Lantern & Vine · Reading Recommendations
With Halloween approaching, it is officially the season for all things spooky.
Some of us like being a little more scared than others, but there is a great spooky option out there for everyone. Whether you want a Victorian classic, a supernatural short story or something suitable for younger readers, here are some of our top recommendations.
I want to read an old classic…
Dracula by Bram Stoker
Bram Stoker’s Dracula is one of the most iconic horror novels of all time. It is also surprisingly easy to read, even for those who sometimes struggle with Victorian novels.
Dracula is an epistolary novel, meaning that the story is told through letters, journal entries and snippets of material such as newspaper reports. This breaks the novel into smaller pieces and helps to keep it engaging and considerably less dense than a lot of contemporary Victorian fiction.
Suitable for both teens and adults, it also has the considerable advantage of being completely free to read through Project Gutenberg.
Why we recommend it
If you want to try a classic but find older novels intimidating, Dracula is a brilliant place to start.
I want some spooky short stories…
A Taste of Darkness
A Taste of Darkness is a fantastic collection of 13 short stories, with contributions from bestselling authors including Maria Kuzniar.
Billed by the publisher as “perfect for fans of Stranger Things”, this is one for readers who prefer the supernatural sort of spooky story.
The official age recommendation is 13+, although there is a fair amount of blood and violence. We would therefore advise a little more caution for readers under 15.
Best for: Readers who like supernatural stories, unsettling mysteries and the freedom to dip in and out of a collection.
I want something really short and really creepy…
The Landlady by Roald Dahl
Roald Dahl is probably not the first person who comes to mind when you think of horror, but he gave us an excellent creepy story with The Landlady.
It is a very short story indeed, following Billy Weaver as he arrives at an incredibly cheap bed and breakfast and gradually begins to realise that something might be very wrong with it.
The subject matter makes this one more suitable for teenage readers and above.
Best of all, it is freely available online, including through the British Council's TeachingEnglish website:
Why we recommend it
It is short enough to read in one sitting, but gives you plenty to think about afterwards. A particularly good choice for reluctant readers or anyone who enjoys a story with an increasingly unsettling atmosphere.
I need something for younger readers…
The Ash House by Angharad Walker
The Ash House actually came to my attention through one of my students, who was a very reluctant reader but could not wait to tell me all about it.
That alone made it worth investigating.
Suitable for children aged 10 and over, The Ash House is still genuinely spooky and wonderfully atmospheric.
The story follows a boy suffering from a mysterious illness who is sent to the Ash House. The place itself is strange, but things only become stranger as he begins to learn more about the doctor responsible for it.
Best for: Younger readers who want something genuinely eerie without making the jump into older teenage horror.
Coming soon…
This one will not be out until January, but it is well worth watching if you have a child aged 10+ who loves genuinely spooky stories.
It may be particularly suitable for slightly more reluctant readers, or children who are working on improving their reading level.
The publisher intentionally uses slightly shorter chapters and simpler sentence structures, helping to keep its stories accessible without making them feel too young for readers over 10.
And, most importantly, the story itself is great.
Twelve-year-old Alex is desperate to help his mother's ghost-tour business so that they will not have to move yet again. But while researching ghosts, he unwittingly stirs a dark force that might destroy everything.
One to watch
This looks like a particularly promising choice for readers who need accessible prose but do not want accessible to mean boring.
Still looking for your next read?
Can't find something here that quite fits?
If you're a Lantern & Vine student, don't forget that you can always ask your tutor for a personalised reading recommendation.
Tell us what you already enjoy, what you definitely don't enjoy, how challenging you want the book to be, and just how spooky you are prepared to go.
We love helping readers find the book that makes them want to keep reading.