5 Dark & Haunting Books to Add to Your TBR
Some books are entertaining, but others stick to your ribs — they haunt you, they linger, and they leave you changed. If you’re looking for stories that feel unsettling, atmospheric, and unforgettable, these five titles are a perfect mix of classics, cult favorites, and exciting new releases.
The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell
David Mitchell’s sprawling supernatural epic follows Holly Sykes across decades, as she finds herself caught in an invisible war between two secret factions. The Bone Clocks blends coming-of-age, time travel, mystery, and cosmic horror in one dazzlingly eerie narrative. For readers who love genre-bending novels that reward patience and immersion, this one is a must.
The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell
Slade House by David Mitchell
Where The Bone Clocks is vast, Slade House is razor-sharp. A slim haunted-house story set in the same universe, this book traps its characters (and readers) in a house that appears once every nine years. Each visit is creepier than the last, with Mitchell’s knack for atmosphere pulling you deeper into the dread. A perfect one-sitting read.
The Slade House by David Mitchell
Difficult Girls by Veronica Bane
I couldn’t talk about haunting, must-read books without mentioning Difficult Girls. Full disclosure: I’ve read parts of this book many times because I know the author personally — but that only deepens my love for it.
This 2025 YA thriller debut by Veronica Bane (Delacorte Press) takes place in a local amusement park, Hyper Kid Magic Land, where protagonist Greta is determined to reinvent herself. She finds friendship in Mercy, a dazzling performer, until Mercy vanishes after hinting at a terrible secret. Greta’s investigation unearths sinister truths about the park — and forces her to confront her own buried past.
What makes this book so powerful is the way it blends mystery, thriller, and redemption with vivid characters and an unforgettable setting. It’s chilling, but also deeply human, with themes of reinvention, found family, and facing the parts of yourself you’d rather leave behind.
“Difficult Girls” by Veronica Bane
Diavola by Jennifer Thorne
Jennifer Thorne’s Diavola (2024) is a modern haunted-house story with teeth. Anna Pace travels to a remote Italian villa for a tense family vacation, hoping for a break but instead finding herself trapped between toxic family dynamics and a creeping supernatural force.
The villa hides dark secrets — including a locked tower room and a chilling local legend. Thorne blends atmospheric horror with biting dark humor, crafting a story that explores family mythology, belonging, and the ghosts we inherit. It’s unsettling, stylish, and unforgettable.
“Diavola” by Jennifer Thorne
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
An immortal gothic classic, Rebecca remains one of the most atmospheric and unsettling novels ever written. When the new Mrs. de Winter arrives at Manderley, she finds herself haunted by the memory of her husband’s first wife — beautiful, enigmatic Rebecca. Part love story, part psychological thriller, and part ghost story without a ghost, it’s a book that has defined the gothic genre for nearly a century.
“Rebecca” by Daphne Du Maurier
Final Thoughts
From Mitchell’s cosmic horror to du Maurier’s gothic masterpiece, from modern folklore to Veronica Bane’s electrifying debut, these five books are bound to keep you turning pages long into the night. Each one grapples with mystery, dread, and reinvention in its own way — proving that haunting stories don’t just scare, they stay.
So whether you’re looking for sprawling supernatural drama, a quick haunted-house thrill, or a YA mystery set in an amusement park, this list has something that will leave its mark.
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