Hi, Horror Fans! It’s Monday, which means it’s time to talk all things horror again. Surprisingly, nothing truly scary happened to me this week. No more crow attacks. But I did read some scary books. And, I have some exciting new releases and recs to share with you this week. So let’s chat about that.
Learn something new, sharpen your skills, and expand your horizons with our Better Living Through Books newsletter. Better Living Through Books is your resource for reading material that helps you live the life you want. From self-help to cookbooks to parenting to personal finance, relationships, and more, Better Living Through Books has got you covered. If it’s part of life, it can be part of your reading life. Sign up for your free subscription to Better Living Through Books today, or become an All Access member starting at $6 per month or $60 per year and get unlimited access to members-only content in 20+ newsletters, community features, and the warm fuzzies knowing you are supporting independent media.
Bookish Goods
Ghost Mug by TheScaryGood
The best companion to a good scary book is a nice cup of tea or a cup of coffee in a cute lil scary mug. I love this one. It’s pink. It’s got ghosts all over it. It says “Boo!” on the inside, so as you drink your coffee down, you’ll get a little scare. And it’s only $9 until July 1.
New Releases
Craft: Stories I Wrote for the Devil by Ananda Lima
This first book I’ve got for you this week is a collection of horror stories that are all connected by one interesting premise. It all starts in 1999 at a Halloween party, where a writer ends up going to bed with the devil. From then on, the devil returns to her throughout her life. As the title suggests, this writer keeps creating stories for the devil, stories that are chilling and strange while also delving into the very real fears and hopes of the Brazilian American immigrant experience.
We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer
This one is such a creepy, mind-bendy experience that’s truly hard to describe, but let me try! Charlie and Eve have just gotten a great deal on an old house and are working on renovating it. Then, one day when Eve is at the house by herself, she hears a knock at the door. It’s a family, and the father, Thomas, claims to have lived in the house three years ago. They say they want to have a look around and will only stay for 15 minutes, tops. But as soon as they enter the house, strange things start happening. And, well, needless to say, they stay for longer than 15 minutes.
For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.
Riot Recommendations
Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth
I’ve got more queer horror recommendations for you this week, and this one is one of my all-time faves! Picture it: 1902. Brookhants School for Girls. Two impressionable young students, Flo and Clara, establish their own private club called The Plain Bad Heroines Society, created in honor of the writer Mary MacLane. The club meets in secret in an apple orchard, and this is where their dead bodies are later found with Mary MacLane’s controversial memoir splayed out next to them. Now, over a century later, a controversial horror film is being made about the incident. But the terrors are not over.
She is a Haunting by Trang Thanh Tran
I do love a good ghost story, especially when it’s gothic and queer. Jade Nguyen’s father has one goal: to restore a French colonial house in Vietnam to its former glory. But the house has goals all its own. At night, Jade wakes up feeling entirely paralyzed, and she hears the voice of a woman telling her not to eat. Neither her father nor her sister believe Jade when she tells them there’s something strange about the house. But Jade knows the house will not rest until it destroys them all.
And with that, another week of horror talk is in the books. Thanks for joining me, and I’ll see you here next week for another round of thrills and chills. Until then, you can follow me (and message me) on Instagram at emandhercat. Sweet dreams, horror fans!