Person
Every book Sati Stein recommended on podcasts
Sati Stein presents herself on literary programs as a knowledgeable book critic and enthusiast with a distinct penchant for classic horror, ghost stories, and atmospheric fiction. During a special horror-themed episode of The Book Review, Stein offered an extensive array of spine-chilling recommendations. She highlighted Daphne du Maurier's collection Don't Look Now and Other Stories, specifically praising the lesser-known piece Monte Verità. For classic ghost stories, Stein strongly endorsed Edith Wharton's ghost stories, particularly a curated New York Review Classics collection, as well as The Virago Book of Ghost Stories edited by Richard Dalby, which she praised for its expert curation of women writers spanning the eighteenth century to the modern era. Her contemporary recommendations included Sarah Perry's Eight Ghosts, an anthology set in real-life heritage spaces, alongside Sarah Waters's eerie novels Affinity and The Paying Guests. Finally, Stein concluded her survey of terrifying literature by spotlighting Henry James's novella The Turn of the Screw as the ultimate origin of psychosexual thrills and narrative dread.
Books recommended by Sati Stein
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Affinity
Affinity by Sarah Waters is a Victorian-era historical novel that delves into the shadowy worlds of a London women's prison and the booming spiritualism movement of the late nineteenth century.
Recommended“I would add to that Affinity another of her spookier ones which yes is about spiritualism also a perfect book which you have to read”
Where to get it
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Don't Look Now
Don't Look Now by Daphne du Maurier is a chilling collection of short fiction known for its atmospheric tension, psychological depth, and dark twists.
Recommended“yeah they put out don't look now and Other Stories on another great movie based on her books and that also includes another one I love called Monte verita which I once read about and read like the wind and it's not so well known but I highly recommend it”
Where to get it
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Eight Ghosts
Eight Ghosts by Sarah Perry, Mark Haddon, and Max Porter is a contemporary horror anthology featuring stories set in various real-life heritage locations across the country.
Recommended“and you have a mixture of classic collections like sherid and lau Walter Dyan and then new writers and I picked up a book called Eight ghosts which is put out in connection with English heritage and each of the stories by a contemporary horror writer is set at some real life Heritage house or space in the UK which”
Where to get it
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The Birds and Other Stories
The Birds and Other Stories by Daphne du Maurier is a collection of unsettling short fiction featuring tales of psychological unease, nature turning hostile, and the uncanny.
Recommended“yeah they put out don't look now and Other Stories on another great movie based on her books and that also includes another one I love called Monte verita which I once read about and read like the wind and it's not so well known but I highly recommend it”
Where to get it
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The Ghost stories of Edith Wharton
The Ghost Stories of Edith Wharton by Edith Wharton is a collection of eerie and psychological short tales penned by the celebrated master of American literary realism.
Recommended“well if I were telling people to read one I think I would have to go with a classic which is Edith Wharton's ghost stories and they are uh have been collected a bunch of times but New York Review Classics put out a very good collection I guess last year maybe two years ago which is Wharton's own selection”
Where to get it
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The paying guests
The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters is a gripping historical novel set in 1920s London following a struggling mother and daughter who take in lodgers, leading to intense psychological drama.
Recommended“I also think you have to read her last book which was called the paying guests oh that's it's so good which just has some scenes of such Menace including one where someone where a man is getting a shave with a straight Riser that is just just excruciating”
Where to get it
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The Turn of the Screw
The Turn of the Screw by Henry James is a seminal Gothic novella that has terrified and fascinated readers for generations with its chilling ambiguity surrounding ghosts, psychological torment, and unreliable narration.
Recommended“but I think we could not end this conversation without mentioning a turn at the screw just because it started it all and it in if you want psychosexual Thrills if you want to be really scared if you want a great writer seeing what can be done with this media you just can't beat Henry James Henry James and”
Where to get it
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The Virago Book of Ghost Stories
The Virago Book of Ghost Stories, edited by Richard Dalby, is a carefully curated anthology that brings together haunting fiction exclusively written by women from the eighteenth century through the modern age.
Recommended“I've been debating and I wanted to say if you're reading one collection the verago book of ghost stories is so good it's all women writers from the 18th century uh through the Modern Age It's just so well cated there's barely a lemon in the bunch”
Where to get it
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Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark
Alvin Schwartz's Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark is a famous trilogy of folklore-based horror anthologies paired with distinct, eerie illustrations that terrified generations of young readers.
Discussed“in terms of the things that I remember reading well scary stories to tell in the dark specifically the green ribbon yes is the most formative probably literar experience of my life”
Where to get it
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Something Wicked This Way Comes
Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury is a classic dark fantasy novel that explores the complex relationships between fathers and sons against the backdrop of a sinister traveling carnival.
Discussed“and then well the first movie that I really loved was Something Wicked This Way come which was a Disney film but really scary and then I read the rape Bradberry book it was based on probably too young and that just chilled me to the bone in the most delicious way”
Where to get it
Appearances
| Episode | Podcast | Date | Books |
|---|---|---|---|
| Happy Halloween: Scary Book Recommendations | The Book Review | 2024-07-18 | 10 |