Top 5 Favorite Horror Books of 2016 - Nightmarish Conjurings

I read a lot.

Laundry goes undone. Dishes are left to grow fuzzy green mold in the sink. My children run like wild animals out of a scene from “Lord of the Flies”. All because I’d rather be reading. This year, I made it a point to read outside my typical genres – horror quickly became one of newest loves. Not all of these books were published in 2016, but I read them this year, which totally counts. I hope you find your new favorite read in one of these.

#1: A HEAD FULL OF GHOSTS by Paul Tremblay

There’s something to be said for a book that scared Stephen King. It’s intelligent, it’s creepy, and once you’ve closed the book, the image of creeping vines will haunt you for a long, long time.

#2: MY BEST FRIEND’S EXORCISM by Grady Hendrix

Though I didn’t like Hendrix’s first novel, “Horrorstör”, the blurb for “My Best Friend’s Exorcism” had me by the lapels. Mixing horror with humor is a sweet spot for me, and this book hit all the right notes.

#3: MISTER WHITE by John Foster

Subtle story-telling is an art, one that all horror authors use to instill the deepest, most vivd fear possible. Foster gives just enough in this book to hook your imagination, while giving it enough rope to create your own festering, creepy images.

#4: HOUSE OF SMALL SHADOWS by Adam Nevill

I have two words for you: haunted dolls

*shudder*

#5 THE THREE by Sarah Lotz

This book reminded me of all those insane thriller television shows people binge now where you never know what’s going on, but that’s okay because the second everything starts to make sense is the second you’re scared out of your mind. “The Three” is an excellent example of the kind of cerebral horror that should be getting more mainstream attention.