My Top 5 Horror Books (as of right now) 2024

OMG guys I'm so freaking scared. Let's go through my top 5 horror books of all time, as of right now.

Comment below with any recommendations or to tell me you hate these books and I'm wrong.

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00:00 Intro
01:28 Honorable Mention: Uzumaki
02:15 The Shining
02:52 The Troop
03:20 Child of God
03:53 NOS4A2
04:32 I'm Thinking of Ending Things

[kirstyfairly]

I'm Thinking Of Ending Things is one of my favourites as well, & is one of the few horror books that actually scared me. I'd highly recommend that book to anyone that loves David Lynch movies (particularly the movie Mulholland Drive).

[markolepotan]

Im living for this scream sound effect! (Also great sense of humor)

[Heytiffany]

The first 5 seconds of a new creator (to me) including a jump scare…BOLD!

[DemetriaCHead]

1:56 There is a new horror author out, Sibyl Victoria. Her book is horror with some fantasy elements and it’s titled The Dragon’s Fly. If you like Stephan King or Dean Koontz, I think you’ll love hers.

[velvettrance]

Nice job! You talked me into picking up a copy of Child of God, I'm intrigued. My suggestion for you is, if you don't already have it, get yourself a copy of Stephen King's Danse Macabre. In it he recommends his favorite horror books (and movies) and his list is a real treasure trove. I had a copy as a teen and I discovered so much amazing horror through that book. Best thing King has ever done in my humble opinion.

[someothercharacter]

I first read The Shining in the fall of '93. I was stranded in a remote cabin and only had candlelight to read by after being snowbound by an early blizzard. Reality and fiction began to bleed together as the nights dragged on and I got deeper into the novel. Soon, I became convinced alright, I made that part up, but I have read it 5 times. Favorite scary book. It's my comfort food book, especially in the winter. Try Red Dragon by Thomas Harris. The lack of a supernatural element brings an intense realism to the story. Makes you double check to see if you have locked your doors at night and closed all your windows.

[onceuponabookishsteph]

This is such an amazing list. I can’t agree more with you about the shining, the troop and I’m thinking of ending things. Top tier for sure 💕

[BenjaminsBookclub]

Great list mate, I adored I'm Thinking of Ending Things and The Troop, The other three are on my TBR for sure.

[mtsparkss]

Great video.. love the shining. I personally think I was more scared by “It”, but I was alone in a hotel for a week so that probably contributed.


Also, we need a part two with more screams in it please. Thank you.

[hillaport]

I've got a few horror recs you might dig. These aren't listed in any particular order or anything, they're just some spooky stuff that's stuck with me over the years.

Novels:
1. "The Ruins" by Scott Smith (excellent example of "the book is better than the movie"--for the reverse, try Adam Neville's "The Ritual" and the 2017 Netflix film of the same title).
2. "The Terror" by Dan Simmons (it's been 16 years since I read that sucker, and I still think about it sometimes--even without the supernatural element, it's a slow burn through a frozen hell).
3. "The Twisted Ones" by T. Kingfisher (this book had one of the best descriptions of blundering into a place that shouldn't exist that I've ever read, and it includes a very good boy as a full character).

Short stories/novellas:
3. "Among the Lilies" by Daniel Mills (a collection of gothic short stories with the best kind of tight writing to give you The Anxiety).
4. "His Black Tongue" by Mitchell Luthi (four short novellas, with the title fight featuring plague, holy ruin, and the worst sort of thing to fly at night).
5. "The Beautiful Thing That Awaits Us All" by Laird Barron (a collection of short stories, all loosely connected ranging from hard-boiled small town cult killings to mind-bending cosmic horror--this was the first bit of Barron's writing I read, and it hooked me completely).

Kudos to you for getting through "The Troop"--I couldn't do it. Parasite-y body horror is so not my jam.

"Child of God" has been on my TBR horror list for ages, but now seeing it here, it might actually motivate me to head to the book shop soon. And I think you'd mentioned a couple of S. Craig Zahler books in another of your videos--might be a good time to try and track down copies of those too!

[hollyvanwye]

Love your list. My top 5 would be:

(1) The Colour Out of Space by H.P. Lovecraft. Technically sci fi but also very frightening and horrific content. Creepy Unknowable Outer Space Thing lands on a remote farm and slowly decimates the plants, lifestock and human family.
(2) It by Stephen King. Horrible monster eats little kids! This one's a classic.
(3) Ghost Story by Peter Straub. Not an ordinary haunting, and the "ghost" is far worse than any run-of-the-mill demon!
(4) Blackwater by Michael McDowell. Southern Gothic Dude marries and breeds with Sea Monster Disguised As Beautiful Woman. Gentle horror but weirdly wonderful.
(5) Interview With the Vampire by Anne Rice. In most horror novels the protagonist looks in the mirror and sees a monster standing behind him. But in THIS one he looks in the mirror and lo and behold! the monster is himself! Eerily disturbing tale told from the monster's point of view.

[deftonenations]

Great video! I loved The Troop! Recently read Cotton Candy Massacre by Chrisopher Robertson and I Found Puppets Living in My Apartment Walls by Ben Farthing and absolutely LOVED both of them. If youre into extreme horror/splatterpunk, I highly suggest Gone to See The River Man by Kristopher Triana. There is also a sequel which, IMO, is just as good. All are graphic but Kristopher Triana's work definitley seems more... Extreme. Happy reading!

[reading_by_myshelf]

A solid list! The Troop was brutal!! And apparently I need to read some Junji Ito

[jorgesuarez]

I'm Thinking of Ending Things has an absolutely disappointing ending. It is one of those cases in which you feel scammed by the author who took an easy way out.

[Devilsfan_]

Solid review…I’m reading The Caretaker of Lorne Field, recommend it! My fav SK books are his short stories. Night Shift is still on my top 5 horror reads…

[patrickhennessee]

Great list. I’ve read most of them and am about to check out the one I haven’t. Great vid man!

[WadeQuick]

All great picks, The Shining was SK's peak writing entry. The other books look good. I like the Manga cover art but will not read it. Fun channel, liked and subscribed

[coreyledin-bristol]

I love love LOVE that you included McCarthy. You are not only handsome but also brilliant

[scottbayly]

Nice video. I have a few recommendations, not all of them are scary but would fit the in with horror tropes.
1. Servents Of War by Steve Diamond and Larry Correia.
2. Monster Hunter International by Larry Correia.
3. Who Goes There? By John W. Campbel.
4. Fury From The Tomb by S.A. Sidor.
5. Tales From The Gas Station by Jack Townsend.

[goodmornindreamer]

I love horror, but absolutely couldn't finish The Troop. I know so many people loved it but it just made me sick my stomach and I had to raise a white flag 😅