7 Horror Books to Read for the 2024 Read Harder Challenge
It’s October, which means it’s Halloween month! This is the time of year when I try to read as many horror and horror-adjacent books as I can — exactly the books I avoid the rest of the year. Despite not usually gravitating toward this genre, October is usually my best reading month: I read more because I’m trying to beat the clock and fit in as many horror books as I can before November. I won’t tell you how many titles are on my TBR this month, but let’s just say I’m inching dangerously close to my library’s very generous checkout limit.
If you, too, are a seasonal reader with an itch for the creepy and macabre — or if you’re a “fear all year” horror fan — today I have recommendations for horror books that also check out 2024 Read Harder Challenge tasks. I skipped task #3: Read a middle grade horror novel, because that’s a little too easy, but you can check out the recommendations for that task for more.
Following the tasks has made this list show the diversity of horror: we have trans horror, horror poetry, sci-fi horror, horror manga, and more. Let me know in the comments if you have more recommendations for horror that completes Read Harder tasks!
The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White
Task #2: Read a YA book by a trans author.
Don’t let the age category fool you: this is the goriest horror novel I’ve ever read. Silas is a 16-year-old trans autistic guy in a fantasy version of 1883 London. He was born with violet eyes, which means he can see spirits — and that he’s a valued “bride.” When he’s sent to Braxton’s Finishing School and Sanitorium, the misogyny, transphobia, and ableism are torturous enough — then spirits contact him to let him know girls are dying here, and he’ll have to take the school down before he’s next. Silas’s special interest is surgery, so he sees everything through that lens, making for a blood-and-viscera-soaked read even outside the actual surgery scenes. I recommend checking out the content warnings first, but this is an incredible read, especially as an audiobook.
The Scourge Between Stars by Ness Brown
Task #5: Read a sci-fi novella.
On a generation ship, where the last humans struggle to survive, something begins picking them off one by one. Acting captain Jacklyn has to find what’s happening and stop the killer if they ever hope to make it back to their home solar system. This sci-fi/horror novella can be read in one sitting, making it a perfect choice to read from start to finish on Halloween.
The Ojja-Wojja by Magdalene Visaggio and Jenn St-Onge
Task #6: Read a middle grade book with an LGBTQIA main character. (And Task #3: Read a middle grade horror novel.)
Eighth graders Val and Lanie are friends who struggle to fit into their boring small town; Lanie is trans and Val is autistic. When they accidentally summon the demon Ojja-Wojja, though, things get a lot less boring.
How to Recognize a Demon Has Become Your Friend by Linda Addison
Task #7: Read an indie published collection of poetry by a BIPOC or queer author.
Yes, horror poetry exists! In this book of poetry and short stories by the African American who received the HWA Bram Stoker award, we meet zombies, ghosts, demons, aliens, and more in a genre-blending collection that brings both gore and humor.
Our Share of Night by Mariana Enríquez, translated by Megan McDowell
Task #8: Read a book in translation from a country you’ve never visited.
If you’ve never travelled to Argentina, this is a great choice for task #8. It’s set in the aftermath of Argentina’s military dictatorship and follows a father and son as they mourn their wife and mother. The two of them decide to visit her ancestral home, where they meet her demonic family and are pulled into a cult that seeks immortality at any cost.
Model Home by Rivers Solomon
Task #12: Read a genre book by a disabled author.
This was my first Rivers Solomon book, and from the first page, I understood why I’d heard such good things about them: I had to stop myself from highlighting line after stunning line. This is in theory a haunted house book, but it’s more about the aftermath of trauma. It a brutal, painful story about desperately fighting to love yourself when you’ve been systematically hurt and rejected, and it’s one I won’t soon forget. I recommend looking up the content warnings for this one.
Uzumaki by Junji Ito
Task #22: Read a manga or manhwa.
Junji Ito’s name is synonymous with horror manga, so you really can’t go wrong picking up any of his books. Uzumaki is his most popular, and it’s about a town haunted by a spiral pattern. If that doesn’t sound scary to you, believe me, you will change your mind after reading this. You may never be able to shake those images out of your brain, though. Fair warning.
Are you planning on reading any horror books this month? Let’s chat in the comments!
Check out all the previous 2024 Read Harder posts here.
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