Traci Thomas Lists 30 Horror Books for Halloween Reading
The 'The Stacks' host categorizes titles into fiction, anthologies, and nonfiction to prepare readers for the weekend.
By Rahul Garnier ·
Traci Thomas, host and creator of the podcast 'The Stacks,' has released a list of 30 horror book recommendations ahead of the Halloween holiday this weekend.
The list, published on October 30, 2026, divides the selected titles into three distinct categories: fiction, horror anthologies, and nonfiction. Thomas aimed to provide options for readers looking to heighten their excitement for the holiday.
The fiction section contains 20 titles, ranging from classic works to recent international translations. The list includes Stephen King's 'Carrie' and 'Rosemary's Baby' by Ira Levin. It also features Toni Morrison's 'Beloved' and Shirley Jackson's 'The Haunting of Hill House.' Other selections include 'Tender Is the Flesh' by Agustina Bazterrica and 'The Buffalo Hunter Hunter' by Stephen Graham Jones. Short story collections by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah and Carmen Maria Machado appear on the list, alongside 'Zombie' by Joyce Carol Oates.
Three horror anthologies make up the next segment of the recommendations. Shane Hawk and Theodore C. Van Alst Jr. edited the volumes 'Never Whistle at Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology' and 'Back for Blood: Never Whistle at Night Part II.' Jordan Peele and John Joseph Adams edited 'Out There Screaming: An Anthology of New Black Horror.' Cynthia Pelayo edited 'Something Followed Us Home: Tales of Latiné Horror.'
The final category consists of eight nonfiction titles focused on true events. Lizzie Johnson's 'Paradise: One Town's Struggle to Survive an American Wildfire' leads the list. Other entries include Ben Wickey's 'More Weight: A Salem Story' and Wright Thompson's 'The Barn: The Secret History of a Murder in Mississippi.' The list also features historical accounts such as Iris Chang's 'The Rape of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust of World World II' and Heather Ann Thompson's 'Blood in the Water: The Attica Prison Uprising of 1971 and Its Legacy.'
The complete list was distributed through WBUR.org, the original publisher of the story. The recommendations span English language works and translated texts from authors in Argentina, Korea, Mexico, and Japan.
Source: WFAE
