Horror fans, it’s been ages, and I’ve missed you over the holidays. Now 2024 has begun, and while it’s a new year, The Fright Stuff will remain the same newsletter you’ve come to know and love. Get ready for another year of thrills, chills, etc. I know I am!
2024 is the tenth year of the Read Harder Challenge! Join us as we make our way through 24 tasks meant to expand our reading horizons and diversify our TBRs. To get book recommendations for each task, sign up for the Read Harder newsletter. We’ll also keep you informed about other cool reading challenges, readathons, and more across the bookish internet. If you become a paid subscriber, you get even more recommendations plus community features, where you can connect with a community of passionate, like-minded readers in a cozy and supportive corner of the internet. Sign up today!
Bookish Goods
The Black Cat Candle by EPluribusLtd
As you set your reading goals for the year and settle in for your next read-a-thon, why not light your way with this eerie candle, inspired by Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Black Cat?” And if you want more candles for your Poe-inspired collection, this Etsy store also makes candles inspired by “The Tell Tale Heart,” “The Raven,” “The Gold Bug,” “Annabel Lee,” and “The Masque of the Red Death.” Each handmade candle is $26.
New Releases
Rabbit Hole by Kate Brody
Rabbit Hole is a debut horror thriller that looks at the dark side of true crime. Theodora “Teddy” Angstrom’s older sister, Angie, went missing 10 years ago, and the case remains unsolved. Now, Teddy finds herself falling down the Reddit rabbit hole, trying to uncover the truth behind what happened to her sister. But will she be able to find Angie? Or will she self-destruct?
The Djinn Waits a Hundred Years by Shubnum Khan
This horror fantasy novel takes place in a haunted mansion by the sea, Akbar Manzil. After a painful loss, Sana and her father move into the estate, hoping for a fresh start. But in Akbar Manzil, there is a room that’s been locked for decades, and behind that locked door is a room frozen in time, marred by tragedy.
For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.
Riot Recommendations
Fever Dream by Samanta Schweblin, translated by Megan McDowell
Looking for some quick horror reads to get your reading goals off to a good start? Here are some amazing horror novels in translation that are right around 200 pages. Fever Dream is a mind-bending novel that starts with a woman waking up sick in a hospital bed. A young boy sits at her bedside, and she speaks with him, trying to make sense of what happened to her.
The Hole by Hye-Young Pyun, translated by Sora Kim-Russell
The Hole is another novel of psychological horror. Ogi wakes up from a coma following a car accident that killed his wife and left him paralyzed and disfigured. Now, his mother-in-law is in charge of his care. But as she mourns the loss of her only child, she often neglects to care for Ogi and leaves him alone in his bed. The only thing Ogi has left to remember his wife is her garden in their front yard. So when Ogi sees his mother-in-law digging up the garden his wife had spent so much time cultivating, he is confused. And his mother-in-law, digging bigger and bigger holes in the garden, insists she’s simply finishing what her daughter started.
Happy New Year, everyone! I am excited to share more scary reads with you all year long. Until then, you can follow me (and message me) on Instagram at emandhercat. Sweet dreams, horror fans!
