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
50,887 members
813 reviews
3.8
4
27,188 members
529 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
4,932 members
42 reviews
4
6
10,250 members
503 reviews
4.1
7
17,002 members
268 reviews
3.8
8
13,235 members
335 reviews
3.9
9
2,579 members
45 reviews
4.2
10
18,952 members
336 reviews
3.9
11
13,555 members
82 reviews
½ 4.4
12
7,224 members
309 reviews
½ 3.7
13
14,109 members
162 reviews
4.1
14
1,803 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
5,615 members
357 reviews
½ 3.6
16
3,124 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
3,741 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
6,305 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
9,399 members
296 reviews
½ 3.4
20
26,605 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
5,566 members
214 reviews
4
22
5,390 members
157 reviews
3.8
23
964 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
25,491 members
359 reviews
3.8
25
4,316 members
71 reviews
4
26
3,168 members
107 reviews
3.8
27
2,042 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
48,217 members
1,233 reviews
4.1
29
4,925 members
96 reviews
3.9
30
3,430 members
75 reviews
3.8
31
6,748 members
174 reviews
3.9
32
14,507 members
374 reviews
4
33
1,560 members
34 reviews
3.9
34
3,693 members
89 reviews
½ 3.4
35
2,447 members
58 reviews
½ 4.3
36
1,590 members
35 reviews
3.9
37
5,046 members
103 reviews
3.8
38
17,261 members
1,034 reviews
4.1
39
25,084 members
643 reviews
4.1
2 Members
jayceebee, dandalf
40
624 members
41 reviews
½ 3.5
41
18,305 members
930 reviews
4
42
5,718 members
128 reviews
3.9
43
5,008 members
328 reviews
4
44
18,192 members
242 reviews
4
2 Members
shedgeco, dandalf
45
2,876 members
90 reviews
3.9
46
2,887 members
114 reviews
½ 3.5
47
7,669 members
386 reviews
½ 3.7
48
4,336 members
142 reviews
3.1
49
3,873 members
138 reviews
3.8
50
10,278 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
810 members
55 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
4,701 members
187 reviews
½ 3.7
54
2,762 members
206 reviews
½ 3.7
55
227 members
7 reviews
½ 3.5
56
7,830 members
220 reviews
½ 3.7
2 Members
TheLOFT, vwinsloe
57
19,165 members
433 reviews
4.1
58
4,369 members
116 reviews
3.8
59
3,443 members
71 reviews
4
60
1,724 members
118 reviews
3.9
61
1,676 members
64 reviews
4
Member
jayceebee
62
1,614 members
68 reviews
3.8
Member
tardis
63
1,496 members
53 reviews
½ 3.6
64
1,123 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
1,040 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
832 members
86 reviews
½ 3.7
Member
rosalita
68
723 members
45 reviews
½ 3.7
69
672 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
449 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
143 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
122 members
7 reviews
4.2
Member
yoyogod
78
4 members
Member
nrmay
79
1 member
1 review
½ 4.5
Member
Lindz2012
80
8,882 members
441 reviews
½ 3.7
81
8,804 members
170 reviews
4
82
4,103 members
69 reviews
4
Member
Darth-Heather
Explanations
Darth-Heather: I re-read this every October. Bradbury is at his best with short spooky stories.
83
3,337 members
236 reviews
½ 3.6
Member
mstrust
84
3,005 members
163 reviews
½ 3.4
85
2,727 members
272 reviews
3.8
86
1,833 members
37 reviews
3.9
87
1,124 members
55 reviews
½ 3.7
Member
Euryale
88
739 members
17 reviews
½ 3.6
Member
kleo
89
691 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
631 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
28 reviews
½ 3.4
Member
-pilgrim-
94
509 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
286 members
11 reviews
½ 3.3
Member
komunley
98
264 members
9 reviews
½ 3.4
Member
tardis
99
91 members
7 reviews
4.1
100
29 members
2 reviews
4
Member
yoyogod