Recently Anne of Modern Mrs. Darcy asked a question on Facebook that’s been on my mind:
What are your favorite spooky books? Not out-and-out horror, but the ones that are just plain creepy.
Aside from a brief period in my teens in which I mainlined Stephen King, Robin Cook and Fear Street-era R.L. Stine, I enjoy suspense and thriller more than flat-out horror.
Reading “It” was an experience I’ll never forget, partially because it was so freaking long, partially because it was terrifying.
Stephen King is best in small doses. I happen to think his best work was The Long Walk, a dystopian thriller that kept me turning pages well after midnight when I was 14.
No scary clowns, just creepy people, which I might argue is even more frightening in some ways.
[inlinetweet prefix=”” tweeter=”” suffix=””]I don’t know about you, but I intend to curl up with one of these suspenseful books later.[/inlinetweet] Two days to Halloween. The timing couldn’t be more perfect.20 Super Spooky Suspenseful Reads
Spooky Books on My To-read List:
- The Good Girl / Mary Kubica
- Station Eleven / Emily St. John Mandel
- Reconstructing Amelia / Kimberly McCreight
- Mrs. Poe / Lynn Cullen
- A Monster Calls / Patrick Ness
- Joyland / Stephen King
- In the Woods / Tana French
- Her Fearful Symmetry / Audrey Niffenegger
- Dear Daughter / Elizabeth Little
- Cartwheel / Jennifer duBois
Suspenseful Books I’ve Read and Loved
- The Winter People / Jennifer McMahon
- Sharp Objects / Gillian Flynn
- The Ocean at the End of the Lane / Neil Gaiman
- Night Film / Marisha Pessl
- Murder on the Orient Express / Agatha Christie (honestly, anything Agatha Christie)
- Flowertown / S.G. Redling
- The Execution of Noa P. Singleton / Elizabeth L. Silver
- Don’t Breathe a Word / Jennifer McMahon
- Black Moon / Kenneth Calhoun
- American Psycho / Bret Easton Ellis
What are your favorite suspense/horror/spooky books? Share in the comments so I can add to my reading list!
P.S. For even more spooky options, check out the compilation Anne came up (45!).
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