Hello everyone!
Halloween is a time for scares. Most people, myself included, look for an adrenaline rush in scary movies and TV shows. However, Halloween is the perfect time of year to cosy up with a good, entertaining book. Scary books happen to be my favourites!
If you are struggling to find one that will leave you with chills down your spine, look no further! These are my recommendation:
I chose to include mostly classic, horror and ghost stories. I also included a book in Maltese and a Young Adult novel, perfect for those of you who do not like to be scared, I got you!
The Turn Of The Screw by Henry James
This story follows a governess who, caring for two children at a remote estate (Bly Manor), becomes convinced that the grounds are haunted. The Turn of the Screw is considered a work of both gothic and horror fiction.
I've always been intrigued by this story and I even watched each and every movie, TV and Netflix adaptation of this story.
Rosemary's Baby by Ira Levin
A group of Satanists (Rosemary's neighbours) select a fertile young bride and arrange for her to become pregnant, and then groom and care for her while she brings the baby to term. Rosemary starts to believe that her husband and the neighbours at her apartment complex want to steal her baby after it’s born.
Complete Ghost Stories by Charles Dickens
This book brings together all Charles Dickens' ghost stories, twenty (12) in all, including several longer tales. These chilling stories are fascinating and entertaining as well as unsettling. I read A Christmas Carol every year around Christmas. Charles Dickens is one of my favourite authors!
The Collected Ghost Stories of E.F.Benson
This collection brings together fifty-four (54) of E.F. Benson's masterfully frightening literary ghost stories, making this the book that no horror fan can afford to miss. E.F.Benson is considered one of the greatest horror fiction writers.
'Mejt' by Anton Grasso
I had to include a book in Maltese in this list. Anton Grasso is considered the best horror writer on the island. Mejt is a compilation of five (5) of Grasso’s best stories chosen from more than a thousand he has written.
My mother and I love Grasso's books and we own most of them. Enigma is one of my favourite books by this author. The author also translated Rosemary's Baby into the Maltese language.
The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw
This YA novel is not scary, but it is a perfect book to read around Halloween. It's a story of revenge, magic, and first love set along the coastal shores of Sparrow, Oregon, where three sisters accused of witchcraft place a curse upon its townspeople. If you have a fondness for Hocus Pocus, you will definitely enjoy this book.
If you love this book, as I did, you should read Winterwood, another fascinating story about a rumoured witch, by the same author.
I love paranormal, ghost stories and psychological horror/thrillers, so much! In fact, those are my favourite genres of both books and movies.
Have you read any of the books on this list? Do you have any spooky book recommendations? Leave them in the comments section below.
