It's October again, which means it's time to get in the mood for Halloween. Get into your spooky mindset with these harrowing novels.
1. 'The Shining' by Stephen King
https://www.instagram.com/p/Boj5wgmhfZw/?tagged=stephenking
Okay, so I obviously had to go with a Stephen King novel. What I love about King's novels are the fact that he creates an air of uneasiness far before anything sinister starts to happen. With over 50 published novels, you can find a King book to fit the specific spooky you want. Ghosts, murder, torture, mystery, or psychological thriller, King has done it all. 'The Shining' is probably one of his most historically scary novels, so prepare to sleep with the lights on.
"Jack Torrance's new job at the Overlook Hotel is the perfect chance for a fresh start... But as the harsh winter weather sets in, the idyllic location feels ever more remote...and more sinister. And the only one to notice the strange and terrible forces gathering around the Overlook is Danny Torrance, a uniquely gifted five-year-old." - Goodreads
2. 'Night Film' by Marisha Pessl
https://www.instagram.com/p/BnCCN9Ihk_X/?tagged=nightfilm
Using mixed media, including newspaper clippings, online forums, and photographs, this mystery novel has touches of occult to amp up the spookiness. Investigative journalist Scott McGrath looks into the death of the daughter of world-renowned reclusive cult-horror film director Stanislaus Cordova. While ruled a suicide, McGrath has beef with famous Cordova and can't let the 'suicide' go.
"Driven by revenge, curiosity, and a need for the truth, McGrath, with the aid of two strangers, is drawn deeper and deeper into Cordova's eerie, hypnotic world. The last time he got close to exposing the director, McGrath lost his marriage and his career. This time he might lose even more." - Goodreads
3. 'The Raven Boys' by Maggie Stiefvater
https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/theravenboys/
Following a psychic's daughter and four uniquely beautiful boys obsessed with a dead king, this book is on my list because it has a killer atmosphere . While on the hunt for ley lines and a dead king, this whole novel captures an eeriness that is palpable. Worlds are crossed and people are met, but the whole time I was reading, I was on edge, capitvated by the atmosphere Stiefvater creates.
"For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she's not so sure anymore." - Goodreads
4. 'Gone Girl' by Gillian Flynn
https://www.instagram.com/p/BoiPECzhu_l/?tagged=gonegirl
If you've yet to read this, DO IT ALREADY! I originally read it in October of 2014, and it perfectly set the mood for the diabolical murder-mystery that goes down.
"Under mounting pressure from the police and the media—as well as Amy's fiercely doting parents—the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he's definitely bitter—but is he really a killer?" - Goodreads
5. 'The Diviners' by Libba Bray
https://www.instagram.com/p/BoPFyDCH8qC/?tagged=thediviners
This YA book is another that hits on atmospheric writing. Set in 1920s New York, Evie O'Neill goes to live with her uncle, who works at an occult museum. Following multiple storylines of teens with unique abilities, they intertwine to come together against an unknown force.
"As Evie jumps headlong into a dance with a murderer, other stories unfold in the city that never sleeps... And unknown to all, something dark and evil has awakened." - Goodreads
6. 'You' by Caroline Kepnes
https://www.instagram.com/p/BEL6UNxvEFV/?tagged=youbook
Written in second person, this novel is narrated by Joe Goldberg, professional stalker. A tale about a man willing to do anything to get to know Guinevere Beck, this novel is seriously creepy and will make you question anything you put online... like ever.
"When a beautiful, aspiring writer strides into the East Village bookstore where Joe Goldberg works, he does what anyone would do: he Googles the name on her credit card." - Goodreads
7. 'Bird Box' by Josh Mallerman
https://www.instagram.com/p/BohGRiBloIT/?tagged=birdbox
Taking away the sense of sight, this post-apocalyptic story follows a mother and her two young children trying to escape an unknown being. Without seeing what is lurking, an anxiety settles within you as you are just as clueless as they are.
"...the journey ahead will be terrifying: twenty miles downriver in a rowboat--blindfolded--with nothing to rely on but her wits and the children's trained ears." - Goodreads
