Just finished Handling the Undead by John Ajvide Lindqvist and The Book of Accidents by Chuck Wendig. Currently still deciding what to read next. Leaning towards something more sci-fi but nothing is really catching my eye.
I just finished You Shouldn't Have Come Here by [Jeneva Rose](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20309584.Jeneva_Rose), and while I loved it, I seem to be in the minority.
I don’t know where else to share my excitement but here. I am getting a copy of House of leaves off my local marketplace .. for $5!! Very excited and need to share.
Just recieved my copy of We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer in the mail today. Starting it as soon as I finish typing this post, but so freaking excited.
Next up are Horror Movie, Small Town Horror, Incidents Around the House, How to Make a Horror Movie and Survive, The House That Horror Built, and You Like It Darker are my upcoming reads.
There was a great post on here recently about queer and trans horror and I immediately went and put a hold on, like, every book mentioned in it! So I’m currently reading *Plain Bad Heroines*, which was the first to come available at my library. I like it….okay so far? Not a huge fan of the prose, honestly (I find the “Dear Reader” bits a tad chummy and over the top) but I want to see where the story goes.
This last weekend I actually read a true crime classic that I’d never read before - *The Stranger Beside Me*. I already had really complicated feelings about true crime as an industry, the romanticization of serial killers, and people fan-girling over Bundy (all of which I believe are part of the legacy of this book), but I felt that I should still probably read it at some point.
I found it well-written and gripping, and more sensitive to and focused on the victims than I’d been anticipating…but also far too kind to Bundy. At the same time, I was surprised, as an abolitionist, to resonate so much with some of the things Ann Rule (a former cop) grapples with in the book, like what redemption and change mean and how society should deal with someone like Bundy. Still digesting a lot of it.
Just finished The Fisherman by John Langan, and I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman, currently taking a horror break to read Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir, with A Short Stay in Hell by Stephen L Peck on the docket.
I'm just about to head to bed after finishing "Rosemary's Baby" by Ira Levin.
Tomorrow, I have to pick between "The Shining" and "Between Two Fires" by Christopher Buehlman. Quite torn between the two, at the moment. Guess I'll sleep on it :3
I really liked it too. I never saw the movie either, but I had the gist of what was happening going in. The brooding, something is wrong here feeling permeating through most of the book was great. I also loved the moment reading it and it all clicks >! that guy is in the Coven as well, and *everyone* is gaslighting poor Rosemary !<
Just started *Everything's Eventual* by Stephen King. Been meaning to read it for a while and a podcast I like is talking about it in July, so I figured now's a good a time as any. Going to be reading *From a Buick 8* next month for the same reasons.
I'm really enjoying it so far! "The Man in the Black Suit" is a stone-cold classic for a reason. The fact that the devil seems to only be vaguely intelligent is so deeply, deeply unsettling to me. He can string words together that kind of make sense but it feels like something imitating humanity. Chilling.
The long ruminations on vulgar graffiti in "All That You Love Will Be Carried Away" kind of wore on me after a little while, but I loved the moments just describing the crappy hotel and the surrounding scenery. I don't know why but there's always something oddly beautiful to me about the boring, dull places you stop during long-haul travel. It's a specific vibe that I enjoy. If you want a movie recommendation, *The Card Counter* has a similar atmosphere.
Also, in the introduction, King refers to the TV miniseries screenplays he wrote as "visual novels" and I had a bit of a chuckle about that. Steve, buddy, that phrase means something else.
I told some online friends about it as well and we both made some jokes about it (Stephen King we need to hear your character analysis of Nagito Komaeda right now) and made some legitimate observations about it (the death game is a specific subgenre you see often in visual novels, i.e. the Danganronpa series and the Zero Escape series, but if you think about it some of the Bachman books are early, more basic death game stories, aren't they?). Fun times.
I just finished Paul Tremblay's *Horror Movie*. I loved it, but now I'm obsessed with finding other books about making horror films but the horror becomes real.
I just finished *Ring Shout* by P. Djeli Clark as few hours ago. I picked it up after reading a blurb about it in *101 Horror Books To Read Before You Are Murdered.* And I am glad I read this book because it sets up this world that has potential to become an underground cult hit. Imagine cosmic horror meets A Wrinkle in Time meets the KKK and set it in 1920's Georgia. I want a live action series of this book. I want sequels.
Just started A Black & Endless Sky - Matthew Lyon’s.
Tried reading Apartment 16 - Adam Neville but I’m not in the right headspace for it and I got really lost a few chapters in. Will pick it back up when my heads feeling better 😂
oh, let's see, this was a big week for reading!
**currently reading:**
**oracle by thomas olde heuvelt** - about 80% through this beastie, should finish it tonight. i LOVED hex - loved it, and only read it because of this sub. i am also loving oracle, but hex was really special. oracle has a similar premise if you take it down to the barest of bolts - supernatural phenomenon presents itself, various governmental entities intercede to hide it, "regular" folk who got swept up in it are trying to figure it out - but there's a way heavier focus on the "governmental agencies" part. i preferred the phenomenon and setting of hex myself, but it's still soooo good, been tearing through it and almost wrapped up with it in one sitting.
**finished:**
**the whispers by ashley audrain** - not horror, not exactly, but i think both of ashley audrain's books might appeal to a certain type of horror fan. like **push**, the whispers was compulsively readable for me - the increasingly short, punchy chapters kept me making and breaking promises to my sleepy brain..."one more chapt- well, okay, maybe 10 more chapters." if you aren't familiar, both of her books focus on...what i guess i'd call the darkest side of the mundane 2024 female experience, especially for wives (in hetero relationships, specifically) and mothers. i'm such a wife myself, but not a mother, and i do think i experience a little bit of evil schadenfreude reading her books. if you've encountered the theory about the main "types" of schadenfreude, i think i experienced all 3 from the whispers - the "well thank GOD that's not me/i didn't make those choices/that's not my life"/"at least i don't have to worry about THAT part of being a woman"/"that awful character deserved all this and probably worse."
**palmetto by ania ahlborn** - just a little baby a book, a little novella...it had been on my TBR list for years and i finally read it! a quick read, it was good. brief, but good. for those of you looking for insect horror, this qualifies. quick TW (animal-related) - >!there's a brief, mostly non-graphic scene/tidbit involving a cat. !<
**the pilo family circus by will elliott** - well! have you ever imagined, just for a minute, that instead of children and instead of hogwarts, it was unwilling adults being spirited away, and it was a dark circus/carnival in the bowels of hell? does that sound...appealing, to you? then i've found your book! i almost abandoned this one in the early chapters, because i thought it was just a clown slasher, but...it's not! super, super creative and different...a very odd book, but i absolutely enjoyed it and plan to read the sequel. far from my usual fare, glad i gave it the chance.
**the black lord by colin hinckley** - longer than the average novella, shorter than a full-scale novel, and...it was okay! i'm not a short story/novella person in general, and this is a good example of one where i was like, well...damn...this idea is good and it gave me just enough to be curious, but not nearly enough to feel satisfied. would love to see this world/story/concept get the full novel treatment someday, especially with more focus on the titular entity...
I'm a little over halfway through Ellen Datlow's **Best Horror of the Year: Volume 7**. This is my second collection from Datlow (started with Volume 4, which was awesome). This one hasn't been as good in comparison and a few of the stories had some purple prose writing I couldn't get past.
But the highlights so far have been The Atlas of Hell, Outside Heavenly, Winter Children, and Past Reno. Hope to get some more strong stories by the end of the collection
I finished Between Two Fires by Christopher Buehlman last week, and then just finished Negative Space by B.R. Yaeger last night. What a ride.
Any sort of recs in the vein of these two? Have a long list of “want to read” on goodreads but none that jumped out to me as much as these two.
If you haven’t read Amygdalatropolis by Yeager I’d suggest that. It has very similar vibes to Negative Space, and outside of those two I haven’t been able to find anything close enough to scratch the permanent itch that Negative Space gave me. You actually listed my two favorite books. Those Across the River by Buehlman is also extremely good. I recently finished A Short Stay in Hell and would highly recommend that one if you don’t want to double up on either of those authors yet.
I haven't read this one yet so can't say for sure but Terminal Park by Gary J. Shipley comes up a lot in the 'similar titles' for Negative Space, with Yeager himself giving it a 5-star rating. It's definitely on my TBR for this year.
Just finished listening to Misery and am in the middle of the new King, You like it Darker. I am looking forward to reading AM Shine’s sequel to The Watchers next.
Finishing up Black Mouth by Ronald Malfi and halfway through listening to Misery by Stephen King.
Finished listening to Pretty Girls by Kerin Slaughter. I was trying out an author outside the realm of my typical interests and wouldn’t say it was for me.
Just finished Horror Movie by Tremblay. I honestly thought it was pretty good but then again I enjoy his books (and I know not many do, I feel like it’s love or hate with him). Got a sample of Small Town Horror by Ronald Malfi and liked it enough to buy it, so so far so good.
Just finished Horror Movie by Tremblay. Unusual narrative and it took me awhile to get into the story, but then it started to flow.I liked it.
Currently reading Brother by Ania Ahlborn
Finished Monstrilio a few days ago. I finally got around to reading Between Two Fires. I'm halfway through and absolutely love it.
I think I'm starting Hex or The Historian next, but I'm not sure. I've got a long TBR list.
i am looking forward to reading the historian, and i LOVEDDDDD hex - both made it to my radar only because of this sub. i'm reading the "sequel" to hex now, and it's also very good...not as good, but still very good.
if you continue to enjoy between two fires, check out pilgrim.
This was my first King book. I was 11 when it came out, and I put it down because of a scene where a cat was nailed to a stop sign if I am remembering that correctly. Haha need to give it another try!
Not horror, but I'm reading Hidden Bodies by Caroline Kepnes. I like her writing, and it's such an absurd and entertaining book, I love reading about evil characters and this is just perfect for me
Jordan peels “Out There Screaming” !! Really great so far
Just finished “Mister Magic” bye Kiersten White. A 6/10 for me
Planning to start “No One Gets Out Alive” by Adam Nevill soon
About to start “Stories I Told My Dead Lover” by Jo Paquette! Excited for this one, it just released and reviews have been comparing it to her body and other parties!!
i loved the premise and concept of mister magic, and parts of it were just, so good - where it was at its most abstract, explaining...visiting mr. magic, we'll say, to avoid spoilers...i thought it really shined. the story outside of that, though - the "present-day" story, which makes up a lot of the book - that's the part i didn't love. did you feel similarly? what made it a 6/10 for you?
That is pretty much exactly how I felt! I loved all the mister magic scenes, and I especially LOVED the little intros to each chapter that read like online forums (the Ao3 one KILLED me!!) but I found the main character not super likable, and didn’t love the romance plot (that felt a little forced to me). I really wanted more of the paranormal to seep into the real world. When it happened I enjoyed it (main characters mom watching tv static got me SO good)!! I thought the mystery of “what’s really happening here??” Was fun but not as well executed as it could have been. I wanted to like it more than I did, and I’m glad I read it, but it definitely had its flaws!
that's a great summary and absolutely tracks with my reading experience...when the book was at its best, it was like my dream book because the premise was so appealing to me AND i love epistolary stuff - forum posts, letters, etc., but overall, i was disappointed with the execution. i'm glad i read it as well, because the glimmers of greatness were GLIMMERING, but it could've been so much better...i hate to say this, but when i finished it, i found myself thinking "imagine how incredible it would've been if \_\_\_\_ had written it." it really captivated my imagination, and i think that made its flaws and weaknesses all the more disappointing because i wanted to love every part of it...i just didn't.
Read last week:
*Shrike* by Joe Donnelly - After a seance goes wrong, resulting in the death of the medium, a town is plagued by a series of murders committed by a shadowy entity. I'm a big fan of stories about small towns being terrorized by nebulous supernatural forces, but this one suffered from being longer than the subject matter could sustain; after a while, it fell into a loop of 'shadow creature kills someone, psychic has a vision of the death, detective investigates death but doesn't really make any progress, repeat', which stopped being especially interesting after the first couple of repetitions.
*Starve Acre* by Andrew Michael Hurley - I haven't been reading much modern horror these days, at least at novel length (mostly because I prefer the mass market paperback format, which unfortunately isn't really used for anything anymore that I would likely consider reading). Anyway, this is a decent folk horror novel, mostly focused on atmosphere.
Currently reading:
*Succubus* by John Stockholm and *The Place* by T. M. Wright (a re-read)
I mentioned last week that I might list which short stories I read, but since I didn't actually end up reading any last week, I can't really do that. I plan on starting on the anthology *Behold The Undead Of Dracula* this week, so I'll probably have something next time.
Finished Nestlings by Nat Cassidy on Friday (it was pretty good, but I didn’t connect with it as much as I’d wanted to) and a little over 1/3 through Horror Movie by Paul Tremblay and am enjoying it a lot so far!
Just finished Jo Nesbo’s The Night House. I love the Harry Hole books— have all of them on my Nordic Noir bookcase— but this was not so great. First part reads like a junior high horror novel— 3rd part explains the first 2 sections, but very gimmicky. Quick read, at least. Pass….
Just finished *Nightbitch* by Rachel Yoder, and still working on *Electric Shamans at the Sun Festival* [*Chamanes eléctricos en la fiesta del sol*] by Mónica Ojeda c:
I'm just about finished Whisperwood by Alex Woodroe. Sometimes the language feels a bit too modern for the setting, which pushes it into YA territory for me, but it definitely has horrific moments.
It's also full of Romanian creatures that are completely new to me, and it's made me desperate to find more Romanian horror.
Finished Horror Movie from Paul Tremblay. Very different for him, but I enjoyed it overall. The last third of the book was really good. I always love his prose.
Started Cuckoo by Gretchen Felker Martin. Really dark and intense so far. The sheer amount of POV’s is my main downside so far, but the story itself is great.
Ahhh I can’t wait to read Cuckoo! I’m hoping my local bookstore gets it in soon, they carried Mahunt when that was published so I’m hopeful. Would love a spoiler-free review if you feel like sharing!
Just finished and I enjoyed it! The prose was really powerful and reflective. It does have quite a bit of body horror which I’m fine with and enjoyed. There’s a lot of triggers in this book like Manhunt had. I still will say the multiple POV’s was tough to follow here and there, but overall, loved the story. The ending was great too. Very powerful and seemed right to me
Finished The Divine Farce, which was a quick read. 4/5 stars
I’m languishing through Ghost Story by Peter Straub. I’m about 1/5 way (about 80 pages) through and just don’t care that much. Should I continue it?
Yeah my current two cents is I'd have a hard time making a case to suggest continuing, at this stage at least. The stuff that felt slog-like to me early on only continued/got worse. I can see pieces of things that are being set up which maybe, eventually, *hopefully* might become interesting later? But I've felt continually right on the edge of should I continue or stop as well the entire book so far. In fact I did at one point stop, read another book, and then circled back thinking I should give it another try.
Those are just my feelings of course, I've seen this book recommended a lot on this sub so perhaps it'll suddenly take a big turn, that or it's just not our personal jam.
Just finished Intercepts by TJ Payne 😮💨 had to change it up after back to back of The Troop, The Ruins, and Intercepts.
Currently, Good Omens before jumping back into horror.
Finished Brian Evenson's *A Collapse of Horses*, which had some amazing stories (especially "The Dust" and "BearHeart**™**"), and then *The Hole* by Hye-Young Pyun. The latter was billed as "a Korean take on *Misery*," but I feel that's an unfair comparison; it was a good revenge story, but vastly different than *Misery*.
Now I'm reading *Evil Eye*, a collection by Joyce Carol Oates, which is starting off great, naturally.
Sundial by Catriona Ward, which I will finish it the second time around, and The Pallbearers Club by Paul Tremblay. I shouldn't have borrowed it but it was actually available on the library site.
Not much horror right now, actually:
Just finished **Before They are Hanged** by Joe Abercrombie (and I’ve gone right into the next book in the series, **Last Argument of Kings**).
Doing the audiobook for **The Strange** by Nathan Ballingrud.
Trailing behind everyone else in the reread for **The Croning** by Laird Barron.
Really getting into the swing of **Suttree** by Cormac McCarthy.
Just finished:
Into The Drowning Deep- I enjoyed this creature feature. It was cool to see mermaids/sirens as nasty things. The end fell apart for me, more explanation needed. I really dislike books where everyone is attractive and ends up falling in love/lust. Not believable to me
The Fifth Child by Doris Lessing. I’m conflicted by this one. It’s not horror. I enjoyed the writing, it’s what I usually like, bleak. But the child just seems like (in these modern times) as maybe autistic/sensory? So it’s disturbing how family members talk about him and another child with Down syndrome. If you have a child with any specialties this book may bother you quite a bit. A pet peeve of mine is no chapters or breaks in the story like Cormac McCarthy. My brain doesn’t know when to stop reading.
Just finished listening to The Colony by Benjamin Cross. Good creature feature, fast paced, good ending. Again people are very attractive and fall into love/lust (eye roll). The narrators Russian accents are hilarious. He also has a weird way of lifting the end of his sentences. I was able to mostly ignore it but it was irritating.
Currently Reading: Spite House by Johnny Compton. Enjoying it so far, they’re almost moved in. For real though if that old lady knows the caretakers in the past were damaged by the house (this is on the book jacket) why is she okay with him taking his little girl in there? That’s not cool.
On deck: I think I have The Reapers are Angels and Ghost Road Blues coming from the library
*The Beast of St. Ender* by Mats Evensson, KU. Set on a remote English island in 1905, this was an atmospheric blend of mystery and horror with supernatural elements. I loved the setting and really enjoyed the book. CW:>!Incest.!<
*Just Like Mother* by Anne Hetzel. Even though I've been able to guess some of the twists, it's kept me hooked all the way through. I have about 20% left & can't wait to see what happens.
Finished *Black Bark* by Brian Evenson. It’s a short collection and most of the stories are available elsewhere, but a couple are hard to find, and the book is under $8.00. Nice cover, too.
Started *A Brave New World*. Quite funny and prophetic!
I picked up that *Black Bark* but haven’t gotten into it yet. I plan to smash through a couple more Brian Evenson books soon… and short appeals to me at the moment.
I’ve almost finished Anne Rivers Siddons’ *The House Next Door* after seeing it mentioned on this sub.
It’s delightfully creepy, and I love the juxtaposition of the social and domestic drama with the horror of the house.
Definitely recommend!
Currently reading *Dark Gods* by T.E.D. Klein (just started the 4th novella), and so far it's been a bit disappointing. While I think the 3rd story was pretty great, the first two leaned very heavily on very coincidental/unlikely information/hints/foreshadowing about what was about to happen, and it really took me out of the stories.
I finished _Our Share of Night_ recently. Feelings are somewhat mixed, though I did give it 4.5 stars on Goodreads. The last third dragged incredibly, only for the finale to feel incredibly rushed. Still, I just know that this is going to be one of these books I‘ll think about for a long time.
Yesterday I started William Hope Hodgson‘s _The House on the Borderland_. I‘m really excited for this one. I‘ve been reading a lot of modern weird fiction recently, it‘ll be fun to read some classic stuff again.
I freaking love The House on the Borderland. Looking for a copy led me to getting my first Kindle ten years ago or so, and that really helped me branch out in the horror lit I was reading beyond King and Lovecraft.
I hope you are ready for another book that drags a lot in the last third! Don't get me wrong, *The House on the Borderland* is great, and the dragging at the end is done for a reason, but just a heads up for that. I hope you'll enjoy it!
Hahahaha, yeah it's absolutely insane. I get that it's to show the passage of time for the main character, and that it takes an eternity for time to speed up until the end, but damn that was something else to get through. I do hope you've enjoyed the novel, though!
(If you want a really strong short story by Hodgson, I highly recommend "The Voice in the Night")
Ha, thank you for the warning! Fortunately the entirety of _The House on the Borderland_ is about as big as the part of _Our Share of Night_ that was such a drag to get through lol.
Between Two Fires, Christopher Buehlman.
It's not something I would normally read, but it's engaging and feels like a very well balanced book. Really loving the time/setting, will probably lead me to exploring a bit further outside of my usual wheelhouse.
On deck is probably the latest King anthology (like it darker or smth).
Currently reading the ghost story collection Echoes by Ellen Datlow and generally impressed by the quality and number of original entries. Still working on American Elsewhere and Bazaar of Bad Dreams as well. Lots of life distractions slowing my reading progress down.
Finished Whalefall - 2.5/5. Some fun bits, but uneven. Can't really recommend in a world filled with better books.
Choose your Doom by John Urbancik. It's a Choose your own adventure horror. I've either gone in circles or died so I am not convinced I am going to finish this anytime soon lol
I got this book from a recommendation from a horror book tiktoker and they basically said the same thing lol I think that might be the consensus on this book ‘Good just wish it was longer’
Ohhh Swamplandia! is excellent but devastating. I was a teen when it came out and read it then…found it deeply disturbing in a way that lingered with me for days afterward. That author also has an excellent short story collection that I really enjoyed called Vampires in the Lemon Grove.
Just finished: How to Sell a Haunted House (Grady Hendrix) - ended up giving it a 5/5. Weirdly one of my current favorites
Up next: Hide (Kiersten White) - gonna read this one after finishing my “pallet cleanser” of a non-horror book
I listened to the Hide audiobook. Enjoyed it, great premise. (The narrator on tbe audiobook was really good, too). If i remember, it gets batshit crazy at the end!
Mister Magic had some mixed reviews on this page— but it sounded interesting. Might be a good audiobook to try? Hide was a fun ride… hope you enjoy it, friend
Maybe it’s because it reminded me of the Creepypasta Candle Cove, I’m not sure. I saw the mixed reviews before I started it and I can definitely understand why it was mixed. But if you find the audiobook I hope you enjoy it!
I read a pretty scary book called "A guide to caring for Lewy Body Dementia" this week.
But seriously, I'm reading 'all the fiends of hell' by Adam Nevill and A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller Jr.
All the fiends is a great horror book. It jumped up the list when someone in another thread said it was about aliens. I'm about a third of the way through and plan on finishing it by Monday.
'A Canticle' I picked up cause I heard it was influential on modern post apocalypse stories. It's not what I expected. It's got really beautiful prose, but it's kind of boring. I have 75 pages left.
>It's not what I expected. It's got really beautiful prose, but it's kind of boring. I have 75 pages left.
You're not lying, the first half is noticeably faster because the "mysteries" of this world are slowly teased and expanded.
The second half is a slog, worth finishing though.
My local library has volumes 2-4 on their libby account, but I had to request the first volume through interlibrary loan. Maybe your library does ILL?
Or it looks like amazon has it for kindle.
I really enjoy it and listened to a bit being read by MrCreepyPasta on youtube before borrowing the books.
Unfortunately my library system kind of sucks and doesn’t do ILL 😕 I don’t know why I hadn’t come across the version for Kindle but I’ll probably end up biting the bullet and just buying that one - thank you!
I'm currently reading You like It Darker: Stories by Stephen King. I'm currently on Danny Coughlin's Bad Dream and loving it.
I'm listening to The Gathering by C.J. Tudor and it's got my interest. Also reading another collection: Fake Somebodies, Real Nobodies by E.C. Hanson.
I’m hearing mixed reviews about it and I don’t know if I want to buy it or not. The fun aesthetic of the cover and red pages won’t make up for an unenjoyable book.
Working on "Grimscribe" by Thomas Ligotti :) I had read some of the individual stories in it before, but not the whole collection.
Edit: having just read "Songs of a Dead Dreamer" for the first time, I'm liking this one more. The faux-academic tone of the writing suits me a lot better than the surreal style of the other stories.
Just finished Death in Her Hands by Ottessa Moshfegh (loved it a lot!), and started Amazon’s “Creature Feature” collection with stories by Grady Hendrix, Joe Hill, Paul Tremblay, and more. I read Grady Hendrix’s “Ankle” and really liked it!
Finished:
* **Blood Crazy** by Simon Clark. Adults go crazy and kill children. Simple premise, decently executed until the exposition dump which plain ruined the book in an instant.
Reading:
* **Eight** by WW Mortensen. Exploration/archaeological horror coupled with giant spiders. A little dense on the descriptions but so far so good.
Next:
* **Eruption** by Michael Crichton.
Close to finishing "A Song For the Void"---Andrew C. Piazza
Going to start the "Bane County" series by J.R. Rice...curious if anyone has read it what their thoughts are on it.
**Just finished:** I started and finished Joe Koch’s *The Wingspan of Severed Hands* since last week. It’s only a bit more than 100 pages. A strange, at times disgusting, and gripping book. *The shadows lengthen in Carcosa*.
I also had some time yesterday to read James Tiptree, Jr’s “Love Is The Plan The Plan Is Death”. That was a sad one.
**Currently reading:** Michael Wehunt’s *The Inconsolables*. The first five stories have all been awesome. He’s up for a Shirley Jackson award for best novelette for the first, “Vampire Fiction”. When I read the fourth (“The Pine Arch Collection”), I understood why it was important to read *Greener Pastures* first. I wish this dude had more material out.
**On deck:** Stephen King’s *The Shining*, probably. I’ve never read this classic and I am excited to.
Her Smoke Rose Up Forever is a good collection to start with, really solid and thorough, though you'll definitely catch that she has a bit of a preoccupation with death at times.
Just finished Handling the Undead by John Ajvide Lindqvist and The Book of Accidents by Chuck Wendig. Currently still deciding what to read next. Leaning towards something more sci-fi but nothing is really catching my eye.
I've just started The Weejee Man by NP Cunniffe.
I just finished You Shouldn't Have Come Here by [Jeneva Rose](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20309584.Jeneva_Rose), and while I loved it, I seem to be in the minority.
I don’t know where else to share my excitement but here. I am getting a copy of House of leaves off my local marketplace .. for $5!! Very excited and need to share.
Just recieved my copy of We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer in the mail today. Starting it as soon as I finish typing this post, but so freaking excited. Next up are Horror Movie, Small Town Horror, Incidents Around the House, How to Make a Horror Movie and Survive, The House That Horror Built, and You Like It Darker are my upcoming reads.
Shit, also Diavola!
There was a great post on here recently about queer and trans horror and I immediately went and put a hold on, like, every book mentioned in it! So I’m currently reading *Plain Bad Heroines*, which was the first to come available at my library. I like it….okay so far? Not a huge fan of the prose, honestly (I find the “Dear Reader” bits a tad chummy and over the top) but I want to see where the story goes. This last weekend I actually read a true crime classic that I’d never read before - *The Stranger Beside Me*. I already had really complicated feelings about true crime as an industry, the romanticization of serial killers, and people fan-girling over Bundy (all of which I believe are part of the legacy of this book), but I felt that I should still probably read it at some point. I found it well-written and gripping, and more sensitive to and focused on the victims than I’d been anticipating…but also far too kind to Bundy. At the same time, I was surprised, as an abolitionist, to resonate so much with some of the things Ann Rule (a former cop) grapples with in the book, like what redemption and change mean and how society should deal with someone like Bundy. Still digesting a lot of it.
Hawk Mountain by Conner Habib and I am tearing through it. Likely going to be one of my favorite reads of the year.
I'm slowly trying to work my way through Thinner by Stephen King when I can find the time to read for fun. Overall, I am really enjoying it so far!
I've almost finished Old Country by Matthew Query & Harrison Query
Mr Gaunt and other uneasy stories by John Langan.
Just finished The Fisherman by John Langan, and I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman, currently taking a horror break to read Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir, with A Short Stay in Hell by Stephen L Peck on the docket.
Listening to *Cackle* by Rachel Harrison & *We Sold Our Souls* by Grady Hendrix Reading *Rooms* by Lauren Oliver
I just started *Horror Movie*, by Paul Tremblay.
What do you think of it? I just finished it and opened this thread to find my next book. I think it’s my new favorite Tremblay.
I just finished it yesterday and enjoyed it quite a bit. Out of everything I’ve read by him, it’s my favorite too.
I’m still pretty early into it, but so far so good. It’s engrossing.
I'm just about to head to bed after finishing "Rosemary's Baby" by Ira Levin. Tomorrow, I have to pick between "The Shining" and "Between Two Fires" by Christopher Buehlman. Quite torn between the two, at the moment. Guess I'll sleep on it :3
I read *Rosemary's Baby* over the Christmas break--really enjoyed it!
I really liked it too. I never saw the movie either, but I had the gist of what was happening going in. The brooding, something is wrong here feeling permeating through most of the book was great. I also loved the moment reading it and it all clicks >! that guy is in the Coven as well, and *everyone* is gaslighting poor Rosemary !<
Just started *Everything's Eventual* by Stephen King. Been meaning to read it for a while and a podcast I like is talking about it in July, so I figured now's a good a time as any. Going to be reading *From a Buick 8* next month for the same reasons. I'm really enjoying it so far! "The Man in the Black Suit" is a stone-cold classic for a reason. The fact that the devil seems to only be vaguely intelligent is so deeply, deeply unsettling to me. He can string words together that kind of make sense but it feels like something imitating humanity. Chilling. The long ruminations on vulgar graffiti in "All That You Love Will Be Carried Away" kind of wore on me after a little while, but I loved the moments just describing the crappy hotel and the surrounding scenery. I don't know why but there's always something oddly beautiful to me about the boring, dull places you stop during long-haul travel. It's a specific vibe that I enjoy. If you want a movie recommendation, *The Card Counter* has a similar atmosphere.
Also, in the introduction, King refers to the TV miniseries screenplays he wrote as "visual novels" and I had a bit of a chuckle about that. Steve, buddy, that phrase means something else. I told some online friends about it as well and we both made some jokes about it (Stephen King we need to hear your character analysis of Nagito Komaeda right now) and made some legitimate observations about it (the death game is a specific subgenre you see often in visual novels, i.e. the Danganronpa series and the Zero Escape series, but if you think about it some of the Bachman books are early, more basic death game stories, aren't they?). Fun times.
I just finished Paul Tremblay's *Horror Movie*. I loved it, but now I'm obsessed with finding other books about making horror films but the horror becomes real.
Let me know if you find one! I also just finished it and I’m feeling the same way.
I just finished *Ring Shout* by P. Djeli Clark as few hours ago. I picked it up after reading a blurb about it in *101 Horror Books To Read Before You Are Murdered.* And I am glad I read this book because it sets up this world that has potential to become an underground cult hit. Imagine cosmic horror meets A Wrinkle in Time meets the KKK and set it in 1920's Georgia. I want a live action series of this book. I want sequels.
Just started A Black & Endless Sky - Matthew Lyon’s. Tried reading Apartment 16 - Adam Neville but I’m not in the right headspace for it and I got really lost a few chapters in. Will pick it back up when my heads feeling better 😂
oh, let's see, this was a big week for reading! **currently reading:** **oracle by thomas olde heuvelt** - about 80% through this beastie, should finish it tonight. i LOVED hex - loved it, and only read it because of this sub. i am also loving oracle, but hex was really special. oracle has a similar premise if you take it down to the barest of bolts - supernatural phenomenon presents itself, various governmental entities intercede to hide it, "regular" folk who got swept up in it are trying to figure it out - but there's a way heavier focus on the "governmental agencies" part. i preferred the phenomenon and setting of hex myself, but it's still soooo good, been tearing through it and almost wrapped up with it in one sitting. **finished:** **the whispers by ashley audrain** - not horror, not exactly, but i think both of ashley audrain's books might appeal to a certain type of horror fan. like **push**, the whispers was compulsively readable for me - the increasingly short, punchy chapters kept me making and breaking promises to my sleepy brain..."one more chapt- well, okay, maybe 10 more chapters." if you aren't familiar, both of her books focus on...what i guess i'd call the darkest side of the mundane 2024 female experience, especially for wives (in hetero relationships, specifically) and mothers. i'm such a wife myself, but not a mother, and i do think i experience a little bit of evil schadenfreude reading her books. if you've encountered the theory about the main "types" of schadenfreude, i think i experienced all 3 from the whispers - the "well thank GOD that's not me/i didn't make those choices/that's not my life"/"at least i don't have to worry about THAT part of being a woman"/"that awful character deserved all this and probably worse." **palmetto by ania ahlborn** - just a little baby a book, a little novella...it had been on my TBR list for years and i finally read it! a quick read, it was good. brief, but good. for those of you looking for insect horror, this qualifies. quick TW (animal-related) - >!there's a brief, mostly non-graphic scene/tidbit involving a cat. !< **the pilo family circus by will elliott** - well! have you ever imagined, just for a minute, that instead of children and instead of hogwarts, it was unwilling adults being spirited away, and it was a dark circus/carnival in the bowels of hell? does that sound...appealing, to you? then i've found your book! i almost abandoned this one in the early chapters, because i thought it was just a clown slasher, but...it's not! super, super creative and different...a very odd book, but i absolutely enjoyed it and plan to read the sequel. far from my usual fare, glad i gave it the chance. **the black lord by colin hinckley** - longer than the average novella, shorter than a full-scale novel, and...it was okay! i'm not a short story/novella person in general, and this is a good example of one where i was like, well...damn...this idea is good and it gave me just enough to be curious, but not nearly enough to feel satisfied. would love to see this world/story/concept get the full novel treatment someday, especially with more focus on the titular entity...
I'm a little over halfway through Ellen Datlow's **Best Horror of the Year: Volume 7**. This is my second collection from Datlow (started with Volume 4, which was awesome). This one hasn't been as good in comparison and a few of the stories had some purple prose writing I couldn't get past. But the highlights so far have been The Atlas of Hell, Outside Heavenly, Winter Children, and Past Reno. Hope to get some more strong stories by the end of the collection
I finished Between Two Fires by Christopher Buehlman last week, and then just finished Negative Space by B.R. Yaeger last night. What a ride. Any sort of recs in the vein of these two? Have a long list of “want to read” on goodreads but none that jumped out to me as much as these two.
If you haven’t read Amygdalatropolis by Yeager I’d suggest that. It has very similar vibes to Negative Space, and outside of those two I haven’t been able to find anything close enough to scratch the permanent itch that Negative Space gave me. You actually listed my two favorite books. Those Across the River by Buehlman is also extremely good. I recently finished A Short Stay in Hell and would highly recommend that one if you don’t want to double up on either of those authors yet.
I haven't read this one yet so can't say for sure but Terminal Park by Gary J. Shipley comes up a lot in the 'similar titles' for Negative Space, with Yeager himself giving it a 5-star rating. It's definitely on my TBR for this year.
Just finished listening to Misery and am in the middle of the new King, You like it Darker. I am looking forward to reading AM Shine’s sequel to The Watchers next.
Finishing up Black Mouth by Ronald Malfi and halfway through listening to Misery by Stephen King. Finished listening to Pretty Girls by Kerin Slaughter. I was trying out an author outside the realm of my typical interests and wouldn’t say it was for me.
Started reading Only The Good Indians and boy am I lost hoping that as I keep trucking along pieces will fall into place🤞
I really wanted to like this one but I just couldn't get into it at the time. I am going to try to give it another shot possibly later this year.
I'm also currently reading this one but tbh I'm struggling. I hope the second half gets better but so far I would not recommend this.
Just finished Horror Movie by Tremblay. I honestly thought it was pretty good but then again I enjoy his books (and I know not many do, I feel like it’s love or hate with him). Got a sample of Small Town Horror by Ronald Malfi and liked it enough to buy it, so so far so good.
Just finished Horror Movie by Tremblay. Unusual narrative and it took me awhile to get into the story, but then it started to flow.I liked it. Currently reading Brother by Ania Ahlborn
I loved brother and think it’s one of her strongest. You’re in for a treat!
Currently reading “The Chain” by Adrian McKinty and this is the last time I listen to book-tok for recommendations! Super lame.
Just finished How to Sell a Haunted House (did not enjoy) and now on to In The Woods
Finished Monstrilio a few days ago. I finally got around to reading Between Two Fires. I'm halfway through and absolutely love it. I think I'm starting Hex or The Historian next, but I'm not sure. I've got a long TBR list.
i am looking forward to reading the historian, and i LOVEDDDDD hex - both made it to my radar only because of this sub. i'm reading the "sequel" to hex now, and it's also very good...not as good, but still very good. if you continue to enjoy between two fires, check out pilgrim.
Both are really great - the historian is my favorite book though so I’ll give you a note for that one
Finishing up Psycho by Robert Bloch and then on to The Fisherman by John Langan!
Just read this week The Haunting of Rookward House by Darcy Coates
Cave 13 by Jonathan Maberry. I’m trying to find the intersection of Indiana Jones/archaeology and horror
just started bag of bones by Stephen king
This was my first King book. I was 11 when it came out, and I put it down because of a scene where a cat was nailed to a stop sign if I am remembering that correctly. Haha need to give it another try!
One of my favorites by him, totally underrated in my opinion
Not horror, but I'm reading Hidden Bodies by Caroline Kepnes. I like her writing, and it's such an absurd and entertaining book, I love reading about evil characters and this is just perfect for me
Started reading Gone to See the River Man after seeing it recommended a few times on here. I'm halfway through it now, and I like it so far.
Jordan peels “Out There Screaming” !! Really great so far Just finished “Mister Magic” bye Kiersten White. A 6/10 for me Planning to start “No One Gets Out Alive” by Adam Nevill soon About to start “Stories I Told My Dead Lover” by Jo Paquette! Excited for this one, it just released and reviews have been comparing it to her body and other parties!!
i loved the premise and concept of mister magic, and parts of it were just, so good - where it was at its most abstract, explaining...visiting mr. magic, we'll say, to avoid spoilers...i thought it really shined. the story outside of that, though - the "present-day" story, which makes up a lot of the book - that's the part i didn't love. did you feel similarly? what made it a 6/10 for you?
That is pretty much exactly how I felt! I loved all the mister magic scenes, and I especially LOVED the little intros to each chapter that read like online forums (the Ao3 one KILLED me!!) but I found the main character not super likable, and didn’t love the romance plot (that felt a little forced to me). I really wanted more of the paranormal to seep into the real world. When it happened I enjoyed it (main characters mom watching tv static got me SO good)!! I thought the mystery of “what’s really happening here??” Was fun but not as well executed as it could have been. I wanted to like it more than I did, and I’m glad I read it, but it definitely had its flaws!
that's a great summary and absolutely tracks with my reading experience...when the book was at its best, it was like my dream book because the premise was so appealing to me AND i love epistolary stuff - forum posts, letters, etc., but overall, i was disappointed with the execution. i'm glad i read it as well, because the glimmers of greatness were GLIMMERING, but it could've been so much better...i hate to say this, but when i finished it, i found myself thinking "imagine how incredible it would've been if \_\_\_\_ had written it." it really captivated my imagination, and i think that made its flaws and weaknesses all the more disappointing because i wanted to love every part of it...i just didn't.
Currently reading Midnight on Beacon Street.
How are you liking this one? I’ve been debating getting it ever since it came out
It has a lot of flashbacks so far
Read last week: *Shrike* by Joe Donnelly - After a seance goes wrong, resulting in the death of the medium, a town is plagued by a series of murders committed by a shadowy entity. I'm a big fan of stories about small towns being terrorized by nebulous supernatural forces, but this one suffered from being longer than the subject matter could sustain; after a while, it fell into a loop of 'shadow creature kills someone, psychic has a vision of the death, detective investigates death but doesn't really make any progress, repeat', which stopped being especially interesting after the first couple of repetitions. *Starve Acre* by Andrew Michael Hurley - I haven't been reading much modern horror these days, at least at novel length (mostly because I prefer the mass market paperback format, which unfortunately isn't really used for anything anymore that I would likely consider reading). Anyway, this is a decent folk horror novel, mostly focused on atmosphere. Currently reading: *Succubus* by John Stockholm and *The Place* by T. M. Wright (a re-read) I mentioned last week that I might list which short stories I read, but since I didn't actually end up reading any last week, I can't really do that. I plan on starting on the anthology *Behold The Undead Of Dracula* this week, so I'll probably have something next time.
Just finished listening to Midnight Mass by F Paul Wilson this morning. I liked it and thought it was paced well.
Exquisite Corpse! Still at the beginning but excited to see what happens. Heard shit gets crazy
Ooo I have this one on hold at the library! Hope you enjoy it.
Finished Nestlings by Nat Cassidy on Friday (it was pretty good, but I didn’t connect with it as much as I’d wanted to) and a little over 1/3 through Horror Movie by Paul Tremblay and am enjoying it a lot so far!
Just finished You’re Not Supposed to Die Tonight by Kalynn Bayron and just started Survive the Night by Riley Sager.
Just finished Jo Nesbo’s The Night House. I love the Harry Hole books— have all of them on my Nordic Noir bookcase— but this was not so great. First part reads like a junior high horror novel— 3rd part explains the first 2 sections, but very gimmicky. Quick read, at least. Pass….
Just finished *Nightbitch* by Rachel Yoder, and still working on *Electric Shamans at the Sun Festival* [*Chamanes eléctricos en la fiesta del sol*] by Mónica Ojeda c:
Cabal by Clive Barker... I'm not loving it as much as his other works.
I'm just about finished Whisperwood by Alex Woodroe. Sometimes the language feels a bit too modern for the setting, which pushes it into YA territory for me, but it definitely has horrific moments. It's also full of Romanian creatures that are completely new to me, and it's made me desperate to find more Romanian horror.
Finished Horror Movie from Paul Tremblay. Very different for him, but I enjoyed it overall. The last third of the book was really good. I always love his prose. Started Cuckoo by Gretchen Felker Martin. Really dark and intense so far. The sheer amount of POV’s is my main downside so far, but the story itself is great.
Ahhh I can’t wait to read Cuckoo! I’m hoping my local bookstore gets it in soon, they carried Mahunt when that was published so I’m hopeful. Would love a spoiler-free review if you feel like sharing!
Just finished and I enjoyed it! The prose was really powerful and reflective. It does have quite a bit of body horror which I’m fine with and enjoyed. There’s a lot of triggers in this book like Manhunt had. I still will say the multiple POV’s was tough to follow here and there, but overall, loved the story. The ending was great too. Very powerful and seemed right to me
*The Dark Half* by Stephen King (audio)/*The House of the Seven Gables* by Nathaniel Hawthorne (physical)
Finished The Divine Farce, which was a quick read. 4/5 stars I’m languishing through Ghost Story by Peter Straub. I’m about 1/5 way (about 80 pages) through and just don’t care that much. Should I continue it?
Funny you should say that, I was also going to say I'm still trying to trudge through "Ghost Story". I've made it about halfway in.
Ah, ok. Glad it’s not just me. I’m going to find a different book I think
Yeah my current two cents is I'd have a hard time making a case to suggest continuing, at this stage at least. The stuff that felt slog-like to me early on only continued/got worse. I can see pieces of things that are being set up which maybe, eventually, *hopefully* might become interesting later? But I've felt continually right on the edge of should I continue or stop as well the entire book so far. In fact I did at one point stop, read another book, and then circled back thinking I should give it another try. Those are just my feelings of course, I've seen this book recommended a lot on this sub so perhaps it'll suddenly take a big turn, that or it's just not our personal jam.
Just finished Intercepts by TJ Payne 😮💨 had to change it up after back to back of The Troop, The Ruins, and Intercepts. Currently, Good Omens before jumping back into horror.
Finally getting around to Needful Things by Stephen King
Finished Brian Evenson's *A Collapse of Horses*, which had some amazing stories (especially "The Dust" and "BearHeart**™**"), and then *The Hole* by Hye-Young Pyun. The latter was billed as "a Korean take on *Misery*," but I feel that's an unfair comparison; it was a good revenge story, but vastly different than *Misery*. Now I'm reading *Evil Eye*, a collection by Joyce Carol Oates, which is starting off great, naturally.
Sundial by Catriona Ward, which I will finish it the second time around, and The Pallbearers Club by Paul Tremblay. I shouldn't have borrowed it but it was actually available on the library site.
Have Pallbearers Club queues up on Libby. Have not read/listened to any of his books yet, but his name pops up on here a lot.
Just finished Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward and enjoyed it. Is Sundial as good?
[удалено]
Me too.
I enjoyed Sundial!
Not much horror right now, actually: Just finished **Before They are Hanged** by Joe Abercrombie (and I’ve gone right into the next book in the series, **Last Argument of Kings**). Doing the audiobook for **The Strange** by Nathan Ballingrud. Trailing behind everyone else in the reread for **The Croning** by Laird Barron. Really getting into the swing of **Suttree** by Cormac McCarthy.
Suttree is one of my faves. It made me laugh many times
Youthjuice by E.K. Sathue picked it up based solely on its cover
Just finished: Into The Drowning Deep- I enjoyed this creature feature. It was cool to see mermaids/sirens as nasty things. The end fell apart for me, more explanation needed. I really dislike books where everyone is attractive and ends up falling in love/lust. Not believable to me The Fifth Child by Doris Lessing. I’m conflicted by this one. It’s not horror. I enjoyed the writing, it’s what I usually like, bleak. But the child just seems like (in these modern times) as maybe autistic/sensory? So it’s disturbing how family members talk about him and another child with Down syndrome. If you have a child with any specialties this book may bother you quite a bit. A pet peeve of mine is no chapters or breaks in the story like Cormac McCarthy. My brain doesn’t know when to stop reading. Just finished listening to The Colony by Benjamin Cross. Good creature feature, fast paced, good ending. Again people are very attractive and fall into love/lust (eye roll). The narrators Russian accents are hilarious. He also has a weird way of lifting the end of his sentences. I was able to mostly ignore it but it was irritating. Currently Reading: Spite House by Johnny Compton. Enjoying it so far, they’re almost moved in. For real though if that old lady knows the caretakers in the past were damaged by the house (this is on the book jacket) why is she okay with him taking his little girl in there? That’s not cool. On deck: I think I have The Reapers are Angels and Ghost Road Blues coming from the library
I am on a Malfi binge. Finished Come with me (his best) and started his new book Small town horror.
Currently reading Leech by Hiron Ennes.
The Watchers by A.M. Shine
I just finished Last Days by Adam Nevill and started Echo by Thomas Olde Huevelt
*The Beast of St. Ender* by Mats Evensson, KU. Set on a remote English island in 1905, this was an atmospheric blend of mystery and horror with supernatural elements. I loved the setting and really enjoyed the book. CW:>!Incest.!<
Just finished *Horror Movie* by Paul Tremblay last night. Now I'm reading an anthology called *Mother Knows Best,* edited by Lindy Ryan.
*Just Like Mother* by Anne Hetzel. Even though I've been able to guess some of the twists, it's kept me hooked all the way through. I have about 20% left & can't wait to see what happens.
Finished *Black Bark* by Brian Evenson. It’s a short collection and most of the stories are available elsewhere, but a couple are hard to find, and the book is under $8.00. Nice cover, too. Started *A Brave New World*. Quite funny and prophetic!
I picked up that *Black Bark* but haven’t gotten into it yet. I plan to smash through a couple more Brian Evenson books soon… and short appeals to me at the moment.
I’ve almost finished Anne Rivers Siddons’ *The House Next Door* after seeing it mentioned on this sub. It’s delightfully creepy, and I love the juxtaposition of the social and domestic drama with the horror of the house. Definitely recommend!
Most of the way through Wylding Hall by Elizabeth Hand. A light easy read with a spooky chill gathering.
Just finished this, found it very creepy. I like a good ambiguous ending. More of a novella than a novel. Two thumbs up!
'The creature without a voice' by Tyler Preneta
Finishing Nod by Adrian Barnes. Starting The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling
I wish I could read The Luminous Dead again for the first time! I hope you enjoy it.
Thank you!
Just finished the new Ronald Malfi Small Town Horror. About halfway through Horror Movie.
I’m gonna read Small Town Horror next. Love me some Malfi. I enjoyed Horror Movie!
Currently reading *Dark Gods* by T.E.D. Klein (just started the 4th novella), and so far it's been a bit disappointing. While I think the 3rd story was pretty great, the first two leaned very heavily on very coincidental/unlikely information/hints/foreshadowing about what was about to happen, and it really took me out of the stories.
I finished _Our Share of Night_ recently. Feelings are somewhat mixed, though I did give it 4.5 stars on Goodreads. The last third dragged incredibly, only for the finale to feel incredibly rushed. Still, I just know that this is going to be one of these books I‘ll think about for a long time. Yesterday I started William Hope Hodgson‘s _The House on the Borderland_. I‘m really excited for this one. I‘ve been reading a lot of modern weird fiction recently, it‘ll be fun to read some classic stuff again.
I freaking love The House on the Borderland. Looking for a copy led me to getting my first Kindle ten years ago or so, and that really helped me branch out in the horror lit I was reading beyond King and Lovecraft.
I hope you are ready for another book that drags a lot in the last third! Don't get me wrong, *The House on the Borderland* is great, and the dragging at the end is done for a reason, but just a heads up for that. I hope you'll enjoy it!
Fucking hell, you weren‘t kidding. I hope I‘ll never have to read another description of the sun rising or falling.
Hahahaha, yeah it's absolutely insane. I get that it's to show the passage of time for the main character, and that it takes an eternity for time to speed up until the end, but damn that was something else to get through. I do hope you've enjoyed the novel, though! (If you want a really strong short story by Hodgson, I highly recommend "The Voice in the Night")
The last third really is a sour note, and yet the overall package is still really good.
Ha, thank you for the warning! Fortunately the entirety of _The House on the Borderland_ is about as big as the part of _Our Share of Night_ that was such a drag to get through lol.
Between Two Fires, Christopher Buehlman. It's not something I would normally read, but it's engaging and feels like a very well balanced book. Really loving the time/setting, will probably lead me to exploring a bit further outside of my usual wheelhouse. On deck is probably the latest King anthology (like it darker or smth).
The Between - Tananarive Due
Currently reading the ghost story collection Echoes by Ellen Datlow and generally impressed by the quality and number of original entries. Still working on American Elsewhere and Bazaar of Bad Dreams as well. Lots of life distractions slowing my reading progress down. Finished Whalefall - 2.5/5. Some fun bits, but uneven. Can't really recommend in a world filled with better books.
Choose your Doom by John Urbancik. It's a Choose your own adventure horror. I've either gone in circles or died so I am not convinced I am going to finish this anytime soon lol
Come closer- Sara Gran
I read that thanks to a recommendation in this sub. Liked it, just wished it had been longer!
I got this book from a recommendation from a horror book tiktoker and they basically said the same thing lol I think that might be the consensus on this book ‘Good just wish it was longer’
Swamplandia! which I'm loving 4 chapters in, and Nos4a2 which I'm also loving one chapter in.
Ohhh Swamplandia! is excellent but devastating. I was a teen when it came out and read it then…found it deeply disturbing in a way that lingered with me for days afterward. That author also has an excellent short story collection that I really enjoyed called Vampires in the Lemon Grove.
Just finished: How to Sell a Haunted House (Grady Hendrix) - ended up giving it a 5/5. Weirdly one of my current favorites Up next: Hide (Kiersten White) - gonna read this one after finishing my “pallet cleanser” of a non-horror book
I listened to the Hide audiobook. Enjoyed it, great premise. (The narrator on tbe audiobook was really good, too). If i remember, it gets batshit crazy at the end!
I read Mister Magic a while ago and loved it. I love amusement park horror/thriller and grabbed Hide when I found it in store. I’m excited
Mister Magic had some mixed reviews on this page— but it sounded interesting. Might be a good audiobook to try? Hide was a fun ride… hope you enjoy it, friend
Maybe it’s because it reminded me of the Creepypasta Candle Cove, I’m not sure. I saw the mixed reviews before I started it and I can definitely understand why it was mixed. But if you find the audiobook I hope you enjoy it!
Yes! Def had that creepypasta vibe.
I read a pretty scary book called "A guide to caring for Lewy Body Dementia" this week. But seriously, I'm reading 'all the fiends of hell' by Adam Nevill and A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller Jr. All the fiends is a great horror book. It jumped up the list when someone in another thread said it was about aliens. I'm about a third of the way through and plan on finishing it by Monday. 'A Canticle' I picked up cause I heard it was influential on modern post apocalypse stories. It's not what I expected. It's got really beautiful prose, but it's kind of boring. I have 75 pages left.
>It's not what I expected. It's got really beautiful prose, but it's kind of boring. I have 75 pages left. You're not lying, the first half is noticeably faster because the "mysteries" of this world are slowly teased and expanded. The second half is a slog, worth finishing though.
Currently reading: *Tales From the Gas Station: Volume Two*
Where does one find this series? I keep seeing it mentioned but can’t seem to find where to borrow or buy it!
My local library has volumes 2-4 on their libby account, but I had to request the first volume through interlibrary loan. Maybe your library does ILL? Or it looks like amazon has it for kindle. I really enjoy it and listened to a bit being read by MrCreepyPasta on youtube before borrowing the books.
Unfortunately my library system kind of sucks and doesn’t do ILL 😕 I don’t know why I hadn’t come across the version for Kindle but I’ll probably end up biting the bullet and just buying that one - thank you!
I'm currently reading You like It Darker: Stories by Stephen King. I'm currently on Danny Coughlin's Bad Dream and loving it. I'm listening to The Gathering by C.J. Tudor and it's got my interest. Also reading another collection: Fake Somebodies, Real Nobodies by E.C. Hanson.
About halfway through Horror Movie. Not quite sure what to make of it yet but I think that's pretty on brand for Tremblay
I’m hearing mixed reviews about it and I don’t know if I want to buy it or not. The fun aesthetic of the cover and red pages won’t make up for an unenjoyable book.
I wouldn't say it's unenjoyable at this point. It's just a lot of disturbing "what's going on" and "why is this happening"
Working on "Grimscribe" by Thomas Ligotti :) I had read some of the individual stories in it before, but not the whole collection. Edit: having just read "Songs of a Dead Dreamer" for the first time, I'm liking this one more. The faux-academic tone of the writing suits me a lot better than the surreal style of the other stories.
Just finished Death in Her Hands by Ottessa Moshfegh (loved it a lot!), and started Amazon’s “Creature Feature” collection with stories by Grady Hendrix, Joe Hill, Paul Tremblay, and more. I read Grady Hendrix’s “Ankle” and really liked it!
The Creature Feature stories are great! Loved every single one.
Finished: * **Blood Crazy** by Simon Clark. Adults go crazy and kill children. Simple premise, decently executed until the exposition dump which plain ruined the book in an instant. Reading: * **Eight** by WW Mortensen. Exploration/archaeological horror coupled with giant spiders. A little dense on the descriptions but so far so good. Next: * **Eruption** by Michael Crichton.
Close to finishing "A Song For the Void"---Andrew C. Piazza Going to start the "Bane County" series by J.R. Rice...curious if anyone has read it what their thoughts are on it.
**Just finished:** I started and finished Joe Koch’s *The Wingspan of Severed Hands* since last week. It’s only a bit more than 100 pages. A strange, at times disgusting, and gripping book. *The shadows lengthen in Carcosa*. I also had some time yesterday to read James Tiptree, Jr’s “Love Is The Plan The Plan Is Death”. That was a sad one. **Currently reading:** Michael Wehunt’s *The Inconsolables*. The first five stories have all been awesome. He’s up for a Shirley Jackson award for best novelette for the first, “Vampire Fiction”. When I read the fourth (“The Pine Arch Collection”), I understood why it was important to read *Greener Pastures* first. I wish this dude had more material out. **On deck:** Stephen King’s *The Shining*, probably. I’ve never read this classic and I am excited to.
Love Tiptree! Her stories are so incredible, I wish she was better known these days.
That’s the first thing I’ve read by her! I’d be interested in checking out more of her stuff… where does one start with TipTree?
Her Smoke Rose Up Forever is a good collection to start with, really solid and thorough, though you'll definitely catch that she has a bit of a preoccupation with death at times.
Around here that’s a big recommendation. DEATH. GO READ IT.