September was a horror-heavy reading month. I got through 12 books, and nearly all of them were horror or horror-adjacent. They ranged from Stephen King classics to extreme horror, found footage, a haunted house story, and a monster romance. The video above has my full thoughts, and this post gives you the quick version with star ratings so you can pick your next read.
September 2026 Ratings at a Glance
| Book | Author | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| I Haunted That Way | Isabelle Popp | 3 stars |
| Sentry | Justin Dec | 4 stars |
| Misery | Stephen King | 4 stars |
| Halloween Night at the Whorehouse by the Cemetery | James Oliver | 4 stars |
| Bloodbath | Rath James White | 4 stars |
| Academia | James Oliver | 4 stars |
| Pet Sematary | Stephen King | 3.5 stars |
| Going to the Six | A.C. Hessenauer | 4 stars |
| The Staircase in the Woods | Chuck Wendig | 3 stars |
| No Bones About It | Cassandra Elizabeth | 4 stars |
| The Portrait of Sister Elsa | Amy Cross | 4 stars |
| Mean Spirited | Nick Roberts | 5 stars |
The Reviews
I Haunted That Way by Isabelle Popp(3 stars)
After an amicable divorce, Thora moves into the family cabin that belonged to her late great-uncle. Then her ex-best friend Lee shows up, saying the great-uncle just called and asked him to come help. That sets off an ex-best-friend-to-lovers storyline with a ghostly twist. The story was good overall, but I found Thora pretty insufferable, and the cozy cover set me up for a lighter book than the one I got. It gets darker than it looks, especially as you learn how the rest of the family treated the great-uncle.
Sentry by Justin Dec (4 stars)
This is the debut novel from the writer and director of the horror film Countdown. John Lawson returns home after 20 years when his father dies, and it’s his father’s ghost that calls him back. While he and his estranged brother clean out the house, John finds the old comics he drew about a ghost called the Blue Boy, who turns out to have been real. It’s a spooky mystery with a great twist, and it reads like a movie. Going from screenwriter to novelist is a tricky shift, and Dec pulled it off. It’s on Kindle Unlimited.
Misery by Stephen King (4 stars)
I loved the movie, but this is a case where the book really is better. You get excerpts from Paul’s Misery Chastain novels, more of Annie Wilkes’s backstory, and a much more gruesome hobbling scene. I watched the film again after finishing the book and felt it just wasn’t as intense. I found a retro cover at a thrift store in Pine Mountain, Georgia for $8, and if you can get a physical copy of this one, do it.
Halloween Night at the Whorehouse by the Cemetery by James Oliver (4 stars)
This one is extreme horror comedy, and I got it as an ARC from James Oliver. The zombie apocalypse starts because two guys want to have their way with some corpses, and the first chapter will test your gag reflex. Then the undead show up at the door of the brothel next to the cemetery, and the girls and their customers have to team up to fight them off. Oliver writes like you’re watching a movie, with fast scene jumps and a name for every character, even the minor ones. It would make a great Troma movie. Extreme horror fans, this one’s for you.
Bloodbath by Rath James White (4 stars)
This is a serial killer story told through his diary, set in 1999. It’s a quick read with good pacing and a strong ending. My one gripe is that the main character watches a Blu-ray, and Blu-ray didn’t exist in 1999. It’s about $2 digitally, but it isn’t on Kindle Unlimited.
Academia by James Oliver (4 stars)
This is a college slasher about a killer stalking the campus of St. Bernard University. It has a twist I didn’t see coming and a fresh take on the usual slasher setup. The audiobook, read by Jason Roe, was great, and I listened to it for free through Hoopla, which is a library app, so check there first.
Pet Sematary by Stephen King (3.5 stars)
I loved this book in fifth grade, but it didn’t hold up as well for me this time. It wasn’t as scary as I remembered, and I was ready for it to be over by the time it got to the Gage storyline. This is one where I think the 1989 movie is better, with scarier moments and better pacing. Michael C. Hall’s narration was excellent, though. Disagree? Let me know in the comments.
Going to the Six by A.C. Hessenauer (4 stars)
This found footage horror novel follows a documentary crew diving a long-lost floating speakeasy beneath Lake Superior. What they bring back is stranger than history. The story comes through documentary footage, news articles, and the crew’s journals, and a strange red algae is at the heart of the horror. I loved the format.
The Staircase in the Woods by Chuck Wendig (3 stars)
Five high school friends go camping, and one of them finds a staircase in the woods. He climbs it and never comes back. Twenty years later, the rest of the group returns to find him. It’s a spooky liminal-spaces story and well written, but the pacing felt off to me and I didn’t connect with any of the characters.
No Bones About It by Cassandra Elizabeth (4 stars)
This is a sentient skeleton romance, and I loved it. Tori finally buys the 12-foot skeleton her ex-husband never let her have, the HOA declares war on her, and then the skeleton comes to life. It’s short, fun, and available on Kindle Unlimited. The only reason it didn’t get five stars is that a few of the characters got on my nerves.
The Portrait of Sister Elsa by Amy Cross (4 stars)
This was a free audiobook through RB Media’s influencer program. In 1898, a dying painter travels to the coastal town of Crawford, hoping to create one last masterpiece, and meets a nun sent by the Vatican to deal with an abandoned church. It’s moody and somber, and the audiobook is only about four hours. There are around 30 books in the series, and I plan to read the rest.
Mean Spirited by Nick Roberts (5 stars)
This was my top pick of the month, and probably the scariest book I’ve ever read. A teacher whose life is falling apart inherits the dog of a murdered former student, and a dark presence follows him. I put it off for a long time because I assumed it was a demon story, and demon stories usually don’t do much for me. I’m glad I finally read it, because it’s relentless, dark, and suspenseful. It’s not for the faint of heart.
My Pick of the Month
Mean Spirited by Nick Roberts was the standout, and the only 5-star read of September. If you only pick up one book from this list, make it that one.
Your Turn
Which of these have you read? Do you think the Pet Sematary movie beats the book? Let me know in the comments, and subscribe to the Rotten Reads YouTube channel for more horror and dark fiction reviews.
Disclosure: Some books in this wrap-up were provided free of charge (ARC/review copies and an audiobook through RB Media’s influencer program). All opinions are my own.