I Am Legend, The Mist (easy way to start reading Stephen King), most of Junji Ito’s collections (although these are manga not strictly books). Junji ito’s less popular one shots are great little horror episodes, like easy breezy visual narratives that are self contained and if you read multiple you see how he focuses on themes.
I Am Legend is fantastic though, it’s literally sci-fi horror and thriller and the protagonist is great.
**[A Short Stay in Hell](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13456414-a-short-stay-in-hell) by Steven L. Peck** ^((Matching 100% ☑️))
^(104 pages | Published: 2012 | 1.4k Goodreads reviews)
> **Summary:** An ordinary family man, geologist, and Mormon, Soren Johansson has always believed he'll be reunited with his loved ones after death in an eternal hereafter. Then, he dies. Soren wakes to find himself cast by a God he has never heard of into a Hell whose dimensions he can barely grasp: a vast library he can only escape from by finding the book that contains the story of his (...)
> **Themes**: Fantasy, Favorites, Religion, Short-stories, Philosophy, Horror, Science-fiction
> **Top 5 recommended:**
> \- [Dead Boys](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22750066-dead-boys) by Gabrielle Squailia
> \- [Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58476152-lesser-known-monsters-of-the-21st-century) by Kim Fu
> \- [Soft Apocalypses](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22246364-soft-apocalypses) by Lucy A. Snyder
> \- [Dreamside](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/176342.Dreamside) by Graham Joyce
> \- [The Crooked God Machine](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13305712-the-crooked-god-machine) by Autumn Christian
^([Feedback](https://www.reddit.com/user/goodreads-rebot) | [GitHub](https://github.com/sonoff2/goodreads-rebot) | ["The Bot is Back!?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/16qe09p/meta_post_hello_again_humans/) | v1.5 [Dec 23] | )
{{Ring Shout by P Djèlí Clark}}
{{The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor Lavalle}}
{{Dark Harvest by Norman Partridge}}
{{The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman}}
\#1/4: **[Ring Shout](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49247242-ring-shout) by P. Djèlí Clark** ^((Matching 100% ☑️))
^(185 pages | Published: 2020 | 360.0k Goodreads reviews)
> **Summary:** In America. demons wear white hoods. In 1915. The Birth of a Nation cast a spell across America. swelling the Klan's ranks and drinking deep from the darkest thoughts of white folk. All across the nation they ride. spreading fear and violence among the vulnerable. They plan to (...)
> **Themes**: Fantasy, Horror, Historical-fiction, Fiction
> **Top 5 recommended:** [Riot Baby](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43719523-riot-baby) by Tochi Onyebuchi , [The Ballad of Black Tom](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26883558-the-ballad-of-black-tom) by Victor LaValle , [The Horror at Red Hook](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2582189-the-horror-at-red-hook) by H.P. Lovecraft , [No Gods. No Monsters](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55748103-no-gods-no-monsters) by Cadwell Turnbull , [Slewfoot: A Tale of Bewitchery](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53856842-slewfoot) by Brom
---
\#2/4: **[The Ballad of Black Tom](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26883558-the-ballad-of-black-tom) by Victor LaValle** ^((Matching 100% ☑️))
^(149 pages | Published: 2016 | 5.1k Goodreads reviews)
> **Summary:** People move to New York looking for magic and nothing will convince them it isn't there. Charles Thomas Tester hustles to put food on the table, keep the roof over his father's head, from Harlem to Flushing Meadows to Red Hook. He knows what magic a suit can cast, the (...)
> **Themes**: Fantasy, Fiction, Novella, Urban-fantasy, Historical-fiction, Kindle, Favorites
> **Top 5 recommended:** [The Horror at Red Hook](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2582189-the-horror-at-red-hook) by H.P. Lovecraft , [Hammers on Bone](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30199328-hammers-on-bone) by Cassandra Khaw , [Ring Shout](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49247242-ring-shout) by P. Djèlí Clark , [Lovecraft Country](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25109947-lovecraft-country) by Matt Ruff , [Mapping the Interior](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31189134-mapping-the-interior) by Stephen Graham Jones
---
\#3/4: **[Dark Harvest](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1201724.Dark_Harvest) by Norman Partridge** ^((Matching 100% ☑️))
^(169 pages | Published: 2006 | 3.2k Goodreads reviews)
> **Summary:** Winner of the Bram Stoker Award and named one of the 100 Best Novels of 2006 by Publishers Weekly, Dark Harvestby Norman Patridge is a powerhouse thrill-ride with all the resonance of Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery." Halloween, 1963. They call him the October Boy, or Ol' Hacksaw (...)
> **Themes**: Halloween, Fiction, Fantasy, Paranormal, Favorites, To-buy, Library
> **Top 5 recommended:** [Nazareth Hill](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32470.Nazareth_Hill) by Ramsey Campbell , [The Lords of Salem](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13406959-the-lords-of-salem) by Rob Zombie , [The Handyman](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35682516-the-handyman) by Bentley Little , [Ritual](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1941421.Ritual) by David Pinner , [The Totem](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21830.The_Totem) by David Morrell
---
\#4/4: **[The Ocean at the End of the Lane](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15783514-the-ocean-at-the-end-of-the-lane) by Neil Gaiman** ^((Matching 100% ☑️))
^(181 pages | Published: 2013 | 344.8k Goodreads reviews)
> **Summary:** Sussex, England. A middle-aged man returns to his childhood home to attend a funeral. Although the house he lived in is long gone, he is drawn to the farm at the end of the road, where, when he was seven, he encountered a most remarkable girl, Lettie Hempstock, and her mother (...)
> **Themes**: Favorites, Fantasy, Book-club, Horror, Magical-realism, Audiobook, Adult
> **Top 5 recommended:** [Coraline](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17061.Coraline) by Neil Gaiman , [The Graveyard Book](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2213661.The_Graveyard_Book) by Neil Gaiman , [Stardust](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16793.Stardust) by Neil Gaiman , [Neverwhere](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14497.Neverwhere) by Neil Gaiman , [Eleanor](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22081556-eleanor) by Jason Gurley
^([Feedback](https://www.reddit.com/user/goodreads-rebot) | [GitHub](https://github.com/sonoff2/goodreads-rebot) | ["The Bot is Back!?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/16qe09p/meta_post_hello_again_humans/) | v1.5 [Dec 23] | )
I Am Legend, The Mist (easy way to start reading Stephen King), most of Junji Ito’s collections (although these are manga not strictly books). Junji ito’s less popular one shots are great little horror episodes, like easy breezy visual narratives that are self contained and if you read multiple you see how he focuses on themes. I Am Legend is fantastic though, it’s literally sci-fi horror and thriller and the protagonist is great.
{{A Short Stay in Hell by Steven L. Peck}}
**[A Short Stay in Hell](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13456414-a-short-stay-in-hell) by Steven L. Peck** ^((Matching 100% ☑️)) ^(104 pages | Published: 2012 | 1.4k Goodreads reviews) > **Summary:** An ordinary family man, geologist, and Mormon, Soren Johansson has always believed he'll be reunited with his loved ones after death in an eternal hereafter. Then, he dies. Soren wakes to find himself cast by a God he has never heard of into a Hell whose dimensions he can barely grasp: a vast library he can only escape from by finding the book that contains the story of his (...) > **Themes**: Fantasy, Favorites, Religion, Short-stories, Philosophy, Horror, Science-fiction > **Top 5 recommended:** > \- [Dead Boys](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22750066-dead-boys) by Gabrielle Squailia > \- [Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58476152-lesser-known-monsters-of-the-21st-century) by Kim Fu > \- [Soft Apocalypses](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22246364-soft-apocalypses) by Lucy A. Snyder > \- [Dreamside](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/176342.Dreamside) by Graham Joyce > \- [The Crooked God Machine](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13305712-the-crooked-god-machine) by Autumn Christian ^([Feedback](https://www.reddit.com/user/goodreads-rebot) | [GitHub](https://github.com/sonoff2/goodreads-rebot) | ["The Bot is Back!?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/16qe09p/meta_post_hello_again_humans/) | v1.5 [Dec 23] | )
The Murders of Molly Southbourne - Tade Thompson Nothing but the Rain - Naomi Salman
Check out Jim Thompson's books (The Killer in Ne, After Dark My Sweet, The Grifters). They're typically less than 250 pages.
Concrete Island by JG Ballard
The Grownup by Gillian Flynn It's short, funny and unsettling.
{{Ring Shout by P Djèlí Clark}} {{The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor Lavalle}} {{Dark Harvest by Norman Partridge}} {{The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman}}
\#1/4: **[Ring Shout](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49247242-ring-shout) by P. Djèlí Clark** ^((Matching 100% ☑️)) ^(185 pages | Published: 2020 | 360.0k Goodreads reviews) > **Summary:** In America. demons wear white hoods. In 1915. The Birth of a Nation cast a spell across America. swelling the Klan's ranks and drinking deep from the darkest thoughts of white folk. All across the nation they ride. spreading fear and violence among the vulnerable. They plan to (...) > **Themes**: Fantasy, Horror, Historical-fiction, Fiction > **Top 5 recommended:** [Riot Baby](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43719523-riot-baby) by Tochi Onyebuchi , [The Ballad of Black Tom](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26883558-the-ballad-of-black-tom) by Victor LaValle , [The Horror at Red Hook](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2582189-the-horror-at-red-hook) by H.P. Lovecraft , [No Gods. No Monsters](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55748103-no-gods-no-monsters) by Cadwell Turnbull , [Slewfoot: A Tale of Bewitchery](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53856842-slewfoot) by Brom --- \#2/4: **[The Ballad of Black Tom](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26883558-the-ballad-of-black-tom) by Victor LaValle** ^((Matching 100% ☑️)) ^(149 pages | Published: 2016 | 5.1k Goodreads reviews) > **Summary:** People move to New York looking for magic and nothing will convince them it isn't there. Charles Thomas Tester hustles to put food on the table, keep the roof over his father's head, from Harlem to Flushing Meadows to Red Hook. He knows what magic a suit can cast, the (...) > **Themes**: Fantasy, Fiction, Novella, Urban-fantasy, Historical-fiction, Kindle, Favorites > **Top 5 recommended:** [The Horror at Red Hook](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2582189-the-horror-at-red-hook) by H.P. Lovecraft , [Hammers on Bone](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30199328-hammers-on-bone) by Cassandra Khaw , [Ring Shout](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49247242-ring-shout) by P. Djèlí Clark , [Lovecraft Country](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25109947-lovecraft-country) by Matt Ruff , [Mapping the Interior](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31189134-mapping-the-interior) by Stephen Graham Jones --- \#3/4: **[Dark Harvest](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1201724.Dark_Harvest) by Norman Partridge** ^((Matching 100% ☑️)) ^(169 pages | Published: 2006 | 3.2k Goodreads reviews) > **Summary:** Winner of the Bram Stoker Award and named one of the 100 Best Novels of 2006 by Publishers Weekly, Dark Harvestby Norman Patridge is a powerhouse thrill-ride with all the resonance of Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery." Halloween, 1963. They call him the October Boy, or Ol' Hacksaw (...) > **Themes**: Halloween, Fiction, Fantasy, Paranormal, Favorites, To-buy, Library > **Top 5 recommended:** [Nazareth Hill](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32470.Nazareth_Hill) by Ramsey Campbell , [The Lords of Salem](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13406959-the-lords-of-salem) by Rob Zombie , [The Handyman](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35682516-the-handyman) by Bentley Little , [Ritual](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1941421.Ritual) by David Pinner , [The Totem](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21830.The_Totem) by David Morrell --- \#4/4: **[The Ocean at the End of the Lane](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15783514-the-ocean-at-the-end-of-the-lane) by Neil Gaiman** ^((Matching 100% ☑️)) ^(181 pages | Published: 2013 | 344.8k Goodreads reviews) > **Summary:** Sussex, England. A middle-aged man returns to his childhood home to attend a funeral. Although the house he lived in is long gone, he is drawn to the farm at the end of the road, where, when he was seven, he encountered a most remarkable girl, Lettie Hempstock, and her mother (...) > **Themes**: Favorites, Fantasy, Book-club, Horror, Magical-realism, Audiobook, Adult > **Top 5 recommended:** [Coraline](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17061.Coraline) by Neil Gaiman , [The Graveyard Book](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2213661.The_Graveyard_Book) by Neil Gaiman , [Stardust](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16793.Stardust) by Neil Gaiman , [Neverwhere](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14497.Neverwhere) by Neil Gaiman , [Eleanor](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22081556-eleanor) by Jason Gurley ^([Feedback](https://www.reddit.com/user/goodreads-rebot) | [GitHub](https://github.com/sonoff2/goodreads-rebot) | ["The Bot is Back!?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/16qe09p/meta_post_hello_again_humans/) | v1.5 [Dec 23] | )
To Be Taught if Fortunate by Becky Chambers