Welcome to my haunted bookshelf, where nightmares are real and shivers are guaranteed!
I’m 35 and not much shocks or scares me at this point but I will say these books even sent a slight shiver down my spine. So, if you’re a fan of spine-tingling tales and sleepless nights, you’ve come to the right place.
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The Outsider by Stephen King
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About The Book: An unspeakable crime. A confounding investigation. An eleven-year-old boy’s violated corpse is found in a town park. As the investigation expands and horrifying answers begin to emerge, King’s propulsive story kicks into high gear, generating strong tension and almost unbearable suspense.
My Review, 5 Stars
Stephen King does it again, seamlessly. Reading this huge book was easy and I was on the edge of my seat for a large portion of it absolutely captured from the first page.
I love how he goes where no one else will go. Mutilation, eating of flesh, and distortion. It’s the reason why you pick up a Stephen King in the first place.
This book is full of suspense and I highly recommend it. The Outsider is a murder investigation gone awry. I do love a good murder investigation. What if all the evidence points to his guilt but then what if it equally points to his innocence? I guess there is something more sinister at play here.
The Unspeakable Things by Jess Lourey
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About The Book: Inspired by a terrifying true story from the author’s hometown, a heart-pounding novel of suspense about a small Minnesota community where nothing is as quiet—or as safe—as it seems.
My Review, 5 Stars
This book sort of started out a little slow for me although I’ve been reading a lot and maybe I’ve gotten a bit of burnout. The middle and end completely turned things around for me. I liked that the book is told from the perspective of a 13-year-old girl. It’s based on true events which makes this book even more sinister.
This is a really good book if you like the disturbing. It truly keeps you guessing to the very end and the end has a really interesting twist that makes for a very ironic finish.
The Institute by Stephen King
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About The Book: In the middle of the night, in a house on a quiet street in suburban Minneapolis, intruders silently murder Luke Ellis’s parents and load him into a black SUV. The operation takes less than two minutes. Luke will wake up at The Institute.
My Review, 5 Stars
It’s another brilliant novel derived from the mind of Stephen King.
It’s a combination of the child camaraderie from IT and scientific elements of a profound nature.
The institute has all the flair you’ve come to expect from a Stephen King Book. Although not horror this gem would reach into an entirely different genre. One part sci-fi, and two parts disturbing.
What if you have to sacrifice thousands of children for the greater good? Could you sleep at night?
Luke is kidnapped by The Institute and quickly makes close connections with the other children. While enduring torture and abuse the children have one thing on their minds… how can they escape with their lives?
IT by Stephen King
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About The Book: Welcome to Derry, Maine. It’s a small city, a place as hauntingly familiar as your own hometown. Only in Derry, the haunting is real.
My Review, 5 Stars
Yea, another Stephen King, because honestly no one does horror like King. I read this book ages ago and loved it. I easily read this monster of a novel. It was creepy and he is such a great author it’s hard not to be impressed. IT is a type of monster each person can be terribly frightened of in their own way.
The Girl With All The Gifts by M. R. Carey
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About The Book: Melanie is a very special girl. Dr. Caldwell calls her “our little genius.” Every morning, Melanie waits in her cell to be collected for class. When they come for her, Sergeant Parks keeps his gun pointing at her while two of his people strap her into the wheelchair. She thinks they don’t like her. She jokes that she won’t bite, but they don’t laugh.
My Review, 5 Stars
I did not like other books by this same author but this book stayed with me. I really liked the characters. Everything about this book was very suspenseful. My mind was going a thousand miles a minute. Years after reading this book I’m still thinking about it.
The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon
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About The Book: West Hall, Vermont, has always been a town of strange disappearances and old legends. The most mysterious is that of Sara Harrison Shea, who, in 1908, was found dead in the field behind her house just months after the tragic death of her daughter.
Now, in present day, nineteen-year-old Ruthie lives in Sara’s farmhouse with her mother, Alice, and her younger sister. Alice has always insisted that they live off the grid, a decision that has weighty consequences when Ruthie wakes up one morning to find that Alice has vanished.
My Review, 4 Stars
This had a true story vibe with the intro that this is based on the diary of a real woman. Winter People was enough creepy and mystery that I was captivated the entire time. When a parent loses a child that parent will do absolutely anything to have even one more second. As a parent, I totally understand this cardinal rule. It’s got a good creep factor and overall it is a good book.
The Sun Down Motel by Simone ST. James
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About The Book: Something hasn’t been right at the roadside Sun Down Motel for a very long time, and Carly Kirk is about to find out why in this chilling new novel.
My Review, 4 Stars
A mystery novel with a side of ghost story. It was a good read. I liked the subtle creepy factor and the ghosts. I liked the haunted motel and the author did a really good job of making me feel like I was there in the motel with the ghosts. A good storyteller and a good story with a couple of Interesting twists that honestly I didn’t see coming.
The book was well written my only semi-complaint was the end. Really!? I’m baffled by the end and not in a good way.
The Deep by Nick Cutter
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About The Book: A strange plague called the ’Gets is decimating humanity on a global scale. It causes people to forget—small things at first, like where they left their keys…then the not-so-small things.
But now, far below the surface of the Pacific Ocean, deep in the Marianas Trench, an heretofore unknown substance hailed as “ambrosia” has been discovered—a universal healer, from initial reports. It may just be the key to a universal cure. In order to study this phenomenon, a special research lab, the Trieste, has been built eight miles under the sea’s surface.
My Review, 4 Stars
Let’s face it Nick Cutter is no Stephen King. He just isn’t. However I did like this book much better than The Troop.
The Deep started out very mysterious and I was captured instantly. It starts out very creepy and sinister. I was afraid. One of the scariest books I’ve read. Then toward the end, it turns more repetitive with its scenes and gore. I didn’t care for the ending. I would say I was a bit disappointed with the second half of the story.
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I Chug My Wine 