Hello, scary story-loving friends! It’s Monday, the scariest day of the week. Yes, because we have to get back to work, but mostly because we get to talk about horror books. Let’s see what we have going on this Monday, the last one of February. RIP, February.
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Bookish Goods
Personalized Skeleton Cat Journal by ForestNine
These personalized journals have an embossed image of two of my favorite things: a skeleton and a cat. This is available lined or unlined, and in four different colors. $29.
New Releases
Island Witch by Amanda Jayatissa
This gothic horror novel is described as Carrie meets The Exorcist. Amara is the daughter of the village Capuwa, or demon priest. Normally, her father is who everyone turns to when anything supernatural happens in the village. But now, something is attacking people in the jungle, and everyone thinks Amara’s father is behind the attacks. As Amara works to clear her father’s name, she also uncovers unsettling truths about her own past.
An Education in Malice by S.T. Gibson
S.T. Gibson, the author of A Dowry of Blood, is back with a reimagining of the classic sapphic vampire story Carmilla by J. Sheridan Le Fanu. From the very first day Laura Sheridan enters Saint Perpetua’s College, she finds herself in an intense and surprisingly passionate rivalry with fellow student Carmilla. But rivalry turns into obsession as the two become more deeply entrenched in each other’s lives and that of their strange and darkly mysterious poetry professor, De Lafontaine.
For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.
Riot Recommendations
Fledgling by Octavia E. Butler
And while we’re on the topic of vampires, here are two vampire-y novels by Black authors. In this sci-fi take on a vampire story, “Ina” are vampire-like creatures who are biologically created rather than supernaturally made. They also co-exist with humans in a symbiotic relationship. The Inas’ existence is explained through science rather than the supernatural here, and through this conceit, Butler explores racism and the fear of racial contamination.
My Soul to Keep by Tananarive Due
This book is the first in Tananarive Due’s African Immortals series. David seems like everything Jessica could want in a husband. He’s smart, attentive, and extremely attractive. But when people close to Jessica begin to die mysterious, violent deaths, David has a shocking confession: he is more than 400 years old. Many years ago, he traded his humanity for immortality.
February is going by so fast, friends! The next time I talk to you, it’ll be March. Wild! In the meantime, you can follow me (and message me) on Instagram at emandhercat. Sweet dreams, horror fans!