I’m linking up with Top Ten Tuesday, which was created by The Broke and the Bookish and is now hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl. Check out upcoming Top Ten themes on Jana’s blog,
I’m not sure I’m interpreting today’s theme correctly, but I’m going for it anyway! Haunted houses as a setting might be the obvious choice for a Summer of Horror list, but hey, it’s a classic for a reason, right? Today I’m sharing eleven books I’ve read in the last couple of years that feature haunted houses, and not all of them are your typical hauntings…
The September House by Carissa Orlando. Still one of my favorite books ever, Orlando twists the trope in some very interesting and emotional ways. This is a great example of what I call “layering,” being able to take several different storylines and combine them perfectly. Not all authors can do this well, so I’m always on the lookout for those who can.
Diavola by Jennifer Thorne involves a haunted vacation villa in Italy, and it was not only terrifying because of the supernatural events that take place, but the toxic family dynamics are just as scary.
We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer is a weird, messed up haunted house story with weird twists, and did I mention it’s weird?
Episode Thirteen by Craig DiLouie is a unique, mind-bending story about the crew of a reality ghost hunting TV show and their weird experiences in a famous haunted house. It’s soooo good!
How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix is one of my favorite books by the author. The story features evil puppets, and that’s all I’m going to say:-)
It Was Her House First by Cherie Priest is one of my recent reads, and I loved it! If you enjoy home renovation details and ghosts who are just as well developed as the living characters, you’ll love this too.
Forgotten Sisters by Cynthia Pelayo takes historical Chicago, ghosts and family relationships and combines them into a fascinating ghost story.
Ghost Mother by Kelly Dwyer tackles some serious subjects like infertility and suicide and seamlessly integrates them into an atmospheric ghost story.
Chuck Wendig’s The Staircase in the Woods doesn’t appear to be a haunted house story from the outside, but it’s actually a very strange and emotional tale involving all kinds of ghosts and a house that might exist in another dimension.
The House That Horror Built by Christina Henry was a mixed bag for me, but I loved the idea of a story revolving around a famous horror director and his haunted mansion.
We Live Here Now by Sarah Pinborough was an original take on the haunted house story, and I loved the twist when you finally find out what’s going on.
I’m very intrigued by the idea of haunted house stories although I’m not sure if I’ve read any yet. Three of these are ones I’m hoping to get to for Summer Of Horror though and I’m now wondering if I should have included a couple of the others, especially Diavola between its setting and toxic family. The puppet one perhaps not as I’m sure those would freak me out lol
The puppets were very freaky! I think you’d enjoy Diavola, it’s very unique.
I always like the idea of haunted house stories, but I’m such a wuss… It’s really dependent on how it’s handled, for me, I think. But I should definitely get some of these for my wife for Christmas… I know they loved Episode Thirteen. Thank you for providing me with a holiday shopping list!
LOL some of these would probably be too much for you:-)
I’ve only read one of these – We Used to Live Here – but I definitely want to read more haunted house stories, especially with the upcoming spooky season. September House is probably the one I’m most tempted by, it sounds really good.
Yes, read The September House! I’m curious to see what you think:-)
Great list, Tammy! I love haunted house stories and How to Sell a Haunted House is ony of my favorites. Thanks for sharing! 😀
Thanks Stephanie! Yes, I love that one too!
Haunted house are one of my favourite horror tropes. So fun.
Me too, there are so many ways you can write a haunted house story.
Episode Thirteen was such a great book!!!!
Yes, it was so surprising, right?
Yes! And I enjoyed the format of how the book was written. I did the audiobook so it made it even better!
Ooh ,good one! Lots of great books here — I especially loved Diavola and Episode 13!
Me too, loved those two:-)
I really enjoyed Diavolla, it had such a fantastic setting and setup. And I can’t wait to try the Wendig novel. I’ve really enjoyed his work so far.
Wendig’s is a bit weirder than his other books, but I still enjoyed it a lot.
I love horror. Ghost Mother sounds very spooky.
Here is our Top Ten Tuesday.
Ghost Mother was so good, spooky and emotional:-)
My TBR list just grew because I love a book that’s set in a haunted house. (Though I didn’t love September House.) Fun choice for this week’s TTT! 😀
Thanks Lark! I hope you find something good to read.
I live a good haunted house story! So far I’ve only read Diavola and The September House from this list, but I’m definitely checking out the others for my TBR.
These are all worth reading:-)
The only book I have read with a haunted house (kind of) is Mexican Gothic!
That’s a good one, I forgot about it!
Fun idea, and not surprising ah ah.
Not surprising either, I went to Paris: https://wordsandpeace.com/2025/07/22/top-ten-books-with-paris-in-the-title/
We both had unsurprising lists this week, lol.
I like haunted/creepy house stories when I can bring myself to read them! These sound good, but probably more on the horror side of SFFH than I prefer. 😉 My most recent creepy house book was Keeper of Enchanted Rooms by Charlie N. Holmberg, which was definitely on the fantasy side of SFFH.
These are all on the scary side for sure!
Oh, I love your choice of theme! I read the Staircase in the Woods recently, and it was definitely a creepy house. I definitely need to read The September House and It Was Her House First! They both sound amazing.
Ooh definitely read The September House. I need more people to discuss it with!
I’m very happy that Episode 13, How to Sell a Haunted House, and The September House made your list this week!
Woohoo, I’ve read and enjoyed seven of these. I should probably check out the others as our tastes seem to be so similar.
Lynn 😀
I’ve actually read four of these and have a few of the others on my shelves. The September House remains one of my favorites. I need to see if the author has anything new coming out soon. Great list and fun topic!
A haunted house really is an awesome setting, even if I don’t read it enough.
Wow, it really is amazing how many haunted house themed books have come out in the last couple years!