The 78 Most Popular Horror Novels of the Past Five Years (original) (raw)

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Posted by Cybil on October 1, 2024

The Halloween horror movie season is upon us, and the theaters are filled with options. But serious book people can tell you: For a really terrifying experience, nothing beats a good horror novel.

It's a head-game thing. A skilled novelist can turn your own imagination against you, encouraging you to imagine horrors that are way scarier than anything you find on the screen. You become complicit in the horror. It’s your brain providing the imagery, after all.

In honor of the Halloween season, we’ve assembled below a collection of the 78 most popular horror novels of the past five years, according to Goodreads regulars. The titles are selected and sequenced by tracking user ratings and reviews, and noting which books end up on Goodreaders’ personal digital shelves. Also, each title that appears here has a 3.5-star rating or better.

Among today’s most popular contemporary horror writers, all the usual suspects are present: Grady Hendrix. Jennifer McMahon. Stephen Graham Jones. T. Kingfisher. The estimable Mr. King. If you’re browsing by topic, you’ll find plenty of options to choose from: Infernal pacts. Psychotic cults. Queer vampires. Extremely unwanted houseguests.

A few other spotlight novels and starting points, in no particular order: Tananarive Due’s The Reformatory explores horrors both actual and supernatural in the Jim Crow South. The literary horror of Gerardo Sámano Córdova’s Monstrilio ponders the very nature of monsters. For something more intimate and domestic, Josh Malerman’s Incidents Around the House introduces a malevolent entity known as “Other Mommy.”

And if, by chance, you’re looking for a fungal horror variation on a classic Edgar Allan Poe tale—well, you’re in luck.

Click on the book cover images for more information about each title, and add any good leads to your Want to Read shelf. Happy reading. Keep the lights on.

CommentsShowing 1-50 of 179 (179 new)

Hendrik Basically a Stephen King show-off list :D

Barbora (bookworm.wander) Hendrik wrote: "Basically a Stephen King show-off list :D"
6/78 books on the list are by King, that's a show-off list? :D

Rozaliya ᰔ Barbora wrote: "Hendrik wrote: "Basically a Stephen King show-off list :D" 6/78 books on the list are by King, that's a show-off list? :D"

frrrr

message 4: by Tisha (new)

Tisha Flowers I’ve read 3 haha but I didn’t see our wives under the sea as a thriller? 🤔

message 5: by Desii (new)

Desii Loved "Hidden Pictures"! Gave me the chills. had to put it away for one or two days cuz I couldn't continue reading (maybe it's because I'm not used to all that supernatural stuff but still hahah).
Such a good book!!

Blob He's not shown here but Joe Hill is an excellent modern day horror writer. Horns, Heart-Shaped Box, and Locke & Key are some of my favourite horror stories of all time. I've never read it, but I've heard that his book NOS4A2 is also quite good. There's also a massive amount of horror comics worth checking out. Locke & Key is phenomenal. Beneath the Tress Where No One See's is a recent triumph of thrills and creativity. Wytches, Basketful of Heads, The Walking Dead, Gideon Falls, Hellboy, and Preacher are all worth mentioning too.

message 7: by Mindy (new)

Mindy "The eyes are the best part" - This was such a good book!!! Highly recommend it.

message 8: by Meg (last edited Oct 01, 2024 05:47AM) (new)

Meg I'm Meggie and I approve of this list!!
Best ones (IMO):
*Bunny (everything by Mona Awad, really)
*My Heart is a Chainsaw
*Final Girl Support Group (and all Grady Hendrix)
*Devolution
*Mary
*Incidents Around the House
*Last House on Needless Street
(read the last three with caution! some of the scariest reads I've ever read)

And I would add:
*Horror Movie by Paul Tremblay
*Just Like Home by Sarah Gailey
*The Night House by Jo Nesbo
*Sleep Tight by J.H. Markert
*The Ghost That Ate Us by Daniel Kraus
*NOS4A2 by Joe Hill

Mica I have Mexican Gothic, Hidden Pictures, Holly and Murder Road on my TBR!

Michael 29!

message 11: by Erica (new)

Erica I’ve read 29 and it looks like I’ll be adding some more to my TBR list. Enjoy all the spooky reads.

mercilyedes Tisha wrote: "I’ve read 3 haha but I didn’t see our wives under the sea as a thriller? 🤔"

didn't expect to see it on this list either lol - i wouldn't call it a thriller either but i can definitely see some soft horror elements!

Travis Jordan This was actually a really well compiled list. Horror is my most read genre and there was less than 10 that weren't already on my shelves and they displayed well known and under the radar titles. Very well done very cool.

Charis Grant Barbora wrote: "Hendrik wrote: "Basically a Stephen King show-off list :D" 6/78 books on the list are by King, that's a show-off list? :D"

I was thinking the same thing lol

Charis Grant Hendrik wrote: "Basically a Stephen King show-off list :D"

only six books on this list are by stephen king...?

Maggie Walsh It's great to see so many female authors on the list. I used to read a lot of horror in the 90's but lost interest in it soon after however, in the last few years there have been some really interesting and different books in the horror genre. I'm looking forward to getting back into it.

Isabella De Oliveira Campos Of this list I am currently reading Mexican Gothic, Silver Nitrate, What Moves the Dead and The Only Good Indians.

Aly Raye I absolutely loved "Black Sheep" and "Hidden Pictures"!!!!

Maggie I have read 8, with another 17 on my TBR even though horror isn't my preferred genre!

message 21: by Amber (new)

Amber I've read about 30? But several others on my tbr. Pretty good list!

message 22: by Alex (new)

Alex DiDonato Good list. FWIW, I think something from Nathan Ballingrud belongs on this list too.

Kristin Scearce ellie rose wrote: "Apple wrote: "Guys i wanna try out stephen king but i cant find free pdf ebook Does anyone know where i could get it from?"

yessss at oceanofpdf.com"

How about we not support pirating books?

Kristin Scearce Kelly wrote: "Apple wrote: "Guys i wanna try out stephen king but i cant find free pdf ebook Does anyone know where i could get it from?"

I recommend the website called oceanofpdf, it's really good. The most re..."

Yeah, how about NOT pirating books? That would be nice.

Kristin Scearce Apple wrote: "Guys i wanna try out stephen king but i cant find free pdf ebook Does anyone know where i could get it from?"

Most libraries now offer ebook loans through Overdrive or Libby. There is no reason to use pirate sites where people have uploaded a copyrighted work.

Jaynie Apple wrote: "Guys i wanna try out stephen king but i cant find free pdf ebook Does anyone know where i could get it from?"

The Library

cypher ugh, Stephen King, once you're popular, you only become more popular

Alyssa Apple wrote: "Guys i wanna try out stephen king but i cant find free pdf ebook Does anyone know where i could get it from?"

Try your local library...?

message 29: by Jules (new)

Jules Mexican Gothic is a great read. Our Wives Under the Sea is more horror adjacent, better yet, a scary literary fiction.

Jordan Blob wrote: "He's not shown here but Joe Hill is an excellent modern day horror writer. Horns, Heart-Shaped Box, and Locke & Key are some of my favourite horror stories of all time. I've never read it, but I've..."

He is one of my favorites and the son of Steven King.

message 31: by Lala (last edited Oct 01, 2024 05:34PM) (new)

Lala BooksandLala I've read 59 of the 78, good golly I need to get a life.

jk I would never.

Charity Apple wrote: "Guys i wanna try out stephen king but i cant find free pdf ebook Does anyone know where i could get it from?"

Try the Internet Archives. And if that doesn't work you could always try your local library and see if they have and physical copies or e-books.

message 33: by Jules (new)

Jules Adding more to my TBR list..

Bonnie Wow 52/78..not bad

Christine Koch RNBSN 40/78, and a stack of them on my tbr. I need to get on it!

message 36: by Izzy (new)

Izzy The Eyes Are The Best Part is SUCH a good book!

Scarlett Autumn Apple wrote: "Guys i wanna try out stephen king but i cant find free pdf ebook Does anyone know where i could get it from?"

I have a copy of some of his books. I can share it with you if you like.

Your local cryptid Read 8 and have on my TBR/own another 30 🥳

message 39: by Emily (new)

Emily Tisha wrote: "I’ve read 3 haha but I didn’t see our wives under the sea as a thriller? 🤔"

Maybe more of a quiet thriller/horror? I thought it was more quietly horrifying than anything (and loved it), and profoundly sad

message 40: by Doc. (new)

Doc. The Only Good Indians is so good! Social commentary as horror, can’t recommend it enough!

message 41: by Chau (new)

Chau Trieu No The Haunting of Hill House?

Brenda The Twisted Ones was very good.

devynreads Sign Here was absolutely terrible, but Incidents Around The House is one of my favorites of the year, and I read an ARC of The Eyes Are The Best Part last year and loved that one too. Added Hidden Pictures because it seems to be highly recommended!

Moo I love all the kingfisher recs but without them, this would be that Stephen king show off list and kinda still is because most of his are near the top. Feels like quantity over quality to me (fighting words, I know) rather than just picking one or two. I’m not a fan of his writing and can resonate how a few of his book recs could’ve given visibility to some less familiar authors in the genre.

Madeline Only 10. But I am adding a lot of them to my tbr.

message 46: by Sara (new)

Sara Weather 🎃 ✂️Tiny Threads by Liliam Rivera is my eecommendation its a fashion horror novel.

Laceygoodbooks Of this book list, I have a few of the books I can’t wait to read them

Trista Walter I've read Bunny, Rouge, All's Well, Natural Beauty, Hidden Pictures, and Monstrilio, but a LOT of these are on my list. This shouldn't have been posted because now I'm getting too excited and ambitious that I can read them all...

Trista Walter Trista wrote: "I've read Bunny, Rouge, All's Well, Natural Beauty, Hidden Pictures, and Monstrilio, but a LOT of these are on my list. This shouldn't have been posted because now I'm getting too excited and ambit..."

ALSO AS YOU CAN SEE I LOVE MONA AWAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

DarkDahlia9 Izzy wrote: "The Eyes Are The Best Part is SUCH a good book!"

It IS!! Probably one of the best ones i've read this year and a very rare 5 star for me

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