Women scared of book with man standing behind her ()
Last year, we featured spooky stories set in Europe. This year we decided to expand to scary stories from all over the world spanning various genres (though “horror” should be an implied theme amongst all the following books).
“Hemlock Island” by Kelley Armstrong (2023) (Thriller)
When her marriage dissolved during the pandemic, Laney Kilpatrick was only left with a house on Hemlock Island. To make ends meet, she is forced to rent her vacation home to strangers, despite the panic attacks it causes. Along with the normal struggles of ever-changing guests, Kilpatrick finds herself dealing with hex circles, nail marks on the wall (as if someone attempted to escape) and rogue campfires that almost burn the property down. She ends up trapped on the island trying to solve the mystery of these terrifying occurrences.
“Tell My Horse: Voodoo and Life in Haiti and Jamaica” by Zora Neal Hurston (1990) (Non-Fiction) (History) (Travel Log)
Known mostly for “Their Eyes Were Watching God,” Hurston brings her first-person perspective to the world of voodoo. Voodoo is a topic often explored in books and movies, however, many times it is represented incorrectly. Hurston attempts to set the narrative straight with her firsthand experience as an “initiate” rather than simply an “observer” with her experiences in Haiti and Jamaica in the 1930s.
“She Is a Haunting” by Trang Thanh Tran (2023) (Young Adult) (LGBTQ+)
Jade Nguyen goes to Vietnam for a visit with her estranged father and struggles to be the daughter he wants her to be in order to receive money for college. She just has to be Vietnamese enough, yet American enough and also straight enough. She begins to suffer from horrors in the night: nighttime paralysis, sounds from the walls, bug parts and warnings from a ghost bride. No one believes her about the horrors, and she must find a way to prove this house does not want them there before it’s too late.
“The Castle of Otranto” by Horace Walpole (1764) (Classics) (Gothic)
This book is believed to be the origin of the literary Gothic genre. Walpole, the 4th Earl of Orford, wrote this Italian piece as a way to “blend the two kinds of romance: the ancient and the modern.” The story is about Manfred, lord of the castle, and his family living in a haunted castle. The story begins on Manfred’s son’s wedding day where his son is tragically struck dead by a falling helmet. A series of events ensues as Manfred attempts to break the curse of the castle.
“White Horse” by Erika T. Wurth (2022) (Mystery) (Thriller)
An Indigenous woman, Kari James, is haunted by a possessed bracelet that calls upon her mother’s spirit as well as a monstrous entity. James faces visions from her dead mother and is hunted by the monster. Those around her seem to know more than they let on and it is ultimately on James to find the truth.
“Horror Noire: Blacks in American Horror Films from the 1890s to Present” by Robin R. Means Coleman, Ph.D. (2011) (New Edition 2023) (Non-Fiction) (Film) (Race)
From Blaxploitation films to direct-to-DVD films, art-house, mainstream horror and the emerging “inspired Nigerian ‘Nollywood’ Black horror films,” Coleman explores the various ways that race has played a role throughout horror films for over a century. She analyzes the characters not only on the screen but behind the scenes as well.
“Black Sheep” by Rachel Harrison (2023) (Gory) (Body Horror) (Religious Cults)
20-something Vespa Wright escaped her cult family the day she turned 18. However, she is drawn back in when she receives a wedding invitation for her favorite cousin’s wedding (something that is typically forbidden once someone leaves). When she returns, she discovers a terrible family secret and must reckon with the truth and a crisis of faith.
“Goosebumps: Welcome to Dead House” by R.L. Stine (1992) (Children’s)
Goosebumps introduced the children of the 1990s to the world of scary stories. “Welcome to Dead House” is the first of 62 Goosebumps books, though many are unconnected, and kids can pick up anywhere in the series. “Welcome to Dead House” is about 11 and 12-year-old siblings who find their new house and the neighborhood kids “creepy.” Their parents tell them not to worry, but it turns out, the creepy people are really (spoiler alert) zombies!
“Monster, She Wrote: The Women Who Pioneered Horror and Speculative Fiction” by Lisa Kröger (Editor) and Melanie R. Anderson (2019) (Non-Fiction) (Biography) (Reader Guide)
Did you know that it is rumored that Mary Shelley kept her dead husband’s heart in a drawer? Have you heard of Violet Paget, the horror writer who openly dated women in the Victorian era? This book provides readers with not only histories of women horror writers but also detailed reading lists for those interested in various sub-genres of spooky books.
“The Shining” by Stephen King (1977) (Thriller)
Of course, we cannot talk about scary books without mentioning the king of horror himself, Stephen King. Many people cannot seem to agree on what King’s scariest book is, The Shining is pretty terrifying. Jack Torrence takes a job at the Overlook Hotel to spend more time with his family and focus on his writing, but this takes a sinister turn. Danny Torrence, Jack’s son experiences supernatural gifts, including noticing the weird and scary things occurring in his new home.
