Top 10 Horror Books of 2022 Part 1
SCARY STORIES TO READ TODAY
How I Chose My Top 10 Horror Books
The end of the year is fast approaching, and I think it is safe for me to share my Top 10 Horror Books of 2022. Of the 180 books I will have read by the end of December, 131 of those fall within the horror genre.
There are numerous subgenres in the horror world, and everyone has their favorite. I tend to love stories by horror authors that have a supernatural element involved and are descriptive, sucking me into the story to the point I cannot put the book down until I have finished the final page.
The following books fit the bill and were all read in one session. These are in no particular order. It was hard enough to narrow it down to ten books.
TOP 5 HORROR BOOKS OF 2022:
- Hex by Thomas Olde Heuvelt
- Stolen Tongues by Felix Blackwell
- Theme Music by T. Marie Vandelly
- What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher
- The Cursed Among Us by John Durgin
TOP 10 HORROR BOOKS OF 2022 Part 1
CLICK HERE TO GET IT ON AMAZON TODAY!
This is the English debut of the popular Dutch book about a small town with an unwanted guest. The Black Rock Witch haunts the town of Black Spring. With eyes and mouth sewn shut, she appears in the streets and within residents’ homes, sometimes just standing in one spot for days.
All who live in Black Springs know that the stitches can never be removed from the witch’s face without dire consequences, and they learn to tolerate her appearances. While the adults of the town work hard to keep their secret under wraps and prevent the spread of the curse, the teenagers are getting a bit antsy and decide to tease the witch while sharing to social media. The results are not what they expected.
Horror author Thomas Olde Heuvelt paints a vivid visual experience with words. Although I read this book almost a year ago, the story is still so clear. It took a day for me to process the simultaneous beauty and horror of the novel before I could move on to another book. I cannot recommend this enough. I have since connected with Thomas through social media and have gotten to know him a bit.
My first interaction with Thomas was in an online book group. I had just finished his book, and sometimes I feel moved to sketch something visual from the story. I decided to share the sketch in the group, and who should comment, but Thomas himself. I was a bit embarrassed, but he was full of praise for my simple talent.
He is a super nice person, and very approachable, and I hope to connect with him next time he is book signing in my area.
CLICK HERE TO GET IT ON AMAZON TODAY!
Originally written as a short story on reddit.com and becoming a contest-winning tale, Stolen Tongues was later published as a novel. It follows Faye and Felix as they travel to an isolated cabin for a getaway weekend to celebrate their engagement. Planning on a romantic stay, they instead encounter horror awaiting in the woods as frightening noises emerge along with a dark
figure that seems to be trying to communicate with Faye. Faye begins having nightly episodes of whispered conversations in her sleep and sleepwalking. Her behavior becomes erratic and violent, even after they return home. Felix must find a way to break the connection before Faye is completely taken over by the entity.
Author Felix Blackwell writes some pretty disturbing scenes in this book that had me on edge a couple times. One involved a chatty parrot. The setting is perfectly described with a distinct atmosphere of tension and fear. The story is based on his partner’s true life sleep disorder. As a horror author, Blackwell has described this book as an unplanned, stream-of-consciousness and is surprised it has done so well compared to other titles that he feels showcase his writing prowess more completely. Yet, this novel has clearly made its mark as it has been optioned for a movie. Whether or not it gets produced is something we will have to wait to see. In the meantime, we can look forward to the prequel to Stolen Tongues coming in 2023. On a side note, my first interaction with Mr. Blackwell was also over a sketch I had shared. He had some very positive words about my deformed version of the entity from his book.
CLICK HERE TO GET IT ON AMAZON TODAY!
Dixie Wheeler was the sole survivor of her family’s slaughter at the hands of her father when she was just one year old. With her parents and siblings gone, she has spent her life wishing for a connection with the family she never knew. When the house where the tragedy took place comes up for sale, Dixie decides to buy it.
Moving in begins a slow spiral of insanity as Dixie begins to encounter spirits, relive tragic events, and witness the deaths of loved ones. I felt like I was going insane right along with Dixie. This book hooked me right in and was fantastic from beginning to end. Ghosts, murder, insanity, and a bit of slashing were accompanied by some good, unexpected twists and turns.
This is T. Marie Vandelly’s debut novel and is loosely based on an actual tragedy that took place in her community. Haunted by the story from her childhood of a father who killed his family, Vandelly felt compelled to use that premise for her book.
Vandelly has dreamed of being a horror author for years, but just recently was able to pursue this dream. With this fantastic debut, it will be exciting to see what she publishes next.
CLICK HERE TO GET IT ON AMAZON TODAY!
This story opens in a very atmospheric way with Alex Easton arriving at the dilapidated property of the Usher siblings after being sent a letter from Madeline stating that she is ill, and her brother thinks she is dying. Easton jumps on her horse and immediately makes the trip to see Madeline and her brother, Roderick. She is not only horrified by the condition of the house, but by the frail appearance of both twins.
Both Roderick and Madeline are extremely pale with hair that has thinned and turned white. They are both bony and fragile-looking. A doctor friend of Roderick’s is also at the residence but has no understanding of what could be impacting the siblings. Easton and Dr. Denton wonder if it could be anemia due to the poor food supply in the house, so Easton procures some beef for the larder, but there is no time to see if this theory has merit, as strange events begin to escalate quickly, and everyone is in danger.
Oh, and the rabbits are acting so strangely…and the tarn (pond) glows at night.
If you have read the short story The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allan Poe, then you will recognize many of the characters in this book. T. Kingfisher has rewritten the story with a new twist, answering the question of what was present in the Usher’s home that could have infected their behavior and appearance so dramatically.
T. Kingfisher creates a viable and detailed account of what ails the Usher home incorporating details and scenes from the original writings by Poe. It is a well-written and engrossing piece, solidifying Kingfisher as a master horror author. It can easily be read in one sitting, which is good because you won’t want to put it down.
CLICK HERE TO GET IT ON AMAZON NOW!
A group of teenagers making a film venture into the forbidden wooded area outside town where, twenty years ago, the victims of the Black Heart Killer were dumped. Not knowing the significance of the town rule prohibiting venturing into the woods, the boys decide to break the rule.
While filming, the group stumbles upon an unmarked grave. Their disturbance of the grave site unleashes a horror last visited upon the town two decades earlier. As the boys try to fix what they have done, they uncover hidden secrets that the elders of the town have been protecting. Secrets that explain why their town is cursed.
This book is also a debut by this horror author. He has had short stories and comics published, but this is his first foray into the world of novels. I had the pleasure of receiving an Advance Reader Copy (ARC) of The Cursed Among Us from John and was just so impressed with the story. It immediately evoked Stranger Things feels, but with a late 90s vibe and a local coven as the focus of the story.
The story is well-crafted, and the characters nicely fleshed out. The imagery is amazing and conjured such incredible scenes in my mind that I had to sketch them out. Yes, I also shared these sketches in the book group, but that was not our first interaction unlike the other authors.
I currently have another ARC of John’s titled Inside the Devil’s Nest that I have just started reading, and it has already captured my attention.
Movie Thoughts
Any one of these books would be great as a film, but the one I would most like to see is Hex.
The creepiness would be fantastic in movie form. I can just picture this witch with her orifices sewn shut hovering in the corner of a home. The jump scare possibilities are endless. Additionally, there would be great opportunity to intertwine humor throughout the story, particularly in scenes where families are going about their day with a witch in their midst, or when the teenagers begin altering the pathways the witch frequents with comedic results. It would be amazing to see this unique story brought to life.
I am going to ask Thomas next time we speak if this has been considered and let you know what I find out.