It doesn’t matter if it’s the middle of the summer or the depths of winter…I always enjoy reading something spooky. While I don’t like gore, I’m such a sucker for books that have me gripping the arm of the chair, rigid with fear, unable to leave my spot until that last page is turned. I love deliciously devious turn-of-phrase. I love books that tell you just enough to horrify you, but not enough to make you sick. In short, I’m a horror reader, but I’m very selective about my horror titles.
While some readers want to be disgusted, I just want to be frightened. So, the titles I’ve selected for you today were chosen in order to do just that. These titles are certainly chilling, and will deliver some genuine scares. I hope you find something that you absolutely love!
The Wendigo (Algernon Blackwood)
When I say “classic horror” I’m sure that for many readers, Edgar Allan Poe springs to mind. For me, though, the term conjures up images of Algernon Blackwood and his chilling prose. Despite having an amazing bibliography to choose from, including the likes of The Kit Bag and The Willows, it’s The Wendigo that keeps me coming back again and again. The story follows Simpson and his uncle, Dr. Cathcart, as they go on a moose-hunting trip in Canada. Things take a sour turn when Simpson and Cathcart split up, each with their own guide. And Simpson’s guide, the French-Canadian, Joseph Défago, starts to act rather strange, claiming there is something outside the tent, and at one point, running off into the night. This is a chilling story that proves less is more in the best possible way, and cemented me forever as a Blackwood fan.
The Necromancers (Robert Hugh Benson)
This is my first experience really reading Benson and I absolutely loved this book! The story follows Laurie Baxter, a young man who has recently lost his beloved and is inconsolable following her death. When he falls in with a group of spiritualists, they recognize in him a person of psychic “sensitivity” which would make him invaluable at their seances and rituals. But those who love Laurie most are deeply concerned for him, especially when it comes to light that previous “sensitives” who worked with this occultic group fell prey to very dark fates. Told from the dual perspectives of Laurie and of Maggie, a friend slowly realizing that she is deeply in love with him, this chilling tale will keep you waiting in a state of nervous tension until the last page.
This Thing of Darkness (K.V. Turley and Fiorella de Maria)
This is a chilling tale that is sure to appeal to fans of classic horror movies, as well as horror novels. The story follows Evangeline Kilhooley, a journalist and war widow struggling to support herself in 1956 Hollywood. Tasked with writing a “star profile” for the Hollywood has-been, Bela Lugosi, made famous for his role in Dracula, Evangeline soon finds herself drawn into the reach of a secret and terrible evil that has followed both her and Lugosi over from Europe to America. All the while, another mystery hangs over Evi’s head: what happened to her husband during the war? And what secrets is Evi’s assistant, Hugo hiding from her? This is a slow-burn horror novel that left me absolutely chilled by the end.
Bloody Habit (Eleanor Bourg Nicholson)
The year is 1900 and John Kemp is at a bit of a crossroads. A straightforward, unimaginative lawyer, Kemp finds himself disillusioned with the London social scene, and constantly frustrated by the woman he’s supposedly in love with. While on a train trip, John has an encounter that he cannot explain away, as he’s attacked by a horrific creature that seems to have sprung from a nightmare. And to his even deeper horror, he learns that not only does this creature have a connection to several of his acquaintances, but also to an obnoxious little Catholic priest who seems to be fixated on befriending him, in spite of Kemp’s barely concealed anti-Catholic feelings. This book is the first in a series, and I highlighted all three books in a previous post. Click here to check them out!
Tales of the Frightened (Boris Karloff and Michael Avallone)
This is a bit of an odd selection on this list, since I’m not so much recommending the book, as I am the audiobook. Michael Avallone compiled a delicious little collection of very short scary stories (each comprised of only a few pages). The selections included in this little volume all start the same way, with a mysterious narrator (assumed to be Boris Karloff) asking the reader a question or sharing some little conversation piece, such as wondering if one had ever walked under a ladder or felt like they were being watched. This prompts a chilling little tale (beautifully narrated by Karloff on audio) about someone experiencing just that sort of thing…and what gruesome fate awaited them. I recommend reading this in a quiet, secluded spot, perhaps in the basement, with the lights out. Then, sit back, relax, and allow Boris Karloff to scare you silly!
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (Alvin Schwartz)
This is another scary stories collection that I can’t help but recommend again and again and again…. Schwartz was a great folklorist, who wrote many wonderful (and sadly, out of print) books with stories, rhymes, and folk songs. But, he’s perhaps best-known for his chilling series, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. First published in 1981, these creepy stories, accompanied by the nightmarish illustrations of Stephen Gammell, have been terrifying children for decades! (Be sure, when you’re checking them out, to get the original illustrations– Gammell’s black and white inkwash images are the only way to experience these tales!) With stories from folklore and urban legend ranging from ghostly stowaways to hideous black dogs, these are tales that will leave readers of all ages with shivers down their spines. As with my recommendation for Karloff, I recommend reading these in a dark room. For an even better experience, bring along a friend, and the two of you can take turns reading aloud.
The Night Gardener (Jonathan Auxier)
The Night Gardener represents all the best things of middle-grade horror. These books, generally written for readers ages 8-12, provide just the right amount of scares without crossing any lines. You’ll be frightened, you’ll be thrilled, and you’ll want to come back for more! This chilling little book has a great villain, and provides just enough horror to keep you from getting too comfortable (without leaving you emotionally scarred). Two Irish children find solace and shelter working as servants for a British family in their crumbling manor house in the countryside. But, both house and family are not as they seem, and the children find themselves drawn into the web of a terrifying family curse that threatens everything they hold dear, including their own lives.
Strange Houses (Uketsu)
This is a hard book to rate, to recommend, and to read, but it’s also impossible to put down once you’ve started. Our narrator is a writer obsessed with the macabre who is deeply intrigued when an acquaintance brings him the blueprints for a house he wants to buy. The house looks perfectly lovely, except for an odd, “dead space” hidden in the walls. Deeply curious, the writer shares the picture with his architect friend, Kurihara, and the mystery only becomes more disturbing from there. What starts off as an odd design choice soon spirals into a deeper mystery that is anything but innocent, and it soon becomes clear that the author and Kurihara might be in over their heads. If you enjoy Uketsu’s very unusual writing style, I suggest also checking out his other book, Strange Pictures, where the author is drawn into a mystery based on a series of very unusual sketches or the sequel to Strange Houses, Strange Buildings (which I haven’t had the chance to read just yet, but I’m really excited about!). Uketsu’s power is in his simple, dry, matter-of-fact language, which only makes the details more horrifying as you read along.
