We asked our friends on Facebook and Twitter for some Halloween reading recommendations. Here’s what they suggested, with links where available, to our library catalogue. Feel free to add your own favourites in the comments section at the bottom.
Books that made us shiver…
Klara told us that “Graham Masterton and his books were the only ones that made me shiver”. The British author has been terrifying us since the mid 70s.
The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell (recommended by Stephanie)
A slice of gothic fiction. When Elsie moves to her late husband’s crumbling country estate she finds a locked room, a 200-year-old diary and a deeply unsettling painted wooden figure that bears a striking resemblance to Elsie herself.
Stalker by Lars Kepler (recommended by Allison)
Someone is secretly filming women through their windows before murdering them and sending the video to the police…
House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski (recommended by Victoria)
A photographer creates a film of his family moving into their new home. The project runs smoothly until a maze of passageways appear and disappear, perhaps inhabited by an unseen malevolent creature.
I am Legend by Richard Matheson. (David and Lynne)
The attempts at filming this horror classic have never come close to capturing the terror, claustrophobia and overwhelming loneliness felt by Robert Neville, the only person on earth not to have succumbed to the vampire pandemic.
Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist (recommended by Vikki and Lynne)
Much darker – and in some ways more touching – than either of the filmed versions. A modern vampire masterpiece. Lindqvists’ other titles are well worth checking out.
The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova (recommended by Molly)
A sweeping and evocative tale of a young woman’s hunt for the truth about Vlad the Impaler, the real man behind the Dracula myth,
Ghosts of Sleath by James Herbert (recommended by Peachy)
A psychic investigator is called in to investigate the strange events in a sleepy village and is driven to the edge of his sanity.
The Last Werewolf by Glen Duncan (recommended by Lynne)
This smart, dark and sexy take on the werewolf story tells of Jacob Marlowe, a man/werewolf tormented by his appetites and his past. He is ready to give up, until one extraordinary meeting…
The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sherlock Holmes (recommended by Lisa)
The gripping tale of Holmes and Watson’s efforts to discover whether he sudden death of Sir Charles Baskerville has been caused by a gigantic ghostly hound.
Lord Loss by Darren Shan (recommended by Chloe)
They may be aimed at teens, but ‘The saga of Darren Shan’ packs a fair few scares!
The Devil Rides Out by Dennis Wheatley (recommended by Anne)
Most will remember this story as the classic Hammer Horror featuring Christopher Lee. Duke de Richleau and his friends rescue a women caught in the web of satanists and risk being brought to the verge of madness as they come face-to-face with the powers of evil.
Death Day by Shaun Hutson (recommended by Claire)
Another slice of classic horror. This time a workman unearths a medallion in an overgrown graveyard and unleashes a centuries-old nightmare.
The Unborn by David Shobin (recommended by Roy)
Classic early 80s tale of Samantha, a mother who participates in a sleep-study program which leaves her under the control of a computer.
Dark Matter by Michelle Paver (recommended by Terri)
On an arctic expedition in the 1930s Jack is abandoned after his companions are forced to leave. He’ll soon face months of darkness… but something else is dwelling in there…. Paver is wonderful writer and this chilling psychological thriller/ghost story is no exception.
And, of course, Stephen King. With particular mention of Pet Semetary (recommended by Tanya and Lesley), Misery (by Rachel), Duma Key (by Alex), Desperation (by Lynne) and Different Seasons (by Sheryl – though not all the excellent novellas in this collection have a supernatural theme).
Horror isn’t always traditional
The Last of Us by Rob Ewing (recommended by Kenneth)
When a pandemic wipes out the entire population of a remote Scottish island, only a small group of children survive. How will they fend for themselves?
The Dice Man by Luke Rhinehart (recommended by David)
Not every disturbing book has to be a ‘horror’. Bored psychiatrist Luke Rhinehart decides to let the roll of a dice decide his life in this disturbing cult classic.
Under the Skin by Michel Faber (recommended by Lynne)
A very strange and unsettling book that starts out like a thriller and becomes increasingly more bizarre. Why is Isserly picking up well-built hitchhikers? Why does she have all those surgical scars? What IS going on at the farm where she lives? Guaranteed once read, never forgotten!
For younger readers
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (recommended by June)
What’s in the Witch’s Kitchen by Nick Sharratt. (recommended by Naomi and Anne)
Christopher Pumpkin by Sue Hendra (recommended by Liz)
And suggested by Julie:
The Worst Witch by Jill Murphy
Witch Week by Diana Wynne Jones
Which Witch by Eva Ibbotson
The Changeover by Margaret Mahy
Sabriel by Garth Nix