“Not all ghosts haunt houses. Some try to live in your head.”
We here at What We Reading love a good scare. Every year, upcoming horror books are always amongst our most hyped releases, and 2023 has already served up some heart-pounding and genuinely terrifying tales for us to sink our teeth into. Whether it’s slow-burning atmospheres, claustrophobic-feeling psychological thrillers or chilling supernatural tales, there’s something in the horror genre for everyone. So, whether you’re a serial binger or diving under your duvet for the first time, check out What We Reading for the best 2023 horror books!
She Is A Haunting – Trang Thanh Tran
She Is a Haunting is a Gothic LGBT Young Adult 2023 horror book from bestselling indie author Trang Thanh Tran. The story follows Jade Nguyen, a young woman who travels to a French colonial house in Vietnam to spend five weeks with her estranged father. Her father is determined to restore this ancient building to its former glory, but the house may just have other ideas. Night after night, Jade finds herself paralysed by all manner of horrors the building’s dark history contains.
She Is a Haunting is a compelling and often chilling look at colonialism and the effects it has on families and relationships. Thought-provoking and challenging, the subtle metaphors on how it eats away at cultures and identities are poignant, and Jade’s struggles to uncover her identity will resonate with readers long after the scares have subsided.
Mothered – Zoje Stage
Zoje Stage’s 2023 horror book Mothered is a claustrophobic thriller story about one woman’s nightmare experience whilst quarantined with her mother. Readers follow Grace, who isn’t over the moon when her recently widowed mother, Jackie, comes to stay with her. Set during a pandemic, the pair have never seen eye-to-eye and Grace has always enjoyed her personal space.
Soon enough, old wounds between the pair start to re-emerge and their relationship begins to deteriorate to the point of nightmarish. Mothered is a perfect read for those who love to blend their horror stories with psychological thrillers, and the combination of an intimate setting with complex and layered characters makes Stage’s book a serious page-turner.
How To Sell A Haunted House – Grady Hendrix
How to Sell a Haunted House is a thrilling 2023 horror book that explores how one’s past can be the greatest terror of all. In Grady Hendrix’s story, readers follow Louise, a woman who is forced to return to her old hometown following the death of her two parents. She is forced to reunite with her resentful brother to clear out the family home of her father’s stuffy academic research and her mother’s collections of old dolls and puppets.
But, as the bestselling author of The Final Girl Support Group soon reveals, this particular house doesn’t want to be sold to new owners and has some sinister plans in store for the two siblings.
The Nightmare Man – J.H. Market
Blurring true crime with a chilling horror tale, The Nightmare Man follows bestselling novelist Ben Bookman (how’s that for a protagonist name?!) and Detective Mills as they attempt to solve a series of grizzly murders that seem to be inspired by Ben’s latest story, The Scarecrow.
As Ben becomes the prime suspect in the case, he is forced to return to his ancestral home where he soon discovers he may have triggered the release of the Nightmare Man, a terrifying monstrosity that preys on the townsfolk. As Bookman is forced to confront the connection between the Nightmare Man and a series of books without words in his family’s forbidden Atrium room, he soon learns that the line between humans and monsters may not be as clear-cut as he had first thought.
The Haunting Of Alejandra – V. Castro
One of the most anticipated horror books from 2023, V. Castro’s The Haunting of Alejandra is a provocative literary tale that explores motherhood, family legacy and self-discovery. In it, readers follow Alejandra, a woman who is being haunted by the Mexican demon, La Llorona.
Threatened by a darkness that is ready to overtake her, she visits a therapist, who guides her through the dark and traumatic past of the women in her family. However, in this powerful and poignant tale, Alejandra soon learns that she has also inherited the strength and resilience from her family needed to take on the demon stalking her. For fans of Mexican folklore or horror enthusiasts who love complex and sensitive tales, The Haunting of Alejandra more than lives up to its hype!
Episode Thirteen – Craig Dilouie
Bram Stoker Award-nominated author Craig Dilouie takes readers on a pulsating horror ride filled with psychological suspense in Episode Thirteen. Husband and wife duo Matt and Claire Kirklin run the hit TV show Fade To Black, a weekly series of paranormal investigations conducted by experts in the field.
Episode Thirteen in the show takes them to the Paranormal Research Foundation, an eerie abandoned facility infamous for mysterious experiments conducted back in the ‘70s. Told through broken journal entries, tapes and correspondences, Dilouie’s chilling story charters how Episode Thirteen spiralled into a hellish nightmare for the Kirklins and their crew.
A House With Good Bones – T. Kingfisher
One of the best 2023 horror books from an award winner in cultivating suspense, A House with Good Bones is a story that explores the dark and sinister roots at the heart of even the most idyllic-looking families.
Sam Montgomery is looking forward to an extended break staying with her mother. Her hopes of nights drinking wine and watching murder mystery shows are soon dashed however when she steps foot inside and the walls are painted a sterile white and her mother jumps even when they are the only people in the room. A discovery of a jar of teeth outside and vultures circling the garden soon lead to Sam discovering that some family secrets are better off being left buried.
Her Little Flowers – Shannon Morgan
Apparitions and spirits fill the building, all of them familiar and kind to her. However, when her sister, Madeline, returns home after years of estrangement, everything Francine believed about the world and her family faces the threat of being turned upside down. As she listens to her sister’s story of cruelty, desperation, and unbearable heartbreak, Francine must confront the darkness of her family’s history, even if it means sacrificing all that she cherishes.
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
