While the trees outside are dying, shedding their leaves, and becoming corpses of their former selves … doesn’t that just inspire you to read something spine-tingling and spooky?!
The world outside is dying, so why not have a character or two join them? Maybe also your sanity and your ability to sleep peacefully. Fall for me means two things: pumpkins and scary reads. Maybe not in that order. Sometimes together. There’s a definite chill in the air, and it’s not just the poltergeist that I’ve recently become convinced is haunting me. Well … probably.
Today’s Top Ten Tuesday is book covers with fall colors, but since I associate fall with scary reads, I decided to sprinkle something a little spooky over this post instead!
I don’t want to focus on just any covers today, but let’s go with something a bit scary! Let’s get us in the proper Halloween mood, shall we? After all, it’s never too early for a little blood-chilling reading, is it?
Darcy Coates’ books
I chose to do this one as a group, because all of the Darcy Coates books I’ve stumbled upon have had the most fabulously chilling covers, and they catch my eye every time. There’s just something about creepy, abandoned houses that I absolutely love, especially this time of year!
Whispering Pines
You might’ve noticed me mentioning this book quite a bit lately, but that’s because it’s a new release! Also, it was one of my most anticipated books this year (and yes, it totally lived up to that). What grabbed my attention immediately about this book, though, is that deliciously creepy cover! Glowing ghostly eyeballs are always a plus, and that spooky ghost hand on his shoulder really ups the scare factor of the cover. It’s a middle grade level of scare, but one that promises some good goosebump-inducing reading for younger audiences!
The Outsider
I’m not sure why this one freaks me out so much, but it totally does, and I don’t like it. I mean, I do, but I don’t. First, the idea of shadow people creeps me out, and that’s very much what this cover looks like. I suppose it’s fear of the unknown, at its simplest. The dark black and gray of the cover adds a really ominous atmosphere, and the fact that everything is upside-down? I’m not even sure what it is about that specifically, but it seems spooky. Maybe because of all those movies/shows you watch where the victim gets in bed and looks at their ceiling only to realize there’s something on it. *shudders*
The Ballad of Black Tom
Listen, I am not a fan of dark alleys at night. That’s where all the monsters and ghoulies and scary things lurk. There’s something so simply sinister about an unknown man, whose fan is completely obscured in shadow, dressed in a suit, walking down an abandoned street at night. I can’t even say for sure what the creepiest part of it is, but I absolutely love it!
The Suffering
This cover gives me definite The Ring vibes, and that movie series sort of scarred me for life just a teensy bit. Add that to the tagline (The dead do not always rest), and I’m getting some definitely spooky haunting vibes going on here.
Ghost and Bone
I wanted to add at least one book that wasn’t traditionally scary but still had a vibe that fit so perfectly with this time of year. Soo … ta-da? This cover may be sinister, sure, but it doesn’t give me the creeps. In fact, the ghost horses look kinda cute, and that’s what I’d like for my birthday next year, please and thank you. Get me a ghost horse to pull my death chariot. I admit that the fog does increase the scary factor a little bit (I’m always a fan of fog in scary things), but I think this one’s at least a little on the less creepy side compared to some of the others, but still gives me a super strong Halloween vibe!
The Last Halloween
Black and white covers sometimes feel a little risky to me, since there’s no pop to them, but this one screams horror in a way that’s just delicious. The art style is very reminiscent of Tim Burton to me (and in fact, Nightmare Before Christmas is a movie I love to watch every October). Dark owls with sinister glowing eyes? Check. Pumpkins and skulls? Check. Giant monster hiding in the background? Check. Little girl who clearly has no idea what she’s gotten herself into? Check, check, checkity, check. This cover gets my attention every time, even without any color!
The Tenth Girl
We’re back to the haunted houses. This one’s even weirder, though, because it’s a very ominous-looking building on top of … a floating, disconnected land mass? Is that what it is?! That’s what it always looked like to me, like the building itself was so dangerous that it had to be removed from the freaking Earth itself! It’s also got some of the creepy fog effect going on, making for a really satisfying horror cover.
The Haunted Forest Tour
One would not assume that horror and comedy mixed well together at all. Not true scary sort of horror, right? Yet, somehow, Jeff Strand seems to make it work. I’ve been a fan of Jeff Strand’s for a while now, and his humor gets me every time. So when I saw a horror novel about a haunted forest? Totally curious. The forest on this cover looks freaking haunted. Definitely not a place I’d like to visit. Plus, that’s definitely a creepy tree-claw-hand grabbing that tour bus. This is one tour that I’m gonna have to give a hard pass on, thanks.
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark
These books and their covers and illustrations haunted my freaking childhood, I swear. I still own them. I’ve relegated them to the back of my shelf, where they can’t scare the living bejesus out of any of us. I still can barely stand to look at some of the illustrations, even now that I’m an adult. So of course, there was no way I could end this list without including these.
Middle Grade Runners Up
I have to confess that some of my favorite “horror” covers are actually middle grade covers. They aren’t traditionally scary in a way that’s going to creep me out, but rather, they have this magical ability at hinting at the scary and letting your mind fill in the rest. Which, you know, might just be the scariest thing of all.
WELL…. I’m staying far far away from pretty much all of these covers because they give me major nasty creep vibes and as the ultimate chicken I’m not here for it 😂 I do have The Outsider on my shelf and think that cover is creepy but not so bad–the upside-down factor of it is a little creepy though (it’s like looking through the eyes of the victim staring up at the looming killer making their way to us LOL)! And while Whispering Pines is a creepy cover I also love the illustration and it makes me want to read it 😊 Great super spook picks, Sammie!
I loved this post! Yes, this is the perfect time of year for scary covers.
Lydia recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday: Book Covers with Fall Vibes
All great picks!
Kristi@ConfessionsofYAReader recently posted…Blog Tour for Fence: Striking Distance by Sarah Rees Brennan (review and giveaway)
I love your spooky twist on the topic! Spooky covers do fit fall very nicely, I just don’t think I have enough of them on my read/TBR lists to write a whole post of them. 😉 I particularly love Ghost and Bone. From the cover, that looks more fantasy and less downright horror, and yet it still has a touch of the spooky to it.
Nicole @ BookWyrm Knits recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday ~ Book Covers with Fall Colors/Vibes
Great post Sammie, I’m a bit of a wimp so I don’t read that many horror books, but I’ve definitely seen a change in me lately and I want to read spooky books, I really do, I’m actually really enjoying the dark spooky vibes I’m getting from some of my current reads! I totally agree with you on the fact that MG book covers are often so spooky and they really make me want to read them! I will need to check some of these out and hope I can sleep afterwards aha!
Ellie recently posted…Book Review – Ring The Bell by Josie Jaffrey (5 stars)
Thanks for the scary book recs. I’ve been looking to add some more to my list. Happy TTT!
My post: https://www.nbiblioholic.com/2020/10/toptentuesday-book-covers-with-fall.html
Natalie recently posted…A Quick Update
YAAAAS to all of these deliciously spooky covers! LOOOOVE that you included The Suffering, by Rin Chupeco– that book series is the perfect read to pick up around Halloween! Also, The Tenth Girl has been on my “want to read” list for AAAAGES, I need to try to work that into my life before Halloween hits this year, I think. Awesome list!
Beth recently posted…The Aviary — Ethereal, Haunting, Phantasmic
These are some creepy covers!! So, I won’t be reading these but I think they are so cool. I’m such a chicken when it comes to reading horror/spooky plots! Great topic. 🙂
My Top Ten
Wow! I love all of these spooky covers! I especially love the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark series! The illustrations there are haunting, yet awesome to look at! Great list!
Ronyell (a.k.a Rabbitearsblog) recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday #76: Top 10 Book Covers that Give off Fall Vibes (or Covers that give me that Fall Sensation)!
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark terrified me back when I was a kid too! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Lauren @ Always Me
The Ghost and Bone cover is definitely my favorite on here! It’s spooky, but also beautiful…? Haha but I remember reading all the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark books as a kid, did you ever watch the movie that came out last year?
Erin recently posted…BEDIO Top Ten Tuesday: Books that Give off Fall Vibes
Whispering Pines has such a striking cover; I love how the ghost/spooky elements are so subtle.
Jenna @ Falling Letters recently posted…Can You Trust Your Shadow? [MG Review]
Have you seen the coves for Cat Winter’s spooky books? In The Shadow of Blackbirds has an old “spirit” photograph on the cover.
Melissa recently posted…On the Same Page-koukla; or, the doll
The Suffering and The Tenth Girl both look very creepy, I’m totally adding them to my TBR based on only the cover, lol. Awesome list!
I haven’t read The Tenth Girl yet, but I’ve heard wonderful things about it. i hope you enjoy it!
These all sound so good but I’m such a wimp, I don’t think I could read any of them! I’m reading Mexican Gothic right now and even that is seriously giving me the creeps! Great take on this week’s topic 🙂
Hannah recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday: Books With Fall Colors
I think if you can handle Mexican Gothic, you can handle most of these! I haven’t read that one yet, but I’ve heard it’s pretty darn creepy lol.
I love a good spooky cover—and how great is Ghost and Bone! Not traditionally scary, but really cool and I’m loving the cartoonish eerie vibe.
Exactly! It looks like it’ll be a really fun read.
The Scary Stories covers are classics! The illustrations scared the crap out of me as a kid. I just read one of Darcey Coates’ books last year for Halloween and I was instantly hooked. I’m hoping to read more of her books for the spooky season.
Same! Those illustrations still creep me out a bit haha. I still haven’t read her, but I’ve recommended her to so many patrons, and they all have told me how wonderful the books are lol. I gave one to my mother, and she called me for three days straight after dark to complain about it. xD
The Scary Stories covers are classics! The illustrations scared the crap out of me as a kid. I just read one of Darcy Coates’ books last year for Halloween and I was instantly hooked. I’m hoping to read more of her books for the spooky season.
“The world outside is dying, so why not have a character or two join them?” SAMMIE!!!!! HOW COULD YOU?!?!?! I am two whole seconds into reading this post and I have HEART PAIN!
Whispering Pines looks so beautiful! Glowing eyeballs are definitely on the “Is this a Halloween book?” checklist, and also the title… do the pine trees whisper secrets about ghosts?? Is that what the ghost hand is?? The ghost is like “NOOOOOO! THE TREES ARE LYING!! DON’T LISTEN TO THEM!!!! *cries*” I am intrigued about these secrets. *adds book to my list of books to get my spooky grabby hands on* I must KNOW these secrets.
I will buy you a ghost horse for the birthday, but I’m not quite sure how to ship it?? Unless it also pulls my death chariot and I swing by to pick you up. We can do cool, spooky ghost things and make grand escapes on our ghost chariot! XD (this would make a great book… I need a book about ghost friends doing mischievous things)
Happy Reading! <3
Lin @ Whimsical Woodland Wanderer recently posted…The Rebrand: An Unexpected Journey + Updates On What I’ve Been Doing
YOU HAVE TO HAVE A HEART IN ORDER TO HAVE HEART PAIN. And I know for a fact that yours has been shattered too many times for you still to have one. So there.
Oooh, someone should totally write that book! Yes to whispering trees warning about all the ghosties, but no one listens to them. DUN DUN DUN. Unfortunately, as far as Whispering Pines is concerned, it’s just the name of the town, and the trees for sure aren’t talking or spilling any secrets about the creepy things that are going on.
YES! Come pick me up on your death chariot! Where do I sign up for this adventure?!