Horror fans!
I know last week I told you some of the scariest things that happened to me that week. This week, the scariest thing is that we’re HALFWAY through May somehow. And there are soooo many good new horror releases to share with you. There was no way I could cut it down to two, so I have three (!!!) for you this time.
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Bookish Goods
Midsommar Bookmark by SnarkyAndSage
It’s May, and you know what that means. Time to celebrate the season with the May Queen from Midsommar. If you love books (and you do because you’re here), then you can represent your love for the season with this gorgeous May Queen bookmark. Skål! It’s $4.25!
New Releases
The House that Horror Built by Christina Henry
I have three (!!) new horror novels to recommend for you this week, and it was hard to narrow it down to these three. Let’s start with the latest from Christina Henry.
Javier Castillo was an award-winning horror movie director who had audiences at the edge of their seats with every new film release. But after his family was hit with tragedy and scandal, the director was forced to step away from the spotlight. Now single mom (and film aficionado) Harry Adams has accepted a job cleaning Javier’s home. Javier values discretion over everything else, and Harry promises not to ask questions. But when Harry hears a voice behind a locked door calling for help, she’s not so sure she can keep her promise.
It Waits in the Forest by Sarah Dass
This next one is a chilling YA horror fantasy from Rick Riordan Presents. Set on the Caribbean Island of St. Virgil, It Waits in the Forest follows Selina DaSilva, a plant-loving young girl who dreams of leaving the island to study pharmacology. But that was before her mother and father were viciously attacked. Now, her father is dead and her mother is in a coma, and Selina’s ex-boyfriend Gabriel wants to get to the bottom of who is violently killing people on the island. There have always been stories of evil lurking in the forest, something Selina’s logical mind always refused to regard as truth. But now she’s not so sure.
My Darling Dreadful Thing by Johanna van Veen
This final book is a queer supernatural horror novel. Roos Beckman has a spirit companion, Ruth, who only she can see. Roos uses her abilities to connect with the spirit world to conduct questionable séances where she and her mother feed on the vulnerability of people grieving their loved ones. But then she meets Agnes Knoop, a wealthy young widow who also has a spirit companion. Realizing that they are kindred spirits, Agnes invites Roos to come live with her at the crumbling estate she inherited from her dead husband. Agnes and Roos quickly form a deep bond with one another. When someone ends up dead, Roos’ sanity is questioned, and she’s forced to choose between her love for Agnes and her deep bond with Ruth.
For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.
Riot Recommendations
The Troop by Nick Cutter
It’s mid-May, which means summer is around the corner. The scariest time of the year if you ask me, friends. I hate hot weather. But you know what’s summery and a great setting for scary stories? Camps/summer camps. The Troops is pretty much the creepiest camping story I’ve ever read. Every year, scoutmaster Tim Riggs takes his troop into the Canadian wilderness for a three-day camping trip. Of course, scary stories have long been a staple of camping trips. But when those scary stories become real, this camping trip becomes so much more terrifying than anything the troop leader or the boys could have planned for.
Dead Girls Walking by Sami Ellis
Last (but not least), here’s a new YA horror novel set in a queer summer camp for horror fans. OMG, right? Temple Baker’s father is the North Point Killer, an infamous serial killer who has been convicted of murdering 20 people. But did he kill Temple’s mother? Looking for answers, Temple returns to the scene of the alleged crime, a farm that has now been turned into an overnight camp for queer, horror-obsessed girls. When a girl at the camp ends up dead, Temple worries that there’s a copycat killer amongst the campers.
Phew, all this talk of summer camp is making me want to shut down the computer and explore the great outdoors. So I’m out of here for now, but I’ll see you next Monday! Until then, you can follow me (and message me) on Instagram at emandhercat. Sweet dreams, horror fans!