{"id":4002,"date":"2022-10-25T13:26:47","date_gmt":"2022-10-25T17:26:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adbiblio.com\/blog\/?p=4002"},"modified":"2023-08-21T18:21:28","modified_gmt":"2023-08-21T22:21:28","slug":"horror-books-for-horror-lovers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adbiblio.com\/blog\/horror-books-for-horror-lovers\/","title":{"rendered":"Horror Books for Horror Lovers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Hey, horror lovers! This list is for you! I recently made a list<\/a> of recommended books to get you in the mood for spooky season, but for some readers, a little spookiness only goes so far\u2026If you\u2019re a more hardcore horror fan, here are 13 titles that might be right up your alley \u2013 assuming your alley is full of things like evil ghosts and serial killers. Read on\u2026if you dare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A somber work of literary horror, this story follows a pair of children \u2013 one a victim of merciless bullying, and one who becomes his protector. But Oskar\u2019s protective friend is unlike any friend he\u2019s ever had. Eli is strange, confusing, dirty, and she only comes around at night. A story about meeting needs, Let the Right One In<\/em> is an unconventional vampire novel that\u2019s a character story as much as it is a work of horror. It\u2019s been adapted into multiple films and a Showtime tv show, and if you read it, you\u2019ll understand exactly why. The story has a dark, cinematic quality to its pacing and a gripping plotline that reads like a Scandinavian crime thriller.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Creepy and atmospheric, The Silent Companions<\/em> is a poetic work of haunted house horror that made me buy every single one of Laura Purcell\u2019s other books. This slow-building story follows two timelines \u2013 one in the 1630s and another in the mid 1800s. Both take place in the same manor estate that has a dark and reverberating history, which Purcell unfolds brilliantly. Let\u2019s just say, if creepy dolls upset you, prepare to be rattled!<\/p>\n<\/div>

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This House is Haunted by John Boyne<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Speaking of haunted houses, John Boyne\u2019s 2013 novel is another creeptastic Victorian gothic work. When a young governess takes a new position at a manor house in Norfolk, she quickly recognizes a malevolent presence in the house. She must solve the mysteries of the manor and its strange inhabitants in order to avoid a terrifying fate. The fact that nearly all the governesses before her died is a real motivating factor!<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Dracul by Dacre Stoker and J.D. Barker<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This \u201cprequel\u201d to the classic Dracula<\/em> was written by Bram Stoker\u2019s own great-grandnephew, based on original notes and diary entries that Stoker left behind. The story follows a young Bram, who is sickly and mostly bedridden, as he makes a series of shocking discoveries about his beloved governess, Ellen. When Ellen disappears, so do his opportunities for answers. But years later, Bram gets a chance to seek the answers he desperately craves when Ellen resurfaces. Whether or not you\u2019re a fan of the original Dracula<\/em>, this is a fantastic book for horrorphiles and fans of Irish folklore. But be warned, this book is gory, graphic, and violent!<\/p>\n<\/div>

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There\u2019s Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If classic slashers are your thing, then you won\u2019t want to miss There\u2019s Someone Inside Your House<\/em>, which was recently adapted into a Netflix film. Teenager Makani moves to Nebraska to live with her grandmother and is just starting to adjust to rural life when a deranged serial killer starts murdering her fellow classmates. Author Courtney Summers described the book as \u201cdeliciously creepy\u201d with \u201can absolutely merciless body count.\u201d I\u2019d say that\u2019s a very correct assessment!<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Clown in a Cornfield by Adam Cesare<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Speaking of classic teen slashers\u2026this is another one that follows a similar nostalgic format. New girl moves to a small town and meets rebellious teens. Said teens invite her to a barn party that promptly becomes a slaughterhouse when a deranged killer clown emerges from a nearby cornfield. Of course, the teens fight back, but can they survive the sinister plot twists?! Another horror story with a high body count and a thrilling plot, Clown in a Cornfield<\/em> strikes a perfectly horrifying balance between corny and gruesome. It\u2019s kettles of fun with a crackling cast of characters, but be prepared for more blood than butter when you pop open this book.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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The<\/strong> Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward<\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Catriona Ward is emerging as a new Queen of Horror, and if you haven\u2019t ready any of her books yet, do you even horror? A dark and disturbing psychological thriller, the story takes place in a quiet neighborhood on the edge of the woods. Here, there is a house that holds many dark secrets. As these sinister truths are revealed, the plot spirals into a demented funhouse where nothing is quite what it seems. Stephen King said this book is \u201ca true nerve-shredder that keeps its mind-blowing secrets to the very end.\u201d I couldn\u2019t agree more, Stephen.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Sundial by Catriona Ward<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Like I said, Catriona Ward is a must-read for horrorphiles, and Sundial<\/em> is no exception. Rob escaped her unconventional family in the desert for a \u201cnormal\u201d suburban life, complete with 2 kids and a husband. But when her daughter Callie starts acting in a very strange and disturbing manner, Rob must return to the desert one last time to confront a legacy of dark secrets and horrifying choices.  Told in alternating timelines and voices, this is a kaleidoscopic, complex story that twists and turns its way toward a snake pit of a resolution. No one probes family trauma quite like Catriona Ward.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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The Troop by Nick Cutter<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ok, if body horror is not your thing, move along now because The Troop<\/em> will gross you out FOR LIFE.  It\u2019s truly one of the most nauseating books I\u2019ve ever read, and I could not put it down! When a boy scout troop goes on a camping trip to a remote Canadian island, their adventure is derailed by a horrifying illness that infects the campers one by one. But this is no ordinary virus, and the boys soon start to show severe, grotesque symptoms.  And little do they know, the illness might not even be the most dangerous thing on the island. A harrowing story of survival, The Troop<\/em> is only a book I would recommend to well-seasoned horror fanatics.  It\u2019s intense, and you\u2019ll need a strong stomach to make it through to the end.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Mary by Nat Cassidy<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

On the subject of body horror, Nat Cassidy\u2019s latest is making big waves in the horror communities. Middle-aged, menopausal Mary woman moves in with her sickly Aunt Nadine and begins to confront a childhood that she barely remembers. She soon finds herself pursued by the ghosts of naked ladies \u2013 all middle-aged like herself \u2013 and all gruesomely murdered by a serial killer who died before Mary was even born. As she begins to investigate their origins, she finds their stories overlap with her own history in sinister ways. This is a smart, ambitious story with a protagonist unlike any other I\u2019ve encountered in contemporary horror \u2013 quite the accomplishment considering Mary is inspired by Stephen King\u2019s Carrie<\/em>!<\/p>\n<\/div>

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Hex by Thomas Olde Heuvelt<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ok, back to ghosts! The cursed spectre of the Black Rock Witch has been haunting the town of Black Spring for centuries. Her eyes and mouth sewn shut, she materializes at random throughout the town. The townspeople do their best to ignore her unsettling appearances, while also using the latest technology to track her movements and prevent the curse from spreading. But some bored teenagers in town think the Black Rock Witch might be the perfect material to help them go viral, and they’ll break every rule to exploit the witch and become famous. How do you think an ancient, angry ghost witch might respond to such provocation?  If you guessed POORLY you would be correct. Their consequences have only just begun\u2026<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Stolen Tongues by Felix Blackwell<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Though controversial in the horror world due to its ending, horror lovers will revel in the disturbing and exceptionally creepy imagery.  When Felix and Faye retreat to her parents\u2019 mountainside cabin for a romantic weekend, they experience a series of terrifying events. It starts with Faye sleep talking. Soon Felix hears maddening voices outside the cabin, and Faye starts acting\u2026unlike herself.  It\u2019s clear she\u2019s suffering from something psychological, but what could be the source? Felix must investigate her condition while also defending himself from madness before it takes them both. Along the way, he will probe local and indigenous folklore, family trauma, and Faye\u2019s fragmented sleep talking speech to find out what haunts them. It\u2019s not a perfect book, but it is upsetting, creepy, and compelling.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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Slewfoot by Brom<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This one is special to me, so I saved it for last, and it\u2019s probably the book I\u2019ve recommended most in the past year. In 1666, an ancient and powerful spirit is awakened in the woods. Nearby, Abitha is newly widowed and alone \u2013 easy prey for the locals who want to take everything from her. With her home and life endangered, Abitha turns toward a dark, but comforting voice \u2013 the ancient spirit that threatens to both protect and destroy her. But the spirit senses something different in Abitha. She is more powerful than she appears, and she fears neither gods nor devils. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Slewfoot<\/em> transcends the horror-fantasy genre. Violent, graphic, and satisfying, this is a witchy revenge story that swirls and mesmerizes and reads like timeworn folklore. It also includes extraordinary original drawings by the author, who has an impressive body of work that spans from comic books to video games. I\u2019ve recommended this book to so many people, and every single person who\u2019s read it has raved about it to me afterwards. It\u2019s a hit, and you don\u2019t want to miss it.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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More interested in “spooky” than “scary”? This<\/a> is the list for you!<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hey, horror lovers! This list is for you! I recently made a list of recommended books to get you in the mood for spooky season, but for some readers, a little spookiness only goes so far\u2026If you\u2019re a more hardcore horror fan, here are 13 titles that might be right up your alley \u2013 assuming […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":4017,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[75],"tags":[231,114,77],"class_list":["post-4002","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-reading-lists","tag-bookworm","tag-horror","tag-reading-list"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/adbiblio.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4002","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/adbiblio.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/adbiblio.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adbiblio.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adbiblio.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4002"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/adbiblio.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4002\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4707,"href":"https:\/\/adbiblio.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4002\/revisions\/4707"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adbiblio.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4017"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/adbiblio.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4002"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adbiblio.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4002"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adbiblio.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4002"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}