Top Ten Tuesday: Scary Stories I Actually Enjoyed

This week’s Top Ten Tuesday prompt is Halloween Freebie. For this, I’m going to be a little boring and list scary/horror stories I actually enjoyed reading since I usually hate horror and want nothing to do with scary or spooky.

Small Spaces by Kathrine Arden: This book was fun and spooky. I love the creepy scarecrows and the mystery surrounding the farm. Small Spaces is super atmospheric and perfect for a Halloween read.

Attack on Titan by Hajime Isayama: This manga isn’t strictly horror but because the titans feast on humans, it can get pretty bloody and there are a lot of terrifying moments as well. If the story and characters weren’t so compelling, I probably wouldn’t read or watch this series.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith: This is more humor than horror but because it’s about zombies, I’m including it.

Dread Nation by Justina Ireland: Who knew that fighting the undead could be so fun? Dread Nation mixes zombies with the Restoration Era for a delightful romp across America, fighting the undead and patriarchy.

Sanctuary / Containment by Caryn Lix: I don’t like scary spooky and I definitely don’t like scary spooky in space. But Sanctuary and Containment are compelling, so I get over my fear of the scary spooky space monsters.

Death Note by Tsugumi Ohba: More psychological than scary, Death Note can get fairly dark at times. There are lots of death in this one. Lots of them.

This Savage Song / Our Dark Duet by Victoria Schwab: Again, I don’t like scary spooky monsters, but This Savage Song and Our Dark Duet do an interesting twist and give you the most down-to-earth, squishy cinnamon roll monster ever.

Doll Bones by Holly Black: This is the only Holly Black book I’ve read and enjoyed. (Okay, I listened to it. So what?) It had the right mix of creepy and fun shenanigans to keep be interested. (Plus, it’s set in Ohio!)

House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig: This book has a lot of spooky moments. The whole atmosphere of the story left goosebumps on my skin. It had a good balance between the creepy and the fantastical, though, so it wasn’t too much for me to handle.

The Promised Neverland by Kaiu Shirai: The covers of these manga can be so misleading. You’d expect a happy, slice of life or rom com with cute characters and ridiculous events. Instead, we get demons and death and characters running for their lives. I love it.

What scary or horror stories do you enjoy? Don’t forget to join the link-up!