I love horror movies. I may be a little (a lot) obsessed with them. It seems like it would be obvious that I would read horror books as much as I watch horror movies. For some reason I just don’t pick up horror books. I can’t explain it. I am such a huge fantasy reader that it never occurred to me that I would love horror books so much.

That was until I picked Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chbosky. I found this book in Goodwill for two bucks so I bought it. Then it sat on my shelf for months before I finally picked it up. After my mom was good and life calmed down since her hospital stay, I decided I needed to read something that wasn’t my normal read. I knew it was a horror book, which is why it stayed on my bookshelf for so long.

I started ready Imaginary Friend and was instantly drawn in. It was in that moment that I realized my reading taste may have changed a little tiny bit. I still love fantasy, but fantasy novels have become so bloated with smut that I just don’t enjoy it as much. The horror writers are still writing stories with story lines, while fantasy writers are too focused on getting their characters clothes off.

I am not against the smut. What you read is what you read and as long as you are reading I am a happy camper. I just need more than a roll in the sack and the perfect words spoken by a perfect man that an author has tried to make look like he has flaws. I am tired of the perfect girl who is beautiful but doesn’t realize that she is the most gorgeous girl in the world. I am tired of the instant love and the “enemies to lovers” falling in love within the first few chapters and the only reason they hate each other is because they want to look moody and unlovable. “I am brutal and rough, no one will love me.” I am over the non-story stories. For now…anyways. I will come back to them, don’t you worry.

This year I want to focus on a little bit more horror. I have a few Stephen King novels that I would love to finally read. (Right now I am reading The Stand) Now I think I will be adding a few Grady Hendrix books as well. I have Dean Koontz and Anne Rice. I really like horror with a little bit of a supernatural flare, so if you have any recommendations, please do leave them.

Mind you, I am not sure I want anything like Tender is the Flesh…I have heard about that one. I am intrigued but I don’t know that I can stomach it. I have heard talk of a book called Playground and another called The Slob. I am so not looking for those kinds of horror books right now, but I may be adding them to my list at some point down the road…maybe. Maybe the gory books are not my cup of tea. Gory movies are not my forte either.

So, what horror books have you read? Tell me what is good and what not to waste my time on.