Tuesday 23 October 2012

The Scary and Supernatural – My Top Picks for Halloween Reading 2012!

So this is my third year doing one of these posts now because you guys seem to love them so much! I love seasonal reading and love reading spooky books for the build-up to Halloween. So here is a selection of my most recommended scary books for the season which have all been read and loved by me. I’ve also included a FEAR FACTOR scale so you can find the right level of scares for your taste!


Fear Factor 
High – Is someone behind me? What’s that noise? Sleeping with the lights on scary! 
Medium – Oooh okay this is some scary stuff I…oh wait is that candy? Mediocre scares. 
Low - Oh man I wish my Halloween had as much spooky fun as this! Mild Halloween reading for those easily spooked.


Frost by Marianna Baer 
So I read Frost last Halloween and it was probably the scariest out of the bundle I read and one of the most scariest YA books I’ve ever read. This is the kind of Halloween story that I love where you’re not sure if it’s really happening or if this is all going on in the main characters head, plus its set in a creepy old boarding school which sets the mood perfectly! This is a psychological thriller that’s sure to keep you guessing until the end. Fear Factor = High
This Is Not A Test by Courtney Summers 
I just had to have a zombie apocalypse novel on this list and this is the best one I’ve read. This Is Not A Test feels to me like the most realistic account of a zombie apocalypse and is surprisingly more desolate and haunting than action packed and gory which I found really refreshing. This is a chilling and beautifully written glimpse into a terrifying future. Fear Factor = High
Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake
I read this one earlier this year and whilst I was reading I couldn’t help but wish I’d saved it for Halloween! This is a terrifying ghost story about a powerful ghost called Anna Dressed in Blood nicknamed because her dress drips with the blood of her victims. This is a ghost story like no other that I absolutely loved.
Fear Factor = High
Unrest by Michelle Harrison
Because this is another ghost story I was going to choose between this or Anna to post about, but I couldn’t decide between them! They are both excellent, brilliantly scary, and entirely different from one another so I thought I’d include them both. You can never have too many ghost stories on Halloween right? This one literally chilled me to the bone the concept is so unique and creepy!
Fear Factor = High
The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin 
I actually can’t say too much about this one without ruining the plot, but if you read the synopsis and aren’t intrigued I will eat my hat! This one had me hooked from the first chapter. I’ve actually ordered the sequel and hope it will be here in time for Halloween, I’m hoping to squeeze it in to my reading pile! Fear Factor = Medium
The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa 
This list wouldn’t be complete if I didn’t include a vampire book and I’m not talking cutesy will fall in love with you vampires either but the blood thirsty won’t hesitate to rip your throat out kind! Julie Kagawa takes vampires back to how they’re supposed to be in this high stakes immortal future where vampires rule over humans. Fear Factor = Medium
Slated by Teri Terry 
Following on from The Immortal Rules this is another one for you dystopian fans! This is one of the scariest dystopian books I’ve read about a future government that controls troubled kids by “slating” them a process that wipes them of their memories of who they are and what they’ve done. The plot is highly unique and I found the whole slating process terrifying. Fear Factor = Medium
The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater 
I recently read this one as part of my own Halloween reading this year and it was really creepy! This is the perfect supernatural read for Halloween with an eerie setting, a family of psychics, murder, ghosts and old magic. Maggie’s writing sets the tone for a haunting read. Fear Factor = Low
Sweetly by Jackson Pearce
This is another one I read last Halloween and although it’s not as scary as some of the other books on this list to me it’s one of my favourite’s and I actually regard it as the ultimate Halloween read! This is a re-telling of the fairytale Hansel and Gretel. Candy? Check. Supernatural goings on? Check! Can’t get much more perfect than that! Fear Factor = Low
Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan 
I read this one recently and absolutely loved it! This is probably the least scary on the list and is pretty much your typical supernatural read, but the place where its set has that whole small town creepy vibe going on and some scenes are quite haunting and eerie in the way they’re written. Basically if you’re looking for a good paranormal book recommendation, I’d check this one out!
Fear Factor = Low


I hope at least a few of these books have caught your attention and you’d like to check them out for Halloween! As always I’ve provided a link to goodreads for every book so if any have caught your eye and you’d like to learn more simply click on the books title and it will take you to its page for a full synopsis, reviews, and more!

Happy Halloween!

14 comments :

  1. Ha, I love the fear factor thing! :) I'll need to check out the first book, it looks v. scary!

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    1. I use it every year! It is! I absolutely loved that one :)

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  2. Thanks for the awesome recs and ratings Jess! I have about three of these on my shelf, so it's great to know how different they come across to you. I will definitely be trying to squeeze some of these books in for my spooky reads! :)

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    1. Glad you'll be trying to squeeze some of them in :)

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  3. I was going to do the Hallowe'en Top Ten Tuesday prompt this week but I didn't get chance! I'd add 'Long Lankin' to your list - it's a YA novel set in the 50s, about a mysterious menace that haunts the children of one little village, and it scared the bejeezus out of me! Properly old-fashioned creepiness, I loved it!

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    1. I very nearly added Long Lankin to my TBR pile for this Halloween but another book made the cut instead, I will get around to it one of these times, I swearz! :)

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  4. Fab picks! Mara Dyer totally creeped me out! Can't wait to read The Evolution! I still need to read Frost. Really like the sound of that one!

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    1. You do! I remember you nearly did last Halloween :) I think I'm going to read Evolution next it will make a great pre-halloween read!

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  5. Fantastic list Jess! I especially love the fear factor ratings :) I've read 6 of the books you've listed and completely agree with your ratings (especially Anna and Unrest *shudder*) and now I'm quite curious about the others!

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    1. So glad you enjoyed the post :) Chuffed that I've got you curious about the remaining 4!

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  6. Great list, I have read about 5 of them and also have The Raven Boys in my to read pile but I had never heard of Frost and it sounds right up my street, I can't believe its passed me by this long so thanks to your feature I've now heard of it and am now scouring the net for a copy.
    The last book I read was This Is Not A Test and I absolutely LOVED it.

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    1. Yay! Frost is amazing and I'm so glad I brought it to your attention, I think you'll really love it. Really happy to hear you loved This Is Not A Test it's such a great book!

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  7. Oooh I've only read Sweetly and Anna Dressed in Blood (which freaked me out completely)! I love a scary book though so will have to check some of these out :D

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    1. Anna is so scary! Glad your going to check some of them out :)

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