My October Horror Fest!

What am I going to read in October?

Throughout the month of October I am planning on only reading horror stories. I have never actually read a horror story, only watched scary films and I know the experience is going to be completely different as you can’t get a jump scare from a book but I think it’s going to be much scarier in other ways. The things you read stick with you for much longer and it will probably give me nightmares but that’s all part of the fun! This list isn’t my definite reading list for the month but it is full of possible options for what I (or you) could read that will definitely be a scare! I may even add on to the terror and watch some scary films and series. I will keep an update of all the scary books and films I dig into throughout October on my Twitter - @gemmasbookshelf.

Stephen King It

Goodreads:

Welcome to Derry, Maine ...

It’s a small city, a place as hauntingly familiar as your own hometown. Only in Derry the haunting is real ...

They were seven teenagers when they first stumbled upon the horror. Now they are grown-up men and women who have gone out into the big world to gain success and happiness. But none of them can withstand the force that has drawn them back to Derry to face the nightmare without an end, and the evil without a name.

I bought this book specifically for October and will definitely be reading this at some point, probably towards the end of the month as it is huge! (1063 pages to be exact). I have watched the first film of the remake but not yet had chance to watch Chapter 2.

The Rats trilogy by James Herbert

Goodreads:

For millions of years man and rats had been natural enemies. But now for the first time - suddenly, shockingly, horribly - the balance of power had shifted and the rats began to prey on the human population.

This series was recommended to me on Twitter by Danni (@_forbookssake) and I have to say mutant rats killing everyone sounds horrific. This isn’t really my usual type of horror as I much prefer the stereotypical haunting or jump scares but I’m willing to give it a go and who knows maybe I will love it and never be able to look at a rat ever again.

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

Goodreads:

It is the story of four seekers who arrive at a notoriously unfriendly pile called Hill House: Dr. Montague, an occult scholar looking for solid evidence of a "haunting"; Theodora, the lighthearted assistant; Eleanor, a friendless, fragile young woman well acquainted with poltergeists; and Luke, the future heir of Hill House. At first, their stay seems destined to be merely a spooky encounter with inexplicable phenomena. But Hill House is gathering its powers—and soon it will choose one of them to make its own.

I first heard about this from the Netflix series that dropped last year with the same name and once I found out it was based on a book I knew I had to read it. I love haunted houses and the jump scares they have in films or the rocking chair trope that always gets me so im quite interested to read this and see how the scare is different in a book. I haven’t actually even watched the series so I must watch it this October.

Bird Box by Josh Malerman

Goodreads:

Something is out there, something terrifying that must not be seen. One glimpse of it, and a person is driven to deadly violence. No one knows what it is or where it came from.

Five years after it began, a handful of scattered survivors remains, including Malorie and her two young children. Living in an abandoned house near the river, she has dreamed of fleeing to a place where they might be safe. Now that the boy and girl are four, it's time to go, but the journey ahead will be terrifying: twenty miles downriver in a rowboat—blindfolded—with nothing to rely on but her wits and the children's trained ears. One wrong choice and they will die. Something is following them all the while, but is it man, animal, or monster?

Again, I first heard of this when it was made into a film for Netflix and I have actually seen this one. I loved the film and although it wasn’t scary scary, the post-apocalyptic aspect made it spooky in another way. I’m looking forward to reading this.

The Shining by Stephen King

Goodreads:

Jack Torrance's new job at the Overlook Hotel is the perfect chance for a fresh start. As the off-season caretaker at the atmospheric old hotel, he'll have plenty of time to spend reconnecting with his family and working on his writing. But as the harsh winter weather sets in, the idyllic location feels ever more remote...and more sinister. And the only one to notice the strange and terrible forces gathering around the Overlook is Danny Torrance, a uniquely gifted five-year-old.

Stephen King is the king of horror (pun intended) and it would be wrong to only have one of his books on this list and The Shining is another classic. This is up there as one of my all time favourite horror film and I thought this month would be as good a time as any to finally read the book it’s based on. However, it’s another big one at 659 pages so I might struggle to get around to it.

One series that I’m really interested in watching is Marianne (1 season). It’s about a horror author whose characters she has created on the page come alive and haunts her in the real world. Even though it’s in French, I’ve heard that it is extremely scary and will probably give you nightmares.

Let me know what you think of my potential reading list and feel free to send me any recommendations!