An evening chill is starting to creep into the air, leaves will soon be changing colors, and with Labor Day weekend behind us, I am firmly focused on fall.
I enjoy the occasional spooky book all year long, but in September and October they are the focus of my reading. I tend to gravitate towards haunted house stories, or variations within that theme.
Here’s a few of my favorite backlist selections for you to add to your Spooky Season TBR:
Dead Silence by S.A. Barnes
A repair crew is heading back to Earth when they pick up a distress signal coming from the Aurora, a luxury space-liner that disappeared on its maiden voyage of the solar system more than twenty years ago. When the crew begins to investigate the craft, it’s quickly apparent that things aren’t right: there’s whispers, words written in blood, and scenes of horrible deaths. What happened to the Aurora?
The isolation of space is terrifying enough. Factor in missing spacecraft, salvage crews, and lots of unexplained death? I am all in. If you’re a fan of films like Event Horizon, Sunshine, and Supernova this one will probably work for you.
Wylding House by Elizabeth Hand
Wanting to work on their next album, a band takes up residence at Wylding Hall, a large country house with many secrets. The lead singer disappears within the mansion, never to be seen again. The surviving musicians reunite at Wylding Hall years later with a documentary film maker, hoping to tell their story and uncover what happened to one of their band members.
This gave me “Daisy Jones & the Six but for Spooky Season” vibes.
The House Next Door by Anne Rivers Siddons
Colquitt is a proper society lady in 1970s Atlanta, so imagine her disgust when buyers purchase the beautiful vacant lot next to her home and build a modern monstrosity of a home there. The tragedies of three different homeowners are presented, and the dread that builds over the course of the novel is perfect for spooky season. There’s something just not right with the house next door.
More eerie than horror, this is a great gateway to the haunted house genre for those who just want some tension and unease. (Or some great storytelling from Anne Rivers Siddons, who is known for her southern fiction.)
The Caretaker of Lorne Field by Dave Zeltserman
Generations of the Durkin family have weeded Lorne Field for almost 300 years. It’s the most crucial job in the world, although the town scoffs at the family’s determination to tend the field. The Durkins know that if they don’t, a terrible monster will grow…or will it?
This story had me guessing until the very last page, and I loved every minute.
Penpal by Dathan Auerbach
A novel that was born from a series of posts in an online horror forum, Penpal tells the story of a man who reflects on the horrible and unsettling events throughout his childhood to try to understand what happened.
The building tension and eerie factor make this one a standout I won’t forget.
Burnt Offerings by Robert Marasco
Ben and Marian Rolfe are ready for a summer away from their steamy Brooklyn apartment, so when an offer to rent a mansion in upstate New York comes along at a low price, they quickly accept. The one catch? Resident Mrs. Allardyce lives in one of the wings of the house and the family must leave meals for her. Creepy and inexplicable events begin to plague the home and family, who soon realize that their summer rental comes with a higher cost than anticipated.
1970s vibes and a creepy mansion in the country are a great combination. Maybe my favorite combination?
How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix
Louise must return to her childhood home after the sudden death of her parents, and she isn’t looking forward to anything about that: dealing with the loss, leaving her young daughter behind, reacquainting herself with her brother, and handling the sale of the house, which happens to be stuffed with her mother’s beloved puppets and dolls. Some houses don’t want to be sold, however, and the nightmare truly comes alive in this fun horror story from master Grady Hendrix.
I have completely enjoyed everything I have read by Hendrix thus far.
Kill Creek by Scott Thomas
Four modern horror authors are invited to spend Halloween night at Finch House, an empty and overgrown dwelling at the end of an isolated country road. What starts as a publicity stunt becomes a fight for survival in this engrossing page-turner I read in almost one sitting.
This is probably my favorite haunted house story to date, but it definitely veers hard into horror. (Unlike some of the other titles mentioned here, which are much lighter.)
Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant
The Atargatis embarked on a voyage to the Mariana Trench to film a mockumentary about legendary ancient sea creatures, but the vessel and all crew were lost. Was it a tragedy or a hoax? No one could say for sure.
Years later, a new crew assembles to venture back to the Mariana Trench. And those legendary ancient sea creatures? The mermaids are very real, and not like the ones in cheerful musicals.
A one-day read for me, this blend of horror and a bit of sci-fi was perfection. Into the Drowning Deep remains one of my most recommended books of all time, and one of the most fun reading experiences I have had.
Have you read any of these? Which one would you choose first for Spooky Season?
cozylittlebrownhouse.com 