Horror fans, it’s me, Emily, your friend in all things frightful. Have you made your trip to Spirit Halloween yet? I went last weekend and got my fun Halloween decorations, and I am now fully immersed in the season. Which means I am extra excited to talk about scary stuff this week. And today, I thought I’d share with you a few of the scariest books I have ever read in the spirit of the holiday.
And because Autumn is here, it’s time to curl up with a great read and get cozy — whatever your version of cozy looks like. Whether it’s romance, creepy reads, modern classics, or escapist reads you crave, TBR can help you find the perfect books for your fall reading, with options curated to your specific reading tastes.
Bookish Goods
Halloween Bracelets by BeccaBearsCraftyCrea
Why should Swifties have all the fun? Friendship bracelets should be for horror fans as well. These bracelets feature a lot of horror characters, including plenty of bookish ones! Have your pick! And for a limited time, they’re only $3.37.
New Releases
Wow, so many great new releases came out this past week. It was hard to choose which ones to share! But these are two I’m definitely excited about
A Haunting on the Hill by Elizabeth Hand
A Haunting on the Hill is the first-ever authorized return to the world of Shirley Jackson’s classic horror novel The Haunting of Hill House. Holly Sherwin is a struggling playwright who has received a grant to develop her play The Witch of Edmonton. When she comes upon Hill House, she thinks it’s the perfect getaway spot to finish the play. Soon, Holly is joined by her girlfriend, Nisa, and a group of actors. But each person who enters Hill House brings with them ghosts of their own.
Out There Screaming, ed. by Jordan Peele
If Jordan Peele comes out with a horror anthology, well, you have to read it if you consider yourself a real fan of horror. This collection features terrifying new stories from Black authors, including Erin E. Adams, Violet Allen, Lesley Nneka Arimah, Maurice Broaddus, Chesya Burke, P. Djèlí Clark, Ezra Claytan Daniels, Tananarive Due, Nalo Hopkinson, N. K. Jemisin, Justin C. Key, L. D. Lewis, Nnedi Okorafor, Tochi Onyebuchi, Rebecca Roanhorse, Nicole D. Sconiers, Rion Amilcar Scott, Terence Taylor, and Cadwell Turnbull.
For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.
Riot Recommendations
The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones
Stephen Graham Jones’ The Only Good Indians has disturbing imagery that will haunt you for a lifetime. This story follows what happens to Blackfoot Native American friends who took a hunting trip in their youth, made some mistakes, and upset a spirit in the process. Now, that spirit is out to seek revenge on the friends, one by one.
The Good House by Tananarive Due
Everyone has the scary things that freak them out the most. For me, it’s haunted house stories. After her son dies by suicide, Angela Toussant is looking to rebuild her law practice and her life. So she journeys to the family home where her son’s suicide took place, looking for answers. What she finds instead is an invisible, evil force that is driving people to acts of violence.
A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay
If haunted house stories don’t scare the heck out of you, surely demonic possessions will. The Barretts are a seemingly normal family whose lives are torn apart when 14-year-old Marjorie exhibits signs of schizophrenia. But what if it’s demon possession? A local Catholic priest thinks it might be and offers to perform an exorcism. With Marjorie’s medical bills looming, the family agrees to film the whole thing for a reality TV show.
Okay, if these books don’t give you the creeps, then I don’t know what to say to you. Be sure to let me know what the scariest book you’ve ever read is. Hit me up and follow me on Instagram at emandhercat. Sweet dreams, horror fans!