Here are 64 books that Carnies fans have personally recommended if you like
Carnies.
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I love books that whisk me away and keep me reading long into the night. There’s something so exciting about realizing you’ve been reading for so long that you have no idea what the time is or if it’s even the same day. I’m also incredibly passionate about horror and what it can teach us about ourselves and our society. Being diagnosed with epilepsy at the age of 12 made me feel isolated and alone, but horror granted me a form of escapism and taught me to embrace what made me feel different, something each of these books does. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I did!
This was one of the best books about werewolves—that isn’t really about werewolves—I have ever read. The story is told from the perspective of an unnamed boy who lives with his aunt and uncle—who happen to be werewolves—and the struggles he and his family face while living on the edge of society to avoid discovery.
What fascinated me the most was that Jones created entirely new werewolf lore with its own culture, rituals, and traditions, and it all felt real. I loved the non-linear timeline following the boy from 8 to 16, yearning to change like his aunt and uncle. Jones encapsulated the real difficulties of living on the fringes of society for whatever reason. It’s a dark book, raw and visceral, but also really funny.
A spellbinding and darkly humorous coming-of-age story about an unusual boy, whose family lives on the fringe of society and struggles to survive in a hostile world that shuns and fears them. He was born an outsider, like the rest of his family. Poor yet resilient, he lives in the shadows with his aunt Libby and uncle Darren, folk who stubbornly make their way in a society that does not understand or want them. They are mongrels, mixed blood, neither this nor that. The boy at the center of Mongrels must decide if he belongs on the road with his…
A moving story of love, betrayal, and the enduring power of hope in the face of darkness.
German pianist Hedda Schlagel's world collapsed when her fiancé, Fritz, vanished after being sent to an enemy alien camp in the United States during the Great War. Fifteen years later, in 1932, Hedda…
I’m fascinated by the dichotomy between humanity’s beauty and its penchant for visiting horror upon the world. This fascination drove me to write my own werewolf novel (and keep it true to the heart of the mythos). In no other genre/subgenre is human double-nature better explored than the werewolf one. From earliest times, these tales examined human complexity, mental illness, moral responsibility, the tenuousness of our understanding of reality. For me, a great werewolf novel is notan erotic romance or comedy urban fantasy. It’s a monsterstory: antsy, atmospheric, dark, violent, fraught. It's a thriller, not a swooner, with more in common withJekyll and Hydeor Incredible Hulkthan with Twilight.
Oh, man, can Paul Kearney write. The language in this book is so beautiful, at first, you think you’re reading a mainstream historical novel. Oh, you’re definitely not.
When this novel starts, you think there’ll never be any violence or horror in this story. Oh, there most certainly will be. Imagine a story where a Chronicles of Narnia child discovers a netherworld where people say “fuck,” change shape, and invite her to join them in doing questionable things.
Wolf in the Attic deals in part with an adolescent finding her place/identity in an unfriendly world. Set in the 1930s, the book features brilliantly-rendered cameos from CS Lewis and Tolkien. Clever and atmospheric, with a kickass payoff.
1920s Oxford: home to C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien... and Anna Francis, a young Greek refugee looking to escape the grim reality of her new life. The night they cross paths, none suspect the fantastic world at work around them. Anna Francis lives in a tall old house with her father and her doll Penelope. She is a refugee, a piece of flotsam washed up in England by the tides of the Great War and the chaos that trailed in its wake.
Once upon a time, she had a mother and a brother, and they all lived together in the most…
I’m fascinated by the dichotomy between humanity’s beauty and its penchant for visiting horror upon the world. This fascination drove me to write my own werewolf novel (and keep it true to the heart of the mythos). In no other genre/subgenre is human double-nature better explored than the werewolf one. From earliest times, these tales examined human complexity, mental illness, moral responsibility, the tenuousness of our understanding of reality. For me, a great werewolf novel is notan erotic romance or comedy urban fantasy. It’s a monsterstory: antsy, atmospheric, dark, violent, fraught. It's a thriller, not a swooner, with more in common withJekyll and Hydeor Incredible Hulkthan with Twilight.
Okay, so the title already has you frowning. Stay with me here. This indie ebook novelette had me smiling, nodding, and ooo-ing. I loved the brave way the author attempted something new and, well, left field. Because this is a lot of left field…
Our main character is a hitman. Or is he? He’s a werewolf. Or is he? I loved every paragraph of this story’s prose. But it was this “what’s really going on here?” aspect that had me smiling all the way through. It reminded me of Mad Max: Fury Road—because you can watch that entire movie as a psychotic episode on Max’s part. Same with this book. Leaves you guessing until the last page while keeping things fun along the way.
This Bizarro tale is part Naked Lunch, part Goodfellas.
Jasper Hobbes believes he is an assassin. He also believes demons were injected into his brain by the Illuminati, connecting him to the occult machinations of the Great Wyrm. Hospitalized once again for a psychotic break, Jasper is given an ultimatum—either continue his anti-psychotic drug therapy and accept what is real and what are delusions created by his disease, or be committed to a psychological hospital for the duration of his life.
In his struggle to avoid being pulled into a spiral of delusion, Jasper battles inhuman cosplayers, public transportation to…
Sine, a professor of creative writing, accompanies Sam, a neuroscientist, on a conference trip to a Hotel Castle. Sam wants to present a new device, the "monitor." Sine hopes to recover from tending to her mother who just passed away.
When they arrive, Sine is in a dream-like state. Real…
Horror is my passion and most things I read and everything I write fits neatly into the genre. But I am also passionate about telling stories from a unique perspective, or if not entirely unique then at least one that is underused. My novella A Man in Winter is told from the perspective of an elderly chap with dementia for instance. I have also found that many people think books with child protagonists must be children’s books and it makes me sad to think of all the wonderful work is being missed out on, I hope that my list has convinced you to try one of the above books.
I had to include at least one King book, I’m a big fan of King and this is one of his lesser-known books.
I love this book because it’s a good and interesting story that hooked me from the first chapter and kept me till the end.
But also, I am passionate about good representation (particularly disability representation) in the horror genre, I’m writing my PhD thesis on it. King is a mixed bag when it comes to good and bad representation but he does a good job in this one. Marty is a 10-year-old paraplegic boy who suspects a werewolf is in his town.
The story revolves around Marty hunting and defeating the beast. It’s a high stakes, exciting, and utterly plausible (if you suspend belief for the werewolf lol).
The classic masterpiece by #1 New York Times bestselling author Stephen King—illustrated by the legendary artist Bernie Wrightson!
Terror began in January—by the light of the full moon...
The first scream came from the snowbound railwayman who felt the werewolf’s fangs ripping at his throat. The next month there was a scream of ecstatic agony from the woman attacked in her cozy bedroom. Now scenes of unbelievable horror unfold each time the full moon shines on the isolated Maine town of Tarker’s Mills. No one knows who will be attacked next. But one thing is sure. When the full moon…
I’ve been an avid reader since I was a kid. Werewolf books have always called to me, and so has the moon—but that’s another story. Ha! In all honestly, I love the sense of loyalty and family that comes with werewolves and their packs. Family means a lot to me, and that bleeds over into the type of stories I write. I’ve been an Indie Author for over 10 years now with 50+ books under my belt. I have a passion for writing about shifters of all types (including werewolves), small towns, and romance.
Wolf Girl reminded me of a Werewolf Bachelor. One guy. Lots of women. All of them werewolves. This story was unique and unlike anything I’d ever read before. I loved Demi’s sassiness and Sawyer was definitely swoony. I’m warning you beforehand though, it does have a hellacious cliffhanger.
When my parents were banished from Wolf City before I was born, I thought there was no way I would ever live in a pack again. Cuffed, with my shifter magic bound, I was forced to go to school with witches in order to keep my true nature from coming out.
Then I met him.
Sawyer Hudson.
The Alpha's son was visiting Delphi Witches' College and spotted me. He took one look at me, and an hour later, I was being pulled out of school, taken into Wolf City and leaving my parents and everything I knew behind.
Hi there, I’m Taylor a British writer who instead of seeking help for my severe anxiety, decided to get lost in magical fictional worlds through books, and later on my own writing. To be fair, it’s worked out pretty well for me considering I now get to share the strange and wonderful stories that pop in my head. I’m sure you guessed that my favourite genre is both Urban Fantasy/PNR, mainly because they are very similar to one another but also because they both blur the lines between reality and imagination. Also because of werewolves. And sometimes vampires.
Patricia Briggs is a huge name within urban fantasy, and I’m sure many people who recognize her will wonder why I’ve chosen Alpha and Omega and not her Mercy Thompson series. The reason is Alpha and Omega are seriously overlooked! Charles and Anna are a powerful couple within their own right. Essentially forced into a mating by their wolves, Charles and Anna have to quickly figure out their relationship dynamic at the same time as Anna deals with the trauma of her old pack. This book is the short story prequel that introduces the characters, but the series, in general, is full of calming patience that slowly builds their deep love for one another. Heat level: 1/5
Four stories of inhuman passions from four of the hottest authors in paranormal romance...
“Alpha and Omega” by Patricia Briggs The werewolf Anna finds a new sense of self when the son of the werewolf king comes to town to quell unrest in the Chicago pack—and inspires a power in Anna she’s never felt before.
“Inhuman” by Eileen Wilks Andie has a secret gift of sensing thoughts and desires. What she senses in her neighbor Nathan could be dangerous. Because he has a secret gift too, and it’s about to be let loose…
In an age of splendor, a heretic king strips Egypt bare—forcing his queen to quell rebellion and plunging his children into a conspiracy against the crown.
Salvation in the Sun follows Nefertiti as she ascends the throne beside Pharaoh Amenhotep—soon to become Akhenaten—just as he declares war on Egypt’s ancient…
I write and read werewolf novels because I love the blend of human and animal. Alphas make the existing dominance struggles of humans more palpable. Packs contain the best and worst parts of found families. Mate bonds are romance turned to maximum. And, as someone who prefers to be outside and barefoot whenever possible, running through the forest in wolf form is the perfect fantasy break.
In my opinion, this is one of the most overlooked werewolf classics with its cop heroine, intriguing wolf pack, and a Chinese dragon. I can only guess that a lot of readers give up after books one and two, which are good but not great. By book three, though, the series really starts taking off, with the great worldbuilding and character development engrossing you so much you'll lose track of time and read far too late into the night.
The USA Today bestselling author tempts success in this stunning debut novel.
National bestselling author Eileen Wilks draws readers into a bold new world where the magical and mundane co-exist in an uneasy alliance--and a cop balanced on her own knife-edged struggle is their only hope against a cold-blooded killer.
I write and read werewolf novels because I love the blend of human and animal. Alphas make the existing dominance struggles of humans more palpable. Packs contain the best and worst parts of found families. Mate bonds are romance turned to maximum. And, as someone who prefers to be outside and barefoot whenever possible, running through the forest in wolf form is the perfect fantasy break.
This is the book to read when you need something sweet and easy yet full of wolf fun rather than endless sex scenes. Werewolves plus the Wild West with three sequels that are just as satisfying – this is a great series to put on your e-reader for a rainy day.
Werewolves meet the Wild West in this captivating new shifter romance series from T. S. Joyce. Kristina Yeaton is running from her past as a working girl at a Chicago brothel. Determined to start fresh in the wilds of Colorado, she answers an advertisement in the paper for a wife. So what if she doesn’t fit the description Luke Dawson wants in a woman? She aims to survive the hell that’s coming for her, and for that, she’ll need a strapping man who isn’t afraid to get his hands a little bloody. Kristina expects a hideous husband with a bad…
As an autistic person, I was a deeply unhappy and anxious child, so naturally I grew up to be a goth, with scary stories becoming a way for me to manage my constant fear. The Gothic became one of my special interests, and something I’ve always enjoyed studying. Additionally, I’ve always loved imaginative, fantastical tales that helped me feel like I was escaping from the real world I hated (and honestly, still hate) so much. As a result, there’s a special place in my heart for books that combine the weird Gothic trappings I hold so dear with the action and magic of a fantastical adventure novel.
Werewolf James Bond killing Nazis in World War II. I’ll say it again: Werewolf James Bond killing Nazis in World War II. What more do you need to know?
Robert R. McCammon’s 1989 horror-adventure imagines the classic Gothic monster of the werewolf as a spy traversing a crumbling Nazi-occupied Europe. The book has an incredible sense of scale and incorporates both stomach-churning body horror and blistering action sequences, including a set piece on a train filled with deadly Saw-style traps and a shootout inside a Parisian opera house.
The Wolf’s Hour is ridiculous, and I love it for that. I love that it isn’t afraid to delve into the cheesier elements of the Gothic genre, without letting that detract from the real-world horrors of what the Nazis did. I’ve always felt that many of the best Gothic stories have some form of monster vs. man, with man being revealed as…
Master spy, Nazi hunter—and werewolf on the prowl—in occupied Paris: A classic of dark fantasy from a Bram Stoker Award—winning author.
Allied Intelligence has been warned: A Nazi strategy designed to thwart the D-Day invasion is underway. A Russian émigré turned operative for the British Secret Service, Michael Gallatin has been brought out of retirement as a personal courier. His mission: Parachute into Nazi-occupied France, search out the informant under close watch by the Gestapo, and recover the vital information necessary to subvert the mysterious Nazi plan called Iron Fist.
Fearlessly devoted to the challenge, Gallatin is the one agent…
Born the heir of a master woodcutter in a queendom defined by guilds and matrilineal inheritance, nonbinary Sorin can’t quite seem to find their place. At seventeen, an opportunity to attend an alchemical guild fair and secure an apprenticeship with the…
I’ve been an avid reader since I was a kid. Werewolf books have always called to me, and so has the moon—but that’s another story. Ha! In all honestly, I love the sense of loyalty and family that comes with werewolves and their packs. Family means a lot to me, and that bleeds over into the type of stories I write. I’ve been an Indie Author for over 10 years now with 50+ books under my belt. I have a passion for writing about shifters of all types (including werewolves), small towns, and romance.
I read this book way back in 2011 when it first came out. It still comes to mind when I think of creating a list of werewolf books I loved. There’s a bit of a love triangle but I thought it was done really well. I loved Alex. He was the new boy in town with a secret, but he was funny and caring. I was so invested in the romance of this story and the story itself. Also, I still think the first line of this book is hilarious!
Scout Donovan is a girl who believes in rules, logic, and her lifelong love of Charlie Hagan. Alex Cole believes in destiny, magic, and Scout. When Alex introduces Scout to the world of Shifters, men who change into wolves or coyotes during the full moon and Seers, women who can see your most private thoughts and emotions with a mere touch, the knowledge changes everything and everyone Scout thought she knew. "Really fantastic!" -Ann Aguirre, National Bestselling Author
