Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, where bloggers are given a new top ten topic each week to blog about. And today is Halloween! For this week’s prompt, I wanted to focus on some amazing horror books I’ve read recently that might not be on your radar. Sure, Stephen King is awesome, but there are so many other great horror authors out there.
Here are ten I highly recommend:
We Are All Completely Fine by Daryl Gregory. This short novella put Daryl Gregory on my radar, and I couldn’t be happier. This story is sharp and disturbing and extremely unsettling, but if you haven’t read it I highly suggest you do so! It tells the story of a support group for people who have had some…unusual experiences. Read my review here.
The Last Days of Jack Sparks by Jason Arnopp. This book came to me unsolicited, but I took a chance and read it, and now I can’t imagine not having read this book. It’s hard to do a recap here, so I suggest checking out my review if you’re curious. Read my review here.
The Motion of Puppets by Keith Donohue. This odd and scary story took me by surprise, in a good way. It definitely falls into the “strangest books I’ve ever read” category, but I’m so glad I got to experience it. These puppets come to life when their puppet master isn’t looking. Read my review here.
The Devourers by Indra Das. If you’re looking for a well written, lyrical werewolf tale, then look no further. This book is disturbing in many ways, but Das is a true treasure, and I can’t wait to read more of his work. Read my review here.
Horrorstör by Grady Hendrix. For over-the-top, hysterically funny horror, this is THE book to read! Employees in an IKEA-like furniture store have to spend the night at the store and take inventory, but they aren’t prepared for the horrors awaiting them. Read my review here.
The Brotherhood of the Wheel by R.S. Belcher. Belcher’s spin-off tale to his Nightwise series was definitely more horror than urban fantasy, which is why I’m highlighting it in this post. If you haven’t read any Belcher (and why haven’t you?), this would be a great place to start. Read my review here.
Rolling in the Deep by Mira Grant. I’m over the moon that a sequel to this novella is about to be released. Grant’s quirky horror tale takes place on a cruise ship where a team of performers who dress up as mermaids entertain the people on board. Little do they know what’s waiting for them in the water… Read my review here.
The Unnoticeables by Robert Brockway. I’m frightfully behind with this series, but I enjoyed this so much so I do hope to catch up at some point. This is gritty urban horror at its best, as Brockway puts his spin on the punk movement of the 1970s. Read my review here.
The Heart Does Not Grow Back by Fred Venturini. Talk about a book that completely took me by surprise! I really had no idea what I was in for when I started this, but it turned out to be a memorable read for me. It’s hard to explain the story, so I’ll just let you read my review. But squeamish folks beware, this is not always an easy book to read. Read my review here.
The Boy on the Bridge by M.R. Carey. I almost didn’t include this, because it’s probably the most well known book on this list. But if you were a fan of The Girl with All the Gifts, you must check out the prequel. I think I loved it even more, and there are scary scenes aplenty. Read my review here.
I’ve also posted some top five lists this month, so if you missed those, check out Five Recent Faves – Vampires and Five Recent Faves – Ghosts.
Great list Tammy. I’ve read a few of these and there are quite a few that I want to read/already own – The Last Days of Jack Sparks and We are All Completely Fine being two examples.
Lynn 😀
Oooh, read both!They are both amazing but in totally different ways.
Yes! Jack Sparks and Horrorstor are awesome – thanks for having put them on my radar, Tammy!
I’m glad you’re a fan of Jack Sparks! Such an amazing story, right?
Wonderful list. I need to look into The Unnoticeables as I’ve seen it a few places and never really knew what it was about. I have a copy of The Brotherhood of the Wheel sitting on my shelves waiting to be read upon your past recommendation. I was able to grab a hard copy for less that $3.00 on Book Outlet months ago.
Barb (boxermommyreads) recently posted…TTT – 10 Books I Intended to Read Before Halloween
Wow, great deal. Definitely read it when you get a chance!
GREAT list!! I sent Horrorstör to an IKEA/Horror-loving friend. She’s loving it.
Horrorstor will definitely make you think twice before going to IKEA, lol:-)
There’s several on your list I clearly wouldn’t go near – too scary. But The Boy on the Bridge is one I have promised myself to dive into sometime soon as I absolutely loved The Girl with All the Gifts:). Thank you for the list – I’m a bit tempted by The Devourers, but not sure if it isn’t a bit too gory?
LOL, sorry to scare you Sarah! I do think the Devourers might not be for you. It’s pretty out there and violent.
Thanks for letting me know, Tammy – I’ve suffered with nightmares throughout my life so am a bit wary of anything too violent or scary.
I keep meaning to get around to The Boy on the Bridge after loving The Girl With All The Gifts! Good to hear it was a solid read! Nice take on this week’s topic! I did Halloween movies and their bookish counterparts! Check it out if you’d like: http://nerdnarrationblog.wordpress.com/2017/10/31/top-ten-tuesday-halloween-freebie-halloween-movies-their-bookish-counterparts/
You should definitely check out The Boy on the Bridge when you get a chance. Plus it ties in at the end with The Girl with All the Gifts, so cool:-)
I’ve not read any of these but it’s such a great list! Definitely a few for me to consider next year. The cover of ‘The Motion of Puppets’ is really spooky!
Here’s my TTT.
I love that cover too, it’s probably the strangest book on this list:-)
Only heard of two of those so great list! 🙂
Thanks Stormi, glad I could give you some idea;-)
Yay, I have read all but three of these, and I agree wholeheartedly with those picks! The others are on my list 🙂
Mogsy @ BiblioSanctum recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday Halloween Freebie: Top Ten Books About Hauntings and Demonic Possessions
I actually could have made this list longer, I keep thinking of more books!
Great list! Horrorstor is on my TBR list. I’ve heard so many good things about it.
Aj @ Read All The Things! recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday: Creepy Books I Need To Read
I hope you get the chance to read it! Tons of fun but a lot of horror, it’s a great combo:-)
The Brotherhood of the Wheel was great! It’s the first Belcher book I’ve read, but I’ve since purchased Nightwise (though I’ve yet to read it). Horrorstor sounds awesome.
Nightwise was soo good! So was Horrorstor, both are very different from each other:-)
I have only read The Last Days of Jack Sparks and it was awesome,the perfect October read! 😀
So glad you enjoyed HEART. Thanks for mentioning it on your blog!
Thanks for stopping by, Fred! I can’t wait for your next book:-D