Recs if you like The Possession of Alba Díaz...

are you sick of being recommended stephen king when you ask for a horror novel? have you picked up a book expected to be scared, but the scariest thing about it was a woman being needlessly tormented and gaslit? have you read 4627473 books about a man in a haunted house and need something different?

if so, this list is for you :)

a masterlist of horror by anyone who isn't a straight cis white man. i've been maintaining it for myself since 2022 and it was time to share the wealth!

Horror books written by Latin American authors.

This list was a winner of the Q1 2026 Community Voting event. To participate in the Side Quest, please follow the link pinned in the comments.

I am planning on keeping this list alive and will be adding more recommendations as I find them. Thank you everyone for nominating and voting for the list to be made into a Side Quest!

Ever dreamed of getting railed by Pyramid Head? What about falling in love with a murderous monster? Then, babes, you're in the right place. These romance and erotica reads are horrifying, frightening, and downright titillating. 😏

For interconnected series, only book 1 is listed. Open to recs!

Note: These are romance/erotica books with horror themes and horror books with romantic/erotic themes. Come get this hot and scary goodness!

books w/ full names in the title (mostly fiction)

We all love gothic classics, but what is new when it comes to the gothic genre (from the last 20 years or so)?! For fans of Dracula, Jane Eyre, Frankenstein, We Have Always Lived in the Castle, etc. Please comment with suggestions to add!

Books We Love from NPR began in 2013, always boasting over 200 books (almost 400 in recent years) featuring genres from memoirs, to cookbooks, to graphic novels, to children’s literature, to nonfiction, to novels. Check out NPR’s website to filter this massive list.

The list is in reverse alphabetical order directly from NPR.

Mexicans have have a deep connection to supernatural folklore. Witches, ghosts, legends, demons, you name it we have it. Here's a collection of Horror/Supernatural books written by Mexican authors. Have not read all of them so if you have any suggestions, please let me know and I'll add it!

less of the usual culprits if you please!

This includes book that have either mystery or thrillers as a primary or secondary genre. If you have recommendations to add please comment and I'll happily add them 💕

A list of horror books with stunning cover art because sometimes we do judge a book by its cover. Obviously this list is subjective but it’s diverse and inclusive.

Ongoing list so please feel free to suggest!

Grotesque, visceral, and boldly unsettling horror by Latin American women! // Shelf is a WIP, recommendations are welcomed! ✍️

Call me Ishmael for this is my white whale

A mix of classics & modern literature, that have to do with the witchy, gothic and horror genres ✨

aka most of the horror I read. Titles on this list are low on gore, body horror, or anything else you'd consider "scary" in the traditional sense. Instead, they focus on atmosphere and eerie vibes to create a horror experience that doesn't need to be shocking to be effective.

Just some horror loved by a weird girl

Beautiful stories that take place in a city or town in Mexico. ✨

possession n that Most of these are recs I found on r/horrorlit so apologies if they don’t actually include possession 🫡 recs are always welcomed 🙂‍↕️

Nominees and winners of every category of the Good Reads Choice Awards for the year of 2025. Some books overlap so they were only entered once.

Crime, obsession, feminine rage etc 🩷