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It’s October, which means it’s Halloween month! This is the time of year when I try to read as many horror and horror-adjacent books as I can — exactly the books I avoid the rest of the year. Despite not usually gravitating toward this genre, October is usually my best reading month: I read more because I’m trying to beat the clock and fit in as many horror books as I can before November. I won’t tell you how many titles are on my TBR this month, but let’s just say I’m inching dangerously close to my library’s very generous checkout limit.
If you, too, are a seasonal reader with an itch for the creepy and macabre — or if you’re a “fear all year” horror fan — today I have recommendations for horror books that also check out 2024 Read Harder Challenge tasks. I skipped task #3: Read a middle grade horror novel, because that’s a little too easy, but you can check out the recommendations for that task for more.
Following the tasks has made this list show the diversity of horror: we have trans horror, horror poetry, sci-fi horror, horror manga, and more. Let me know in the comments if you have more recommendations for horror that completes Read Harder tasks!
The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White
Task #2: Read a YA book by a trans author.
Don’t let the age category fool you: this is the goriest horror novel I’ve ever read. Silas is a 16-year-old trans autistic guy in a fantasy version of 1883 London. He was born with violet eyes, which means he can see spirits — and that he’s a valued “bride.” When he’s sent to Braxton’s Finishing School and Sanitorium, the misogyny, transphobia, and ableism are torturous enough — then spirits contact him to let him know girls are dying here, and he’ll have to take the school down before he’s next. Silas’s special interest is surgery, so he sees everything through that lens, making for a blood-and-viscera-soaked read even outside the actual surgery scenes. I recommend checking out the content warnings first, but this is an incredible read, especially as an audiobook.
The Scourge Between Stars by Ness Brown
Task #5: Read a sci-fi novella.
On a generation ship, where the last humans struggle to survive, something begins picking them off one by one. Acting captain Jacklyn has to find what’s happening and stop the killer if they ever hope to make it back to their home solar system. This sci-fi/horror novella can be read in one sitting, making it a perfect choice to read from start to finish on Halloween.
