Hi! I am looking for a book to read for a book club I have with my friends. Our theme is ”house of secrets”. Basically I am looking for books that have houses with secrets or some type of mystery in them.
I would love to hear about the books and see if I find my next read from your suggestions <3
by Ok_Possible8680
26 Comments
House of Leaves
William Hope Hodgson, *The House on the Borderland*.
Edgar Allen Poe, *The Fall of the House of Usher* (the OG of the genre).
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke: this is my favorite of these options, the “house” is an endless labyrinth of rooms filled with statues and oceans on the lower levels. Don’t read anything other than the official synopsis if you want to avoid spoilers.
Switch by A.S. King: this one has a very unique narrative style, parts of it are almost poetry/stream of consciousness. If you try it, give yourself 50 pages or so to sink into the flow of it, the main storyline is not immediately apparent on page one.
Greenglass House by Kate Milford: middle grade but my adult book club enjoyed it
Gallant by V.E. Schwab: not my favorite of her work but definitely fits the theme.
The Last Tale of the Flower Bride by Roshani Chokshi: the gothic vibe wasn’t my personal favorite but others really like it for that
The Death of Jane Lawrence
The Elementals by Michael McDowell, and then there were none by Agatha Christie, the haunting of hill house
Just Like Home by Sarah Gailey
How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix
The House at Old Vine. Norah Lofts. An oldie but still good!!!
Home coming by Morton. There’s a mystery and a house features centrally and then another house has a secret involved
Starling House by Alix E. Harrow
There was a GREAT Agatha Christie book but I can’t remember the name anymore… :-S
This is my jam!
– Elementals by Michael McDowell
-The Amivityville Horror by Jay Anson
-How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix
-The Shinning by Stephen King
-Kill Creek by Scott Thomas
-Coraline by Neil Gaiman
-If you Tell by Gregg Olsen
Mexican Gothica!
A Little Stranger by Sarah Waters
The lost apothecary
We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
Not a house but a painting: Rose Madder
North woods
The House In the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
Travel to Marsyas Island Orphanage, where six dangerous children reside: a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, an unidentifiable green blob, a were-Pomeranian, and the Antichrist. Linus must set aside his fears and determine whether or not they’re likely to bring about the end of days.
But the children aren’t the only secret the island keeps. Their caretaker is the charming and enigmatic Arthur Parnassus, who will do anything to keep his wards safe. As Arthur and Linus grow closer, long-held secrets are exposed, and Linus must make a choice: destroy a home or watch the world burn.
The Villa by Rachel Hawkins
Slade House by David Mitchell is a good one!
“September House,” by Carissa Orlando
“Time Windows” by Kathryn Reiss is a fabulous YA novel from 1991. It’s quick and easy, but still really enjoyable for adults, imo!
“The Little Stranger” by Sarah Waters (author of “Tipping the Velvet”) is long, a bit more challenging for sure, and a slow burn read that is ultimately ultra creepy and disturbing. People compare it to Shirley Jackson’s “Hill House,” as far as I’m concerned for no real reason other than it absolutely lodges under your skin and won’t let go in the same exact way.
Good luck with the book club! Sounds fun!
Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier. One of my favorite books.
Home Before Dark or The Only One Left – Riley Sager
House with the clock in the walls.
“House Of Leaves” by Mark Z Danielewski is one of my favorites! It’s a bit long, so that might stop it from being a book club pick depending on how often you meet. But I highly recommend it either way!