(originally published October 18, 2019)
When I was a kid I loved scary stories. I was addicted to Are You Afraid of the Dark, Goosebumps, Unsolved Mysteries, and Haunted Lives. My bookshelf was full of R.L. Stine, Christopher Pike, and any random horror author I could get my hands on. But now that I’m an adult, I don’t read as much horror. And, honestly, I don’t know why.
So if you’re like me and looking for more scary books to read, here’s a list of some that I’ve found over the past few years.
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Chillers From the Rock (obviously): with the “from the rock” series I always find a great variety of stories within. No matter what mood you’re in, there’s a story for you.
Coraline by Neil Gaiman: after moving into a new home, a young girl finds a door to an Other world. It’s a book for younger readers, but that doesn’t mean that older readers won’t find a woman with buttons for eyes scary.
The Grip of It by Jac Jemc: a young couple are haunted by their new home. It’s a slow burn, but an unsettling one that fills you with unease.
Locke & Key by Joe Hill: Keyhouse is a New England mansion, home to mysterious keys with strange powers; it’s also home to a hate-filled creature that won’t rest until it forces open the most terrible door of them all. A graphic novel with a creative premise and amazing keys.
Jacobi Street by Matthew LeDrew: Bob Huang works in a gallery gift shop and dreams of one day hanging his own paintings on the wall, but that becomes the least of his worries when a mysterious painting arrives that seems to move at night. I love the world of this novel so much.
Misery by Stephen King: my favourite King book, hands down. Also, an author’s worst nightmare – being held hostage by your biggest fan and forced to write an entire novel.
The Pillowman by Martin McDonagh: a fictional writer living in a police state finds himself being interrogated after a number of child murders happen resembling stories he’s written. This is a play, not a novel, but it’s so great. I saw a production in 2004 and was so in love with it that I bought the script at intermission.
The Starving by Jon Dobbin: in the unknown wilds of Colorado, Bill Weston is confronted by an ancient evil, bent and twisted by time and hunger. Before this, I never would have considered pairing Western with Horror, but the isolated setting works so well.
The Tourniquet Reprisal (Infinity Book 2) by Ellen Curtis and Matthew LeDrew: a man named Gavin, who claims to have risen from the dead, has started a cult in Atlanta, Georgia, drawing impressionable young worshippers into his influence. Aside from cults being creepy anyways, there’s something so unnerving about the character of Gavin. And in the “Haven’t read it, but it’s on my reading list” list are: After Dark Vapours by Brad Dunn, and Zombies on the Rock by Paul Carberry.
Any books I missed? Any scary stories you love and want to recommend? Leave a comment below!
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