We’re back with another Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl.
This week’s topic is a: Halloween Freebie! 🎃
Surprisingly absolutely no one, guess who hasn’t got herself together enough to write this post in advance? 🐼 Hi. Even though today was a freebie, I was almost tempted to go rogue because it’s 9pm and I’m only just getting started on my post!
However, I’ve decided to highlight some of the horror books that have recently made it onto my digital shelves. This is completely new for me because I’m a massive scaredy and I tend to let my overactive imagination rule me when it comes to this genre. It’s rarely ever a fun time and if I end up reading all of these, I know they’ll live rent free in my nightmares long after I’ve turned the last page. 🙃 That said, I don’t know what’s happening with me, but I’m very curious about them and I’m keen to give them a try. So, of course, when I saw them go on sale, I scooped them up immediately!
The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones — I’m cheating a bit with this first one because I’m currently reading it. Not to say that the content isn’t horrific and gruesome, but if this is horror, I’ve definitely found a kind that I really enjoy and I’m thrilled. Seriously, I’m obsessed!
House of Monstrous Women by Daphne Fama
Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix
Eerie Basin by Ivy Pochoda
Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas
The Staircase in the Woods by Chuck Wendig
Cold Eternity by S.A. Barnes
Model Home by Rivers Solomon
Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant
House of the Beast by Michelle Wong
Are you a horror reader? What’s some good “horror lite” that you would recommend to a scaredy cat who’s curious about the genre?
dinipandareads 
I’m not a big Horror reader either. The Devouring Gray is more horror-adjacent than actual horror and I liked that one.
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Ooh, I think I still have that on my shelf somewhere. I do recall the cover giving quite the spooky vibe. Glad to hear it’s only horror-adjacent! 🤭
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Well who can resist a book bargain? Staircase in the woods looks suitably creepy!
Here’s a link to my TTT post
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I admit to having very little willpower where bargains are concerned 🤭🫣😂
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House of Monstrous Women made my TBR this week too!
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This one is massively giving me the creepies and I’m not sure when I’ll ever get to it but I’m very curious about it cos it sounds so good!
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Despite the bookish fear (and I am right there with you!), I hope you enjoy all of these. Happy spooky reading! 🙂
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Thanks, Rissi! I just finished the one I was reading while making this point and it’s one of my favourite reads of the year! Hope I find as much success with the others 🤭
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I just finished Buffalo Hunter Hunter. It is very well done and quite thoughtful.
I listed books I’ve read that involve Halloweenish creatures. Find it <a href=”https://headfullofbooks.blogspot.com/2025/10/ttt-books-with-halloweenish-creatures.html“>Here</a>
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I just finished it this past weekend and loved it so much! It might be one of my favourite reads of the year 🤭 I found it very thoughtful and so well-written. I didn’t expect to be so engrossed by it!
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Im no5 a big horror reader, but I think it’s great that you’re stepping out of your comfort zone!
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Thanks, Julie! I’m surprised that I am too but it’s been good so far 😌
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I hope you enjoy these if/when you read them! I’ve read Into the Drowning Deep from your list, and I surprised myself by enjoying it. (I don’t usually do horror either.)
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The cover defo gives me massive heebies lol I can’t stare at it too long 🤣 But I’ve heard so many good things about it over the years! I feel like it’s almost a classic, lol.
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Into The Drowning Deep is definitely written in a specific style (which I’ve heard some people don’t enjoy) but for me the way it was written made it less scary (though it is definitely still horror). It’s definitely a m(urd)ermaid classic as far as I’m concerned.
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I’m a bit of a scaredy cat too. But I’ve been curious about Buffalo Hunter Hunter, I’m just not sure if it’s too scary.
Pam @ Read! Bake! Create!
https://readbakecreate.com/halloween-creatures-book-tag-2025-edition/
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Just finished it this past weekend and it’s one of my top reads of the year! So well-written and thoughtful. I feel it falls more into the historical but with vampires category… There are definitely horror elements, it’s just more grotesque and horrifying brutal violence, rather than what I see as “traditional horror” in the spooky/scary variety. Humans are scary though… 🫣
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Humans are the scariest thing of all!
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I’m definitely not a horror reader, the most horror-lite I get is paranormal or a thriller probably 😀 But I wish you good luck with these and hope you’ll enjoy them without any nightmares!
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Horror lite is fun! Funnily enough it’s the paranormal/supernatural ghosty stuff that gets to me the most! 🫣 I’m way too much of a scaredy cat for that stuff haha
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I’ve only read Into the Drowning Deep but I loved it. It’s a perfect horror story – very creepy but kind of fun too. I’ve heard good things about Isabel Canas, Stephen Graham Jones, and Rivers Solomon. I hope you enjoy these! Silvia Moreno-Garcia is great too.
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I’ve heard so many good things about Drowning Deep and now that I’m dipping my toes in horror, I’ve finally been tempted to add it to my TBR! I hope it doesn’t scare me too badly 🤭 I’ve read Rivers Solomon’s literary sci-fi and loved it, so I’m curious about their horror. I just finished my first SGJ this weekend and I can’t wait to read more by him! I loved his book so much 😍 I’m excited to try all these authors’ horror!
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Dinnniiiii… what is a happening?!?! HAHA! I do enjoy Silvia Moreno-Garcia.. and I’ve read a few on other lists I’ve seen today. I guess, we are expanding our horizons. haha. I did read a Grady Hendrix one a few years ago and I did not love his writing. I hope you enjoy these when you get to them!
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Hahaha, GIRRLLL I DONT EVEN KNOW!!! Who even am I wanting to read all this horror?!?! 🤣 You mentioning that you didn’t enjoy Hendrix’s writing does make me a little worried though, considering how well our reading tastes align, but I hope I end up enjoying it! 🫣
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Yeah, I could have just been in a mood at that time though. I just felt there were a lot of misogynistic things in the book I read. I hope you enjoy this one!!
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I do not read horror, at least not intentionally. I have read several anthologies with dark short stories, but that’s about it.
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I definitely wouldn’t say that I’m a horror reader but so far my dabbling and dipping in the genre has been fun… I hope it stays that way 🤭
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So glad you are getting into horror. Witchcraft for Wayward Girls is one of my favorite books this year. Sooo good.
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Oooh, so excited to hear you say that! I’m still hopeful about giving it a read this year. Let’s hope it happens 🤞🏽
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I loved Witchcraft for Wayward Girls and Into the Drowning Deep!
I hope you have a spooky week and a Happy Halloween! 🎃💀👻
My TTT: https://essentiallyash.blogspot.com/2025/10/top-ten-tuesday-halloweeeeeeen.html
Ash @ <a href=”https://essentiallyash.blogspot.com/“>Essentially Ash</a>
Want to follow me on <a href=”https://linktr.ee/essentiallyyash“>Bookstagram, booktok, add my snapchat or check out my photography?</a>
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I’ve honestly heard so many good things about both books, especially the latter. I feel like Drowning Deep is a staple in horror (almost classic like, lol) 🤭
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I’m also curious about Vampires of El Norte!
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Me too! I hope it won’t be too terrifying for me 🤭
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I’ve only read Vampires of El Norte from this list but have Buffalo Hunter Hunter and Witchcraft for Wayward Girls on my tbr. I’ll have to check out these other ones on your list!
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I just finished Buffalo Hunter Hunter and Omg it’s one of my fave reads of the year. Sooooo goood!!! So thoughtful and well-written! All the stars 😍 I hope you enjoy it if you check it out!
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I just put a hold on it a few days ago on Libby (online library) – so we’ll see when I get to borrow it! I’m looking forward to it!
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Into the Drowning Deep was a lot of fun, in a sci-fi horror-thriller kind of way. Obviously everyone’s brains work differently, but that’s definitely the kind of horror I can cope with, as my psyche doesn’t latch on and insist that somehow it’s going to transition into the real world and get me, LOL!
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I’ve heard a lot of good things about it over the years and I hope that I find it as enjoyable as everyone else! 🤭 I think I’m still trying to figure out what my horror max is but I think that I’ll be able to handle this. Maybe I won’t go swimming for a while (especially in the ocean?) but sci-fi horror-thriller sounds like a great combo, haha.
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I loved Into the Drowning Deep and Wayward Girls. Hendrix is known for his descriptive horror lol. So if you go “ew” easily, idk haha.
T. Kingfisher is really good with horrors! I love the Sworn Soldiers novellas
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I’ve heard so many good things about both books and the number of comments I received on this post mentioning how much people have loved both books further convinces me that I should read them asap! I just realised that after reading The Buffalo Hunter Hunter, I am pretty okay with gory/grotesque descriptions, so hopefully I’ll be able to handle Hendrix’s brand of descriptive horror 🤭 Thanks for the heads up though! Haha
I still haven’t explored all of Kingfisher’s backlist but many of their books are on my TBR and I can’t wait to check them out.
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I would like to read the Buffalo Hunter Hunter book. And I love Hendrix!
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I just finished it this weekend and oh my… it was SO GOOD! I can’t believe I’m saying this about a horror but it’s one of my fave reads this year, for sure! I hope you enjoy it if you pick it up 😃
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Same! I can’t do really scary books, but I do like atmospheric/lightly spooky ones – you know, the kind that DON’T give me nightmares. Ha ha. I hope you enjoy these when you read them (with the lights on, of course).
Happy TTT (on a Wednesday)!
Susan
http://www.blogginboutbooks.com
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Always reading with the lights on! 🤭 I will always be for the atmospheric/horror lite vibes that don’t give me nightmares, haha.
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I am not a horror reader at all, so I can only recommend books that most people would think are slightly spooky!
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I’m still very tentatively exploring the horror genre—I don’t think anything I’m reading so far would really be classified as more than “horror lite” and I’m more than happy with sticking to the less spooky reads, lol.
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Ive become to love horror, mister magic & this wretched valley were good ones!
Into the drowning deep is one ive been wanting to get.
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Ooh, I haven’t heard off those titles you mentioned but I’ll check them out. I hope you enjoy Drowning Deep whenever you get to it 🙂 Based of the comments I received in this post alone, it’s a very well loved horror novel!
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Love this Dini! I think if you enjoy Buffalo Hunter Hunter you will love Witchcraft for Wayward Girls, they’re quite similar in that a lot of the horror lies in the human side of it, and I’m also obsessed with Canas’ horrors. I hope you enjoy any of these you pick up.
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Ooh, I love that! Thanks for sharing the insight 🤭 And I did love Buffalo Hunter Hunter. My gosh, I loved it so much it’s one of my top reads of the year! I’m even more excited to read Witchcraft for Wayward Girls now 😍 I’m also excited to try Cañas’ horrors but they’re defo more on the supernatural/paranormal side, right? Lol
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Ahhh I’m so happy you loved it! It’s definitely making my top reads of the year as well. Yes, they absolutely err more towards the paranormal, and I would say might be a little more scary… you need to check out Rachel Harrison though, I think you’d love her books!
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Not a horror reader, but it’s amazing what success you had with that first book.
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I know! I’m shocked by it too 🤭
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[…] #TopTenTuesday: Flirting with Fear from Dinipandareads […]
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[…] #TopTenTuesday: Flirting with Fear […]
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I don’t preach for horror books. Not because they scare me or anything because they don’t and I would really like to read more horror but I’m a romance girlie and that’s just what I always reach for.
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Totally fair! You know what you like and that’s grand! I mean, romance has dark romance and I think that can sometimes fall in the category of horror, lol 🤭
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I love dark romance. And yeah I guess it does I just don’t associate it as horror I guess but that totally makes sense.
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[…] Dini’s #TopTenTuesday: Flirting with Fear […]
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