it blew me away.  Picture a town along the Hudson Valley in New York that is cursed by the legacy of witchcraft and the witch trial that took place in the 17th century.  Fast-forward to modern day, where this same town is now just like any other but with one creepy little catch.  It seems that a woman still walks the streets of Black Spring, one with her eyes and mouth sewn shut.  She is not an apparition but a physical being who can appear anywhere at anytime.  She often wanders the streets, popping in and out of local stores, bars, and homes.  Why don't the people move to another town you ask?  Well, you see the curse makes anyone who tries to leave have severe suicidal thoughts and if they are gone for a long enough time, they eventually kill themselves.  One of the creepiest scenes in the book is one where she is just standing in the corner of one of the family homes as they eat their dinner and she's still there in the same spot when they go to bed that night.  The town seems to have accepted her presence since she's never harmed anyone, but that may all be about to change as out of nowhere she begins whispering things through a torn stitching in her mouth that are barely audible but sound menacing and evil.  Oh this is a fantastic book that I recommend that everyone read this Halloween season.





3. DRACULA (1897) by Bram Stoker:  What would any Halloween reading list be without the horror book to end all horror books?   Seriously though, DRACULA just gets better with age.  I read it every single year around Halloween and have since I was in my late teens.  And every time I read this stunningly perfect vampire novel, it seems just as fresh as the very first time I read it.  The diary passages of the ship's captain as his men are picked off one by one is simply terrifying and never fails to make me shudder.  We all know the overall story so I won't bother but what I will say is that this is a book that should be experienced by everyone at some point in their life.  It is not only a terrific horror book, it is a literary masterpiece where every word and phrase moves you and at the same time frightens the hell out of you.  This should be required reading for Halloween just as a general rule.





2.  SALEM'S LOT (1975) by Stephen King:  I just couldn't compile a list that involves horror books without including the King of horror himself.   SALEM'S LOT is my second-favorite vampire novel ever (right behind the one that is coming in next at #1 actually).  Everything about this book makes you anxious, disturbed, and frozen with fear.   This may very well not be Stephen King's best novel, but it's damn effective at what it does, and that is scare the bejeezus out of you and give you a phenomenally told story in the process.  A sleepy Maine town has a brand new citizen, a mysterious man who opens up an antique store in the center square.  on one fog-shrouded night he pays two local men to pick up a giant crate that is being delivered from overseas down at the port.  They are given specific instructions to deliver the crate into the basement of the shop and to lock the doors very securely.  What ensues from there is a terrifying vampire novel that you will read with a mixture of trepidation and delight.  I can't recommend this one enough if you wish to read a truly scary book this October.  My wife almost threw this book at me she was so scared.





1.  I AM LEGEND (1954) by Richard Matheson:  The first thing I want to say is this -  completely forget about the travesty of a movie adaptation of this book starring Will Smith.  Just flush it right out of your brain and pretend that it never existed.  Are we good now?  Okay.  THIS BOOK IS FREAKING AMAZING!!  If I had one horror book to read for the rest of my life it would be this incredibly perfect book.  Oh how I adore this book!  The first time I read it, it took me all of three hours in one-sitting.  It was 2am when I finally read the last page and I had to work early the next day, but the fact of the matter is that I just didn't want to put it down.  It's a brilliant vampire story that even after sixty some odd years, loses none of its terror and suspense.  It tells the horrifying story of quite literally the last man on Earth who is the single survivor of a terrible plague that has turned every man, woman, and child into a vampire.  The heartbreaking part is that his wife was also one of the victims.  He barricades himself inside his home and only leaves in the daytime to collect whatever food, fortifications, and weapons he can find to survive another night.  Because it is at night when the vampires come calling and incessantly beating at his door.  On one especially terrible evening, he actually recognizes his wife's voice as one of the vampires outside calling for him to come out.  This is tops on my list for many reasons, but I think you should read it for yourself and find out all of the elements that make this one of the greatest horror stories ever written.



And that concludes the list of my 10 favorite scary reads for this coming Halloween season.  I know that there are a bunch of books that are deserving and that I left out, but these are just my own personal favorites and ones that I think you will get much enjoyment out of should you choose to pick any of them up.  

Happy reading and 🎃 HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!  🎃

Comments

  1. Shirley Jackson, queen of horror, is perfect for Halloween. :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. I agree! She's one of my favorite authors ever.

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  3. Great list. Some new ones to check out too. Thanks x

    ReplyDelete
  4. I read Salem's lot this year and it was sooo creepy. Great list, Happy Halloween.
    wwww.amysbooketlist.blogspot.com

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