6 Book Recommendations for the Tender-Hearted Horror Lover

I have always liked spooky things.

When other kids my age were watching the Disney channel, I was the kid who camped out in the dark to watch TV shows about haunted houses.

But here’s the thing: I have a very low fear tolerance. I mean, my threshold for being scared is about the depth of a kiddie-pool. I love learning about ghosts and their stories, but when I get scared, my eyes start watering and I remember all over again: “Oh. I’m a chicken. I forgot.”

So if you’re tender-hearted, but like the spooky stuff every now and then, here are…

6 Book Recommendations for the Tender-Hearted Horror Lover

 

1. This House Is Haunted by John Boyne

Eliza Caine spontaneously takes a governess job after her father passes away. She arrives to a large country mansion to find two children… alone. No adults in the house, only the two children. The girl is strangely precocious, but also untrustworthy. After some terrifying experiences in the house, Eliza tries to find out the children’s pasts and what truly happened at Gaudlin Hall.

I loved this book. I could almost feel the frigid wind howling over the moors. A disquieting dread grabbed me from the first few pages and wouldn’t let me go. While there are plenty of ghosts and spookiness, it didn’t scare me enough that I was shaking in my fluffy socks while trying to fall asleep at night.

 

2. Pines by Blake Crouch

Secret Service agent Ethan Burke wakes up in a hospital in Wayward Pines, Idaho, after a terrible car accident. His phone and wallet are missing and despite his injuries, he attempts to contact his boss and family. All of his attempts fail and right away, he feels like something very wrong is happening in Wayward Pines. Everyone is friendly, but the town is eerily quiet and picturesque. Danger amps up around every corner, along with an endless amount of confusion. And far more questions than answers.

This isn’t technically isn’t “horror,” but I ate this book up like a bowl of ice cream. Creepy, unexpected ice cream, if such a thing exists. It’s so perfectly weird and suspenseful. Ugh, just read it. It’s so good.

Read my full review for “Pines” here.

 

3. The Last to See Me by M. Dressler

In a small logging town along the coast of Northern California, there stands a beautiful historic home. A ghost named Emma Finnis haunts it, growing with each new member of the family for about a hundred years now. She has been around long enough to know how to stay “alive” in this semi-alternate universe, where hauntings are frightening, but regular, occurrences and ghost hunting is a profession.

Emma has seen many ghost hunters come through her pretty mansion before. She’s smart and knows how to handle herself to avoid detection. But the newest hunter is the best at what he does and Emma isn’t planning on going anywhere without a fight.

As we get to know Emma and her hunter better, we learn that maybe people (including the seemingly innocent Emma herself) aren’t always what they seem.

This book will be released in a couple weeks (September 5th), but it fits this topic so perfectly, I couldn’t leave it out. This book surprised me. It might sound like a twist on “Ghostbusters,” but what you’ll find is actually the story of a strong woman who really can’t be trusted. Is she an innocent or is she malicious?

I’ll be honest, this book made me a little jumpy at night. It’s not listed in the “horror” genre at all. But please, ask me if suddenly remembering different images from this book while I’m laying in bed in a dark room isn’t scary. Because I’ll tell you: It totally is.

Substitute the word “monsters” here for “ghosts” and now you know my life.

Come back for my full review of “The Last to See Me,” which will be posted this Saturday (Aug. 19)!

 

4. Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafron

Daniel, an antiquarian book dealer’s son who mourns the loss of his mother, finds solace in a mysterious book entitled The Shadow of the Wind, by one Julián Carax. But when he sets out to find the author’s other works, he makes a shocking discovery: someone has been systematically destroying every copy of every book Carax has written. In fact, Daniel may have the last of Carax’s books in existence. Soon Daniel’s seemingly innocent quest opens a door into one of Barcelona’s darkest secrets–an epic story of murder, madness, and doomed love. (Goodreads summary)

This is the least “horror-y” book on this list. I mean, it’s not specifically about ghosties or ghoulies. Buttt there’s a creepy, old house where spooky things happen and a lot of creepy people with bad intentions. You’ll cheer for Daniel, but mostly you’ll wish he would stop getting into situations that make you go:

 

5. We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

Merricat Blackwood lives on the family estate with her sister Constance and her Uncle Julian. Not long ago there were seven Blackwoods—until a fatal dose of arsenic found its way into the sugar bowl one terrible night. Acquitted of the murders, Constance has returned home, where Merricat protects her from the curiosity and hostility of the villagers. Their days pass in happy isolation until cousin Charles appears. Only Merricat can see the danger, and she must act swiftly to keep Constance from his grasp. (Goodreads summary)

I think all of us know that Shirley Jackson is basically the queen of the American Gothic genre. Merricat, the narrator, clearly has some serious issues. She’s so strange, it’s hard to know if we can trust her. And as the story goes on, the strangeness just increases.

 

6. The Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud

For more than fifty years, the country has been affected by a horrifying epidemic of ghosts. A number of Psychic Investigations Agencies have sprung up to destroy the dangerous apparitions.

Lucy Carlyle, a talented young agent, arrives in London hoping for a notable career. Instead she finds herself joining the smallest, most ramshackle agency in the city, run by the charismatic Anthony Lockwood. When one of their cases goes horribly wrong, Lockwood & Co. have one last chance of redemption. Unfortunately this involves spending the night in one of the most haunted houses in England, and trying to escape alive. (Goodreads summary)

If the “Ghostbusters” were a group of outcast-type teenagers, this book would be about them. There’s lots of silly banter, along with grim grinning ghosts who have to be defeated. This is a middle grade book, but there were definitely some moments where I thought, “Oh gosh. I hope I’m not scared tonight after reading this…” And luckily, I never was. This book is fun with a dash of spooky.

 

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I hope you found some spooky goodness to fill your TBRs with!

Tell me: Have you read any of these books? What’s your threshold for horror? Do you have any suggestions for spooky books that won’t make me need to sleep with the light on?!

 

Enter to win “Remember When” by Lindsay Detwiler book through my Instagram account! Head on over to enter! (closes Aug. 21, 2017)

Also: Enter to win a August 2017 New Release here! (closes Aug. 31, 2017)

 

Linked to Top Ten Tuesday on The Broke and the Bookish.

This post is also posted to the 2017 Book Blog Discussion Challenge, hosted by Feed Your Fiction Addiction and It Starts at Midnight!

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