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Unsettling Reads: 15 Barnes & Noble Finds for Thrillseekers
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items The 15 books at the top of my favorites. I come back to these over and over again when I need a horror fix. This list aims to showcase the versatility and variety inside the horror genre. Happy reading!
My all-time favorite book. A legendary read that thwarts everything you know about story structure. There truly is nothing else like it, and it will change the way you read forever. Follow a family as they discover a realm beyond Earth in their own h...
"House of Leaves" by Mark Z. Danielewski ...
A gripping sci-fi YA read with a unique premise: A “came back wrong” scenario from the other perspective. Prepare for this book to stay with you awhile, as the slow-building melancholy of Jenna's situation leaves a disturbing taste in your mouth.
"The Adoration of Jenna Fox" by Mary Pearson
A psychological thriller that keeps you guessing until the very last chapter--literally. Dekker builds an all-too-real scenario of childhood trauma with severe consequences, as Kevin faces ghosts from his past in the most explosive ways.
"Thr3e" by Ted Dekker
A “slowish”-burn, “Piranesi” brings chills in a different way than most thrillers. The naive, unreliable narrator of Piranesi filled me with a deep sense of sadness and loss. There's a unique feeling you get as a reader when you begin to understand a...
"Piranesi" by Susanna Clarke
If you haven't read this classic King novel, now's the time to check it off your list! All the action in this novel takes place in a quiet bedroom in a quieter town. A master of building suspense out of thin air, King weaves a scarily realistic tale ...
"Misery" by Stephen King
NOT for the faint of heart. As an avid horror reader with an exceptionally strong stomach, there were pages even I had to skip. A disgustingly beautiful commentary on the intrinsic value of human life, with an ending that will leave you wishing you h...
"Tender Is The Flesh" by Agustina Bazterrica
This book is a classic for a reason. A genre-definer, Jackson invented the “Haunted House” category of horror fiction. Follow four thrillseekers as they boldly climb into a malevolent entity that only wishes to destroy them with what hurts most.
"The Haunting of Hill House" by Shirley Jackson
Read this carefully. This is an anxiety-provoking read that pushes the boundaries of storybook communication styles. Quick and disorienting with a nice punch, one reviewer said it the best: “You will be scared, but you won't know why."
"I'm Thinking of Ending Things" by Iain Reid
I hope you're ready for a marathon! “The Oath” is 100,000 words of theological horror, personifying your greatest sins into an incomprehensible monster. One of my first ever horror reads that made me fall in love with the genre.
"The Oath" by Frank Peretti
Falling into the dystopic side of the horror genre, the simplistic setting of a road brings an emotionally-charged, horrific story of determination, desperation, and sheer hopelessness. The lack of worldbuilding and general context leaves the perfect...
"The Long Walk" by Stephen King
If you're looking for a quick read, this is a great choice. Falling into the cosmic horror subgenre, this book will give you existential dread that lasts. What happens when the afterlife isn't what you expected?
"A Short Stay in Hell" by Steven Peck
This is a rather depraved story; quite the stomach-turner. If you're a gore junkie who looks for the most deranged book on the shelf, you're in for a treat. Delving deep into taboo and extreme topics, Andrews writes children into a torturous existenc...
"Flowers in the Attic" by V. C. Andrews
You know it's a good book when you can't read it the same way twice. “Come Closer” tackles mental illness and demonic possession in a manner that can be interpreted in several unique ways. I spent the back half of the book questioning my own sanity, ...
"Come Closer" by Sara Gran
A classic and clunky Southern Gothic horror. A haunted house story with a unique and wacky twist, you'll grow to love the odd characters and Alabama sunsets.
"The Elementals" by Michael McDowell
Delve deep into the psyche of a seemingly normal person in this suspenseful novel. The dread builds for pages before culminating in a twist nobody sees coming. Less action, more contemplation, yet the same amount of heart-pounding terror. After readi...
"The Silent Patient" by Alex Michaelides