The countdown to Halloween is officially on, and that means it's time to snuggle under a blanket with a good book, light a candle, and pour a hot chocolate. For those who enjoy scary novels, a five-book reading list promises to deliver the chills this spooky season. From Stephen King to lesser-known authors, there is something to whet the appetite of horror novices and veterans alike.
Maeve Fly by CJ Leede
Maeve Fly by C.J. Leede is a dark, blood-soaked horror novel about a woman who plays an ice princess at a Southern California theme park by day and haunts the Sunset Strip dive bars by night. It won the Golden Poppy Octavia E. Butler Award and was nominated for the Bram Stoker and Splatterpunk Award. It is one of those books that stays in your head long after the last page is turned.
Goodreads shares: "By the neon night glow of the Sunset Strip, Maeve haunts the dive bars with a drink in one hand and a book in the other, imitating her misanthropic literary heroes. But when Gideon Green - her best friend’s brother - moves to town, he awakens something dangerous within her, and the world she knows suddenly shifts beneath her feet. Untethered, Maeve ditches her discontented act and tries on a new persona. A bolder, bloodier one, inspired by the pages of American Psycho. Step aside, Patrick Bateman, it’s Maeve’s turn with the knife."
'Salem's Lot by Stephen King
'Salem's Lot was Stephen King's second published novel, released in 1975, and its continued popularity speaks to its quality. The story follows writer Ben Mears, who returns to the town of Jerusalem's Lot in Maine, where he lived from ages 5 to 9, only to discover that the residents are becoming vampires.
Goodreads shares: "Thousands of miles away from the small township of 'Salem's Lot, two terrified people, a man and a boy, still share the secrets of those clapboard houses and tree-lined streets. They must return to 'Salem's Lot for a final confrontation with the unspeakable evil that lives on in the town." Creepy? Oh, yes, indeed. Caution is advised if reading this one at bedtime.
We Used To Live Here by Marcus Kliewer
Interesting fact: this story was serialised on Reddit before it was turned into a full-length novel. A psychological horror, this book will have you questioning everything you read. It was nominated for the Goodreads Readers' Favourite Horror in 2024.
Goodreads shares: "As a young, queer couple who flip houses, Charlie and Eve can’t believe the killer deal they’ve just gotten on an old house in a picturesque neighbourhood. As they’re working in the house one day, there’s a knock on the door. A man stands there with his family, claiming to have lived there years before and asking if it would be alright if he showed his kids around. People pleaser to a fault, Eve lets them in. As soon as the strangers enter their home, inexplicable things start happening, including the family’s youngest child going missing and a ghostly presence materialising in the basement. Even more weird, the family can’t seem to take the hint that their visit should be over. And when Charlie suddenly vanishes, Eve slowly loses her grip on reality. Something is terribly wrong with the house and with the visiting family – or is Eve just imagining things?"
Monstrilio by Gerardo Sámano Córdova
Monstrilio is a literary horror debut about a boy who transforms into a monster, and a monster who tries to be a man, set against a grieving mother who will do anything to have her son back, regardless of the form he takes. It is creepy but heartbreaking at the same time, and really thought-provoking.
Goodreads shares: "Grieving mother Magos cuts out a piece of her deceased eleven-year-old son Santiago’s lung. Acting on fierce maternal instinct and the dubious logic of an old folktale, she nurtures the lung until it gains sentience, growing into the carnivorous little Monstrilio she keeps hidden within the walls of her family’s decaying Mexico City estate. Eventually, Monstrilio begins to resemble the Santiago he once was, but his innate impulses – though curbed by his biological and chosen family’s communal care – threaten to destroy this fragile second chance at life."
Death in Her Hands by Ottessa Moshfegh
Ottessa Moshfegh is the queen of weird and wonderful books, and this 2020 release is no different. It is a blend of horror, suspense, and pitch-black comedy.
Goodreads shares: "While on her daily walk with her dog in the nearby woods, our protagonist comes across a note, handwritten and carefully pinned to the ground with stones. Her name was Magda. Nobody will ever know who killed her. It wasn't me. Here is her dead body. Shaky even on her best days, she is also alone, and new to this area, having moved here from her longtime home after the death of her husband, and now deeply alarmed. Her brooding about the note grows quickly into a full-blown obsession, as she explores multiple theories about who Magda was and how she met her fate. Her suppositions begin to find echoes in the real world, and the fog of mystery starts to form into a concrete and menacing shape. But is there either a more innocent explanation for all this, or a much more sinister one – one that strikes closer to home?"
Readers are invited to share which books they plan to add to their spooky reading list this October in the comments.
