2026 I Read Horror Year-Round Challenge

Welcome to year six of our fun and terrifying horror reading challenge!

This year I'm adding an optional bonus challenge. Full details explained below.

Once again, there are 12 categories and 4 levels of participation.

Here are the categories, or themes:

• Winter - set in winter or snow on the cover or winter in the title
• Epistolary horror - found footage, told in letters and/or diaries
• Cult and/or ritual
• Haunted house
• Full moon and/or woods on the cover
• Indigenous, Asian, or Latino author
• Pumpkins/Jack O' Lanterns on the cover
• Black author
• Book published in the 60's, 70's, or 80's
• Social justice horror
• Yule/Christmas holiday themed
• Whatever scares you the most

Levels:

Spooky: Read 6 books from 6 categories
Chilling: Read 12 Books from all 12 categories
Frightful: Read 2 books from each category for a total of 24 books
Horrifying: Read 3 books from each category for a total of 36 books

Challenge runs from January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2026. Cross overs with other challenges count. Short stories are allowed if you're reading an entire collection or anthology. Books must be over 100 pages (one book under 100 pages is permitted). You do not have to pick your books ahead of time, but you can if you want.
Hashtag for social media: #IReadHorror

Details for the optional bonus challenge - Complete the word:

Read a book with a title that starts with each letter of your chosen word. Complete as many as you want. One of your main challenge books can count for one of the letters. 

The words

DREAD

FEAR

FRIGHT

HORROR

SCARED

TERROR

Any questions? Leave a comment or contact me (via image in sidebar). Grab the button and spread the word. Thanks!

Sign up here:

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Image used in graphic by Nanne Tiggelman from Pixabay

Blessed Samhain...Happy Halloween!

Hope your day...and night...are safe and fun! 

I'd like to thank everyone for joining me for this year's Something Wicked Fall. If you're sad it's over, like me, don't worry. A new edition of the I Read Horror Year-Round reading challenge will start on January 1st, 2026. The sign-up, with categories and a new BINGO card, will be posted before the end of the year. Stay tuned! Also, the Spring into Horror Readathon is in April so plenty of horrific fun to go around. 

The Yuletide Spirit Reading Challenge and Readathon starts Thanksgiving week (U.S.) over at The Mystical Lantern and Seasons of Reading. There are plenty of Christmas ghost stories (and Christmas horror) that would be perfect for the challenge if you like things scary.

Until then, stop by this corner of the horror-verse anytime. I'm sure I will have some horror book and movie reviews to post every now and then.

Stay creepy!

Matheson's Hell House Read-Along - Final Discussion

Beware...spoilers ahead!

Now I remember why I thought this book was so scary on my first reading. The final third of the book is the scariest part in my opinion. Things come to a head with Florence, as she now seems to be possessed by Daniel, but is it really Daniel... The glimpses of horrific apparitions doing horrific things (the man cutting the woman's head off for instance) really added to the scare factor. 

I want to segue a bit to the sexual elements of this story. They are very degrading to women. The house's effects on Edith pray on her guilt of perhaps she might be a lesbian. Which is a product of the time the book was written, I'm sure. Let's face it though. If the things that went on in that house were considered depraved (for the time period of the glory days of Hell House) then I would think it would be highly possible that there were some male on male situations as well. I feel if this book was written in the present day, there would be a more even portrayal of sexuality (depending on the writer I suppose as well), and probably even more depravity. Would the latter be a good thing? I'm not so sure I'd want to read that book.

I watched the film (The Legend of Hell House) last night and it really doesn't change much from the book, except as I mentioned previously, the women do not look like their descriptions in the book. Also, Barrett does not have a disability, and Edith's name is Ann in the film. The deaths of Florence and Barrett are different as well. And, of course, the sexual elements are toned way down. Not surprising considering it's a 1973 film and anything too strongly sexual back then probably would have received an X rating. I first saw the film when I was very young and I always thought it was scary. 

I still consider the ending one of the best of the horror novels I have read. The very ending of the film is the same (which was also one of the things I loved about the film). I did like in the book how the spirit of Belasco actually shows itself to Edith and Fischer before the final reveal. It made for a more menacing, satisfying scene (which does not happen in the film). 

I enjoyed my reread of Hell House, but I have to admit I didn't enjoy it as much as I did the first time I read it....which was about 15 years ago. I guess that shows how reading tastes can change over the years. I read so much horror now too so that could also explain my feelings changing.

What did you think of this section, and the book as a whole? Let me know if I failed to touch on anything, and add your personal thoughts in the comments (or if you posted on a blog or elsewhere, share the link and I'll stop by). 

Thanks for joining another Something Wicked Fall read-along. I can't believe tomorrow is the last day. I guess we will just have to look forward to next year. 

Wishing you a very Happy Halloween!

Matheson's Hell House Read-Along - Discussion Two

Sorry I'm a couple days late. Let's dive into what happened in our second reading section.

This part tricked me (even though I've read it before) into almost believing that Florence was making up Daniel Belasco. Then Barrett is attacked in the steam room. How could he still not believe there is more than just "energy" in that house? Stubborn man. Poor Edith being sexualized by the house. Fischer finally opened up to the forces of the house. But his fear made him close off again, and in his anger and fear, he accuses Florence of manifesting Daniel herself, but I don't think he truly believes it. The entry of Daniel's birth in the Bible in the chapel...does this prove his existence, or is it yet another trick? 

Manipulation is the key. It was the vehicle when Belasco (the father) was alive, and it's the vehicle driving everything that is happening in the house in the present. So, when Florence finally gives in to Daniel, is it really Daniel, or did Belasco (the elder) create him in order to vanquish Florence...or is it Belasco himself? What happens to Florence is horrific! 

For the life of me, I cannot remember if we finally get answers by the end of the book. I remember one detail, but it may be from the film, not the book, but I will wait to see if it plays out the way I remember. 

What did you think of this section? Let me know if I failed to touch on anything, and add your personal thoughts in the comments.

Our final discussion will be on October 30th. If you need to refresh your memory on our reading schedule, check out this post.

I'm still hoping to post more by the end of the month. Time has been getting away from me, and work for my job has increased of late, so I feel like I'm juggling at times. In case you missed it, check out my Banned Books Week post about Stephen King.

This post is part of Something Wicked Fall.