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

[GalaticalFarce]

I'd like to read one too.
What are you reading?

The Twisted Ones by T Kingfisher - proper nightmare fuel

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.

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

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 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.

Bookmarking

I can only read in Season 😅

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!

Is Fairy Tale horror? It didn't seem it from the description.

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

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.

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.

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

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

Stylish and literary vampire mystery.

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.

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

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.

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.

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).

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.

Hope you weren’t driving through dark country lanes lol

I’ve ordered it from the library on reading this

I just reread Rosemary's Baby which I enjoyed, I plan to watch Apartment 7A at some point over the next week or two so thought I'd reread that. Its very short so now looking for something else to read so am checking out the books here with interest!

@Allthatwegotisthispalebluedot I read Come Closer by Sara Gran years ago when it first came out I think, its very good.

I also just finished reading Ashes and Stones by Allyson Shaw, which is a non fiction book about the Scottish witch hunts, unfortunately I can't recommend it. It is written by an American woman who feels herself to be "Scottish" (you know the type) and somehow manages to make the pain and suffering of these women, murdered centuries ago during one of the darkest periods of Scottish history all about herself, completely inappropriate. There is really interesting information in the book but its badly let down by the authors personal interjections and there is so much vital context missing.