Christmas Horror Books
Hey everyone and welcome to Owl Book World! With Christmas rolling around the corner I wanted to be able to talk about Christmas Horror Books.
I know Christmas is supposed to be happy and have Christmas spirit. On top of that, it’s usually the time for good-natured books that revolve around Christmas. Those types of books are not for me.
Don’t get me wrong though I do love happy books ones that revolved around Christmas are a bit cheesy to me. Granted I feel like part of that reasoning is working in retail because I always enjoyed Christmas before then. No, I rely on scary Christmas books to kind of get my little taste of Christmas.
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So, here is a list of Christmas horror books.
Christmas Evil by Mark L’ Estrange
It’s Christmas Eve. It’s supposed to be a magical night. But things turn deadly for a father who just wants to feed his kids, and for a woman who inherits a home with a dark past. The book is full of short stories on including a killer widow who shares a train with Jack the Ripper.
So I have never heard of Christmas Evil until I started researching Christmas Horror books. Like I said I’m not really big on Christmas. At least not compared to some people but I love Christmas-themed horror books. I think that’s partly because I like reading about others having a good time all for something to go wrong. Don’t get me wrong though I don’t like these sorts of things to happen in real life, ultimately they do happen.
I think it helps that I actually like the cover. Creepy covers always catch my eye!
NOS4A2 by Joe Hill
Victoria McQueen has a secret. She has a gift of finding things that are lost. It doesn’t matter if it’s in her own home or across the country. All she has to do is climb on her bike and go across the rickety bridge and it’ll take her places she needs to go to. Charles Talent Manx has his way of getting children to trust him. He likes to take them for rides down back roads that can take them out of this world. The journey is beautiful yet terrifying.
I’m going, to be honest. This book has been sitting on my shelf for a while. I had meant to read the book before I started the show but I never did. I’ve heard from multiple people that they changed a lot in the show and that the book is so much better.
I love the concept of the show so I will probably get to this one soon. To be honest I never would have guessed this book would even be a part of Christmas horror books based on the cover alone but it is!
Secret Santa by Andrew Shaffer
Lussi Meyer has been out of work for months and is desperately looking for a job in the publishing industry. She knows Prestigious Blackwood-Patterson isn’t the right fit for her but crazy events happen that lead her down that route. She has to find the next Stephen King since it’s the 80’s and horror is at its prime.
But the day she starts she’s targeted by her coworkers with mean-spirited pranks. When she receives a demonic-looking object she doesn’t understand what it is. But then her coworkers start dropping like flies.
I actually won Secret Santa in a giveaway on GoodReads a while back but I still haven’t managed to get to the book yet. I do have to say that I’m pretty excited about getting to this one. The premise sounds good and I don’t really know why but I always tend to enjoy books that take place in the ’80s and ’90s. I just hope I can get to this one this year!
Where the Dead go to Die by Aaron Dries
Emily is tired of her past following her. She just wants to do her job and be a good mother. But how can she do that when she works with patients that live in comfort until they are terminated before they turn into the unthinkable.
Where the Dead go to Die is a fast-paced horror that brings a new twist to the zombie subgenre.
Where the Dead go to Die has been on my bookshelf for a while as well. As much as I say I love horror I’m kind of surprised that I haven’t really read many zombie types of books. In fact, I don’t think I’ve really read any horror book that deals with zombies. It’s time to change that!
Snow by Ronald Malfi
Todd Curry really wants to spend Christmas with his son. But his flight ultimately ends up canceled due to a severe snowstorm. So, Todd and a few others decide to rent a car and make the trip themselves
On the trip, they pick up a man wandering around claiming to be looking for his missing daughter. He’s a little loopy and his story seems a little off. When they make it to the closest town it looks abandoned with abandoned cars. Are they being watched?
To me, Snow does sound good but I can’t help but question the characters picking up a “hitchhiker”. This day and age make it really hard to want to help people. I know I would want to but so many people have made it where it’s hard to trust anyone. Despite that, I will probably still attempt to read this one.
The 12 Terrors of Christmas by Claudette Melson
The 12 Terrors of Christmas has 12 terrifying tales that will make your skin crawl. All of these stories are twisted and revolve around Christmas in some way.
So, I have gone through my whole life not really liking short stories, but my mind might actually change with this Christmas-themed horror book. Most of the short stories I have read made no sense to me. The stories had nothing going on and the ending was really lacking. Because of this I have made a point of avoiding them as much as possible.
The cover looks super creepy and kind of gives me Trick r’ Treat vibes. I’m not sure why though!
The Christmas Bell by L.A. Detwiler
26-year-old Candace Mills is heading home for Christmas to spend time with her mother and grandmother. She’s expecting a dull Christmas. The craziness starts when they find a Christmas bell in one of her Grandma’s boxes up in the attic. When they add the bell to the tree her grandma starts saying scary things and acts just as strangely. As her grandma’s secrets come to life will any of them be able to survive this strange night?
I have read other books by L. A. Detwiler but haven’t managed to get to this one yet. Since I have enjoyed her other books I’m hoping I can get my hands on this one at some point. The way that the last one ended kind of makes me think that this one will have a crazy ending as well.
Christmas Eve on Haunted Hill by Bryan Smith
Ten years ago Silas Herzinger, dressed up as Santa, kills 15 members of his family. Luke Herzinger is the only survivor. Ten years later he’s suicidal and wants to be back with his family. So, he returns to the home in hopes to be with them again.
I read this one sometime this year or last year and really enjoyed it. Just a little bit of a warning though, this story is actually a novella. I didn’t realize that when I bought the book. I know I know that’s my fault, but a majority of the time I don’t really pay attention to the number of pages a book has.
Christmas Eve on Haunted Hill is probably one of the few novellas that I have read and really enjoyed. Most of the time I feel like the author doesn’t do that great of a job at condensing a book into a shorter one. Most of the time I’m left wanting more. The storyline is a good one and I hope you like it as much as I do!
Do you guys enjoy Christmas horror books? Let me know some of your favorites in the comments!
If you like this discussion post then make sure to check out my list of YA Horror Books and Middle-Grade Horror books.
