Happy Monday, Horror Fans! This is the day we talk about all things scary, spine-tingling, and spooky. Some people might dread Mondays, but how can we when we have so much horror content to look forward to? And on that note, let’s see what this week has in store for us, yeah?
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Bookish Goods
Mary Shelley Backpack by PenumbraPlace
You love horror, so why not wear the mother of horror on your back? This Mary Shelley backpack features the author’s image and signature on a durable, quality backpack. $78
New Releases
The House of Last Resort by Christopher Golden
Oooh, I do love a haunted house story, and this one feels like a fresh twist on the genre. American couple Tommy and Kate Puglisi buy a home in a small Italian town called Becchina, but things feel off from the moment they move in. Between the secret rooms, the strange noises, the locked doors, and whispers throughout the village, something just doesn’t seem right in this house. And then they discover the house was once owned by the Church and that strange things happened there.
Almost Surely Dead by Amina Akhtar
This horror/psychological thriller novel mixes true crime with South Asian folklore. And it is a book from Mindy Kaling’s new imprint, Mindy’s Book Studio. One year ago, Dunia Ahmed was just a normal New Yorker. She was the daughter of Pakistani immigrants and a successful pharmacist. But then she went missing, and now she’s the subject of a true crime podcast. What really happened to Dunia? It’s not what you’d expect.
For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.
Riot Recommendations
The Reformatory by Tananarive Due
As we all know, February is Black History Month, so all month, I’m going to share some of my favorite horror books written by Black authors. So, if you don’t see your favorite this week, just know there are more recs coming. I feel like first, I have to shout out the latest from Tananarive Due! The Reformatory is set in Gracetown, Florida, in the summer of 1950. Robert Stephen Jones Jr. is sent to Gracetown School for Boys after kicking a white boy’s leg. Robert thinks he’s just being sent to a reform school, but Gracetown is something much more than that. It’s a segregated school that is haunted by the boys who have died there.
House of Hunger by Alexis Henderson
I don’t feel like this book gets talked about enough, but it is so atmospheric and creepy and such an excellent exploration of classism and poverty (that, unfortunately, feels very relevant to contemporary life). Marion Shaw was raised in poverty. Now, she longs to escape the difficulties of city life, but she sees no way out. Could a newspaper ad searching for a bloodmaid be her way out? Marion knows very little about the position or the far north where she will have to travel, but she applies anyway. As the newest bloodmaid at the notorious House of Hunger, Marion meets Countess Lisavet, who presides over a court of hedonism. Marion is eager to please her mistress, who is both charismatic and terrifying. But when her fellow bloodmaids begin to go missing, Marion realizes she must learn the rules of the House of Hunger, or her own life will soon be at risk.
Thanks so much for tuning in to The Fright Stuff this week! I’m here because you’re here, and I’m so happy we can come together and talk horror every Monday. Until next time, you can follow me (and message me) on Instagram at emandhercat. Sweet dreams!