Hey guys!
My friend and I have been doing a little book club with each other for a few months. It’s my turn to pick the book and I’d really love something spooky for Halloween.
I’d like anything with a gothic vibe (Haunting of Hill House is one of my favorite quick reads). I also wouldn’t mind a WhoDunit. We’re trying to avoid psychological thrillers because our past two books have been in that genre.
Bonus points if your recommendation:
– features a haunted house
– mentions Halloween
– is a good length for a book club (I love Stephen King, but we like books we can power through)
– has a supernatural element
– was published relatively recently (last 20 years or so)
– isn’t super gory or violent. Not my thing.
– basically has a cool, spooky environment
(Personally, I also really enjoy the Ace Gothic books so if anyone knows of any modern, accessible books with a similar vibe, send them my way)
by gingerpuss69
4 Comments
The 7 and 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle was one of my FAVORITE book club reads. Great for a book club, very atmospheric, quite a bit of a whodunnit.
My favorite gothic vibe books are The Poison Thread by Laura Purcell, The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas, and Revelator by Daryl Gregory. All have supernatural elements and are spooky without being over-the-top violent or gory. None of them mention Halloween, but The Hacienda does have a haunted house.
Haunted house is one of my favorite genres ever!! I’d say:
It Will Just Be Us by Jo Kaplan: haunted house, good length, supernatural element, recent and isn’t super gory
Gallant by V.E Schwab also has a haunted house, good length, very immersive & spooky environment, recent, nothing too gory and supernatural element
The Silent Companion by Laura Purcell is semi (?) haunted house, more haunted item but still, is short & has a spooky environment, plus is recent and non gory (and supernatural element)
Just Like Home by Sarah Gailey has a haunted house, good length, spooky environment, nothing too gory and is recent and has heavy supernatural elements
A House with Good Bones by T. Kingfisher is haunted house, short, supernatural elements, recent and nothing too gory. I didn’t find the environment that spooky as the writing wasn’t for me, but you may love it!
Not sure if it fits here- A Nightmare’s Point of View – sci-fi dark fantasy