Sign in with Facebook
100 New Horror Recommendations for (Nearly) Every Kind of Reader
It’s Horror Month here at Goodreads World Headquarters, and we’ve cooked up several curated collections to honor the genre. We even used a cauldron.
Our latest moonlit gathering celebrates the wide variety of stories you can find in the New Books section of the Horror Fiction aisle. To mix things up a bit, we organized this collection by reader type. What are you looking for, anyway? Vampires, traditional and otherwise? We’ve got that covered. Haunted houses? We’ve got that, too. There’s even a section here for horror-curious scaredy-cats.
We’ve also been tracking some specific recent trends, like the surge in scary stories about wellness and beauty culture. The horrors of parenting continue to inspire writers and readers, both. Then there are the perennial concerns about spooky little towns. Also: cults, meta-horror, trouble in space and under the waves. For aspiring genre fans, we’ve even included a YA section.
Heads up to the horror classicists: You won’t find any of the Old Masters below, so don’t bother appealing to Yog-Sothoth, or whomever. The books collected here are relatively new, most of them from the past few years, with an emphasis on what's brand-new in 2023. Click on the book cover images for more details about each individual title, and don’t forget to feed your Want to Read shelf.
Parenting is the most terrifying thing I can think of
These books confirm that it is in fact extremely scary.
"Jelly donut skin" sure sounds like body horror to me
Extreme beauty regimens that are literally to die for.
I'm a sucker for bloodthirsty vamps
You can inject these books straight into your veins.
Tell me about what's new in haunted houses
Let's show you some killer real estate!
But I'm a scaredy-cat...
Here are some books that are more on the "dark and creepy vibes" than the "you'll never sleep again" side of scary. You're welcome!
I like smart, self-aware, meta-horror novels
Here are some genre-savvy protagonists and metafictional horror plots for you.
Gimme some non-Hannibal cannibals
These flesh-eating fiends will make your skin crawl.
Ooooh, a cult? Sign me right up!
Look, some of us are just joiners, OK?
Can I get some big- (and small-) screen horror?
Hollywood's full of monsters.
I just want to read something with a totally unhinged premise
An island where everyone's obsessed with the year 1994? A woman who sells her hand and then feels it committing murder? Are these strange enough for ya?
Weird towns, weird towns! Love me a weird town!
Isolated places, satanic suburbs...these destinations might just prove final.
Space horror
No one can hear you scream, right?
What's scarier than the depths of the ocean?
Aquatic horror for those of you (rightfully) terrified of the sea.
I don't have much time. Can you scare me quickly?
Try these horror anthologies and short story collections.
Showe me ye olde tyme scaryes
Here's what's new in historical horror.
Can you recommend some YA horror to me?
Oh, can we EVER!
What kind of horror reader are you? Let us know in the comments below!
Check out more horror coverage here:
Check out more horror coverage here:
Comments Showing 51-100 of 141 (141 new)
I guess I´ll be reading Vampires of El Norte, The Lighthouse Witches and Episode Thirteen.
Wade wrote: "Seriously? No creature feature section?"Yes, that would have been great. I don‘t get the large YA section either.
Vanessa wrote: "I will continue my tradition of reading R.L. Stine for horror month instead of the choosing one of the alarming suggestions above .Happy Halloween bookworms 🎃"
Hahahaaaahah!
I love your response :)
atria wrote: "i love it when goodreads does this horror recs news. in other news, my tbr is out of control."
Mine absolutely is as well.
Wondering… was your list ever in control? I’m positive mine has never been, and I’ve only added to it like books are being abolished. Then I devour whatever’s available electronically from my library and rarely diminish the list. It just grows.
Will wrote: "Looking Glass Sound by Catriona Ward is one of the scariest books I have ever read."Nice. I should read it in the dark
missing a few bangers: she is a haunting by trang thanh tran, bianca torre is afraid of everything by justine pucella winans, the weight of blood by tiffany d. jackson, and ace of spades by faridah abike-iyimide
Romance horror? I love all the horror...but I want some sort of HEA.
Silver Nitrate is one of the best books I've read all year. Highly recommend!
Isabella wrote: "This horror month I'll be taking on two Gothic novels: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, a eternal classic that I've owned for years but never got to read, and Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, w..."I will be reading Frankenstein as well!
They forgot Clown in Cornfield by Adam Cesare for YA horror.
Jennie wrote: "In "Parenting is the most terrifying thing I can think of", you might want to read "We Need to Talk About Kevin" by Lionel Shriver. Truly horrifying."Oh, I just bought that! You're giving me high hopes!
Isabelle wrote: "Romance horror? I love all the horror...but I want some sort of HEA."SAME. where's the recs for this!!
Already hit up "If It Bleeds" by Uncle Steve and am currently in "How to Sell a Haunted House" by Grady Hendrix. This is my 2nd Hendrix novel and it is scaring the daylights out of me, but I can't hardly put it down! So far, I'm rating it 'most heebie-jeebies in print'. Even King hasn't given my the willies like Hendrix has with this one.
I've just started reading Tales of the Damned by Matt Ralphs and Taylor Dolan. It's not on Goodreads yet which is annoying but it's a collection of classic horror stories with some facts on authors such as Edgar Allan Poe! Super interesting and fun illustrations too.
Isabella wrote: "This horror month I'll be taking on two Gothic novels: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, a eternal classic that I've owned for years but never got to read, and Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, w..."That sounds good - I also plan to read Mexican Gothic this month :-), and I love Frankenstein.
Isabella wrote: "But sincerely, my wish was to read each one of all of these books."Thats too many books. Humanly impossible
I like to read about Aliens (from the movies) and Clive Barker books
Incredible list and whoever wrote it has a great sense of humour. Now I wanna chuck my current tbr out for october!
Can't recommend In The Garden Of Echo enough. Quick read under 100 pages, utterly disgusting and unhinged /pos
I would have loved to see something like "My demons would like to be scared" and have a set about possessions, exorcisms and the like.Otherwise, what a great list!
Last year I took on Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, this year I am going for Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House! Happy reading, book lovers!
What should I read as one of my first horror books?
Isabella wrote: "This horror month I'll be taking on two Gothic novels: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, a eternal classic that I've owned for years but never got to read, and Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, w..."Frankenstein is one of my favorites. And Dracula by Bram Stoker. I do have Mexican Gothic lined up in my to read list. Good season for it!
Isabella wrote: "This horror month I'll be taking on two Gothic novels: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, a eternal classic that I've owned for years but never got to read, and Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, w..." Same for me regarding Frankenstein!
I haven't read a horror book in a long time, mainly because of lack of interest- I thought. This list has excited me and now there are several that I think I want to read. Time to re-evaluate my likes at this stage in my life! Happy reading!
I like to consider myself a conesure of dark books Intercepts bt T.J. Payne is the one I am reading now and I find it horrific
The Curious Mr. Blend™ wrote: "If I can add my own suggestions, I want to mention:• The Thirteenth Tale, by Diane Setterfield;
• The Clackity, by Lora Self (YA; if you enjoyed Coraline, you will like this book); and
•Salem's L..."
stephen king all way round for me
Tender is The Flesh is one of my faves of all time. Happy to add all to be TBR list
Starling House is delightful! Definitely more otherworldly than scary.
chris coleman and his Gretel series should be on here... its gory and spooky witch who uses victims body parts to make immortality potion... im not saying any more but it is definitely different.
Isabelle wrote: "Romance horror? I love all the horror...but I want some sort of HEA."Oh that's one of my areas - Check out The Hacienda by Isabel Canas (and Vampires of El Norte counts too) Silence for the Dead by Simone St James (my personal favourite by her, but I'd say basically all of her books count), Darkhouse by Karina Halle, and The Widow of Rose House by Diana Biller.
Anna dressed in blood - haunting, beautiful…. I loved this book.
Reading We Have Always live in the Castle with my family as our Halloween book, maybe not an horror book, but it gives this sense of dark mystery around. Enjoying it so far :)
I enjoyed Gothikana by RuNyx. Good suspense and spice! lol Wouldn't mind a suspense, paranormal, spicy list!
Thank you Goodreads , I loved all type's of horrors in books. I'm so happy for all the new and upcoming content in that genre. I'm also well rounded reader as well. Happy Halloween . and have fun.Reading. too. Celebrating Halloween by watching horror movie
And reading books. Pull out the popcorn and be scared.
Isabella wrote: "This horror month I'll be taking on two Gothic novels: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, a eternal classic that I've owned for years but never got to read, and Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, w..."Mexican Gothic is wonderful! Got me much more involved and excited in the gothic horror theme
Usually stick with reading bl manhwa/ga or overpowered manhwa with cool powers/fights but interested in haunted houses book espically for Halloween season.
Vanessa wrote: "I will continue my tradition of reading R.L. Stine for horror month instead of the choosing one of the alarming suggestions above .Happy Halloween bookworms 🎃"
Agreed! Why not include some things that aren't unhinged?
Monday's not Coming for YA realistic fiction/horror
I 100% recommend Maxican Gothic! And hey, Frankestein it´s a pretty good idea for October! I´ve read it so long ago I don´t even remember the details. Thanks for the help! (: