Happy Monday, horror fans! It’s the best day of the week, because it’s the day we all get to geek out about horror. And because I am a word nerd and a horror nerd, I thought today we’d go with a little alliteration and call today, March 11, Monster Monday. Stay tuned to find out more.
Want to make your book club the best club? Sign up for our In the Club newsletter. In the Club will deliver recommendations for the best books to discuss in your book clubs. From buzzy new releases to brilliant throwbacks, the books highlighted in this newsletter will drive your book club discussions. We’ll also share some book club-friendly recipes and interesting bookish updates from all over. If you become a paid subscriber, you get even more recommendations, plus community features. In other words, we’ll keep you well-met, well-read, and well-fed. Sign up today!
Bookish Goods
Cryptid Field Art Sketchbook by Ballyraven
For all my monster fiends tuning into The Fright Stuff today, happy Monster Monday. This Cryptid Field Art Sketchbook is the perfect introduction to the world of monsters, with colorful illustrations and QR codes to access even more information about all of your favorite cryptids. You can purchase a paperback version for $23, or a coil-bound copy for $27.
New Releases
Chicano Frankenstein by Daniel A. Olivas
We’re talking monsters this week, so I have to mention this new Frankenstein adaptation that just came out this month. Against the backdrop of a United States politicizing the reanimation process, an unnamed paralegal is brought back to life. All memories of his life pre-reanimation have been lost, and as he searches for answers on the life he left behind, he falls in love with a lawyer named Faustina Godínez and comes to terms with a world that would rather he didn’t exist.
The Haunting of Velkwood by Gwendolyn Kiste
Okay, not a monster novel (sorry), but this is a book I hyped late last year, so now I have to ring the alarm and alert everyone that it’s out. Meaning, you can go read it right now. Twenty years ago, Velkwood Street and everyone who lived there disappeared overnight. The only ones who survived were three best friends. They watched their homes and their loved ones disappear behind a near-impenetrable veil that’s now known as the Velkwood Vicinity. But what happened all those years ago? Now that a researcher is tracking down the survivors, will they finally be able to get answers?
For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.
Riot Recommendations
Patricia Wants to Cuddle by Samantha Allen
Want some more monster horror novels to celebrate Monster Monday? Here’s one of my favorites. When the finalists for the dating reality TV show The Catch go to Otters Island to film the last episodes of the season, they’re expecting to compete with one another for the lead’s attention (and, of course, the social media clout that comes with that). What they’re not expecting? Patricia, a woefully misunderstood creature who hides in the dark and is looking for a connection of her own.
Frankenstein in Baghdad by Ahmed Saadawi
We can’t really talk monsters without mentioning Frankenstein at least twice, right? And this is a really great retelling worth checking out as well. Set in U.S.-occupied Baghdad, this is the story of Hadi, a scavenger who collects human body parts and stitches them together as a statement to the government about recognizing body parts as people and giving them a proper burial. But when his stitched-up body goes missing, troubling news begins circulating around the city. A horrifying criminal who seemingly cannot be killed is indiscriminately murdering people.
I hope you had a marvelous Monster Monday. Let’s do it again soon. Until then, you can follow me (and message me) on Instagram at emandhercat. Sweet dreams, horror fans!