What an outstanding year for reading! Many of these titles weren’t just our favorites of 2025, but also now can be included in some of our all-time favorite books.
Our books of the year 2025 list is simply for fun and is purely based on how we liked each book this year. Most of our lists are done in no particular order, but for this list we start at 25 and head down towards our favorite books of the year 2025.
Of course, we were unable to read EVERY book to release in 2025, but we got through quite a bit and will heavily favorite the horror and thriller genres.
25. Sunrise on the Reaping
by Suzanne Collins
As the day dawns on the fiftieth annual Hunger Games, fear grips the districts of Panem. This year, in honor of the Quarter Quell, twice as many tributes will be taken from their homes. Back in District 12, Haymitch Abernathy is trying not to think too hard about his chances. All he cares about is making it through the day and being with the girl he loves.
When Haymitch’s name is called, he can feel all his dreams break. He’s torn from his family and his love, shuttled to the Capitol with the three other District 12 tributes: a young friend who’s nearly a sister to him, a compulsive oddsmaker, and the most stuck-up girl in town. As the Games begin, Haymitch understands he’s been set up to fail. But there’s something in him that wants to fight . . . and have that fight reverberate far beyond the deadly arena.
Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins is a fantastic addition to The Hunger Games series. The novel is not just another money grab prequel, but a truly powerful story that adds so much to the original series. Sunrise on the Reaping is an unforgettable reading experience that is full of action and emotion that actually rivals the first novel in many ways. – CLICK HERE to read Justin’s entire review
24. Serial Killer Support Group
After her sister is murdered, a woman infiltrates a support group for serial killers in this biting queer feminist debut thriller, perfect for fans of The Final Girl Support Group and My Sister, the Serial Killer. When Cyra Griffin’s younger sister is murdered by a serial killer, Cyra knows better than to expect justice from the hands of the police department. With the investigation already dying its own slow death, Cyra follows the blood trail and finds her own way forward.
Using insider information (don’t ask), Cyra infiltrates a support group for serial killers by pretending to be one herself in the hopes of finding the person who ended her sister’s life. Proving herself to them comes at a cost, but it’s one Cyra is willing to pay in the name of revenge. But the dangerous men in the group aren’t the only obstacle in Cyra’s path for vengeance, and the further Cyra descends into the deadly world of serial killers, the harder it becomes to hold on to her own humanity.
Serial Killer Support Group is a gripping tale that lures you in with its bizarre premise and keeps you hooked with its unexpected twists. While the concept might sound whimsical at first—a therapeutic circle for those who live outside society’s moral code—but Saratoga Schaefer deftly turns it into an intense journey. Serial Killer Support Group gives me reason to read more from Schaefer in the future and that is all you can hope for in the end. – CLICK HERE to read Justin’s entire review
23. Blood on Her Tongue
by Johanna van Veen
The Netherlands, 1887. Lucy’s twin sister Sarah is unwell. She refuses to eat, mumbles nonsensically, and is increasingly obsessed with a centuries-old corpse recently discovered on her husband’s grand estate. The doctor has diagnosed her with temporary insanity caused by a fever of the brain. To protect her twin from a terrible fate in a lunatic asylum, Lucy must unravel the mystery surrounding her sister’s condition, but it’s clear her twin is hiding something. Then again, Lucy is harboring secrets of her own, too.
Then, the worst happens. Sarah’s behavior takes a turn for the strange. She becomes angry… and hungry.
Lucy soon comes to suspect that something is trying to possess her beloved sister. Or is it madness? As Sarah changes before her very eyes, Lucy must reckon with the dark, monstrous truth, or risk losing her forever.
Blood on Her Tongue by Johanna van Veen is not just another gothic horror but rather it stands tall amongst others in the genre with innovative storytelling coupled with richly detailed settings and outstanding character development. Blood on Her Tongue is an eerie, gruesome, heartfelt gothic horror that will stand with, or even above, the best horror novels in 2025. – CLICK HERE to read Justin’s entire review
22. Another
For Casey Wilson, everything has felt a bit off following a terrible incident on Zoom during the pandemic. He doesn’t feel quite as confident as he used to, his friends and family feel distant, and his tics have only increased in intensity and frequency. But, Casey’s parents inform him a new friend is coming over, a friend Casey’s never heard of until now. When Morel arrives, Casey is shocked to see this strange boy enter his home. He’s nearly featureless with no way to speak; yet, everyone else acts completely normal under these strange circumstances. Things grow even stranger when Morel doesn’t leave, and Casey’s parents begin to grow more and more interested in Morel rather than Casey. Soon, it feels as though Casey isn’t there at all, or is he?
A book that belongs in the hands of every reader, Paul Tremblay’s Another is the kind of novel that settles deep within your mind to excavate the truest form of self in the face of fear. Casey and Morel’s journey towards an existence of individuality despite unideal circumstances feels vital in this day and age, especially for young readers who are learning the importance of self. Creepy, lingering, and apt for this time, Another is a stunning horror fiction release that needs to be read by all. – CLICK HERE to read Justin’s entire review
21. The Night Birds
Charlie Book and Ruby Cahill have history. After their love ended in heartbreak years ago, they never expected to see each other again.
Now, as part of his work for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Book lives aboard the Christabel, a 19th century freighter half-sunken off the shore of Galveston. Over many years, a massive forest of mangrove trees has grown up through the deck of the ship, creating a startlingly beautiful enigma Book calls the Floating Forest. As a powerful storm churns through the Gulf, he intends to sleep on board as usual.
But when he arrives at the dock, he’s stunned to find Ruby there waiting for him. And she’s not alone. With her are a mysterious woman and her infant child, asking Book to hide them safely aboard the Christabel while they’re on the run. Only it isn’t the police who are after them, it’s a coven of witches the woman, Mae, has fled, stealing away the helpless infant for whom the coven had hideous plans…or so Mae claims.
It’s lunacy and Book wants nothing to do with it. But after the way he and Ruby ended things, and the unspoken pain between them, he can’t refuse. Yet even as he brings them out to the ruined ship and its floating forest, there are shadowed figures looming back in Galveston, waiting out the storm. And despite the worsening wind and rain, the night birds are flying, scouring the coastline for their prey.
The Night Birds by Christopher Golden meets, if not succeeds, my expectations of the author’s ability to craft eerie and atmospheric horror tales. Each sentence, paragraph and chapter is flawlessly executed creating a comprehensively outstanding novel that is sure to end up on my favorite books of 2025. Golden has a knack for telling stories that stay with me long after the book is closed and The Night Birds is not different. – CLICK HERE to read Justin’s entire review
20. Widow’s Point: The Complete Haunting
by Richard Chizmar & W.H. Chizmar
Longtime residents of Harper’s Cove believe that something is wrong with the Widow’s Point Lighthouse. Some say it’s cursed. Others claim it’s haunted.
Originally built in 1838, three workers were killed during the lighthouse’s construction, including one who mysteriously plunged to his death from the catwalk. That tragic accident was never explained, and it was just the beginning of the terror. In the decades that followed, nearly two dozen additional deaths occurred in or around the lighthouse including cold-blooded murder, suicide, unexplained accidents and disappearances, the slaughter of an entire family, and the inexplicable death of a Hollywood starlet who was filming a movie on the grounds.
The lighthouse was finally shuttered tight in 1988 and a security fence was erected around the property. No one has been inside since. Until now.
Told across two harrowing incidents from 2017 and 2025, those who enter the Widow’s Point Lighthouse searching for supernatural proof and the next big thing find themselves cut off from the outside world. And although no one has recently stepped foot inside the structure, they are not alone.
Richard Chizmar and W.H. Chizmar have crafted a story that captures the essence of a found-footage horror flick in a way that I didn’t think possible in book form. The father-son duo deliver the same atmospheric tension and jump scares one would expect from these types of films. Widow’s Point: The Complete Haunting is a must-read horror tale. – CLICK HERE to read Justin’s entire review
19. Play Nice
by Rachel Harrison
Clio Louise Barnes leads a picture-perfect life as a stylist and influencer, but beneath the glossy veneer she harbors a not-so glamorous secret: she grew up in a haunted house. Well, not haunted. Possessed. After Clio’s parents’ messy divorce, her mother, Alex, moved Clio and her sisters into a house occupied by a demon. Or so Alex claimed. That’s not what Clio’s sisters remember or what the courts determined when they stripped her of custody after she went off the deep end. But Alex was insistent; she even wrote a book about her experience in the house.
After Alex’s sudden death, the supposedly possessed house passes to Clio and her sisters. Where her sisters see childhood trauma, Clio sees an opportunity for house flipping content. Only, as the home makeover process begins, Clio discovers there might be some truth to her mother’s claims. As memories resurface and Clio finally reads her mother’s book, a sinister presence in the house manifests, revealing ugly truths that threaten to shake Clio’s beautiful life to its very foundation.
Play Nice by Rachel Harrison is one hell of a story, but the climactic ending was a beautiful payoff. The psychological tension ratchets up alongside bursts of pure horror that make for a stellar conclusion. The family dynamics felt raw and real, leaving a lasting impression. Rachel Harrison really knows how to hook you and Play Nice is no different. – CLICK HERE to read Justin’s entire review
An unapologetic force of horror, Play Nice is the best showcase of Rachel Harrison’s voice within the landscape of modern horror fiction. This is a book that is penned with notable, horrific radiance that stands out in Harrison’s already impressive catalogue. Every aspect is cranked to maximum volume, delivering earnest yet intense confrontations of past and present, truth and illusion. Making way for a horrifically timely examination of expectations and reckonings, Clio Barnes’ story redefines what it means to wrestle with your demons. But, maybe we shouldn’t wrestle with these demons at all. Maybe we should acknowledge them, give them a subtle nod to their existence in the corner and let them be. Maybe we should play nice. – CLICK HERE to read Anna’s entire review
18. 8114
by Joshua Hull
After returning to his hometown, Paul, the beleaguered host of a small-time podcast, discovers a longtime friend committed suicide in the dilapidated ruins of Paul’s childhood home. Desperate to find answers, Paul interviews friends and locals hoping to find closure. He finds himself in a chilling downward spiral of his memories and the land he grew up on. Has his past caught up with him or is there something far more sinister at play?
8114 by Joshua Hull is a psychological horror wrapped tightly around a supernatural core making it impossible to put down. The characters, location and overall atmosphere of dread made for one hell of a horror story. This is one that I read with the lights on and my back against the wall. Hull’s ability to use his background of screenwriter to craft horror novels makes for a unique reading experience and cannot wait for more. – CLICK HERE to read Justin’s entire review
17. D7
Dive bars on the outskirts of nowhere come with their own challenges that a lot of tourists may find difficult to navigate, but our protagonists quickly find out that the problems they envision potentially could happen become a whole different set of nightmares the quickly spiral out of control. Trapped inside said dive bar becomes an unsettling experience they cannot escape.
D7 by award-winning author and screenwriter Philip Fracassi is a short yet intense horror tale that will grab your attention from the very first page. Fracassi has gained a reputation for his ability to infuse mundane elements with spine-tingling horror and D7 is a true testament to this skill. D7 is a truly unforgettable read where the unsettlingly dread lasts long after you close the book.
16. Horror’s New Wave: 15 Years of Blumhouse
With Blumhouse celebrating its 15th anniversary throughout 2025, Horror’s New Wave captures the company’s journey to become a powerhouse in the horror and thriller film genres—taking you through the process of conception to premiere for films like Five Nights at Freddy’s, Sinister, Split, Get Out, M3GAN, now-classic franchises like The Purge, and so much more.
This definitive “Blumhouse book” delves into the behind-the-scenes processes that shaped Blumhouse’s iconic films and is perfect for cinephiles, pop culture enthusiasts, and lovers of horror. Featuring an introduction from CEO and founder Jason Blum, it also includes interviews with key filmmakers and writers like M. Night Shyamalan, Leigh Whannell, James Wan, and Mike Flanagan; actors, such as Allison Williams, Ethan Hawke, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Octavia Spencer; and Blumhouse executives like head of film Couper Samuelson and head of casting Terri Taylor.
These interviews explore how each project came together, offering stories and insights into the creative process, such as directing, musical score, makeup, acting, cinematography, and more. You will get a birds-eye view at the triumphs and challenges of some of the most beloved and iconic horror films of all time. This book also includes film stills, on-set photographs, storyboards, creative briefs, and title treatments—giving you a true backstage pass to the making of your favorite films.
Horror’s New Wave: 15 Years of Blumhouse truly is the definitive Blumhouse book. Diving head first into some of the more iconic horror films from the past two decades like we have never seen before. Reading this book didn’t make me a fan of Blumhouse, that happened years ago, but it furthered my love for the films they make. Horror films made by people who care about the story, the quality, and the genre itself. This book is a great addition to my library and perfect for anyone who loves movies and even more for those who love horror. Horror’s New Wave is a must-read! – CLICK HERE to read Justin’s entire review
15. Your Favorite Scary Movie
Cullins examines the making and impact of the Scream films with behind-the-scenes insight from cast, creators, and crew, as well as sharp analysis on how the movies’ special blend of gruesome violence and humorous self-awareness rewrote the horror playbook. This intimate and thorough history includes brand-new interviews from Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Kevin Williamson, Skeet Ulrich, Matthew Lillard, Jack Quaid, Parker Posey, Hayden Panettiere, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mason Gooding, Radio Silence, Roger L. Jackson, and so many more.
Your Favorite Scary Movie deepens my appreciation for the incredible Scream film series, movies that are far more than just average horror flicks, but movies that redefined and reimagined the horror genre. The franchise has become a defining part of the horror legacy, with each installment cleverly building on the last in ways few could have anticipated. Thanks to Ashley Cullins, who dives deep into the world of Scream with such outstanding insight and passion that gives me even more reason to revisit each film over and over again. – CLICK HERE to read Justin’s entire review
14. Her Wicked Roots
by Tanya Pell
Cordelia Beecher is on the run. In search of her missing brother Edward, she has fled the oppressive charity school she was raised in, desperate to find the only family she knows. Using clues from his past letters, she sets off for the sleepy town of Farrow but everyone there claims to have never heard of Edward—not even the man he was supposedly working for as an apprentice.
With nowhere to go, Cordi turns to Lady Evangeline, a local botanist who owns the magnificent Edenfield estate. The benevolent lady of the manor has made it her mission to take young, often traumatized, women into her employ and protect them from man’s world of wicked desires and deceits. Hired as a maid and companion to her enigmatic daughters, Prim and Briar, Cordi quickly settles into Edenfield. Even as her relationship with Briar blossoms, Cordi can’t help but suspect that there are secrets in the estate…and when she stumbles across evidence that Edward was once there, she’s determined to find answers.
Her Wicked Roots establishes even more that Tanya Pell is a rising voice in horror we’ll all want more from. This gothic, atmospheric mystery is both stunning and unsettling. With stunning descriptions of beautiful settings, this tale pulls you in and lets your imagination run wild while keeping you on edge, wondering what’s coming next. Pell’s Her Wicked Roots is an absolute must-read.
13. Simultaneous
Federal agent Grant Lukather works for an unknown department of Homeland Security called Predictive Analytics. They look for patterns in tips and chatter to prevent a terrorist event before it happens. One of these calls, about a possible explosion in New Mexico, leads Grant to a case with unimaginable consequences.
He meets Sarah Newcomb, a therapist who uses past-life hypnosis in her treatment but has recently stumbled upon a phenomenon that seems to defy logic. Grant follows this thread to another crime: a copycat killer case in Colorado. With the help of one of Sarah’s patients, they embark upon an investigation that spans multiple states, timelines, and consciousnesses. With limited time and only a tenuous grasp of how this phenomenon works, the unlikely trio are in a race for their lives—past, present, and future.
Simultaneous is a thrilling, fast-paced speculative crime fiction packed with twists, a truly unique premise, and just the right touch of humor. Eric Heisserer‘s debut novel is bold, mind-bending, and most of all a must-read for fans of the genre. Given how much I have loved his work on screen over the years, it’s no surprise this book hit the mark for me.
12. Why I Love Horror
Edited by Becky Siegel Spratford
For twenty-five years, Becky Siegel Spratford has worked as a librarian in Reader Advisory, training library workers all over the world on how to engage their patrons and readers, and to use her place as a horror expert and critic to get the word out to others; to bring even more readers into the horror fold. Why I Love Horror is a captivating anthology and heartfelt tribute to the horror genre featuring essays from several of the most celebrated contemporary horror writers.
Why I Love Horror: Essays on Horror Literature wasn’t just an outstanding read, it reinvigorated my love for the horror genre and the people who shape it. These authors share their personal journeys in both horror and life, telling their stories with genuine passion and love. This collection just adds to the reasons on why I will continue to read stories from these authors because you can feel their commitment to keeping the genre at its best. Why I Love Horror is a must-read for any fan of the genre, and I highly recommend it to anyone curious about why these writers chose to spend their careers telling terrifying tales. – CLICK HERE to read Justin’s entire review
Why I Love Horror edited by Becky Spratford is a jewel for horror fiction fans of every variety. With such a diverse, well-rounded set of voices that explore the intricacies of authorship through the horror genre, there is an essay for every kind of reader in this collection. Maybe you already know why you love horror when you pick this book up, or maybe you’re looking to find out the mystery within yourself. Regardless, Why I Love Horror gives you more to ponder, more to appreciate, and more to love about horror. – CLICK HERE to read Anna’s entire review
11. Coffin Moon
by Keith Rosson
It’s the winter of 1975, and Duane Minor, back home in Portland, Oregon, after a tour in Vietnam, is struggling to quell his anger and keep his drinking in check, keep his young marriage intact, and keep the nightmares away. Things get even more complicated when his thirteen-year-old niece, Julia, is sent across the country to live with Duane and his wife, Heidi, after a tragedy. But slowly, carefully, guided by Heidi’s love and patience, the three of them are building a family.
Then Minor crosses the wrong man: John Varley, a criminal with a bloody history and a trail of bodies behind him. Varley, who sleeps during the day beneath loose drifts of earth and grows teeth in the light of the moon. In an act of brutal retaliation, Varley kills Heidi, leaving Minor broken with guilt and Julia filled with rage. The two of them are left united by only one thing: the desire for vengeance.
As their quest brings them into the dark orbit of immortal, undead children, silver bullet casters, and the bevy of broken men drawn to Varley’s ferocity, Minor and Julia follow his path of destruction from the gritty alleyways of 1970s Portland to the desolate highways of the Northwest and the snow-lashed plains of North Dakota—only to have Varley turn his vicious power back on them. Who will prevail, who will survive, and what remains of our humanity when our thirst for revenge trumps everything else?
Keith Rosson delivers an unexpected, brutal, emotional vampiric tale that you can really sink my teeth into with Coffin Moon. The author, that should be a household name for horror fans by now, had me hooked from start to finish in a genre that is growing on me each and every new book I read. Coffin Moon is yet another must read from one of the best authors in horror. – CLICK HERE to read Justin’s entire review
Intense, bleak, and bathed in gore, Coffin Moon is the kind of novel that will carve out your chest cavity with a blunt silver spoon. Keith Rosson writes a novel that reads like that Smashing Pumpkins song I mentioned to start, but eases more into the notes of Disarm rather than Bullet with Butterfly Wings once things are said and done. It’s bloody, it’s violent, it’s concentrated vengeance in novel-length format, and damn, does it hurt so good. – CLICK HERE to read Anna’s entire review
10. We Are Always Tender with Our Dead
by Eric LaRocca
The lives of those residing in the isolated town of Burnt Sparrow, New Hampshire, are forever altered after three faceless entities arrive on Christmas morning to perform a brutal act of violence—a senseless tragedy that can never be undone. While the townspeople grieve their losses and grapple with the aftermath of the attack, a young teenage boy named Rupert Cromwell is forced to confront the painful realities of his family situation. Once relationships become intertwined and more carnage ensues as a result of the massacre, the town residents quickly learn that true retribution is futile, cruelty is earned, and certain thresholds must never be crossed no matter what.
We Are Always Tender with Our Dead exceeded all my expectations, a phenomenal start to the Burnt Sparrow series. If the next two are anything like this first installment, we are in for one hell of a ride. Every time I pick up a new Eric LaRocca story, they manage to outdo themself. We are Always Tender with Our Dead is an unsettling must-read horror. – CLICK HERE to read Justin’s entire review
9. Shiny Happy People
At sixteen, Kyra is still haunted by the horrors she saw growing up with her drug-addicted mother. She doesn’t feel like she belongs anywhere—and disturbing dreams come to her at night.
When a new party drug makes its way to her high school, Kyra’s life becomes an actual nightmare. A video challenge spreads among the students—and though she doesn’t participate, Kyra can’t escape the inexplicable side effects.
Everyone around her seems to be mysteriously changing, including the people she loves the most. Her brother has a new personality overnight. Her best friend suddenly feels like a stranger. The only other person who seems to notice the eeriness is Logan, the new boy at school. Like Kyra, he has steered clear of the party scene.
When the strangeness begins to feel sinister—or unnatural—Kyra is determined to find out exactly what is behind the mysterious drug. As she and Logan get closer to the truth, the line between Kyra’s past and present blurs . . . and she will need to face the terrors inside herself, or lose everyone she loves.
Shiny Happy People is intended for the young adult audience, those between the ages of 12 and 18, but it’s not just for teens. If you usually turn your nose up a YA novels, it’s time to check that bias and give this fantastic story a shot. Clay McLeod Chapman has written a genuinely terrifying book that could easily hook a new generation of horror fans for life. Shiny Happy People is hands down one of the best books I have read this year. – CLICK HERE to read Justin’s entire review
8. Breathe In, Bleed Out
Hannah has been running from her demons ever since she emerged from a harrowing wilderness trip without her fiancé. No one knows exactly what happened the day Ben died, and Hannah would like to keep it that way… even if his ghost still haunts her with vivid waking nightmares that are ruining her life. So when her friend group gets an exclusive invitation to a restorative spiritual retreat in Joshua Tree, Hannah reluctantly agrees in search of a fresh start.
Despite her skepticism of the strange Guru Pax and his belief in the supernatural world, Hannah soon finds healing through all the yoga, sound baths, and hot springs offered at the tech-free haven. But this peaceful journey of self-discovery quickly descends into a violent fight for self-preservation when a mysterious killer starts picking off retreat attendees in increasingly gruesome ways. As the body count rises and Hannah’s sanity frays, she’ll have to confront her dark past and uncover the true nature of a ruthless monster hellbent on killing her vibe for good.
Breathe In, Bleed Out is a fantastic slasher horror novel that fans of the genre, especially those who loved Scream, will enjoy. Brian McAuley delivers a unique final girl with a protagonist with her own emotional baggage, seeking a fresh start, only to find herself fighting for survival. With its intense narrative and wonderfully crafted characters, Breathe In, Bleed Out is a must-read from one of the best in the genre. – CLICK HERE to read Justin’s entire review
Both psychologically and viscerally harrowing, Breathe In, Bleed Out by Brian McAuley solidifies his status as one of the most entertaining and heartfelt voices in slasher fiction. The components of internal and external fear work in tandem to create a unique atmosphere of dread, one that fans of psychological thrillers and horror novels will equally enjoy. Hannah’s struggle to not only survive what is real, but maybe what isn’t, guarantees a breathless, sun-soaked sprint to the end, possibly to her detriment or to her healing. And with that, namaste or whatever. – CLICK HERE to read Anna’s entire review
7. Look Out
by Dan Baillie (writer), Tim Bradstreet (illustrator)
When Oscar, recuperating from a divorce, takes a job as a fire lookout in a remote forest outpost, he unearths a mangled sheet of paper inscribed with a strange set of rules that promise to keep him safe during his watch. Oscar laughs it off as a prank – a bit of light hazing from the other fire lookouts in the area – but when night falls, he discovers that the rules, and the threat they protect against, are all too real.
Look Out isn’t just one of the best books I’ve read in 2025; it’s also one of the most wonderful comics I’ve come across so far this year. Each page turned feature incredible storytelling, thanks to Dan Baillie‘s amazing writing paired with Tim Bradstreet‘s stunning illustrations. This unique graphic novella format seamlessly brings together the world of prose novellas with stunning imagery, making it a must-read for horror fans everywhere. – CLICK HERE to read Justin’s entire review
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6. Wake Up and Open Your Eyes
Noah Fairchild has been losing his formerly polite Southern parents to far-right cable news for years, so when his mother leaves him a voicemail warning him that the “Great Reawakening” is here, he assumes it’s related to one of the many conspiracy theories she believes in. But when his own phone calls go unanswered, Noah makes the long drive from Brooklyn to Richmond, Virginia. There, he discovers his childhood home in shambles, a fridge full of spoiled food, and his parents locked in a terrifying trance-like state in front of the TV. Panicked, Noah attempts to snap them out of it and get medical help.
Then Noah’s mother brutally attacks him.
But Noah isn’t the only person to be attacked by a loved one. Families across the country are tearing each other apart-–literally-–as people succumb to a form of possession that gets worse the more time they spend watching particular channels, using certain apps, or visiting certain websites. In Noah’s Richmond-based family, only he and his young nephew Marcus are unaffected. Together, they must race back to the safe haven of Brooklyn–-but can they make it before they fall prey to the violent hordes?
Clay McLeod Chapman‘s Wake Up and Open Your Eyes will kick-off next year as a must-read for fans for horror. This novel is a thought-provoking and emotional charge tale that will have you on edge long after you close the last page. It has a gripping, horrific and thrilling narrative with some pretty complex characters that deal with a chilling societal collapse. So, listen…wake up…open your eyes…and take in the terrifying novel by one of horror’s best authors. – CLICK HERE to read Justin’s entire review
5. Killer VHS: The Long Low Whistle
The sound of the whistle that split Patricia’s life in two still haunts her two decades later, its echoes leaving their indelible stamp on everything she does. The rift caused by her father’s unsolved death haunts her, pushing her to ever more dangerous attempts to put his memory to rest. Breaking into mausoleums in the dead of night isn’t how she pictured her life, but she’ll do almost anything to know what happened.
When a group of amateur cryptid hunters shows up in her small town, Trish doesn’t hesitate to take what might be her only chance to find answers, even if they’re searching in the last place she should be. A sealed, abandoned mine; tight underground passages filled with unseen creatures, and impenetrable darkness await the crew, but it’s the only path forward, and Trish won’t leave her father’s legacy buried, delving ever deeper into danger to where that whistle still moans.
The Long Low Whistle is a triumphal work of horror writing that kept me on edge from beginning to end. Laurel Hightower blends emotional horrifying moments with terrifying cryptid scares that made me want to keep the lights on. This is the kind of story you might not want to put down until you have finished the final paragraph. It’s a haunting, unforgettable read that still has me reeling.
4. Angel Down
by Daniel Kraus
Private Cyril Bagger has managed to survive the unspeakable horrors of the Great War through his wits and deception, swindling fellow soldiers at every opportunity. But his survival instincts are put to the ultimate test when he and four other grunts are given a deadly mission: venture into the perilous No Man’s Land to euthanize a wounded comrade.
What they find amid the ruined battlefield, however, is not a man in need of mercy but a fallen angel, seemingly struck down by artillery fire. This celestial being may hold the key to ending the brutal conflict, but only if the soldiers can suppress their individual desires and work together. As jealousy, greed, and paranoia take hold, the group is torn apart by their inner demons, threatening to turn their angelic encounter into a descent into hell.
Angel Down plunges you into the heart of World War I and weaves a polyphonic tale of survival, supernatural wonder, and moral conflict.
Daniel Kraus isn’t afraid of creative risks–actually the complete opposite–and Angel Down is proof that those risk can really pay off in such profound ways. Kraus trusts our intelligence, our patience, and our love for curiosity with each and every story he crafts. The combination of the story and its structure makes Angel Down an undeniable masterpiece. – CLICK HERE to read Justin’s entire review
3. The Buffalo Hunter Hunter
A diary, written in 1912 by a Lutheran pastor is discovered within a wall. What it unveils is a slow massacre, a chain of events that go back to 217 Blackfeet dead in the snow. Told in transcribed interviews by a Blackfeet named Good Stab, who shares the narrative of his peculiar life over a series of confessional visits.
With each new release from Stephen Graham Jones comes a renewed excitement for fresh new horrors, The Buffalo Hunter Hunter was just said book. Jones has hooked this fan and while I may say “good luck topping this one,” I have to believe he likely will continue to blow me out of the water with each new book.
Brilliant, harrowing, and irrevocably devoted, The Buffalo Hunter Hunter feels like a novel that only comes around once in a lifetime. Stephen Graham Jones has given us earnest, emotional stories before, but this particular venture into the past, a tale of reckoning, feels like something else entirely. Good Stab, Weasel Plume, Wolf Calf, Otter Goes Back, Tall Dog, Peasy, and every Pikuni lodge themselves deep within the heart. Their loss, their suffering is felt so deeply, reverberating deeply within our bones and souls. Jones’ words make this feat possible, a visceral reading experience that transcends the page. Incredibly constructed, passionately told, and simply unforgettable, The Buffalo Hunter Hunter is every reason Stephen Graham Jones is a writer like no other, a sincerely devoted storyteller with a masterful voice that must be heard.
2. When the Wolf Comes Home
by Nat Cassidy
One night, Jess, a struggling actress, finds a five-year-old runaway hiding in the bushes outside her apartment. After a violent, bloody encounter with the boy’s father, she and the boy find themselves running for their lives. As they attempt to evade the boy’s increasingly desperate father, Jess slowly comes to a horrifying understanding of the butchery that follows them―the boy can turn his every fear into reality. And when the wolf finally comes home, no one will be spared.
Nat Cassidy‘s When the Wolf Comes Home is not merely a book–it’s an immersive thrilling experience coupled with genuine emotional engagement. The story is as emotionally raw and heartbreaking as it is pulse-pounding and terrifying leading to an unforgettable reading experience that I could not put down.
1. King Sorrow
by Joe Hill
Arthur Oakes is a reader, a dreamer, and a student at Rackham College, Maine, renowned for its frosty winters, exceptional library, and beautiful buildings. But his idyll—and burgeoning romance with Gwen Underfoot—is shattered when a local drug dealer and her partner corner him into one of the worst crimes he can imagine: stealing rare books from the college library.
Trapped and desperate, Arthur turns to his closest friends for comfort and help. Together they dream up a wild, fantastical scheme to free Arthur from the cruel trap in which he finds himself. Wealthy, irrepressible Colin Wren suggests using the unnerving Crane journal (bound in the skin of its author) to summon a dragon to do their bidding. The others—brave, beautiful Alison Shiner; the battling twins Donna and Donovan McBride; and brainy, bold Gwen—don’t hesitate to join Colin in an effort to smash reality and bring a creature of the impossible into our world.
But there’s nothing simple about dealing with dragons, and their pact to save Arthur becomes a terrifying bargain in which the six must choose a new sacrifice for King Sorrow every year—or become his next meal.
King Sorrow truly feels like a story that has been years in the making. A prime example of how ambition and execution can either succeed or fail quickly, luckily for us the book succeeds on so many levels. While this book was worth the nine-year wait, I am ready for more from Joe Hill in the near future, but until then King Sorrow simply is a must-read and one of the best books of the year. – CLICK HERE to read Justin’s entire review
The world may be filled with dragons, trolls, and other variants of entities out to thrive on harm and destruction. But, the world is also full of us, people with the greatest potential to change, to save, to shine. Slaying dragons feels like big business, noble business, but the truth of the matter is that dragons come in all sizes, all of which we are capable of confronting and often times defeating. We can stand. Joe Hill’s King Sorrow is the book we all need right now, the reminder that nothing is ever too late, that we are capable of so much even in the face of the seemingly unbeatable. This is a love letter to hope, a shining beacon in the long dark. – CLICK HERE to read Anna’s entire review
Honorable Mention
Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney, Daredevil: Born Again by Chris Ryall, Future Boy by Michael J. Fox, Lucky Day by Chuck Tingle, Dead Money by Jakob Kerr, The Autumn Springs Retirement Home Massacre by Philip Fracassi, and Welcome to the Family by Barry Hertz.
