Halloween is right around the corner, which means a long weekend and plenty of time to curl up with a good book.
For the month that’s in it, why not make your next book a spooky one?
From twisted female protagonists to haunted hotels and thrilling mysteries, we’ve selected some of our fave creepy books to keep you entertained this week.
Here are seven spooky books to read this Halloween!
Where I End
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“Aoileann desperately wants a family, and when Sarah and her three young children move to the island, Aoileann finds a focus for her relentless love. A horror story about being bound by the blood knot of family…”
Where I End is a seriously disturbing and compelling read that will give you shivers – just be warned, it’s not for the faint hearted!
The Dangers Of Smoking In Bed
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“A woman is sexually obsessed with the human heart; a lost, rotting baby crawls out of a backyard and into a bedroom; a pair of teenage girls can’t let go of their idol; an entire neighbourhood is cursed to death when it fails to respond correctly to a moral dilemma…”
The Dangers Of Smoking In Bed is a collection of eery short stories that will linger in your thoughts for a little too long after you’ve finished reading. Freaky!
Motherthing
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“A darkly funny domestic horror novel about a woman who must take drastic measures to save her husband and herself from the vengeful ghost of her mother-in-law.”
Motherthing takes the idea of a nightmarish mother in law and adds a whole new layer of terror. It’s totally unhinged, seriously shocking, and might put you off eating for a short while. Perfect!
The Haunting Of Hill House
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“Four seekers arrive at a notoriously unfriendly pile called Hill House. At first, their stay seems destined to be merely a spooky encounter with inexplicable phenomena. But Hill House is gathering its powers—and soon it will choose one of them to make its own…”
You’ve probably seen The Haunting Of Hill House on Netflix, or at least heard the buzz about it. While the book is quite different (the ghosts don’t manifest in the same way), it’s similar in that it has strong psychological themes, and features the same demonic house that drives its inhabitants to strange places. Your imagination will go into overdrive…
Bird Box
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“Something is out there, something terrifying that must not be seen. One glimpse of it, and a person is driven to deadly violence. No one knows what it is or where it came from.”
Another that was adapted by Netflix, Bird Box is quite similar to the book that came before it – though the movie version has softened many of the incomprehensible horrors found in these pages. You’ll want to keep the lights on for this one!
If I Disappear
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“When her favourite true crime podcast host goes missing, an adrift young woman plunges headfirst into the wild backcountry of Northern California and her own dangerous obsession.”
How much do you love your fave podcast host? What lengths would you go to help them? This unconventional, mysterious book takes an interest in true crime to the next level; and it’s filled with suspense the whole way through. Utterly addictive!
The Shining
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“Jack Torrance’s new job at the Overlook Hotel is the perfect chance for a fresh start. As the off-season caretaker at the atmospheric old hotel, he’ll have plenty of time to spend reconnecting with his family and working on his writing. But as the harsh winter weather sets in, the idyllic location feels ever more remote…and more sinister.”
Last but not least, it wouldn’t be a Halloween book list without The Shining. Whether you’re a fan of the movie or not, this exceptionally spooky book has something for everyone. It may put you off staying in a hotel ever again, though.