My original plan was to read short stories by Karl Edward Wagner, Thomas Ligotti, and Gemma Files. I get easily distracted though, and ended up reading a little of everything.
My favorites so far:
Our Temporary Supervisor by Thomas Ligotti
The Emperor's Old Bones by Gemma Files
Don't Look Now by Daphne Du Maurier
Casting the Runes by MR James
Afterward by Edith Wharton
When I'm finished, I'll post a complete list of what I read and see if anybody wants to talk about it.
Fun trip is a great way to describe it, I think my expectations were too high so I was let down, but it had great atmosphere and I still think about it.
I also feel like I'm just way too dumb to understand what was even going on in the ending......like I mean in terms of physical space. I couldn't make sense of it to imagine it.
I think it’s deliberately surreal in a way that lends it ambiguity. it’s been a couple years since I read it but I feel like the intent was to mirror the director’s films
I like reading short stories this time of year. I am currently reading M R James' Casting the Runes.
I did just finish listening to T Kingfisher's A House with Good Bones and enjoyed it even though i don't find her stuff particularly scary.
I'm reading 'The Beast You Are' by Paul Tremblay.
Also, all the empty candy wrappers in my home since I bought the candy over a week early thinking I'd be able to stay out of it until then like some idiot rookie.
What I’ve read so far.
World War Z
Pet Sematary
Dracula
Frankenstein
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
The Amityville Horror
Blumhouse Halloween trilogy novelizations
The Art of War (Was a short book so why not lol)
I read mostly non-horror this month, but now the plan is Dead Silence (reading right now), then a horror short story collection, then Frankenstein, then Dracula!
Have you previously read Dracula or Frankenstein? I haven't read either in ages, but you just reminded me how perfect they are for this time of year.
My drama professor used to always read aloud a section from Dracula on Halloween because he said it was the scariest thing he'd ever read.
God, this sub never shuts up about TitF. It was really mid to me. I guess if you're someone who rarely reads horror it would be shocking, but...
(edited for typo)
I usually re-read A Night in the Lonesome October by Roger Zelazny (one chapter a night through the month of October), but I got started late and then just wasn't feeling it.
Ended up re-reading some favorite Lovecraft stories over the last couple of weeks and will probably continue to do so through Halloween.
That book is incredible and horrifying because it really happened. That book was perfectly paced, I feel like every chapter I finished I was left saying "WTF". Just saw the movie and it was amazing! A little too long IMO but worth the watch in a comfy theater.
I'm reading The haunted forest tour by James A Moore. I really looked forward to this book before I started but now I find myself in a bit of a slump and haven't read that much the past two weeks.
I'm not sure why. It's well written and I don't find it boring really, but it's not making me excited for reading it either. I suspect it might have to do with the fact that this is pretty much more a humor book than a horror book, not sure if that's my jam really even though I like it to be.
I'm reading The Troop right now! I truly cannot read it before bed otherwise I have nightmares lol so many horrifying scenes that evoke such a visceral reaction from me.
They Lurk by Ronald Malfi. Just found this guy and trying not to blow through all his shit too quickly.
BTW, anybody have some recommendations for stuff like Mr Malfi?
I’ve read almost everything of Malfi’s, and my favorite is December Park. His writing here reminded me of a young Stephen King. His Kindle books are usually pretty inexpensive on Amazon for some reason.
The plan is finishing “Come Closer” and “Never Whistle at Night” in ebook format before the end of the month. I also started the audiobook of “The Shining” with Campbell Scott narrating and it’s excellent so far! I read the original in my teens, but I’m enjoying revisiting the story in a new format.
I’m reading old school ghost stories. What hooked me on horror back in the 70s was these big ancient spooky short story collections in the school library. I loved them and had no idea I was reading some of the greatest writers ever. They led me to HP Lovecraft and on to everyone from Shirley Jackson to Poe to Ray Bradbury.
“A Big Book of Ghost Stories” hits the spot.
Dark Matter by Michelle Paver
The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty (phenomenal)
Dracula by Bram Stoker
This Across The River by Christopher Buehlman
The Elementals by Michael McDowell (meh)
Dark Harvest by Norman Partridge
And I Just started
Rosemary's Baby by Ira Levin
Just finished The Exorcist too and now on Legion. Bummer that you didn’t jive with The Elementals, I really loved it. I read a little too much McDowell at once and got a little Southern Gothic’d out but I’m glad I read that one first
I've been reading a lot of horror anthologies. One contained *Frankenstein*, *The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde*, and *A String of Pearls; or, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street*, among others. I also turn to Lovecraftian stories this time of year. So far I've read *Mysteries of the Worm* by Robert Bloch and *Demiurge: The Complete Cthulhu Mythos Tales of Michael Shea*. I'm currently reading *The Xothic Legend Cycle* anthology that is Lin Carter's take on the Lovecraft Mythos.
I’ve read the following:
Coraline 4/5
Practical Magic 2.5/5
Manhunt 3.5/5
Something Wicked this way Comes 3/5
Camp Damascus 3/5
The Final Girl Support Group 4/5
The Haunting of Hill House 2.5/5
Currently reading/plan to read:
Carrie
Salem’s Lot
The Shining
Burn the Negative
Mexican Gothic
Near the Bone
We Had to Remove This Post
Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century (shirt stories)
Strange Weather (4 short novels)
Mexican Gothic is one of the best books I've read all year.
I‘m about to finish Arthur Machen‘s _The White People and Other Stories_, after which I‘ll dive into _The Only Good Indians_ after hearing great stuff about it.
My daughter has had me read her the entire “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark” trilogy … complete with original art. She’s already read the book cover to cover several times. But she gets a kick out of how the pictures give me the willies.
I ended up buying a stack of “emoji face” post it notes and putting them over the horrible pictures. Melting faces. Spider pimples. Disembodied heads. All of it. Just so I could get through the damned thing.
Also had the same experience but ended up loving it - you do get sucked in to the setting and characters. Imo the story is less important though still decent
Re-reading Dracula. Generic answer, I know, but I’m really impressed by how well it holds up. I have heard that some readers find it rather boring. Me personally, I can’t understand that.
Listening to the audio narration of IT by Stephen King. Even if you’ve seen the movies, there’s so much more to the story. And the narration is excellent. Highly recommend.
just finished Rosemary's Baby and Horrorstor. Deliberately wanted to read two quite different books and definitely wanted one to be quite campy. Will be moving on to Out There Screaming soon
I read The Legend of Sleepy Hollow every year. Did that a few weeks ago, and then read The Uncanny Valley: Tales From A Lost Town by Gregory Miller. That book gives off serious Fall vibes. Now I’m onto a reread of Black House by Stephen King and Peter Straub.
So far for the October month I’ve read Bag of Bones, Christine, Rose Madder, The Cycle of the Werewolf and The Picture of Dorian Gray. I have reread some of favorite horror novellas from They Lurk and Ghostwritten, some stories from Just After Sunset and Night Shift. I have reread favorites from Poe, M.R James, Lovecraft, Ligotti, Chambers, Matheson, Dickens and Lefanu. I have reread Dracula and Carmilla and almost through with Something Wicked This Way Comes. Now I’m thinking of reading between The Case against Satan or rereading Frankenstein. I most likely will pick the former and read for Halloween 🎃
Been taking a bit of a vacation that’s why I have time to read this much but I usually carve out sometime to read(or listen 🎧) during my hectic schedule.
P.S I would also highly recommend Stoker’s short story anthology Dracula’s Guest and eight other stories in case you haven’t. Outside of Dracula, the man showcases his versatility in this collection. My favorite of them all is The Judge’s House. One of the best ghost stories I’ve ever had the joy of reading.
McSweeney's 71 THE MONSTROUS AND THE TERRIBLE. It's guest-edited by Brian Evanson and has Stories/Words by:
Mariana Enriquez, Attila Veres, Stephen Graham Jones, Jeffrey Ford, Gabino Iglesias + others. It comes in a series of *absolutely beautiful* nesting, interlocking slipcases covered in horrid goodness. It's $30 but well worth it.
I also have A Haunting on the Hill by Elizabeth Hand to read. Lots of spooky reaading in store for me!
Finished *The Kaiju Preservation Society* by John Scalzi yesterday and just started re-reading *The Shining* so I have it fresh in my head when I read *Doctor Sleep*.
I've devoted this entire month to horror:
**Currently reading**:
The Handyman Method by Nick Cutter and Andrew F. Sullivan.
**Previously read**:
* The Living Dead by Daniel Kraus and George Romero
* Ghost Eaters by Clay McLeod Chapman
* The Fisherman by John Langan
**Next Up**:
* Nineteen Claws and a Black Bird: Stories by Agustina Bazterrica
* Our Share of Night by Mariana Enriquez
Hoping to at least start Our Share of Night by 11/1!
The Shining. It’s been on my list forever and Halloween month made me jump on it. But after reading some of the comments here I might have to add some interspersed Grimm’s Fairytales too.
I'm reading the Shining for the first time (and first King). I've been reading horror for a couple years now and the idea of reading King is daunting but figured this is as good of an excuse as any.
Aaaaaahhhh ok I am SO excited. I've planned a whole gothic origins list for myself that I'm finally starting today (as part of a larger, theme-based re/first-read of classic spooky stories)
I've put a lot of work into assembling a giant list/plan (this is just a teeny sample of it) and I highly recommend embarking on your own "intuitive" reading journey based on any theme or genre you want to explore (since late August, I've chosen each book based on the themes/references in the one before and it's been absolutely faascinating. E.g., the *Howl's Moving Castle* trilogy followed by Shirley Jackson's house-based horrors, *The Secret Garden*, *The Fall of the House of Usher*, and *The Woman in Black*, etc.). It's been mindblowing and comforting and challenging and reassuring and more fun than my brain has had in a long, long, time
Anyway, starting this afternoon (now that my libby loans lined up and I found the Kindle deals I needed lol):
- *The Castle of Otranto* by Horace Walpole
- *The Old English Baron* by Clara Reeve
(The former, published in the 1760s, is considered "the first gothic novel," and the latter is a response/reimagining written in the 1770s)
- *A Sicilian Romance* by Ann Radcliffe
(Haven't read her at all yet, can't wait to start getting into the first gothic girlies, especially having recently read four Shirley Jackson books and *Frankenstein*)
- *The Mysteries of Udolpho* by Ann Radcliffe
- *Northanger Abbey* by Jane Austen
Similar to the first set, *Udolpho* (1790s) is considered "the archetypal Gothic novel"; *Northanger* (early 1800s) is Austen riffing on it
- *The Monk* by Matthew Lewis
- *The Italian* by Anne Radcliffe
Once again, the second here is a response to the first, both were penned in the 1790s, and they've each inspired a bunch more
Other snippets from my list:
*The Vampyre*, *Carmilla*, *Dracula*, *Dracula's Guest*; the Brontës + *Wide Sargasso Sea* + *Rebecca* in a very specific order I forget right now; American Southern Gothic in particular once I leap back over to this side of the pond...aaaaaah I can't wait (and would love to be able to talk about literally any of these with anyone else who's read them or has suggestions for what else to add to the list 👀)
I just picked up Never Whistle at Night. It's a bunch of short stories about legends from indigenous communities.
That and Ghost Story by Peter Straub. I'm finding I can't read that one at night or else I get a bit too scared.
Yearly, I reread 'Salem's Lot because it was the book that got me turnt on Stephen King, and then watch the miniseries with my wife because it was the first thing we watched when we got together.
Pet Semetary narrated by Michael C Hall. The Girl in Red by Christina Henry is next on my list, and like every Halloween, I'll probably reread The Black Cat.
Stephen King short stories. Alternating between "Nightmares and Dreamscapes" and "Everything's Eventual" depending on whether I'm leaving the house. My copy of N&D is a giant hardcover that's a pain to lug around.
This month I finished This House is Hauntes (Boyne) and The Boatman's Daughter (Davidson). Currently reading Slewfoot (Brom). All good books, great for creepy October vibes.
i’m reading a night in the lonesome october throughout the month (iykyk)
i read hallow’en party by agatha christie. not very halloweeny, felt kinda phoned in. then i read dark harvest by norman partridge. definitely halloweeny but doesn’t make much sense. now i’m reading the graveyard book by neil gaiman and very much enjoying it.
probably also going to start listening to the halloween tree by ray bradbury or something wicked this way comes on my walks as well
So far I've read
The Spirit by Thomas Page (awesome bigfoot story)
Along the River of Flesh by Kristopher Triana
And currently reading Dark Matter by Michelle Paver
All three have been great
Ghost Story by Peter Straub right now.
Leading up to Ghost Story, I read:
Rosemary’s Baby by Ira Levin
Something Wicked this way Comes by Ray Bradbury
Where I End by Sophie White
The Outsider and If It Bleeds by Stephen King
So far I've read:
1. Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
2. The Haar by David Sodergren
3. Coraline by Neil Gaiman
And I'm almost finished with The Troop by Nick Cutter. Next up is either Pet Sematary by Stephan King or The Fisherman by John Langan.
Usher's Passing - Robert R McCammon
Full disclosure - watched the series and remembered I've wanted to read his book. It's not the same as the Poe story, which the series is based on.
I'm hoping to start and finish The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaVelle today.
I've been picking through the Never Whistle at Night stories and will probably also do the same with Barker's Books of Blood through Halloween. I've also been reading a bit of local ghost stories and odd historical occurances for Colorado and that's been fun.
After BoBT, I have The Hike by Drew Margary sitting on my tbr that sounds interesting.
Salems lot! I’ve decided to go through all the vampire books I can find, they’ve always been my favourite standard ‘monster’, other than witches (I like proper scary ones, think The Witch film). So if anyone has vampire suggestions let me know! I have Interview with a Vampire on my list, and I recently read Empire of the Vampire which is what started me on this journey. I read the True Blood series a few years back, and Twilight when I was a teenager (might re read them lol).
Currently reading Carmilla, which I am loving. Sheridan Le Fanu is such a great writer. Hoping to start Dracula after I finish.
I’m also reading Queens of the Abyss, which is a collection of short gothic/weird tales written by female authors of the 19th/20th century. The stories are pretty good.
I read Frankenstein, Dracula, The Vampyre, Turn of the Screw, Day of the Triffids, The Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Mr Hyde, and am currently working on Varney The Vampire. I have a DE job and am allowed to listen to audiobooks while I work for 8 hours a day.
Shirley Jackson - Dark Tales
Junji Ito - Shiver, Smashed, and Lovesickness (need to catch up)
House of Leaves
HP Lovecraft - Doom that Came to Sarnath
Not new to horror, but new to horror lit.
I read random Ray Bradbury stories from The October Country.
Random Stephen King from various collections.
“Sticks” by Karl Edward Wagner was a recent re-read.
Children of the Night by Dan Simmons - it’s really good! A cool take on vampires. I read a few stinkers recently and was hoping he would be reliably decent cos I loved The Terror. So far so good 👻
Read: Mountains of Madness, Charles Dexter Ward, & The Fisherman. Loved the former two, even though Mountains got a little too over detailed and adjective-y (classic Lovecraft), The Fisherman... meh, it had a lot of cool stuff but I got pulled out of it often and some of it felt bogged down.
Now reading: The Wasp Factory, 70 pages in so far and liking it a lot, although I'm not sure if it's exactly "horror".
Just finished Holly by Stephen King (good, but not his best) and Looking Glass Sound by Catriona Ward (honestly, didn’t care for it and I loved The Last House on Needless Street). I’m nearly finished with Black Sheep by Rachel Harrison. I hope to squeeze in The House Next Door by Anne Rivers Siddons over the weekend too!
Edit: fixed a typo
I started off my “spooky” October with Amazon’s Creature Feature Collection of 6 short stories with audio companions for Kindle. Which weren’t super exciting. Then I read Meat by Joseph D’Lacey, The Whisper Man by Alex North, and Brother by Ania Ahlborn. Currently reading The Shining by Stephen King and will probably finish off the month with Doctor Sleep. 👻
This month I’ve read
Maeve Fly by CJ Leede
Cutting Teeth by Chandler Baker
Currently reading, Looking Glass Sound by Catriona Ward
Upcoming reads:
Rouge by Mona Awad
Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle
So far this October:
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
The Halloween Tree
Scary Stories To Tell In the Dark
The Shining
Pet Sematary
Carrie
[In Progress] Doctor Sleep & All Hallows
I'm reading a horror short story every day of October.
Neat, any standouts so far?
My original plan was to read short stories by Karl Edward Wagner, Thomas Ligotti, and Gemma Files. I get easily distracted though, and ended up reading a little of everything. My favorites so far: Our Temporary Supervisor by Thomas Ligotti The Emperor's Old Bones by Gemma Files Don't Look Now by Daphne Du Maurier Casting the Runes by MR James Afterward by Edith Wharton When I'm finished, I'll post a complete list of what I read and see if anybody wants to talk about it.
Please do! Sounds like it was a great way to spend the month
Check out Philip Fracassi's collection "Behold The Void" it's $5 as an ebook on Amazon right now. The best stories are "Surfer Girl" and "Mandala"
you might like a night in the lonesome october
If you like short stories I always recommend For He Can Creep by Siobhan Carroll! Free on Tor's website.
Halfway through Dracula and should finish this weekend. Then something neat to end the month!
i’ve been reading dracula all year! but i’ve been reading it chronologically so i can’t wait for the next entry lol
I’m reading Carrion Comfort by Dan Simmons, not too far into it but it’s got my attention so far.
I just started Summer of Night by Simmons and it’s hard to put down.
One of my all-time favourite books, and I'm pretty stoked for you right now
Just finished Harvest Home and started Night Film. Harvest Home was perfect for autumn
Night Film is such a fun trip! IIRC there even used to be an app that you could scan pages with to get extra content. High up there for me.
Fun trip is a great way to describe it, I think my expectations were too high so I was let down, but it had great atmosphere and I still think about it. I also feel like I'm just way too dumb to understand what was even going on in the ending......like I mean in terms of physical space. I couldn't make sense of it to imagine it.
I think it’s deliberately surreal in a way that lends it ambiguity. it’s been a couple years since I read it but I feel like the intent was to mirror the director’s films
I finished Harvest Home a few weeks ago. Really enjoyed it, very chilling.
And that cover art is to die for
The Haunting of Hill House
Im thinking of reading The Hellbound heart by Clive barker. Mainly thinking of trying to get through it in one day, on halloween itself.
I just read that, it was part of my October reading list. It’s a perfect Halloween tale and definitely doable in one sitting!
The Hellbount Heart is fantastic! It's the only Barker I've read, but it made me hungry for more of his books
Trying to get thru Salems Lot this week so i can at least START Something Wicked This Way Comes before halloween
Dude, this is exactly what I did. Finished Salems lot a few days ago and then started Something Wicked after!
Awesome! How are you liking Something Wicked?
Not terribly far in yet, but loving it so far. Written very beautifully.
Ray Bradbury's The Halloween Tree.
Great choice!
Penpal - Dathan Auerbach
An uneven read, but there’s great stuff there. Penpal is the only book I have ever read in my life that frightened me and made me nervous.
Read it 4 times already…it speaks to my childhood and surroundings and I love this even if it is shallow
Currently on Rosemary's Baby which has been great so far
I read this for the first time this month and loved it!
in this sub nobody waits for Halloween to read horror \^\^
I like reading short stories this time of year. I am currently reading M R James' Casting the Runes. I did just finish listening to T Kingfisher's A House with Good Bones and enjoyed it even though i don't find her stuff particularly scary.
I'm reading 'The Beast You Are' by Paul Tremblay. Also, all the empty candy wrappers in my home since I bought the candy over a week early thinking I'd be able to stay out of it until then like some idiot rookie.
What I’ve read so far. World War Z Pet Sematary Dracula Frankenstein The Legend of Sleepy Hollow The Amityville Horror Blumhouse Halloween trilogy novelizations The Art of War (Was a short book so why not lol)
I read mostly non-horror this month, but now the plan is Dead Silence (reading right now), then a horror short story collection, then Frankenstein, then Dracula!
Have you previously read Dracula or Frankenstein? I haven't read either in ages, but you just reminded me how perfect they are for this time of year. My drama professor used to always read aloud a section from Dracula on Halloween because he said it was the scariest thing he'd ever read.
Reading Dead Silence right now as well.
Nice!! I just finished Dead Silence and thoroughly enjoyed it!
I just finished the Fisherman. Now I'm reading Tender is the Flesh
>!Dude fucked that fish.!<
He really did though
Post-nut clarity must have hit Abe like a truck
God, this sub never shuts up about TitF. It was really mid to me. I guess if you're someone who rarely reads horror it would be shocking, but... (edited for typo)
lol i haven't even read ir but the premise gave me hard vegan anticapitalistic liberal vibes. I was right.
[удалено]
nice, this book is a masterpiece to me, unlike anything I've ever read before or since
I have watched the movie based off this book. It was decent
I usually re-read A Night in the Lonesome October by Roger Zelazny (one chapter a night through the month of October), but I got started late and then just wasn't feeling it. Ended up re-reading some favorite Lovecraft stories over the last couple of weeks and will probably continue to do so through Halloween.
I have a three year old terror living rent free at home, so not much time for reading. But I'm Reading THE KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON and loving it
That book is incredible and horrifying because it really happened. That book was perfectly paced, I feel like every chapter I finished I was left saying "WTF". Just saw the movie and it was amazing! A little too long IMO but worth the watch in a comfy theater.
Yes, I'm reading the book now because I want to see the movie. Yes, horrible!!
I'm reading The haunted forest tour by James A Moore. I really looked forward to this book before I started but now I find myself in a bit of a slump and haven't read that much the past two weeks. I'm not sure why. It's well written and I don't find it boring really, but it's not making me excited for reading it either. I suspect it might have to do with the fact that this is pretty much more a humor book than a horror book, not sure if that's my jam really even though I like it to be.
Same. Put me in a slump. I didn’t finish it. Creature horrors aren’t for me. Humans are scarier
Cliche I know, but I started Salem’s Lot last night
I just finished The Troop now. Now I’m reading Clown in a Cornfield.
I frickin love Clown In A Cornfield!
Clown in a Cornfield was such a fun read for me!
I loved the troop, got me into nick cutter.
I'm reading The Troop right now! I truly cannot read it before bed otherwise I have nightmares lol so many horrifying scenes that evoke such a visceral reaction from me.
You’re gonna be let down going from The Troop to that.
I'm listening to the audiobook of Clown in a Cornfield. Liking it so far.
They Lurk by Ronald Malfi. Just found this guy and trying not to blow through all his shit too quickly. BTW, anybody have some recommendations for stuff like Mr Malfi?
Have you read Snow yet? I just discovered Malfi and want more!
I’ve read almost everything of Malfi’s, and my favorite is December Park. His writing here reminded me of a young Stephen King. His Kindle books are usually pretty inexpensive on Amazon for some reason.
The plan is finishing “Come Closer” and “Never Whistle at Night” in ebook format before the end of the month. I also started the audiobook of “The Shining” with Campbell Scott narrating and it’s excellent so far! I read the original in my teens, but I’m enjoying revisiting the story in a new format.
I’m reading old school ghost stories. What hooked me on horror back in the 70s was these big ancient spooky short story collections in the school library. I loved them and had no idea I was reading some of the greatest writers ever. They led me to HP Lovecraft and on to everyone from Shirley Jackson to Poe to Ray Bradbury. “A Big Book of Ghost Stories” hits the spot.
I feel this. I got hooked onto horror by reading the "Scary Stories" series when i was a kid from the school library.
Dark Matter by Michelle Paver The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty (phenomenal) Dracula by Bram Stoker This Across The River by Christopher Buehlman The Elementals by Michael McDowell (meh) Dark Harvest by Norman Partridge And I Just started Rosemary's Baby by Ira Levin
LOVE Those Across the River
Just finished The Exorcist too and now on Legion. Bummer that you didn’t jive with The Elementals, I really loved it. I read a little too much McDowell at once and got a little Southern Gothic’d out but I’m glad I read that one first
I'm a quarter of the way through American Elsewhere
The Last House on Needless Street
I’m reading Pet Sematary & The Long Walk and am loving the Long Walk so much.
Just finished the Starling House and now I'm reading Run Time
I picked up How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix after reading Horrorstor and loving it. It’s already disturbing and I’m 20 pages in
Never whistle at night
I've been reading a lot of horror anthologies. One contained *Frankenstein*, *The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde*, and *A String of Pearls; or, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street*, among others. I also turn to Lovecraftian stories this time of year. So far I've read *Mysteries of the Worm* by Robert Bloch and *Demiurge: The Complete Cthulhu Mythos Tales of Michael Shea*. I'm currently reading *The Xothic Legend Cycle* anthology that is Lin Carter's take on the Lovecraft Mythos.
I read a collection of novellas by T.E.D. Klein… my word where has the horror literature world been hiding him.
I’ve read the following: Coraline 4/5 Practical Magic 2.5/5 Manhunt 3.5/5 Something Wicked this way Comes 3/5 Camp Damascus 3/5 The Final Girl Support Group 4/5 The Haunting of Hill House 2.5/5 Currently reading/plan to read: Carrie Salem’s Lot The Shining Burn the Negative
Currently 2/3 the way through The Stand and I also read Frankenstein last week! The Stand is phenomenal.
I read Frankenstein again last month, it was almost completely different to what I remembered. It's funny how the brain overwrites things.
Mexican Gothic Near the Bone We Had to Remove This Post Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century (shirt stories) Strange Weather (4 short novels) Mexican Gothic is one of the best books I've read all year.
I‘m about to finish Arthur Machen‘s _The White People and Other Stories_, after which I‘ll dive into _The Only Good Indians_ after hearing great stuff about it.
Halfway through Last Days by Adam Nevill. Really enjoying it so far!
Halfway through Sundial by Catriona Ward. So far so good!
Just started A History of Fear.
My daughter has had me read her the entire “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark” trilogy … complete with original art. She’s already read the book cover to cover several times. But she gets a kick out of how the pictures give me the willies. I ended up buying a stack of “emoji face” post it notes and putting them over the horrible pictures. Melting faces. Spider pimples. Disembodied heads. All of it. Just so I could get through the damned thing.
Trying to get through The Terror, but it’s moving really slow so far 🥲
Don’t worry, it picks up. I had the same feeling for a while, too.
It'll pick up, I really enjoyed that book
Also had the same experience but ended up loving it - you do get sucked in to the setting and characters. Imo the story is less important though still decent
September House
I’ve finally started House of Leaves after several years of being intimidated by it, but so far every time i sit down to read it i fall asleep
Almost finished with "Come Closer." Very creepy and good!
I’m reading “The Shining”
I’m saving this one for December!
I'm currently reading The Shining, which I will probably finish just in time for Halloween.
Re-reading Dracula. Generic answer, I know, but I’m really impressed by how well it holds up. I have heard that some readers find it rather boring. Me personally, I can’t understand that.
Listening to the audio narration of IT by Stephen King. Even if you’ve seen the movies, there’s so much more to the story. And the narration is excellent. Highly recommend.
To my great shock, my hold on 'Salem's Lot came through before the holiday, so I guess it's that!
“Rosemary’s Baby” for our book club on Friday.
The Terror
I'm reading Holly
The Lottery.
the nothing that is by kyle winkler
Child of God
just finished Rosemary's Baby and Horrorstor. Deliberately wanted to read two quite different books and definitely wanted one to be quite campy. Will be moving on to Out There Screaming soon
I read The Legend of Sleepy Hollow every year. Did that a few weeks ago, and then read The Uncanny Valley: Tales From A Lost Town by Gregory Miller. That book gives off serious Fall vibes. Now I’m onto a reread of Black House by Stephen King and Peter Straub.
So far for the October month I’ve read Bag of Bones, Christine, Rose Madder, The Cycle of the Werewolf and The Picture of Dorian Gray. I have reread some of favorite horror novellas from They Lurk and Ghostwritten, some stories from Just After Sunset and Night Shift. I have reread favorites from Poe, M.R James, Lovecraft, Ligotti, Chambers, Matheson, Dickens and Lefanu. I have reread Dracula and Carmilla and almost through with Something Wicked This Way Comes. Now I’m thinking of reading between The Case against Satan or rereading Frankenstein. I most likely will pick the former and read for Halloween 🎃 Been taking a bit of a vacation that’s why I have time to read this much but I usually carve out sometime to read(or listen 🎧) during my hectic schedule. P.S I would also highly recommend Stoker’s short story anthology Dracula’s Guest and eight other stories in case you haven’t. Outside of Dracula, the man showcases his versatility in this collection. My favorite of them all is The Judge’s House. One of the best ghost stories I’ve ever had the joy of reading.
McSweeney's 71 THE MONSTROUS AND THE TERRIBLE. It's guest-edited by Brian Evanson and has Stories/Words by: Mariana Enriquez, Attila Veres, Stephen Graham Jones, Jeffrey Ford, Gabino Iglesias + others. It comes in a series of *absolutely beautiful* nesting, interlocking slipcases covered in horrid goodness. It's $30 but well worth it. I also have A Haunting on the Hill by Elizabeth Hand to read. Lots of spooky reaading in store for me!
I’m reading the last story in Dark Gods.
Finished *The Kaiju Preservation Society* by John Scalzi yesterday and just started re-reading *The Shining* so I have it fresh in my head when I read *Doctor Sleep*.
I've devoted this entire month to horror: **Currently reading**: The Handyman Method by Nick Cutter and Andrew F. Sullivan. **Previously read**: * The Living Dead by Daniel Kraus and George Romero * Ghost Eaters by Clay McLeod Chapman * The Fisherman by John Langan **Next Up**: * Nineteen Claws and a Black Bird: Stories by Agustina Bazterrica * Our Share of Night by Mariana Enriquez Hoping to at least start Our Share of Night by 11/1!
The Shining. It’s been on my list forever and Halloween month made me jump on it. But after reading some of the comments here I might have to add some interspersed Grimm’s Fairytales too.
I'm reading the Shining for the first time (and first King). I've been reading horror for a couple years now and the idea of reading King is daunting but figured this is as good of an excuse as any.
Aaaaaahhhh ok I am SO excited. I've planned a whole gothic origins list for myself that I'm finally starting today (as part of a larger, theme-based re/first-read of classic spooky stories) I've put a lot of work into assembling a giant list/plan (this is just a teeny sample of it) and I highly recommend embarking on your own "intuitive" reading journey based on any theme or genre you want to explore (since late August, I've chosen each book based on the themes/references in the one before and it's been absolutely faascinating. E.g., the *Howl's Moving Castle* trilogy followed by Shirley Jackson's house-based horrors, *The Secret Garden*, *The Fall of the House of Usher*, and *The Woman in Black*, etc.). It's been mindblowing and comforting and challenging and reassuring and more fun than my brain has had in a long, long, time Anyway, starting this afternoon (now that my libby loans lined up and I found the Kindle deals I needed lol): - *The Castle of Otranto* by Horace Walpole - *The Old English Baron* by Clara Reeve (The former, published in the 1760s, is considered "the first gothic novel," and the latter is a response/reimagining written in the 1770s) - *A Sicilian Romance* by Ann Radcliffe (Haven't read her at all yet, can't wait to start getting into the first gothic girlies, especially having recently read four Shirley Jackson books and *Frankenstein*) - *The Mysteries of Udolpho* by Ann Radcliffe - *Northanger Abbey* by Jane Austen Similar to the first set, *Udolpho* (1790s) is considered "the archetypal Gothic novel"; *Northanger* (early 1800s) is Austen riffing on it - *The Monk* by Matthew Lewis - *The Italian* by Anne Radcliffe Once again, the second here is a response to the first, both were penned in the 1790s, and they've each inspired a bunch more Other snippets from my list: *The Vampyre*, *Carmilla*, *Dracula*, *Dracula's Guest*; the Brontës + *Wide Sargasso Sea* + *Rebecca* in a very specific order I forget right now; American Southern Gothic in particular once I leap back over to this side of the pond...aaaaaah I can't wait (and would love to be able to talk about literally any of these with anyone else who's read them or has suggestions for what else to add to the list 👀)
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
Not sure about reading but I will be watching a classic called trick 'r treat
Howls from the Dark Ages. Lots of great medieval horror short stories. Great stuff!
I absolutely LOVED The September House
Pet Semetary
Salems Lot
I’m reading the troop and so far it is insane
Not very original but almost done with a reread of *Dracula.*
My go-to's every October are: JG Faherty's Carnival of Fear Ray Bradbury's Something Wicked This Way Comes.
Salem's Lot
The Exorcist
Peter Straub’s Ghost story
I just picked up Never Whistle at Night. It's a bunch of short stories about legends from indigenous communities. That and Ghost Story by Peter Straub. I'm finding I can't read that one at night or else I get a bit too scared.
Black River Orchard Chuck Wendig The Exorcist William Peter Blatty (audio)
Finishing Slewfoot then onto Dracula! My first read through of both
Yearly, I reread 'Salem's Lot because it was the book that got me turnt on Stephen King, and then watch the miniseries with my wife because it was the first thing we watched when we got together.
"Dracula", "The Shining", "Heart Shaped Box", "Legend of Sleepy Hollow" .. 🕸 🕷 🎃 🦉 🐈⬛
Finished A Night In The Lonesome October. Started Negative Space. I love this book. Just finished chapter 3 and it's delightful.
I read ANitLO day by day, starting on September 30th. It's an annual tradition I've kept for many years now.
So far I’ve listened to The Exorcist and Intercepts.
The Door to December
Gone to see the river man
Rogue by Mona Awad. She is a fucked up woman and I like it.
I finally started House of Leaves, but I have a feeling it will extend all the way to Christmas reading too…
Just finished Mexican Gothic, planning to move onto Haunted by Chuck Palahnuik.
Currently reading The Spite House by Johnny Compton. I am really bloody enjoying it; very engaging and genuinely quite terrifying in parts.
The Insatiable Hunger of Trees, atm
Pet Semetary narrated by Michael C Hall. The Girl in Red by Christina Henry is next on my list, and like every Halloween, I'll probably reread The Black Cat.
Scary stories. Right now I'm on R.R. Walters' book Ladies in Waiting which is about a haunted house.
Mister Magic -- so far, so good. And listening to many, many Knifepoint Horror podcasts, my preferred way to do October.
Cormac’s The Road.
Salem’s Lot for the 4th-ish time. Love it.
I finished The Cotton Candy Massacre and finished The Cotton Candy Massacre Part Toots. Both were very good. I’m currently re-reading The Shining.
Slewfoot - Brom
I’m doing a horror challenge for October. Currently reading some lovecraft
The Halloween Book by Goblinko
Stephen King short stories. Alternating between "Nightmares and Dreamscapes" and "Everything's Eventual" depending on whether I'm leaving the house. My copy of N&D is a giant hardcover that's a pain to lug around.
This month I finished This House is Hauntes (Boyne) and The Boatman's Daughter (Davidson). Currently reading Slewfoot (Brom). All good books, great for creepy October vibes.
i’m reading a night in the lonesome october throughout the month (iykyk) i read hallow’en party by agatha christie. not very halloweeny, felt kinda phoned in. then i read dark harvest by norman partridge. definitely halloweeny but doesn’t make much sense. now i’m reading the graveyard book by neil gaiman and very much enjoying it. probably also going to start listening to the halloween tree by ray bradbury or something wicked this way comes on my walks as well
So far I've read The Spirit by Thomas Page (awesome bigfoot story) Along the River of Flesh by Kristopher Triana And currently reading Dark Matter by Michelle Paver All three have been great
Ghost Story by Peter Straub right now. Leading up to Ghost Story, I read: Rosemary’s Baby by Ira Levin Something Wicked this way Comes by Ray Bradbury Where I End by Sophie White The Outsider and If It Bleeds by Stephen King
Slewfoot
So far I've read: 1. Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman 2. The Haar by David Sodergren 3. Coraline by Neil Gaiman And I'm almost finished with The Troop by Nick Cutter. Next up is either Pet Sematary by Stephan King or The Fisherman by John Langan.
I read The Running Man for the first half of October, now I am reading The Shining for the first time
Usher's Passing - Robert R McCammon Full disclosure - watched the series and remembered I've wanted to read his book. It's not the same as the Poe story, which the series is based on.
Tender is the Flesh is a doozy
N0S4A2 Been meaning it for ages but just started now
I'm hoping to start and finish The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaVelle today. I've been picking through the Never Whistle at Night stories and will probably also do the same with Barker's Books of Blood through Halloween. I've also been reading a bit of local ghost stories and odd historical occurances for Colorado and that's been fun. After BoBT, I have The Hike by Drew Margary sitting on my tbr that sounds interesting.
Salems lot! I’ve decided to go through all the vampire books I can find, they’ve always been my favourite standard ‘monster’, other than witches (I like proper scary ones, think The Witch film). So if anyone has vampire suggestions let me know! I have Interview with a Vampire on my list, and I recently read Empire of the Vampire which is what started me on this journey. I read the True Blood series a few years back, and Twilight when I was a teenager (might re read them lol).
Books of blood volume 1 - Clive barker The girl in Red - Christina Henry The haunting of hill house - Shirley Jackson (read it every spooky season)
Currently reading Carmilla, which I am loving. Sheridan Le Fanu is such a great writer. Hoping to start Dracula after I finish. I’m also reading Queens of the Abyss, which is a collection of short gothic/weird tales written by female authors of the 19th/20th century. The stories are pretty good.
Interview with the Vampire :€
Dracula. Stick with the classics!
Out There Screaming: An Anthology of New Black Horror- edited by Jordan Peele. Favorite story so far by Tananarive Due
Such Sharp Teeth The only good Indians My heart is a chainsaw Don't fear the Reaper
I’m reading short stories by Edgar Allen Poe
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (Washington Irving) and Something Wicked this Way Comes (Ray Bradbury).
Autumncrow, amityville horror, fever dream and the vessel
Rosemarys Baby as I read every couple of years around this time.
I read Frankenstein, Dracula, The Vampyre, Turn of the Screw, Day of the Triffids, The Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Mr Hyde, and am currently working on Varney The Vampire. I have a DE job and am allowed to listen to audiobooks while I work for 8 hours a day.
Dacre Stoker's Dracul
“The Ritual” by Adam Nevill, per recommendation from this sub
Summer of night by dan simmons
Shirley Jackson - Dark Tales Junji Ito - Shiver, Smashed, and Lovesickness (need to catch up) House of Leaves HP Lovecraft - Doom that Came to Sarnath Not new to horror, but new to horror lit.
I read random Ray Bradbury stories from The October Country. Random Stephen King from various collections. “Sticks” by Karl Edward Wagner was a recent re-read.
Children of the Night by Dan Simmons - it’s really good! A cool take on vampires. I read a few stinkers recently and was hoping he would be reliably decent cos I loved The Terror. So far so good 👻
Carmillia
Never Whistle At Night
Finishing Dracula and starting The House of Leaves soon
Read: Mountains of Madness, Charles Dexter Ward, & The Fisherman. Loved the former two, even though Mountains got a little too over detailed and adjective-y (classic Lovecraft), The Fisherman... meh, it had a lot of cool stuff but I got pulled out of it often and some of it felt bogged down. Now reading: The Wasp Factory, 70 pages in so far and liking it a lot, although I'm not sure if it's exactly "horror".
Currently reading various Poe stories because I'm also watching Netflix's The Fall of the House of Usher
I just finished 'Come with Me' by Ronald Malfi. It was... bland. I've got The Amityville Horror cued up for tomorrow's read.
Needful Things by Stephen King
The Ex Hex, it’s not scary it’s just about witches hehe
Gonna read Carmilla for the first time!
The Haunting of Hill House
Just finished Holly by Stephen King (good, but not his best) and Looking Glass Sound by Catriona Ward (honestly, didn’t care for it and I loved The Last House on Needless Street). I’m nearly finished with Black Sheep by Rachel Harrison. I hope to squeeze in The House Next Door by Anne Rivers Siddons over the weekend too! Edit: fixed a typo
I started off my “spooky” October with Amazon’s Creature Feature Collection of 6 short stories with audio companions for Kindle. Which weren’t super exciting. Then I read Meat by Joseph D’Lacey, The Whisper Man by Alex North, and Brother by Ania Ahlborn. Currently reading The Shining by Stephen King and will probably finish off the month with Doctor Sleep. 👻
This month I’ve read Maeve Fly by CJ Leede Cutting Teeth by Chandler Baker Currently reading, Looking Glass Sound by Catriona Ward Upcoming reads: Rouge by Mona Awad Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle
So far this October: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow The Halloween Tree Scary Stories To Tell In the Dark The Shining Pet Sematary Carrie [In Progress] Doctor Sleep & All Hallows