October is here and for many seasonal readers, it's time to bring out the spooky books! I thought I would make a top five book rec post of creepy reads to add to your October TBR
If you're a regular horror reader, I recommend checking out my post on Stephen King Recs
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Let's Go!
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
I can't believe it's taken me so long to read this gothic classic. Whilst reading, I gave annotating ago and found it incredibly enjoyable with this book.
I usually struggle with classics but I thought Shelley's writing was just phenomenal. Somehow, she made scenes such as decomposition sound beautiful and poetic. There would be patches where everything seemed calm but then suddenly, something genuinely creepy would unfold that caught me off guard. If you haven't read Frankenstein, you should make time to read it this October!
Home Before Dark by Riley Sager
I remember when this book arrived and being so excited by the cover design. There are around three books by Sager that I've read, but, this one, in particular, is a favourite of mine.
This was a very atmospheric read that I found engaging from the first couple of chapters. I would strongly recommend this title if you like the whole haunted house vibe. You can't do horror book recs without adding a story about a creepy house! The main protagonist returns to a house that she once lived in - allegedly haunted. If you've read this book and enjoyed it, I would also recommend Sager's other book, Lock Every Door
The Troop by Nick Cutter
Oh, Jesus, I remember this book making my skin crawl! This one is a bit graphic and certainly disturbing so it's not a lighthearted spooky read.
When reading this one, I did have to take breaks from it. Not because I didn't love the story. Because the content was so grim and unnerving, I would need a minute to just process what happened. Usually, I don't spook that easily. I enjoyed books like Pet Sematary but I wasn't too scared by the content. However, this book was a whole other reading experience. If you're looking for a seriously scary read this October, I dare you to try out The Troop!
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
At least a year before, I watched the Netflix version of this book and loved it. I made the mistake of reading this book when I was home alone, which wasn't the best idea in hindsight.
Much like Frankenstein and other classics like The Woman in Black, I found this to be a very atmospheric read. My guard would be down whilst having the surroundings described and then suddenly, shit would go down! This was very different from the show but I thought the original story was brilliant in its own right. If you're like me and want to read more classics, I recommend adding this book to your spooky TBR!
Tender Is The Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica
This book was part of my August Wrap-Up - It was such a unique and chilling read. This book is more of a dystopian horror that I'm sure every reader will find very disturbing.
Much like The Troop, this book is very graphic so it's not something to read if you have a light stomach. I remember after finishing this book, I lost my appetite for a while as the descriptions were so vivid. However, if you want to pick up a book that will freak you out, Tender Is The Flesh is something to add to your October TBR. This book can also be found in my collection of Women in Translation book recs.
The Southern Book Club's Guide To Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix
This was a book that I genuinely did not want to end. It's one of those few gems that I will always remember; the reading experience was absolutely incredible. It ticked every single box for me from loveable characters to an ingenious plot.
I felt very attached to the characters Patricia and Slick; I wasn't ready to say goodbye to them. This is a fantastic book to read in the lead-up to Halloween as it's eerie, and creepy and will definitely give you goosebumps! I'm going to have to add the rest of Hendrix's work to my TBR but I genuinely could not fault this book. It was such a cleverly written plot and I'm planning on rereading and annotating this book - I just adored it. If you see this book in your local bookshop, get yourself a copy and a hot drink.
The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris
I watched the 1991 film starring Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins and was pleasantly surprised by how faithful the film was to the book. I managed to get a hold of a second-hand copy because I just adore this cover design. After reading this one, it prompted me to order a Red Dragon (which is still on my TBR pile).
This is a fabulous and disturbing horror classic to read for Halloween. I couldn't put it down and I found the chapters featuring Hannibal Lecter to be absolutely brilliant; the author had my full attention.
This is a modern horror classic for a reason and if you haven't read this one, make sure you bump it up on your TBR pile.
Mother For Dinner by Shalom Auslander
The concept of this book was so disturbing that I couldn't help but laugh at certain moments of the story. It's a clever reflection of the extent individuals will go for their families, for the sake of tradition and our identity.
The dark humour shines through this book and is quite a fun read for the spooky season. The creativity behind this book was clear from the first chapter and I really loved reading this one. It's a slightly different pick that doesn't appear to be talked about much. You'll probably not be very hungry for a while after reading this one - you have been warned!
Hopefully, this little brief book rec post will help pick your next horror read! I hope you are all having a lovely October.
Happy Reading!
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