Spooky season is upon us and the Bellingham Public Library staff are serving up a bubbling cauldron full of horror story recommendations for all ages.
In an article titled “Why do we enjoy horror?” Associate Professor Haiyang Yang, a behavioral scientist at Johns Hopkins Carey Business School, explains that “stimulation is one of the driving forces behind the consumption of horror. Exposure to terrifying stories can be stimulating both mentally and physically. These experiences can give rise to both negative feelings, such as fear or anxiety, and positive feelings, such as excitement or joy. And we tend to feel the most positive emotions when something makes us feel the most negative ones.”
“Horror entertainment can also provide a novel experience, like a zombie apocalypse, that doesn’t necessarily happen in the real world. At the same time, horror entertainment is a safe way to satisfy a curiosity about the dark side of humanity through storylines and characters facing the darkest parts of the human condition,” says Yang.
One thing is certain, horror books and movies are not for everyone, but many readers will be surprised by the wide range of stories presented here. Read on if you dare!
Adult Fiction
Horror Fiction Booklist
Staff Recommend…
“‘Your first lesson is never to eat in public’ – these are the last words of my favorite story in Loteria, Cynthia Pelayo’s collection of short stories and poems based on Latin American folklore. The words are, in context, horrible. This is a beautiful and creepy book, perfect for readers who like their stories boiled down to the bone. For teens and adults.”
– Karen, Public Services Clerk
“This wonderfully haunting anthology features some amazing indigenous writers well and truly in their element, showing off their horror skills and asking what it truly means to be un-settled. I couldn’t put it down!”
– Rosalie, Public Services Clerk
The Devil Takes You Home by Gabino Iglesias
“The author calls it ‘Barrio Noir’, I’m going to say it’s solidly in the Horror genre. Mario takes a job as a hitman to pay for his daughter’s cancer treatment and enters into a dark, violent world of heartbreak. Not a title for the squeamish, I appreciated the lyrical quality of Iglesias’ writing. He’s not trying to sell you on the thrill of the action, but on his protagonist’s despair. I’m on the wait list for his next book already.”
– Liz, Public Services Librarian
“A couple’s already fraying relationship is tested when they move into a house with an uncertain past and a suspicious neighbor. As their relationship gets worse and worse, their house seems to gain a terrible energy that pulls them further apart.”
– Delaney, Library Assistant
It Rides a Pale Horse by Andy Marino
“Weird and scary, this book is a strange, but fascinating, ride into a community turned inside out by unknown forces. I couldn’t guess how it would all come to an end.”
– Jenni, Community Relations Specialist
The Death of Jane Lawrence by Caitlin Starling
“A moody fantasy centered on a family curse, a marriage of convenience, dubious occultism, and a big, spooky house. Everything you could possibly want in a gothic romance!”
– Rosalie, Public Services Clerk
My Best Friend’s Exorcism by Grady Hendrix
“I found this title on the BPL Staff Picks for Horror Fiction, and it is a riot! I’m pretty sure the Duffer Bros. were reading it when they created Stranger Things. I actually reread this book when I was done with it, because some of the foreshadowing is so good. This cinematic book rewinds you back to the 80’s when hair was big, phones had a dial tone, and demonic possession was a serious threat.”
– Miranda, BPL Events Coordinator
A Guest in the House by E.M. Carroll
“Equal parts unsettling, dreamlike, and domestically horrific, E.M. Carroll brings the phantasmagoric into the day-to-day life of a quiet convenience store clerk, when she marries into a family well-accustomed to loss and full of darker secrets than she’d ever anticipated.”
– Rosalie, Public Services Clerk
Mark Z. Danielewski’s House of Leaves
“A man investigates the case of a family living in a haunted house, but the past has a way of finding him, too. In this ambitious and experimental work, the audience is engaged in the haunting on a very visceral level.”
– Delaney, Library Assistant
Adult Nonfiction
Looking for true stories drenched in darkness? Look no further…
True Crime Booklist
Staff Recommend…
Goth: A History by Laurence Tolhurst
“Lol Tolhurst maps the evolution of Gothic music and explores the art and literature that inspired the genre. As an original member of The Cure, he gives a strong argument as to ‘Why Goth Matters’. Recommended for fans of The Cure, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Bauhaus, and Joy Division.” Recommended for ages 16-65
– James, Public Services Clerk
The Cold Vanish: Seeking the Missing in North America’s Wildlands by Jon Billman
“A truly terrifying look into how many people go missing in America’s forests and hidden corners, and the people who spend years seeking to find them. This book will make you want to buy a tracker to carry with you on all of your outdoor adventures.”
– Jenni, Community Relations Specialist
Ghosts of the Tsunami: Death and Life in Japan’s Disaster Zone by Richard Lloyd Parry
“The true story of those left behind after the March 11, 2011 9.0 magnitude earthquake that hit Japan and the resulting tsunami that killed almost 18,000 people in one day. The scale of devastation and the long search for the remains of loved ones revealed in this book are heartrending.”
– Jenni, Community Relations Specialist
Film
Staff Recommend…
Top 10 Kanopy Fright Fest Films to Watch
- A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night
- Talk to Me
- Nightbreed
- Train to Busan
- Lamb
- The Babadook
- Rosemary’s Baby
- Let the Right One In
- Devil’s Pass
- Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched: A History of Folk Horror
– Jenni, Community Relations Specialist
Teen and Children
Horror for Young Adults
Spooky Stories for Kids Booklist
Staff Recommend…
The Thief of Always by Clive Barker
“Harvey Swick’s adventures in the mysterious Holiday House are like the best kind of dream that begins to slide into the dark of nightmare. Magical and enthralling. I’ve read this book many times and it’s one of my favorites.” Recommended for ages 10 to 100
– Jenni, Community Relations Specialist
There’s a Nightmare in My Closet by Mercer Mayer
“A classic children’s story about the monsters that scare us, real and imaginary, and what might happen when we have the courage to face them.” Recommended for ages 4 and up
– Jenni, Community Relations Specialist
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