Why am I passionate about this?

I have a passion for supernatural horror, one that I’ve discovered over years of reading various horror novels, tropes, and themes. I found that the supernatural, the idea that something unbelievable or impossible, is haunting a person, is one that draws me in time and time again. Reading these sorts of books, embroiling myself in the world of ghosts and demons, is what drove me to want to create those worlds myself, surrounding myself in lore, mythology, and ghosts of my own... 


I wrote

The Leak of Madness

By Alice J. Black,

Book cover of The Leak of Madness

What is my book about?

The spirit world has been in touch with Peyton, and it’s more than she can tolerate. Sometimes their messages are…

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of Darkhouse

Alice J. Black Why did I love this book?

Darkhouse is the first in the Experiment in Terror novels by Karina Halle. I absolutely fell in love with her writing style, the way that she builds the world of Dex and Perry, their complicated acquaintance, and the lighthouse in which they find themselves drawn back to. Complete with anti-hero and strong heroine, as soon as I read this first book, I devoured the series. Without saying too much to spoil the series, I have to say that this ghost story was one that has gotten under my skin and one that I know I’ll go back to in the future.

By Karina Halle,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Darkhouse as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Book one in a slow-burn psychologically thrilling romance series, from a New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal best-selling author

Perry Palomino seems like your average twenty-something girl on the surface. She's had bad luck dating, her job sucks, and she's disillusioned by her place in life, not sure exactly what she wants or where she's even going.

She also sees ghosts, which makes things extra complicated, especially when she'd do anything to be normal.

But normal people don't go exploring an abandoned and supposedly haunted lighthouse on the Oregon coast, where she ends up getting the attention…


Book cover of The Shining

Alice J. Black Why did I love this book?

The Shining has always been one of my favourite horror novels. I discovered it in my teens and have re-read it countless times since then. The subtlety of the horror found in the Overlook Hotel as Jack and Wendy navigate their new roles gets deep under my skin—that isolation, completely cut off from civilisation, is both romantic and terrifying. It leaves me wondering how I would cope if I was locked away somewhere for a length of time like that. As an author I always think it would be amazing to have that time to work on a novel, but what if things weren’t as they were meant to be?

By Stephen King,

Why should I read it?

24 authors picked The Shining as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Before Doctor Sleep, there was The Shining, a classic of modern American horror from the undisputed master, Stephen King.

Jack Torrance’s new job at the Overlook Hotel is the perfect chance for a fresh start. As the off-season caretaker at the atmospheric old hotel, he’ll have plenty of time to spend reconnecting with his family and working on his writing. But as the harsh winter weather sets in, the idyllic location feels ever more remote . . . and more sinister. And the only one to notice the strange and terrible forces gathering around…


Book cover of The Sick House

Alice J. Black Why did I love this book?

This was the first book I read by Ambrose Ibsen and I was instantly hooked by his work. He has such a unique voice that draws the reader into the words he weaves, into the world that he creates. This novel in particular left my skin crawling as I followed Harlan Ulrich PI on his investigation into the Sick House, leaving me jumping at the shadows. If you want to sleep with the lights on, this is definitely one for you.

By Ambrose Ibsen,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Sick House as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Some Places Should Stay Abandoned...
Dr. Siegfried Klein has vanished on a mysterious pilgrimage to an abandoned infirmary in the ghost-town of Moonville. The locals in the surrounding areas are tight-lipped, hostile to outsiders. Local legend has it that the old Sick House is packed with spirits, none of them friendly, and that to set foot in it is to enter Hell itself.

Enter Harlan Ulrich, private investigator and skeptic.

Traveling to the site, the detective begins the long process of separating truth from grisly local myth, and during his investigation stumbles upon certain frightful evidence that tries his nerve.…


Book cover of The Woman in Black

Alice J. Black Why did I love this book?

The Woman in Black was the first Susan Hill novel that I had the chance to read and I wasn’t disappointed. A gothic horror novel that drew me in, the slow-burn story bringing chills with every page that I turned. As I followed the main character in his quest, I couldn’t stop turning the pages as the tension and atmosphere drew me in, ramping up the horror and leaving the hairs on the back of my neck standing on edge.

By Susan Hill,

Why should I read it?

10 authors picked The Woman in Black as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 12, 13, 14, and 15.

What is this book about?

The classic ghost story from the author of The Mist in the Mirror: a chilling tale about a menacing spectre haunting a small English town.
 
Arthur Kipps is an up-and-coming London solicitor who is sent to Crythin Gifford—a faraway town in the windswept salt marshes beyond Nine Lives Causeway—to attend the funeral and settle the affairs of a client, Mrs. Alice Drablow of Eel Marsh House. Mrs. Drablow’s house stands at the end of the causeway, wreathed in fog and mystery, but Kipps is unaware of the tragic secrets that lie hidden behind its sheltered windows. The routine business trip…


Book cover of The Haunting of Hill House

Alice J. Black Why did I love this book?

I have to admit that I saw the series based on this book before I happened to read it and while the series got under my skin, the book left me terrified. The slow-burn horror of the house devouring its victims, the way it changed everything for those staying under the roof in a perfect gothic supernatural horror, was enough to make it onto this list. One I would definitely recommend.

By Shirley Jackson,

Why should I read it?

35 authors picked The Haunting of Hill House as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Part of a new six-volume series of the best in classic horror, selected by Academy Award-winning director of The Shape of Water Guillermo del Toro

Filmmaker and longtime horror literature fan Guillermo del Toro serves as the curator for the Penguin Horror series, a new collection of classic tales and poems by masters of the genre. Included here are some of del Toro's favorites, from Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and Ray Russell's short story "Sardonicus," considered by Stephen King to be "perhaps the finest example of the modern Gothic ever written," to Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House and stories…


Explore my book 😀

The Leak of Madness

By Alice J. Black,

Book cover of The Leak of Madness

What is my book about?

The spirit world has been in touch with Peyton, and it’s more than she can tolerate. Sometimes their messages are loud enough even to pierce beyond the veil of her alcohol-induced stupors... When she's invited to attend her best friend's brother’s wedding at The Manor House, Peyton is compelled to stare down memories of her life before it was decimated by fire and tragedy. It becomes clearer and clearer that there are forces at work in the old building…shadows darker than Peyton could have ever imagined.

The Leak of Madness is the beginning of a thrilling, fast-paced series of horror novellas overflowing with intrigue, romance, redemption, and most importantly…ghosts. Will Peyton find the normal life she could have if only she stops drinking or will the forces of evil drive her mad?

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My Year of Casual Acquaintances

By Ruth F. Stevens,

Book cover of My Year of Casual Acquaintances

Ruth F. Stevens Author Of My Year of Casual Acquaintances

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

From the time I was a girl, I’ve loved stories that put a lump in my throat even as I’m laughing. As a fiction writer, that funny-sad tone is the one I go for in my own work. I gravitate toward female protagonists of all ages who break the mold—women who are intelligent and strong but who also have unconventional, quirky personalities. Women who can be hilarious, infuriating, and heartbreaking—sometimes all at once. Because they are complex and unique, these women tend to struggle with life’s challenges more than their contemporaries. That’s what makes their stories so interesting, and why I have chosen the books on this list. 

Ruth's book list on smart, quirky women facing personal struggles

What is my book about?

When Mar’s husband divorces her, she reacts by abandoning everything in her past: her home, her friends, even her name. Though it's not easy starting over, she’s ready for new adventures—as long as she can keep things casual. Each month, Mar goes from one acquaintance to the next: a fellow gym member down on her luck, a flirty hip-hop instructor, a bossy but comical consultant. . . and a handsome novelist who wants more than she can give. Mar learns from each encounter. But can she open herself up to true connection?

Surrounded by quirky, endearing characters, Mar navigates her…

My Year of Casual Acquaintances

By Ruth F. Stevens,

What is this book about?

"A fun, entertaining novel! I can't imagine anyone who wouldn't enjoy this book as much as I did." -Leslie A. Rasmussen, award-winning author

When Mar Meyer's husband divorces her for another woman, she reacts by abandoning everything in her past: her home, her friends, even her name. Though it's not easy to start over, Mar is young-looking, fit, and ready for new adventures-as long as she can keep things casual.

With each passing month, Mar goes from one acquaintance to the next. Among them: a fellow gym member down on her luck, a flirty hip-hop instructor, a bossy but comical…


5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in ghost story, haunted houses, and ghosts?

Ghost Story 176 books
Haunted Houses 85 books
Ghosts 263 books