5 Beginner Horror Recommendations Just In Time For Spooky Season

Hello, Book Nerds! Welcome back to Reading Has Ruined My Life or welcome if you are new. As always, my name is Hannah and I am your captain on this journey into my bookcases.

Summer is slowly nearing its end. Meaning it’s almost time for Spooky Season! As my favorite time of year approaches, I have of course been thinking of what titles I want to enjoy this fall. I’ve been curating my Spooky Season reading list since last year if I’m being honest. But what about the readers who haven’t done that? What about the readers who are just getting into the horror genre? The ones who have no idea where to start?

This one’s for those readers. In preparation of Spooky Season, I have created a list of five horror reads that anyone just getting into the horror genre should read. I have refrained from listing just the classics and heavy hitters. You will not find Dracula, Frankenstein, or even The Portrait of Dorian Gray on this list. While every reader out there should definitely take the time to read those classics, I haven’t included them on this list simply to make room for other deserving titles. I also didn’t include insanely gory books on the list as I don’t find them to be beginner friendly.

Now onto the list!

5. The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson kicks things off. Did I just say I wasn’t going to include the classics as to make room for other deserving titles? Yes. Yes I did. But The Haunting of Hill House is peak Gothic literature. Nothing can top it. It’s not only a phenomenal haunted house novel, but a fantastic psychological horror read as well.

4. Next up is The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James. The Sun Down Motel is not strictly horror, it’s a horror mystery novel told through a dual timeline. In 1985, a woman named Viv takes the night clerk position at a seedy motel where she attempts to solve the mystery of who killed a few young women in the unassuming town of Fell, New York. Cut to 35 years later, Viv’s niece Carly sets out to discover what happened to her aunt decades ago. Sounds like a standard murder mystery. Wrong! There are ghosties!! Most of the books included on this list will include a paranormal aspect as that’s what I enjoy in my horror stories.

3. For a more contemporary Gothic, haunted house read, look no further than Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. Silvia Moreno-Garcia is one of the best Gothic authors writing right now. Mexican Gothic boasts an active protagonist, a remote manor home that’s seemingly working against the main character, and psychological torment; it’s a fun time.

2. Another novel that’s not strictly horror, but one I highly recommend, is The Gilda Stories by Jewelle Gomez. Historical fiction, romance, horror, speculative fiction, vampire fiction; it blends so many genres. Not to mention, it’s known as a classic piece of LGBTQIA+ literature, and is lauded for its exploration into race, sexuality, and feminism. I highly recommend picking up a copy.

1. Finally, to end the list, I want to recommend FantasticLand by Mike Bockoven. This is one of my all-time favorite reads. It’s a modern take on Lord of the Flies and manages to be ten times better. What would happen if a natural disaster hit a theme park with only a small skeleton crew to keep the place standing? Carnage and war crimes of course. FantasticLand is told through various interviews from those trapped in FantasticLand for five weeks as they retell their trauma and reveal the horrors they faced. I highly recommend this read. Though do note this book is fairly gory. I know I said I was going to stay away from super gory books, but my love of this read demands I break that rule. Just be prepared to read descriptions of brain matter.

Thus endeth our list!

Thank you very much for joining me today, Book Nerds. If you’re diving into the horror genre for the first time, I hope you found a great book, or five, to start with. As for me, I will return next week with a new review. If you can’t wait that long then I highly suggest giving Reading Has Ruined My Life a follow over on Instagram (@ReadingHasRuinedMyLife). I post there almost daily so come back often to revel in literary goodness. You can also follow the blog on Twitter and BlueSky (@RHRMLBlog). If you want something not related to books then I highly suggest checking out my podcast Nothing to See Hear. The show stars me and two of my dearest friends as we talk about everything and anything. May I recommend our Scooby-Doo series to enjoy? We’re currently in the What’s New Scooby-Doo era. The show releases new episodes every Wednesday evening. You can currently find Nothing to See Hear on Spotify and YouTube.

Until next time, stay safe, wash your hands, and read some good books for me.