Hello, horror fans! Welcome to another Monday, which means it’s time for another new Fright Stuff newsletter. Let’s talk scary stuff today and every Monday, yeah? No real theme for you today; we’re just talking scary stuff in general. Hooray.
Looking to elevate your reading life? Tailored Book Recommendations is here to help with handpicked recommendations. Tell the Bibliologists at Tailored Book Recommendations about what you love and what you don’t. You can get your recommendations via email or receive hardcovers or paperbacks in the mail. And with quarterly or annual plans available, TBR has something for every budget. Plans start at just $18! Subscribe today.
Bookish Goods
Frankenstein Planter by DolittleDorks
Yes, I know this version of Frankenstein is totally invented by the movie and is not representative of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. But this planter is still bookish, and so cool. And it’s spring, so it’s time for us to make our horror lives a little more plant-y, don’t you think? $26 for just the planter. $38 for the planter + succulent. I’m in love.
New Releases
Immortal Pleasures by V. Castro
From V. Castro, the author of The Haunting of Alejandra, comes a horrifying new tale of an ancient Aztec vampire who travels the modern world avenging conquered peoples, reclaiming their stolen artifacts, and returning them to their homelands. Malinalli’s travels take her to Dublin, where she searches for stolen Aztec skulls that are connected to her own past. But in this city, she finds something unexpected — two mortal men who speak to Malinalli’s other desires in different ways.
All Things Seen and Unseen by RJ McDaniel
Alex Nguyen is a chronically ill college student whose life is quickly unraveling. Following a recent suicide attempt and a long hospitalization, Alex finds herself without a job, without a romantic relationship, without money to pay for school, and without a place to live. Then, she’s offered a lifeline in the form of a job housesitting for the summer at a mansion on a gulf island. But the mansion — surrounded by a mysterious (and possibly magic) forest and an unsettling, insular community — brings back traumatic memories Alex has long repressed.
For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.
Riot Recommendations
Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth
2020 was a year, wasn’t it? It feels like yesterday and yet…it feels like another world entirely. That year, I was so thankful for people who were still creating art. So this week, I wanted to highlight books that came out that year. This one is an all-time fave. Brookhants School for Girls is an old boarding school with a troubled and mysterious past, which includes many mysterious deaths. One hundred years have passed since the horrors that befell the school took place, and writer Merritt Emmons has written a book celebrating the queer, feminist history of the school that was so cursed. Her book inspires a horror film adaptation of the story.
The Deep by Alma Katsu
A book about the Titanic, but make it ghosts. Yes, really. On the Titanic’s maiden voyage, several of the passengers are convinced the ship is haunted. Years later, one of those passengers — Annie Hebbley — survives but cannot remember the details of what happened on the Titanic. Now, she’s working as a nurse on the sixth voyage of the Titanic’s sister ship, the Brittanic. And suddenly, all of the memories are coming back to haunt her.
And that’s it for this Monday of random horrors collected and delivered straight to your inbox. I hope you have a wonderful week, and I will see you very soon. Yes, that was ominous on purpose. Until then, you can follow me (and message me) on Instagram at emandhercat. Sweet dreams, horror fans!