Horror comes in various forms. For some, it’s zombies, for others ghosts. And for some others, it’s the reality that scares them the most. Do read all these best horror books of the time just to decide what is it that really instills fear in you. And if you can’t sleep at night with lights off afterward? Congratulations! You are almost normal.
Here we have given the best horror books of all time. This list is for the ones who are hard-hearted, strong-willed, and courageous.
Oh, and these books are mostly underrated! So you won’t find mentions of most obvious recommendations like The Shining or Carrie or any of the Stephen King novels because you all have already seen those in movie forms.
P.S. All books have been arranged in alphabetical order. As they all need your attention.
So, here is the list of the 10 Best Horror Books Of All Time.
Let’s get started!!
#1 A History of Wild Places by Shea Ernshaw
About the Book
Title: A History of Wild Places
Author: Shea Ernshaw
Genre: Mystery, Adult, Thriller, Fantasy
Publisher: Atria Books
Type: Standalone
Pages: 368
Goodreads Rating: 4/5
Travis Wren can find any missing person with only an object of theirs. But when an author goes missing, and he is given the case of a missing author, something no one expected happens – not only is he unable to find her, but Travis himself goes missing. Years later, Theo has found belongings of Travis that reveal secrets behind his disappearance, in turn bringing his and his family’s secrets out front. What did Theo find? What are those secrets?
Why do we recommend this book?
A History of Wild Places is one of the most well-written horror novels. Everything in this novel is unpredictable, weird (in a perfect way, really), and exciting. One of its kind, A History of Wild Places gives off a hauntingly silent sort of atmosphere that is sure to keep you hooked from start to end and on the edge of your seat.
If you want to buy/gift, A History of Wild Places, click on the link below: 👇
#2 Bad Girls Don’t Die Series by Katie Alender
About the Book
Title: Bad Girls Don’t Die
Author: Katie Alender
Genre: Paranormal, Mystery, Ghosts, Young Adult
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Type: Series
No. of Books: 3
Books in it: #1 Bad Girls Don’t Die, #2 From Bad to Cursed, #3 As Dead as it Gets
Goodreads rating: 4.2/5
Alexis thinks she is losing her mind. Her parents’ relationship is already down the drain, her sister is acting weird, and her house seems to have a brain of its own. As the strange incidences keep happening and she keeps having close encounters with death, Alexis isn’t sure that everything is just inside her head. This book is a thrilling, horror-filled ride from start to finish as it grapples between reality and imagination alongside the heroine and her friends.
Why do we recommend this book?
Look at those spooky titles!! One of the more well-known horror books on the list, Bad Girls Don’t Die, series gets better and better with each book. Alexis is a relatable protagonist with relatable problems (minus the ghosts). It’s easy to connect to her and cheer her even when she makes some stupid decisions. Her heart is always in the right place, and whatever she does feels like something we would do too in her situation.
If you want to buy/gift, Bad Girls Don’t Die Series by Katie Alender click on the link below: 👇
#3 Coraline by Neil Gaiman
About the Book
Title: Coraline
Author: Neil Gaiman
Genre: Fantasy, Supernatural, Young Adult
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
Type: Standalone
Pages: 162
Goodreads Rating: 4/5
Coraline’s family has just shifted to a new place. And Coraline loves it. She opened the locked door and found a new flat, just like hers. And everything here is better – the toys, the food, the books. But there are another father and another mother here. And they want to keep her. There are secrets trapped inside the mirrors, which tells her that she might not have been the first child to come to this flat. Coraline will have to gather all her strength and wits if she wishes to outsmart this world and go back home.
Why do we recommend this book?
It’s short, it’s scary, it’s a callback to Peterpan and the lost children, and the writing is very gothic-like. What more reasons could anyone need?
If you want to buy/gift Coraline by Neil Gaiman, click on the link below: 👇
#4 House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig
About The Book
Title: House of Salt and Sorrows
Author: Erin A. Craig
Genre: Horror, Fantasy, Romance, Fairy Tale
Publisher: Delacorte
Type: Standalone
Pages: 403
Goodreads rating: 3.9/5
In this Retelling of The 12 Dancing Princesses by The Grimm Brothers, Annaleigh has to battle with an unseen force to protect her home. While Annaleigh is sure something is wrong with her and her sister’s nightly ventures to the magical ball, her sisters don’t think so. After the tragedies of the last few years, they are more than happy to embrace a little bit of magic into their lives. And slowly, it’s starting to not matter to Annaleigh either. Until the ghosts of her dead sisters start appearing in front of her, trying to kill her. But do they want her dead? Or are they trying to tell her something?
Why do we recommend this book?
Ok, so it’s a fairytale retelling. So? It’s too good to miss out on, especially when it comes to the horror genre! Reading as Annaleigh’s mind gradually starts to unravel, she isn’t sure what is real and what is in her head. But it is truly terrifying because it’s not just her who is unsure. The readers, as well, are left wondering, unable to put the pieces together to make sense of anything. It’s a fantastic psychological fantasy horror that deserves more recognition.
If you want to buy/gift House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig click on the link below: 👇
#5 Slights by Kaaron Warren
About the Book
Title: Slights
Author: Kaaron Weener
Genre: Supernatural, fantasy, Dark, Adult
Publisher: Angry Robot
Type: Standalone
Pages: 500
Goodreads rating: 3.4/5
What happens when you die? Stevie has found the answer to this question. She is angry, and she is on a self-destructive road as she can’t find her place in the world. She is aware of all this but doesn’t want to do anything to change her life until she gets a close-up experience with death. What would you do when you find yourself in a room filled with people you have wronged throughout your life? Slights is a fantastic, disturbing read that talks about human nature and the small acts of kindness. And of cruelty.
Why do we recommend this book?
Don’t let yourself be scared off by the number of pages or the Goodreads rating. The story is enough to do that. The main character is incredibly flawed (almost to the point of infuriation), but simultaneously you can’t help but feel for her, and that’s the beauty of the writing. Slights are written in hauntingly beautiful prose that keeps you looking for more even after the end, and at the same time leaves you satisfied.
If you want to buy/gift, Slights by Kaaron Warren click on the link below: 👇
#6 The Between by Tananarive Due
About the Book
Title: The Between
Author: Tananarive Due
Genre: Fantasy, Mystery, Thriller, Cultural
Publisher: HarperTorch
Type: Standalone
Pages: 304
Goodreads rating: 4/5
It’s Hilton’s grandmother who sacrificed her life for him when he almost drowned 30 years ago. And now, years later, he feels like the time he borrowed is running out. His wife, the only elected African–American judge in Dade County, Florida, has begun receiving racist hate mail from a man she once prosecuted, and he is dreaming a nightmare every night. The dreams are testing his sanity, and it won’t be long until it shreds to pieces. Hilton wants to protect his family. And as he battles both the psychotic stalking of his family and the unseen enemy that haunts his sleep, Hilton’s sense of reality is slipping away.
Why do we recommend this book
100% not recommended to be read at night. Hilton is a super flawed protagonist and an extremely untrustworthy narrator, but that’s what makes him so interesting. Plus, the way this story dealt with various social issues like racism and ethnicism? One hundred percent recommended.
If you want to buy/gift, The Between by Tananarive Due click on the link below: 👇
#7 The Keeper Series by Sarah Lagann
About the Book
Title: The Keeper
Author: Sarah Lagann
Genre: Fantasy, Mystery, Thriller, Paranormal
Publisher: HarperTorch
Type: Series
No. of Books: 2
Books in it: #1 The Keeper, #2 The Missing
Goodreads rating: 3.5/5
The small town of Bedford, Maine, is dying. Its only source of economy is being closed off, and some of the people (who didn’t die yet) are starting to think more about Susan Marley, the famous local beauty, who suddenly stopped talking one day. Some believe she is sick. Others call her a witch. Her younger sister wishes to leave the town for good, but Susan gets killed. And the decaying town turns nightmarish for real. The Keeper is the first book in the duology, set in an incredibly bleak and dark setting.
Why do we recommend this book?
The setting! It was a stroke of genius by Lagnan to create a town with constant rain. Overall, the writing suffered at times, but this series is worth catching up for its fear factor.
If you want to buy/gift, The Keeper Series by Sarah Lagnan click on the link below: 👇
#8 The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein
About the Book
Title: The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein
Author: Kiersten White
Genre: Historical Fiction, Retellings, Fantasy, Young Adult
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Type: Standalone
Pages: 304
Goodreads rating: 4/5
Elizabeth is an orphan- abused and alone, with no rescue in sight, until she meets Victor. It has been years since she moved in with the Frankensteins, and it’s been even longer since Victor disappeared. Elizabeth decides to find him and bring him back home before her usefulness expires. But she has no idea that her life will change forever once she does find him. It is a retelling story of Mary Shelley’s hit horror novel Frankenstein, told from the point of view of its protagonist – Victor’s wife, Elizabeth.
Why do we recommend this book?
Elizabeth is, without a doubt, one of the most intriguing female protagonists ever written. She is intelligent, manipulative, and cunning, but only because she wants to survive. A gothic horror novel- where society is the ultimate monster, The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein is a delightful but haunting read that beautifully blends paranormal with realism.
If you want to buy/gift, The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein by Kiersten White click on the link below: 👇
#9 Uncle Vampire by Cynthia D. Grant
About the Book
Title: Uncle Vampire
Author: Cynthia D. Grant
Genre: Young Adult, Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Type: Standalone
Pages: 173
Goodreads rating: 3.6/5
Carolyn’s father has anger issues, her mother had a meltdown, and her elder sister ran away to college to get away from it. Her brother has taken to drugs, and her younger sister is turning more and more emotionally closed off even though she keeps smiling all the time. But Carolyn can’t seem to understand how no one can see that uncle who lives with them is a vampire. Award-winning author Cynthia D. Grant presents a mind-blowing short novel ‘Uncle Vampire’ filled with plot twists you won’t see coming.
Why do we recommend this book?
It’s a great book, but maybe you should avoid Goodreads summary if you don’t want spoilers. Grant deals with many sensitive issues in this 1995 published book, and there are various trigger warnings related to assault and abuse. Do check them before you start this book. Without spoiling anything, read this book only if you are confident nothing can trigger you.
If you want to buy/gift, Uncle Vampire by Cynthia D. Grant click on the link below: 👇
#10 We Have Always Lived In The Castle by Shirley Jackson
About the Book
Title: We Have Always Lived In The Castle
Author: Shirley Jackson
Genre: Horror, Classics, Gothic, Mystery, Thriller
Publisher: Penguin Books
Type: Standalone
Pages: 146
Goodreads rating: 3.9/5
P.S.: This book is available on Kindle Unlimited. If you have subscribed to it, then you can read this book for free.
Six years ago, half of the Blackwood family was poisoned. Mary, who has just turned 18, is now the only connection between her remaining household and the outside world until an unexpected arrival throws their house’s fragile balance in jeopardy. We Have Always Lived in the Castle is a gothic horror novel that depicts how scary a lonely person’s world could be, especially with a broken mind.
Why do we recommend this book?
Truly one of the most disturbing, bone-chilling, gothic mysteries ever written in the history of literature, and that’s not an exaggeration at all. Take care of your mind, you’ll. The scariest monsters are always inside our heads.
If you want to buy/gift, We Have Always Lived In The Castle by Shirley Jackson, click on the link below: 👇
Horror comes in various forms. For some, it’s zombies, for others ghosts. For some other people though, it’s the reality that scares them the most. Do read all these best horror books of the time just to decide what is it that really instills fear in you. And if you can’t sleep at night with lights off afterward? Congratulations! You are almost normal.
P.S: Some books recommended here are available on Kindle Unlimited. If you have subscribed to it, then you can read these books for free. Check out this article: Is Kindle Unlimited Worth It?
SO, to conclude here are the 10 Spooky Novels That Deserve More love:
| 1. | A History of Wild Places by Shea Ernshaw | Buy the Book |
| 2. | Bad Girls Don’t Die Series by Katie Alender | Buy the Book-set |
| 3. | Coraline by Neil Gaiman | Buy the Book |
| 4. | House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig | Buy the Book |
| 5. | Slights by Kaaron Warren | Buy the Book |
| 6. | The Between by Tananarive Due | Buy the Book |
| 7. | The Keeper Series by Sarah Lagnan | Buy the Book |
| 8. | The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein by Kiersten White | Buy the Book |
| 9. | Uncle Vampire by Cynthia D. Grant | Buy the Book |
| 10. | We Have Always Lived In The Castle by Shirley Jackson | Buy the Book |
Read every book on this list. I am sure it won’t disappoint you.
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