Halloween 2013 is approaching, your home is almost ready, you're almost finished with the DIY décor you're sure will scare the kids, and there's enough candy in the cupboards. You're ready with the top scary movies for late-night viewing on Hallow's Eve, all you need now is a book to pass the time between now and D-Day. Below are some of the scariest horror novels known in the English-speaking world, bookworms with heart ailments be warned.

Haunted by Chuck Palahniuk

In a nutshell, Palahniuk's "Haunted" is disgusting and disturbing. "Haunted" is a collection of stories Palahniuk strung together based on the different characters locked in a theatre for a writing retreat. It is said that when the writer read the first story in his book, many of those listening fainted left and right.

The Turn of the Screw by Henry James

Creepy and evocative, "The Turn of the Screw" written by Henry James is a story about a governess who takes care of two orphaned children. She starts seeing apparitions of the governess before her and that of another dead servant rumoured to have molested one of the children when he was still alive.

This was written in a very formal tone but the stiffness of the language only adds to the creepy atmosphere the author has created for his readers.

John Dies at the End by David Wong

John, a penis obsessed man, and his friend David take a drug that enable them to go to a higher plane. This is a modern horror that incorporates pop culture trend peppered with fart humour. While this sounds rather light, the gore in "John Dies at the End" is a legitimate horror novel.

The Call of Cthulhu and Other Weird Stories by H.P. Lovecraft

It is impossible to have a horror novel list without H.P. Lovecraft's work on it. The prose of this particular book is reminiscent of all Lovecraft's other books - subtle yet eerie.

Other novels that bookworms may want to get for Halloween 2013 includes "Relentless" by Dean Koontz, "Dracula: The Un-Dead" by Dacre Stoker and Ian Holt, "Under the Dome" by Stephen King and another book by him titled, "The Shining". For those who love the classics, "The Exorcist" by William Peter Blatty is also a good Halloween read.