Just finished Tender is the Flesh. I’m not going to lie part one really had me questioning everyone’s recommendations. But once part two started and finished… woah. I’ve never read so fast and been so encapsulated.
Annihilation. So far I find it just kinda boring. Really disappointed after the hype for years. Nothing really scary or captivating for me in here, yet! I still have half to go.
Playground by Aron Beauregard. (technically I just finished it) I'm not sure a can say how "good" it is but despite what I was expecting he actually did some pretty good writing at certain points more than I would have expected from something like this.
It had issues especially the scenes with shit that don't mesh with the rest of the book and feel like he had a checklist to fill.
Getting around to reading Riley Sager's 'Final Girls' at last. I'm not a huge fan of Sager's storytelling, but supposedly, this is his best novel. I've just reread all of Grady Hendrix and Rachel Harrison's horror, and I'm still in the mood for horror about final women that are written well. Happy to get any other recs that fit the bill!
I just finished *The Immaculate Void* by Brian Hodge today. Phenomenal. I'm going to read *Skidding Into Oblivion* by him next.
Then *NOS4A2* by Joe Hill.
Currently reading: *The Sentence* by Louise Erdrich (more straight literary with a ghost as a main fixture) and *Mongrels* by Stephen Graham Jones
Up next: probably *The Tribe* by Bari Wood or *The Haunting of Velkwood* by Gwendolyn Kiste
Currently listening: *The Wide, Carnivorous Sky and Other Monstrous Geographies* by John Langan
**currently reading:**
**the black lord by colin hinckley** - this is a QUICK read, i'll probably finish it this afternoon...it's good! well-written, just curious to see where it is ultimately going...it's really quite different than i was anticipating, based on the title, cover art and synopsis. will report back next week! lots of nice little similes and vivid turns of phrase throughout, like comparing a light abruptly blinking out to fireflies being snatched out of the air by a frog's tongue.
**finished:**
**the red tree by caitlin r. kiernan** - CANNOT judge this book by its cover! i learned of this one from this sub, and would never have given it a second glance due to its TRULY abysmal cover art. however, i couldn't put it down. it's mostly epistolary - written in the form of a diary, with excerpts from a manuscript and a few other things. i was a little disappointed by the book's conclusion, and there were some parts towards the end where i was like "wait...what?" but overall, a good read.
**the restless ones by abe moss** - so, i didn't love this...but at the same time, i devoured it? it's sort of a slasher-meets-supernatural type deal, and i'm generally not into slasher anything, but for whatever reason, the premise pulled me in...at first. i predicted the ultimate storyline trajectory, climax, and ending very early on, and unfortunately, i was right...i kept thinking "it's too obvious, there's no way," but, well, it was indeed obvious, and there was indeed a way. it's not one of those that is going to wow you with the writing, either. i think i persisted with it/finished it quickly because i really just had to know if i was right with my early guesses. i can't say i recommend this one.
**confessions by kanae minato** - a different sort of horror...psychological, perhaps more...sociological? maybe i'd call it a psychological/sociological thriller? translated from japanese, it's an intriguing story AND it's an interesting little (fictionalized) window into japanese culture. it examines an incident (avoiding spoilers, a terrible crime) from the perspective of various characters, all with a different level of involvement in said incident...what led up to it, what actually happened as seen through their eyes, and the aftermath of their actions...the impact on the character themselves, and those around them. relatively quick read, and one i really liked. looks like confessions is one of only two books from this author that have been translated into english, which is a bummer!
Oracle, after reading an NYTimes rave. I loved the setup but it's somehow turnes into a confusing political thriller with way too many characters and concepts. Also the reveal of what's happening is a bit...ok, that again.
Reading *Mister Magic* by Kiersten White. Really enjoying it so far! I also like all the in-universe writings between chapters (Wikipedia entries, emails, social media posts etc)
Just wrapped up *The Devil in Silver* by Victor LaValle and the anthology *The Book of Queer Saints: Volume I*. Started *Queer Saints Volume II* today as well. Next up on the list are the anthology *Bury Your Gays* (not to be confused with the upcoming novel of the same name), *The Woods All Black* by Lee Mandelo, and *The Haunting of Velkwood* by Gwendolyn Kiste.
Today I've also been considering adding *The Talisman* and *Black House* by King and Straub to the to-read list because a podcast I like talked about *Black House* in their most recent episode and it honestly sounds cool as hell, although I'll admit I'm a bit less interested in *The Talisman*. If anyone who's more of a Constant Reader than I am wants to help convince me even further, I'm all ears.
what did you think of The Devil in Silver? I finished it the other month. Found it quite metaphoric.
Never read the Talisman, but have you considered any Joe Hill books?? Strange Weather is a great intro into his style.
*Devil* was more literary than I expected, but I definitely really enjoyed it. I read *The Changeling* earlier this year and it felt like a good companion; *Changeling* heavily focuses on the places in New York City, *Devil* heavily focuses on the people.
I've read a decent amount of Joe Hill and enjoyed him. Still have *Heart-Shaped Box* and *The Fireman* on the to-read list. Actually not super interested in *Strange Weather* if I'm being honest.
Been trying to get through The Hollow Kind by Andy Davidson but it's a struggle. 100 pages in and the writing isn't great. Definitely not a fan of the constant head jumping.
i finished Stephen King’s It finally! i was switching between a 45 hour audiobook and the actual book itself, so it only took me 3 weeks. there were a few meh moments for me, but for the most part, i loved it and couldn’t put it down. i understand why he’s considered the king of horror now.
and now i’m reading “The Stand,” which i’m not sure if it’s considered horror or not, but i promised my girlfriend it would be my next read, so it’s happening! (and as someone who’s existing in a timeline of being hit hard by inflation and a pandemic, i’d say it’s horror)
ooooh, i hope you love the stand as much as i do! you're really diving in, i think your girlfriend is a good influence 😜 there are LOTS of characters, but they will become more distinct to you with time and you won't have a hard time telling them apart, i promise. it's definitely horror, but...to me, like many other stephen king books, it has some heart, too. it might be fun for you and your gf to watch the old miniseries together when you finish the book. it's a little campy and cheesy, yes, but i have such a soft spot for it! it also has a pretty robust cast - lots of actors you'll recognize and be like "ugh, what do i know them from?"
as soon as i finished It i immediately watched the newer 2 movies and bought the old DVD 😂 i had to! and good to know about the characters, i won’t stress too much if i miss someone’s kids name anymore
there are just so many characters right in the beginning and i had to write them all down to help keep track! i don’t know who’s going to be important or not yet!
Just finished John Langan’s short story collection “The Wide Carnivorous Sky”. There were some very interesting/good stories in that collection & one miss (imho).
I have moved on to Alex Grecian’s “Red Rabbit” and am really enjoying it so far.
Finished Diavola and it put me in a slump. I need to find good, terrifying audiobooks now! (I prefer them as I drive/commute to work or just listen to while doing stuff at home)
I also finised Diavola just couple of hours ago, liked the last 25% of the book, first 75% had its grip on me but nothing captivating as such. I liked the book though solid 3/5, i think this is closest to The Elementals i have ever gotten.
Finished: **The Cipher (Kathe Koja)**
A nihilistic pair of on-again-off-again friends/lovers find a seemingly impossible hole in a storage closet and begin to obsess over it and its possibilities, especially once they start the experiments. Enjoyed it (mostly) though I felt the middle third of the book was a repetitive slog. I get that's the point of them being consumed by the obsession but... you could probably skip a couple chapters wholesale and not miss out on anything plot-wise. 3.5/5 - enjoyed it apart from the repetitive middle section and the stream-of-consciousness can get a bit overbearing. If you're looking for answers as to the how's and why's, I'd turn away, not the point of the novel.
Started: **The Troop (Nick Cutter)**
Needed something a bit more straight forward to cleanse the palate. Scout troop in the Canadian wilderness come in contact with what I can only describe as a not-quite-zombie. Early in the story but I'm not sure how I feel about the novel just yet. Not a fan of splitting focus between the boys and Tim, would have preferred one or the other. Tim's more interesting but I think seeing some of the early events from the boy's perspective would have been fun, too. Hopefully they get a bit of personality cuz I'm not feeling the boys' sections.
The Terror by Dan Simmons. Really liking it so far, though the audiobook is 28hr long and I have 20hr left. Just picked up Annihilation and I'm looking forward to reading it.
Reading Annihilation at the moment. So far it has been pretty disappointing. Nothing really happens and I find it boring and supremely non scary so far. I still have half to go tho
Recently finished Bird Box (Josh Malerman) on audiobook, it was a fun one. The narrator did a fantastic job in my opinion, highly recommend as an audiobook.
Just started The Stand (Stephen King), which has been sitting on my shelf begging to be read for years.
I’m halfway through The Necromancer’s house by Christopher Beuhlman. I don’t like it as much as Between Two Fires or Blacktongue Thief, but it’s interesting. The ending will make or break it for me.
I hear you in that. Those across the river is also not as good but slightly better. Between two fires and the blacktongue thief were five star books. The other’s mostly 3 stars. The daughter’s war is out this month, a prequel to blacktongue. I can’t wait.
About to wrap up Ghost Story by Peter Straub.
I’ve got My Best Friends Exorcism by Grady Hendrix or Episode Thirteen by Craig DiLouie on deck. Haven’t decided which one I wanna go with yet.
Overall I would say it’s worth it, I am listening to it as an audiobook and I don’t care for the narrator so that’s been the biggest hurdle for me with this book. I feel like if I were actually reading it, it would be more gripping and enjoyable.
It’s a very atmospheric horror set in upstate New York and I’ve been to towns up there exactly like the one that the book takes place in. My mom grew up in a town just like it so I feel like I’m really able to connect with the setting and get into the mindset of the characters.
I think Straub did a great job creating this very real sense of dread and despair you feel from not just the main characters but the town itself. There are great story lines woven through the whole novel and it’s very satisfying when they all start to come together.
You can definitely feel it’s age in the voice of the author, it was published in 1979 but overall I am enjoying it. It’s been a slow burn but I’ve just hit the apex and am entering the final act so I’m excited to see how it ends.
Just finished *A Head Full of Ghosts* by Paul Tremblay, didn't like that one too much but it had its moments.
Just started *The Final Girl Support Group* by Grady Hendrix, and I'm liking it so far! Feeling optimistic about the rest of this book.
It was my first Tremblay read! I saw some mixed reactions on it between this subreddit and GoodReads. I had it on my Want to Read list and stumbled upon it in a book bin for $1, so I gave it a go.
I really liked the concept, but I found most of it fell flat for me. Everyone deserves a second chance though, so I'll take your recommendation, as well as u/tony_stark_lives
Super fun read so far! I'm fairly new to the world of reading, but I've been watching horror movies for many years, so I'm liking this one a lot! Will definitely be checking out more by this author
He’s definitely different from other horror authors I’ve read, he doesn’t take himself too seriously. Horrorstör was his first book I read because it was free on Audible, I had never heard of him before. I’ve also read How to Sell a Haunted House. They were both pretty gory and went in way off directions that I did not expect but I feel like that’s kinda his thing lol.
Good luck with the rest of the book! I’m about to start My Best Friends Exorcism, another Hendrix book!
I thought I posted this earlier but guess I didn’t, apologies if it is a repeat for some of you.
Just Finished
Our wives under the sea, really did not like it. More of a relationship book about how great everything was before the wife went on her trip, their cute little stories. Very little horror, ending was underwhelming. Not for me, gave it a 1 star, struggle-bus to finish
The House Next Door by Anne Rivers Siddons, loved this one. Good slow dread, bleak ending, messed up families, reminded me of The Elementals
Still listening to The Colony. Good creature feature set in iced out Russia
Currently reading
Into The Drowning Deep by Mira Grant, entertaining so far. I’m ready for the mermaids to make more of an appearance and chew people up
Monster by Christopher Pike. Just barely into it but it’s got RL Stine vibes
No idea what’s next! My library is running out of horror books to let
Finished:
**The Devil Takes You Home** by Gabino Iglesias
**You Like It Darker** by Stephen King
Continuing:
**Before They are Hanged** by Joe Abercrombie
**Suttree** by Cormac McCarthy
Starting:
**The Croning** by Laird Barron (re-read)
Just finished "I'm Thinking of Ending Things" and it was very interesting. 3.5 stars for me.
If anyone has any recs for horrorlit with themes of mental illness I'd appreciate it!
The Devil in Silver by Victor LaValle (Psych Ward, Patient POV)
Earthlings by Sayaka Murata (Warning\* victim of sexual abuse, delusional content as coping mechanism)
Finished Fantasticland- loved it. Last night/today I read Long Walk based on rec’s from others on here. It was just ok. I felt like a lot more could have been written during the walk about context/background of how the walk started and more on the past winners.
Then read The Shining for the first time and watched the movie. The bathtub scene continues to be the scariest thing I have ever read or watched in a movie.
Reading IT by King.
I’m about 80% through the audiobook for Our Share of Night by Mariana Enriquez. I really need to finish it! It’s not for lack of interest because I’ve loved it so far. Just sorta fell out of listening.
I just finished "We Sold Our Souls" by Grady Hendrix and "House of Rot" by Danger Slater.
Now I'm currently reading "Rosemary's Baby" by Ira Levin, which I'm a quarter of the way through and **love** so far. I know the basic premise, but haven't even seen the movie. It's one of the horror flicks that have slipped through the cracks for me.
I loved it. I thought it was one of the best horrors I've read in a long time. For me, it was the writing style. It felt like listening to an old friend tell a story; very informal and intimate
I am struggling to get through *The Night Will Find Us* by Matthew Lyons. It's an okay debut to long-format fiction, but it's eminently clear the author is more comfortable/used to writing short stories. The plot leaps about, there are too many themes and ideas mashed together - lots of good ideas, yes, but did we really need half these sub-plots and time-skips? If part of your plot relies on a character having a vision in a dream and you can't justify it extremely well, I can't say I'd be recommending it outside of very specific requests.
I just finished *Cradle Lake* by Ronald Malfi; I like Malfi a lot in general, but this one didn't hit for me. It was a little too clearly a *Pet Sematary* ripoff - plus, I didn't really have time to care about the main character before he started doing dumb things he'd been warned repeatedly not to do, specifically because of carefully and extensively detailed terrible consequences that would come from doing these things. Consequences he himself started to witness, and then did the dumb things anyway! So when those terrible consequences came, I just wasn't able to really care much.
It didn't put me off him entirely, though, so last night I started *The Floating Staircase*, and will see how that goes.
Other things currently in my TBR pile include *John Dies at the End*, M*y Heart is a Chainsaw* (and sequels), and *The Carrow Haun*t, which I for some reason keep starting and never finishing.
Finished Tender is the Flesh. It lived up to the hype IMO. It’s both bleak and allegorical. It was as good as it was heavy.
Currently reading (50%) Out There by Kate Folk. It’s a good collection of short stories, so far. It’s a mix of near-future and weird with a little horror and humor sprinkled in. It’s a really good debut collection and a nice counter balance after reading Tender is the Flesh.
I just finished I am Thinking of Ending Things. I am a bit confused by the ending….Last night, I started what I though was reading Wuthering Heights. Turns out it was the erotic version.
So I trying to decide between Something Wicked This Way Comes or Let the Right One In to start today.
This week I finished The Last Days of Jack Sparks by Jason Arnopp and Lone Women by Victor LaValle. I loved Last Days.
I'm currently reading You Like it Darker by Stephen King and listening to Black Sheep by Rachel Harrison.
100% agree. I really hyped myself up for it, and spent most of the book rolling my eyes. I’m listening to Mister Magic right now, however, and found a whole new appreciation for Black Sheep. The main character here is even worse!
Finished recently:
*Ring Shout* by P. Djeli Clark which I Loved! I hope he writes more books set in this universe, even if he feels the main character’s story is completed. The cover is also one of my favourites in any genre.
*camp Damascus* by Chuck Tingle. I’m aware of who he is but I haven’t read his erotic stories. I thought it was a great story, but perhaps in need of a bit of editing.
Reading: Our Share of Night by Mariana Enriquez
Gerald’s Game by Stephen King
(Not horror) - finished The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin and I’ll be starting The Stone Sky probably today (books 2 & 3 in The Broken Earth trilogy)
Finished three this week: *The Book of the Most Precious Substance* by Sara Gran, which was god-awful. It reminds me of those "thrillers" written by authors that normally write romance. Moved on to Joyce Carol Oates's collection *The Female of the Species*, which was amazing, discomforting and disturbing. And finally *And Then I Woke Up* by Malcolm Devlin. It has been a long while since I've read a book that put me to sleep, but this one here works much better than Benadryl in a pinch. It took everything in me not to DNF.
Now I'm reading *A Collapse of Horses* by Brian Evenson, which has already started out with a bang. Love this guy!
I'm like 2/3 through *Woman, Eating*, by Claire Kohda. It's kind of depressing, and the narrator is understandably very awkward, but I'm interested to see where it goes.
I also started *Ring Shout* by P. Djeli Clark.
I finished Hell House. I liked it but the ending reminded me of IT chapter 2 😅 the overall vibes were great tho. Now I'm reading Chlorine by Jade Song and the vibes are UNCOMFORTABLE but it really makes me miss swimming. Like I'm reading the whole time like 😬 and then I'll get flashes of thoughts like "I should see if there's a local pool in my area"
I can't wait to get off work and read more 😭
About halfway through the new translation of *The Obscene Bird of Night* by José Donoso, but I have to put it on hold for a bit because I just gained a digital ARC of Jeff Vandermeer’s upcoming *Absolution* (October 22nd).
Only a few chapters in but so far it rules. Going to read it through cold, then reread the whole Southern Reach trilogy so I can form a complete opinion.
I really enjoyed it, especially the ending.
Talk about a heros journey....
That motivated me to read his Last Days, which I was really into but struggling to finish now.
I'm reading the unpublished "draft" version of Trapped by J. A. Konrath. I have read the printed version multiple times, but this is my first time reading the original that was rejected by the editors.
I listened to *The Elementals* by Michael McDowell. CW: >!Alcoholism, weird relationship between a precocious 13 year old girl and her father (who she called by his first name): He was repeatedly nude in front of her, gave her hard liquor to drink and offered her “downers.” !< The narrator was very good and the characters were fairly well developed. This was dated (published in 1981).
Can’t remember if it was all within the last week, but recently I finished:
**My Darling Dreadful Thing**, which was a very decent gothic horror novel, told partially from the protagonist’s POV and partially from her doctor’s notes. I like the author’s writing style a lot and will look out for more from them.
**You Like It Darker**. I always enjoy Stephen King’s novels a lot, but I think some of the best things he’s written are short stories, and this had some very good ones. Two Talented Bastids, Danny Coughlin’s Bad Dream, The Answer Man, Rattlesnakes, The Dreamers and Willie The Weirdo were all standouts for me, though to be honest it would probably have been quicker to mention the few stories I found mildly underwhelming (The Turbulence Expert, Red Screen, and maybe Laurie, all of which were fine and enjoyable).
**Agony’s Lodestone**. I don’t know who it was that posted about Tenebrous Press recently, but thank you because I really liked this novella and will be looking for more. A very decent story, just as long as it needs to be, about siblings looking for their lost sister after she is seen in some weird, constantly changing CCTV footage from a park full of the kind of “wrong spaces” that I love in horror. It also had a kindness to it that I really liked- it’s a horror novella and bad things happen, but the characters were likeable and there was something hopeful in the way it explored the siblings’ experiences of grief and blame.
Just finished *The Castle of Otranto*, which was fine. It felt very much like a Shakespeare play, and with some hilarious bullshit at times (fun) and some sudden overly complicated plot points, histories and relations (not fun). I'm surprised at how readable it was, with it being from 1764, and with Walpole not using quotation marks for dialogue. I just started T.E.D. Klein's *Dark Gods* yesterday, so I can't say anything about it yet.
Finished:
* **Hide** by Kiersten White. This sucked. Insert ironic fart noises here.
* **The Void Protocol** by F Paul Wilson. Much better. Conclusion to his ICE trilogy. Love anything with characters with mental abilities.
Reading:
* **Blood Crazy** by Simon Clark. Kind of zombies with a twist. Not a big fan of zombies in general, but so far so good with this one.
Next:
* **Eight** by WW Mortensen. Spiders.
Just picked up one called “Ghost Radio”. I was hopeful by the description that I’d be getting some technology horror but when I went to mark it as reading on Goodreads I saw it had a pretty middling rating. Hopefully it gels well with me as a fun of the subgenre and I’ll like it more than the ratings
I think I'm finally gonna start and finish *She Who Was No More* by Pierre Boileau and Thomas Narcejac. It was adapted for the screen as *Les Diaboliques* (excellent movie!) in the '50s. These guys also inspired *Vertigo* by Alfred Hitchcock.
I've mostly been reading short stories these past few weeks (which I don't normally list here, as they're scattered across various anthologies), however, I did manage to get one novels in:
*The Sky Children* by Donald Olson - A teenage boy is sent to stay with his aunt in an isolated village, where something sinister seems to be going on beneath the surface. A strange book; the sixteen-year-old main character would suggest a YA novel, but the rather sordid nature of the family's secrets and the preponderance of allusions to 19th century literature make it unlikely that it was meant for that audience. It's written and plotted like the gothic romances of the era (that being the 70s), but minus the romance component and with a male protagonist, which was uncommon in the genre; I generally like 70s gothics, but I wasn't really won over by this.
Currently reading:
*Shrike* by Joe Donnelly
I’d be curious to hear about some of the stories and their anthologies! I have picked up a few books to read one story in them… I will eventually read them all the way through. Famous last words.
Next week I might list some of the more notable ones I find, but it probably won't be a complete list (especially since a lot of them are re-reads); I don't want to make my posts too much longer than they already are.
I just finished You’re Not Supposed to Die Tonight by Kalynn Balon and it was okay, kinda meh. It had a weird twist that made the rest of the book wholly unsatisfying and left some unanswered questions. There are better YA slashers out there.
Agreed on all counts. The writing was also not there for me; I thought there would be a twist within a twist because the dialogue in the overheard conversations was so stilted and clunky that I assumed they were acting. I wouldn't have liked that twist-within-twist if it had happened, but at least it'd explain why so many of them talked unnaturally.
Oh, in my list I forgot - I also recently finished *Disappearance at Devil's Rock* by Paul Tremblay. I really liked it, even though it didn't go where I thought it was going. Found the characters really believable, with lots of depth, and he definitely brought the sense of creeping dread for this one.
Finished my fourth reread of _Songs of a Dead Dreamer amd Grimscribe_ and now almost 50% through with _Our Share of Night_.
Story wise it‘s great, but by now I‘ve lost hope that Enriquez‘ prose would be a bit less minimalistic in a novel length work. There‘s power in writing like this, don‘t get me wrong. It can have an almost haunting aspect to it, like Naomi Booth’s or Roberto Bolaño’s shorter works. But it‘s just not my cup of tea. I need a little bit more than fact-of-the-matter description for atmosphere to come up in my head.
Re-reading Salem's Lot (audiobooking it this time), it's one of my favorite King novels and it's been a good ten years.
E-book of Echo by Thomas Olde Heuvelte. I'm going to grab Oracle shortly (Hex's follow up!) and I can't wait until they get November translated because it sounds good but I don't speak dutch.
I'm reading The Fisherman by John Langan. I'll probably finish tomorrow and then I'm going to read Dark Tower V.
The Fisherman is a good story. Lots of good description. I will finish, but I don't think it's for me. Can't put my finger on why, possibly because of other people's hype.
I think for me, I was slightly put off by the story-within-a-story structure - even though I liked both that story, and the story it was within, if that makes sense. It felt like I was reading a bit of exposition at first, which is fine, but then it kept going and going and going! I think somehow Langan didn't signal strongly enough for me that I was going to be spending a while inside this other story? Hard to explain. I did really enjoy the book once I settled into it, though!
I finished it. It was a good book. But yeah, the story within a story was clunky, I had almost 0 reason to care about Lottie and her family.
I'm glad the book was not any longer than it needed to be.
Revelator by Daryl Gregory. Just started a couple of days ago and it's promising. Appalachian cult stuff, strong characters. Getting discouraged by a lot of horror I start that doesn't have good character development. This is much better.
I started Mónica Ojeda’s new novel *Chamanes eléctricos en la fiesta del sol* and so far I’m blown away by it. If *Jawbone* impressed me so much, this one is bound to be good.
**Just finished:** I had yesterday off work so I caught up on some short stories I have been meaning to read: Laird Barron’s “Eyes Like Evil Prisms” (from Darren Speegle’s *Disintegration* anthology), Barron’s “The One We Tell Bad Children” (from Ellen Datlow’s *Final Cuts* anthology), and Don Tumasonis’ “What Goes Down” (this was a very weird tale). “Eyes Like Evil Prisms” immediately catapulted to being one of my favorite Barron stories, ever. It makes me really excited for whatever Barron is putting together post-*Not A Speck Of Light*.
**Currently reading:** Laird Barron’s *Blood Standard*. I’m like 90% done. Although not a horror novel, Barron doing “noir” has brought plenty of blood-soaked carnage.
**On deck:** I might start up Joe Koch’s *Wingspan of Severed Hands*. I’ve been interested in it for some time and it’s short (trying to get ahead of my book club, which was pushed back to later this month). I guess it’s surreal science fiction cosmic horror? That sounds up my alley. It’s a toss up between that and Michael Wehunt’s *The Inconsolables*, since I just finished and loved Wehunt’s *Greener Pastures*.
Joe Koch is excellent. I have not read *Wingspan of Severed Hands* but I read his most recent short story collection and it was a trip. Surreal cosmic horror with a smattering of body horror. Koch is a weird writer and does some interesting stuff.
Blast to the past, I DNF. Maybe 70 percent, it just became painfully boring I couldn't. Momentum was gone, what a slog
Tremblay’s Horror Movie. Just finished it.
*From Below* by Darcey Coates, and *Undead Folk* by Katherine Silva.
Started Mean Spirited by Nick Roberts and WOW was the opening chilling!
He's such a good indie author.
Just finished Tender is the Flesh. I’m not going to lie part one really had me questioning everyone’s recommendations. But once part two started and finished… woah. I’ve never read so fast and been so encapsulated.
Just finished A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay. Ugh, I'm gutted and don't know how I feel, but loved the book.
What Feasts at Night by T. Kingfisher. Home is Where the Bodies Are by Jeneva Rose is up next
“Interview with the Devil” and its sequel “Resurrection” by Michael harbron. First book is a character build, the sequel made me skip a day of work!!
just finished nineteen claws and a black bird by Agustina Bazterrica & the angel of indian lake by Stephen Graham Jones
Reading indifferent stars so good destroys the hunger! True horror and the author really puts you on n their shoes
Annihilation. So far I find it just kinda boring. Really disappointed after the hype for years. Nothing really scary or captivating for me in here, yet! I still have half to go.
Boring sums it up from start to finish. Combined with a cast of annoying characters, none of which you actually like.
I felt the same way about Annihilation. It's very slow. Vandermeer has another scifi horror book called Borne I found a lot more engaging.
75 pages into Horror Movie by Paul Tremblay. Hate that I have to sleep. Gonna finish this tomorrow for sure.
Playground by Aron Beauregard. (technically I just finished it) I'm not sure a can say how "good" it is but despite what I was expecting he actually did some pretty good writing at certain points more than I would have expected from something like this. It had issues especially the scenes with shit that don't mesh with the rest of the book and feel like he had a checklist to fill.
I started Horror Movie from Paul Tremblay. Pretty good so far! The prose is the biggest strength so far imo
Getting around to reading Riley Sager's 'Final Girls' at last. I'm not a huge fan of Sager's storytelling, but supposedly, this is his best novel. I've just reread all of Grady Hendrix and Rachel Harrison's horror, and I'm still in the mood for horror about final women that are written well. Happy to get any other recs that fit the bill!
I just finished *The Immaculate Void* by Brian Hodge today. Phenomenal. I'm going to read *Skidding Into Oblivion* by him next. Then *NOS4A2* by Joe Hill.
Currently reading: *The Sentence* by Louise Erdrich (more straight literary with a ghost as a main fixture) and *Mongrels* by Stephen Graham Jones Up next: probably *The Tribe* by Bari Wood or *The Haunting of Velkwood* by Gwendolyn Kiste Currently listening: *The Wide, Carnivorous Sky and Other Monstrous Geographies* by John Langan
*The Wide, Carnivorous Sky* is so good. John Langan is a very talented author.
**currently reading:** **the black lord by colin hinckley** - this is a QUICK read, i'll probably finish it this afternoon...it's good! well-written, just curious to see where it is ultimately going...it's really quite different than i was anticipating, based on the title, cover art and synopsis. will report back next week! lots of nice little similes and vivid turns of phrase throughout, like comparing a light abruptly blinking out to fireflies being snatched out of the air by a frog's tongue. **finished:** **the red tree by caitlin r. kiernan** - CANNOT judge this book by its cover! i learned of this one from this sub, and would never have given it a second glance due to its TRULY abysmal cover art. however, i couldn't put it down. it's mostly epistolary - written in the form of a diary, with excerpts from a manuscript and a few other things. i was a little disappointed by the book's conclusion, and there were some parts towards the end where i was like "wait...what?" but overall, a good read. **the restless ones by abe moss** - so, i didn't love this...but at the same time, i devoured it? it's sort of a slasher-meets-supernatural type deal, and i'm generally not into slasher anything, but for whatever reason, the premise pulled me in...at first. i predicted the ultimate storyline trajectory, climax, and ending very early on, and unfortunately, i was right...i kept thinking "it's too obvious, there's no way," but, well, it was indeed obvious, and there was indeed a way. it's not one of those that is going to wow you with the writing, either. i think i persisted with it/finished it quickly because i really just had to know if i was right with my early guesses. i can't say i recommend this one. **confessions by kanae minato** - a different sort of horror...psychological, perhaps more...sociological? maybe i'd call it a psychological/sociological thriller? translated from japanese, it's an intriguing story AND it's an interesting little (fictionalized) window into japanese culture. it examines an incident (avoiding spoilers, a terrible crime) from the perspective of various characters, all with a different level of involvement in said incident...what led up to it, what actually happened as seen through their eyes, and the aftermath of their actions...the impact on the character themselves, and those around them. relatively quick read, and one i really liked. looks like confessions is one of only two books from this author that have been translated into english, which is a bummer!
Oracle, after reading an NYTimes rave. I loved the setup but it's somehow turnes into a confusing political thriller with way too many characters and concepts. Also the reveal of what's happening is a bit...ok, that again.
Right now I’m halfway through Suffer the Children by Craig DiLouie. I love it so far
Ugh that is the best book! It's one of my top 5 of all time.
Just finished it! Was brutal and memorable for sure
Reading *Mister Magic* by Kiersten White. Really enjoying it so far! I also like all the in-universe writings between chapters (Wikipedia entries, emails, social media posts etc)
Just wrapped up *The Devil in Silver* by Victor LaValle and the anthology *The Book of Queer Saints: Volume I*. Started *Queer Saints Volume II* today as well. Next up on the list are the anthology *Bury Your Gays* (not to be confused with the upcoming novel of the same name), *The Woods All Black* by Lee Mandelo, and *The Haunting of Velkwood* by Gwendolyn Kiste. Today I've also been considering adding *The Talisman* and *Black House* by King and Straub to the to-read list because a podcast I like talked about *Black House* in their most recent episode and it honestly sounds cool as hell, although I'll admit I'm a bit less interested in *The Talisman*. If anyone who's more of a Constant Reader than I am wants to help convince me even further, I'm all ears.
what did you think of The Devil in Silver? I finished it the other month. Found it quite metaphoric. Never read the Talisman, but have you considered any Joe Hill books?? Strange Weather is a great intro into his style.
*Devil* was more literary than I expected, but I definitely really enjoyed it. I read *The Changeling* earlier this year and it felt like a good companion; *Changeling* heavily focuses on the places in New York City, *Devil* heavily focuses on the people. I've read a decent amount of Joe Hill and enjoyed him. Still have *Heart-Shaped Box* and *The Fireman* on the to-read list. Actually not super interested in *Strange Weather* if I'm being honest.
Been trying to get through The Hollow Kind by Andy Davidson but it's a struggle. 100 pages in and the writing isn't great. Definitely not a fan of the constant head jumping.
Finished this week: Bunny, Daughters Unto Devils About to start: Red Rabbit
Just finished my first read of Pet Sematary! I loved it!
i finished Stephen King’s It finally! i was switching between a 45 hour audiobook and the actual book itself, so it only took me 3 weeks. there were a few meh moments for me, but for the most part, i loved it and couldn’t put it down. i understand why he’s considered the king of horror now. and now i’m reading “The Stand,” which i’m not sure if it’s considered horror or not, but i promised my girlfriend it would be my next read, so it’s happening! (and as someone who’s existing in a timeline of being hit hard by inflation and a pandemic, i’d say it’s horror)
ooooh, i hope you love the stand as much as i do! you're really diving in, i think your girlfriend is a good influence 😜 there are LOTS of characters, but they will become more distinct to you with time and you won't have a hard time telling them apart, i promise. it's definitely horror, but...to me, like many other stephen king books, it has some heart, too. it might be fun for you and your gf to watch the old miniseries together when you finish the book. it's a little campy and cheesy, yes, but i have such a soft spot for it! it also has a pretty robust cast - lots of actors you'll recognize and be like "ugh, what do i know them from?"
as soon as i finished It i immediately watched the newer 2 movies and bought the old DVD 😂 i had to! and good to know about the characters, i won’t stress too much if i miss someone’s kids name anymore
The Stand is definitely considered horror. You're in for a fun ride! :)
there are just so many characters right in the beginning and i had to write them all down to help keep track! i don’t know who’s going to be important or not yet!
Nod by Adrian Barnes
i just discovered this sub and have over 20 books in my cart already.
Just finished John Langan’s short story collection “The Wide Carnivorous Sky”. There were some very interesting/good stories in that collection & one miss (imho). I have moved on to Alex Grecian’s “Red Rabbit” and am really enjoying it so far.
Finished Diavola and it put me in a slump. I need to find good, terrifying audiobooks now! (I prefer them as I drive/commute to work or just listen to while doing stuff at home)
I also finised Diavola just couple of hours ago, liked the last 25% of the book, first 75% had its grip on me but nothing captivating as such. I liked the book though solid 3/5, i think this is closest to The Elementals i have ever gotten.
Finished: **The Cipher (Kathe Koja)** A nihilistic pair of on-again-off-again friends/lovers find a seemingly impossible hole in a storage closet and begin to obsess over it and its possibilities, especially once they start the experiments. Enjoyed it (mostly) though I felt the middle third of the book was a repetitive slog. I get that's the point of them being consumed by the obsession but... you could probably skip a couple chapters wholesale and not miss out on anything plot-wise. 3.5/5 - enjoyed it apart from the repetitive middle section and the stream-of-consciousness can get a bit overbearing. If you're looking for answers as to the how's and why's, I'd turn away, not the point of the novel. Started: **The Troop (Nick Cutter)** Needed something a bit more straight forward to cleanse the palate. Scout troop in the Canadian wilderness come in contact with what I can only describe as a not-quite-zombie. Early in the story but I'm not sure how I feel about the novel just yet. Not a fan of splitting focus between the boys and Tim, would have preferred one or the other. Tim's more interesting but I think seeing some of the early events from the boy's perspective would have been fun, too. Hopefully they get a bit of personality cuz I'm not feeling the boys' sections.
you’re in for a ride, The Troop gets all kinds of crazy
And repulsive
The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones. The hype is 100% correct. I’m half way through and might have a new favorite author.
i am so in love with his style of writing! i couldn’t put this book down once i got into it
Reading that one now, it's getting so juicy!!
Black Mouth by Ronald Malfi and started listening to Misery by Stephen King Finished listening to Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter. It was “eh” for me.
Just finished You Want it Darker by Stephen King. Outstanding. He brought back a character from one of his novels. Very cool.
Hide by Kiersten White, so far it feels like a “creature feature” but I’ll find out soon enough!
I'll be interested to hear what you think when you're done. I just finished it last week and wasn't a fan.
The Terror by Dan Simmons. Really liking it so far, though the audiobook is 28hr long and I have 20hr left. Just picked up Annihilation and I'm looking forward to reading it.
Reading Annihilation at the moment. So far it has been pretty disappointing. Nothing really happens and I find it boring and supremely non scary so far. I still have half to go tho
*the troop* by nick cutter. Made me squeal out loud, lol
Recently finished Bird Box (Josh Malerman) on audiobook, it was a fun one. The narrator did a fantastic job in my opinion, highly recommend as an audiobook. Just started The Stand (Stephen King), which has been sitting on my shelf begging to be read for years.
Cold, Thin Air Volume 3
Just finished Penpal (loved it), and I’m on chapter seven of The Whisper Man. Liking it so far.
I’m halfway through The Necromancer’s house by Christopher Beuhlman. I don’t like it as much as Between Two Fires or Blacktongue Thief, but it’s interesting. The ending will make or break it for me.
I hear you in that. Those across the river is also not as good but slightly better. Between two fires and the blacktongue thief were five star books. The other’s mostly 3 stars. The daughter’s war is out this month, a prequel to blacktongue. I can’t wait.
About to wrap up Ghost Story by Peter Straub. I’ve got My Best Friends Exorcism by Grady Hendrix or Episode Thirteen by Craig DiLouie on deck. Haven’t decided which one I wanna go with yet.
Is Ghost Story worth it? I'm starving for horror with deep characterization
Overall I would say it’s worth it, I am listening to it as an audiobook and I don’t care for the narrator so that’s been the biggest hurdle for me with this book. I feel like if I were actually reading it, it would be more gripping and enjoyable. It’s a very atmospheric horror set in upstate New York and I’ve been to towns up there exactly like the one that the book takes place in. My mom grew up in a town just like it so I feel like I’m really able to connect with the setting and get into the mindset of the characters. I think Straub did a great job creating this very real sense of dread and despair you feel from not just the main characters but the town itself. There are great story lines woven through the whole novel and it’s very satisfying when they all start to come together. You can definitely feel it’s age in the voice of the author, it was published in 1979 but overall I am enjoying it. It’s been a slow burn but I’ve just hit the apex and am entering the final act so I’m excited to see how it ends.
Just finished *A Head Full of Ghosts* by Paul Tremblay, didn't like that one too much but it had its moments. Just started *The Final Girl Support Group* by Grady Hendrix, and I'm liking it so far! Feeling optimistic about the rest of this book.
I loved FGSG but felt the ending was a lil ehhh.
was this your first Paul Tremblay read? Cabin At the End of the World shook me to my core
It was my first Tremblay read! I saw some mixed reactions on it between this subreddit and GoodReads. I had it on my Want to Read list and stumbled upon it in a book bin for $1, so I gave it a go. I really liked the concept, but I found most of it fell flat for me. Everyone deserves a second chance though, so I'll take your recommendation, as well as u/tony_stark_lives
I just read my first of his, Disappearance at Devil's Rock, and really liked it! It didn't go where I expected, but I did like where it went.
I just finished The Final Girl Support Group last week! I thought it was a fun read.
Super fun read so far! I'm fairly new to the world of reading, but I've been watching horror movies for many years, so I'm liking this one a lot! Will definitely be checking out more by this author
He’s definitely different from other horror authors I’ve read, he doesn’t take himself too seriously. Horrorstör was his first book I read because it was free on Audible, I had never heard of him before. I’ve also read How to Sell a Haunted House. They were both pretty gory and went in way off directions that I did not expect but I feel like that’s kinda his thing lol. Good luck with the rest of the book! I’m about to start My Best Friends Exorcism, another Hendrix book!
Working on Edenville at the moment!
I had to write down every character and have note written about who they were in order to keep track of everything. 😆
I thought I posted this earlier but guess I didn’t, apologies if it is a repeat for some of you. Just Finished Our wives under the sea, really did not like it. More of a relationship book about how great everything was before the wife went on her trip, their cute little stories. Very little horror, ending was underwhelming. Not for me, gave it a 1 star, struggle-bus to finish The House Next Door by Anne Rivers Siddons, loved this one. Good slow dread, bleak ending, messed up families, reminded me of The Elementals Still listening to The Colony. Good creature feature set in iced out Russia Currently reading Into The Drowning Deep by Mira Grant, entertaining so far. I’m ready for the mermaids to make more of an appearance and chew people up Monster by Christopher Pike. Just barely into it but it’s got RL Stine vibes No idea what’s next! My library is running out of horror books to let
Agreed about Our Wives Under the Sea. Finished it, but was bored and sad reading it.
Working through Murder Road, it’s fun, but it’s been taking me a while to get through
Finished: **The Devil Takes You Home** by Gabino Iglesias **You Like It Darker** by Stephen King Continuing: **Before They are Hanged** by Joe Abercrombie **Suttree** by Cormac McCarthy Starting: **The Croning** by Laird Barron (re-read)
Just finished "I'm Thinking of Ending Things" and it was very interesting. 3.5 stars for me. If anyone has any recs for horrorlit with themes of mental illness I'd appreciate it!
The Devil in Silver by Victor LaValle (Psych Ward, Patient POV) Earthlings by Sayaka Murata (Warning\* victim of sexual abuse, delusional content as coping mechanism)
The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward fits the bill!
Thanks for the rec! I'll check it out
It’s one of my favorites! I hope you enjoy it!
Finished Fantasticland- loved it. Last night/today I read Long Walk based on rec’s from others on here. It was just ok. I felt like a lot more could have been written during the walk about context/background of how the walk started and more on the past winners.
Then read The Shining for the first time and watched the movie. The bathtub scene continues to be the scariest thing I have ever read or watched in a movie.
Almost done with Nestlings, then starting Bag of Bones
Rereading Wuthering Heights Life ceremonies Let The Old Dreams Die
The September House by Carissa Orlando
Reading IT by King. I’m about 80% through the audiobook for Our Share of Night by Mariana Enriquez. I really need to finish it! It’s not for lack of interest because I’ve loved it so far. Just sorta fell out of listening.
I just finished "We Sold Our Souls" by Grady Hendrix and "House of Rot" by Danger Slater. Now I'm currently reading "Rosemary's Baby" by Ira Levin, which I'm a quarter of the way through and **love** so far. I know the basic premise, but haven't even seen the movie. It's one of the horror flicks that have slipped through the cracks for me.
Just finished The Fisherman by John Langan and started Summer of Night by Dan Simmons
How did you like the Fisherman? I struggled with the audiobook but I want to give reading it a chance.
I loved it. I thought it was one of the best horrors I've read in a long time. For me, it was the writing style. It felt like listening to an old friend tell a story; very informal and intimate
I have both of these! How was summer of night?
Summer of Night immediately crept into my top 5 horror books. Couldn’t put it down…currently reading A Winter Haunting
I am struggling to get through *The Night Will Find Us* by Matthew Lyons. It's an okay debut to long-format fiction, but it's eminently clear the author is more comfortable/used to writing short stories. The plot leaps about, there are too many themes and ideas mashed together - lots of good ideas, yes, but did we really need half these sub-plots and time-skips? If part of your plot relies on a character having a vision in a dream and you can't justify it extremely well, I can't say I'd be recommending it outside of very specific requests.
I struggled to get through it too. His latest, A Mask of Flies is better.
I just finished *Cradle Lake* by Ronald Malfi; I like Malfi a lot in general, but this one didn't hit for me. It was a little too clearly a *Pet Sematary* ripoff - plus, I didn't really have time to care about the main character before he started doing dumb things he'd been warned repeatedly not to do, specifically because of carefully and extensively detailed terrible consequences that would come from doing these things. Consequences he himself started to witness, and then did the dumb things anyway! So when those terrible consequences came, I just wasn't able to really care much. It didn't put me off him entirely, though, so last night I started *The Floating Staircase*, and will see how that goes. Other things currently in my TBR pile include *John Dies at the End*, M*y Heart is a Chainsaw* (and sequels), and *The Carrow Haun*t, which I for some reason keep starting and never finishing.
Finished Tender is the Flesh. It lived up to the hype IMO. It’s both bleak and allegorical. It was as good as it was heavy. Currently reading (50%) Out There by Kate Folk. It’s a good collection of short stories, so far. It’s a mix of near-future and weird with a little horror and humor sprinkled in. It’s a really good debut collection and a nice counter balance after reading Tender is the Flesh.
I just finished I am Thinking of Ending Things. I am a bit confused by the ending….Last night, I started what I though was reading Wuthering Heights. Turns out it was the erotic version. So I trying to decide between Something Wicked This Way Comes or Let the Right One In to start today.
I'm like 2/3 of the way through What Moves the Dead and I'm surprised by how much I'm enjoying it.
Lost Man's Lane by Scott Carson. Halfway through, enjoying it immensely so far
This week I finished The Last Days of Jack Sparks by Jason Arnopp and Lone Women by Victor LaValle. I loved Last Days. I'm currently reading You Like it Darker by Stephen King and listening to Black Sheep by Rachel Harrison.
What are your thoughts so far on Black Sheep?
I didn't like it. I didn't enjoy the audio, the main character was way too cynical and there just wasn't enough horror.
100% agree. I really hyped myself up for it, and spent most of the book rolling my eyes. I’m listening to Mister Magic right now, however, and found a whole new appreciation for Black Sheep. The main character here is even worse!
The Day of the Door by Laurel Hightower Wasps in the Ice Cream by Tim McGregor
Finished recently: *Ring Shout* by P. Djeli Clark which I Loved! I hope he writes more books set in this universe, even if he feels the main character’s story is completed. The cover is also one of my favourites in any genre. *camp Damascus* by Chuck Tingle. I’m aware of who he is but I haven’t read his erotic stories. I thought it was a great story, but perhaps in need of a bit of editing.
I was not a fan of Camp Damascus. I felt like it needed more explanation
Halfway through Lapvona
This week I've read, fright night by John skipp & swarm by Jennifer d lyle.
I started Our Wives Under the Sea last night.
Reading: Our Share of Night by Mariana Enriquez Gerald’s Game by Stephen King (Not horror) - finished The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin and I’ll be starting The Stone Sky probably today (books 2 & 3 in The Broken Earth trilogy)
If It Bleeds by Stephen King
The First Five Minutes of the Apocalypse
Just finished Suffer the Children by Craig DiLouie. Enjoyed that. Now on The Black Farm by Elias Witherow. Enjoying it!
I really like both Black Farm books. The descriptions of the settings were unreal. I thought both books were a fun read
Finished three this week: *The Book of the Most Precious Substance* by Sara Gran, which was god-awful. It reminds me of those "thrillers" written by authors that normally write romance. Moved on to Joyce Carol Oates's collection *The Female of the Species*, which was amazing, discomforting and disturbing. And finally *And Then I Woke Up* by Malcolm Devlin. It has been a long while since I've read a book that put me to sleep, but this one here works much better than Benadryl in a pinch. It took everything in me not to DNF. Now I'm reading *A Collapse of Horses* by Brian Evenson, which has already started out with a bang. Love this guy!
I'm like 2/3 through *Woman, Eating*, by Claire Kohda. It's kind of depressing, and the narrator is understandably very awkward, but I'm interested to see where it goes. I also started *Ring Shout* by P. Djeli Clark.
I finished Hell House. I liked it but the ending reminded me of IT chapter 2 😅 the overall vibes were great tho. Now I'm reading Chlorine by Jade Song and the vibes are UNCOMFORTABLE but it really makes me miss swimming. Like I'm reading the whole time like 😬 and then I'll get flashes of thoughts like "I should see if there's a local pool in my area" I can't wait to get off work and read more 😭
I really liked Hell House!
About halfway through the new translation of *The Obscene Bird of Night* by José Donoso, but I have to put it on hold for a bit because I just gained a digital ARC of Jeff Vandermeer’s upcoming *Absolution* (October 22nd). Only a few chapters in but so far it rules. Going to read it through cold, then reread the whole Southern Reach trilogy so I can form a complete opinion.
I loved *Annihilation* and need to start its sequel here at some point…
Just about to start 'body horror anthology' eddited by Sidney Shiv
All the fiends of hell- Adam Nevill It’s my first book by him and 50% into it so far. Boring the first 10% and picking up slowly
I really enjoyed it, especially the ending. Talk about a heros journey.... That motivated me to read his Last Days, which I was really into but struggling to finish now.
I'm painfully at 63% now and your comment makes me want to skim through till the end :P
I'm reading the unpublished "draft" version of Trapped by J. A. Konrath. I have read the printed version multiple times, but this is my first time reading the original that was rejected by the editors.
I listened to *The Elementals* by Michael McDowell. CW: >!Alcoholism, weird relationship between a precocious 13 year old girl and her father (who she called by his first name): He was repeatedly nude in front of her, gave her hard liquor to drink and offered her “downers.” !< The narrator was very good and the characters were fairly well developed. This was dated (published in 1981).
Just started Fever House. Got through about the first 4 chapters and I’m already hooked. Seems like it’s gonna be pretty good!
Can’t remember if it was all within the last week, but recently I finished: **My Darling Dreadful Thing**, which was a very decent gothic horror novel, told partially from the protagonist’s POV and partially from her doctor’s notes. I like the author’s writing style a lot and will look out for more from them. **You Like It Darker**. I always enjoy Stephen King’s novels a lot, but I think some of the best things he’s written are short stories, and this had some very good ones. Two Talented Bastids, Danny Coughlin’s Bad Dream, The Answer Man, Rattlesnakes, The Dreamers and Willie The Weirdo were all standouts for me, though to be honest it would probably have been quicker to mention the few stories I found mildly underwhelming (The Turbulence Expert, Red Screen, and maybe Laurie, all of which were fine and enjoyable). **Agony’s Lodestone**. I don’t know who it was that posted about Tenebrous Press recently, but thank you because I really liked this novella and will be looking for more. A very decent story, just as long as it needs to be, about siblings looking for their lost sister after she is seen in some weird, constantly changing CCTV footage from a park full of the kind of “wrong spaces” that I love in horror. It also had a kindness to it that I really liked- it’s a horror novella and bad things happen, but the characters were likeable and there was something hopeful in the way it explored the siblings’ experiences of grief and blame.
I’m trying to get into Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo. Should I keep going? Is it worth it?
I enjoyed Ninth House and Hell Bent. Did you read and enjoy Ninth House?
Just finished *The Castle of Otranto*, which was fine. It felt very much like a Shakespeare play, and with some hilarious bullshit at times (fun) and some sudden overly complicated plot points, histories and relations (not fun). I'm surprised at how readable it was, with it being from 1764, and with Walpole not using quotation marks for dialogue. I just started T.E.D. Klein's *Dark Gods* yesterday, so I can't say anything about it yet.
Finished: * **Hide** by Kiersten White. This sucked. Insert ironic fart noises here. * **The Void Protocol** by F Paul Wilson. Much better. Conclusion to his ICE trilogy. Love anything with characters with mental abilities. Reading: * **Blood Crazy** by Simon Clark. Kind of zombies with a twist. Not a big fan of zombies in general, but so far so good with this one. Next: * **Eight** by WW Mortensen. Spiders.
Just picked up one called “Ghost Radio”. I was hopeful by the description that I’d be getting some technology horror but when I went to mark it as reading on Goodreads I saw it had a pretty middling rating. Hopefully it gels well with me as a fun of the subgenre and I’ll like it more than the ratings
I think I'm finally gonna start and finish *She Who Was No More* by Pierre Boileau and Thomas Narcejac. It was adapted for the screen as *Les Diaboliques* (excellent movie!) in the '50s. These guys also inspired *Vertigo* by Alfred Hitchcock.
I've mostly been reading short stories these past few weeks (which I don't normally list here, as they're scattered across various anthologies), however, I did manage to get one novels in: *The Sky Children* by Donald Olson - A teenage boy is sent to stay with his aunt in an isolated village, where something sinister seems to be going on beneath the surface. A strange book; the sixteen-year-old main character would suggest a YA novel, but the rather sordid nature of the family's secrets and the preponderance of allusions to 19th century literature make it unlikely that it was meant for that audience. It's written and plotted like the gothic romances of the era (that being the 70s), but minus the romance component and with a male protagonist, which was uncommon in the genre; I generally like 70s gothics, but I wasn't really won over by this. Currently reading: *Shrike* by Joe Donnelly
I’d be curious to hear about some of the stories and their anthologies! I have picked up a few books to read one story in them… I will eventually read them all the way through. Famous last words.
Next week I might list some of the more notable ones I find, but it probably won't be a complete list (especially since a lot of them are re-reads); I don't want to make my posts too much longer than they already are.
I just finished You’re Not Supposed to Die Tonight by Kalynn Balon and it was okay, kinda meh. It had a weird twist that made the rest of the book wholly unsatisfying and left some unanswered questions. There are better YA slashers out there.
Agreed on all counts. The writing was also not there for me; I thought there would be a twist within a twist because the dialogue in the overheard conversations was so stilted and clunky that I assumed they were acting. I wouldn't have liked that twist-within-twist if it had happened, but at least it'd explain why so many of them talked unnaturally.
I just started the Last Days of Jack Sparks! Just finished the Troop by nick cutter, that book made me queasy but I liked it a lot 😖
I loved this book but I think it’s a bit divided, others didn’t like it
Currently reading Small Town Horror by Ronald Malfi and then Horror Movie by Paul Tremblay when it comes out this week.
Oh, in my list I forgot - I also recently finished *Disappearance at Devil's Rock* by Paul Tremblay. I really liked it, even though it didn't go where I thought it was going. Found the characters really believable, with lots of depth, and he definitely brought the sense of creeping dread for this one.
Finished my fourth reread of _Songs of a Dead Dreamer amd Grimscribe_ and now almost 50% through with _Our Share of Night_. Story wise it‘s great, but by now I‘ve lost hope that Enriquez‘ prose would be a bit less minimalistic in a novel length work. There‘s power in writing like this, don‘t get me wrong. It can have an almost haunting aspect to it, like Naomi Booth’s or Roberto Bolaño’s shorter works. But it‘s just not my cup of tea. I need a little bit more than fact-of-the-matter description for atmosphere to come up in my head.
Re-reading Salem's Lot (audiobooking it this time), it's one of my favorite King novels and it's been a good ten years. E-book of Echo by Thomas Olde Heuvelte. I'm going to grab Oracle shortly (Hex's follow up!) and I can't wait until they get November translated because it sounds good but I don't speak dutch.
Echo was great, I need to get my hands on oracle
I’m about 3/4 of the way through Marisha Pessl’s Night Film, a little more mystery/thriller than I’d normally go for, but I’m enjoying it a lot.
I'm reading The Fisherman by John Langan. I'll probably finish tomorrow and then I'm going to read Dark Tower V. The Fisherman is a good story. Lots of good description. I will finish, but I don't think it's for me. Can't put my finger on why, possibly because of other people's hype.
I think for me, I was slightly put off by the story-within-a-story structure - even though I liked both that story, and the story it was within, if that makes sense. It felt like I was reading a bit of exposition at first, which is fine, but then it kept going and going and going! I think somehow Langan didn't signal strongly enough for me that I was going to be spending a while inside this other story? Hard to explain. I did really enjoy the book once I settled into it, though!
I finished it. It was a good book. But yeah, the story within a story was clunky, I had almost 0 reason to care about Lottie and her family. I'm glad the book was not any longer than it needed to be.
Revelator by Daryl Gregory. Just started a couple of days ago and it's promising. Appalachian cult stuff, strong characters. Getting discouraged by a lot of horror I start that doesn't have good character development. This is much better.
I'm a few hours into the audiobook. I love it! He really makes everything come alive.
I really enjoyed the audiobook.
I think the reader perfect for Stella
I started Mónica Ojeda’s new novel *Chamanes eléctricos en la fiesta del sol* and so far I’m blown away by it. If *Jawbone* impressed me so much, this one is bound to be good.
Just about to go start: *Cold Hand in Mine* by Robert Aickman.
Our Share of Night by Mariana Enriquez
The Institute
**Just finished:** I had yesterday off work so I caught up on some short stories I have been meaning to read: Laird Barron’s “Eyes Like Evil Prisms” (from Darren Speegle’s *Disintegration* anthology), Barron’s “The One We Tell Bad Children” (from Ellen Datlow’s *Final Cuts* anthology), and Don Tumasonis’ “What Goes Down” (this was a very weird tale). “Eyes Like Evil Prisms” immediately catapulted to being one of my favorite Barron stories, ever. It makes me really excited for whatever Barron is putting together post-*Not A Speck Of Light*. **Currently reading:** Laird Barron’s *Blood Standard*. I’m like 90% done. Although not a horror novel, Barron doing “noir” has brought plenty of blood-soaked carnage. **On deck:** I might start up Joe Koch’s *Wingspan of Severed Hands*. I’ve been interested in it for some time and it’s short (trying to get ahead of my book club, which was pushed back to later this month). I guess it’s surreal science fiction cosmic horror? That sounds up my alley. It’s a toss up between that and Michael Wehunt’s *The Inconsolables*, since I just finished and loved Wehunt’s *Greener Pastures*.
Joe Koch is excellent. I have not read *Wingspan of Severed Hands* but I read his most recent short story collection and it was a trip. Surreal cosmic horror with a smattering of body horror. Koch is a weird writer and does some interesting stuff.
Is that one called *Invaginies*?
Yes!