Here are 94 books that Read Us or Die fans have personally recommended if you like Read Us or Die. Shepherd is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of Dark Halloween

Fred Wiehe Author Of Holiday Madness: 13 Dark Tales for Halloween, Christmas & All Occasions

From my list on horror collections and anthologies guaranteed to scare.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a member of the Horror Writers Association and have been a professional writer since 1997. I got into writing horror because I love reading horror and watching horror movies. Even as a kid, I watched horror movies on Saturday afternoons and read horror books late at night—under the covers, with a flashlight. I collected Universal monster models as a kid too and still have my collection and have even added to it. I love all things horror and believe I have a deep understanding of what scares people and how to scare them. I guarantee that the books on my list will scare you to the bone.

Fred's book list on horror collections and anthologies guaranteed to scare

Fred Wiehe Why Fred loves this book

If you love Halloween like I do, this holiday horror collection from the twisted minds of some of today’s best horror authors will delight and scare you. The stories are short, fast-paced, entertaining, and shocking. Some of my favorites: A Wasted Pumpkin, Waiting for Death, The Hungry Child, Razorblade Smiles. Check this collection of flash fiction out. You’ll read it in one night. But keep the lights on!

By Eleanor Merry , Cassandra Angler , Brian Scutt (illustrator)

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Skeletons, ghosts and witches. All Hallows Eve is filled with the terrors that walk the thin line of our world and the other. From the twisted minds of some of todays best horror authors, Dark Halloween is a collection of halloween themed stories sure to delight and terrify.

How will you celebrate the holidays?

Dark Halloween is book 5 in the holiday horror collection

Dark X-Mas
Dark Valentine
Dark Solstice
Dark Celebration
Dark Halloween

With stories from: M. Ennenbach, N.M Brown, G.G Flavell, Vic Kerry, Lamont A. Turner, Radar DeBoard, L.T. Emery, Alyson Faye, Jay T. Levy, Gabriella Balcom, P.S…


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Book cover of The High House

The High House by James Stoddard,

The Victorian mansion, Evenmere, is the mechanism that runs the universe.

The lamps must be lit, or the stars die. The clocks must be wound, or Time ceases. The Balance between Order and Chaos must be preserved, or Existence crumbles.

Appointed the Steward of Evenmere, Carter Anderson must learn the…

Book cover of Slices of Flesh

Fred Wiehe Author Of Holiday Madness: 13 Dark Tales for Halloween, Christmas & All Occasions

From my list on horror collections and anthologies guaranteed to scare.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a member of the Horror Writers Association and have been a professional writer since 1997. I got into writing horror because I love reading horror and watching horror movies. Even as a kid, I watched horror movies on Saturday afternoons and read horror books late at night—under the covers, with a flashlight. I collected Universal monster models as a kid too and still have my collection and have even added to it. I love all things horror and believe I have a deep understanding of what scares people and how to scare them. I guarantee that the books on my list will scare you to the bone.

Fred's book list on horror collections and anthologies guaranteed to scare

Fred Wiehe Why Fred loves this book

Get your horror on! This collection of flash fiction will activate your taste buds like zombies drawn to fresh brains. These stories oozed from the brains of some of the best horror writers from around the world, the likes of Ramsey Campbell, Nate Kenyon, Tim Lebbon, William F. Nolan, Eric Guignard, Lisa Morton, Jack Ketchum, Nancy Kilpatrick, Del Howison, (yours truly) Fred Wiehe, and many more. Also, Mike Mignola of Hell Boy fame designed the cover art! I was honored to be included in this anthology and thoroughly enjoyed reading the other stories by these masters of horror.

By Stan Swanson (editor) ,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Do you like your horror in small bite-sized chunks? If so, then SLICES OF FLESH from Dark Moon Books will activate your taste buds like zombies drawn to fresh brains. These flash fiction stories oozed from the brains of some of the best horror writers from around the world and will fit perfectly into your daily diet of "scary." SLICES OF FLESH includes the following short horror tales: Acceptance (Reesa Brown), Air Baby (Stephen Volk), All Paths Lead to Psychopath (Sephera Giron), Althea's Mistake (Jennifer Word), Angst (Fran Friel), The Bastard Called Hope (Jennifer Brozek), Big Bite (Rick Hautala), Blame…


Book cover of A Scream in the Night 2

Fred Wiehe Author Of Holiday Madness: 13 Dark Tales for Halloween, Christmas & All Occasions

From my list on horror collections and anthologies guaranteed to scare.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a member of the Horror Writers Association and have been a professional writer since 1997. I got into writing horror because I love reading horror and watching horror movies. Even as a kid, I watched horror movies on Saturday afternoons and read horror books late at night—under the covers, with a flashlight. I collected Universal monster models as a kid too and still have my collection and have even added to it. I love all things horror and believe I have a deep understanding of what scares people and how to scare them. I guarantee that the books on my list will scare you to the bone.

Fred's book list on horror collections and anthologies guaranteed to scare

Fred Wiehe Why Fred loves this book

This anthology features chilling stories written by an all-female cast of horror writers. If you think only male writers can deliver explicit and graphic horror, this anthology proves you wrong. These talented women do not pull punches and their stories are not for the faint of heart. My friend Reyna Young (aka Miss Misery—Hall of Fame Horror Host, Producer, Director, and Writer) edited this volume and contributed the story The Dinner Party. Another friend actress and writer Debra Lamb contributed Collectibles. If you want stories that will leave you screaming for more, read this volume.

By Reyna Young (editor) , Debra Lamb , Maureen Whelan , AnnMarie Martin , Christina Francine , Jessica Dwyer , Marjorie Dehey , Staci Layne Wilson

Why should I read it?

1 author picked A Scream in the Night 2 as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Featuring: Debra Lamb – AnnMarie Martin – Christina Francine – Staci Layne Wilson – Reyna Young – Ravennight – Tonjia Atomic – Tori Danielle Romero – Maureen Whelan – Jessica Dwyer – Marjorie Dehey – Michelle Nessk – Nicole Andrea Guzman

Last Doorway Productions and Black Bed Sheet Books celebrate women in horror fiction again by partnering to bring another chilling, all-female horror anthology, A Scream in the Night 2!
Horror Host Miss Misery (Reyna Young) has for a second time brought together 13 stories that set stellar examples of female voices in horror today and the tales they have…


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Book cover of December on 5C4

December on 5C4 by Adam Strassberg,

Magical realism meets the magic of Christmas in this mix of Jewish, New Testament, and Santa stories–all reenacted in an urban psychiatric hospital!

On locked ward 5C4, Josh, a patient with many similarities to Jesus, is hospitalized concurrently with Nick, a patient with many similarities to Santa. The two argue…

Book cover of The Barrens & Others: Tales of Awe and Terror

Fred Wiehe Author Of Holiday Madness: 13 Dark Tales for Halloween, Christmas & All Occasions

From my list on horror collections and anthologies guaranteed to scare.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a member of the Horror Writers Association and have been a professional writer since 1997. I got into writing horror because I love reading horror and watching horror movies. Even as a kid, I watched horror movies on Saturday afternoons and read horror books late at night—under the covers, with a flashlight. I collected Universal monster models as a kid too and still have my collection and have even added to it. I love all things horror and believe I have a deep understanding of what scares people and how to scare them. I guarantee that the books on my list will scare you to the bone.

Fred's book list on horror collections and anthologies guaranteed to scare

Fred Wiehe Why Fred loves this book

I was honored to have appeared alongside F. Paul Wilson at a book signing for Dark Delicacies, the premiere horror bookshop in Burbank, CA. He autographed a copy of The Barrens and Others for me. That night, I took it back to my hotel room and devoured it. Mr. Wilson may not be the household name of Stephen King or Clive Barker, but he is just as talented. What makes this collection even better is Wilson's introductions to the stories. This is a first-rate collection of first-rate tales, ranging from Lovecraftian to Western supernatural, with many mysterious combinations in between. Read this book, and you will be a F. Paul Wilson fan for life.

By F. Paul Wilson ,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

"F. Paul Wilson is among the finest storytellers of our time." (Rocky Mountain News)

In The Barren and Others, Wilson lets his fertile imagination run wild, traveling from the Old West of Doc Holliday to the Pine Barrens of present-day New jersey and encountering many strange, suspect, and supernatural happenings along the way. From urban mercenary Repairman Jack, to the obese and food-obsessed Topsy, Wilson's wild array of characters get caught up in adventures both fascinating and horrifying.

A first-rate collection of first-rate tales, ranging from Lovecraftian to Western supernatural, with many mysterious combination in between, The Barrens and Others…


Book cover of The Legend of Spookley the Square Pumpkin

Hillary Daecher Author Of Soar

From my list on rhyming picture books.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am an award-winning children’s picture book author who writes stories about obstacles children encounter, focusing on the emotional and mental health of the character so children facing similar situations are able to relate. I have been writing poems and short stories since I was a child and all of my stories are written in rhyme. I love reading a rhyming book out loud and listening to the story unfold.

Hillary's book list on rhyming picture books

Hillary Daecher Why Hillary loves this book

The Legend of Spookley the Square Pumpkin is a fun Halloween read, but more importantly a wonderful story that shows the importance of acceptance. Spookley is unlike any other pumpkin in the patch because he is square instead of round. At first, the other pumpkins tease Spookley and are unkind to him because he is different. After a storm blows in and Spookley saves the day, the other pumpkins realize it doesn’t matter what Spookley looks like, what matters is the kind of pumpkin he is and how he showed kindness to others.

By Joe Troiano , Susan Banta (illustrator) ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Legend of Spookley the Square Pumpkin as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The Legend of Spookley the Square Pumpkin [paperback] Joe Troiano,Susan Banta [Jan 01, 2013]


Book cover of Batman: The Long Halloween

Chad Nicholas Author Of The Animal

From my list on solving the mystery.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have been reading mysteries and trying to solve them before it was revealed since before I can remember. From episodes of Scooby Doo to The Bailey School Kids, I loved any mystery that I could find, and the older I’ve gotten, the more complex and darker I like the mysteries. Eventually, I started writing my own, combining it with my love of horror, detectives, and pretty much every other genre to create the kind of mysteries I was always hunting for. I hope this list helps you find a few new favorites, and maybe you’ll be up reading The Long Halloween all night, just like I was!

Chad's book list on solving the mystery

Chad Nicholas Why Chad loves this book

This might just be my favorite graphic novel of all time, as well as one of my favorite crime stories, period. It combines two of my favorite genres, crime epics and murder mysteries, into one epic story with one amazing hook after another.

The theme of holiday-themed killing is fun, the Calander Man gives his best Hannibal Lecter impression, and the scope of the Mob’s reach in Gotham City is explored to perfection. Add to that the best Two-Face story of all time, alongside all of the Dark Knight’s other infamous rogues, and you get one of the best detective stories of all time.

It also helps that the late Tim Sale’s artwork remains second to none in the noir genre.

By Jeph Loeb , Tim Sale (illustrator) ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Batman as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 13, 14, 15, and 16.

What is this book about?

Written by JEPH LOEB Art and cover by TIM SALE From the early days of Batman's crimefighting career, this new edition of the classic mystery involves a killer who strikes only on holidays. Working with Harvey Dent and Lieutenant Gordon, Batman races to discover who Holiday is! Collected from the original 13-issue series!


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Book cover of Trusting Her Duke

Trusting Her Duke by Arietta Richmond,

A Duke with rigid opinions, a Lady whose beliefs conflict with his, a long disputed parcel of land, a conniving neighbour, a desperate collaboration, a failure of trust, a love found despite it all.

Alexander Cavendish, Duke of Ravensworth, returned from war to find that his father and brother had…

Book cover of The Stitchers

Darcy Marks Author Of Grounded for All Eternity

From my list on Halloween for middle grade readers.

Why am I passionate about this?

When I was five my dad had to carry me, crying, out of the Salem Witch’s Dungeon. You’d think that would put a damper on my love of spooky things, but it absolutely did not! Bela Lugosi was my first crush. I set up Haunted Houses in my garage and read every single book my local library had on the Salem Witch Trials. I made my way from Bunnicula and The Halloween Tree, to books by Stephen King and Anne Rice. Halloween and horror will always have a special place in my heart, and yet…I still don’t let my legs dangle off my bed, lest the monsters get me.

Darcy's book list on Halloween for middle grade readers

Darcy Marks Why Darcy loves this book

The Stitchers is the first book in the Fright Watch series and any one of them would be the perfect Halloween read. But let’s be real. Old people are scary.

Quinn knows there’s something off about her neighbors. The Oldies have lived in the neighborhood for as long as anyone can remember, and yet they never seem to get any older. If Quinn’s dad was still alive, she knows they’d be coming up with theories: Are they vampires? Aliens? Who knows! The answer is worse than she imagined. When Quinn sees one of the Oldies jogging, she knows she recognizes that leg…it was her dad’s.

I always loved Rod Sterling at Halloween and The Stitchers has such a great Twilight Zone vibe. It’s perfect for kids who lean towards the science fiction side of spookiness where normal things are just…wrong.

By Lorien Lawrence ,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Stitchers as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 10, 11, 12, and 13.

What is this book about?

"The chills come guaranteed." -Stephen King
The start of a spine-tingling new horror series perfect for fans of Stranger Things and Goosebumps.

The spine-chilling middle-grade horror that Stephen King called "the perfect book for kids to cool off with on a hot summer day, because the chills come guaranteed"-now in paperback!

Something strange is happening on Goodie Lane . . .

Thirteen-year-old Quinn Parker knows that there's something off about her neighbors. She calls them "the Oldies" because they've lived on Goodie Lane for as long as anyone can remember, but they never seem to age. Are they vampires? Or…


Book cover of The Spirit in Question

Sybil Johnson Author Of Designed For Haunting

From my list on Halloween mysteries to escape into.

Why am I passionate about this?

My love affair with reading began in kindergarten with The Three Little PigsTrips to the library introduced me to Encyclopedia Brown, Nancy Drew, and Agatha Christie. It didn’t take long for me to realize how much I love reading mysteries. I’ve read thousands of them over the years, mainly traditional and cozy. When I decided to try my hand at writing, I knew right away that I’d be creating stories on the cozy end of the mystery spectrum. I particularly like mysteries set around Halloween. I’m not a horror fan. I prefer less gruesome Halloween tales, especially ones involving old legends and ghosts. These gentler Halloween mysteries are the perfect fit for me.

Sybil's book list on Halloween mysteries to escape into

Sybil Johnson Why Sybil loves this book

In The Spirit in Question, Lila Maclean, English professor at Stonedale University, agrees to consult on a university production of a new musical being staged in a historic opera house with a resident ghost. University politics, a historical society on the warpath, and a crumbling theater are hard enough for Lila to deal with. Then a murder occurs, threatening to derail the production. Bit by bit, the theater and the people Lila encounters give up their secrets. Every new revelation urged me to keep on reading. All of the characters and their conflicts felt real to me. I especially liked spending time with the main character, Lila.

By Cynthia Kuhn ,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

English professor Lila Maclean knew drama would be involved when she agreed to consult on Stonedale University’s production of Puzzled: The Musical.

But she didn’t expect to find herself cast into such chaos: the incomprehensible play is a disaster, the crumbling theater appears to be haunted, and, before long, murder takes center stage.

The show must go on—yet as they speed toward opening night, it becomes clear that other members of the company may be targeted as well. Lila searches for answers while contending with a tenacious historical society, an eccentric playwright, an unsettling psychic, an enigmatic apparition, and a…


Book cover of Goodnight Goon: a Petrifying Parody

Katie Vernon Author Of Happy Halloweenie

From my list on Halloween boards for little ghouls and goblins.

Why am I passionate about this?

Although I was a little scared of Halloween as a kid, I’ve grown to love the silly side of spookiness. Growing up with Pee-Wee’s Playhouse every Saturday morning, I learned that silliness is a superpower. Now, when working on kids books, my ultimate goal is to put work into the world that will delight kids, and won’t make the parents groan and say, “that one again?” Finding the sweet spot of being fun to read, fun to hear, and fun to look at is what I love most about creating kids books. I hope you and your little ghouls and goblins enjoy my spooky board Boooook list! 

Katie's book list on Halloween boards for little ghouls and goblins

Katie Vernon Why Katie loves this book

Goodnight Goon takes the familiar rhyming and simplicity of Goodnight Moon and creates something weird and wonderful.

It’s Michael Rex’s tiny details in the art that drew me in – from eyeballs in holes in the wall to tiny crawly creatures. There are loads more to look at in these ghoulish illustrations than the original book it’s parodying. 

By Michael Rex ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Goodnight Goon as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 1, 2, 3, and 4.

What is this book about?

This #1 New York Times bestselling picture book parody is the perfect Halloween read!

Goodnight tomb. Goodnight goon. Goodnight Martians taking over the moon.

It's bedtime in the cold gray tomb with a black lagoon, and two slimy claws, and a couple of jaws, and a skull and a shoe and a pot full of goo. But as a little werewolf settles down, in comes the Goon determined at all costs to run amok and not let any monster have his rest.

A beloved classic gets a kind-hearted send up in this utterly monsterized parody; energetic art and clever text…


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Book cover of Aggressor

Aggressor by FX Holden,

It is April 1st, 2038. Day 60 of China's blockade of the rebel island of Taiwan.

The US government has agreed to provide Taiwan with a weapons system so advanced that it can disrupt the balance of power in the region. But what pilot would be crazy enough to run…

Book cover of Halloween: An American Holiday, an American History

Lisa Morton Author Of Trick or Treat: A History of Halloween

From my list on the history of Halloween.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a kid growing up in Southern California during the 1960s – what some now call “Golden Age of Trick or Treating” – I always loved Halloween, but I didn’t develop a real obsession with it until I wrote The Halloween Encyclopedia (first published in 2003). Since then, Halloween – once almost exclusively an American celebration – has achieved global popularity, and has created an entire cottage industry in haunted attractions. I remain fascinated by Halloween’s continuous expansion and evolution.

Lisa's book list on the history of Halloween

Lisa Morton Why Lisa loves this book

Lesley Bannatyne’s Halloween. An American Holiday, An American History brought the study of Halloween history into the modern era. Published 71 years after Ruth Edna Kelley’s seminal The Book of Hallowe’en, Bannatyne’s book opened the gates for consideration of Halloween as a subject deserving of more serious consideration. This was the book that certainly inspired ME in my Halloween scholarship!

By Lesley Pratt Bannatyne ,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

"Lesley Bannatyne's fascinating book . . . will be widely appealing to anyone who ever wondered where witches, trick-or-treating, and jack-o-lanterns really came from. It is by far the best book on the history of Halloween available today."
--Alison Guss, senior producer,"The Haunted History of Halloween," The History Channel

"An excellent resource for research into the history of holidays . . . in the United States
. . . Highly Recommended."
--The Book Report

"Deserves attention as a recommended library acquisition with years of 'life' to its information."
--The Midwest Book Review

"Overflows with rich and provocative details of ritual,…


Book cover of Dark Halloween
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Book cover of A Scream in the Night 2

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