Best Horror Books: Ghost Stories and Haunted Houses
Horror in our catalog leans toward the classic and the atmospheric: haunted houses, ghost stories and uneasy tales where the dread builds slowly.
It is for readers who like to be unsettled rather than splattered. Books are ordered by reader interest, and each has a hook and a note on what you get.
Best for: Readers who like atmosphere and slow dread.
- Scope
- Books in our catalog with this genre.
- Order
- By reader interest (Open Library want-to-read counts), then newest first. Not a quality ranking.
16 books
1986ItStephen King
Horror · DarkSeven children and a monster that returns every twenty-seven years
What you get: A sprawling, immersive story where a small-town childhood, loyal friends and a terrifying presence combine. It is scary, nostalgic and surprisingly moving.
1977The ShiningStephen KingHorror · DarkA winter caretaker and a hotel that wants his son
What you get: A masterclass in atmosphere that makes a snowed-in hotel feel alive. It is a gripping, atmospheric read, ideal for a stormy night.
1987MiseryStephen KingHorror · TenseA novelist rescued by his biggest fan, who won’t let him leave
What you get: Edge-of-your-seat suspense with just two main characters and a situation you cannot look away from. A masterclass in building tension.
1974CarrieStephen KingHorror · DarkA bullied girl discovers a power that she cannot control
What you get: A fast, vivid story told in a bold, unusual way, with strong sympathy for its heroine. It grabs you right away and does not let go.
1983Pet SemataryStephen KingHorror · DarkA burial ground that returns the dead, but not as they were
What you get: A genuinely unsettling story that goes straight for the heart.
1976Interview with the VampireAnne RiceHorror · DarkA vampire tells his life story to a journalist
What you get: A lush, brooding confession in New Orleans and beyond that draws you into a different world.
1959The Haunting of Hill HouseShirley JacksonHorror · DarkFour people try to find proof that a house is haunted
What you get: A beautifully eerie, slow-building story that sends shivers without gore.
1971The ExorcistWilliam Peter BlattyHorror · DarkA priest is called to help a girl possessed by a demon
What you get: A slow-building, gripping story that makes you feel the stakes of every scene.
1962We Have Always Lived in the CastleShirley JacksonHorror · DarkTwo sisters, a village and a poisoning
What you get: A compact, atmospheric tale with an unforgettable narrator.
1959PsychoRobert BlochHorror · DarkA motel clerk and his mother
What you get: A tight, atmospheric thriller with a famous motel and lasting chills.
1983The Woman in BlackSusan HillHorror · DarkA solicitor goes to a lonely house on a causeway
What you get: A tightly told, atmospheric ghost story that is perfect for a dark evening.
2009The Little StrangerSarah WatersHorror · MelancholicA country doctor and a dying house
What you get: A subtle, absorbing ghost story that rewards you with atmosphere and mystery.
2006The Thirteenth TaleDiane SetterfieldHorror · DarkA biographer is summoned to hear a famous author’s secret
What you get: A cozy, atmospheric mystery for book lovers, with a ghostly old house and a storyteller.
1967Rosemary’s BabyIra LevinHorror · DarkA young wife is certain that her neighbours want her baby
What you get: A clever, slowly tightening story that makes ordinary neighbors feel unsettling.
1910The Phantom of the OperaGaston LerouxHorror · DarkA masked genius haunts the Paris Opera
What you get: Atmospheric, dramatic and romantic, with a haunting mystery beneath the stage.
1904Ghost Stories of an AntiquaryM. R. JamesHorror · DarkScholars, old manuscripts and ghosts
What you get: Short, shivery tales for a dark evening.
More lists
Pulitzer Prize for Fiction WinnersBooker Prize WinnersNational Book Award for Fiction WinnersModern Library 100 Best NovelsWomen’s Prize for Fiction WinnersHugo Award for Best Novel WinnersBest-Selling Self-Help BooksNew Award-Winning BooksMost Wanted BooksTop Rated BooksBooks Made into Movies and TVBest Literary Fiction BooksBest Historical Fiction BooksBest Classic BooksBest Science Fiction BooksBest Mystery and Thriller BooksBest Fantasy BooksBest Self-Help BooksBest Nonfiction BooksBest Young Adult Books