Who's reading a horror or spooky book for Halloween?

I’ve ordered it from the library on reading this

Hope you weren’t driving through dark country lanes lol

Sorry I keep mentioning audiobooks but obvs they're available as books. I just drove 8 hours last night and listened to the amityville horror most of the way (free from the local library app libby-amazing free resource! Join your library if you haven't!) It's great. I took a break to listen to something lighthearted and when I put it on again I realised how atmospheric it was. Felt all gloomy and worried heh.

The scariest book I have ever read (and I enjoy horror and am not a wimp!) is Come Closer by Sara Gran. Even the cover scares the shit out of me. I have OCD, and it sent my compulsive thoughts absolutely wild for weeks after reading it.

I read it a few years ago and even thinking about it now makes me feel all cold all over. People without OCD who are looking for a spooky scary as fuck Halloween read, you may enjoy.

(The taming of the shrew/turn of the screw mix up earlier in the thread made me lol).

There is an old Afternoon Play of the Woman in Black that my mum recorded on tape in about 1994. It's so terrifying that I have to listen to it in short bursts, fast forward some bits and make sure it's bright outside.
and I can't watch any film of it, the Daniel Radcliffe film was a ghastly hash but I still watched most of it with my eyes shut. there's no way I can watch the 1980s version, even the still images are scary. I don't know how anyone can see it at the theatre, I would wet myself with fright.
I find it an absolutely terrifying book which i also utterly adore frightening myself with.

the small hand, also by Susan Hill, is excellent. I adore MR James too and EF Benson. Not keen on Poe, I find it a bit overwrought.

another excellent novel for the season is Wilkie Collins' Woman in White. Or any of Daphne Du Maurier's short stories. I particularly enjoy her collection called The Apple Tree which has The Birds in.

Ooo I came here to see if anyone else is doing this! I just finished The Exorcist, I’ve never seen the film & was really disappointed! Didn’t scare me at all, I just didn’t find it creepy or tense.

Hauntings by neil oliver...anyone read it and what you think..

I love Nightmare Hall! I've been reliving my youth and collecting those and the Point Horror series. Trick or Treat by Richie Tankersley Cusick is a good one I like to read at this time of year.

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

Stylish and literary vampire mystery.

I recommend House of echoes by Barbara Erskine, great storyline and intriguing as well as spine tingling and rather creepy

I really enjoyed it @Bamboozie and unusually for me, after I read it, I enjoyed the film adaptation a lot too. Ewan McGregor was very good.

Not horror in his usual style, and it's fantasy fiction, but it is becoming dark and suspenseful, so more in the spooky book category.

If you haven't read 'The Loney' by Andrew Michael Hurley then you absolutely should. Terrifying.

I always enjoy re-reading the ‘Nightmare Hall’ series. It is for young adults. I am a huge fan but not a young adult anymore!

I can only read in Season 😅

Bookmarking

I'm reading Fairy Tale by Stephen King & Hallowe'en Party by Agatha Christie.

I'm also listening to IT, and Needful Things on Audiobook in my home office.

I’ve just finished it, it’s actually a really good book. I don’t think I was expecting it to be good, don’t know why !

I'm reading The Dead Summer by Helen Moorehouse, creepy atmospheric ghost story. I'm enjoying it so far.

Ooo good thread. I've tabbed a few to investigate. Susan hill's the woman in black is a very very good ghost story. Ignore the Daniel Radcliffe film, but the 1980s rendition is intense.

I listen to a lot of horror dramatised on bbc sounds (which is where I found michel paver's dark matter, then read after). If you like listening too, then the series called "The Hotel" is very strong writing, very creepy. Good for fans of overlook hotel. It's by Daisy Johnson (not a great horror writer name!). I'd like to read the actual book, but the radio production is excellent.

MR James though I save him for Christmas usually. So many good stories.

The signalman (Charles dickens!) is spooky It's my mums favourite, and my dad always does impressions of the man waving in the 70s tv version).

Horror compendiums can be good. I found Sheridan la Fanu through a compendium. Of If I think of any more I'll come back, it's a favourite subject.

The Twisted Ones by T Kingfisher - proper nightmare fuel

I've never read Carrie but I'm tempted by the cover to buy the 50th Anniversary copy!

Oh I love a spooky book!!

Cannot recommend Michelle Paver more with Dark Matter and Thin Air. Two of the few books I've reread and also listened to in audible several times. Waykenhurst was also good but not as good as these two for me.

Laura Purcell is brilliant for the more gothic spooky, and also agree Grady Hendrix is great for scary and weirdly fun. I loved Horrorstor and Final Girls Support Group and How to sell a Haunted House.

The Troop by Nick Cutter was really good so plan to hunt out some more of his books.

Two I've read recently are September House by Clarissa Orlando - a great take on the haunted house story and has a lot of ghosts.

The other I'm halfway through and absolutely loving is Ask for Andrea by Noelle Ihli, a great ghost/thriller story. A serial killer is stalking through dating sites and murders 3 women over a few years, each become ghosts and try to deal with their deaths and wanting to bring him to justice, then they manage to join forces. It sounds a bit odd but it's great, really well done and I'm devouring it.

Next up are Weyward, Mexican Gothic and Moon Stone 😁