Halloween/October Top Ten Books

As Samhain approaches, sit by the fire and get absorbed into some haunted reading.

These recommendations are in no particular order but they are a list of some of my favourites for this time of year. Is this my ultimate top ten?….no but there’s so many top tens out there with the same titles, let’s try something new….I know, I know Susan Hill will be on all of them but it is a must read for spooky read fans.

1. The Mistletoe Bride and Other Stories by Kate Mosse (I love Kate Mosses style of writing, atmospheric and descriptive. I loved this book that much I bought my mother in law it for Christmas. The stories are subtle and beautifully written)
2. The Woman in Black by Susan Hill (I read this in one afternoon. Disregard the not scary at all movie. It does not do Susan Hills classic justice.)
3. Amityville Horror by Jay Anson (This book is very creepy. My husband recommended it to me when we first got to together. Much scarier than the movies in my opinion.)
4. The Secret of Crickley Hall by James Herbert (James Herbert books are one of my guilty pleasures and although some of them are icky for example Rats, when he writes a haunted house story I can’t put it down.)
5. The Man in the Moss by Phil Rickman (Before Merrily Watkins Phil Rickman wrote quite a few stand alone novels. This was my introduction to his work. I have read everything Phil Rickman has written (except the John Dee series…only read the first)
6. The Waiting Room by F.G Cottam (This is a creepy, well written ghost story. It is subtle with flashes of the past. I have read lots of F.G Cottam’s books.).
7. The House on Cold Hill by Peter James (I like a haunted house story and this one had a bloody weird twist on the end…definitely try it  out).
8. Fireside Gothic by Andrew Taylor (I love ghost stories collections and this wintry collection is great and will give you ghost bumps on a winters night. I bought this when it was offer and I was really pleased I gave it a try).
9. The Vanishing Witch by Karen Maitland (Moving away from the haunted and the ghosts to some witchcraft in an historical setting. Karen Maitland is a fantastic writer from my neck of the woods. I have read most of her books and they often have a realistic, historical but spooky vibe that is glorious for this time of year).
10. Lost Souls by Poppy Z Brite (One of my favourite vampire novels. I love Poppy Z Brite’s work. It brought New Orleans alive for me. The characters are close to my heart and the depictions of vampires….it is a book that stays on my book shelf).

 

Please feel free to share your recommended reads on here. I’m always looking for new ideas!