This week’s topic for Top Ten Tuesday (hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl) is “Books with the Word “[Insert Word Here]” in the Title”. I picked the word House as I’ve reviewed a lot more than ten books with that word in the title, which meant I had plenty to choose from and could cover a range of genres.
1. The Red House Mystery by A.A. Milne – Published in 1922, this is Milne’s only detective novel (although he did also write a spoof, Four Days’ Wonder). It’s a lot of fun and I wish he had written more of them!
2. This House is Haunted by John Boyne – A wonderfully entertaining and atmospheric ghost story set in Victorian England and featuring a governess who takes a position at a house which appears to be haunted.
3. The Valentine House by Emma Henderson – This dual time period novel is set in the French Alps and follows several generations of the Valentine family from 1914 to 1976.
4. The Labyrinth House Murders by Yukito Ayatsuji – An imaginative Japanese crime novel set in a house built in a labyrinth design and inspired by the Minotaur myth. I enjoyed this much more than The Decagon House Murders by the same author (which could also have been on this list).
5. The Professor’s House by Willa Cather – Moving house causes Professor Godfrey St Peter to reflect on his life and his memories of a former student. This was my first Willa Cather book and I found it slow but beautifully written.
6. A House of Pomegranates by Oscar Wilde – A collection of four fairy tales by Oscar Wilde. Although each one has a moral, they are also very entertaining! The stories are quite dark in places (like many fairy tales), but I think they’re suitable for both children and adults.
7. The Dutch House by Ann Patchett – The story of a brother and sister and their connection to the house in Philadelphia where they grew up. I hadn’t expected to enjoy this as much as I did!
8. Great House by Nicole Krauss – A novel made up of four separate stories, linked by an antique writing desk that once belonged to a Chilean poet. The desk touches the lives of each of the main characters in some way and you need to read all four stories to fully understand how they are connected.
9. The House by the Sea by Louise Douglas – Our narrator inherits a house in Sicily and intends to sell it until she discovers it’s hiding some intriguing secrets. This book combines mystery and romance with some beautiful descriptive writing.
10. The House on the Strand by Daphne du Maurier – This time travel novel is set in the author’s beloved Cornwall and moves between the 1960s and the 14th century. I love du Maurier and this is one of my favourites.
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Have you read any of these? Which other books with House in the title have you read?
She Reads Novels 
I’m always drawn to books with ‘house’ in the title, Helen. I could happily work through your entire list!
There were a lot more than ten ‘house’ books I could have included on this list, so I’m obviously drawn to them too!
Good choice of a key word to feature here, Helen, though I’ve read none of these. I do find though that I have read a fair number of novels with ‘house’ in the title, including Joan Aiken’s The Haunting of Lamb House, the very curious The House Without Windows by child author Barbara Newhall Follett, The House at the Edge of the World by Julia
Rochester, Mark Haddon’s Red House and Elinor Brent-Dyer’s The New House at the Chalet School from the Chalet School series.
Yes, there are a seemingly endless number of books with ‘house’ in the title. I haven’t read any that you’ve mentioned, although I would like to read the Joan Aiken.
The Juliet Rochester and Mark Haddon titles are well worth a peruse, and as a lover of historical fiction the Joan Aiken novel would right up your street! Here’s my review to try and persuade you: https://wp.me/p2oNj1-2Vd
Love it. Don’t think I’ve read any of these. I’d include The House That Made Us by Alice Cavanagh. It’s wonderful! 🏘️
I haven’t heard of that one. I’ll investigate!
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier is one of my favourite books of all time (currently rereading), so I can’t believe I haven’t read any of her other novels yet. My Cousin Rachel is next, but The House on the Strand might have to be bumped up on my TBR!
My Cousin Rachel has a similar atmosphere to Rebecca, so I think it will be a great one for you to read next.
Strangely I haven’t read any of the books in your list although quite a few sound tempting. A quick scan of my shelves revealed The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson, The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton and My Father’s House by Joseph O’Connor
I’ve read the Shirley Jackson and Joseph O’Connor books, but had to restrict myself to ten for this list!
Love it! I’ve only read The Professor’s House and This House is Haunted, but I liked them both. 😀
I’m glad you liked those two 🙂
I’ve read The Red House Mystery, This House Is Haunted, The Dutch House, Great House, and The House on the Strand. Some of the others look interesting.
Get set for a long list of “house” books: The House of the Spirits, The House of Doors, The Listening House, My Father’s House, The House Opposite, The House Next Door, House-Bound, The House on Half-Moon Street, The House of Fortune, The House of Footsteps, A House in Bloomsbury, The Old Bank House, The Candy House, The Decagon House Murders, Red Island House, A House in the Country, The House of Whispers, The House Between Tides. I guess I’d better stop now. These are ones I’ve read since 2022, and my search of blog titles says I have 45 more pages of lists of “house” books.
That’s an impressive list just in three years! I’ve read 36 in the whole time I’ve been blogging, but had to limit myself to 10 for this post.
I thought I was going to list them all until I saw how many there were. I guess using the word in titles is common.
Nice! I’ve read The Dutch House and Great House. Some of my top picks would be Arkady Martine’s Rose/House, Carmen Maria Machado’s In The Dream House, Rumer Godden’s In This House of Brede and Leigh Bardugo’s Ninth House.
There are so many House books! I haven’t read the ones you’ve mentioned, but In This House of Brede is on the TBR.
Oh, how nice. Two books I’ve read that aren’t much reviewed – The Red House Mystery, and Great House! I picked the word “woman” for mine.
Yes, I tried to highlight some books here that don’t get much attention, as well as some more famous ones.
I had no idea there were so many books with House in the title. I’ve read two of yours – the Dutch House and The House on the Strand from your list – and they’re not on my list! It was a good word to choose for a top ten topic.
I was surprised to find how many books I’d read with House in the title – I had difficulty narrowing it down to ten for this list. It was definitely a good word to choose!
I love The Dutch House and The House on the Strand. I haven’t read any of the others, but I there are a few I’m interested in. Here’s my list: https://franlaniado.wordpress.com/2025/04/29/top-ten-tuesday-fun-and-games/
I enjoyed all of these books, so I’m pleased some of them interest you!
I didn’t know that Oscar Wilde had written a fairytale collection. And now I have to admit that it’ll probably end up being the first book that I try by him. I never can resist those kind of vibes. I’ve added the John Boyne one to my TBR too as it’s another type of premise that always calls to me. Wonderful list, as to your question I’ve read more books with the word house in the title than I’d realised. A few of my favourites are Starling House and House Of Roots & Ruin.
Oscar Wilde also wrote another book of fairytales called The Happy Prince & Other Stories, although I haven’t read that one yet. I hadn’t heard of the two House books you’ve mentioned, but I’ve just looked them up and they both sound great.
Ooh I’ll have to look into that one too. I don’t know if you’ve tried anything by Alix E Harrow before but I think The Once & Future Witches could work for you. It has those historic vibes and her writing is beautiful.
I haven’t read anything by Alix E Harrow yet, but I do have a copy of The Ten Thousand Doors of January. If I like it I’ll consider reading The Once & Future Witches as well – thanks!
I hope you enjoy it whenever you get to it 🥰
Hello Helen, I also adore The House on the Strand by Daphne du Maurier. 🥰 Other books I have loved were The Crooked House by Agatha Christie and Anne’s House of Dreams by L.M. Montgomery. 🏡
Blessings, Jessica 💌
I’m glad you love The House on the Strand too! I think it’s one of du Maurier’s best books. I forgot about Crooked House – I enjoyed that one as well.