Perfect for fans of: longer reads, horror heavy-hitters, undead tropes.

It wouldn't be a horror books list without at least one Stephen King novel, would it? I'll hold my hands up and say that, despite being a prolific reader of horror, I haven't read many King books. But I have read this one, and I have many more on my list for the future.

Pet Sematary follows the Creed family, specifically patriarch Louis Creed, after they move into a new home. Behind their house is a path that leads to the titular "Pet Sematary", where children of the surrounding area have buried their beloved pets in years past. When the Creed family experiences their own tragic loss, however, Louis realises that all is not what it seems with the burial site.

In the introduction, Stephen King himself refers to Pet Sematary as the "most frightening book" he's ever written. He states: "When I'm asked what I consider to be the most frightening book I've ever written, the answer I give comes easily and with no hesitation: Pet Sematary."

You'll also find plenty of reviews for the book stating the same thing. Now, I didn't find it all that scary myself, but I may not be the target audience. If you've ever lost a pet or a family member and wished for them to come back, this book might just send shivers down your spine as it tells you exactly what could happen if they did.

Perfect for fans of: horror film tropes, funny reads, LGBTQ+ stories.

Finishing off my list is Bury Your Gays, a story that is just the right amount of scary, funny, and emotional. I listened to the audiobook rather than reading a physical copy, and I would highly recommend it for anyone who wants something to listen to while they do the housework.

The story follows a Hollywood scriptwriter named Misha, who has just been nominated for an Oscar and finally feels as though his life is coming together. However, when his producers pressure him to kill off one of the gay characters in the season finale of his show, he realises there are bigger forces at play - and they'll stop at nothing to get what they want.

It's an interesting concept for a horror book, but it works perfectly. If you like horror films, this book takes things one step further, giving you a horror story about the lives of those behind the scenes.

There are so many horror film tropes scattered throughout the book that act more like fun references than boring cliches, and without giving anything away, the ending is a nice change from the often depressing final chapters of most horror books.

So there you have it, six horror books to get you started on your Halloween reading spree!

Top 6 horror books for a truly frightful Halloween read