Fright Files: Must-Read Horror Books!

Kayli Liebenberg
6 days ago
2 min read

Updated: 3 days ago

6 terrifying novels to freak you out

Six horror books on a wooden shelf against a dark textured wall. Covers include haunted houses and gothic themes, with vivid colors.

Book titled "Ghost Story" by Peter Straub on a wooden shelf, featuring a haunted house illustration in sepia tones on the cover.

GHOST STORY: PETER STRAUB (1979)

In the sleepy town of Milburn, New York, four old men gather to tell each other stories – some true, some made-up, all of them frightening. But one story is coming back to haunt them and their small town: a tale of something they did long ago – a wicked mistake, a horrifying accident – and they are about to learn that no one can bury the past forever.

Book "House of Leaves" by Mark Z. Danielewski on a wooden shelf. Black cover with geometric patterns and text. Open pages slightly visible.

HOUSE OF LEAVES: MARK Z. DANIELEWSKI (2000)

Will and Karen move to Virgina with their family only to discover that something is terribly wrong – their new home is bigger on the inside than it is on the outside. The children wander off and disappear but the couple can hear them whispering about an ever-growing abyss behind a closet door and an unholy growl which soon tears through their walls.

A book titled "Mexican Gothic" by Silvia Moreno-Garcia on a wooden shelf. The cover shows a woman in a red dress against a green background.

MEXICAN GOTHIC: SILVIA MORENO-GARCIA (2020)

Naomi hurries to High Place house in the Mexican countryside, concerned about her newlywed cousin. A tough, smart and worldly socialite, Naomi is not afraid – not of her cousin’s menacing but alluring new husband; not of his father, the ancient patriarch; and not even of the brutal nightmares she soon experiences about the house itself.

PET SEMATARY: STEPHEN KING (1983)

The road in front of the Creed family’s Maine home frequently claims the lives of neighbourhood pets. Near the house, local children have created a cemetery for the dogs and cats killed by speeding trucks. Deeper in the woods lies another graveyard, an ancient Indian burial ground whose sinister properties the Creeds discover when the family cat is killed.

Book "The Haunting of Hill House" by Shirley Jackson on a wooden shelf. Cover shows a ghostly figure on stairs in blue hues.

THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE: SHIRLEY JACKSON (1959)

Four seekers arrive at infamous Hill House: Dr Montague, an occult scholar looking for evidence of a haunting; Theodora, his lighthearted assistant; Eleanor, a friendless young woman well acquainted with poltergeists; and Luke, the future heir of Hill House. They encounter inexplicable phenomena: soon Hill House will claim one of them for its own.

Book titled "This Cursed House" by Del Sandeen on a wooden shelf. Cover shows a dark, eerie setting with a contemplative woman and house.

THIS CURSED HOUSE: DEL SANDEEN (2024)

Jemma Barker is desperate to escape her life in Chicago and the spirits she has always been able to see. She accepts an unexpected job offer from the Duchon family in New Orleans; an eccentric clan, all of whom seem to have a tenuous grip on reality. Soon, the shocking truth comes out: the Duchons are under a curse and they think Jemma can break it.