Scary Stories for the Season

List of the Month
October 2021 (see all)
Description
Our October List of the Month is dedicated to Scary Stories for the Season. Although the theme was chosen in honor of Halloween, the books added do not need to be specifically set at or referencing that holiday. Please only downvote titles because they are off topic, rather than because you do not find them personally scary.
3
50,826 members
812 reviews
3.8
4
27,161 members
528 reviews
4.1
11 Members
rosalita, hipdeep, Bookmarque, PaperbackPirate, IrishSue, Marissa_Doyle, ahef1963, kyp, Jeepguyrobert, felicia727, parrabarazarte
Explanations
Bookmarque: Just because you've seen the movie, doesn't mean you know the story. One of the best horror novels on so may levels.
5
4,929 members
42 reviews
4
6
10,239 members
502 reviews
4.1
7
16,993 members
268 reviews
3.8
8
13,223 members
334 reviews
3.9
9
2,583 members
45 reviews
4.2
10
18,941 members
337 reviews
3.9
11
13,542 members
82 reviews
½ 4.4
12
7,210 members
309 reviews
½ 3.7
13
14,104 members
162 reviews
4.1
14
1,805 members
111 reviews
4.1
5 Members
Storeetllr, elenchus, SirThomas, linlef, -pilgrim-
Explanations
Storeetllr: Every day in October is a chapter that tells the story of the struggle between those who would open the gate & let the Elder Gods return to Earth and those who want to keep that gate closed. Told from the viewpoint of Jack (the Ripper's) dog Snuff. Absolutely wonderful. And the cover art alone is reason to read it.
15
5,609 members
357 reviews
½ 3.6
16
3,119 members
96 reviews
½ 3.3
6 Members
dara85, bookymouse, Copperskye, ahef1963, kyp, Brandy1411, ,
Explanations
kyp: When reading the book, the description of the flies in the one room so spooked me that I put the book on my desk, splayed open and stacked many other books on top of it. I guess I thought by doing so I would keep the things from coming out of the book into my house and coming after me. It really gave me the creeps and made me go look in every room in my house to make sure the flies were not there (along with everything else.)
17
3,745 members
272 reviews
3.8
5 Members
paradoxosalpha, elenchus, IrishSue, Marissa_Doyle, thebooklover2
Explanations
paradoxosalpha: A series of vivid episodes linked by the supernatural predators who reside in the eponymous and mysterious house.
18
6,301 members
447 reviews
4
4 Members
timspalding, Storeetllr, Euryale, Annieree1013
Explanations
Storeetllr: Every time I relisten to or reread this novel, I love it more. And for someone who really doesn't care for zombie horror, that is saying something. Melanie is a wonderful character. I love the way she interacts with the soldiers and Miss Justineau (sp?). And with the despicable Dr. Caldwell. Yeah, it's gory, and some parts are horrifying, but the characters are an absolute delight, and the story is riveting. Now on to The Boy on the Bridge, which, while not as wonderful as this, is a satisfying prequel/sequel/contemporaneous story in itself.
19
9,396 members
296 reviews
½ 3.4
20
26,600 members
627 reviews
4.1
4 Members
Storeetllr, dandalf, Gail.Park, Nosferatuia,
Explanations
Storeetllr: Mr. Croup & Mr. Vandemar: two of horror fiction's scariest, creepiest, most villainous villains.
21
5,556 members
213 reviews
4
22
5,383 members
156 reviews
3.8
23
963 members
21 reviews
½ 4.3
3 Members
paradoxosalpha, elenchus, igorken
Explanations
paradoxosalpha: "Compendium" is right: 110 stories written over more than a century, making years worth of reading, if savored at the rate that it deserves.
24
25,474 members
359 reviews
3.8
25
4,314 members
71 reviews
4
26
3,165 members
107 reviews
3.8
27
2,038 members
100 reviews
3.9
3 Members
Storeetllr, DoomLuz, JonStevens
Explanations
Storeetllr: A black author's take on Lovecraft's most xenophobic stories, "The Horror at Red Hook."
28
48,162 members
1,232 reviews
4.1
29
4,917 members
96 reviews
3.9
30
3,420 members
74 reviews
3.8
31
6,743 members
174 reviews
3.9
32
14,493 members
373 reviews
4
33
1,560 members
34 reviews
3.9
34
3,691 members
89 reviews
½ 3.4
35
2,423 members
58 reviews
½ 4.3
36
1,587 members
35 reviews
3.9
37
5,043 members
103 reviews
3.8
38
17,256 members
1,034 reviews
4.1
39
25,060 members
644 reviews
4.1
2 Members
jayceebee, dandalf
40
624 members
41 reviews
½ 3.5
41
18,303 members
930 reviews
4
42
5,740 members
128 reviews
3.9
43
5,001 members
328 reviews
4
44
18,178 members
241 reviews
4
2 Members
shedgeco, dandalf
45
2,873 members
90 reviews
3.9
46
2,881 members
114 reviews
½ 3.5
47
7,664 members
386 reviews
½ 3.7
48
4,330 members
142 reviews
3.1
49
3,863 members
138 reviews
3.8
50
10,239 members
108 reviews
½ 3.6
2 Members
Catamount33, Boand
51
3 Members
dara85, mstrust, Brandy1411, ,-pilgrim-
Explanations
-pilgrim- : Real life is often horrible, but it is not horror fiction
52
809 members
54 reviews
4
2 Members
tardis, Storeetllr
Explanations
Storeetllr: Rose Marshall aka The Phantom Prom Date and The Girl in the Green Silk Dress travels the roads and highways, looking for a ride to the next diner where she hopes somebody buys her a hamburger and malted.
53
4,689 members
186 reviews
½ 3.7
54
2,761 members
206 reviews
½ 3.7
55
226 members
7 reviews
½ 3.5
56
7,825 members
220 reviews
½ 3.7
2 Members
TheLOFT, vwinsloe
57
19,142 members
433 reviews
4.1
58
4,365 members
116 reviews
3.8
59
3,443 members
71 reviews
4
60
1,721 members
118 reviews
3.9
61
1,671 members
64 reviews
4
Member
jayceebee
62
1,608 members
67 reviews
3.8
Member
tardis
63
1,493 members
53 reviews
½ 3.6
64
1,121 members
66 reviews
4
Member
Darth-Heather
Explanations
Darth-Heather: this is the first of a trilogy, and is wonderfully spooky as well as appropriate for the autumn season.
65
1,037 members
20 reviews
4
Member
paradoxosalpha
Explanations
paradoxosalpha: All the stories are creepy, but "The Shadow at the Bottom of the World" is particularly seasonal.
66
906 members
16 reviews
½ 3.5
Member
tina1969
67
835 members
86 reviews
½ 3.7
Member
rosalita
68
724 members
45 reviews
½ 3.7
69
670 members
9 reviews
½ 3.7
Member
SirThomas
70
576 members
21 reviews
3.8
71
480 members
28 reviews
4.2
Member
Heather39
72
451 members
27 reviews
4.1
Member
komunley
73
158 members
3.8
Member
Boito_2
74
154 members
2 reviews
3.8
Member
ghr4
75
144 members
14 reviews
3.9
Member
dvdwlkn
76
134 members
5 reviews
½ 3.5
Member
JalenV
Explanations
JalenV: Summer Place is definitely a haunted house with touches of Hell House, Rose Red, and Hill House.
77
123 members
7 reviews
4.2
Member
yoyogod
78
4 members
Member
nrmay
79
1 member
1 review
½ 4.5
Member
Lindz2012
80
8,866 members
440 reviews
½ 3.7
81
8,799 members
170 reviews
4
82
4,101 members
68 reviews
4
Member
Darth-Heather
Explanations
Darth-Heather: I re-read this every October. Bradbury is at his best with short spooky stories.
83
3,329 members
235 reviews
½ 3.6
Member
mstrust
84
2,910 members
161 reviews
½ 3.4
85
2,725 members
272 reviews
3.8
86
1,832 members
36 reviews
3.9
87
1,125 members
55 reviews
½ 3.7
Member
Euryale
88
739 members
17 reviews
½ 3.6
Member
kleo
89
694 members
14 reviews
3.8
Member
dvdwlkn
90
635 members
20 reviews
3.8
Member
JalenV
Explanations
JalenV: A widow and her niece living in an ancestral Georgetown house find it comes complete with ancestral ghosts.
91
633 members
7 reviews
3.8
Member
paradoxosalpha
Explanations
paradoxosalpha: A peerless collection of all-new (at the time of publication) horror stories.
92
565 members
7 reviews
½ 3.7
Member
Boito_2
93
528 members
26 reviews
½ 3.4
Member
-pilgrim-
94
508 members
14 reviews
4
Member
ghr4
95
483 members
10 reviews
4
96
339 members
16 reviews
½ 3.5
Member
Bookmarque
Explanations
Bookmarque: Deeply atmospheric, creepy and slightly disjointed in presentation, this is a novel where everything connects. If you love rabbit holes that delve into darkness, madness, haunting and the unexplained; this is the book for you. It is not for the squeamish however. Without going into really squidgy detail, Ward adds to your feeling of unease with scenes featuring madhouse conditions circa 1917, vivisection from the 1880s, multiple miscarriages and pasts peppered with all manner of abuse. It culminates in one woman; Iris. A girl raised in isolation and fear.
97
285 members
11 reviews
½ 3.3
Member
komunley
98
264 members
9 reviews
½ 3.4
Member
tardis
99
90 members
7 reviews
4.1
100
29 members
2 reviews
4
Member
yoyogod