Halloween is just a few weeks away and it is hard not to notice that because all the stores already have Halloween themed decorations on sale already. That gives us the perfect reason to share our list of horror books to read this Halloween season!

I have already gotten started on reading horror novels and recently finished a couple of great novels that I will be sharing in this article. You can either choose the classics or read newer horror novels that have kept the horror genre interesting. 

As I look at my reading list, I am surprised to see that I have read a lot more horror novels in the past few weeks than I thought. Normally, it is a genre I often neglect until I see horror novels trending again during the fall. 

I have noticed that this is a genre that I haven’t read enough and have made an effort to change that. Horror novels are not always the best works of literature but they are some of the most entertaining. You can see the full list below!

You can’t talk about horror novels without talking about the king of horror Stephen King. He was an author that I have always had a tough time reading because of his writing style. But I knew I had to read at least one novel by King and decided to read Pet Sematary.

Somehow, I have avoided watching the popular movie of the same name so I didn’t know what the novel was about. It felt like the movies from the 90s and the 2000s that I grew up on. This felt like traveling back in time and seeing movies borrow a lot of plot devices that King used in his novels. 

I enjoyed Pet Sematary and you can see why King is beloved by millions. His stories are interesting and he understands people and their thought process. With all that said, I am still not a fan of his writing style and don’t think I will be reading any other King novels for fun.

I prefer to read authors I am a fan of and this list has two of my favorite horror writers. First off is Dan Simmons and I loved his two novels that I read, Children of the Night and The Terror. The former is a vampire horror novel and it will terrify you to say the least. 

The Terror by Dan Simmons
The Terror by Dan Simmons

But the more terrifying novel of the two has to be The Terror. The novel follows a real expedition and Simmons imagines what could have happened and it is chilling to read, not only because the novel takes place in the Arctic Circle. What is scarier than a monster that you don’t see but know is out there?  

The other author who I think everyone should check out is Silvia Moreno-Garcia. Her novels are beautifully written and no other author makes me want to travel more than her. She utilizes the setting perfectly and makes it feel like another character, almost making you feel like you’ve been there. 

Mexican Gothic is the novel that made me a fan of her writing and I’ve loved every book she has written. Silver Nitrate deserves an honorable mention but to make this list is The Daughter of Doctor Moreau.

Moreno-Garcia novel is loosely based on H.G Wells novel The Island of Doctor Moreau. I don’t want to spoil any of the twists but you can read the full review here and this is a novel I strongly recommend to anyone that loves horror novels. 

The last novel on this list I want to discuss is The Changeling by Victor LaValle. As someone who loves history, fantasy novels, and mythology, this novel was perfect. It has many twists and it is entertaining until the last page. Beware though because this novel will definitely terrify you and be scared of social media afterwards.

Conclusion 

It is easy to forget to make time for horror novels because they aren’t considered high class literature. But most of us read for fun and want to be entertained and even scared a little. 

That is why I will be making an effort to read more horror novels and keep sharing my favorite horror books or even ones that I think fans will love. Are you eager to read horror novels with Halloween just around the corner? Let us know in the comments below!

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