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PREMIUM
All the Hearts You Eat
A must-read for those who enjoyed Piper’s Bram Stoker award-winning Queen of Teeth. Like Nat Cassidy’s Nestlings, it takes the vampire story and turns it into something new.
PREMIUM
Northern Nights
Fans of speculative anthologies will want to read these stories on cold nights, particularly if they like stories where the land is as much an antagonist as a monster with sharp teeth and claws.
PREMIUM
Cold Snap
Ryan (Bless Your Heart) writes a haunting and affecting novella that portrays the wrenching nature of grief and guilt.
PREMIUM
Fragile Anthology
All of the writers in this collection seem to have fun with the premise of a mover and a cardboard box’s mysterious contents, creating a worthy showcase for sci-fi and horror fans looking for their next favorite author.
Readers have scary new stories to look forward to from three LJ Best Book authors: Stephen Graham Jones, Cynthia Pelayo, and Erika T. Wurth.
PREMIUM
Ghost Mother
Dwyer’s (Tracks of Angels) atmospheric, multilayered ghost story explores the ways strong desires can manifest. It is a must-read for fans of “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman.
PREMIUM
This Cursed House
Sandeen has written a strong debut novel that will appeal to readers who enjoy complicated family histories and an increasing sense of paranoia, such as in Midnight Rooms by Donyae Coles, and gothic thrillers like Spite House by Johnny Compton.
PREMIUM
The Book of Witching
A good pick for readers interested in witch trials throughout history, as Cooke melds elements of horror, historical fiction, family drama, and a police procedural into this witchy novel.
PREMIUM
Devils Kill Devils
Fans of Clive Barker’s dark fantasy will like the universe Compton teases, while readers who enjoy Nick Cutter’s gorgeously gory prose will love how Compton describes all the myriad ways that flesh and bone can come apart.
PREMIUM
American Rapture
Those who loved Leede’s style in her debut, Maeve Fly, will enjoy this grimly complicated story.
PREMIUM
The Devil by Name
A must-buy for libraries that purchased Fever House or for those interested in modern horror. This duology is a delight for both horror readers and fans of apocalyptic fiction. Recommend to those who liked The Stand by Stephen King, Zone One by Colson Whitehead, or The Rising by Brian Keene.
In his graphic novel debut, cartoonist Horvath’s stunningly gorgeous painted artwork evokes classic children’s book illustration to create a sense of witnessing raw transgression against all that is good and pure. The effect is both viscerally disturbing and, for fans of horror and serial killer thrillers, immensely thrilling.
PREMIUM
Narcissus
Godfrey’s (Campfire Macabre) latest blends horror, myth, and thriller in an unputdownable listen. A winner for fans of dread-filled novels like Christina Henry’s The Ghost Tree or Cassandra Khaw’s Nothing but Blackened Teeth.
PREMIUM
The House That Horror Built
Henry’s novel draws readers in not by being terrifying but by being both fun and frightening. Perfect for horror fans who prefer playful eeriness over gore.
A mushroom-filled, cosmic, cli-fi novel; a historical horror featuring vampires and a sapphic romance; spooky stories of those living with cursed objects; and even more tales to terrify this month.
Genre-bending literary horror, a winter monster, social horror, and more feature in these novels, which include books from big names Eric LaRocca and Clay McLeod Chapman.
Bestselling author Rachel Harrison was nominated for a Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a First Novel for The Return. She is also the author of Black Sheep, Such Sharp Teeth, and Cackle. Her next novel, So Thirsty (Berkley), is forthcoming this September. She talks with LJ about vampires, centering women in stories, her appreciation for libraries and librarians, and the inspiration for her writing.
Vampires stake a renewed claim, women’s stories and translated novels expand the genre, and psychological horror challenges tropes.
Give in to terror with tales of fear, exploration, confrontation, and all manner of haunts that hide under the bed—and in the mind.
PREMIUM
Pay the Piper
For fans of both Kraus’s novels and Romero’s films, this bloody Southern story highlights the strengths of both auteurs.
PREMIUM
Blood Like Mine
Fans of monster-themed books like Liz Kerin’s “Night’s Edge” series and Neville’s other mysteries and thrillers should give this novel attempt at horror a taste.
With a realistic protagonist who faces choices that are sometimes scarier than monsters, this book will have readers sinking their teeth in.
Even those well versed in slashers and their tropes will be surprised by the directions Jones takes. Readable both as representative of slasher films and book and as an exploration of the rules of the genre, this novel will have wide appeal to readers who are new to Jones’s work as well as established fans. Recommended as a contrast for fans of recent “final girl” books like the ones by Grady Hendrix and Riley Sager and readers who enjoyed The Pallbearers Club by Paul Tremblay.
PREMIUM
William
A late-act reveal helps this story stand out among other technology-going-bad tales, and those who like the trope, or enjoy a good techno-thriller, will want to watch William play with his human toys.
In his most accessible work to date, Iglesias has crafted a coming-of-age story that blends friendship, vengeance, and mysticism in beautifully written prose that demonstrates the thinness of the boundary between the spiritual world and grim reality. Recommended for fans of S.A. Cosby and Stephen Graham Jones and those who enjoy Nordic noir, with its strong sense of place and of the power of weather.
PREMIUM
The Science of Ghosts
Paranormal soft horror with a sexy vibe. Readers, especially mystery fans, will find this blend of the arcane and the academic intriguing.
Debut novelist Donyae Coles talks with LJ about horror’s emotional resonance, the roles of Black characters in the genre, and her other creative outlets.
PREMIUM
The Body Harvest
Seidlinger’s (Anybody Home??) squirm-inducing and thought-provoking novel spins the fear of the COVID era into something terrifying in a whole new way. Suggest to those who like the immersive discomfort of books like The Seventh Mansion by Maryse Meijer, Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke by Eric LaRocca, and This Thing Between Us by Gus Moreno.
PREMIUM
The Drowning House
Priest (Cinderwich) is popular with library audiences from teen to adult, and her latest will appeal to both. A great suspenseful and twisty story, reminiscent of Hex by Thomas Olde Heuvelt, The Twisted Ones by T. Kingfisher, and The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon.
PREMIUM
Midnight Rooms
Coles’s novel is another stellar example of how marginalized voices are taking a perennially popular genre, previously dominated by white characters and authors, and revitalizing it for 21st-century readers in a manner that honors its history but injects brand-new terrors, similar to Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia and The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas.
PREMIUM
The Night Guest
Knútsdóttir will hook readers with her first title to be translated into English. For fans of disorienting psychological horror marked by extreme tension and familial trauma, such as in The Grip of It by Jac Jemc, My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite, and anything by Catriona Ward.
Pedersen’s debut skillfully balances character and atmosphere. Recommend to readers who like creepy, methodically paced stories that focus on unease, such as the work of Kevin Brockmeier. Also a good pick for those who enjoy tales that use mythology in a revenge plot, like The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones.
With her eerie and unnervingly probable plot, strong narrative voice, and focus on the small, beautiful moments of life amid disaster, Trías’s (The Rooftop) tale will continue to haunt readers long after they turn the final page. Pair it with other thoughtful and subtle horror stories such as Sealed by Naomi Booth or Fever Dream by Samanta Schweblin.
A stunningly illustrated exploration of alienation, obsession, and the experience of yearning for connection with another human being, particularly when one feels that they are only capable of expressing themselves through art.
PREMIUM
The Deviant, Vol. 1
Bestselling author Tynion (Blue Book) and illustrator Hixson (The Plot) deliver a moodily illustrated and psychologically complex horror thriller that examines the consequences of refusing to acknowledge the humanity of an individual who does not conform to the societal expectations of the prevailing culture.
PREMIUM
What Feasts at Night
Fans of gothic horror and Kingfisher’s unique blend of horror and humor will enjoy this frightfully fun slice of Gallacian folklore.
PREMIUM
The House of Last Resort
Terrifying, uncomfortable, and unputdownable. Fans of Danielle Trussoni’s The Ancestor will want to pick this up.
PREMIUM
Womb City
Speculative, dystopian fiction blending Botswanan mythology with considerations of family, technology, and autonomy. Share with fans of Nnedi Okorafor, Temi Oh, and Octavia Butler.
If this book and the trilogy are Jones’s love letter to the slasher genre, it could just as easily make other readers fall in love with it too.
PREMIUM
Your Shadow Half Remains
Postapocalyptic stories like this and Josh Malerman’s Bird Box often focus on what changes when society stops working. In this uneasy tale, Moraine suggests that what changes is how humans interact with one another.
PREMIUM
The Haunting of Velkwood
An intriguing ghost story, perfect for fans of both bombastic hauntings, like Richard Matheson’s Hell House, and more cerebral hauntings, like Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House.
With horror’s popularity, this accessible, entertaining, and informative book will be in high demand. Pair with 101 Horror Books To Read Before You’re Murdered by Sadie Hartmann to capture a similar vibe for stories in print.
PREMIUM
Lost Man’s Lane
Fans of Clive Cussler and Dean Koontz may be intrigued by this mashup of crime thriller, coming-of-age story, and supernatural horror.
Genius narration pairs with an excellent collection to create a must-listen audiobook, particularly for fans of John Hornor Jacobs’s A Lush and Seething Hell and Laird Barron’s The Beautiful Thing That Awaits Us All.
PREMIUM
A Child Alone with Strangers
While the audio clocks in at over 18 hours, fans of crime novels and Stephen King’searly works will find this a thrilling ride.
PREMIUM
Transmuted
A queer body horror tale with a deep emotional center, speaking to the determination of one woman who will risk anything to be whole.
No need to wait until spooky season to read scary stories. Put these horror novels up for display now.
PREMIUM
A Mask of Flies
Epic in scope and deeply steeped in its place, Lyons’s crime caper/horror hybrid will appeal to fans of titles like This Wretched Valley by Jenny Kiefer, The Devil Takes You Home by Gabino Iglesias, and The Children of Red Peak by Craig DiLouie.
PREMIUM
Heads Will Roll
Winning continues to write great horror novels, and this is a must-buy for libraries that are seeking new and insightful horror that will captivate their readers. Recommend to those who enjoyed My Heart Is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones, The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix, or Clown in a Cornfield by Adam Cesare.
Captivating and creative, Tingle continues breathing new life into old tropes with a gory examination of art and the lives that fuel it.
PREMIUM
Incidents Around the House
Malerman is extraordinarily skilled at bringing fear to the ordinary and building a sense of unease into terror. He can terrify readers even while writing from a believable child’s perspective and voice. For fans of novelists who deftly deploy unease and surreal takes on the routine like Neil Gaiman, Catriona Ward, or Paul Tremblay, or Scott Thomas’s Violet, another novels about an imaginary friend.
Monika Kim is a second-generation Korean American living in Los Angeles’s Koreatown. She learned about eating fish eyes from her mother, who immigrated to LA from Seoul in 1985. The Eyes Are the Best Part is her first novel.
LJ Best Book author Hailey Piper offers a twist on vampire mythology; plus new books from Kelley Armstrong, Richard Chizmar, and Stoker Lifetime Achievement Award-winner Nuzo Onoh.
With obvious nods to the serious issues that underpin Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye, and clearly inspired by Gillian Flynn’s seminal Gone Girl, Kim has written a novel that every library needs to own.
PREMIUM
The Z Word
King-Miller’s (Ask a Queer Chick: A Guide to Sex, Love, and Life for Girls who Dig Girls) fiction debut expertly balances social commentary with fun in a novel that will have readers cheering for her queer heroes and questioning their own brand loyalties. Will have wide appeal for fans of Jennifer Government by Max Barry, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith, and Manhunt by Gretchen Felker-Martin.
A great read for fans of authors who embrace slasher-movie tropes in their storytelling such as Brian McAuley, Grady Hendrix, and Stephen Graham Jones, and also those who love tales where artists and cursed objects collide, such as Gothic by Philip Fracassi.
PREMIUM
Cuckoo
No one writes like Felker-Martin (Manhunt), and her unrelenting and brutally honest novels are crucial inclusions to all horror collections. Pair with Chuck Tingle’s Camp Damascus or Lucy Snyder’s Sister, Maiden, Monster. This is also a great update to the classic film Invasion of the Body Snatchers.
A great introduction to today’s cosmic horror, featuring a plethora of talented new voices. An easy hand sell to fans of Jordan Peele, The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle, or the work of rising star Hailey Piper.
A captivating, alluring, and, at times, illicit book that is conscious of the craft of the storytelling process without sacrificing an extraordinary reading experience. It recalls Fever Dream by Samanta Schweblin, Looking Glass Sound by Catriona Ward, and Coyote Songs by Gabino Iglesias.
PREMIUM
Ghostroots: Stories
Aguda’s excellent story collection deserves a wide audience. With a breadth similar to the critically acclaimed Jackal, Jackal by Tobi Ogundiran, this will also appeal to readers of Eugen Bacon, Lisa Tuttle, and Karen Russell.
A must-buy title that updates the enduringly popular form of the gothic novel from a new perspective (as in Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia or The Hollow Kind by Andy Davidson), while also adding depth to the horror that unites Thomas’s literary universe, similar to Goblin and Spin a Black Yarn by Josh Malerman.
PREMIUM
This Wretched Valley
A fast-paced, dread-filled survival tale, perfect for fans of Scott Smith’s The Ruins.
PREMIUM
The Molossus of Old Man Moyer
A perfect ghost story for fans of The Amityville Horror or listeners who prefer not-so-subtle scares. The short runtime makes this a quick supernatural thriller that ends with a decidedly loud bang.
PREMIUM
Sanctuary
Fans of Isabel Cañas’s The Hacienda and Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House will savor this solidly scary yarn.
PREMIUM
Indian Burial Ground
Expertly blending timelines and perspectives, Medina delivers another atmospheric, unsettling, and downright eerie read that will keep readers guessing until the last page.
Multiple vampire tales, including ones from Johnny Compton, Rachel Harrison, and Kiersten White; a gothic horror from LJ Best Booker Olesya Salnikova Gilmore; and YA authors Lilliam Rivera and Vincent Tirado make their adult debut.
PREMIUM
The House That Horror Built
An unsubtle but tense tale of self-aware gothic horror from Henry (Good Girls Don’t Die).
PREMIUM
Lost Man’s Lane
Carson (Where They Wait), pen name of Michael Koryta, delivers a captivating and eerie tale that weaves together family curses, the Y2K panic, and the very real horrors of adolescence. Xennial readers will especially enjoy revisiting cultural touchpoints of their own coming-of-age. Give this one to fans of Michael Koryta and Chuck Wendig’s Black River Orchard.
PREMIUM
The Gathering
Tudor’s (The Drift) latest blends elements from the horror, thriller, and mystery genres to create a compulsive and fantastic read. Well-paced action, great characters, a satisfying conclusion, and the setup for a sequel make for an easy recommendation, especially for fans of T. Kingfisher and Catriona Ward.
PREMIUM
What Grows in the Dark
A spooky walk in the woods for fans of supernatural mysteries, LGBTQIA+ protagonists, and folk horror such as The Blair Witch.
PREMIUM
Good Girls Don’t Die
Thriller/horror fans who dabble in mysteries and YA dystopian novels will savor Henry’s fourth-wall-centered assault on well-known genres.
PREMIUM
Edenville
While some listeners may get lost in Rebelein’s ever-confusing landscape, those who like their cosmic horror with a touch of humor should enjoy.
PREMIUM
Where the Dead Wait
Horror for fans of nautical disasters such as Dan Simmons’s The Terror or Jennifer Niven’s The Ice Master.
PREMIUM
Red River Seven
A fun romp with echoes of Jeremy Robert Johnson’s The Loop or Nick Cutter’s The Troop. Bloody escapism at its best.
Outstanding narratorial performances take this novel to the next level. Fussner doesn’t offer easy answers but allows listeners to ponder the existence of the invisible world.
A dream team of narrators, combined with Wendig’s masterful storytelling, makes for a listening experience as intoxicating as a Ruby Slipper apple.
Incredibly written and performed historical horror that, though heartbreaking, might give modern readers a spark of hope.
PREMIUM
The Night House
Nesbø’s first foray into horror lacks a tightly focused plot but makes up for it with imaginative scenes that fascinate even when separated from the whole.
PREMIUM
The Paleontologist
Fans of Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child’s “Pendergast” series should especially enjoy Dumas’s intriguing blend of supernatural and psychological horror, with its sharp prose, well-drawn characters, and just the right amount of humor and social commentary.
PREMIUM
Mister Lullaby
Those who enjoy King’s Castle Rock novels or dark fantasies that involve a weakening veil between worlds should enjoy this journey to Lalaland.
PREMIUM
A Light Most Hateful
Throughout this intense blend of horror, romance, and fantasy, listeners will be glad for Parker’s performance. A twisty, shocking novel for fans of Richard Kadrey’s The Dead Take the A Train.
A collection of Indigenous horror stories that offers something for every listener, from quietly unsettling tales to gruesome body horror. Don’t miss this one.
Terrifying tales of crime and supernatural horror; plus new books from LJ Best Book authors Grady Hendrix and Gabino Iglesias.
The collaboration of these uniquely gifted narrators with extraordinarily talented Black horror authors results in a thrilling, multifaceted audio experience that belongs in all fiction collections.
PREMIUM
Dwellings
Readers who enjoyed Afterlife with Archie by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa or Octopus Girl by Toru Yamazaki will enjoy untangling the plots of these six cutesy yet highly disturbing stories.
PREMIUM
Sanctuary
Fans of Isabel Cañas’s The Hacienda and Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s Mexican Gothic will breathe in this book’s brooding atmosphere, even as its emotional punch of a climax leaves them breathless.
PREMIUM
The Woods All Black
Readers will be drawn in to this horror novella with broad crossover appeal, thanks to its skillful blend of trans love story, historical fiction, and Southern gothic folk horror.
Full of emotions, humorous moments, spinetingling scenes, and lots of tension, Thorne’s newest is a modern horror story that will grab readers and not let go.
This horror sequel invokes more about Sara rights and splinter cells, and Mia remains a fascinating protagonist to watch as she works through her own pain while trying to stay alive.
Balancing a terrifying cursed film with examinations of artistic creation, fandom, and truth, Tremblay’s latest is smart and well-paced and will have broad appeal. Recommended for fans of Tremblay’s The Pallbearer’s Club as well as Clay McLeod Chapman’s The Remaking.
LJ Best Book authors Stephen Graham Jones and Chuck Tingle have new books out in July, along with best-selling James Patterson.
PREMIUM
Chicano Frankenstein
The way Olivas builds on the classic Shelley story and sets it within a futuristic context makes it an intriguing read that will speak to disenfranchised voices and spark discussion among its readers. A good read-alike for Tim McGregor’s Eynhallow and Frankenstein in Baghdad by Ahmed Saadawi.
S.A. Barnes is the author of Dead Silence and the forthcoming Ghost Station. She works in a high school library by day, recommending reads, talking with students, and removing the occasional forgotten cheese stick used as a bookmark.
PREMIUM
Bless Your Heart
Ryan’s (Throw Me to the Wolves) compelling horror/mystery hybrid is bursting with serious scares, humor, and Southern charm. Fans of Grady Hendrix and Rachel Harrison will appreciate.
LaRocca (Everything the Darkness Eats) is a viral sensation for all the right reasons, showcasing why extreme horror is so resonant, thought-provoking, and necessary. Suggest to fans of Tender Is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica and We Are Here To Hurt Each Other by Paula D. Ashe.
PREMIUM
Ghost Station
Barnes (Dead Silence) is quickly cementing herself as the go-to author in space horror. This will appeal to fans of sci-fi/horror hybrids that are heavy on the planetary-exploration details, such as David Wellington’s Paradise-1, and also readers who enjoy the psychologically intense polar horror of Ally Wilkes.
PREMIUM
Oracle
Suggest to fans of popular horror/thriller series by Christopher Golden, Chuck Wendig, and Mira Grant.
PREMIUM
The Day of the Door
Hightower’s (Silent Key) story, dripping with visceral dread from every corner, will draw in fans of intense psychological horror such as A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay, Mapping the Interior by Stephen Graham Jones, and Graveyard of Lost Children by Katrina Monroe.
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