# October/Halloween spookiness and horror -- COMBINED thread



## jlee745 (Jul 27, 2010)

Can anyone suggest some good books to read for the month of October that goes with Halloween.
I don't want any murder mysterys(i read them all the time). Something Scary. I haven't read anything 
scary since I started my reading  hobby/ habit a coupleof years ago. The only thing I will not read is devilish/cult like.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

You'll want to check out our horror thread:
http://www.kboards.com/index.php?topic=1481.0

Betsy


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## Snapping Turtle (Feb 4, 2011)

But Halloween isn't all about Horror.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Snapping Turtle said:


> But Halloween isn't all about Horror.


While scary is what jlee asked for, I'm intrigued...what would you suggest outside of the Horror category?


Betsy


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## Michelle Muto (Feb 1, 2011)

The Haunting of Hill House - Shirley Jackson
It - Stephen King
Pet Semetary - Stephen King
Lost Souls - Poppy Z. Brite
Watchers - Dean Koontz
Neverwhere - Neil Gaiman (well, sorta scary)

I'll look at my library and see what else I can come up with.


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## William G. Jones (Sep 6, 2011)

Michelle Muto said:


> The Haunting of Hill House - Shirley Jackson


YES! One of my favorite books ever, and the first thing I thought of when I saw the thread title.

I'd also think anything along the lines of a thriller/suspense with occult overtones would set the Halloween mood as well, though I can't think of any books off the top of my head that would fit that bill. Even some oddball literary work with darker overtones.


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## MariaESchneider (Aug 1, 2009)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> While scary is what jlee asked for, I'm intrigued...what would you suggest outside of the Horror category?
> 
> 
> Betsy


A good Gothic Mystery? Such as Barbara Michaels? They aren't really horror, but they are very atmospheric.

Frank Tuttle is another author I'd recommend. Simon Green has some good atmospheric urban fantasy that fits Halloween too.


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## evie_d (Sep 13, 2011)

How about some MR James, Poe, or Lovecraft?


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## jlee745 (Jul 27, 2010)

My library has Watchers and The house on haunted hill available so I will be picking those two up this wkend. I have been having to go to the library because my dh told me to slow up on buying the kindle books(thats what he calls it) because I have a huge collection of freebies or ones that have been on sale from the last two years.


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## Alain Gomez (Nov 12, 2010)

Dracula!


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## Julia444 (Feb 24, 2011)

To set the proper mood--THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW by Washington Irving (a short story, but it always makes me feel Halloween-y).

Julia


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## evie_d (Sep 13, 2011)

Ooh yes, Sleepy Hollow is perfect! And it is free for the Kindle, I believe.


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## KindleChickie (Oct 24, 2009)

Guillermo Del Toro is set to release his third book The Night Eternal in his trilogy on Oct. 15. I cant wait! My suggestion is to start with The Strain, then read The Fall and time it so you can pick up The Night Eternal on release!


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

*** Reminder   We're in the Book Corner so do not recommend your own titles.  ***


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## Harry Shannon (Jul 30, 2010)

RAY BRADBURY!

The Halloween Tree (my daughter and I read it aloud starting on October 1st)

Something Wicked This Way Comes.

Classics.


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## AnelaBelladonna (Apr 8, 2009)

The Historian and Salem's Lot


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## prairiesky (Aug 11, 2009)

I second Salem's Lot.  Someone recommended it last year at this time.....pretty creepy read.


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## yingko2 (Jul 26, 2011)

I agree with Julia. I try to read The Legend of Sleepy Hollow every October. Was the first book my father read to me as a kid at that time. 
Cheers,
Howard

_sorry, no self promotion allowed outside the Book Bazaar. _


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## Linda Andrews (Aug 16, 2011)

I second Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Watchers and anything by Edgar Allen Poe. I also really loved Carrie by King, although maybe that's more prom related.  . There's also Ghost Story by Peter Straub and Legacy (sorry I can't think of the author, but the characters are in a house and one by one they're killed off)


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## Michelle Muto (Feb 1, 2011)

I totally forgot to add *The Rite, by Matt Baglio.* Perfect for Halloween. I actually saw the movie BEFORE I read the book. It's a tie, but only because I adore Anthony Hopkins.

(I'm assuming practically everyone and their family has read The Exorcist by now)


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## Grrarrgh (Aug 10, 2010)

Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill. Fantastic, creepy book.


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## apbschmitz (Apr 22, 2011)

Just right for the season: werewolves and vampires, wrapped up in a very nicely written package.


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## Anna Elliott (Apr 24, 2011)

I really like Juliet Marillier's Heart's Blood for a nice atmospheric October read.  It's a Beauty and the Beast retelling, but with ghosts--very spooky and beautifully written, too.


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## Thalia the Muse (Jan 20, 2010)

I like Zelazny's A Night in the Lonesome October as an October read -- the chapters are dated entries for each day in October, and the book is wonderful.

Also:

Something Wicked This Way Comes
A Night in the Lonesome October
The Nightmare Factory (several Halloween/harvest stories in this collection)
The Best of H.P. Lovecraft
Anything by Poe
Dark Harvest, Norman Partridge
Harvest Home, Thomas Tryon
Books of Blood, Clive Barker
Ancient Images, Ramsey Campbell


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## ErinW965 (Aug 15, 2011)

It's terribly cliche, but I'm going to pick up some new vampire books. =-)


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## mscottwriter (Nov 5, 2010)

Someone on Good Reads recommended that I read "Blood Price" by Victoria Nelson.  Personally, if you like romance, vampires, and quality baked goods, I'd suggest "Sunshine" by Robin McKinely.


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## AnelaBelladonna (Apr 8, 2009)

Somebody recommended Ghost Story by Peter Straub last Halloween and I have been clicking the "I want to read this book on Kindle" for almost a year now and no luck.  I have come to hate reading dead tree books and I would so much like to read this for Halloween this year.


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## James Everington (Dec 25, 2010)

Ghost Story is very good, and even worth breaking your dead tree rule for...

Straub's best book by a mile.


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## TimHodkinson (Jun 3, 2011)

I would recommend getting Carmilla by J. Sheridan leFanu. If you haven't heard of it its a gothic tale from Victorian times, genuninely creepy and really quite "racey" for the time it was written in. It still creeps me out when I read it and its also a great anti-dote to all those modern trendy vampires that seem to be about these days and comes from the roots of that particular genre (Carmilla was one of the influences on Bram Stoker when he was writing Dracula).
Best of all: Its free!


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## Elizabeth Black (Apr 8, 2011)

Michelle Muto said:


> The Haunting of Hill House - Shirley Jackson


Absolutely! And watch the original movie.

Other books I'd recommend.

Hell House - Richard Matheson
The Elementals - Michael McDowell
Neverland - Douglas Clegg
Ghosts - Hans Holzer (Non-fiction book about ghost legends.)
Books of Blood - Clive Barker
Hot Zone - Richard Preston (Non-fiction book about ebola.)


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## Charrlygrl (Aug 1, 2011)

I heartily second the recommendations of Ghost Story by Peter Straub and I, also, have been clicking like a mad woman to have it become available for Kindle; to no avail. 
Shadowland is not available either and I would love to reread that one as well. 

I would also recommend a very creepy story I recently finished: Ghosts by Noel Hynd.


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## Edie Claire (Jun 25, 2011)

Okay, I know these are a bit oldish, and "gothic romantic suspense" isn't currently hot, but my absolute favorites for the season are Barbara Michaels' wonderfully chilling ghost stories...and they're all finally available on Kindle! My personal #1 is Walker in Shadows, but all of them are spine-tingling (and with a nice little romance on the side.) #2 is Ammie Come Home...SO eerie. Michaels has a real gift with characters--they are always "ordinary people" who captivate you with their extraordinary circumstances, as opposed to the more typical "psycho" fare in a lot of scary books. The Kindle versions aren't cheap, but three come in a boxed set set, and they're also eligible for the 4-for-3 promotion. Enjoy!


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## jlee745 (Jul 27, 2010)

Thanks everyone I will add all of these 
To my tbr good reads list. My kindle book 
Money is really used up for a while since
I bought two kindle fires yesterday. I will
Check my library and overdrive for these. 
I have to pick up Watchers and The house
On haunted hill Saturday. Has anyone seen
The original movie to THOHH. Is it better
Than the newer one? I love to read books 
That are made into movies.


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## Figment (Oct 27, 2008)

James Everington said:


> Ghost Story is very good, and even worth breaking your dead tree rule for...
> 
> Straub's best book by a mile.


And the scariest book I have ever read!!!


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## jlee745 (Jul 27, 2010)

My library doesn't have Ghost Story


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## Guest (Sep 30, 2011)

Thalia the Muse said:


> I like Zelazny's A Night in the Lonesome October as an October read -- the chapters are dated entries for each day in October, and the book is wonderful.


 You beat me to it. I'd have to second this one.

Otherwise it's the horror standards: Poe, Lovecraft or MR James.


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## jlee745 (Jul 27, 2010)

Wow my library actually has A night in the lonesome October


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## Thalia the Muse (Jan 20, 2010)

jlee, the original The House on Haunted Hill is a totally different movie from the remake -- it's a very campy William Castle movie from the '50s, with Vincent Price and floating skeletons and stuff. The remake is super-violent, although also spoofy and I kind of enjoyed it.

And NEITHER of them has anything to do with The Haunting of Hill House, which is an outstanding book that has been made into a very good movie (The Haunting) and a terrible one (The Haunting of Hill House).


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## jlee745 (Jul 27, 2010)

Thanks for the info I had no clue. I'll have 
To watch them all this month after I read the 
Book. Has any other of the movies listed above been made
Into a movie?


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## Amy Corwin (Jan 3, 2011)

It's that time of year again when I really, really want to sit down and read a good spooky story like "The Haunting of Hill House" by Shirley Jackson or "Ammie, Come Home" by Barbara Michaels.

This year, with my Kindle in hand, I'm searching out new ghost stories/spooky stories that I haven't read a million times before   I've got all the classics from the last few hundred years, so...

I know they have to be out there.

I didn't know if this was the appropriate place for this, or if I should have put it under the Book Bazaar or Writer's Cafe, but I'd really like to hear what others are reading, recommend, etc.


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## balaspa (Dec 27, 2009)

I am reading Drummer Boy by Scott Nicholson and just finished reading a book called Seed. Both are quite good and Seed, I have since found out, was a debut novel.

I know I shouldn't do this, and will probably get dinged for it


Spoiler



remainder removed by moderator.



_--you're right.  Consider yourself dinged. Find a blackboard and write 100 times "I will not promote my books outside the Book Bazaar...I will not promote my books outside the Book Bazaar...I will not..." --Betsy_


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## Amy Corwin (Jan 3, 2011)

Thanks!
I've bought most of Scott Nicholson's books already--I discovered him last year. I really enjoyed the books. That was a great suggestion.

I looked at Seed earlier, but waffled. But since you liked Nicholson, maybe our tastes are similar enough and I'll go get Seed.

This is exactly what I was hoping for.
(I'll check yours out, too. I'm with you--I keep thinking I'll get an e-mail about this thread being moved or something. LOL)


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## Tony Richards (Jul 6, 2011)

_Sandman Slim_ by Richard Kadrey isn't strictly horror, more like a very dark and very urban fantasy. But it's modern and edgy and original, and I genuinely enjoyed it.

For more traditional horror, James A. Moore is a writer to look out for ... he evokes darkness well, and writes deftly.


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## James Everington (Dec 25, 2010)

So many good authors, you'll never get through them in just one month...! How about:

Shirley Jackson
Ramsey Campbell
Iain Rowan (hangs around here occasionally)
Peter Straub


James...


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## Amy Corwin (Jan 3, 2011)

Thanks again...all good suggestions.
I'm collecting them up to start filling my Kindle with books for October.


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## Michelle Muto (Feb 1, 2011)

Oh, Amy! You've hit on one of my favorite books of all time, much less a great read for Halloween. I LOVE The Haunting of Hill House!


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## Amy Corwin (Jan 3, 2011)

Michelle Muto said:


> Oh, Amy! You've hit on one of my favorite books of all time, much less a great read for Halloween. I LOVE The Haunting of Hill House!


yes. I always re-read it at this time of year.
Then, as if that weren't enough, I watch the original "The Haunting of Hill House" movie with Julie Harris. It's the best movie and very, very close to the book.


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## Ann Chambers (Apr 24, 2011)

Shirley Jackson is sooo great! I love her books!
Was excited to see this thread because I've been digging through my Kindle files looking for scary stories. 
Just finished Anne Frasier's Pale Immortal and Garden of Darkness. They are good books and I enjoyed them. (Sorta vampire/paranormal) However, the publisher didn't run an edit after converting them and the typography is just awful! It's distracting. So sad. If the Frasier's are still on the free list - I recommend them. If not, I'd wait until somebody fixes the terrible type problems.
I hope more people post great scary reads here. I'm gonna check back later.


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## HeyDrew (Sep 12, 2011)

SEED was quite good, and a steal at 99c.  

I'm rereading GHOST STORY by Peter Straub and a bunch of other classics like the CREEPS BY NIGHT collection, and an Ambrose Bierce collection TERROR BY NIGHT that starts with An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge.


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## evanlavine (Oct 4, 2011)

I would always recommend Joe Hill's Heart Shaped Box and Stephen King's short story Room 1408


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## Amy Corwin (Jan 3, 2011)

This is great--I've already purchased three of the books mentioned--so keep 'em coming!


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## HeyDrew (Sep 12, 2011)

evanlavine said:


> I would always recommend Joe Hill's Heart Shaped Box and Stephen King's short story Room 1408


Definitely Joe Hill, although I thought 1408 was one of those rare cases where the movie was better than the story. I also, highly, recommend Bret Easton Ellis' LUNAR PARK, but only if you like his style. It's a wonderful suburban horror story about hauntings, real and imagined in a post 9/11 world where everyone's afraid of terrorism and children have lost their childhood to helicopter parents and medication.

Also, SO COLD THE RIVER. While the premise took a real hard sell (it's about, in a way, _haunted water_), there are some real creepy moments in it involving old trains, springs, and one super vengeful ghost from the depression era.


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## Amy Corwin (Jan 3, 2011)

Oh, So Cold The River sounds really good. I'm going to take a look. Thanks!


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## evanlavine (Oct 4, 2011)

HeyDrew said:


> Definitely Joe Hill, although I thought 1408 was one of those rare cases where the movie was better than the story. I also, highly, recommend Bret Easton Ellis' LUNAR PARK, but only if you like his style. It's a wonderful suburban horror story about hauntings, real and imagined in a post 9/11 world where everyone's afraid of terrorism and children have lost their childhood to helicopter parents and medication.
> 
> Also, SO COLD THE RIVER. While the premise took a real hard sell (it's about, in a way, _haunted water_), there are some real creepy moments in it involving old trains, springs, and one super vengeful ghost from the depression era.


Both Lunar Park and River do sound good. I don't know why but when I read 1408 it just got to me...glad you like Hill - can't wait to read more from him (Horns was fun!)


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## brianrowe (Mar 10, 2011)

I'm gonna start reading the new nonfiction book about the horror genre called Shock Value. But yeah, I'd love to get some recommendations for new fresh horror to check out this October!


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## k8jonez (Mar 24, 2011)

A friend is reading Black and Orange by Benjamin Kane Etheridge He has nothing but praise for it. I plan to read it this October. Seems like it might be just right.

http://www.amazon.com/Black-Orange-ebook/dp/B004RYVFAE/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1317872076&sr=1-1


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## yingko2 (Jul 26, 2011)

I love horror, especially the spooky supernatural kind (as opposed to the slasher/Saw type stuff). I always try to read The Legend of Sleepy Hollow in October, as it was the first book my father read to me for Halloween when I was a kid. A great classic.
Cheers,
Howard


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## marehaven (Oct 6, 2011)

What a good topic! I will be checking here often this month! The one book that bothered me the most was by Richard Laymon, "Night in the Lonesome October". What scared me the most was how they could walk through houses while people slept.  I guess it was too real!
janine


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## WriterCTaylor (Jul 11, 2011)

I'm currently reading a non-horror book, but I have just purchased Undead Tales for my Kindle which I am really looking forward to. It's a collection of short horror stories.


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## Harry Shannon (Jul 30, 2010)

I read and write horror, but this month my favorite thing is always to read snippets of The Halloween Tree Ray Bradbury with my daughter. It's become a tradition with us.


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## Amy Corwin (Jan 3, 2011)

yingko2 said:


> I love horror, especially the spooky supernatural kind (as opposed to the slasher/Saw type stuff). I always try to read The Legend of Sleepy Hollow in October, as it was the first book my father read to me for Halloween when I was a kid. A great classic.
> Cheers,
> Howard


Hi Howard: I so agree--I'm always looking for another spooky, supernatural book. My appetite for those is unlimited. I don't really like the gorefests and have avoided all the Saw movies--not my thing, I'm afraid. I don't mind a little blood, but I do like at least one or two characters to survive.  I loved "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and that's another one I reread it every November.


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## Glen Krisch (Dec 21, 2010)

Seed was a good book, especially for a debut.

I'd recommend going to the Darkside Digital site (the ebook arm of Delerium Books) and start browsing. They publish both new and established authors. I think new author Lee Thompson is going to do great things over the coming years. 
http://www.darkside-digital.com/


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## SOULADREAM (May 16, 2011)

Glen,
Thanks for mentioning Darkside Digital - it's a very interesting website. Dark Media City is good too. Over here, in England there are far fewer Horror outlets than there are in the States. In fact, Horror isn't really rated much here at all, even though crafting a compelling dark tale can be much harder than a mere thriller or routine romance. I've been trying to find a market for a horror novel for years with no success, very few Agents here want to specialize in the genre. Hence I decided to try Amazon Kindle. I've put Zombie and Soul Survivor on recently and it'll be interesting to see how they'll do over Halloween. We've only just had Kindles in the UK for a year now, so it's very early days for us over here. And, of course, we haven't got the massive market there is in the States. I'll continue to peruse Kindle boards for more useful info


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## JRainey (Feb 1, 2011)

evanlavine said:


> I would always recommend Joe Hill's Heart Shaped Box and Stephen King's short story Room 1408


I just finished Heart-Shaped Box a few weeks ago. Fantastic book! I definitely recommend it, too.

I'm currently reading Something Wicked This Way Comes because my Bradbury-obsessed sister will kill me if I don't.  Very good so far.


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## Amy Corwin (Jan 3, 2011)

SOULADREAM said:


> Glen,
> Thanks for mentioning Darkside Digital - it's a very interesting website. Dark Media City is good too. Over here, in England there are far fewer Horror outlets than there are in the States. In fact, Horror isn't really rated much here at all, even though crafting a compelling dark tale can be much harder than a mere thriller or routine romance.


I had not realized that--interesting. I have a mild obsession with British writers--for some reason, I just like the way they phrase things--so I'm always interested in finding them.

It's not easy here in the States, either. Most agents emphatically state: No Horror Submissions. 
And it is hard to write good horror (as opposed to the slash-then-slash-some-more kind).

When I browse Kindle eBooks, there are categories on the left, but Horror (or anything related to that) isn't listed as a major category. Personally, I think that's a mistake and it makes it hard to find things. I'd love to see a Horror category and then sub-categories. Sigh. So for now, I just have to search on terms like: ghosts, horror, haunted house, etc, and hope I hit the right key words. It can be challenging.


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## James Everington (Dec 25, 2010)

It's a true point it's hard to find the good, interesting horror writers here in the UK - a problem in both the big chain book shops and the independents... Which is odd, as there seem to be so many good horror authors (of the non-gore creepy kind) from the UK: Mark Samuels, Ramsey Campbell, Tim Lebbon etc. 

Ah well, maybe the tide will turn. One set of fingers crossed as a writer, other as a reader!


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## Stephen T. Harper (Dec 20, 2010)

JRainey said:


> I think that particular Bradbury Book has one of the best titles of any book, ever. The book is really good too. But what a cool title.


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## csi912 (Jan 8, 2011)

I've been looking around for recommendations for great Halloween reads. Maybe I wasn't looking in the right places or something, but couldn't find anything. So, I thought I would start my own thread.

As for the perfect Halloween read, I wanted to recommend a book I was able to read before it was published that is PERFECT for Halloween! David Golemon (known for the EVENT Group series) just released a new horror ghost story called The Supernaturals. It's about a team of paranormal investigators on TV (think Ghosthunters) who investigate the ultimate haunted house on a live Halloween show. I've read it and it is fantastic! Scary, but also a great mystery too. It is a perfect book for Halloween.


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## csi912 (Jan 8, 2011)

If you like Shirley Jackson, I've got to tell you about the newest book by David Golemon. He just released The Supernaturals...about a team of Ghosthunters who investigate the ultimate haunted house. In the book, David suggests that this particular house might have been the inspiration for Shirley Jackson's Hill House. It is a great story. I was fortunate enough to read it before it was released and it really is a fantastic Halloween read.


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## evanlavine (Oct 4, 2011)

JRainey said:


> I just finished Heart-Shaped Box a few weeks ago. Fantastic book! I definitely recommend it, too.
> 
> I'm currently reading Something Wicked This Way Comes because my Bradbury-obsessed sister will kill me if I don't.  Very good so far.


When you are done reading SWTWcomes try the movie version from the 80s...
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086336/

Fun movie for a fun book! If you haven't read Horns yet by Joe Hill I recommend that, too!


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## Iwritelotsofbooks (Nov 17, 2010)

It's a graphic novel, but I'd go with The Walking Dead.


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## Michelle Muto (Feb 1, 2011)

Are you looking for anything in particular?

I did a tag search on Amazon. The list updates periodically based on new books, popularity, etc. But, it's an easy enough list to scroll through.

If you're looking for Horror: http://www.amazon.com/tag/horror?ref_=tag_dpp_cust_itdp_t&store=1

All the greats are there: King, Poe, Straub, Koontz, and well, hundreds of others.

You can also search for tags such as zombies, ghosts, etc.


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## csi912 (Jan 8, 2011)

Awesome! Thanks guys. Don't know what I'm looking for. I guess I'm looking to discover NEW authors. People you don't ordinarily think of when you think horror. So was definitely interested in having a great discussion.

Like I said, my most recent horror novel was the one I listed above by David Golemon. I'm not a big horror novel fan, but hey...it's Halloween! I want to get in the mood. I do like Koontz and those style books though.


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## dihao (Oct 7, 2011)

thanks


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## Amy Corwin (Jan 3, 2011)

Great suggestion--I'm on it!


csi912 said:


> If you like Shirley Jackson, I've got to tell you about the newest book by David Golemon. He just released The Supernaturals...about a team of Ghosthunters who investigate the ultimate haunted house. In the book, David suggests that this particular house might have been the inspiration for Shirley Jackson's Hill House. It is a great story. I was fortunate enough to read it before it was released and it really is a fantastic Halloween read.


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## JRainey (Feb 1, 2011)

evanlavine said:


> When you are done reading SWTWcomes try the movie version from the 80s...
> http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086336/
> 
> Fun movie for a fun book! If you haven't read Horns yet by Joe Hill I recommend that, too!


I've actually (shame on me!) seen the movie version, and I just love it! Jonathan Pryce is stellar. I'm having a lot of fun picking out the differences between the book and the movie, knowing that Bradbury had quite the hand in making the film.

And thanks for the rec for Horns! I'll definitely check it out.


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## Michelle Muto (Feb 1, 2011)

Rather than recommend a book or so, I thought it might be helpful to provide links to certain keywords. You can do a lot of these searches on your own using the advanced search, or clicking on tags listed on a book's page. The books on the page will change from time to time depending on what's new, what's been selling, etc. You'll probably find your favorites here - from King to Poe and a bunch of others, too. Here's a few keyword searches I thought were good for Halloween. Anyone have others?

Ghosts
Witches & Wizards
Zombies
Werewolves
Demons
Vampires
Reapers
Paranormal Fiction
Scary Stories
Haunted House
Afterlife
Horror
Teen Horror
Dark Fantasy


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## jlee745 (Jul 27, 2010)

Michelle Muto said:


> The Haunting of Hill House - Shirley Jackson
> It - Stephen King
> Pet Semetary - Stephen King
> Lost Souls - Poppy Z. Brite
> ...


I read Pet Semetary when I was 14 and it was really good. 
I just finished The Haunting of Hill House and I didn't enjoy it. The characters got on my last nerve. I felt sorry for the Dr. Having a wife like that must be awful.
I have just started and Watchers and it has caught my interest already.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

***Hey, guys. . . I merged several threads asking for recommendations for good October/Halloween books. . . .sorry for any confusion. . . .***


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## evanlavine (Oct 4, 2011)

House of Leaves is pretty damn scary and out there - be prepared though, it is certainly a challenge to read (and would be impossible on the Kindle).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Leaves


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## HeyDrew (Sep 12, 2011)

evanlavine said:


> House of Leaves is pretty d*mn scary and out there - be prepared though, it is certainly a challenge to read (and would be impossible on the Kindle).
> 
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Leaves


HOUSE OF LEAVES is outstanding and definitely a fun read if you get the massive paperback edition that includes photographs, chapters written sideways, in brail, in single words, etc. It's one of the most interactive books ever written.

So many good books in this thread.


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## yingko2 (Jul 26, 2011)

What do you prefer in your spooky stories? Do you like the spooky, supernatural things you can't really see or do you like flying body parts and splashing blood? I prefer the spooky stuff myself. The things you can't see, but that your mind makes ten times scarier than they really are. Love a good ghost story but can't get into the Saw or slasher type things. 
Cheers,
Howard


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## QuantumIguana (Dec 29, 2010)

I can do without the gore, it does nothing for me. What is scary is being (metaphorically) unsure of the ground under your feet. Not knowing who or what to trust. It's the heart and soul of the bogeyman, the fear of the dark, what's waiting around the corner or in the dark alley.


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## MariaESchneider (Aug 1, 2009)

Ghosts.


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## GerrieFerrisFinger (Jun 1, 2011)

Ghosts, of course.


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## Thalia the Muse (Jan 20, 2010)

Ghosts, not gore! If I want to see the insides of bodies, I can cut up a fryer chicken into serving pieces.  I like things that give me the creeps, eeriness ...

I think the gore/slasher/torture trend ruined the whole concept of horror films for a few years, and spilled over into books as well. It seems to have peaked and be on its way out, finally.


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## Tabby (Oct 7, 2009)

Definitely ghosts! Gore is just gross and does nothing for me.


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## Thalia the Muse (Jan 20, 2010)

I'm reading Let the Right One IN (it was a bargain Kindle book recently, and I snapped it up) -- so good! and very creepy.


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## Pawz4me (Feb 14, 2009)

Ghosts.


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## scottnicholson (Jan 31, 2010)

Suspense. The occasional shock is fine as long as it isn't perpetual and numbing.


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## Colin Taber (Apr 4, 2011)

I'd be leaning towards ghosts. Gore can have its moments, but as someone else said, basically it tends to be a bit gross. I have no problems with a blood splatter, but I don't really want to see chunks of stuff.


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## Alan Ryker (Feb 18, 2011)

I don't like much gore in fiction. In movies, I like both styles of horror.


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## Linda Andrews (Aug 16, 2011)

Ghosts by a long shot, unless they're zombie movies then I have a decapitation rating.


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## JFHilborne (Jan 22, 2011)

Don't like gore or the supernatural. A good old suspense or thriller movie works for me for Halloween.


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## Cheryl Bradshaw Author (Apr 13, 2011)

I go for ghosts, myself and Hitchcock's Stories to Read with the Lights On


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## Debra Purdy Kong (Apr 1, 2009)

I'm with you there. Ghosts are more interesting than slashers and gore. Unless, of course, you merge the two into one really nasty situation.


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## Debra Purdy Kong (Apr 1, 2009)

Julia444 said:


> To set the proper mood--THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW by Washington Irving (a short story, but it always makes me feel Halloween-y).
> 
> Julia


Love The Legend of Sleepy Hollow!


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## WriterCTaylor (Jul 11, 2011)

Ghosts over gore any day. Evil over cheesy and suspense over splatter. I like to have to imagine what is going to happen before it does. I like to wonder if my feelings are correct and if the plot twists I think I can see are real.

Gore is easy to write and hard to read for me.


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## evie_d (Sep 13, 2011)

Give me the ghosts! I'd much rather have the suggestion of the supernatural than a bucket full of blood.


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## James Everington (Dec 25, 2010)

Ghosts.

Possibly with a side-order of 'are they real or is the main character imaging it all' ambiguity.


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## Harry Shannon (Jul 30, 2010)

I'm with Scott. Suspense, not knowing. I also love tongue in cheek horror, graphic with a sly wink or large guffaw is fine. Shock horror bores me.


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## Tony Richards (Jul 6, 2011)

A lot of horror got graphically gory when there was a boom in those kinds of books back in the Eighties. But then people got sick of it, the genre fell flat, with the big houses not even wanting to _look_ at horror novels. And now we have a slow return, so most people's opinions here -- their objection to gore -- does not surprise me. Yeah, let's see horror coming back, but in an intelligent form. The gross outs of the Eighties simply got it a bad name.


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## Julia Madeleine (Sep 25, 2011)

Paul D. Brazill's _Drunk On The Moon_ werewolf PI series. $0.99 on Amazon http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=Paul+D.+Brazill%27s+drunk+on+the+moon&x=0&y=0


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## HeyDrew (Sep 12, 2011)

I'll take ghosts and things that go bump over gore most days, but gore can be effective sometimes.  The problem is a lot of gore comes at the expense of good story telling and interesting characters.  The SAW movies come to mind.


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## BarbraAnnino (Jan 27, 2011)

I just picked up The Pumpkin Thief by Melanie Jackson.  But besides cozy and horror there is creepy-crawly suspense. Those stories where you aren't quite sure if the events are supernatural or psychological. Jennifer MacMahon is excellent for this. My fav is 
Also Alexandra Sokoloff 
And F. Paul Wilson


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Barb, I merged your post into the ongoing "Halloween theme" thread. . . .no doubt there will be dedicated threads for Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc. . . . .it happens every year!


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## BarbraAnnino (Jan 27, 2011)

Very good! Missed it somehow...


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## jlee745 (Jul 27, 2010)

Its been a busy month and I have not been able to read as much as I thought and wanted. I did read The Haunting of Hill House and Legends of Sleepy Hollow. I am almost finished The Watcher. I have checked out The Historian but the reviews on it are not so good. I really want to read something creepy ghostly(not serial killer/mass murderer) next week. Would the Historian be the book or should I pick something else. If so what would be a good book. It needs to be available on the kindle and under 400 pages. I have only read one Stephen King book(Pet Sematary) back when I was a teenager but I will have to save the ones you recommended of his till Jan/Feb/March my slow months.


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## AnelaBelladonna (Apr 8, 2009)

jlee745 said:


> Its been a busy month and I have not been able to read as much as I thought and wanted. I did read The Haunting of Hill House and Legends of Sleepy Hollow. I am almost finished The Watcher. I have checked out The Historian but the reviews on it are not so good. I really want to read something creepy ghostly(not serial killer/mass murderer) next week. Would the Historian be the book or should I pick something else. If so what would be a good book. It needs to be available on the kindle and under 400 pages. I have only read one Stephen King book(Pet Sematary) back when I was a teenager but I will have to save the ones you recommended of his till Jan/Feb/March my slow months.


Someone else said it was a book you either loved or you hated. I loved The Historian!


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

I had a "d'oh" moment and decided to sticky this thread so it would be obvious to people -- we've had several popping in lately looking for Halloween reads. . . . .   (If nothing else it will make it easier for me to find it if I need to merge something.  )

Enjoy!


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## Amy Corwin (Jan 3, 2011)

Like a lot of others on this thread, I prefer the spooky to gore.
There have been a lot of good suggestions and I've already gotten/read: The Supernaturals; and The Sentinel. For those who like spooky The Supernaturals is very enjoyable. The Sentinel has zombies but it's really not too gruesome. 

I've re-read The Haunting of Hill House by S. Jackson so many times I've almost memorized it, but it is always my favorite. Sleepy Hollow is another one I've read about a dozen times, but it's still a goodie. My mom gave me an old book of hers years ago: Tales of Terror and The Supernatural, and I've read it so many times the pages are falling out.  Its a great collection of classic stories, though. Something for everyone as they say. I recently upgraded to the ebook copy of that.

I'm reading The Haunting of Stephen Wells right now. So far, it reads like a good, traditional ghost story, but I'm only about 1/4 of the way in. After that, I'm going to try Seed, based on other suggestions from this thread. I have Ghosts as an old paperback and that's also a good one. I may "trade up" and get a Kindle edition (if there is one--there wasn't the last time I looked). Last night, I got the "Mammoth Book of Haunted House Stories" so I'll have to see if there's anything in there that I haven't already read a million times. Even if there is, I'll probably read them again. I'm totally addicted to haunted house stories and have read all the ones from the 19th and 20th century that I could lay my hands on.

Hope to see more good suggestions.


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## Thalia the Muse (Jan 20, 2010)

Audrey's Door by Sarah Langan was a good spooky read, and so is The Ghostwriter by John Harwood.

AMy -- there's an ebook version of Tales of Terror and the Supernatural!? Oooh -- I've looked for it before and it was never available! You got it through Amazon?

I adore The Mammoth Book of Haunted House Stories (only 4.44 on Kindle!) and bought The Mammoth Book of Monsters for Halloween (same price) -- so far, so very good. The Mammoth Books in general seem to be well-curated.


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## Amy Corwin (Jan 3, 2011)

Thalia the Muse said:


> Audrey's Door by Sarah Langan was a good spooky read, and so is The Ghostwriter by John Harwood.
> 
> AMy -- there's an ebook version of Tales of Terror and the Supernatural!? Oooh -- I've looked for it before and it was never available! You got it through Amazon?
> 
> I adore The Mammoth Book of Haunted House Stories (only 4.44 on Kindle!) and bought The Mammoth Book of Monsters for Halloween (same price) -- so far, so very good. The Mammoth Books in general seem to be well-curated.


Hi - yes - like you, I'd been looking for it, forever, too.
Unfortunately, my memory is not as good as it should be. I double-checked my records and realized I'd bought the hardcover book to replace the old hardover my mom gave me of "Great Tales of Terror and the Supernatural".  Sorry. Mea Culpa. I'd really, really like it if they finally released that as an ebook. It has so many classic stories in it.
One of my favorites is "The Haunters and the Haunted; or, The House and the Brain" by Edward Bulwar-Lytton.

I'm so sorry about the confusion. I've been buying so many lately to feed my Halloween ghost habit that I can't keep things straight.

Let's hope they do release it at some point as an ebook as I'm sure I'll be wearing this copy out, as well.

On another note: has anyone else found that the stories/writers/books that others talk about as quirky or "not the best writing" e.g. Edward Bulwar-Lytton (best known for "It was a dark and stormy night...") are the ones that grab you and are the most interesting?

I noted a critique of The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson, and someone indicated that her writing was quirky and I thought, "what the heck?" I LOVE her writing! I can't stand the "pre-chewed, pre-digested" vanilla "never use 'was'!" writing that most folks today preach about as "good writing". I find it colorless and completely boring. Although, I also admit that I can't stand the purple prose used in a lot of romance novels, either. I'm weird, I guess.

But, most of the time when a writer gives examples of "this is good writing" and "this is bad writing," I find that I always prefer the example of "bad writing." The "good writing" is always on the order of "Jack went up the hill. He discovered Jill. They went down the hill."

I've decided I must be completely out of synch.

But...Viva la quirky!


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## jlee745 (Jul 27, 2010)

I just purchased The Supernaturals. I'm hoping it is good and scary. I didnt find House on Haunted Hill scary at all.. I also want to read Audrey's Door. They are both books I normally wouldn't pick out so I'm excited. Still hung up whether or not to read The Historian.


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## BarbraAnnino (Jan 27, 2011)

Ghost Road Blues is one I just discovered, yet haven't read. Anyone else read this? It's set around Halloween as well.


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## Tony Richards (Jul 6, 2011)

Collections of short horror fiction can make terrific reading too, and for Halloween there's nothing more perfect than Ray Bradbury's _The October Country_.


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## N S Cooke (Sep 27, 2011)

'I'm reading Stephen King's 'Bag of Bones' - I went off his newer stuff but this is an old one and has me gripped from word one. May even go back and read Pet Cemetery - really good, it's a tear jerker as a child is involved.


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## Lance Ganey (Oct 21, 2011)

There have been a lot of great suggestions so far. I've downloaded a few Algernon Blackwood stories to get into the spooky mood that is appropriate for October. "The Wendigo", "Four Weird Tales", and "The Willows".


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## Thomas D. Taylor (Oct 12, 2011)

jlee745 said:


> Can anyone suggest some good books to read for the month of October that goes with Halloween.
> I don't want any murder mysterys(i read them all the time). Something Scary. I haven't read anything
> scary since I started my reading hobby/ habit a coupleof years ago. The only thing I will not read is devilish/cult like.


anything by H.P. Lovecraft, particularly "The Case of Charles Dexter Ward."


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## Amy Corwin (Jan 3, 2011)

N S Cooke said:


> 'I'm reading Stephen King's 'Bag of Bones' - I went off his newer stuff but this is an old one and has me gripped from word one. May even go back and read Pet Cemetery - really good, it's a tear jerker as a child is involved.


I haven't read "Bag of Bones" yet. Is it pretty good?
I'm finishing up another suggestion (The haunting of Stephen Wells) which was pretty good, although it was a little slow in parts. Now I'm trying to decide on the next one to read. 

I love this thread. So many good suggestions!


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## Amy Corwin (Jan 3, 2011)

BarbraAnnino said:


> Ghost Road Blues is one I just discovered, yet haven't read. Anyone else read this? It's set around Halloween as well.


I read it and thought it was quite good.
The characterization is excellent and it grips you right from the beginning.


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## James Everington (Dec 25, 2010)

LanceG said:


> There have been a lot of great suggestions so far. I've downloaded a few Algernon Blackwood stories to get into the spooky mood that is appropriate for October. "The Wendigo", "Four Weird Tales", and "The Willows".


Seconded. "The Willows" is one of the best horror stories ever...


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## Lance Ganey (Oct 21, 2011)

This one just occurred to me, a few months ago I read "Baltimore" by Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden. It's a quick read with vampires, monster bears, creepy puppets, and Mignola's illustrations are the best. Nobody draws rotting corpse like that guy.


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## BarbraAnnino (Jan 27, 2011)

Picked up the Supernaturals. Only on Chapter 2, but that author's note in the beginning had me hooked!


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## djgross (May 24, 2011)

Another vote for Simon R. Green's awesome Nightside series 

If you are looking for a read on the lighter side of creepy (Creepy Lite?), Dead Girls Are Easy just went on sale for 99 cents Kindle


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## Amy Corwin (Jan 3, 2011)

And yet another vote for Simon R. Green. I love his books.

Any more suggestions?

I've gotten through most of the ones in the list so far LOL that I hadn't already read.

Come on, I know there are other good suggestions.

I'd love to find another one like The Supernaturals. That was enjoyable and a quick read.


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## kellymcclymer (Apr 22, 2010)

Tony Richards said:


> Collections of short horror fiction can make terrific reading too, and for Halloween there's nothing more perfect than Ray Bradbury's _The October Country_.


Oh, Bradbury, when he's chilling is *very* chilling. And anything by Edgar Allen Poe, short or long.


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## Thalia the Muse (Jan 20, 2010)

The Strain (Strain Trilogy) is down to $1.99 on Kindle. I don't totally love the trilogy, but it's worth picking up at that price.


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## Imogen Rose (Mar 22, 2010)




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## TimHodkinson (Jun 3, 2011)

Thalia the Muse said:


> The Strain (Strain Trilogy) is down to $1.99 on Kindle. I don't totally love the trilogy, but it's worth picking up at that price.


I second that: It's highly enjoyable in a cliched way. The first one is the best with a lot of genuninely creepy moments IMHO.
I recently wondered if the evil Eldritch Palmer (the dying billionaire who collaborates with the vampires) was somewhat inspired by Steve Jobs.


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## AriannaSilver (Oct 12, 2011)

Okay, you've got me convinced, I'm giving Simon R. Green a try. I need a good Halloween day read.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

A reminder that self-promotion is not permitted outside the Book Bazaar.  Don't make me get my Hallowe'en axe out...

Betsy
KB Moderator


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## Tony Richards (Jul 6, 2011)

Charles L. Grant's 'Oxrun Station' tales are good and spooky too.


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## jlee745 (Jul 27, 2010)

I REALLY enjoyed The Supernaturals. Hoping there will be a second book. Thanks for the recommendation.


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## wordsmithjts (Nov 14, 2011)

Salems Lot is a great book by Stephen King. One of the best vampire novels I've ever come across. Watchers by Dean Koontz is great. I would also suggest anything by Richard Laymon or Jack Ketchum.


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